Bill’s Lost Site

We know from the last episode that it appears Michael and Walt are communicating via the terminal in the Swan hatch. However, look more carefully and you will see how problematic that is.

First, we start with the fact that Desmond in over 3 years didn’t have anyone to chat with on the computer. When asked, he responded by saying that all he did was enter the code every 108 minutes.

Second, the first time Michael sits down to the computer, literally within a minute or two, the screen comes alive with what appears to be Walt.

Third, Michael a second time takes a shift in the hatch. He makes sure everyone is out of the hatch and then bangs on the keyboard, nothing happens. He then says, “Where are you?”. The computer promptly fires up and dialog between Michael and Walt starts.

Fourth, Walt types 107 words a minute without a mistake.

Fifth, when Jack comes around to talk to Michael the screen is blank.

Now, those are the facts based off what we have seen. Now let me explain some of my issues.

First, Walt would have to be at a location with a terminal that can connect to the swan station. On top of that, he would have to access the machine without whoever knowing (or at least that’s what we’re led to believe). Next, he somehow knows when Michael is sitting at the terminal since the other computer ALWAYS initiates the conversation. Then Michael turned off the monitor when Jack walked around to see the screen - without Jack or us - seeing him do it. Finally, this communication occurs after we find out that explicit instructions forbid the use of the computer for anything other than entering the numbers.

That’s a lot of if’s.

How about a more simple approach? Michael is losing it. Whether it’s through grief, fatigue, or some illness, Michael is just imagining the text appearing on the screen.

Here’s another one … the “Others” or the scientists are pretending to be Walt. Knowing that posing as Walt could lure Michael away from the group this tends to make sense. The problem is why would they want Michael? They could have taken him when they took Walt. I don’t really have a good answer to that.

Anyway, there you have it. A little analysis on what I think is going on with the computer.

I had never heard of a solo race around the world. I get tired walking up steps. Traversing the world seems like hard work to me.

From the ABC message boards I saw a post regarding BOC. It is a solo yacht race that literally goes around the world. The race occurs every four years. The route takes the travelers around the southern tip of Australia. Here is a link to the actual map: Map

Doesn’t sound like a sport that I would get into. Click HERE to see how the competitors have fared over the years. You will notice that there are lots of wrecks. Also I worry when I read the word sunk. That can’t be good. Seems to happen more than one would like to see.

Of further note, there is a competitor named Desmond that is English. In 1982 when he was racing guess what happened to him? Yup … he crashed into an island while sleeping. Take another guess … where do you think he crashed? Right again … a small island near Australia/New Zealand.

There is an interesting article that talks about these races and features Desmond about half-way down. It comes from The Guardian.

Now, does this have any tie into lost? Probably not directly. Is it possible that the writers came across this story and thought about tying it into our mystery island? Very possible.

From the experts (an airplane dealer that posted on the ABC Site) … the plane in question was a Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor. The plane was in production between 1936 and 1969. Most are configured for 6 passengers.

The range on the plane is approximately 1200 miles. Assuming that it did not refuel here is a map that shows the approximate distance the plane could travel Click Here

Of course, if you factor in the possibility that the plane would gas up along the way then you are bound only by making sure that you never strayed further than 1200 miles from an airport.

Long and short of it … if the plane left Nigeria carrying drugs then it had to stop multiple times in order to reach somewhere in the South Pacific. Of course, I don’t believe that it was actually headed to the South Pacific from Nigeria but that’s a story for another day …

BTW - why in the world did they keep the dead priest in the plane for such a long trip. To me that seems like excess cargo. Why not drop it out over some jungle or large water area?

The preceding post discussed what we know about the monster. Now let’s talk theories.

There are two competing thoughts on this. One is the “Pull” method while I labeled the other the “Push” method.

The two methods refer to whether the monster is extracting/pulling data from Echo or whether the monster is implanting/pushing memories. They are vastly different theories that present different problems.

On the Pull method we see the monster as something that is able to read our minds. It can extract information from our minds in the form of images. What the monster is doing with that information is anyone’s guess. Is it reporting back to the “Others” information about that person? Is the monster even under control of the Others? Could the monster have been originally contained and then somehow gotten out and now does its own thing?

The Push method is the better theory in my opinion. This theory states that the monster is putting those images into Echo’s head. Echo didn’t really have a brother that died on the drug airplane. That was a planted memory in Echo’s mind. Echo wasn’t really a drug dealer - again another planted memory.

Now, I believe that Echo and Locke weren’t afraid of the monster because it was familiar to them. They don’t know why or how or what it is - but for some reason they have no fear. I believe the monster was used initially to plant memories in Echo’s mind. The monster was used to modify the memories of all our Lostie’s. The flashbacks they have are simply planted memories to reinforce the experience of the island.

Think about it this way … is it more likely that Echo’s drug plane flew from Nigeria to this mysterious island and crashed or that there was a crashed plane on the island and Echo’s memory was adjusted to make the plane have a connection with Echo’s past? Did the island heal Locke’s disability or did Locke simply think he was disabled based off the false memory’s implanted? We do know that modifying someone’s memory is possible and has been done (under categories click on Psychology for some stories on that) in the past.

Finally, I can see a lot of power in being able to plant memories in people’s minds - this would support the Push theory. I have a hard time seeing how the random flashbacks in Echo’s life would really benefit any scientist on the island or the monster for that matter.