Season 5 firmly established the nature of "purple skies" on the island: time-shifts occur, and the island becomes "unstuck" in time.
The first such event was witnessed quite some time ago, however - in the memorable Season 2 finale (Live Together, Die Alone). The event does not get much coverage or publicity, as no "direct effects" were witnessed during this time, however a few observations may be made.
My claim is as follows: the island was not unstuck in time at the beginning of the series. (More specifically, the island's time-based behavior remained entirely static from the moment 815 survivors made it to the island until Desmond turned the fail-safe key; the behavior of the island preceding the O6 arrival is outside of the scope of this theory.) The first time-shift occurs at the end of Season 2 finale, and the island shifts 31 minutes and 18 seconds into the past (as derived from Faraday's experiment in Season 4's The Economist - payload arrived late, which means the island had to catch up with the "present time," hence the claim that the island travels backwards). Desmond, however, can see half-an-hour into the future (give or take), which allows him to witness and predict Charlie's fate.
In Season 5, Eloise Hawking's operation in the pendulum room implies that the island travels in space. The island's behavior of travel through both time and space, however, is a direct effect of Ben's actions in Season 5 occurring after Desmond's actions in Season 2 (Desmond caused the island to time-travel, Ben shifted the island in space). While this does not fully explain the strange nature of time-travel attached only to the survivors of Oceanic 815, I feel that the above provides an appropriate framework for Daniel's claims of Desmond's "special nature." Furthermore, the above provides an quantifiable difference between the first purple sky (Island travels in time only) against Ben's turning of the wheel (Time and Space).
The first such event was witnessed quite some time ago, however - in the memorable Season 2 finale (Live Together, Die Alone). The event does not get much coverage or publicity, as no "direct effects" were witnessed during this time, however a few observations may be made.
My claim is as follows: the island was not unstuck in time at the beginning of the series. (More specifically, the island's time-based behavior remained entirely static from the moment 815 survivors made it to the island until Desmond turned the fail-safe key; the behavior of the island preceding the O6 arrival is outside of the scope of this theory.) The first time-shift occurs at the end of Season 2 finale, and the island shifts 31 minutes and 18 seconds into the past (as derived from Faraday's experiment in Season 4's The Economist - payload arrived late, which means the island had to catch up with the "present time," hence the claim that the island travels backwards). Desmond, however, can see half-an-hour into the future (give or take), which allows him to witness and predict Charlie's fate.
In Season 5, Eloise Hawking's operation in the pendulum room implies that the island travels in space. The island's behavior of travel through both time and space, however, is a direct effect of Ben's actions in Season 5 occurring after Desmond's actions in Season 2 (Desmond caused the island to time-travel, Ben shifted the island in space). While this does not fully explain the strange nature of time-travel attached only to the survivors of Oceanic 815, I feel that the above provides an appropriate framework for Daniel's claims of Desmond's "special nature." Furthermore, the above provides an quantifiable difference between the first purple sky (Island travels in time only) against Ben's turning of the wheel (Time and Space).
