Thursday, March 13, 2008

Thoughts on Ji Yeon...

Not a lot of mythological revelations last night, unless you count the brief return of Michael. I know I'm eagerly anticipating Meet Kevin Johnson, the title of the next episode, which will presumably tell what happened to him and Walt. But last night's episode was truly brilliant writing -- right up there with Walkabout as an example of the craft. I was blown away by the deft use of flashback and flash forward intersecting at Jin's grave.

It's rare, in this age of anxiety, to find something you've never seen. But I can't think of another work that uses both narrative devices, let alone to create such beautiful storytelling symmetry. The closest parallel I can think of is Following, an early Christopher Nolan film that, like Memento, uses non-linear storytelling. But non-linear isn't the same as symmetrical -- Lost has become Seinfeld in the fourth dimension.

There was a moment last night, when I realized Jin was in his own flashback, that my heart sank and I knew he was dead. Almost as rare as Lost's complex narrative style is its equally complex portrayal of an asian male. Like black men in the 1960s and '70s, asian males are locked in a kind of binary opposition by the media, caricatured either as timid convenience store owners or ass-kicking karate studs.

Jin kicked ass but was also a fully realized character, simultaneously a hero and a flawed human being capable of great evil. The credibility of this portrait is testament not just to the writing but Daniel Dae Kim's performance. I'm sorry to see Jin go, but I'm glad the show clued us into his fate through the flash forward. Doing so allows us to savor the character and portrayal of Jin in the time we have left.

Here are some other thoughts and reactions I had to Ji Yeon:

* I've mentioned previously how the show has some weird coincidences with my life. The strangest by far is that a friend from college is named Benjamin Linas. I also have cousins with the last name Kwon. Ji Yeon is the name of a friend of my family since childhood. I could go on...

* For some reason, the line "Everyone loves a panda!" cracked me up. I'm actually chuckling as I write this...

* Jin shouldn't have known the meaning of the word "karma." It would have been so easy and natural for Bernard to explain briefly, then have Jin recognize the underlying concepts. Thank goodness Lost isn't on NBC or we would have had some clunky Earl reference...

* Sun's call for an ambulance brings to mind a funny story. My folks were visiting my uncle in Korea a few years ago. One day, they were caught in terrible traffic when they heard an ambulance siren start up behind them. Unfortunately, none of the traffic made any effort to make way for the ambulance. My uncle explained that, in Korea, commerce trumps everything, including medical emergencies.

* I wonder, did Regina commit suicide to be with Naomi? I can't shake the sense those two are connected. Maybe the former's conversations with Miles convinced her there was an afterlife where her ghost and Naomi's could be reunited.

* Alternatively, is this cabin fever related to whatever killed Radzinski? I was struck by the similarity of the blood stain in Des and Sayid's room to the remains of Radz. Is Jacob ticking their subconscious, causing a literal cabin fever? Maybe this is the sickness at long last...

* The captain seemed to suggest that Widmore wasn't behind the wreckage, which leaves two possibilities. One is Ben and the Others, which seems increasingly plausible the more we learn about their financial resources. The other is some Chronology Protection Agency, as I describe in Lost Time. I was particularly struck by the way the Captain referenced the grieving process, which is an important element of that theory...

* My guess is that Michael is the saboteur. As a janitor, Kevin Johnson undoubtedly has access to most parts of the ship. I'm surprised they haven't suspected him already...

* The alias suggests that Michael made it back to civilization. As you know, my speculation is that he ended up in the past, which explains Taller Ghost Walt. I'm not concerned about him doing anything that changes the future (e.g., meeting himself) because of course correction. But how does Ben then recruit Michael to be his mole? The preview for next week suggests Walt is that leverage -- was this a condition of their release? I can't wait!

38 comments:

The Holdaway Family said...

I have never been so sad after a LOST episode...

Wayne Allen Sallee said...

Well, at Kate's trial, eight survivors were mentioned. So Jin accounts for #7 and Coffin Person as #8. I'm guessing this is the first flash-forward in chronicological order. What's the deal with giving Zoe Bell (Regina) opening credits all season and then have her walk overboard (though she was reading her book upside down, too)?

Wayne Allen Sallee said...

And, yes, everyone, I made up the word you see above and scratched your head over.

Anonymous said...

I'm convinced that there's a time travel aspect to last night's story... I think that when the Losties leave the island, some of them go off-course, and end up traveling to various points in time. The reason there's only an Oceanic 6 is because only 6 took the right path off the island.

Jin would be the first example of someone who took the wrong path... back to the year 2000. Like Minkowski, he can't get back. He's still working for Paik b/c that's his past... he can't change it. Like Desmond, when he goes back to the year 2000, his conciousness is in the year 2000, and he doesn't know what's going to happen on the island.

Anonymous said...

I might even extend that further, and suggest that the O6 traveled into the future... they don't know how they got off the island, or how to get back. They are desperate to get back so they can reunite with their friends.

AndroidGuys said...

Ok, here's my thought on the note "Do not trust the captain." It was written by Zoe Bell's character, Regina. She had that book upside down because she couldn't read or make sense of the characters. Maybe she lost her mind or capability to read. If you look at the note, the writing looks like someone really trying to make letters . Like a child or someone learning how to write.

klf said...

Bigmouth or others,

Thoughts on Sun's birth? I found it quite odd the doctor went from saying a C-section was necessary to Ji Yeon crowning. Interestingly, in the few seconds in between, Sun mistook some mysterious suited fellow for Jin.

I have no familiarity with Korean birthing rooms, but I doubt it's normal that anyone can walk past an open door/window & look in on a birth like that.

Is the speed of the "C-section -to-crowning" interaction more evidence suggesting the future is changing, as I have seen suggested in various commentary? That's where I'm leaning.

Anonymous said...

I also felt like Regina's behaviour went beyond the "usual" sickness that other freighter people have experienced. When I saw Regina sitting there with the book, in a daze, and out-of-it I wondered if her last name begins with a "G" because Naomi's bracelet was signed "RG"

Alex said...

BM,

I completly agree with the cabin fever theory or Rouseau's version of "sickness". Perhaps all people that come in close contact with the island and do not follow the correct path get struck with the time travel problem or some sort of hysteria in which they end up killing themselves in a matter of days as was evident on the boat.

In terms of the Oceanic 6, I feel that "the numbers" are not done playing their role. 4,8,15,16,36,42 all correspond to seat numbers: Sayid 4 in first class (1st episode Sawyer mentions this), 15/16 Jin and Sun, Kate, Jack, and Hurley to the other numbers.

The only 2 who do not fit are Aaron (not sure if he is considered Oceanic Six), Coffin man - other people made it off the island (Michael, Ben)??

Can't wait till this Michael and Walt time travel or however he ended up on the freighter is revealed!

chriswaslost said...

I can't even tell you how many different thoughts raced through my head once Jin finally made it to the hospital and on through the end of the show. But, my last "gut feeling" is that Jin is not dead. For whatever reason, he did not leave the island, probably sacrificing his rescue in order to ensure that Sun got off the island. She grieves for him, not because he is dead, but because he is still "lost" on the island. I think it has been left open enough that the writers could decide to have Jin die if it serves the bigger story, but I feel like there is a happy ending to the Jin/Sun story when all is said and done.

Bigmouth said...

Holdaway Family: Yes, I was little misty-eyed myself when I realized Jin was dead in the flashforward...

Wayne: Hang on -- there were eight survivors of the crash but two died on the Island. Thus far, only Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, and Sun are confirmed to have made it back to civilization. I figured Jin made six (i.e., he died after their rescue) but the date on his tombstone is reportedly September 22, 2004, the date of the crash. So Aaron might be the sixth, making Claire one of the two remaining survivors who died before rescue.

My money is still on Crimson Rabbit's speculation that Abbadon is in the casket -- and my own that Sayid put him there. I'm with you, though, that there has to be more to Zoe Bell's story. Next week's epi sounds like it's Michael-centric, so perhaps we'll see more of her in his flashback. I also wouldn't be surprised if we get a freighter-centric story like the Other 48 Days, though that arguably already happened in Confirmed Dead.

sdub: What if ghosts can transcend space and time? I really like klf's suggestion that Apa Jin intervened somehow in Ji Yeon's birth to prevent the need for c-section. See my comments below...

klf: As I mentioned to sdub, that's a beautiful speculation! Makes me think back to Charlotte Malkin, who delivered the message from Yemi to Eko at the airport. During her autopsy tape, you can actually hear whispering, which is presumably how she got the message. All of which has me wondering if ghosts like Jin and Charlie can transcend space and time...

melissa: Oh, great catch re the bracelet! Darlton mentioned in a podcast after the Economist that there was no connection between Naomi's bracelet and Elsa's, even though Sayid was struck by the similarity. So I absolutely love this alternate explanation linking the bracelet with Regina. I wonder if they were lovers...

Alex: Hmmm...I was frankly disinclined to believe that the sickness relates to being unstuck in time. My thought was that it was an addiction of sorts to Jaco and/or the Island. Your comment, however, makes me realize there's a very logical connection is Jacob is himself unstuck in time. I would caution you, though, against attaching too much significance to the Numbers. They may yet reappear, but as indication of the Island's effect on the past and future, rather than a separate cause themselves.

chriswaslost: You may be right -- the date on Jin's tombstone still throws me. Personally, however, I hope the writers follow through on this now that I'm emotionally committed. The episode loses a lot of its poignance and power if everything we saw was mere misdirection...

Anonymous said...

Jin is not dead. His tombstone says he died on 9/22/04- the day of the plane crash. I think his "death" is part of the lie the Oceanic Six are living with.

Bigmouth said...

I just realized, Aaron can't be the sixth survivor or Kate's mom would know it wasn't her grandchild...d'oh!

Anonymous: To clarify, to you believe Jin is alive or dead in the flash forward? I find it hard to believe Sun and Hurley would bother visiting his grave if they knew he was alive...

Anonymous said...

Kif - I completely agree that the Sun birth scene was odd. Having had an emergency c-section myself, a dr doesn't generally tell you need a c section with a baby in distress only to have you naturally give birth to it moments later. But perhaps this is one of those miracles of conceiving a baby on the 'island'. It will be interesting to see if this baby has any unusual abilities (and Aaron too maybe)

BM & others - I'm not sure we are clear on who the Oceanic 6 are even though the promos say the 6 have been "revealed". Is Aaron really considered one of the 6 even though he was not technically a passenger? I guess considering Claire was so far along they could consider him one of the 6 even though he wasn't on the flight record. I still want to know how they will explain with such ease the Aaron is Kate's child.

Here's a thought on Michael. What if he does ultimately get back to the "real world" whether he's one of the 6 or has a different name (perhaps Michael was confirmed dead). Then it would be very possible that he is in fact the one that hung himself in a NY apartment and is in the coffin. Jack and Kate could still feel betrayed by him (for leaving them at the docks and things we haven't even seen yet) so they wouldn't call him a friend anymore.

As always BM love the post and I love reading everyone else's comments too

Paula Abdul Alhazred said...

I don't want Jin to be dead, but I also cried pretty hard last night. If he's really alive it's gonna rob that moment of its emotion for me in the future.

I am confused on this whole issue of the Oceanic Six. I thought it was supposed to be clear after this episode, but it doesn't feel so clear to me. I don't really see how Aaron could be one of them.

Wayne - I don't think the identities of the other two survivors are important, because it's all just a lie being told by the Oceanic Six. I think eight is only appearing here because it's one of the numbers.

Wayne Allen Sallee said...

@ bigmouth and Paula with the really cool screen name (for those not familiar with HP Lovecraft), by the way: there's a reason why Jin's grave would be visited, if one wants to be paranoid about it. The Oceanic 6 are not just being followed by photographers and reporters, but by Abaddon and Widmore, maybe even Sun's dad Paik has an investment in all this. It goes back to Jack talking about "living a lie" before Abaddon visits Hurley at Santa Rosa and asking about the other survivors. Personally, I'm liking the idea that Claire and Jin are alive, giving up Aaron and Sun for rescue. The more I think about it, the Oceanic 8 is just part of the cover-up story, somehow. Maybe as simple as making people believe C & J died after the crash. On another note, particularly if next week gives us Michael-centric, I'm thinking every flashback/forward since Jack's has been in reverse chronological order. and bigmouth, thanks for agreeing that there should be more to Regina's story. Anybody see Nikki on Expose when Sun's water broke? I thought at first it was Juliet on the tv.

James Elliott said...

I did feel for Sun, up until I remembered the Lost Mobisode where her and Spychael shared a stolen moment and almost kiss. While I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline, it was a bit much to overlook. Kevin Johnson is a grown up Walt (a la Doc Jensen's column)....hmm. I also agree with this Regina business, there needs to be some storyline there.

Someone else posted a possible Freighter back story similar to the tailies happening. While I like where that could go, I don't think I wanna leave our friends on the Island long enough to find out.

HOW does the world believe the wreckage at the bottom of the Indian Ocean (the cover up of ALL 324 passengers) AND the Oceanic 6; makes absolutely no sense, thoughts, anyone? I really need help with this one.

Sidebar, I hope that this is not all a possibility of what can happen and that the Lost universe can correct this (i.e. everything this season & the finale last season) from happening. Like Bigmouth, I feel too invested now for it to be all for naught!

Unknown said...

I agree Christie that Michael is the 6th passenger. I think that he was "rescued" along with the others and that he was the one in the coffin. I think Kate's anger/disgust at Jack visiting the coffin was b/c she felt that someone else who was left on the island should have been rescued in his place.

As for Jin, I agree with Wayne that Sun had to put on an act for any potential onlookers, including her father, since she was still being recognized as one of the Oceanic Six. I don't believe that Jin is dead. Also, I may have read it here or on another site, but it was mentioned that perhaps Sun took such care to be dressed up was b/c a camera would be filming for Jin back on the island - much like Juliet's sister being filmed with her son.

I don't believe that Claire is going to survive. I think she is going to try to intervene as was suggested this week with her conversation with Locke and something is going to happen as a result.

I wonder if the six were allowed to leave to do Ben's dirty work. Sayid is working as a killer for him. From what we saw on Thursday, Michael is working as Ben's spy. Perhaps that continues off island until he kills himself (if he is the one in the coffin). Maybe Jack is desperate to get back b/c he can't do what Ben is requiring him to do to keep the others who are still on the island alive??? A huge stretch but I can't see them being allowed to leave (knowing Ben still has the ability to get off the island) without some price.

Lolagrrl said...

@wayne - Hey! You Twitter too! =) Thanks for the Nikki/Expose Easter Egg! I completely missed that. Now I have an excuse to watch the ep again! =)

lil-bee said...

=[ I'm usually quite full of thought after Lost but after this episode, I'm just sad...I kinda wish he is alive but I kinda wish he was dead bcuz if not what a waste of emotion =[ as always loving you post though BM and all the comments!!

Anonymous said...

bigmouth wrote:

chriswaslost: You may be right -- the date on Jin's tombstone still throws me. Personally, however, I hope the writers follow through on this now that I'm emotionally committed. The episode loses a lot of its poignance and power if everything we saw was mere misdirection...

I disagree with this. Watch the scene again; it works just as well if Jin is dead, or if the Jin she is talking to is trapped on an Island that no one can get to.

It's also just as poignant if she THINKS or assumes he is dead, and it tuens out to be a false assumption. Her grief would still be just as real.

Bigmouth said...

Christie: Doc Jensen is going with Aaron as the sixth member of the Oceanic 6, and I'm inclined to agree. My question, however, is still whether Kate's mom realizes that Aaron is adopted. Of course, maybe that's what convinced her Kate has changed...

PAF: I know what you mean -- I was simultaneously moved and confused. But see my comment above to Christie -- the main problem I see is Kate's mom seeming to think Aaron is her natural grandchild. Otherwise it makes sense that Claire was one of the eight who survived but died during childbirth, forcing Kate to adopt the child.

Wayne: It's possible she's acting, but I'm skeptical. Sun is Paik's daughter -- I can't imagine that someone even as powerful as Widmore or Ben could coerce her into living a lie that necessitated her living apart from Jin.

James: Yes, it's also a puzzle how they'll explain finding the wreckage in the Sunda trench, which is off the coast of Bali.

Caer: I'm with you that Claire is probably toast. I think she was one of the eight who survived the crash but died before rescue. But see my comments to Wayne above -- I'm skeptical Sun was acting.

lolagrrl: What's twitter?

lil beyotch: Thanks!

3D: I meant the scene -- indeed the episode -- would lose poignance from my perspective as a viewer. It will feel like a copout to me if Jin is still alive, even if it's a surprise...

annebeth said...

My guess is that the writers deliberately didn't make clear what is the future faith of Jin. Either he is dead, or he is still on the island. This is wonderful storytelling, because we as the audience are put in a desmond-like position (who had flashes about Charlie, but wasn't exactly sure what would happen at that time). We know that something will happen to Jin, but what? Either way, it will be tragic :(

My money is on Jin being stuck on the island, one of the reasons is because it's seems more logical that Sun would ask for her husband if he was still alive...somewhere.

@Bigmouth: what was the moment in Jins flashback where you knew he would die in the future?

Oh, and I guess the captain DOES suspect Michael :) Exspecially (sorry, English is not my native language) when you look at the sneak peek at next week's episode: the captain acts like a bad-ass, beats someone up and then, in front of everyone, he specificaly calls forth Kevin Johnson, the clean up the mess.

I think he's trying to use Desmond and Sayid to test Michael, to see is he looses his cover.

Greetings :D
Annebeth

annebeth said...

Oh, and I read a theory that maibe the Plaincrash isn't staged by Widmore (too obvious), Ben/the others (too convenient, plus: don't trust the captain), but that's it's a course-correction-phenomenon. Here's the quote, maibe you guys find it usefull. It's written by Vozzek69 over at Darkufo:


Course Correction, Jake Gyllenhaal, and my own Wild Conjecture
Okay, theory time. So I don’t believe Ben staged the plane crash, but then again, I don’t think Widmore did it either. And I’m pretty sure Oceanic Airlines can get no good press out of gruesome footage of a body-filled wreckage. So just who DID stage the crash of flight 815?

Answer: No one. The plane really did crash.

This is hard to grasp at first, but the more LOST plays out the more sense it seems to make. I think most of us agree the plane was brought to the island for its own purposes - whatever they might be. On the island virtually anything goes, which is why so many necessary people survived the crash. This is the magic of LOST.

But back in the real world, if we believe in the path of fate, the plane was supposed to crash. The people on board were supposed to die. That event played out, as a matter of the universe course-correcting itself, with the plane even sinking to the bottom of the ocean in the same three parts it broke into when it was torn apart in the air. In that one split second the plane existed in both universes: both the LOST universe, and the normal one.

On island, everyone is given a tabula rasa, or clean slate. See you in another life – and it truly is another life. The island and its inhabitants have their playlists and go through their motions, with the ‘surviving’ members of flight 815 looking on incredulously and playing their parts. Meanwhile, off-island, certain things that were supposed to happen cannot now happen… because the elements necessary to course correction are no longer in that universe. Let’s take Ms. Hawking’s man with the red shoe, for example. If you pushed him out of the way of his construction death, the universe would find a way to kill him tomorrow as a matter of course correction. But if he were suddenly gone from the universe tomorrow – the way flight 815 vanished – the universe would be screwed out of doing that.

I’m not going to beat the Donnie Darko horse again, but I will give it a quick kick. In that movie the universe got all messed up because a plane’s engine fell through a wormhole and existed in two different timelines simultaneously. I propose that flight 815 has done just that. The wreckage exists in the normal world, but it also exists scattered across the beach on LOST island. There’s no way I believe that anyone - Widmore, Ben, Bill Gates, The Wizard of Oz, or Bob the Builder with a giant Australia-sized crane actually went through the trouble of painstakingly recreating that crash site. That IS the crash site, because the plane actually crashed. And I’ll bet one day we’ll hear the black box recording to prove it.

On a final note, I’ll predict that when Frank Lapidus is looking at the decaying body of the ring-less pilot on the news, he’s really looking at a universally-course corrected version of himself in the cockpit of that plane. Because according to fate, he was supposed to be piloting flight 815. According to fate, he’s already dead. Ohhhh…



(my wild guess is that it could also be that Widmore and Ben are in cahoots or something, and blame each other of the staged crash to manipulate their environment.)

Anonymous said...

When we found out Sun's regular doctor was out, I was waiting for a scene where Sun and the new Dr. were alone and he ends up calming her and making her feel better.....then BAM "ARE THEY ALIVE??? HOW MANY ARE THERE???"
I would've lost it if Abbadon was the assistant! Lol!

Lolagrrl said...

Ok... This may not sound right but I have to say it....

At the end of the episode, I was kinda glad that Jin was dead and that his scenes were flashbacks because as I was watching the ep (and not knowing that Jin's scenes were flashbacks) I was saddened by the thought that he had gone back to his old ways and had learned nothing from his time on the island.

... Of course, I wasn't ~really~ glad that he was dead. Jin's one of my favorites, but I was glad to see that it was "pre-island" Jin acting like an ass.

Oh and Bigmouth... Twitter is a micro-blogging site. If it can't be said in 140 characters or less, it can't be said. You should check it out! =)

Capcom said...

Good post as usual! :-)

You have a good point Big, about how in this show, at least we get to warm up to the idea of our favorites dying, before they actually do. :-)

Funny about the parallels with your life and the show! The X-Files was like that for me and my brother. Our parents' house address is even 1013!

We don't know the first name of the Capt. His last name starts with G. Could be him too on the bracelet.

Didn't TPTB (before Abaddon showed up) tell us that the person in the coffin is someone that we know already? Memphish would remember this, she always remembers what's said in the podcasts. :-)

lisa h. said...

i wonder if Des will get his memory back? did he ever meet michael? i can't remember? if he did, will he recognize him?

Bigmouth said...

annebeth: I like the analogy between our incomplete glimpses of what happens to Jin and Desmond's flash forwards re Charlie. Remember, though, Charlie did indeed die as predicted. I'm still hoping they're going to send Jin out with a similarly noble death...

I didn't realize it was a flashback until fairly late -- around the time we learned Jin was bringing the Panda to someone else. When he mentioned that he'd only been married for two months, I was sure. Like Lolagrrl, I was a little relieved because it was sad to think Jin had regressed so completely post Island...

I like your speculation about the captain testing Michael/Kevin! I also dig vozzek's theory re course correction, which is similar to my post Lost Time. I think Ms. Hawking and Brother Campbell are both Chronologly Protection agents. Remember that photo of the two of them on Campbell's desk? Guess where it was taken...

In the very same courtyard at Oxford where Daniel meets Desmond...

M: That would have been wild!

Lolagrrl: Actually, as I mentioned to annebeth, I know exactly what you mean. It would have been horrible to see Jin regress so far -- not to mention sporting that ridiculous feathered haircut!

Capcom: Good call re the bracelet -- I wouldn't be surprised to learn he had something going with Naomi. I also think you're right about Darlton saying the person in the coffin being someone we've seen. OK, I like Mike! I still, however, say that Sayid will be the one who puts him there...

Lisa: What made you think Des didn't recognize Michael? I think they met briefly in Live Together, Die Alone...

Genger said...

Great column as always bigmouth!

It's great to see so many people participating in this comment forum too!

Regarding the whole Aaron and Kate situation, remember that time may be moving much slower on the island... For all we know, the events could be laid out logically to look like this to off-island parties:

Flight 815 crashes - Sept. 22/04

Kate gets "pregnant" - according to off-island characters (media, her mom), this could've happened prior to the crash, or while on the island

Oceanic 6 recovered - Not sure of the exact dates, but this could be, say 100 days on-island, OR 3 or 4 years off-island time

Kate's trial - Aaron looks to be at least 2 or 3 years old. If that's the case, then Kate would have had the 9 months time needed to have Aaron on the island (according to off-island folks)

Your thoughts?

lisa h. said...

well it seemed like Des might recognize Michael...but he didn't remember Sayid after they got on the helicopter and the side effects set it. so i wondered if his sickness is gone now, or if he still doesn't have his mind completely back? or since he contacted Penny is he fine now?

Bigmouth said...

Genger: Thanks! You raise an interesting possibility re time moving at different rates on and off the Island -- very Dark Tower. But I'm still inclined to think that any time difference is a function of the route you take to and from the Island, as confirmed by the lack of any similar lag in the radio transmission. I'm also confused how this explanation for Kate's pregnancy would make sense to people like her Mom who have no knowledge of any time difference. I should think Kate keeping such info secret would be a condition of her rescue...

Lisa: Hmmm...I got the sense Desmond's consciousness and memory snapped back after contacting his Constant, like you said. But you're absolutely right that we should be on the lookout for memory problems similar to Dan's.

Genger said...

Hey bigmouth,

sorry I wasn't more clear. I have trouble putting my thoughts into writing! :)

What I was trying to get across was that the time (on-island time) from when 815 crashed on the island, to when they're retrieved would be say, 100 or so days.

In off-island time though (as evidenced by the whole 'Redsocks winning the series' time difference), 3 or 4 years has past.

So my thought would be that perhaps Kate's mom and everyone else off the island believes that Kate and the rest of the Oceanic 6 have been lost on an island for 4 years. That's enough time for Kate to have gotten pregnant and had Aaron on the island.

This theory could still work with yours regarding the time difference being affected by the route taken...maybe the rescuers took them off the island via the route that puts them 4 years ahead of time :)

Bigmouth said...

genger: OK, I get what you're saying now -- that would make sense! But what do mean by the Red Sox reference? The footage Ben showed was from 2004. I'd actually point to that as evidence that events on and off the Island synchronize well.

Genger said...

Sorry bigmouth, I mispoke about the red sox comment! :)

Fargus... said...

I had the same thought as Genger at first, regarding Kate passing Aaron off as her own baby. Perhaps off-island it seemed as though a longer time had passed. But one element of Ji Yeon shot that theory to hell for me: the date of death on Jin's tombstone. 9/22/2004. The date of the plane crash. Meaning, if Sun's story to the rest of the world is that the baby is Jin's, the Oceanic Six could not have been gone longer than probably 8 months on the outside.

annebeth said...

I think the theory (sadly, because it would have been cool) is dismissed by this weeks episode (Michaels mom said he was away for 2 months)

Annie said...

my my how its been a while :) Have to say Bigmouth, although i havent posted a comment in a long long time, i always check in to see the wonderful thoughts on lost you have.
But i must say this : Jin is so not dead. He did exactly what he promised Sun he would do. He got her the hell of the island, but never made it off himself. The date on the headstone was the day of the plane crash, and im sure that were we to pan around in that shot perhaps we would have seen a headstone for Claire, Charlie, Rose, etc.

Bur fear not, im so sure Jin isnt dead im willing to take bets on this!!!