Jack's Appendix is the major clue.... by HankMoody

...of understanding what we are really seeing.

I didn't see this anywhere but I have an inclination that this is a big tell just like the scar from opening of LA X that there is no alternate reality. I'm not buying what Jack's mother said to be true even though it may actually be the reality for her. Think about how nothing is pure happenstance in this show. Using the age of 7 or 8 is important because by that age anyone would remember a traumatic event like having your appendix removed. When Jack looked in the mirror he was clearly confused but not to the point of never remembering it ever taking place just the when and how was completely unfamiliar.

We all know that in season 4 Juliet removes Jack's appendix on the island. At the time it was very very pointless if you think about it. Needless filler because lets face it, no one honestly believed Jack was in any danger. So why do it? Why write that in? Unless of course you knew that somewhere down the line it would connect the dots in a major way and you could use the appendix removal as a vehicle to what is occurring in season 6

They harped to us about "course correction" at the midway point in the series. So the reset happened in 1977 and for anyone who was never on the island the reset is simple. Since we know the island operates in a different plane of time (Season 5) the events on the island all actually happened independent of the time line we all know. So if the island is underwater and not "existing" to fix the time line for anyone who went to the island the universe needs to course correct itself to fit in all the people who were on the island because they are all anomalies in time. By fixing it the memory to Jack's mom and everyone who know's Jack (people who have nothing to do with the island) is that his appendix was removed when he was 8 even though in reality it never happened that way. But if Jack were to come across Juliet there may be that hazy memory that she in fact was the one who operated on him.

I think as time goes on more people are going to have deja vu moments where the course correction memories are going to conflict with their real memories. Which is why Locke looked at the alarm and it sounded like a countdown in The Hatch. It is also why Claire was quick to name her son Aaron and how for a split second Kate seemed shocked. It also explains Jack's reaction to Desmond on the plane. Anytime an event is being referenced or connected that actually happened on the island is where the conflict is going to going happen (ie Clairs baby, Jacks appendix). When Hurley meets Locke and when Locke meets Ben nothing in the conversation would lend itself or connect it to the island so there is no hesitation or conflicted memory.

So I guess what I am saying is that there really is only one time line and its a course corrected time line as if the island doesn't exist in the future but that doesn't mean that the events on the island never happened if that makes sense.