The Island Rule Are Getting LOOPY! by LostInHouse

The Rules are Getting Loopy!

In fact, the rules have always been loopy (clue) while following the path of the laws of time travel on the show as dictated by Daniel Faraday.

Episode 5:1 "Because You Left"

[QUOTE]FARADAY: Time--it's like a street, all right? We can move forward on that street, we can move in reverse, but we cannot ever create a new street. If we try to do anything different, we will fail every time. Whatever happened, happened.[/QUOTE]

In this, Daniel Faraday was absolutely correct. The past that has already been lived can not be changed no matter what. That is why when Miles heard Juliet's last words "it worked" It actually did work in the only way possible - it created an ALT. Daniel was also correct about variables. (and this is important to remember) Small changes can occur in the past as long as they don't affect the outcome of what has already happened.

It is my opinion that Widmore and Eloise were exposed to extremely high levels of EM energy when the bomb created the ALT in 1977. I think that is why they have knowledge of both timelines, and this may be what gave Widmore the idea to blast Desmond. I thought about why Widmore and Eloise, and not other folks on the island. I think it has something to do with how long you have been on the island, and how much exposure you have already had to the EM energy. They've been on the island for a LONG time, and Desmond has had LOTS of exposure to EM energy, so it makes sense.

Now, the last paragraph is really important. If the Island timeline has been stuck in a perpetual ever progressing loop, because of some game that the Gods are playing with Jacob and MIB, Then Widmore and Eloise, who are in Sync with both timelines, are aware of what is happening. AND they have already seen what happens to the original timeline, and according to them, it isn't good. Which is why they have been trying to change things all along.

Would you believe me if I told you that Widmore actually liked Desmond in the OLT, but he had to sacrifice that relationship knowing it would destroy his relationship with his daughter Penny, because he knew he had to push Desmond into wanting to prove himself over and over again until he ended up on the island? (sacrifice) The ALT shows how their relationship would have been.

Our first clue to this perpetual and progressive loop was Desmond's memory recall after he turned the fail-safe key. Only, we didn't know at that time that he was recalling actual memories of being on the island - he'd been there before. He was remembering saving Charlie's life - one, two, three, four, times. Eloise tried to explain to Desmond in "Flashes Before Your Eyes" that you can't stop death, that the Universe always finds a way to course correct itself. And sure enough, the fifth time would be the last time Desmond would be able to save Charlie's life.

The major rule here is that MIB and Jacob can not make any moves that will change anything that has already happened to qualify as progress from the last round. Neither can Ben, or Widmore. Ben and Widmore can not kill each other either because they have been manipulating people right up until the end of each loop, and they need to continue until something different happens within the "progress" portion of the current loop.

In my opinion, we have just crossed into unknown territory. I believe that the last loop ended with the submarine explosion and the death of all the candidates. We are now beyond any "progress" that was made last time. Widmore and Jacob managed to set up two variables that did not change anything that happened before, but will be a huge help to them now.

The first one is Desmond. This is the first time Widmore brought Desmond back to the island in 2007. He blasted him with EM energy - NOT knowing if it would work. MIB was also NOT expecting Desmond. His arrival on the island was a complete surprise. Desmond already changed the outcome of the Submarine explosion. His talk with Sayid was enough to give Sayid the will to choose to be the kind of man that Nadia would want him to be. And being the man that we always knew him to be, Sayid grabbed to bomb and ran far enough away from his friends that it saved four of their lives.

I think that Desmond was brought to the island to do a lot more. If I were Widmore, and Eloise, I'd want to try to get rid of that freaky island once and for all. But I don't think they are going to be able to do it as long as MIB is trying to leave the island. So somehow, they have to take this option off the table.

That is where the second variable comes in. However, it is still debatable, and it has to do with Kate and whether or not she is candidate. Jacob touched her on the nose, her name was on Jacob's final list hidden in Hurley's guitar case, and her name was not crossed out on the Lighthouse wheel. If this is the first time Jacob has written Kate's name on his list, then NO ONE is going to know about it. NOT MIB, and NOT Widmore. Only Dogen and Lennon knew, and well, they're not talkin'. This means bigs trouble for MIB if he thinks Kate is no threat to him or his freedom. It also means that perhaps Kate is also in a precarious position as well.

My guess for another standing rule between Jacob and the MIB for the final portion of this loop is that they can not touch the candidates. The candidates have to figure things out on their own, and they are the only ones who can determine their paths right now. However, the candidates are still vulnerable to anything and everything in MIB's bag of tricks. We can only hope that Jacob's tough love has made them strong enough.

Okay, I'm Open for thoughts fire away!