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From Lostpedia Theory Policy: "A theory is an attempt to explain a certain mystery using logic backed up with logically consistent observations and facts. Without supporting evidence, statements are merely speculation. Speculation is similar to theories except there are no facts or logic to back the theory up." - This is a theory page, not a speculation page. Speculation without supporting evidence can be deleted. To respond to a theory, use the discussion page. Feel free to add supporting evidence to an existing theory.

The final moments

NOTE: When considering where/when anything went, we should omit consideration that the earth moves. While true, this proposition over-complicates the process and the story line.

The Island

The only thing we can confidently infer about the Island at this point is that it is gone. Explanations comparing the move of the Island with the experiments of the DHARMA Initiative are like comparing transcontinental flight with the Wright Brothers' flights . The Wrights understood the laws of aerodynamics.

Theory 1: The Island moved forward in time (only).

• The key word here is the Casimir effect mentioned in the Dharma video. It has been conjectured that the quantum mechanics of this effect can be used to stabilize a wormhole, so while the island may have a fixed location (possibly far away), you need the wormhole to travel to it and it is this wormhole that was actually moved (and not the island itself). This would also explain why you need to go in a certain direction to and from the island and the time travel effects.

• The island will move forward in time a few years. In the meantime, Ben will try to kill all of Widmore's people, and when the island arrives 3 years in the future, the Losties will get back on the island and it will be like they never left (from the perspective of the islanders). Walt will go with them and he will appear older because he spent 3 years in the real world while the island traveled in time.

Implications:

• If the island only moves forward in time, Widmore would know then exactly where it was going to appear in the future. He just has to wait. But if this was true, if he had been on the island in the past (if Ben had "stolen it from him"), and he had had knowledge of where exactly it was then, he should have been able to find it easily this time as well.
• Since Ben and Widmore can't kill each other, they will just have to keep chasing one another until one of them dies.
• Also, if they were to just appear in the future, then no "bad things" (what Locke described to Jack) would have had time to happen on the island. -- Unless Locke was visiting the past from the future...
• When Bernard took Rose to see the faith healer in Australia, she was told that all over the planet there were certain points that posessed special properties and energies [lets call them 'Earth Chakra's]. It may be possible that when the island moves, it moves to one of these Earth Chakras the island itself being the tool which can channel these energies in the best manner. Bearing this in mind, its possible that Tunisia is not the only 'dumping ground' for what/whomever moves the island. [A seperate dumping ground in antipodal relation to each location of he island]
• Based on the theory [alluded to by Darlton in a recent podcast] that the location of the island was in antipodal relation to the dumping ground [Tunisia], this would place the island somewhere east just east of New Zealand. We know that the Black Rock was last seen heading east of Papua New Guinea so it is possible that another Earth Chakra is located somewhere east Papua New Guinea.
  • The Beechcraft left Nigeria and somehow ended up crashing on the Island. Theres no way the Beechcraft would have had enough fuel to reach all the way to the Pacific, and it would be extremely risky for an airplane with bullet holes, a dead/fatally wounded Yemi, and a cargo of Mary statues stuffed with gear, to make a pit-stop at an airfield. Based on the theory of Earth Chakras its possible that the Beechcraft crashed on the island whilst it was located in a different Earth Chakra [perhaps one located in the Atlantic or Indian ocean].
  • Vile Vortices theory more or less covers this ground.

Theory 2: The island moves into another dimension.

• When Desmond first failed to enter the numbers, the island appeared in the rest of the world's "real time" dimension via an electromagnetic field which also caused Flight 815 to crash on it. When Desmond turned the failsafe key, the island appeared again and was visible to the outside world. When Ben turned the wheel, the island went back into another dimension, appearing to have disappeared to the outside world, but to the people on the island nothing appears to have changed.
• This hypothesis fits with the explanation of the whispers as noise from alternative realities/dimensions

Theory 3: Explaining the corpse of the ship's doctor washing up on the island before he was killed on the ship.

• Given the two clues of the doctor and the bunny (which appears to disappear), it seems that up until now, the "invisibility" of island may have been based in its maintaining a perpetual existence slightly in the future, ahead of "real world" time.
• Somehow, the Zodiac and the helicopter were able to traverse the distance in space and time to the "slightly in the future island".
• If this is possible, than "moving" the island may simply involve pushing the island even further into the future.

Zodiac Passengers

Those on the Zodiac who were in transit back to the freighter were moved with the Island. There is no evidence that they went anywhere else. See At the Island, below, for a summary.

Theory 1: Daniel Faraday was transported back in time.

• In the recently released Dahrma booth video [1] with Pierre Chang, we hear the voice of Daniel in the background. Pierre Chang also says that he is aware that he and the members of the Dharma initiative are killed in the "Purge", G.W. Bush is the future president, and he describes the internet - which he says he learned from a source who has proven to be credible. This may mean that at least Daniel may have been transported back in time to when the Dharma Initiative was still functioning. Daniel knew about the original Purge - in "The Other Woman" Charlotte told Juliet that she and Daniel had to deactivate the Tempest station so Ben doesn't "use" it again. If this was the gas Ben used to initiate the first purge, and Charlotte and Daniel both knew this, then it is possible that Daniel has given this information to Pierre Chang in the past, who ostensibly works for Dharma, which Widmore may be the leader of (i.e. when he told Ben "Everything you have you took from me" in "The Shape of Things to Come"). Thus, Daniel might give Pierre Chang this information to protect the Dharma people and keep the island in Widmore's hands. Pierre Chang says that it is imperative that those watching the video continue their research and find a way to come back and intervene. Also, Pierre Chang touches his left arm thoughtfully during his discussion of the future, which may indicate that he is also aware that in the future, he will lose this arm.

Counter-evidence

• The Dharma recruiting video is not necessarily canon for the plot of the show. Many of the spin-off stories from the show are only tangentially related to the story line of Lost.

• The voice in the background has not been proven to be Daniel's. There is no name mentioned and the individual is never seen. It is only speculation by the fans that it is Daniel because the voice is similar.

John Locke

Locke as new/true leader

• The conclusion of season 4 makes it pretty plain that Ben is making a great sacrifice in leaving the island, and that Locke is indeed taking over the leadership of the island. Too much would need to be disregarded to entertain the theory that Locke is not the new leader: Jacob spoke to him, Ben tried to kill him because he was jealous, Richard pursued him from birth, the Others made him kill his father, the island cured his paralysis, etc. These things along with Locke's acceptance of his destiny have been incorporated into Lost mythology for too long to be suddenly thrown out the window. They need Locke because he can hear Jacob - the ultimate leader of the Others.
• Interestingly, for unknown reasons, it appears that the leader must be chosen from outside the core group of Others - i.e. from "off-island".

Locke's ability to travel to and from the Island

• Up until now, we were under the impression that Ben, Alpert, and Tom may have used the submarine to leave the island previously. Since Locke blew up the submarine in a previous episode, we can surmise that either:
  • (1) there has been another way to travel off the island all along, and/or
  • (2) the new way off the island has to do with the new location of the island, and/or
  • (3) Locke used the wheel to get off the island.

• Locke inherited access to the resources (wealth, false identification) that Ben once had when he assumed his leadership position. His ability to return to the U. S. mainland using the Jeremy Bentham alias, which survived any investigation into a suicide, demonstrates a good security infrastructure.
• He may have used the runway the Others were constructing in Season 3.

Locke's reason for leaving the island

Theory 1: To convince the Oceanic Six to return

Evidence:

• We know he visits many of the O6 to try and convince them to return and Jack, Hurley and possibly Sun appear to already be preoccupied with thoughts of returning.
• The island may be manifesting Charlie and Christian Shepherd to try to motivate Hurley and Jack to return - but both are unsuccessful. They just pushed Hurley into the mental hospital and Jack stays high all the time to either avoid seeing Christian or to dismiss the run ins all together. The island could conceivably use other dead Losties to try and get Kate (and Aaron) back, but apparently the island doesn't have much on Kate besides the black horse. Given that these methods don't appear to work, Locke may have shown up in person to try to convince them.

Locke's alias

• Locke cannot use his original name or credentials because John Locke is listed as a casualty of Flight 815. His new name allows people (presumably the O6) to find/contact him off island without revealing who Locke is or where they know him from. Given Abaddon's visit to Hurley asking whether "they were still alive," and the O6 decision to conceal the true whereabouts of the other Losties to keep them safe from Widmore, the alias is perfectly consistent with their secret and the necessity of Locke's assuming a new identity.
  • Ben also used an alias (Dean Moriarty) when he traveled off the island when he was in charge. The fact that Locke was using an alias is keeping in line with what Ben did.

The use of the Jeremy Bentham alias

• Jeremy Bentham is most famous for his advocacy of Utilitarianism, whereby the "ethical" decision is the one that creates the greatest good for the greatest number of people [[2]]. During this episode, we find out that Locke has been approaching former Losties trying to bring them back to the island to resolve the "bad things" that have happened there which are, according to Locke, the result of their leaving. By asking them to return, Locke is asking them to sacrifice their off-island lives. Indeed, we see at the end of the episode that Locke has died during his attempt to bring the Losties back. The name "Jeremy Bentham" may refer to the sacrifice he asked the Losties to make, as well as the sacrifice he made leaving the island, and ultimately dying trying to bring them back.

• "John Locke" and "Jeremy Bentham" are both names of English philosophers; Bentham (19th century) lists Locke (17th century) as an influence. Naming the character after the both of them implies that John Locke (the character) has somehow switched sides or changed positions on something. Locke the philosopher is most famous for his advocacy of natural rights; Bentham, on the other hand, was a fierce opponent of the concept of natural rights. See [3]
  • This dramatic change may indicate some transition that happens to Locke after the O6 leave the Island. Perhaps Locke encounters forces or circumstances that change him. He may end up more like Ben, or Jack or more like Bentham, after the forces of season 5 prepare him.
• Jeremy Bentham believed in utilitarianism, an ethical philosophy in which moral behavior was defined as the action that benefited the greatest number of people. Locke asks the O6 to come back to the island (a major sacrifice for the few - especially Kate) to fix the after affects of their leaving on all the people left behind (the many).
• Jeremy Bentham had many areas of interest, one of which was economy. Bentham was an economist; Locke could be "The Economist" that Elsa was working for. However, this is unlikely - Elsa spoke German to 'the economist' on the phone. While Locke could have learned German, it's not the most viable situation.

Locke's death

Suicide

• Locke killed himself because he was so distraught at not being able to convince the 06 to return to the island.
• Locke had just moved the island (hence telling Jack about all the bad things that have happened since the O6 left) and couldn't deal with not being allowed to return.
• He lost the ability to walk when he left the island. Not being able to walk once more Locke would have been devastated.
• Locke was able to kill himself because he fell out of favor with the Island, unlike Jack and Michael. Alternatively, the Island was "done with him" that's why he could kill himself.
• Locke killed himself because he needs to die, be returned to the island and be reanimated a la Christian Shepherd in order to fulfill his destiny. In short, because he's more useful to Jacob after death.

Murder

• There are three known chosen ones, Charles Widmore, Benjamin Linus, and John Locke. Two are living; the most recently selected is dead. Ben once commented to Widmore that he could not kill Widmore. Widmore did not return the sentiment; he did have the opportunity to kill Ben when he was standing in Widmore's bedroom.

• The Island protects those it chooses; this may or may not be the sense of saying, "I've been chosen." When the Island no longer has need of a person, it withdraws its protective shield. The Island is very pragmatic.

• When commenting on Locke's death, Sayid voice carried a knowing quality. He did not say, "It was suicide," but "They said it was suicide;"

Neither

• Perhaps Locke had already died on the island, from either the plane crash (which might explain his mysterious ability to walk again - the reanimation of his corpse by the same mechanism that appears to have reanimated the corpse of Christian), being shot by Ben (in "The Man Behind the Curtain"), or the implosion of the Swan and the island had merely reanimated him. Up until this point, he has miraculously survived these and several other brushes with death (e.g. the attack by the Monster).
• If Locke is dead then the Island was done with him.
  • Or being dead is the purpose he now fulfills.
• Locke is not dead but has the appearance of death from the spider bite that led to Nikki and Paulo's untimely demise. This could be a long con on Locke's part to get the O6 back to the island.
  • But when was Locke identified as a con man?

Who will/has replace(d) Locke as leader of the Others?

• The "special people" are those who have a connection to the island, and are able to see their future on the island. Evidence: The items Richard shows Locke are from the future (not the past like the items used to test a prospective Dalai Lama). The items, such as the "mystery island" comic, future Locke's compass, the Book of Laws Eko gave to future Locke, and the sand from the island are all tests of whether Locke has seen into his future on the island. Further, we know he has because of young Locke's drawing of the monster on his wall - which implies that he has already had a vision of being attacked by the monster in the future. This would indicate that "special" people are able to glimpse their future on the island. Given that the Others take this ability as a sign of their leaders (so far, Ben and Locke have talked about receiving instructions from the island through their dreams), other candidates for "special" people / leaders include:

• Walt: Bea and Ben called him "very special." Locke may have visited him to try and bring him back to the island. Walt has appeared several times on the island after he left, never wanted to leave in the first place, may also have premonitions about what is going to happen on the island.

• Ben - he says he is banished from the island never to return and that he "used to have dreams", but you can't count Ben out. He has profound knowledge of the island and his actions (helping Jack return) imply that his actions still revolve around the island.

• Frank Lapidus: is associated with Abaddon, who found Locke and may be tasked with finding special people. When Abaddon defended his choices of Lapidus, Miles, Charlotte and Daniel to Naomi, he was insistent that these people be part of the mission. Their premonitions may have made finding the island possible. Lapidus may have had a premonition of the crash of Flight 815 and this is the reason he chose not to fly that day and blames himself for the death of the pilots.

• Miles: is associated with Abaddon, who found Locke and may be tasked with finding special people. When Abaddon defended his choices of Lapidus, Miles, Charlotte and Daniel to Naomi, he was insistent that these people be part of the mission. Their premonitions may have made finding the island possible. Miles seems to have premonitions (finding the hidden money of a stranger in Confirmed dead, knowing about Ben's 3.2 million dollars), and this may be why he didn't leave the island - he knew the Kahana was going to explode. Also how he knew where Karl and Rousseau's bodies were.

• Daniel: is associated with Abaddon, who found Locke and may be tasked with finding special people. When Abaddon defended his choices of Lapidus, Miles, Charlotte and Daniel to Naomi, he was insistent that these people be part of the mission. Their premonitions may have made finding the island possible. Daniel may have had a premonition of the crash of Flight 815 and this is why news of the flight makes him weep without him knowing why (i.e. something sad is associated with the crash of flight 815 in his subconscious).

• Charlotte: is associated with Abaddon, who found Locke and may be tasked with finding special people. When Abaddon defended his choices of Lapidus, Miles, Charlotte and Daniel to Naomi, he was insistent that these people be part of the mission. Their premonitions may have made finding the island possible. Charlotte may have had a premonition of the island, and understands that this is what Miles is referring to when he talks about her trying to find the island.

• No One. Locke has only just died and there is no suggestion at this point that another leader has been or will be chosen. In fact Ben's insistence on the return of Locke's body to the island suggests that Locke's purpose on the island is not yet complete. Likely, given that the deceased Christian has been used by Jacob. Locke's death is part of Jacob's plan and he is yet to fulfill his destiny.

Why does Locke's body need to go back to the island?

• Jack removes a request form for transporting a body off of John's coffin when he opens it. It wasn't going to be buried there. It was being prepared to be moved. Someone already had this planned, then Ben shows up and talks Jack into moving the body.
• Locke's corpse has to return to the Island so he can exist again in some form as Christian does on the island.
• The bodies of people who died off island but ended up on island (i.e. Christian Shepherd, Yemi) are somehow able to be reanimated on the island.
• If that is true, why does Ben say that everyone who left the island must come back?
  • Sun, Kate, Aaron, Sayid, Hurley and Jack and Locke's corpse seems reminiscent of the original passenger list of flight 815 plus the strange detail of Jack bringing a corpse. Perhaps these certain constellations of individuals plus a corpse makes it possible for certain events (e.g. returning to the island, having a corpse that can be the "voice" of the island to tell the O6 what they need to do). However, this theory seems to explicitly contrast with the story of Desmond's role in bringing down flight 815.

What did Ben mean by "You all have to go."?

In response, Jack listed the names of Sayid, Hurley, Sun, and Kate, in that order; the order may not be important. Aaron may be implicit; he is not able to make his own decision. Jack's response did not necessarily relate to Ben's statement; Jack's mental processes were not exactly unencumbered. Ben did not provide a list of people who have left the island. Possibilities are:

• "All three of you," that is Jack, Kate, and Aaron.
• "All of you on Bea's List," that is Jack, Kate (with Aaron implicit) and Hugo.
• "All six of you," the Oceanic Six.
• "All nine of you," the Oceanic Six, Walt, Desmond, and Frank.
• "All ten of you," the Oceanic Six, Walt, Desmond, Frank, and Penny.
• "All eleven of you" the Oceanic Six, Walt, Desmond, Frank, Penny, and Ji Yeon

The are different mixes available.

Because Locke visited Walt, Jack, Hurley, and Kate, they, with Aaron, are almost certainly included in Ben's "all." Because Sayid works for Ben and has moved Hurley to a safe place it is probable they are included.

Sun, who has contacted Widmore, and Ji-Yeon are unknowns.

Why every one who has left the Island has to go back together

Why would Locke/Ben want/need the O6 back. In There's No Place Like Home, Part 1, Kate said that when she heard what Locke had to say about going back to the island, she knew he was crazy. Jack said taking Kate back to the island was the only way to keep her safe, but he did not mention anyone else going back. Given that the Others never showed any interest in trying keep the members of the O6 in the past (except for Aaron and attempting to kidnap pregnant Sun) and several times told them explicitly that they were "not on the list" or "bad," this raises the questions: Why would the Others suddenly want/need all of the O6+ back? (Locke visited at least Hurley, Kate/Aaron, Jack, and Walt that we know of).

Theory 1: The new/better leader hypothesis

Now that Locke is dead There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3, a new leader is needed, and perhaps was needed all along.

• The Others may have thought Locke was their chosen one, but it turns out it was one of the other Losties who was actually "meant" to emerge as the leader of the Others after the flight of 815.
• This explains the "bad things" that happened after the O6 left - John was not able to handle the role.
• This would explain why Locke was trying to get the O6 to return - so they could determine which of them was meant to be the leader of the Others.
• Locke failing to kill Cooper meant he really wasn't ready/the person who should lead the Others.
• This explains why Locke dies despite his seeming immortality up until this point (i.e. surviving a plane crash, an 8 story fall, being shot, healing from paralysis) - the island was helping him out all along (as it helped Juliet's sister. But now that it is clear he isn't "special" he dies or is murdered, something that was previously impossible.
• Given what Ben and Locke had in common when they were "scouted" by Richard, these rough clues as to the identity of the "special" leaders might include: having bad fathers, troubled home lives, raised without mothers. Possible candidates who meet at least some of these criteria are: Jack, Walt, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, or of course Ben again.

Theory 2: Circumstances on the island have changed

• Jacob has made a new list, and this time, the O6 are on it. Now that they have left the island, their presence is somehow critical to its survival in a way that wasn't the case before they left. It can't be merely that their knowledge is a threat, otherwise the Others would simply kill them. (While Locke probably would not kill them Ben certainly would if that was what the situation called for), so we know they are needed alive.

Evidence:

• Jacob likes to make lists, and Locke wouldn't leave the island unless he had been told to do so, especially if it was for the very uphill task of convincing the O6 to come back since he knows how much they will resist. If their presence had been critical before, the Others would have made a concerted effort to befriend and integrate them into their society as they did with Cindy, Locke, Zack, and Emily. As such, we are left to deduce that something has changed to make each of them critical to the island.
• The agenda of getting all the 06 back to the island may merely be to ensure that none of them ever tell about the island.
  • It could be that there is new pressure on them that the Others believe might make them talk (evidence: Kate - a convicted felon on probation with a small child in her house keeps a gun handy, Widmore's men are watching Hurley, Sayid has killed/been shot by someone).
• Locke needs their help to manage the island or events on the island. Each of the O6, beyond being "important" characters, were also instrumental, talented, creative, and highly valuable leaders and members of the survivor community. In a difficult situation, these would be the people you would chose to bring back. Locke isn't particularly clever or cunning, none of the Others are, that was Ben's department, and he's gone.
  • In a previous episode, Locke told Kate he lobbied that she be able to stay, but then the Others showed him her file of the "bad" things she had done. Now that the Others are basically homeless (the Barracks were destroyed), their food drops probably aren't being sent anymore (those were for Dharma), and they have a new/unsteady leader, they can't be so choosy.
    • If the Others were so impressed with Locke's ability to heal, why weren't they also impressed with how well Hurley's mental health improved on the island? Even Jack and Kate had their lives pretty well together on the island compared to their unsteady pasts.

How the O6 get back

• What leverage points do each of the O6 have that Ben could possibly use to get them back to the island? When Jack told Ben the impossibility of getting the O6 to return, Ben replied that he had some ideas. By know, we know what kinds of ideas he means. So what ties do each of these characters to the island to the degree that they would be willing to go back and cooperate with the Others?
  • Jack tells Ben that Hurley's insane, Kate won't talk to him etc and Ben replies "Perhaps I can help you with that." So he does want all the O6 to come to the island, otherwise he would've just said "no, Jack, we don't need them".
  • No one can make assumptions based on Ben did or did not say. When was Ben ever "entirely" truthful?
    • We can't say for sure if it's absolutely necessary that they all go based on what Ben said, but we can conclude that he wants all of them to come back.

What leverage points do each of the O6 have that Ben could possibly use to get them back to the island?

• Kate: Sawyer, Aaron-Claire
• Jack: his guilt over his inability to save Claire. Also an apparition of Christian is on the island.
  • Both before and after he lives off-island, Jack is a jealous, lonely, self-destructive, emotionally crippled man living a fairly meaningless life. On the island, he is a whole man and a leader with an important purpose.
• He only promises, but he does not take any sort of decisive and planned action towards his goal. I would say that he is terrible as a leader. E.g. in all of his clashes with Ben, if he would have listened to Ben, much less people would get harmed.
  • But this was true of Jack even before the crash. It didn't stop him wanting to get off the island, even when, as Locke suggests, it was evident that Jack was fulfilling his destiny. He always resisted his role as leader.
• Sun: ? - If Jin is dead, she has no connection, but if he isn't ...
  • Sun seems to be joining Widmore. She may go to the island as part of their battle against Ben, not realizing that Ben needs her there himself.
• Hurley: ? - unless Libby is able to be alive on the island? His mental health would improve if he returned?
  • Both before and after Hurley lives off-island, Hurley lives the life of a mentally unstable, insane man. On the island, Hurley is not only completely sane, but he is both content and a great comfort to those around him (as opposed to a burden). Going back is the only way he can regain his sanity and be of value to others.
    • Actually he had a number of mental crises on-island, including the Dave incident.
      • Hurley's life is in danger. Furthermore, he is plainly being visited by the dead (Eko, Charlie) exhorting him to return. He plainly feels that the people they left behind are also in danger. Sufficient reasons.
• Sayid: Sayid has expressed a desire to keep the people on the island safe and has no other significant ties that we are aware of.
  • Sayid works for Ben now, and has nothing in the off-island world worth living for, now that Nadia is gone. He would gladly go back if it meant somehow getting revenge for her death.

• Jack is persuaded to go back because Jeremy Bentham tells him that some very bad things happened after they left, that it was Jack's fault for leaving and that he had to return. Whether this is true or not, Ben may use similar tactics with the other members of the Oceanic 6.

• This summary of potential "leverage points" assumes that Ben is going to use personal relationships between the O6 and those left on the island to lure them back. Reasons for various loyalties throughout the series have been diverse,complex and often political rather than personal. It is perhaps more likely that Ben will somehow inspire a unifying sense of responsibility in the O6.

Moving the Island

Access to the Chamber

• The pocket of negatively charged exotic matter is the source of the power to move the Island and of DHARMA's experiments in the vault. Behind the vault is one route of access to the Wheel Chamber. There are others, but the one through the Orchid is the fastest under the circumstances. At one point in its experiments, DHARMA placed an experimental object on a metal shelf in the vault. During the experiment, some minor damage occurred to the vault; however, there was not enough damage to reveal the tunnel behind the vault.

• Given that there was a parka inside the Orchid, it does seem Dharma had entered the chamber for some reason, and perhaps sealed if off later.
• Knowing about the tunnel and the incident in the vault, Ben loads the vault with as much metal as he can get his hands on. The resulting explosion tears open the back wall, revealing it to Locke and granting access to Ben.

• The tunnel that Ben used to get to Smokey when Keamy's team attacked the Barracks looked really similar to the Orchid tunnel : old but still functional, same kind of polished rock walls... Besides, the Barracks one also featured hieroglyphs if I remember correctly, confirming these are like map indications, or maybe warning signals. It's likely there are indeed other tunnels everywhere beneath the Island (linked to Smokey's vents ?) and that the DI people never knew of them all. This knowledge has been kept secret by Richard and his people, that's why Ben now know about them, as he became their leader after the DI was purged. It's also probably how the Others attacked the Barracks and killed them : by using the tunnels they would have been able to infiltrate the whole place and leave the deadly gas everywhere before retreating to a safe place, waiting for it to wipe the DI. I bet we'll see more of these underground pathways in season 5... The Temple itself could be located underground.
  • Given how the Others seem to be able to get from point A to point B much quicker than possible overland, I would say that it's probable that there is a series of tunnels underground. Also it would explain the times when the Others seem to appear and disappear from thin air.
• If the Island has moved in the past, then the chamber in the Orchid must have been blown up in the past as well. Why is it intact again when Ben moves the island? Could there be another way down to the wheel, or does the island fix the chamber when it moves?
  • The last time the Island was moved, the Orchid station didn't exist. DI discovered the chamber, had no idea what it actually was, and built the vault as part of their experiments on the exotic matter. The Island simply has not been moved since Dharma showed up.

The Orchid Wheel

GENERAL:

• The Orchid Wheel is the device used to open the reservoir of the Island's "negatively charged exotic matter." There may or may not always be some flow of energy from the matter. The fact that DHARMA was able to detect it would argue in favor of some "seepage."
  • Dharma did NOT find it by detecting it, but the Black Rock crew accidentaly found it while mining the Island. Dharma simply found the mine with the Wheel while exploring the Island.
• Both the source of the energy that keeps the chamber cold and the reason for doing so are unknown. The ice, itself, appears to be a product of condensation.
• It does not resemble either the helm [4] or the anchor capstan[5] of a ship, such as the USS Constitution, in service since 1797, or the Black Rock.

OPERATION:

• The wheel is designed to be operated by one or more human beings, as Ben demonstrates. Only three-eighths of the wheel is exposed at any one time. Tethering a donkey or any other draft animal to the wheel, assuming that there were sufficient room to do this, would require more time than the task of turning the wheel. The animal would then be able to push the wheel through a rotation of one-quarter of its circumference. The animal would then have to untethered, led back to the starting position, and re-tethered before beginning again.

• Jacob is an avatar of the Island. He is too ephemeral and does not have the power to move the island on his own; he can order/ask/beg that it be moved but the act requires a human being.

• The Orchid Wheel is not mystical in or of itself. It is a tool used to release the energy necessary to move the Island. That energy charges the device that actually moves the Island. Whether that energy is used for any other purpose is unknown at this time.

• The time it took Locke to return to the top of the Orchid and walk the two miles to the place he met Alpert is longer than the amount of time Ben was depicted turning the wheel. Ben told Jack and the people with him to be off the Island within an hour. That would have given Ben all the time he needed to complete his task, to include closing the resevoir.

• It must be pointed out that there has to be some other technology present behind the wall other then the wheel. True the wheel may be some form of release valve or on/off switch for exotic matter (which would enable the creation of a stable wormhole), but in order to control where that wormhole exits you would need sophisticated technology of some sort (or an intelligence). Without this the wormhole would no more likely exit somewhere in the ocean on Earth then it would anywhere else in the universe.
  • For all we know the island could be in space, we only saw it light up, not where it went. Thats why Ben says it is dangerous to move the island and its only a last resort sort of thing.
  • It seems, also, that the wheel may not be the device that moves the island, but what is behind the door Ben opens is. We are shown Ben turning the wheel and opening the door, but we are not shown what is in fact behind the door, other than intense white light.
  • Is there a screen cap of this open door?

• The wheel is only a facade of the actual technology at work. For example: if you were to place a World War I pilot in the cockpit of jetliner, they would be overwhelmed and be unable to fly but with proper automation the cockpit could be designed to look like a World War I cockpit and the pilot could then fly the complex machine. The Wheel (and perhaps Swan button-pushing as well) is given a primitive appearance so our undeveloped perception is able to operate technology far beyond our comprehension.

WHEEL HISTORY

• There are hieroglyph-like carvings on the pillar when Ben enters the icy room. Two of them are pretty clear: a bird-like one that looks like the duck in "Sa-Rê", one of the religious names given to Pharaohs to mark their god-like status (possibly related to resurrection or immortality) and a square one depicting a "water piece" (possibly the ocean surrounding the island, or maybe an underground spring next to the Orchid). The latter has some "horns" on top of it though, so maybe it has a different meaning. There are finally three vertical slashes, possibly referring to three people, or three of something else. They could link this room to the Swan station and countdown clock, and possibly to former (and possibly Egyptian?) Island inhabitants.
  • The vertical slashes, or tally marks, could be keeping track of the number of times the island has been moved in that fashion.
    • The triangular top carvings could portray the mountains (i.e. the Island; that would be map indications). They may also represent a tidal wave created after the Island is moved, proving that whoever did these carvings knows how it all works.
  • There is only one pillar featuring these carvings; the rest of the room isn't covered with them, and neither is the wheel. This seems to indicate that they are map indications.
  • There is a lantern hanging on the rock column above the carvings. The type is also know as a "hurricane lantern" (sometimes as a "barn lamp"). This type has been around since the early 1910-1920's, but unsure about this specific model. These are still being made today. Being fueled by kerosene is an advantage, as it stays liquid in frigid conditions.
    • It is the same style of lantern seen on the table in Jacob's Cabin.

• The island has already been moved several times before. That is how the Black Rock got its position in the middle of the island: it just appeared in the open sea and lifted the ship up.
  • The island appear to "sink" into the ocean when it was moved. Thus, it could "rise" up to wherever it reappears. This could also add water to the theory as to why the Black Rock is so far inland. Rather than "popping" into existence, the island lifted it up when it reappeared there.
  • The island did look like it was sinking; there was a ripple effect in the water afterwards. Perhaps this will be the explanation (in the LOST world) for the December 2004 tsunami. The timing of the events on the island and time line to coincide with that major disaster.
    • That was just the ocean water filling in the space that used to be occupied by the island.
      • The same effect would occur if the island sank, but nevertheless I believe you are correct. In either case, however, the "implosion" would in turn create a massive suction around and under "ground zero" -- this is what drowns most folks on ships that sink. If the view we see of the island going >gloop< is meant to be the POV from the copter (at it seems to be) they appear close enough so that the air rushing in to fill the vacuum would've sucked in Lapidus and his intrepid passengers -- at the very least, this natural reaction would've convincingly caused the chopper to crash without requiring the writers' 'out of gas' bit.

• The polar bear in Tunisia (possibly the same spot Ben ended up) could be an indication that DHARMA moved the island in the past, or experimented in the frozen chamber anyway. They could have used the polar bear as a guinea pig to test the properties of the frozen chamber.
  • This explains the remains of the Polar Bear found in Tunisia by Charlotte. Tunisia serves as a dumping location whenever the wheel is turned.
    • From the orientation video, we have seen that the chamber didn't send the Dharma bunny to far, into the past, in a room on the island. So far, only the FDW seems linked to Tunisia - where the bear was found. Either Dharma knows about the wheel and sent one of their bears wearing a Dharma collar, or the Others bothered to put a Dharma collar on a polar bear before using the bear to move the island.

• The frozen chamber has a rickety ladder and a gas lamp in it. These are not the sorts of things that DHARMA would have put there. Was this chamber used by the Others, or maybe by the crew of the Black Rock in the past?

Questions about the wheel

Why would the person closest to the wheel go to Tunisia, and the Island goes the somewhere else?

• Because of the yellow light emitting from the wheel would only reach the person turning the wheel.
  • That light could also reach anyone else in the wheel chamber.
• The light is not necessarily what sent Ben to the desert.

Why did Halliwax say only organic matter should go in the vault? The wheel seems to have transported inorganic matter - i.e. the island, unless the whole island along with everything else on it is some sort of living "organic" being - that would be a weird season 5.

• The Vault blew up when metal was put into it similar to putting metal in a microwave. Halliwax said that to prevent damage to the vault.
• Describing restrictions on the vault is different than describing what the wheel does.

What happens if you turn the wheel the other way?

• Nothing the wheel only turns one way
• The island travels back in time
• The emissions stop, just as if you turned any other tap the other way. We do not have to see it happen for it to happen.

Did Dharma know about the wheel? (Not just the strange energy it emitted)

• The fact that the parka had the name "Halliwax" on it means that DHARMA must have had a cold area (polar bear living quarters?), the Island was in a cold place, or they had known about the cold room, if not the frozen wheel.
  • DHARMA clearly knew about the frozen wheel. The vault was likely built as an experiment to attempt to harness the power of the wheel.
    • The Orientation video also said to keep metal objects out of the chamber because they knew it would open up a hole to get to the wheel
    • Given that the polar bear was decomposed all the way to the bone, in Tunisia, and was wearing a Dharma collar, the Dharma Initiative must have come across the wheel long ago, used the polar bear as a lab rat of sorts (resulting in its Tunisian transportation), and decided to build the station around the wheel and the strange energy for experimentation purposes. The video, like the other Orientation films, and the "transporter room" both had more than one purpose. The video was not only instructive but also purposefully created in order to hide the wheel. The "transporter room" was not only for experiments but was also used to hide the ancient origins and the wheel from all members of the DI except for a select few.

Ben's Destination and Timing

• Ben's arrival date in Tunisia is synchronized up with the Island's new time, because they were moved by the same force.

• The Island shifting forward allows Ben to access some important things because he needs funds which are only available to the leader of the People of the Island.

• Ben moved the Island on 12/30/2004; he arrives at the hotel, still in the Halliwax parka and with the wound on his arm, on 10/24/05; the difference is 298 days.

298 - 42 = 256

256 / 8 = 32

32 / 8 = 4

(the numbers)

• Ben arrived in Iraq and soon afterwards lured Sayid into becoming his assassin after Nadia was killed.

• At this point, Sayid, along with the rest of the Six, had been rescued, been to Hurley's party with Nadia, married Nadia, and lived with Nadia for a time before she was killed.

• When Ben arrives in Tunisia, he asks the hotel receptionist about the date.

• Ben (as Moriarty) did not need to have a reservation. He was a preferred guest. The hotel staff was not expecting him that day, but any day he arrived, they would find him a room.
• After arriving in Tunisia, Ben shows a passport of Dean Moriarty with his picture in it. Ben already believed that he was being replaced as leader because he no longer has dreams ("Cabin Fever"). When he went into the concealed room in his house to dispatch the Monster ("The Shape of Things to Come"), he took time to retrieve the Dean Moriarty passport. He would not have had certain knowledge, when leaving their village cabin, that Jacob would ask Locke to move the Island, but he would have known that he needed to be prepared for anything. Ben always has a plan, even if he just doesn't always know the outcomes.
• Ben probably did not need to go to Los Angeles at the time of Nadia's death, because of the impressive intelligence network the the Island has available to it.
• Ben did not kill Nadia, nor have her death arranged. He had just arrived from the Island.
• Ben recruited Sayid in 2005. It seems that Sayid is still working for Ben three years later.

Ben's Knowledge

Anticipation

Ben can anticipate his needs. This does not suggest that he is prescient, but it does make him a good planner. During the battle of the Barracks, he realized that it was time to confront Charles Widmore. He took time after tergeting the Monster to select the "Dean Moriarty" passport, some credit cards or money to funds his activities off the Island and his weapon (if he did not already have it). Afterward, events spiraled out of control. Ben accompanied Locke to Jacob's cabin and ended up in Tunesia ten months later.

Ben's DHARMA Knowledge

• Locke, looking around in the Orchid Station, asks Ben, "What is all this stuff for?" and Ben replies, "Same as all the other DHARMA stations. Just silly little experiments." Ben is indicating that DHARMA is not responsible for anything consequential about the Island: not the wheel, not the Monster.

Ben was involved in a previous move of the Island.

• At that time, he was the leader elect and Charles Widmore was the current leader in whom Jacob no longer had any confidence.
  • Widmore alleges that Ben stole the Island from him, a point which may only be true from Widmore's perspective. The Island fires a leader by telling his replacement through Jacob (and, this time, through Jacob and Christian) that it is time to move. The current leader, hearing those words, know that his time as leader is over. Ben, possibly with Alpert's assistance, created a situation in which Widmore performed poorly. Ben has demonstrated skill in getting people to do what he wants them to do. He tricked Widmore into doing something the Island would not like. The Island responded.
  • Because of Ben's knowledge of DHARMA (having grown up with them), he knew that metal in the chamber would blow it up. Someone (possibly Richard Alpert or Widmore) told him that the wheel was behind the Orchid Station.
    • The fact that he grabs the parka before going down indicates that he is very familiar with the wheel.

Counter evidence

• Unless DHARMA rebuilt the Orchid station, the door would have already been blown by Widmore, if he had "seen" it.
  • There may be an alternate way into where the frozen wheel is besides The Orchid. There seems to be something on the other side--to have put the wheel there, they would have either had to have access to it from the other side, or keep turning the wheel as it was assembled.
    • If Widmore had moved the Island before, he wouldn't bother looking for it since he wouldn't be able to go back anyway.
    • Unless it IS possible to go back, or there is something there that he wants. But it seems that all he wants is Ben, at least that is all it appears Keamy et al. came for. Maybe Charlotte, Faraday and Miles were sent there for another purpose, but got side tracked into being the rescue crew.

• Ben's statement about the person who moves the Island having an inability to return is not necessarily true; if it is, he may not have meant it literally. It simply could have meant it's next to impossible as that person would be shifted somewhere in the world, and thus, wouldn't know where/when the Island had moved to.
  • Ben is simply lying to Locke as usual.
    • Ben told Locke that the person moving the Island can never return so that Locke would stay.

• Besides the fact that "Jacob says so", why would the Island still need to be moved if the threats were taken care of?
  • Widmore would still know where the Island was if it wasn't moved.
  • And the O6, and all the Losties who had left the Island at the time the wheel was turned, would definitely come back for their friends, blowing the cover of the Others who don't want to be found.
    • The Six may be glad to be rid of their "friends" on the Island -- and vice versa.
    • There is a Time paradox (Theory) and they have to come back (and they were brought there and meant to be there) so the paradox fixes itself.
  • The events in the freighter and things like Keamy killing Ben's daughter caused this particular time ripple to be unfixable, therefore the only way to fix the original Time paradox (Theory) is to create a new ripple/loop by causing another time/space shift (ergo, moving the Island) and try, from this new time line to fix things and merge everything, but apparently, it all went wrong.

Orchid Orientation

Faulty video/machine theory

• Comparing the earlier Orchid Orientation out-takes to this video, the out-takes look like aged and yellowed film, whereas the video appear whiter and cleaner. So the original shoot was on film, then the final edit was transferred to video tape. The fluctuations in sound are typical for an old tape and/or a VCR that has not been used is a while.
• The movie starts to go backwards because the director/writers didn't want us to see the entire video so they made some technical problem with the tape as the excuse to end the segment.
  • The video simply had no more information on it the tape had ended. Or a part had been removed a little like the swan orientation video where part of it was missing. Because that part was missing the video had no more tape and so rewound like a normal tape would.
    • That is not the normal way a tape rewinds when it reaches the end of the tape. The video would go out and it would go into its "fast rewind". Instead it rewinds as if you were playing the tape and hit rewind, a "slow rewind".
      • The machine could just be faulty.
    • Faulty Machine is supported by Locke pressing the buttons to get it to play again with no success.
      • The tape malfunction was caused by Halliwax's experiment. What we saw was all there is.
        • Ben was being facetious when he told Locke that the video would answer his questions. Ben has never answered Locke's questions about the island, but promising to is the primary way he motivates Locke to go along with his plans.
          • Really, Ben knew it would answer none of Locke's questions. He just wanted to get Locke to shut up while he worked.

Content of the video

We see Halliwax with his rabbit, number 15. The setting is similar, yet different from the earlier Orchid film out-takes. His female assistant has been replaced with a male technician seated at the controls. While the dialog is similar to the earlier film, there are differences. In the earlier film, Halliwax mentions how you (the new recruit) were not told the true nature of your work until now, "for the security of your family and friends".

• In the outtake (film), an accident occurs and a duplicate of the rabbit appears on a shelf behind Halliwax before he gets an opportunity to place the original number 15 into the vault. Halliwax asks about the setting and someone replies, "minus twenty."
• In the final (video tape), Locke never sees the result of the experiment because the tape goes into reverse search, possibly because an electronic signal caused the camera to place a signal to so on the tape.

Location of the Island Before Ben Moved it

The location of the island as we know it in Seasons one through four is in the Pacific.

Main article: The Island/Theories#Location of the Island Before Ben Moved it

• 100 ms is a tenth of a second. Remember what Ben said about silly experiments with time-traveling bunnies. DHARMA did not have a clue how much power was at their fingertips.
• But it is 'four dimensional,' not just time (one dimension) or space (the other three dimensions) the fact that Hallowax specifically said 'four' dimensional means just that; the Island was moved through the four dimensions.
  • This could also explain the need for the specific bearing to get to/from the island. There are 12 vile vortices. Dividing possible compass bearings (0-360) into twelve, gives us 30 degrees per vortex. The bearings 300-330 Could be the bearings for the location of the island prior to it moved in this episode. Possibly coming to the island on a bearing of 305 will take them to the island on the same timeline as the person is on (i.e. no time travel), coming in on bearing 300, or 310, or any other bearing, shifts that person's (or object's) time so that they enter the island either before or after their current time. This could explain the time shift from the physicist's experiment (the rocket didn't stay exactly on the bearing), as well as the reason it took the helicopter so long to make it to the freighter when Sayid and Desmond were aboard (they strayed form the correct bearing).
  • Since an ms refers to a millisecond, shifting an object 100 ms forward in time is shifting it one-tenth of a second forward.
  • If things are moved in time and not in space, it seems strange that Ben woke up in the desert with absolutely no foot prints around him.
    • If Ben changed location in time, then given the earth's rotation, he could be in the same "space" but on a different place on earth.
    • The rewind is a tool to convey Linus' contempt for DHARMA to Locke while Ben prepares to break into the tunnel.

The bad thing that happened to DHARMA

• The "bad thing" that happened to DHARMA that created so many problems for them and caused issues at the substations was the first time they found and turned the frozen wheel. They would have moved the wheel at some point to see what it did, causing the Island to move in time. This would have teleported anyone in the ice chamber to a different place (Tunisia?) and caused issues for DHARMA getting back and forth (basically cutting them off from the Island until they either made contact with the outside world again or left under the new bearings) and may have wreaked havoc with their substations. The only way DHARMA would have known to build the biochamber to move things around was to harness the power in its original form (the wheel) and see the results the first time, then experiment from then on.
  • Could a the Polar Bear in Tunisia have turned the wheel as part of the experiment and that is why Charlotte was seen digging up a bear?
    • I would think this happened second. I can't see them finding the frozen wheel and going "oh, we need to bring in a polar bear to turn it". I can see them turning it once and screwing things up, and then later on saying "okay, we need to turn the wheel again, what animal can survive the cold down there, is strong enough to turn the wheel, and is smart enough to turn the wheel without us down there? (hence the bear conditioning with devices). Because the bear has to be smart to operate the wheel by itself then this proves they know that they can't be in the room with the bear, hence they know the effects already of turning the wheel with people in the room (they did it once).
      • I'm sorry but this idea doesn't seem too bright. For one thing, the little ice hole Ben climbed through was not that big, it would have been a very tough fit for a polar bear weighing a couple hundred pounds. Also, how would the polar bear get down there. With the two ladders it seems about an 18-20 foot drop to the bottom room with the wheel. Did they lower the polar bear or just drop its ass?
        • Not being able to get a polar bear through the entrance Ben used doesn't mean anything; there could be another or multiple entrances to the FDW.
        • Also, polar bears don't start off big, they grow. If you are going to be experimenting on polar bears on a jungle island, you may need an environment suitable for a polar bear to grow and develop. Polar bear went into the FDW room as a cub, grew up, moved the wheel and wound up in Tunisia.
        • And it's also unlikely that they blew up the orchid to get in there, so there is probably another way.
• The way Ben talks about the Orchid to Locke, I wonder if DHARMA weren't the ones who discovered the true power of the frozen wheel, but instead it was the Others, or some other party. Locke "What is all this equipment for?" Ben "Just like every other station, silly experiments", and then when Locke asked "Are they talking about what I think they are talking about?" Ben " What, time traveling bunnies, yes." I think DHARMA was short sighted in what the wheel could actually do and used it for just experimenting with bunnies.
  • Ben's statements very strongly imply that DHARMA had no idea whatsoever about the real powers of the Island and their significance for the "original inhabitants". DHARMA simply found a couple of phenomena they could not explain and did comparatively insignificant experiments with them, in the process angering the original inhabitants and (possibly unintentionally) wreaking havoc.

The "bad things" that happened after the Oceanic 6 left

Caused by Locke

Main article: John Locke/Theories#Locke's naiveté

Happen as a direct result of the O6 leaving

• Jack tells Ben in the funeral home that Locke told him that the "very bad things" that happened on the island occurred because Jack left and that these things were Jack's fault, and as such, he needs to come back.
• It's also worth noting that the 'bad things' seem to happen halfway through the couple of years that the Losties are off the island. That's when we see a radical shift of character, most notably with Jack, who seems to have noticed that 'bad things' are happening as much as Locke is. This is why he's convinced that he must return. Hurley seems to have given up, but both Sun and Sayid seem to have an island related agenda. It's possible that it's a good case of misdirection that they're all working independently from each other; it seems like the only one needing of convincing is Kate - who by violating her probation, would be giving up everything to go back.
  • Sayid isn't necessarily looking for the island; he is working for Ben to keep the people on the island safe.
• Locke at least believes that the bad things were caused by the Oceanic Six either by their leaving or by their not being there. If certain Losties are chosen by the island and meant to do something on the island, then bad things would be caused by their absence (this would at least include Hurley's connection to Jacob, and the possibly mystical nature of Aaron's birth).
  • We don't know that Locke believes this. We only know that he claims that bad things happened and that it was Jack's/The Oceanic Six's fault for leaving, and that he uses this to recruit Jack.
• Thinking back on when Desmond ran out of The Swan station, Locke was almost in tears begging Jack to hit the "execute" button as he didn't want to do the job himself. The conversation at The Orchid was reminiscent of this; Bentham blaming Jack for the "bad things" is again a reminder of that day in The Swan...Locke never wanted to be the leader; looking all the way back to Season 1, White Rabbit, Locke was the one to tell Jack, it was Jack who was to be the leader. Locke NEVER had leadership in him. DID bad things happen or is this again Locke fears at work and him wanting Jack back out of fear more than need? A thought.
  • Locke wanted Jack to push the button not because he didn't want to do it himself, but because he wanted Jack to have faith, and the only way to do that was to refuse to push it himself. Locke certainly believes Jack is integral to Jacob's plan for the island, but this doesn't necessarily mean he is deferring to Jack's leadership or shirking his own destiny.

Caused by Jacob

The bad things, still unrevealed, are caused by Jacob, but he is capable of the things only because he was freed by Locke.

• Keep in mind that we don't know that Jacob was a prisoner of Ben. In fact, given that we now know the cabin is not always visible to all people and that it does relocate, it is more logical to assume that the circle of ash was put there by Ben to remind him of where the cabin was.
• Not only did Jacob ask Locke to "help" him (suggesting he needed help of some sort), but Ben also says "I guess you're getting what you wanted" (or something to that effect) to Jacob as he turns the wheel, again suggesting that Ben held Jacob in some sort of captivity, and now he is free to do what he would like.
  • No, he says "I hope you're happy now, Jacob" because he has spent his whole life carrying out Jacob's wishes and Jacob ultimately ditched him in favour of Locke.
    • Perhaps jacob could be "freed" though. If the island moves back in time perhaps jacob could be reincarnated? Or something of that nature. After many years of dealing with ben he could be very angry at his misinterpretations of jacob's will, and he could be punishing all those left on the island.

Caused by Miles, Charlotte, or Daniel

• With the mercenaries dead and the remaining camps relatively reconciled in their mutual opposition to them, the only new element on the island is the remaining Kahana crew. They had to have been introduced for a plot-turning reason, and with bad things ensuing, one of them may be involved. Charlotte in particular seems to have a personal agenda (and a dark side).
• Miles will become a key character in Season 5 - his apparent ability to communicate with the dead and hear/interpret the whispers on the Island will make him a valuable source of insights into how the island works and what has/is happening there. This may also make Miles a direct threat to Locke as the new leader of the Others (chosen in part because he heard Jacob), and may also be a threat to the Others as a whole, since he has a direct way to get information about the island that they can't manipulate or control.

Caused by everything put together

• Locke is now accepted as leader of the Others. Now that the Survivors' leaders have all disappeared and rejoined the world as the Oceanic Six, there is a power vacuum that will eventually need to be filled. Sawyer, Rose, Juliet, Miles, Charlotte, and Daniel are all candidates for leadership, but none of them is particularly fond of any of the other Survivors. Considering the deaths that have occurred the leadership slate represents approximately one-third of the population. They all like Lock even less.

• As a result, Locke will be unable to keep the tentative peace between the remaining Survivors and the Others as leader, and a conflict will ensue, one that he is impotent to stop. The Survivors will be regarded by the Others as newcomers and second-class citizens. Arguments will ensue of housing, food and other resources. The conflict will be violent. The Others do not hesitate to use force. The Survivors, under their new leadership, also will not hesitate to use violence to try to escape.

• Locke will try (and fail) to keep the peace in an attempt to peacefully unite these two violent factions. Neither the Others nor the Survivors will respond to his pleas for non-violence due to long-standing and slow-to-change hostilities, and he will lose control of the situation. For this violent civil war between the Survivors and the Others to end, the Oceanic Six must return to retake the heavy burden that is the leadership of the Survivors. Their return is necessary as they were all brought to the island for a higher purpose in the first place, and one of those purposes is to lead and control the Survivors , keeping the uneasy peace between the two tribes (the Survivors and the Others).

• There are two other aspects to consider as well. First, the Survivors tend to fracture into more than one faction, and with the introduction of Miles and Charlotte into the group, a split into two factions will occur: those who want to stay, and those who want to leave. This will further complicate the impending violence. Second, there is the wild card that is the passengers of the Zodiac. Their existence, whether they are transported with the island or not, will become a crucial story device at some point during Season Five.

Sawyer and Juliet

• Both believing the ones they love died in the freighter explosion, Sawyer and Juliet will eventually find comfort in each other's arms.

Kate's Dream

Kate was dreaming. After she heard creaking sounds, answered the telephone, armed herself, and talked with Claire in Aaron's room, she woke suddenly and found herself back in bed. She went to Aaron's room, found him sleeping comfortably, and twice said she was sorry. The garments Claire was wearing have no impact on the question of whether the experience was or was not a dream.

The reason for her sorrow is not specified, but one is left with only four possibilities:

• Kate remains in California, keeping Aaron with her. This is unlikely because it would essentially write Kate and Aaron out of the story.
• Kate remains in California, giving Aaron to someone else who is returning to the Island. This is unlikely, as Kate has come to think of Aaron as her son.
• Kate returns to the Island, leaving Aaron in someone else's care. This is unlikely, as Kate has come to think of Aaron as her son.
• Kate returns to the Island, taking Aaron with her. This is the reality that fits the long-term plot. Aaron would not have been born if he were not needed. One should not assume that Kate's loud assertions that she is not going back mean that she has not given in to the reality of having to go.

Counter evidence

• There is not sufficient evidence to know what Kate is apologizing to Aaron for. What Kate was dreaming about may have nothing to do with her apology to Aaron. She could be apologizing for anything - including events we are not aware of. Either the "apology theory" needs to be supported by evidence or removed.

• It doesn't make sense that Kate would be apologizing for her decision to NOT take Aaron back to the island - where there are monsters, kidnappers, and danger, where Claire was always insistent on getting Aaron get off the island. Even if Kate decided to take him back to the island, she would only do this if she believed this was in Aaron's best interest - in either case, no apology necessary.

• One should not assume that Claire was speaking about Aaron when she admonished Kate not to bring "him" back. Like it or not, there is another "him" to be considered -- John Locke.

Membata

The idea that a limited number of people escaped the aircraft before it sank and made their way to a small island is reasonable. A large number might cause someone to investigate the earlier statement that everyone died.

Once having agreed to a rough plan for reintroducing themselves to the world, the Oceanic Six, with Penny's help, search for an island on which they can allege they spent the one hundred plus days.

The island must:

• Be close to the place where the bogus wreck of Oceanic 815 sank.
• Be close enough to an inhabited island for the Six to make a journey in a raft.
• Be uninhabited.
• Have an age-indeterminant wrecked vessel.
• Have recently been in the path of a typhoon.

After finding Membata, they spend some time, at a minimum, walking around in the sand above they high-water mark on the beach to leave evidence of their "residence."

The Oceanic Six board the raft, as shown, and arrive at Sumba island after spending approximately nine hours afloat. The Searcher monitors their progress for as long as possible to ensure their safety.

Fortunately, someone in the village where they wash up has a camera, sparing Oceanic the trouble of posing re-enacted pictures to document the return to civilization.

The arrangement between Kate, Sayid and the Others

The Others made a deal with Sayid and Kate to help rescue Ben, even though they have military training, were fully armed and outnumbered Keamy and his troops. They needed a diversion, a classic military tactic, to encourage Keamy to spread his force out over a larger area. They were able to strike the first blow, increasing their chance of rescuing Ben without Linus or any of the Others being injured or killed.

What the Island is

The Island is inhabited by an ancient culture.

• The Island certainly references many other cultures and times (e.g. the hieroglyphs, the mythological names of the DHARMA stations, the DHARMA bear skeleton being dug up in Tunisia, the greeting 'Namaste' - but these references all seem to be affiliated with DHARMA. Just because they reference other cultures doesn't mean they have had contact with them, much less are them.
  • The Frozen Wheel had Glyphs, reference here: [Glyphs]
  • The statue was explained in so far as several hints were shown that the Island must have been host to an ancient civilization.

Season Four promo poster

• The island has been in the past, the garden of Eden, Atlantis, Shangri-La, Cortez’s fountain of youth etc. it has the ability to move around the world by way of the vile vortices. The island has no set location because it can move and has moved many times over the years. the vortexes could explain how Yemi's plane, got there, how the black rock got there, how the polar bear ended up in Tunisia and many more anomalies on and off the island. The four toed statue foot could actually be one of the ancient wonders of the world...the colossus of Rhodes. As for the position of the island during this current time line i believe it is/was in the south pacific.

Atlantis

• Some similarities with the Island of Atlantis, a super-advanced culture described by Plato [and no other primary sources] which was said to have sunk in the Mediterranean over the course of a day and night after a disastrous invasion attempt of Greece.
• The fact that the Island can be moved may explain the Atlantis link - Atlantis didn't sink, it was moved. The final shot of the Island disappearing even made a ripple in the water that made it look like it had sunk.
  • The onlookers who witnessed this thousands of years ago would have claimed Atlantis had sank, but actually it was moved.
  • This would explain the four toed statue, the ancient pillar, and the "temple".

The Island is a spaceship.

• "Exotic" matter, like that supposedly found beneath the Orchid, is proposed as necessary in order to make faster-than-light travel possible in several hypotheses: it is suggested as necessary for keep wormholes open and also for getting the Alcubierre drive to work. It's possible that the Island contains the remains of a extraterrestrial faster-than-light spaceship.
  • The Island doesn't just contain it, but is actually the remains of the spaceship, covered by millenia of erosion.
  • This idea is very intrusive that could explain movement capability, especially because of Lock's words describing it as not an Island, but later adds it is the place where miracles happens, this could be just a producers distraction from literal meaning of an 'ordinary' Island Jack referred to.
  • The Others are the four-toed descendants of extraterrestrials who crashed on Earth millennia ago.
    • The Others, being immortal, are the same ones who crashed here.
    • The Others are simply human hosts for the extraterrestrials, who are either symbiotic organisms, or non corporeal entities who need physical bodies to interact with other humans. This is why several people (Locke, for example) appear to be "reincarnated" and "belong" on the Island, and how they have animated Christian Shephard's corpse.
    • When Kate and Sawyer were breaking rocks and stuff, Juliet mentioned they were building a runway for the aliens, though it seemed like she was kidding.

The Island is just an island where aliens landed.

• The "exotic" matter is some extraterrestrial matter, left by aliens landed on the island hundreds of years before. Thanks to one of the many properties of this matter, everyone born on the island is immortal (that's why pregnant women are so important). This could explain a lot about the Others, that are native people (that's why Alpert doesn't age), as well as why Aaron is not supposed to be raised by Kate (he has to stay with his people and doesn't belong to the real world). Moreover, thanks to this miracolous matter, everyone that dies on the Island will keep living (but only on the Island!) as a member of the Others (like Christian, Claire, etc.). Jacob is the leader of the Others and his role is to teach the non-native "keeper" of the Island - Ben, who's succedeed by Locke - on how to hide the Island. Every time the Island position is discovered by someone (Mr. Widmore in this case), the keeper has to sacrifice himself to hide the Island again (that's why Locke is the chosen one: he's the only one who would sacrifice his life). Every time the Island is moved by his keeper, it travels in space and/or time so it will take a lot of time to be discovered again. This "global" theory also explains why the Oceanic Six must be undercover (the secret of immortality cannot be revealed to the real world), why Jack wants to go back (he'd live forever with his father) and why the members of the Dharma Initiative were killed (they were humans trying to discover the secrets of the matter). Moreover, since the time on the Island is "frozen", the Oceanic Six returned in the future (proof: Walt is grown up): this explains why Hugo is insane and why Kate tells Jack that she spent a lot of time to figure out how to live in this strange "real" world.

Orchid Wheel / Island Movement / Swan

• The Orchid Wheel and the emergency discharge of the Swan have the same effect, both bright flashes and the same noise, accompanying a move of the Island, although the discharge was unanticipated. The island had been moved before; one move was "The Incident" to which the DHARMA Initiative refered. The Swan was expanded to be a control station for the teleportation properties of the island, enabling DI to keep the island anchored down where they need it to be. Also, when Locke let the countdown in Swan run out he was enabling the island to recharge and be able to move again.
• When Locke didnt push the button and the Swan was destroyed, the island was moved. Many events were attributed to this "when the sky turned purple" as it did again after Ben moves the wheel. For example, this is why the submarine could no longer be used. Also, the island was in a "better" location before, where it was less likely to be found, but the movement done by the Swan allowed Widmore's people to locate it.
  • Didn't Ben & Mikhail admit that communications were fine, and the submarine problems were due to communications problems? I was under the impression that the whole submarine business was BS.
  • Someone wrote elsewhere - and it is worth pondering - that the submarine is a fake in terms of transportation to and from the Island. Most people are, to hide the travel method, transported into the Looking Glass while in an unconscious state, placed into the sub while still unconscious, transported to the dock area, and awakened. "Senior Management," such as Ben and Alpert travel the same way and:
    • Are not sedated because they are allowed to know what takes place.
    • Are sedated because the experience is traumatic.
• When the Swan was destroyed, Penny's station was able to pick up the electromagnetic signal for a brief moment. Since the same noise and flashes happened when the wheel turned, it could possibly be briefly spotted again.
  • Adding onto this, Charles and Penny Widmore both wanted to find the island for different reasons (Ben, Desmond) so it is likely that Charles Widmore was able to send the mercenaries to the island to find Ben in the same way that Penny knew where to look for Desmond. A man of Charles Widmore's power and resources could certainly keep tabs on his daughter's discoveries.
• Now the island has been moved the drops from the outside world will no longer reach the island leading to lack of supplys for both the others and the losties.
  • Unless the island only moves in time rather than location.
  • Unless the drops somehow originate from the island itself (which implies a huge storage warehouse somewhere on the island, as well as planes), either by an automated supply system or via the Others.
    • Then how do you restock the warehouse? It's an unending question....

Ben off the Island

• Ben loves the Island. It is the only good home he has ever known. His years in the Pacific Northwest with Roger, who blamed him for his wife's death, were traumatizing.

• For the sake of "his" Island, he executed the mechanical function to move the Island to a, hopefully, safer place, knowing that, in a process not yet seen, he would be ejected and never allowed to return to his only true home. There was something wistful about the way he said, "I used to have dreams ("Cabin Fever")."

• Ben has certain evil qualities. Telling Juliet "you're mine" is an example("The Other Woman").

• We do not know for certain that Ben is trying to overcome his banishment. He has a task to get "all of you," back to the Island, however many people that represents. He does not say, "all of us."

• Ben's ultimate punishment may be that "all of you" includes Penny and, as much as he wants to kill Penny to avenge Alex's death and to punish Charles Widmore, he will never be able to do that.

Sun

• After Ji Yeon was born, Sun went to Jin's memorial marker, crying, to "show" her to Jin. Presumably, this is because she believed Jin was dead. However, the fact that she is in contact with Widmore about the island in this episode may imply that she has received new information about Jin's status since that time.
• Bentham may have visited her since and confirmed that Jin is alive to motivate her to go back to the island (true or not). We know that at this point he has visited at least some of the O6 and Walt.

Sun Approaching Widmore

• She went to Charles Widmore because Bentham (Locke) alleged that it was Ben who knowingly blew up the freighter by killing Keamy. This is ironic since Ben killed Keamy out of revenge for Alex. Now Sun seeks revenge against Ben for causing the death of her husband. She and Widmore now have an common goal - finding Ben. This is who she is talking about when she says to Widmore "We (the O6) weren't the only people to leave the island." She knows he wants to find Ben.
  • Sun would only know Ben was responsible for the destruction of the freighter if Locke told her, which means that he would have visited her, which is entirely possible, and probably probable, but more likely he told her Jin is alive and that if she wants to save him she has to help stop Widmore from finding the island. So Sun is probably undercover working for Locke, trying to stop Widmore from finding the island.
  • It is likely, but yet to be shown, that Locke/Bentham visited Sun, since he seems to have visited everyone else. Locke could have told Sun that Jin is alive and on the island, which makes Sun decide to work with Widmore to get back there (their common interest).
    • If she simply wanted to return to the island to find Jin, surely it would be easier to hook up with the Oceanic 6 and return that way. After all, as has been said, if Locke/Bentham has approached the rest of the O6, surely he approached her as well.
      • Perhaps they need Widmore's resources to find the Island again. If Locke had to turn the wheel, then he wouldn't know where the Island is anymore.
      • Or perhaps, as implied by Sun and Jack - she still blames Jack for being apart from Jin for all these years. Arguably, she doesn't want to have anything to do with him.

Desmond as Faraday's Constant

Main article: Constant/Theories#Desmond as Faraday's Constant

Sayid and Hurley

• Since Ben said that they all have to go back to the island together, Sayid is trying to gather as many of the Oceanic 6 as Ben tasked him. They both appear in Los Angeles at the same time: Ben with Jack and with Locke's corpse, Sayid with Hurley.
• Hurley is is losing his mind. He has hallucinations of the people who died on the island. Since Jacob's cabin, he has stopped being a wise cracking goof ball.

Daniel, Frank Lapidus, Miles, and Charlotte

Theory 1: Charlotte stays because she believes she was born there.

Evidence:

• It is possible that Dharma did not have the same fertility problems that the Others experience (indicating that this problem has something to do with them rather than the influence of the island). While the initiative still appeared to be in their early stages and this evidence is not conclusive, the DI had a school full of children, though none looked young enough to have been born on the island.
• In either case, if the Others can't procreate on island, and if she was born there, her parents would have to be Dharma.

Counter-evidence:

• If so, why didn't Ben recognize her? Why would he shoot her?
• Ben already knew her entire history - if she was from the island, he would have mentioned it and she would have shown that she recognized the island/him.
• Actually, in the Octagon Global Recruiting advertisement, one of the positions listed is "IVF Consultants". IVF stands for In Vitro Fertilization. This suggests that Dharma might have known about conception issues on the island.
  • The Octagon Global Recruiting ad was a nice, slick piece of commercial work. It is not necessarily canon.
  • Sun conceived on the Island and gave birth off the island later ("Ji Yeon"), whereas Claire conceived off-island and gave birth to Aaron on-island, neither with any problems. Maybe only a critical part of a pregnancy (Juliet: "None of the women made it to their third trimester" ("D.O.C.")) on the island results in the death of mother and child, i.e. children can be both conceived and born on the island as long as that critical part of their development is conducted off-island.
• We don't know if she was born on the island, or came there later, like Ben (who also claimed to be born on the Island, before revealing he was not).

Theory 2: Daniel, Miles, and Charlotte have been to the island before.

Evidence:

• Charlotte has been on the island before, and originally arrived on the island with Daniel, Miles, and Frank. That is why they had to come back to the island together.
• This is similar to how the O6 plus Locke have to go back to the island because their original arrival to the island was together, on Oceanic 815. Daniel having been on the island previously would explain some of his recollection of island inhabitants such as Juliet, though his memory has been harmed in some way.
  • This is why Abaddon was insistent that these people be brought to the Island as part of the Kahana group when Naomi protested that they were not the appropriate choices.
• Widmore must have known this and they must have left the island and are able to return if they are all together.

Counter-evidence:

• None of them showed any signs of recognition during their time on the island thus far. Surely they would recognize the Others or vice versa is they had been there before.
• Ben met both [[Charlotte}] and Miles and the former seems to have no memory of being on the island before.
• If Charlotte, Daniel, and Miles had all come to the island together previously, Charlotte wouldn't have acted so strange when Miles suggested she stay since she'd been "trying to get back for so long".
• Daniel doesn't have a recollection of the island inhabitants as much as he knew who was on the flight manifest, and therefore knew Juliet wasn't on the flight, instead, an inhabitant of the island. Plus, if Daniel did have a recollection of her, then she would have had a recollection of him, as they would have had to previously been on the island sometime around when she arrived.
• Charlotte has a pretty developed accent. If she left when she was as young it's possible she developed the accent, but the later she'd leave the island, the less likely she'd be to develop the accent.
• The fact that she asks Daniel whether he understands what she means by saying "where I was born" suggests she is being metaphorical and not literal (if it was literal, it would not need to be understood but accepted). Charlotte seems to be an anthropologist. We have seen multiple examples of there having been a very ancient culture on the island. Perhaps Charlotte is referring to the island as the birthplace of civilization. This is made more likely by the statue which only has four toes, suggesting some sort of evolutionary trait, or perhaps pre-dating modern humans with five toes?

Theory 3: Daniel, Miles, and Charlotte are the reincarnation of someone previously involved in the history of the island.

Evidence:

• "Special" may mean reincarnations of people important to the island, as evidenced by the Dalai lama test Richard gave Locke.
• Daniel, Miles, and Charlotte may all be reincarnations, as Locke is suspected to be, who will help him run the island OR create the "bad things" Locke alerts the Oceanic 6 too. This latter theory is perhaps more likely given that Abaddon is perceived as an antagonist.
• Also, Miles, who can speak to the dead, may have heard them whisper about Charlotte's past incarnation, prompting Miles to engage her in a very mysterious conversation about her purpose on the island.

Counter-evidence:

• Reincarnation must be "proven" as a mechanism within the show to count as an explanation for events which can be used to support a theory.

Theory 4: Daniel, Miles, Frank Lapidus and Charlotte are "special".

• The "special people" are not reincarnations. The items Richard shows Locke are not from the past (like those used to test a prospective Dalai Lama, which would imply reincarnation), but the future. The items, such as the "mystery island" comic, future Locke's compass, the Book of Laws Eko gave to future Locke, and the sand from the island are all tests of whether Locke has seen into his future. Further, we know he has because of young Locke's drawing of the monster on his wall - which implies that he has already had a vision of being attacked by the monster in the future. This would indicate that "special" people are able to glimpse the future (i.e. they are not reincarnations). This would explain why Daniel is mysteriously responds emotionally, crying, when he sees the crash of Flight 815, though he isn't yet involved in the mission. Also, this would explain why Miles doesn't leave the island - he knows the Kahana is going to explode - and this may also be how he found the money in Confirmed Dead. Frank Lapidus may have had a premonitions and hence didn't pilot Flight 815. Charlotte may also have these experiences since she seemed to recognize what Miles was talking about when he mentioned her trying to find the island.
• Abaddon may be involved in tracking down "special people" - since we saw him with Locke in the past and advised him to go on the walkabout, and there is some mystery as to why he chose Frank Lapidus, Miles, Charlotte and Daniel, it is possible that they are also special people.
• Their "specialness" may have given the Kahana/Widmore knowledge as to how to find the island - through their premonitions - i.e. the island drawing them toward it like it drew Locke through his dreams. This is why Widmore/Abaddon insisted to Naomi that these people - Daniel, Miles, Frank Lapidus and Charlotte, were the right ones for the mission.
• To support this idea, we have her fascination with the island and the Dharma initiative as evidenced by her chosen career path (which is in historical sociology and timeless human behaviour) and activities in Tunisia. Also, note Charlotte's hesitance to discuss with Daniel her strange feelings about the island, saying "Would it make any sense if I told you I'm still looking for where I was born?" Her reluctance to explain herself to Daniel (who is no stranger to weird concepts) could indicate that Charlotte herself feels drawn to the island for reasons she is still unclear about, as Locke was.