First off, I support the theory that the numbers (4 8 15 16 23 42) can be directly translated into the date and time that the world (separate from the island) will be completely wiped out by some sort of virus or biological warfare. This date and time would be April 8th, 2015 at 4:23:42.
I also believe that the Island is set far into the future, with answers and tools beyond our time.
In the Season 3 finale, we were introduced our first "flash forward", with a completely different Jack than we've ever seen before. He's become an alcoholic, he's taking drugs, and he just appears to have fallen apart emotionally.
It shows him heavily drinking on the airplane, nearly committing suicide, his apartment covered with maps and books relating to the south pacific, falling apart at work, and lastly telling Kate that they made a mistake, and that they need to go back.
Now I think the writers wanted us to leave that episode with the idea that Jack needs the Island again because of some sort of emotional stability or comfort that it gave him. We've seen in other episodes that the Island has the ability to "cure people", and they wanted us to feel that he thought it was a mistake returning to the sometimes ugly and grim "real world."
....But here's what I think:
I found it extremely curious that they specifically chose Jack to fall apart after leaving the island. If anything, he's always appeared to be the one with the most emotional strength out of anyone throughout the series, and an incredible leader.
I find it hard to believe that Jack would break down this hard over leaving the Island when he seemed to keep it together fairly well during his divorce and his father's death.
And why did his wife leave him? She told him "you're always going to need someone to rescue."
Now what's the one thing that Jack can't emotionally handle? Not being able to save people.
I believe that Jack needs to go back to the Island because he needs to save the World. I think it will be revealed to Jack that the world will end on April 8th, 2015, and when he goes back, he completely falls apart with the thought of not being able to save everyone, especially when he feels somewhat responsible for having been on the Island with the possible cure.
If you watch the Season 3 Finale again with this theory in your head, it just seems to make more sense:
His addiction to Alcohol and Drugs to help relieve him of his pain, his pain of not being able to save everyone.
When he stands on the bridge to jump to his death, he looks up at the sky and says "Forgive Me." Now, Jack has never presented himself as much of a religious man, and I find it hard to believe that Jack would ask for forgiveness for committing suicide. I believe he's asking for forgiveness for not being able to save the world.
After saving the people from the car crash, he's in line at the pharmacy and a man in line calls him a "Hero". Jack coldly replies with "I'm no Hero." Why would he say this? Maybe because though he saved some people out of a car crash, he's still failed to save the world from its inevitable death?
At the end, when Jack says to Kate "we made a mistake", I don't think he means the mistake was leaving the Island, but rather that they made a mistake by not finding a cure, or finding an answer to save the world.
Thoughts?
Theory by hickorywind
I also believe that the Island is set far into the future, with answers and tools beyond our time.
In the Season 3 finale, we were introduced our first "flash forward", with a completely different Jack than we've ever seen before. He's become an alcoholic, he's taking drugs, and he just appears to have fallen apart emotionally.
It shows him heavily drinking on the airplane, nearly committing suicide, his apartment covered with maps and books relating to the south pacific, falling apart at work, and lastly telling Kate that they made a mistake, and that they need to go back.
Now I think the writers wanted us to leave that episode with the idea that Jack needs the Island again because of some sort of emotional stability or comfort that it gave him. We've seen in other episodes that the Island has the ability to "cure people", and they wanted us to feel that he thought it was a mistake returning to the sometimes ugly and grim "real world."
....But here's what I think:
I found it extremely curious that they specifically chose Jack to fall apart after leaving the island. If anything, he's always appeared to be the one with the most emotional strength out of anyone throughout the series, and an incredible leader.
I find it hard to believe that Jack would break down this hard over leaving the Island when he seemed to keep it together fairly well during his divorce and his father's death.
And why did his wife leave him? She told him "you're always going to need someone to rescue."
Now what's the one thing that Jack can't emotionally handle? Not being able to save people.
I believe that Jack needs to go back to the Island because he needs to save the World. I think it will be revealed to Jack that the world will end on April 8th, 2015, and when he goes back, he completely falls apart with the thought of not being able to save everyone, especially when he feels somewhat responsible for having been on the Island with the possible cure.
If you watch the Season 3 Finale again with this theory in your head, it just seems to make more sense:
His addiction to Alcohol and Drugs to help relieve him of his pain, his pain of not being able to save everyone.
When he stands on the bridge to jump to his death, he looks up at the sky and says "Forgive Me." Now, Jack has never presented himself as much of a religious man, and I find it hard to believe that Jack would ask for forgiveness for committing suicide. I believe he's asking for forgiveness for not being able to save the world.
After saving the people from the car crash, he's in line at the pharmacy and a man in line calls him a "Hero". Jack coldly replies with "I'm no Hero." Why would he say this? Maybe because though he saved some people out of a car crash, he's still failed to save the world from its inevitable death?
At the end, when Jack says to Kate "we made a mistake", I don't think he means the mistake was leaving the Island, but rather that they made a mistake by not finding a cure, or finding an answer to save the world.
Thoughts?
Theory by hickorywind
