Thursday, April 26, 2007

Thoughts on D.O.C....

I'm going to start with the obvious -- what did the Parachutist mean when she said they found Oceanic 815 and there were no survivors? One possibility is that the Others collected the wreckage and staged a fake crash scene elsewhere to protect the Island. But so many people survived the crash -- where did they get all those replacement bodies? I think there's another answer that better fits the facts we know thus far. As I've argued previously, the presence of a second photo of Penny and Des implies that the latter's trip back in time created a causal paradox. Yet, if we have a second photo, why not a second plane -- one that crashed killing everyone onboard in the part of the multiverse that Penny and the Parachutist are from?

It's a brain fryer to be sure, but recall the image from In Gott We Trust of the universe with branching baby universes -- those various branches are dimensions of the multiverse. Each time someone special like Desmond creates a causal paradox in one of these dimensions, a new branch of the multiverse is created, thereby resolving the paradox. The Island appears to be a kind of interdimensional nexus of the multiverse, outside of spacetime and thus accessible from all branches equally. In the dimension where Des is originally from, Penny probably doesn't have a photo and isn't even looking for him. But because Des created a parallel dimension (or branch of the multiverse) by traveling back in time, there now is a Penny who does and is.

This is actually how some scientists, including Gott and noted string theorist Brian Greene think time travel might work. Fellow fans of the show Heroes should watch for an even more explicit (spoonfed?) take on this science in the upcoming episode String Theory. I'm not quite sure how course corrections figure into the equation, but here are some further signs to look for that the Island is an interdimensional nexus of the multiverse. One will be further inconsistencies between the Parachutist and our Losties over recollections of the past. She may remember meeting some of them, but they won't remember her, or vice versa. Another intriguing possibility is that they will use the Satellite phone to make contact with Penny, who will have no recollection of having sent the Parachutist.

* On another note, the Island boosts sperm production. (Way to go Apa Jin!) I'm not sure that kills the immuno-contraceptive idea, especially since the consensus seems to be that Swan was creating the effect electromagnetically. But his vigorous sperm count does rule out the specific kind of immuno-contraceptive used to control wildlife populations like the squirrels of Santa Monica, which tends to inhibit egg and sperm production. By that same token, the apparent boost to the immune system provided by the Island could still be caused by rTMS.

* Jin's uncertain parentage raises some interesting questions. Just who was his father? And could Jin have been born on the Island -- or conceived by someone who was? Perhaps as such, he can only reproduce on Craphole Island...

* Interesting how Sun's borrowing the money to payoff of Jin's mother appears to have been what prompted Mr. Paik to "promote" his son-in-law to enforcer...

* Funny how, the more we get to know Jin and Sun, the more sympathetic the former gets -- Jin's story arc is one of the most remarkable of the show. It's been said before but merits repeating the writers deserve major praise for handling his (and her) story so beautifully.

* Mikhail is back! But...how? Two possibilities occur to me, both of which involve Smokey. First, it's possible that Smokey can possess people, in which case Mikhail's trip through the sonic fence may have cleansed Smokey from his system. Alternatively, perhaps Mikhail died and the Smoke monster snatched his body like it apparently did Christian's and Yemi's...

13 comments:

Merrylegs said...

Interesting theory. I am leaning toward the alternate/parallel universe/timeline theory as well. My husband thinks that Dharma staged the finding of the wreckage to the press. If the plane wreckage were "found" in the ocean, there would not necessarily be many bodies retrieved, as we have seen in other oceanic (pun intended) air disasters. As for Mikhail, I think he was faking his death. Remember, no one actually checked to make sure he was dead. Kate looked at him, but didn't touch him. We already know we have some nasty spiders on the island that make one appear dead. A little something (alka seltzer) in the mouth for the foaming and some good acting and you could easily fool the losties.

Bigmouth said...

Danielle: You and your husband raise a great point about the difficulty of retrieving bodies from the ocean. Still, something about the way the parachutist was so emphatic that what Charlie said was impossible makes me think they found most of the dead.

You may also be right about Mikhail, who appeared to be breathing after his "death" from the sonic fence. Still, they made such a point of drawing our attention to the connection between Smokey and the fence. And Mikhail seemed so...grateful to be tossed into the field.

I couldn't shake the sense that he'd been liberated somehow...

Cool_Freeze said...

Hey, I love reading your thoughts on the episodes. I really enjoyed the Squirrels of Santa Monica, so much so that I linked it to my Lost Blog.

Also I have some of my thoughts on the island in a recent post.

Check it out...

Anonymous said...

Bigmouth,

Incredible as always.

1. Parachutist
What if she was part of the overall Others conspiracy, adding the layer of doubt with the fake plane crash elsewhere to cover up the existence of the Oceanics on the island? This would allow them to be part of their experimentation and observation regimen unfettered by search and rescue. She was somehow comunicating in languages Mikhail understood, perhaps even codewords. Of course, to ascribe to this theory, one would have to say the implanted Desomnd/Penny photo and the "Desmond" declaration at crash time would also be ruses to make them believe she was there for their rescue.

2. Mikhael
We have seen the healing power of the island. You mention that he was incarnation or re-animation of Smokey. I'm not one on the efficacy of sonic weaponry, but perhaps he never died, just ruptured his eardrum and given that he didn't die, the healing properties of the island (vortex, electroagnetism, etc.) helped him. And don't forget that he might be of heartier stock given what we have seen of their "superhuman" strength and abilities, perhaps they have superhuman characteristics included heartier cellular and tissue structure, allowing him to withstand the sonic fryolator.

Ok, William of Okham might have a problem with my thoughts, but it's always fun to speculate and discuss!

Love the blog!
-Mang

Annie said...

First i have to say that i love love love the Jin and Sun story arc. How at first I was totally on "Sun's side" and thought she should get away from Jin... but he's my favorite Lostie right now. And Sun's dark side is so awesome there are no words.

On our parachutist that came from no where...

I read on another blog that what she actually said to Mikhail in Italien wasn't "thank you for helping me" but "i'm not alone". This followed by her telling Hurley (perhaps the least mentally stable person on the Island(well that's all relative but, the Others obviously have a file on Hurley and knows his tendency towards imaginary friends) That everyone from flight 815 is dead. Panic anyone?? Of course Hurley's not going to take this news ligthly and will cause even more confusion among the survivors. Plus, it seemed to me that Mikhail sorta looked surprised to find all of them, but was obviously looking for some one... with the signal flare...

just some thoughts :)

Anonymous said...

I have to admit I have a problem with the the idea of parallel dimensions. I think it's quite possible it's where the story is headed, but I just don't understand how it's going to play out/pay off. What does this mean going forward for anyone on the island interacting with the outside world? Perhaps they're all stuck on the island forever? I've long imagined that the show will end with some of the survivors (eg, Jack) having to sacrifice themselves for the good of the others and the planet, once it's revealed why they're there and the significance of their fates. Bigmouth, help me out here: assuming a parallel dimension-type scenario, how do you envision this playing out?

Regarding Mikhail, I think he was almost killed by the sonic fence but was restored by the healing properties of the island. I don't buy that Smokey can inhabit someone for hours or days on end and wander all over the island. It normally appears as brief visions or embodiments in the same circumscribed areas corresponding to its vents/pathways.
-- Aaron

Anonymous said...

Just to elaborate on my previous point: My assumption has been that the survivors of flight 815 in the end will play a key role in fate of the island and perhaps the world at large. But how does that play out if they're cut off in their own dimension?

Anonymous said...

i thought that the podcast confirmed that the 2 copies of the pic of penny and des was a production error.

Anonymous said...

One other thing -- You've convinced me, Bigmouth, by drawing attention to the "eye m sick" mural, which I hadn't paid that much attention too, that one of the incidents on the island happened when a psychic child's ID was unleashed with the power of the islands EM properties.

And one intriguing possibility is, what if that kid was Ben? The problem with that theory is that he hasn't shown any evidence of that sort of psychic ability. Yes, he's a master manipulator, which would help him read people and move them, but if he were that gifted, as much or so than Walt, why would Walt be such a big deal and "more than we bargained for." Why would his hold on power appear somewhat tenuous?

It could be the producers are simply playing their cards close to the vest and we'll learn later how he used his powers through seasons 2 and 3 ...

Thoughts?
-- Aaron

Bigmouth said...

CF: Hey, thanks for linking! You make some great points re the possibility that the crash was faked. As I commented on your blog, however, my feeling is that 2 Photos + 2 Planes = Multiverse.

Mang: Hey, there! Before I address your comments, have you read Pearl and the Power of Empathy? I suspect you might get special a kick out of this one:

http://eyemsick.blogspot.com/2006/12/pearl-and-power-of-empathy.html

Regarding the Parachutist, I think it's entirely possible she's a plant, working with the Others, etc. Remember, however, that the Others had no knowledge of Swan until the crash of Oceanic 815, which suggests their knowledge of Desmond was similarly limited, too. I guess what I'm wondering is: if you're going to go through all the trouble to fake a rescue, wouldn't it make more sense to pretend it's for the survivors of Oceanic 815? What do the Others get by making Des the target of their ruse?

As for Mikhail, I have to admit, your solution makes a lot of sense! Again, however, I'm struck by the parallel between Mikhail and Smokey. The former went through the fence and survived, while the latter can't go through the fence. That implies to me some connection between the two events (i.e., the cleansing scenario I mentioned). BTW, no worries about offending William of Ockham -- we routinely give him the finger on this blog.

annie: That's what I read too -- "I'm not alone." I interpreted it to mean she's either part of a rescue mission or there was (cue music...) a second parachutist. What if Penny is already on the Island? On a totally unrelated note, I love, love, love your avatar! I brought this wall from home...

Aaron: Well, if this theory is correct, then Oceanic 815 is indirectly responsible for creating Homo Superior (i.e., via the Fail-Safe). Another possibility is that some of our losties are either hybrids or members of Homo Superior themselves. Assuming the Parachutist isn't a plant, her arrival implies the Island is still accessible from various timelines, but I like your suggestion that someone will have to stay there to complete the cycle. Perhaps that someone is Desmond? Maybe, staying on the Island is the only way he can remain with Penny, whose timeline will eventually be eliminated by course corrections. Regardless, I'd love for them to conclude the show with a shot of an elderly gentleman's eye opening. Pull back, and Penny and Des are now living in the Caves...fade to black...LOST.

As for Smokey and Mikhail, don't forget that Smokey seems to be able to snatch bodies like Yemi's. I'm with you an Mang that the likeliest explanation is that the Island healed Mikhail. Still, can't shake the sense that Smokey, that fence, and resurrected Mikhail are all inextricably intertwined...

anonymous: Nope -- quite the contrary: Darlton made a point of saying the two photos implied two timelines.

Aaron: I think that's a distinct possibility -- check out the Mind of Magnus:

http://eyemsick.blogspot.com/2006/11/mind-of-magnus.html

Merrylegs said...

Are you sure the Others didn't know about the Swan hatch until 815 crashed? Remember in Expose', Ben and Juliet were watching the Losties in the Swan via the cameras in the other hatch (the flame?). It is quite possible that they have been monitoring the goings on in that hatch for years. I am convinced, however, that the Desmond and Penny story is crucial. BTW, I love your blog Bigmouth.

Bigmouth said...

Danielle: I'm glad you like it! As for the Others' limited knowledge of the Swan, check out the March 21, 2007 podcast (link to Dark UFO):

http://spoilerslost.blogspot.com/2007/03/offical-abc-podcast_21.html

Cool_Freeze said...

I don't disagree with a multiverse scenario. I guess if this is what is happening it could really make the show interesting. They could make an entirely different timeline and bring back old characters. I guess from my standpoint it seems that it would make the solutions to the old island mysteries less exciting. i.e. the statue, smokey, and such.

It is like that is the solution. TIME

I can't wait to see how it all plays out.

thanks!