A central theme continues to play out in Lost: We are the cause of our own suffering. This is a principle drawn from the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, and it certainly is demonstrated again and again among the actions of characters in Lost. The principle deals more with the notion that it is our attachment to a thing, rather than the thing itself that causes our suffering (my car breaks down... I'm mad... but it's not the car that makes me mad, it is my attachment to the car that is causing my suffering). In Lost I think it is treated more literally in that characters' actions consistently create the circumstances under which they later suffer.
There are so many examples of this throughout the series. Season one showed the principle brilliantly through character flashbacks: Kate suffers running from the law because of how she chose to deal with her step-father - that's an easy example. More subtle is Locke suffering in a wheelchair; on the surface, it doesn't seem that his choices contributed to his suffering, until we realize how much interaction that Locke sought with Anthony Cooper, the man ultimately responsible for his paralysis. Locke certainly had a hand in placing himself in the position to be conned by Cooper and eventually crippled.
Other examples abound. In Season 2, Desmond claims responsibility for the crash of Oceanic 815 because he failed to enter the numbers in time, a mistake that creates the circumstances for his future suffering. Before that of course, by insisting on participating in Widmore's race around the world, Desmond puts himself in the position to be stranded on the island and have to push the button in the first place.
Pick a character, you can find numerous examples like these - specific "free will" choices the character makes, which inevitably lead to that character's future suffering. Sayid shooting young Ben leads directly to Ben joining the Others... Jack refusing to help young Ben, also leads to Ben joining the others... a young Eloise causes the death of her son Daniel, obtains his journal, which seems to then drive her choices (and suffering) throughout her life...
I think "Whatever Happened, Happened" will ultimately prove to be true, specifically for the reason that so many characters are shown to be instrumental in causing their future circumstances. I would not be surprised if there is no return of the 1977-losties with the 2007-losties. It could very well be that these have been intended all along to be two separate story threads. The producers have indicated that the time-travel business will conclude at the end of this season; that doesn't necessarily mean 1977-folks time-travel back to 2007. It could be as Richard described it: "I watched them die"...
But certainly the actions of the losties in 1977 will be (and have been) instrumental in creating the circumstances that their 2004 selves must suffer.
There are so many examples of this throughout the series. Season one showed the principle brilliantly through character flashbacks: Kate suffers running from the law because of how she chose to deal with her step-father - that's an easy example. More subtle is Locke suffering in a wheelchair; on the surface, it doesn't seem that his choices contributed to his suffering, until we realize how much interaction that Locke sought with Anthony Cooper, the man ultimately responsible for his paralysis. Locke certainly had a hand in placing himself in the position to be conned by Cooper and eventually crippled.
Other examples abound. In Season 2, Desmond claims responsibility for the crash of Oceanic 815 because he failed to enter the numbers in time, a mistake that creates the circumstances for his future suffering. Before that of course, by insisting on participating in Widmore's race around the world, Desmond puts himself in the position to be stranded on the island and have to push the button in the first place.
Pick a character, you can find numerous examples like these - specific "free will" choices the character makes, which inevitably lead to that character's future suffering. Sayid shooting young Ben leads directly to Ben joining the Others... Jack refusing to help young Ben, also leads to Ben joining the others... a young Eloise causes the death of her son Daniel, obtains his journal, which seems to then drive her choices (and suffering) throughout her life...
I think "Whatever Happened, Happened" will ultimately prove to be true, specifically for the reason that so many characters are shown to be instrumental in causing their future circumstances. I would not be surprised if there is no return of the 1977-losties with the 2007-losties. It could very well be that these have been intended all along to be two separate story threads. The producers have indicated that the time-travel business will conclude at the end of this season; that doesn't necessarily mean 1977-folks time-travel back to 2007. It could be as Richard described it: "I watched them die"...
But certainly the actions of the losties in 1977 will be (and have been) instrumental in creating the circumstances that their 2004 selves must suffer.
