This theory is kind of hard for me to explain, so I will keep it short.
Something occurred to me regarding the flashbacks and flash forwards in this show. Why do they play such a big part in the show? Yes, I know to help explain character development, that is obvious. But if that was only the case, I do not believe the show would spend so much time with them. There has to be more to these flashbacks and their relevancy.
I started thinking that what is happening on the island is a direct result of the Losties' past. The flashbacks are actually showing what is causing the different situations on the Island.
To put it another way, the Losties are allowing their past mistakes / hardships (flashbacks) to influence them on the Island - they are causing their own fate because they are making decisions based on the past, based on who they were, not who they are. Like Jack said in one of the first couple episodes about Kate - it doesn't matter who we were, its who we are. Unfortunately he can't live by that, he is too stubborn, and no one else sees this either.
No one else, that is, except Locke. He truly is able to let go of the past, that he is who is is now, not who he was. This is why he can walk, this is why he is such a skilled hunter, etc. I don't think he gained all his hunting skills with his father, he really wasn't with his father very long and couldn't have picked up so many skills. I think he gained a great interest in hunting with his father and when he got to the Island he figured he could be whatever he wanted, so he became a hunter, and because he wanted it, he was good at it.
I think the Island has powers to allow people to essentially do what they want, get what they want, kind of like Ben's magic box. I could go deeper into that, but it kind of gets off topic and I don't want to do that.
Back on topic - what I am saying is that the things in the Losties' past are all literally coming together and manifesting on the island in different situations.
Perhaps there IS a loop happening, but its only because the Losties are unable to make decisions based on who they are, not who they were. Maybe this is why Jack succeeded, because the Jack that arrived on the Island in 2004 never would have wanted to detonate that bomb, but this choice was made based on who he had become.
Locke was right all along. The Losties never should have gone back to the "real world" because they were essentially LOST before they even left. What would they go back to? Misery.
The Losties were given a gift of being brought to the Island.
Whatever will happen in Season 6, I don't know. But I think a major theme going on here is that "If you can't change, or if you can't let go of who you were the past, then you are doomed to repeat the same mistakes, you are losing your self in time."
I think the show / the Island is just a literal manifestation of that Theme.
Regarding the flash forwards, I think there were some pre-cursors to show that going home was not going to work out so well, specifically the fact that during the process of the Freighter arriving, everything Jack did essentially put his people in greater danger. The Island tried to stop them via Ben and the Freighter crew because the Oceanic 6 haven't actually changed. This must mean the Losties ARE the variables, because they are able to change - really I think this is meant to be more of a metaphor than physical abilities.
I know it doesn't really explain Jacob or his Nemesis (I don't think they will be fully explained anyway), and it doesn't explain the Smoke Monster, or Richard's age. But I don't think those are really the point of the show either.
Talk amongst yourselves.
***side note** Funny thing. When posting this theory the site has a captcha to deter spam posts. It asks "Are you human?" The answer according to the captcha is "butter". That answer seems more like a response that would be given by a spam program, not by a person. Ha!
Something occurred to me regarding the flashbacks and flash forwards in this show. Why do they play such a big part in the show? Yes, I know to help explain character development, that is obvious. But if that was only the case, I do not believe the show would spend so much time with them. There has to be more to these flashbacks and their relevancy.
I started thinking that what is happening on the island is a direct result of the Losties' past. The flashbacks are actually showing what is causing the different situations on the Island.
To put it another way, the Losties are allowing their past mistakes / hardships (flashbacks) to influence them on the Island - they are causing their own fate because they are making decisions based on the past, based on who they were, not who they are. Like Jack said in one of the first couple episodes about Kate - it doesn't matter who we were, its who we are. Unfortunately he can't live by that, he is too stubborn, and no one else sees this either.
No one else, that is, except Locke. He truly is able to let go of the past, that he is who is is now, not who he was. This is why he can walk, this is why he is such a skilled hunter, etc. I don't think he gained all his hunting skills with his father, he really wasn't with his father very long and couldn't have picked up so many skills. I think he gained a great interest in hunting with his father and when he got to the Island he figured he could be whatever he wanted, so he became a hunter, and because he wanted it, he was good at it.
I think the Island has powers to allow people to essentially do what they want, get what they want, kind of like Ben's magic box. I could go deeper into that, but it kind of gets off topic and I don't want to do that.
Back on topic - what I am saying is that the things in the Losties' past are all literally coming together and manifesting on the island in different situations.
Perhaps there IS a loop happening, but its only because the Losties are unable to make decisions based on who they are, not who they were. Maybe this is why Jack succeeded, because the Jack that arrived on the Island in 2004 never would have wanted to detonate that bomb, but this choice was made based on who he had become.
Locke was right all along. The Losties never should have gone back to the "real world" because they were essentially LOST before they even left. What would they go back to? Misery.
The Losties were given a gift of being brought to the Island.
Whatever will happen in Season 6, I don't know. But I think a major theme going on here is that "If you can't change, or if you can't let go of who you were the past, then you are doomed to repeat the same mistakes, you are losing your self in time."
I think the show / the Island is just a literal manifestation of that Theme.
Regarding the flash forwards, I think there were some pre-cursors to show that going home was not going to work out so well, specifically the fact that during the process of the Freighter arriving, everything Jack did essentially put his people in greater danger. The Island tried to stop them via Ben and the Freighter crew because the Oceanic 6 haven't actually changed. This must mean the Losties ARE the variables, because they are able to change - really I think this is meant to be more of a metaphor than physical abilities.
I know it doesn't really explain Jacob or his Nemesis (I don't think they will be fully explained anyway), and it doesn't explain the Smoke Monster, or Richard's age. But I don't think those are really the point of the show either.
Talk amongst yourselves.
***side note** Funny thing. When posting this theory the site has a captcha to deter spam posts. It asks "Are you human?" The answer according to the captcha is "butter". That answer seems more like a response that would be given by a spam program, not by a person. Ha!
