How did Faraday figure out how to do this? It clearly can’t be his consciousness flashing back and forth through time, as he likely hadn’t even been born when Dharma was mining The Orchid. If he didn’t exist in that time, there’s nothing for his consciousness to flash back to. At episode’s end, when Faraday makes contact with the still-Swan-saddled Desmond just before the Island jumps again, he tells the Scot he must go to Oxford University and find Daniel’s mother. Perhaps Mrs. Faraday has continued Daniel’s research and discovered a way to transport one’s corporeal self through the ages. Or, hell, maybe she’ll tell Desmond how to willingly transport his own consciousness back in time to Swan-Desmond so he can tell Daniel how to do just that. One thing we no longer have to wonder about is how Faraday ended up filming this video (which came out of last summer’s San Diego Comic-Con):
The other key point here is that Faraday’s continued insistence that one can’t “create a new street” and change the past or the future doesn’t seem to apply to Desmond. For everyone else, “if it didn’t happen, it can’t happen.” Something makes Des special; “the rules don’t apply to [him].” I’d have to think it was his turning of the Dharma key underneath Swan Station before it imploded that gave Desmond this singular quality of being “unstuck in time.” Perhaps this is one of the reasons Faraday wrote in his journal that Desmond would serve as his constant should anything happen to him, timewise.
Yeah, my head hurts, too. But that’s probably because it’s 1am and I still have another recap to write after this. Weep for me.
Let’s forget about Faraday’s time-hopping for now and focus on the Island’s–or those on the Island, more accurately. Much like the record playing in Chang’s humble abode, the castaways are “skipping” back and forth through time. Exactly when they’re skipping to isn’t immediately clear, but we can peg one timeframe as the late 90’s, when the Beechcraft whizzes over Locke’s head before crashing into the trees above the clearing under which lies The Pearl. This is the plane that carried Eko’s brother Yemi and the two Nigerian drug dealers smuggling Virgin Mary’s filled with heroin.
The questions of note are, if it’s only them jumping through time, what exactly did the Island do? Did it jump ahead in time a few years and the castaways are bouncing through time trying to catch up? Did the Island move to a different physical location? Faraday mentions he’ll have to calculate a new bearing to reach or depart the Island, based on when they are. His mother may help Desmond with that. Also, why is it that only the castaways are jumping around in time? Why aren’t Richard Alpert or the rest of the Others jumping around? And how long will it be before the castaways all start coming down with that nasty time sickness Charlotte has already begun to show signs of?
Whatever the answers to this seemingly endless stream of questions, I will be here to keep asking more. And now is the time we should move on to the Quick Hits before I start cursing ABC for putting two episodes on tonight that I have to recap. I may have to call it quits after this first one and leave the second ’til tomorrow, lest I pass out and light myself on fire from the heat generated by my laptop. Anyway, let’s get to the bullet points.
“Miles makes a comment to Charlotte about it having taken her 20 years to find this place the first time, referring to the Island. This is something that’s been fairly evident since her character was first introduced, but this presents further evidence that she’s been on the Island before, perhaps even having been born there. ”
I thought Miles said that it took Widmore, not Charlotte, 20 years to find the island?
Probably. I’ll reverify after I get some sleep.
Excellent post and excellent episode.
Remember that weird episode with Nikki and Paulo where they got bit by a spider and became paralyzed? I have a feeling that Locke is similarly paralyzed and has not died. Any thoughts on this?
1. Widmore and Sun combining forces? (to get Kate on Widmore’s side). Yes, I agree, Ben manipulated Kate to “run”.
2. “I will be respected”, sounds like a comment that Sun’s Dad would make…any correlation with the two men somehow? (Widmore and Paik?)
3. Great epidsodes, great recaps
4. The “lost-ions” – keep ’em up…they keep us sane. Thanks!
5. Juliette says they didn’t “move” when the others did because they were “inside the “????”, was her explanation. Made sense at the time.
Awesome! Thanks Jeff!
Jeff – what do you think of the possiblity of Miles being the song of Dr. Chang?
Great rundown – thanks for doing it!
Huh, I hadn’t thought of that but it certainly makes sense. Probably the right age and ethnicity. Being born on the Island might explain his abilities as well.
did anyone notice the plane when it almost hit locke and then after it had crash/landed? it does not look like the same plane to me. i dont see any yellow on the bottom of the plane while it’s coming at him, while all other pics of the plane show a yellow bottom.
I found this interesting:
Why would the seemingly ageless Richard need to wear glasses?
And my screencap isn’t quite high-quality enough to tell, but is that a new Dharma logo on Richard’s med kit?
The compass alpert gives to ben…..when removing bullet from bens leg..same one locke gives to sayid in season one when sayid says hes making a compass of sorts…to do some orienteering…?
The compass alpert gives to ben…..when removing bullet from bens leg..same one locke gives to sayid in season one when sayid says hes making a compass of sorts…to do some orienteering…?
Also, when we see martin candles white coat while sitting and recording orientation video he says is for the arrow (which is the jacket i believe he is wearing when going to view drilling problem in the orchid), i think he has on the swan station white coat..continuity error?