Dr. Strangeloathe or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Zoe by LostnNC

This isn't so much a theory as it is just an observation for which I am sure to be flamed.

Ever since Zoe has been introduced in Lost there has been a never-ending tirade of loathing and animosity toward her character. While I understand this attitude on a certain level, I do believe a great deal of it is unwarranted. Please let me explain.

There are three reasons I have seen that people use to vilify Zoe: 1) Why are they bringing in new characters so late in the game… can’t they just please finish telling the stories of the people we know and care about, 2) why is it that it appears that a newb appears to know what is going on when the people we thought had the answers now all appear to be at a complete loss, and 3) she has claimed in the media to know “the answer” to Lost so she is obviously an arrogant b!+$h.

First of all, let me restate that I understand why people don’t like her. I have to admit I have participated in a little Zoe bashing of my own from time to time. But after I thought about it I realized it was foolish and so I want to share my thoughts.

1) Why are they bringing all of these new people in when we have such little time to wrap up the stories we already have in front of us?

Every season of Lost they have done this. Season 1 we met the Losties, Season 2 we met the Tailies, Season 3 we met the Others, Season 4 we met the Freighter Crew, and Season 5 we met the old school Others. Lost has one of the largest casts of developed characters that I am aware of in any single story. This is something that I think should be appreciated and praised rather than harped upon. If it wasn’t for this continuous expansion of cast in each new season we wouldn’t have folks like Faraday, Lapidas, and Keamy.

2) Why is it that it appears that a newb appears to know what is going on when the people we thought had the answers now all appear to be at a complete loss?

I think Lost is going to be a health dose of science and faith. So far in the past, the island has been “controlled” by people of faith like Ben. We thought he had the answers, but in fact he was doing what he thought he had to do out of faith in Jacob. Season 4 introduced Faraday and science became a truly major element of the show. Faraday knew things and deduced things that other people had not because he had a different perspective of the island. We, the audience, and the Losties learned a lot about the island from Faraday and that is why, to some extent, he is a fan favorite.

Who sent Faraday to the island? It was his father, Charles Widmore. We first learned of Widmore in Season 2. Widmore has long been portrayed as a major protagonist in the series so it should surprise no one that Widmore is playing a role in the final season. We should have all seen a long time ago that Widmore would make it back to the island eventually. He found it in 2004 when he sent a team of mercenaries and scientists on the freighter. It should be no surprise to anyone that when he eventually returned to the island in Season 6 that he, a man of great wealth and resources, would be accompanied by another team of mercenaries and scientists. If you think about how Lost has unfolded throughout the last 6 years, Zoe’s character makes perfect sense.

Last time, a quantum physicist was sent to the island because that was what was needed to make sure everything played out the way it was supposed to play out (keeping in mind Widmore knew his son died on the island in 1977 and left a diary full of quantum equations).

This time, Widmore is returning and he has a purpose (what, I am not 100% yet) but he needs someone on his team that can help him find the “exotic matter” and pockets of electromagnetic energy to fulfill his mission. He needs a geophysicist.

3) She is claiming in the media to know “the answer” to Lost so she is obviously an arrogant b!+$h.

Much like Faraday played a role in helping everyone understand what needed to be done in Season 5, I think Zoe is going to understand and articulate the geophysical science of the island to us this time around. So yes, I do think she has a lot of answers simply because of her scientific background. That is why Widmore brought her along. As I have pointed out, this is not necessarily a bad thing and, in fact, it makes a lot of sense given the history of the show.

As for her “enthusiasm” about her knowledge when answering questions from reporters and the media, let me ask you this: If you, as a fan of Lost, had been cast to play the role as the person who Charles Widmore brought to the island to figure out and explain the geophysical mysteries of the island, wouldn’t you be “enthusiastic” as well?