Two things have bothered me about the plot line for a while and Namaste helped: 1) the affect of the implosion of the Swan and turning the fail-safe key and 2) if Locke fixed the FDW why was it necessary for the 06 to return? The sub plot points are why was the button pushed every 108 minutes, what’s the purple sky, why the flashes.
If we accept the premise that the island has always moved, then in order to find and reach the island, it must stop moving or you need to determine the appropriate coordinate to find and enter the island safely. We can also safely assume that DHARMA is on the island in 1974 BEFORE the FDW was found (remember Daniel in the cave at the beginning of the season), BEFORE the well was unsealed (remember Sawyer’s aborted effort to jump in) and the swan was being constructed but not complete (last night confirmed that). As such, until at least 1977, DHARMA must be finding the island on the basis of coordinates (and we know that a “clever” fellow came up with that knowledge).
OK – so what? Well what the clever DHARMA islanders figured out once the FDW is discovered (likely during this 1974-1977 timeframe) is that we can “anchor” the island using the special magnetic properties, maintaining once and for all at the coordinate (325?) and no longer having to rely on the clever fellow or the pendulum and the likely disruption in changing the coordinate. Anchoring the island puts them more in control of the island. In order to maintain the anchor, two men are put down the Hatch to push the button. The purge, while it affected the DHARMA gang, it did not affect Ben and it is likely that Ben exploited the circumstances, re-staffing the Swan as necessary to keep the island anchored.
OK – So what? Well, in September 2004, Desmond delays pushing the button and as a result Oceanic 815 breaks apart in the sky and crashes on the island. Based on the Ajira evidence (a flash on the plane that took the 06ers), it is likely that a delayed button push disrupted the flash putting them at risk, but the island succeeded in taking Jack and the others off the plane before it crashed. Any other explanation would not explain Jack in the jungle (same pose for both flashes). It is safe to assume that the island (or fate) chooses whom to capture in these flashes and protects them). The rest are at the mercy of the pilot, and thankfully Frank was a good pilot. The delay in pushing the button did not cause any disruption in the coordinate. 815 had to be on the right coordinate in order to get to the island – think back to the pilot’s statement of being 1,000 miles off course – that was after he hit the coordinate. (It is for another day to figure out whether this! was all intentional.) Now think about Ajira’s flight – one minute it is nighttime and the next it is daytime and they are over the island. The Ajira flash and landing confirms the time disruption associated with the island when you are on the right coordinate.
OK – So what – Well … weeks later when Desmond fails to push the button and is forced to turn the fail-safe key, he destroyed the ability to anchor the island through the operation of the Swan’s protocols (protocols that were likely created because of something our LOSTies will do this season). Once the Swan implodes, the coordinates have changed and Ben lost the ability to come and go safely from the island. The purple sky was the first time we saw the island move. Where is the proof? When Ben is operated on in season 3,
“JACK [holding a chunk of tissue in the air]: Well, then you probably won't want to be looking at that. [he tosses it in a tray] So, if you really can get off the island why didn't you just take him to a facility? Why all this?
TOM: Because ever since the sky turned purple...”
The island moved, the 325 coordinate is no longer any good and Ben is trapped on the island, with the only way off the - FDW. Theory by AndLost
If we accept the premise that the island has always moved, then in order to find and reach the island, it must stop moving or you need to determine the appropriate coordinate to find and enter the island safely. We can also safely assume that DHARMA is on the island in 1974 BEFORE the FDW was found (remember Daniel in the cave at the beginning of the season), BEFORE the well was unsealed (remember Sawyer’s aborted effort to jump in) and the swan was being constructed but not complete (last night confirmed that). As such, until at least 1977, DHARMA must be finding the island on the basis of coordinates (and we know that a “clever” fellow came up with that knowledge).
OK – so what? Well what the clever DHARMA islanders figured out once the FDW is discovered (likely during this 1974-1977 timeframe) is that we can “anchor” the island using the special magnetic properties, maintaining once and for all at the coordinate (325?) and no longer having to rely on the clever fellow or the pendulum and the likely disruption in changing the coordinate. Anchoring the island puts them more in control of the island. In order to maintain the anchor, two men are put down the Hatch to push the button. The purge, while it affected the DHARMA gang, it did not affect Ben and it is likely that Ben exploited the circumstances, re-staffing the Swan as necessary to keep the island anchored.
OK – So what? Well, in September 2004, Desmond delays pushing the button and as a result Oceanic 815 breaks apart in the sky and crashes on the island. Based on the Ajira evidence (a flash on the plane that took the 06ers), it is likely that a delayed button push disrupted the flash putting them at risk, but the island succeeded in taking Jack and the others off the plane before it crashed. Any other explanation would not explain Jack in the jungle (same pose for both flashes). It is safe to assume that the island (or fate) chooses whom to capture in these flashes and protects them). The rest are at the mercy of the pilot, and thankfully Frank was a good pilot. The delay in pushing the button did not cause any disruption in the coordinate. 815 had to be on the right coordinate in order to get to the island – think back to the pilot’s statement of being 1,000 miles off course – that was after he hit the coordinate. (It is for another day to figure out whether this! was all intentional.) Now think about Ajira’s flight – one minute it is nighttime and the next it is daytime and they are over the island. The Ajira flash and landing confirms the time disruption associated with the island when you are on the right coordinate.
OK – So what – Well … weeks later when Desmond fails to push the button and is forced to turn the fail-safe key, he destroyed the ability to anchor the island through the operation of the Swan’s protocols (protocols that were likely created because of something our LOSTies will do this season). Once the Swan implodes, the coordinates have changed and Ben lost the ability to come and go safely from the island. The purple sky was the first time we saw the island move. Where is the proof? When Ben is operated on in season 3,
“JACK [holding a chunk of tissue in the air]: Well, then you probably won't want to be looking at that. [he tosses it in a tray] So, if you really can get off the island why didn't you just take him to a facility? Why all this?
TOM: Because ever since the sky turned purple...”
The island moved, the 325 coordinate is no longer any good and Ben is trapped on the island, with the only way off the - FDW. Theory by AndLost
