The Orchid
From Lostpedia
The Orchid is a DHARMA Initiative station first mentioned in outtakes from a DHARMA orientation film originally presented at the Lost Panel at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con and later on the Region 1 Season 3 DVD release. It was introduced by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse as a teaser for Season 4.
The video is presented by Edgar Halliwax. According to the video, the Orchid, or "Station 6", is a fake botanical station that houses many numbered white rabbits. It seems to have an alarm system with elements similar to that of the Swan. The subject of the Orchid's research is described as "highly volatile and potentially dangerous", and reference is made to the Casimir effect.
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Introduction and presentation
The Orchid's orientation film was introduced by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse as an opportunity to "learn more about the DHARMA Initiative". Cuse further described the film as "something that will fire your imaginations about what you're gonna see in Season 4".
Before the video played, Lindelof and Cuse recounted a story in which the film was sent to them after being found in a building in Narvik, Norway that was set to be demolished (possibly the Hanso Foundation headquarters). The film was then purportedly spliced together and restored by the writers.
Orientation video
Video
Trivia
About orchids, and their significance
- The ancient Greek word orkhis means "testicle". In Greek mythology, Orchis was the son of a nymph and a satyr. During a celebratory feast for Bacchus, Orchis committed the sacrilege of attempting to rape a priestess, resulting in his being torn apart by wild beasts, then metamorphosing into a slender and modest plant.
- A major characteristic that defines orchids and differentiates them from all other flowering plants is the column, formed by the fusion of the male portion of the flower (stamens) and the female portion (pistils).
- In his Materia Medica, the first century A.D. Greek physician Dioscorides hypothesized that orchids influenced sexuality. Inspired by the appearance, fragrance, and erotic aspect of the flower’s sexual parts, people have ever since associated the plant with virility, fertility, sex determination, and other aspects of reproduction. [1]
- Early Greek parents believed they could control the sex of their unborn children with orchid roots. If the father ate large, new tubers, the child would be male; if the mother ate small tubers, the child would be female.
- European scholars believed that orchids sprang from ground on which animals had bred.
- They were thought to be the food of satyrs and powerful aphrodisiacs. In ancient China and Japan they were revered for their aesthetic and artistic value. Confucius compared the orchid flower to the superior man and its scent to the pleasures of friendship. In modern times the genus Paphiopedilum was named for Phaphos, a temple where the love goddess Aphrodite was worshipped.
- Orchids have been used as a source of food, medicines, religious charms, adhesives, perfumes, straw, and flavorings—vanilla being the most widespread—as well as aphrodisiacs. They are thought to cure fever, arthritis, dysentery, cough, headaches, and wounds in many parts of the world. They are made into a remedy for sick elephants in Malaysia and a kind of ice cream in Turkey (where its name means “fox testicles”) that is said to prevent cholera, heal the spleen, and ease childbirth.
- The extraordinary diversity of the orchid's structure, size, and color is matched by its range of strategies for ensuring pollination. Individual species have evolved to mimic the bee, fly, spider, bird, bat, moth, or other creature they need to attract. Some have developed elaborate systems of water traps and tunnels, hinged petals, and sticky packets of pollen—devices often described as “devious” or “deceitful.” Catasetum denticulatum fires a tiny winged pollen dart at the unwitting bee lighting on its lip, ensuring that the pollen will be carried to the next orchid visited. The Australian hammer orchid attracts the male wasp with a scent resembling that of his mate. If he tries to fly off before picking up or depositing pollen, he is battered against the column until he does right by the orchid, whereupon he is released.
Implications of the film
- Because of their reputation as prolific breeders, rabbits are often used as a symbol of fertility as well.
- Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse suggest that fans curious about Charlotte's discovery of a polar bear skeleton in Tunisia watch the Orchid video, and further draw a link between the polar bear with the bunny in the video. (Official Lost Podcast/February 19, 2008)
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
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- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: The Orchid/Theories
- Why were the researchers so concerned about the presence of the second rabbit?
- What is the true purpose of the Orchid Station?
- Are the two number 15 rabbits the same rabbit?
- What is the "shift" the female researcher refers to?
- What was the count down for?
- Is there a "real" botanical research station on the island?
External links
- The Orchid Orientation Video - This version lacks the profanity and countdown alarm sound.
- The Orchid Orientation Video from Comic Con audience - This version includes the profanity and countdown alarm sound, as well as the reactions of the audience.
- Lost Panel Video
- Casimir effect (Wikipedia)
- TheTailSection - video of Lost Panel at Comic Con 2007, including short statement about the Orchid video. (may contain other spoilers)
