What is the island?
It's an island that can move around in time and space. There's a lot of electromagnetism here as well. Why? Not really sure, but a lot of people seem to want to get there. The Dharma Initiative set up camp there in the seventies and started drilling everything. They were after something, like all the people before them. At the 'heart of the island' is a light, the 'source'. Apparently this is 'life, death, and rebirth' and there's a 'little bit of it in everyone'. That's open to interpretation then, but everyone's after the power of the light.
Who's Jacob?
Jacob's the boss of the island. He protects the light and keeps the 'darkness' contained. His shipwrecked mother gave birth to him and his brother, and he was brought up by the old boss. She handed the role over to him. He is the leader of 'the others', who hardly ever see him but keep the island clean and tidy.
What's the smoke monster?
Jacob's brother, the Man in Black, believes humanity is corrupt. He had a fight with Jacob when he was young and got thrown into the 'heart of the island'. He came out as the smoke monster, intent on leaving the island and doing destructive things. But he can't leave the island while Jacob is alive. He can also take the form of dead people, which explains some of the ghosts.
Why are they there?
Jacob brought our characters to the island. He needed someone to replace him.
What were the numbers about?
4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. They were the numbers on the hatch computer and on Hurley's lottery ticket. They seem to appear everywhere if you want to look for them. They're the numbers of the candidates to replace Jacob, shown on the degrees of a spinning mirror in a lighthouse.
Where did the polar bears come from?
The Dharma Initiative had them, for some reason. Probably just to be mysterious.
There are other questions, and probably some different answers, but that's what I've got.
That seems to work. I really wish the finale addressed more of what the Island was about. For instance, all the pockets of energy that they dug wells down, trying to reach. Why the energy is important and why Widmore and his nasty crew wanted to get back to the Island.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the Island? Why did it keep bringing people there, time after time, with Jacob never finding a replacement?
Why did the Others kidnap all the children?
Why did the people who left the Island have to go back?
It seems that they relied too heavily on faith/religion in the finale and not enough on the science that drew a lot of us in. Why bring in the Dharma Initiative or a specialist to study why women can't have babies on the Island or scientists to study the energy if, at the end, it's not going to have an answer?
I was left quite disappointed. The nuclear bomb going off meant nothing, really. Daniel Faraday exsists in purgatory, aware that he set off a bomb but unaware, somehow, of his death? Charlotte didn't have an epiphany, neither did Alex or Rousseau. Miles served almost no purpose but to try and buy Ben for Widmore - but why? For some grudge for being thrown off the Island.
Rambling, apologies. But really...the Island got totally pushed aside in the finale. It wasn't given the proper attention. Science, it seems, was ignored for the favour of Faith. Faith doesn't like to answer those pesky questions...
Sure.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. It was maybe too abstract in the end and didn't give us the solid answers we were after. They waited too long to answer questions, and when it got to end they realised there were too many for them handle. I was waiting for a definitive 'the island is this' explanation. And there must be an explanation, they've just chosen not to give it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd completely forgotten about the no babies mystery. They made a big fuss about that, but why? The only way you'll probably get peace is if you come to your own interpretation and stick to that. I doubt the writers will ever say much.
But I suppose it shows the quality of Lost that I firmly believe that they knew what they were doing, and that there are proper answers. I believe, but I don't know. Oh dear.
Do you doubt the writers will say anything? I know they are going into "radio silence" for at least a few months, they said as much in their interviews. Which I respect. I'm hoping one day at Comic-Con they will have a big press conference and tell us some answers. May be a pipe-dream, though.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I think they do have the answers and always knew, but were limited by time.