WHH vs. ALT. Wait! No! I literally cringe every time I see those letters. So since this isn't Twitter. And I'm not limited to 140 spaces, how about...
Whatever happened, happened vs...Wait! That won't work, either. Come to think of it, I don't even know what ALT stands for, exactly. Is it short for alternate? Or is it an acronym? I don't think anyone knows for sure, anymore, to be quite honest. But I've got the gist of it. So I will digress, now.
What I'm getting at, of course, is the hottest debate amongst 'LOST' bloggers. And it's a debate that the writers of the show have to be absolutely tickled pink about. Because, you know what? I'd put money on the fact that they didn't originally intend for us to be debating semantics. I think the question was simply supposed to be "Could the past, present, and future be changed by detonating the bomb? Or was Faraday's original theory of 'Whatever Happened, Happened' the correct one?"
Now, I could be wrong. Maybe they did actually intend for so many things to be open to various interpretations. And maybe this debate is the red herring that keeps us from theorizing about something more important. But I doubt it. Between the conversation Hurley and Miles had, that was written into the episode 'Whatever Happened, Happened' for the casual viewers (and less attentive ones), and the fact that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse stated on numerous occasions that they are VERY paradox adverse, and anti-alternate reality, I honestly don't think that they meant for things to have gotten quite this complicated. But since it HAS gotten complicated, let's examine it!
For starters, I've been starting to notice that there are actually a few people who are only attached to the belief that the past can be altered (thereby changing the present), because they don't like the idea of "free will" not existing for these characters. They don't like thinking that these character's "fates" or "destinies" are set in stone. And believe it, or not, there are even some people who refuse to accept that whatever happened, happened, because they still won't accept that many of their favorite characters are dead, and are never coming back to life.
And I have to be blunt. That line of thinking is a little bit silly. Fate and destiny have played a major role in some of the greatest stories ever been told. Just to name a couple; Anakin Skywalker was the chosen one, who brought balance to the force, in Star Wars. And Harry Potter was the chosen one who either had to kill, or be killed by Lord Voldemort. And those two actually had PROPHECIES that were foretold about them, before they were even born. So they never had a choice, at all. And to the best of my knowledge, not too many people ever complained that Harry Potter or Darth Vader didn't have "free will".
As for the people who won't face the fact that certain characters are dead, and never coming back back (to life), I say ask you this: How many stories have you ever become invested in, where there wasn't a lot of casualties along the way? Just take the Harry Potter books, for example. And look at how many major characters died in the first six books, alone. JK Rowling was smart enough to know (just like all great writers) that death is an essential part of any great story. It's just the way it works. Truth be told, LOST's death toll has been quite low, as far as MAJOR characters go.
But getting back to free will; Just because whatever happened, happened, it doesn't have to mean that the characters on 'LOST' don't have free will. Just to give you one quick example; Even though Jacob's death was the end of a very long series of cleverly calculated manipulations by the "MIB", I don't believe for one second that Ben didn't have a choice, whether to do it, or not. It's just that he CHOSE to. It's true that he was put in a position where the
odds of him doing it were high. But he was still left with a choice.
As for the people who have time traveled, and are living in 1977; They may, or may not have free will, depending on how you choose to interpret it; When Sayid shot Ben, it was something that ALWAYS happened to Ben. So some might say that "Sayid didn't have free will, because it always happened that way". But you could also argue that Sayid DID have free will, because Sayid was in his PRESENT, and actually made a conscious decision to shoot Ben. That's all entirely open to interpretation. But the point is that you really shouldn't rule out the fact that whatever happened, happened, just because you don't like the idea of the characters not having free will.
So that is why "ALT" doesn't have to exist for free will to exist. Now let's talk about how "ALT" is impossible on LOST, no matter how anyone tries to spin it. And why the time travel rules on LOST aren't really all that complicated.
In between the years 1845 and 2007 (or 2008), whatever happened, happened, in the world of 'LOST'. That history has been written, and it can't be changed. Not even by Desmond (who isn't as special as he's made out to be. More on him, later). Even if someone travels back in time, and knows the precise details of how something went down, they still can't change it, if they try to. This was perhaps best highlighted by the fact that Charlotte remembered Faraday giving her a warning, just before she left the island. And even though Faraday told himself, right after she died, that he wouldn't go through with it when that moment became HIS present, he still went and talked to her, anyway. It is also well highlighted by the fact that when Desmond's conscience traveled back to the days leading up to his break-up with Penny, he still broke up with her, just like he always did. Even though he tried desperately to change that decision.
And the reason history can't be changed, is because fate, destiny, the island, the universe (whatever you want to give credit to) makes it impossible for anyone to do anything while time traveling, that could change a past that has already been written. Now, that's not to say that these time travelers don't have free will. They actually do have free will. It's just that their free will/decision making is causing some things happen, that always happened. And none of them realize it.
To be more specific; When Sawyer, Juliet, Jin, Miles, Faraday, Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sayid were living in 1977, it was THEIR present, because they had traveled back in time to that year. But since that year was the PAST for every other person on the island, nothing they could do, or not do, could change anything that involved anyone else. Because it would be treading on a past that was already written.
So that's a brief version of the time travel rules that LOST has set up for itself. Now let's take a look at all of the events that prove that whatever happened, happened on LOST. And why LOST is paradox adverse, and alternate reality free. First, I'll tackle Desmond. Since he seems to be the knight in shining armor for the alternate reality theorists.
I've already been over the events that he experienced when he turned the failsafe key. So let's take a look at the rest of the events he experienced in season 3. Basically, he kept seeing "visions of the future", in which Charlie kept dying. And the alternate reality theorists argue that this equals "Desmond changed things". And they're free to interpret it that way, if they want to overcomplicate it. But the simple truth is that there is no clear evidence that he "changed" anything. We don't even know WHY he was having visions of Charlie dying. Much less, if any of the visions were accurate. In fact, we KNOW they weren't accurate. Because last I checked, Claire and Aaron were never rescued by a helicopter. And maybe, just maybe Desmond was always (dare I say it) destined to save Charlie's life just long enough for him to be the one to turn off the jamming equipment. But for the sake of argument, let's say that he did buy Charlie a couple extra weeks of life, that Charlie wo! uldn't have had, otherwise. Well, that still doesn't change anything, because someone else could have just as easily made sure that the jamming equipment was turned off. They could have even forced Ben, himself, to go down there and do it.
Onto the events of 'The Constant'; I, myself, used to believe that Desmond actually changed things when he visited Faraday at Oxford, and went and got Penny's phone number when he "re-visited 1996". But upon further analysis, I realized that there actually isn't any concrete proof, whatsoever, that these events changed from the "first time around". The meeting at Oxford had to always taken place, because Faraday had already made a reference to Desmond in his journal. And I'm sorry, but that journal entry didn't just "magically appear", when Desmond "changed things". It's much more likely that that meeting had always happened. And Faraday, of course, wouldn't have remembered it, because his memory was still fried, at the time. And Desmond didn't remember Faraday because his 2004 conscience was AWOL. He believed that he was really back in 1996 at the time. And that's why he didn't know that he had always met Faraday, and that he already knew Penny's phone number. As far as Des! mond BRIEFLY bumping into Faraday, just before he boarded the chopper, and not recognizing him; That can simply be chalked up to the fact that he was so focused on finding out what these peoples ties to Penny were, that it didn't dawn on him that Faraday was that he met at Oxford 8 full years, prior. Once again, this one is open to interpretation. But there is no clear evidence that he "changed" anything.
And lastly, let's take a look at when Faraday traveled back in time, knocked on the hatch door, and talked to Desmond. Which presumably made Desmond wake up in the future with a brand new memory. On this point, I'll concede that Faraday did seem to have given Desmond a brand new memory that he didn't have before. But then again, maybe it always happened and he had just blocked the memory out, for some
unknown reason. It actually doesn't make a difference, either way. Because this "new" encounter/memory didn't lead Desmond to "change" a single thing. All he did was travel to L.A. to tell Eloise to help everybody. But she was already in the process of doing that. So Faraday and Desmond's efforts here were completely moot, anyway.
Now onto other business. I've covered Desmond, and how he's subject to interpretation, but ultimately can't prove NOR disprove that whatever happened, happened OR "ALT". So let's go over some events that DO prove that whatever happened, happened, and disprove "ALT":
We know that Locke was always shot by Ethan, and then flashed forward to 2007 (or 2008), where Richard patched him up, and gave him the compass. We know this because we saw the event happen twice, from two different perspectives. And we also know that Locke always had to have given Richard the compass in 1954, because we know that that meeting prompted Richard to visit Locke three different times off-island. And speaking of 1954, we have further proof that Locke always stormed into Richard's camp, because Widmore recalled being a 17-year-old kid when that happened. And Eloise confirmed to Jack, in 1977, that she recalled people disappearing right in front of her eyes in 1954. Richard also mentioned his visits to Locke, shortly after this, when he asked Jack about him.
We also know that Jack, Kate, and Hurley always showed up in 1977, and were brought in by Sawyer as new DHARMA recruits. Because there was still a picture of them hanging up in the DHARMA processing center in 2007 (or 2008). And speaking of this, unfortunately I have to point out that there are actually a few alternate timeline theorists who like to say this is "proof that things did change". But it's actually quite the contrary. Because we know that the game of Risk was still sitting on the table in Ben's old house, just like Locke, Hurley, and Sawyer left it back in 2004, when they were ambushed by Keamy and his men. So nothing "changed" in DHARMAville. The processing center sign, and DHARMA symbol had to have always still been up when the Others lived there. We just simply never got a close-up of that building during any of the times that we saw it,
post-purge. It's as simple as that. To suggest that "Some things changed, but other things didn't change" is nonsense. Either things changed, or they didn't. And given the fact that there was still an unfinished runway on Hydra Island, and that Richard still remembered that Locke disappeared and had been gone for three years. We can safely say that no one has "changed the timeline".
We also know that Sayid shooting Ben is consistent with the story. Because not only is that what prompted Richard to take Ben into the temple, causing him to "forget what happened, lose his innocence, and become an Other" (and was also an event that was mentioned by
grown-up Ben, in 'Dead is Dead'). It is also one of the two things that started the chain of events that lead to the 'Incident'.
The other thing, of course, is the return of Daniel Faraday. The second he stepped foot back on that island, he tried so hard to change history, that all he did was insure that whatever, happened, happened. Let's examine the chain of events that he caused:
First he went to Dr. Chang, told him he was from the future, that a catastrophic event was about to happen at the Swan site, and that he had to evacuate the island. And it took some further convincing from Miles, but it still ends up happening, just like it always did. And we know that it always happened, because according to Lara Chang, Pierre had (in her mind) forsaken her and Miles, when he sent them away. But we now know that it was something he only did to keep them
safe.
Then, like I mentioned earlier, Faraday went and talked to Charlotte, just like adult Charlotte had remembered him doing, all along. And just like Faraday swore to himself he go through with. And of course, she was then put on the sub, and left the island with her mother, just like she always had.
Then he actually works up the courage to storm into his mother's camp, and demand to speak with her, because he was determined to find out where they put the bomb that he told them to bury. And because he does this, his very own mother shoots him in the back and kills him, just like her older self knew was always gonna happen.
This is the point where Jack takes over the plan. Bless his heart! He was so stubborn when it came to believing in fate, that it wound up turning him into an alcoholic and a pill baby, caused him to lose Kate, and would have lead him to suicide, if it weren't for the fact that the island wasn't done with him, yet. But he finally became a believer. And just in the nick of time, it would seem. Only he can't just simply become a believer. He goes from one extreme to the other, and thinks that his destiny is to blow up a HYDROGEN BOMB that would probably kill everyone on the island. But that was okay with him, because he and his "time traveling partners in crime", would be saved because they would start to exist in an alternate reality, according to this plan.
It sounds absurd, when you put it like that, doesn't it? That's what I thought, at first, too. But then I came to my senses and realized that the reason he's doing it is because it always happened! And here's some further proof:
Eloise wisely believed everything that Jack told her, because not only has she encountered time travelers before, but this time she actually gets to take a look at the journal that contains some of her very own hand-writing, from the future. So I don't think it's a stretch to conclude that she always showed Jack and Sayid where the bomb was. Because why would she not she want to help them try to change history, if it could possibly mean saving herself from having killed her own son? Bear in mind that she had yet to become the time travel "expert" that she would one day become. So in 1977, she didn't have any reason to doubt that the plan wouldn't work. So she lead Jack and Sayid to the the bomb. And they took it to the Swan site.
One clue that this always happened, is that we know that Dr. Chang was always gonna wind up with a prosthetic left hand (I know it appears to be his entire left arm in the orientation film, but the producers of the show always referred to it as just being a fake HAND on many of their podcasts), and I think it's safe to conclude that we saw exactly what caused him to have that hand amputated, when we saw it smashed/pinched so severely, that there's no way he would have ever had the use of it again. And the most important part about this particular happening, is that it occurred AFTER Jack had already dropped the bomb! So the nuke was always dropped down that well!
So the only question left, is did Juliet always survive that fall? And then wake up from unconsciousness, and have enough strength to
always smash that rock against it? My money's on YES. And I'll explain why, but first let me say the following:
I've heard quite a few different theories about what people think truly happened when we heard the bomb detonate, and saw the screen turn to white, with LOST written on it in black. And several of the theories I've read seem perfectly plausible. While others seem to be complete balderdash. But it seems like the majority of us are now in agreement that there won't be a "reset" of any kind. Because let's be realistic. They're not about to throw away all the stakes that have been raised over the course of 103 hours of storytelling, or abandon the brilliant storyline that is taking place with Jacob, Ben, Locke, the "MIB", Ilana, Lapidus, et cetera, just so they can present us with an alternate reality. And even if it WAS something they were considering, then why would they have brought it up as a possibility? Wouldn't they want to keep something like that under wraps, and not even bring it up as a possibility? So that if they DID go down that road, it would be a surprise twist, ! and not something to be expected? But I digress. Here is my theory as to what will happen in the aftermath of the bomb detonating...
First, let me say that I'm no scientist. I haven't the slightest clue about what SHOULD happen if a thermonuclear device is detonated deep underground near an insanely large pocket of geologically unique electromagnetism, that is pulling all metallic objects toward it, at an alarming fast rate. But what I do know is this: There was always an 'Incident' at the Swan worksite. There was always a leak. It is why the button had to be pushed. And it is why Oceanic 815 was ripped out of the sky. And we know that it was always going to be catastrophic, and that it was always gonna happen at that precise moment (at least Faraday had that much right).
What we don't know is how the 'Incident' was contained "the first time around". We know that it was covered up with concrete. But how were the DHARMA people able to get close enough to actually pour that concrete? The electromagnetism would have ripped a cement mixer apart before they could have gotten it anywhere near the leak. So we have to suppose that SOMETHING had to happen to neutralize that energy long enough to for them to pour the concrete. And my money is on the bomb negating that energy.
So instead of the bomb blowing half the island away. And instead of the electromagnetism pulling all of the metal in the world towards it. The combination of radiation and electromagnetism merely created a blinding white light, an extremely loud noise, and somehow, someway, those two forces of energy actually neutralized one another for a short period of time, giving DHARMA a chance to actually contain it all. And then, of course, they built the Swan station like they always did. And pushed the button, like they always did.
Whatever happened, happened!
Whatever happened, happened vs...Wait! That won't work, either. Come to think of it, I don't even know what ALT stands for, exactly. Is it short for alternate? Or is it an acronym? I don't think anyone knows for sure, anymore, to be quite honest. But I've got the gist of it. So I will digress, now.
What I'm getting at, of course, is the hottest debate amongst 'LOST' bloggers. And it's a debate that the writers of the show have to be absolutely tickled pink about. Because, you know what? I'd put money on the fact that they didn't originally intend for us to be debating semantics. I think the question was simply supposed to be "Could the past, present, and future be changed by detonating the bomb? Or was Faraday's original theory of 'Whatever Happened, Happened' the correct one?"
Now, I could be wrong. Maybe they did actually intend for so many things to be open to various interpretations. And maybe this debate is the red herring that keeps us from theorizing about something more important. But I doubt it. Between the conversation Hurley and Miles had, that was written into the episode 'Whatever Happened, Happened' for the casual viewers (and less attentive ones), and the fact that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse stated on numerous occasions that they are VERY paradox adverse, and anti-alternate reality, I honestly don't think that they meant for things to have gotten quite this complicated. But since it HAS gotten complicated, let's examine it!
For starters, I've been starting to notice that there are actually a few people who are only attached to the belief that the past can be altered (thereby changing the present), because they don't like the idea of "free will" not existing for these characters. They don't like thinking that these character's "fates" or "destinies" are set in stone. And believe it, or not, there are even some people who refuse to accept that whatever happened, happened, because they still won't accept that many of their favorite characters are dead, and are never coming back to life.
And I have to be blunt. That line of thinking is a little bit silly. Fate and destiny have played a major role in some of the greatest stories ever been told. Just to name a couple; Anakin Skywalker was the chosen one, who brought balance to the force, in Star Wars. And Harry Potter was the chosen one who either had to kill, or be killed by Lord Voldemort. And those two actually had PROPHECIES that were foretold about them, before they were even born. So they never had a choice, at all. And to the best of my knowledge, not too many people ever complained that Harry Potter or Darth Vader didn't have "free will".
As for the people who won't face the fact that certain characters are dead, and never coming back back (to life), I say ask you this: How many stories have you ever become invested in, where there wasn't a lot of casualties along the way? Just take the Harry Potter books, for example. And look at how many major characters died in the first six books, alone. JK Rowling was smart enough to know (just like all great writers) that death is an essential part of any great story. It's just the way it works. Truth be told, LOST's death toll has been quite low, as far as MAJOR characters go.
But getting back to free will; Just because whatever happened, happened, it doesn't have to mean that the characters on 'LOST' don't have free will. Just to give you one quick example; Even though Jacob's death was the end of a very long series of cleverly calculated manipulations by the "MIB", I don't believe for one second that Ben didn't have a choice, whether to do it, or not. It's just that he CHOSE to. It's true that he was put in a position where the
odds of him doing it were high. But he was still left with a choice.
As for the people who have time traveled, and are living in 1977; They may, or may not have free will, depending on how you choose to interpret it; When Sayid shot Ben, it was something that ALWAYS happened to Ben. So some might say that "Sayid didn't have free will, because it always happened that way". But you could also argue that Sayid DID have free will, because Sayid was in his PRESENT, and actually made a conscious decision to shoot Ben. That's all entirely open to interpretation. But the point is that you really shouldn't rule out the fact that whatever happened, happened, just because you don't like the idea of the characters not having free will.
So that is why "ALT" doesn't have to exist for free will to exist. Now let's talk about how "ALT" is impossible on LOST, no matter how anyone tries to spin it. And why the time travel rules on LOST aren't really all that complicated.
In between the years 1845 and 2007 (or 2008), whatever happened, happened, in the world of 'LOST'. That history has been written, and it can't be changed. Not even by Desmond (who isn't as special as he's made out to be. More on him, later). Even if someone travels back in time, and knows the precise details of how something went down, they still can't change it, if they try to. This was perhaps best highlighted by the fact that Charlotte remembered Faraday giving her a warning, just before she left the island. And even though Faraday told himself, right after she died, that he wouldn't go through with it when that moment became HIS present, he still went and talked to her, anyway. It is also well highlighted by the fact that when Desmond's conscience traveled back to the days leading up to his break-up with Penny, he still broke up with her, just like he always did. Even though he tried desperately to change that decision.
And the reason history can't be changed, is because fate, destiny, the island, the universe (whatever you want to give credit to) makes it impossible for anyone to do anything while time traveling, that could change a past that has already been written. Now, that's not to say that these time travelers don't have free will. They actually do have free will. It's just that their free will/decision making is causing some things happen, that always happened. And none of them realize it.
To be more specific; When Sawyer, Juliet, Jin, Miles, Faraday, Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sayid were living in 1977, it was THEIR present, because they had traveled back in time to that year. But since that year was the PAST for every other person on the island, nothing they could do, or not do, could change anything that involved anyone else. Because it would be treading on a past that was already written.
So that's a brief version of the time travel rules that LOST has set up for itself. Now let's take a look at all of the events that prove that whatever happened, happened on LOST. And why LOST is paradox adverse, and alternate reality free. First, I'll tackle Desmond. Since he seems to be the knight in shining armor for the alternate reality theorists.
I've already been over the events that he experienced when he turned the failsafe key. So let's take a look at the rest of the events he experienced in season 3. Basically, he kept seeing "visions of the future", in which Charlie kept dying. And the alternate reality theorists argue that this equals "Desmond changed things". And they're free to interpret it that way, if they want to overcomplicate it. But the simple truth is that there is no clear evidence that he "changed" anything. We don't even know WHY he was having visions of Charlie dying. Much less, if any of the visions were accurate. In fact, we KNOW they weren't accurate. Because last I checked, Claire and Aaron were never rescued by a helicopter. And maybe, just maybe Desmond was always (dare I say it) destined to save Charlie's life just long enough for him to be the one to turn off the jamming equipment. But for the sake of argument, let's say that he did buy Charlie a couple extra weeks of life, that Charlie wo! uldn't have had, otherwise. Well, that still doesn't change anything, because someone else could have just as easily made sure that the jamming equipment was turned off. They could have even forced Ben, himself, to go down there and do it.
Onto the events of 'The Constant'; I, myself, used to believe that Desmond actually changed things when he visited Faraday at Oxford, and went and got Penny's phone number when he "re-visited 1996". But upon further analysis, I realized that there actually isn't any concrete proof, whatsoever, that these events changed from the "first time around". The meeting at Oxford had to always taken place, because Faraday had already made a reference to Desmond in his journal. And I'm sorry, but that journal entry didn't just "magically appear", when Desmond "changed things". It's much more likely that that meeting had always happened. And Faraday, of course, wouldn't have remembered it, because his memory was still fried, at the time. And Desmond didn't remember Faraday because his 2004 conscience was AWOL. He believed that he was really back in 1996 at the time. And that's why he didn't know that he had always met Faraday, and that he already knew Penny's phone number. As far as Des! mond BRIEFLY bumping into Faraday, just before he boarded the chopper, and not recognizing him; That can simply be chalked up to the fact that he was so focused on finding out what these peoples ties to Penny were, that it didn't dawn on him that Faraday was that he met at Oxford 8 full years, prior. Once again, this one is open to interpretation. But there is no clear evidence that he "changed" anything.
And lastly, let's take a look at when Faraday traveled back in time, knocked on the hatch door, and talked to Desmond. Which presumably made Desmond wake up in the future with a brand new memory. On this point, I'll concede that Faraday did seem to have given Desmond a brand new memory that he didn't have before. But then again, maybe it always happened and he had just blocked the memory out, for some
unknown reason. It actually doesn't make a difference, either way. Because this "new" encounter/memory didn't lead Desmond to "change" a single thing. All he did was travel to L.A. to tell Eloise to help everybody. But she was already in the process of doing that. So Faraday and Desmond's efforts here were completely moot, anyway.
Now onto other business. I've covered Desmond, and how he's subject to interpretation, but ultimately can't prove NOR disprove that whatever happened, happened OR "ALT". So let's go over some events that DO prove that whatever happened, happened, and disprove "ALT":
We know that Locke was always shot by Ethan, and then flashed forward to 2007 (or 2008), where Richard patched him up, and gave him the compass. We know this because we saw the event happen twice, from two different perspectives. And we also know that Locke always had to have given Richard the compass in 1954, because we know that that meeting prompted Richard to visit Locke three different times off-island. And speaking of 1954, we have further proof that Locke always stormed into Richard's camp, because Widmore recalled being a 17-year-old kid when that happened. And Eloise confirmed to Jack, in 1977, that she recalled people disappearing right in front of her eyes in 1954. Richard also mentioned his visits to Locke, shortly after this, when he asked Jack about him.
We also know that Jack, Kate, and Hurley always showed up in 1977, and were brought in by Sawyer as new DHARMA recruits. Because there was still a picture of them hanging up in the DHARMA processing center in 2007 (or 2008). And speaking of this, unfortunately I have to point out that there are actually a few alternate timeline theorists who like to say this is "proof that things did change". But it's actually quite the contrary. Because we know that the game of Risk was still sitting on the table in Ben's old house, just like Locke, Hurley, and Sawyer left it back in 2004, when they were ambushed by Keamy and his men. So nothing "changed" in DHARMAville. The processing center sign, and DHARMA symbol had to have always still been up when the Others lived there. We just simply never got a close-up of that building during any of the times that we saw it,
post-purge. It's as simple as that. To suggest that "Some things changed, but other things didn't change" is nonsense. Either things changed, or they didn't. And given the fact that there was still an unfinished runway on Hydra Island, and that Richard still remembered that Locke disappeared and had been gone for three years. We can safely say that no one has "changed the timeline".
We also know that Sayid shooting Ben is consistent with the story. Because not only is that what prompted Richard to take Ben into the temple, causing him to "forget what happened, lose his innocence, and become an Other" (and was also an event that was mentioned by
grown-up Ben, in 'Dead is Dead'). It is also one of the two things that started the chain of events that lead to the 'Incident'.
The other thing, of course, is the return of Daniel Faraday. The second he stepped foot back on that island, he tried so hard to change history, that all he did was insure that whatever, happened, happened. Let's examine the chain of events that he caused:
First he went to Dr. Chang, told him he was from the future, that a catastrophic event was about to happen at the Swan site, and that he had to evacuate the island. And it took some further convincing from Miles, but it still ends up happening, just like it always did. And we know that it always happened, because according to Lara Chang, Pierre had (in her mind) forsaken her and Miles, when he sent them away. But we now know that it was something he only did to keep them
safe.
Then, like I mentioned earlier, Faraday went and talked to Charlotte, just like adult Charlotte had remembered him doing, all along. And just like Faraday swore to himself he go through with. And of course, she was then put on the sub, and left the island with her mother, just like she always had.
Then he actually works up the courage to storm into his mother's camp, and demand to speak with her, because he was determined to find out where they put the bomb that he told them to bury. And because he does this, his very own mother shoots him in the back and kills him, just like her older self knew was always gonna happen.
This is the point where Jack takes over the plan. Bless his heart! He was so stubborn when it came to believing in fate, that it wound up turning him into an alcoholic and a pill baby, caused him to lose Kate, and would have lead him to suicide, if it weren't for the fact that the island wasn't done with him, yet. But he finally became a believer. And just in the nick of time, it would seem. Only he can't just simply become a believer. He goes from one extreme to the other, and thinks that his destiny is to blow up a HYDROGEN BOMB that would probably kill everyone on the island. But that was okay with him, because he and his "time traveling partners in crime", would be saved because they would start to exist in an alternate reality, according to this plan.
It sounds absurd, when you put it like that, doesn't it? That's what I thought, at first, too. But then I came to my senses and realized that the reason he's doing it is because it always happened! And here's some further proof:
Eloise wisely believed everything that Jack told her, because not only has she encountered time travelers before, but this time she actually gets to take a look at the journal that contains some of her very own hand-writing, from the future. So I don't think it's a stretch to conclude that she always showed Jack and Sayid where the bomb was. Because why would she not she want to help them try to change history, if it could possibly mean saving herself from having killed her own son? Bear in mind that she had yet to become the time travel "expert" that she would one day become. So in 1977, she didn't have any reason to doubt that the plan wouldn't work. So she lead Jack and Sayid to the the bomb. And they took it to the Swan site.
One clue that this always happened, is that we know that Dr. Chang was always gonna wind up with a prosthetic left hand (I know it appears to be his entire left arm in the orientation film, but the producers of the show always referred to it as just being a fake HAND on many of their podcasts), and I think it's safe to conclude that we saw exactly what caused him to have that hand amputated, when we saw it smashed/pinched so severely, that there's no way he would have ever had the use of it again. And the most important part about this particular happening, is that it occurred AFTER Jack had already dropped the bomb! So the nuke was always dropped down that well!
So the only question left, is did Juliet always survive that fall? And then wake up from unconsciousness, and have enough strength to
always smash that rock against it? My money's on YES. And I'll explain why, but first let me say the following:
I've heard quite a few different theories about what people think truly happened when we heard the bomb detonate, and saw the screen turn to white, with LOST written on it in black. And several of the theories I've read seem perfectly plausible. While others seem to be complete balderdash. But it seems like the majority of us are now in agreement that there won't be a "reset" of any kind. Because let's be realistic. They're not about to throw away all the stakes that have been raised over the course of 103 hours of storytelling, or abandon the brilliant storyline that is taking place with Jacob, Ben, Locke, the "MIB", Ilana, Lapidus, et cetera, just so they can present us with an alternate reality. And even if it WAS something they were considering, then why would they have brought it up as a possibility? Wouldn't they want to keep something like that under wraps, and not even bring it up as a possibility? So that if they DID go down that road, it would be a surprise twist, ! and not something to be expected? But I digress. Here is my theory as to what will happen in the aftermath of the bomb detonating...
First, let me say that I'm no scientist. I haven't the slightest clue about what SHOULD happen if a thermonuclear device is detonated deep underground near an insanely large pocket of geologically unique electromagnetism, that is pulling all metallic objects toward it, at an alarming fast rate. But what I do know is this: There was always an 'Incident' at the Swan worksite. There was always a leak. It is why the button had to be pushed. And it is why Oceanic 815 was ripped out of the sky. And we know that it was always going to be catastrophic, and that it was always gonna happen at that precise moment (at least Faraday had that much right).
What we don't know is how the 'Incident' was contained "the first time around". We know that it was covered up with concrete. But how were the DHARMA people able to get close enough to actually pour that concrete? The electromagnetism would have ripped a cement mixer apart before they could have gotten it anywhere near the leak. So we have to suppose that SOMETHING had to happen to neutralize that energy long enough to for them to pour the concrete. And my money is on the bomb negating that energy.
So instead of the bomb blowing half the island away. And instead of the electromagnetism pulling all of the metal in the world towards it. The combination of radiation and electromagnetism merely created a blinding white light, an extremely loud noise, and somehow, someway, those two forces of energy actually neutralized one another for a short period of time, giving DHARMA a chance to actually contain it all. And then, of course, they built the Swan station like they always did. And pushed the button, like they always did.
Whatever happened, happened!
