108 Answers to LOST's Supposedly Unanswered Questions
QUESTIONS 9-108: The rest.
Satisfied with the answers or not, the answers are there. Sometimes the answer is Magic, sometimes it's the Island, and sometimes your question is dumb. But each question does have an answer. If you read the remainder of these and find that you still have questions, feel free to message me or send one to this LOST Answers blog. I still have some creator-approved things to say about Christian Shephard, Jack becoming a new Smoke Monster, and many other things that may or may not blow your mind. Ask me sometime.
But for now, on to the rest ...
When the LOST finale aired, the folks at fellow cutuppery CollegeHumor released a video of LOST's 100 lingering questions.
Here are answers to all of those questions.
Way to spoiler alert again.
Why did the Monster kill the pilot?
The pilot wasn't a Candidate, and the Monster was a kill-y kind of monster, so it made an example of the pilot.
What did Locke see when he first saw the smoke?
A bright light, some smoke, the heart of the Island. Beauty. Love. Life. And so on.
What's with the polar bear in Walt's comic?
There was a polar bear in a comic book Walt was reading. It foreshadowed the appearance of a polar bear on the Island.
Where's Christian Shephard's body if it's not in the casket?
It was assimilated by the Island and transferred to the Sideways world. There is more to this, but basically whenever we saw Christian in a suit and white shoes, it was Enlightened Christian Shephard who was going back and forth between the Sideways and Real World, trying to help the survivors survive and save the world. When we saw Christian in rags, that was The Smoke Monster pretending to be Christian.
Why did the psychic say that Claire had to fly on Oceanic 815, and why did he insist that her son had to be raised by Claire?
He was revealed to be a fraud.
Why did the Others want Walt so badly?
He was Special.
Who sent Kate the letter telling her about her mother being treated for cancer in the hospital?
A person who knew her mother was being treated for cancer in the hospital.
How does Walt know about the Hatch and why does he warn Locke not to open it?
He knew about the Hatch because he was special and had premonitions and powers and such. He warned Locke because many bad things happened in that Hatch. At one point, Locke had a gun to his head in the Hatch. At another, his legs got crushed underneath a giant metal door. At another, he panicked while the Hatch was about to explode. Much death came as a result of opening the Hatch, and Walt sensed those things. He was a dumb kid and didn't understand the full picture. So, yeah. Don't open the Hatch, Mr. Locke.
Why does the Smoke Monster make mechanical sounds?
It is the sound it makes. Why do dogs' barks sound like barks?
How is Walt able to apparate before Shannon?
Special Walt.
How did Walt communicate with Michael using the Swan computer?
That was not Walt. It was the Others posing as him to get Michael to come to them.
What is the deal with Kate and that horse?
I'm still not sure what the deal with airplane food is, but I'm pretty sure the horse was the Smoke Monster taking its form.
Why are supplies still being dropped on the island after the purge, and by whom?
To keep Desmond and Kelvin alive, so they could keep pushing the button. People in the employ of the Others made the scheduled drops so the button-pushers believed DHARMA was still intact.
What triggered the lockdown, and why on earth would anyone trigger it so that during the lockdown, black lights would go on?
The food drop triggered the lockdown. Why on earth is the second part of this question a concern of anyone?
What happened to the original Henry Gale?
He ballooned to the Island and eventually died.
What happened to the Original Timeline Libby in the mental hospital?
She got better.
Who built the four-toed statue?
Early inhabitants of the Island, of Egyptian descent.
Why does only one specific bearing get you off the Island?
Because it's a Magic Island, and its survival depends on very few people coming to and knowing about it. Also, Magic Island again.
What are the hieroglyphics on the Swan countdown timer about?
They were about death.
Why did Tom feel the need to wear a fake beard?
To convince any non-Others that he was an uncivilized savage Islander.
Who was Libby's previous husband?
Who was Libby's previous husband's mother, and who was her husband?
Who are the skeletons in the polar bear cave?
The skeletons in "The Caves" were Jacob's Mother and Brother. The skeletons in the polar bear cave were unimportant people from the past who died in the polar bear cave.
Where did the toy truck come from?
Where did anything is why come?
How did Locke and Mr. Eko escape the Hatch explosion?
The Island wasn't done with them.
Why couldn't Locke talk after the Hatch explosion?
There was a Magic Explosion on Magic Island.
Why did the monster kill Mr. Eko, and why didn't he just do it the first time they met?
The Man in Black thought he could manipulate Mr. Eko for his own insidious means. Mr. Eko did not repent and give in to the Monster, and he was no longer a Candidate, so he got Smoked.
What did Mr. Eko mean when he said, "You're next?" as he died?
Two things. In terms of deeper meaning that you're clearly begging for, Locke was next in line to get manipulated by the Man in Black and unknowingly do his bidding. But more importantly, he meant "Holy shit, this fucking giant pillar of black smoke just killed me, it seemed pretty pissed and it seems to plan on killing lots more of you, so watch out for that, you're all gonna die." In other words, "You're next."
How disgusting was it when Hurley was eating from that tub of ranch dressing?
The Island wasn't done with the ranch yet, and Magic.
Why did Yemi's body disappear?
The Smoke Monster took it.
Why does Danny say Jack wasn't on Jacob's list when in fact his name was clearly written in the cave?
Jacob had many lists. Some were of people to take to join the Others. Some were of people to kill. Some were probably of eggs and almond milk. As Ben once said, "All those listssssssss." The list Danny was referring to wasn't some full list of Candidates that he was passing around. In fact, Jacob went out of his way to not let Jack or anyone else know that Jack was a Candidate. The whole point of the episode "The Lighthouse" was that some people need to figure things out for themselves, and not be told they're special.
Why can't women on the Island have babies?
The Incident. Several episodes before the Incident, Ethan was born. After the Incident, babies couldn't be born.
What was that Russian letter in Mikhail's typewriter?
Who sold him the typewriter?
Why was the supply drop menu hidden behind a game of computer chess?
Passwords and mainframes and security and other hacker reasons.
Remember when Ben gave Juliet that weird mark as punishment? What was that about?
It was about marking her as a traitor, for being a traitor.
What's the deal with Jack's tattoos?
He has tattoos. One of them means, "He walks among them but he is not one of them." But mostly, the deal is that he's got some tattoos.
How did Desmond's monk know Eloise?
They met.
How did Ben see his dead mother?
She was an Island projection.
Who decided to kill the Others in a purge?
Ben, Richard, and/or Jacob. Some combination of those three.
What happened to Ben's childhood friend, Annie?
She grew up and died.
Why did Desmond have a false vision of Claire and Aaron leaving the island on a helicopter?
Well, Aaron did leave in a helicopter. The Claire he saw was just a really pretty version of Sawyer. BUT, in all mostly seriousness, the premonitions Desmond had changed regularly. He would see Charlie walking, see a vision of him getting an arrow to the knee/face, and then stop it from happening. The actions leading up to both Claire and Aaron leaving in a helicopter were altered by the Man in Black stealing Claire away into the woods.
How does Mikhail keep coming back to life?
He didn't keep coming back to life. He just kept not dying, thanks to Jacob and the Island's pretty incredible healing powers.
Why does Walt tell Locke that he still has work to do?
Locke still had work to do. Mostly moving the Island and convincing the Oceanic 6 to go back, via his own suicide.
Whose eye appeared in the window of the cabin?
The Island, Life, Everyone, and so on. Actually, see earlier for all cabin-related information.
Where did Miles get that picture of Ben?
Charles Widmore, or an employee of Charles Widmore. Probably Naomi. A person, that's for sure.
Who was the "R.G." on Naomi's bracelet?
There was a woman named Regina on the freighter. She asked about Naomi before she died. Probably her. And furthermore, what's the deal with there being a freighter? Who built that thing?
Why was there a time difference between Faraday's timers?
Because time works differently on the Island.
Who is the Economist and why did Ben want him dead?
A man who worked for Widmore. Because Ben likes people who work for Widmore to be dead.
Why was Ben so surprised that they couldn't kill Alex? What are the "rules"?
The "rules" Ben spoke of were not the Island's Rules, like Jacob and MIB not being able to kill each other. This was an agreement between the two, because they're not complete monsters. "Hey, let's not kill each other's daughters, eh?" "Yeah, I like my daughter." "Well, I love my daughter." "I mean, I do, too. I love my daughter. Obviously. You don't need to try to upstage me like that." "Just sayin'. Love my daughter." "Yeah, ME TOO." "Oh. Then let's not kill each other's daughters, how about?" "Yeah. Yes. Good."
How does Jack's dad appear in a hospital in LA?
It was a vision projected by the Island in order to get Jack to come back, because they had to go back.
How did the monster get into Jacob's cabin?
The ring of Anti-Smokey ash that surrounded the cabin had been broken. Presumably, he walked or floated into the cabin. Maybe sashayed. Dunno.
Why did Ghost Horace direct Locke to the cabin?
The Island gave Locke the vision so he could find the cabin to lead to the world being saved.
Why did the Oceanic Six lie and name Charlie, Boone and Libby as the other survivors? What's the logic in that?
Partly out of respect for the dead. Everyone else was potentially still alive. If you're going to lie, sprinkle some truth and seemingly random details in there to make it more believable. As they explained what happened and spoke of Charlie and Boone and Libby, they didn't have to fake any emotion to sell the story. Also, the characters did the thing because that's the thing they did. That's an answer, too.
Why does Miles decide to stay on the Island?
Because he's a wise-cracking loose cannon who plays by his own set of rules. Also, he can talk to dead people, and here he is on Magic Island, home of the Whispers, aka Dead People. There is much to explore here on this incredibly fascinating Magic Island. There is nothing for him back in the real world. Why not stay here on Super Magic Island?
What's the deal with the frozen wheel? It combines light and water?
Yes. What's the deal with frozen airplane food?
Why does Ben insist that the Oceanic Six, as well as Locke, have to return to the Island?
Because they do.
Why don't the rules of time travel apply to Desmond?
He turned the Failsafe Key in the Hatch and was blasted with magnetic, nuclear and Magic Life radiation. Magic powers and so on.
Who are the men who tried to kidnap Sayid and Hurley, but got thrown into a dishwasher full of knives?
Goons. Hired goons.
Ben asks his butcher friend who was watching Locke's body if Gabriel and Jeffrey have checked in yet. Who are these people?
Other Others who live off the Island. The other Others who are working together to return the Oceanic Six and Locke to the Island.
When the gang was unstuck in time, who was that shooting at them from the outrigger?
People from the Ajira plane. The people were heavily armed, and we saw the outrigger with bottles of Ajira water. We didn't see the shootout from the other perspective, but we also didn't need to.
Who sent Sun a gun and pictures of Jack and Ben?
Widmore. She was working with him for a while. Amember?
Who attacked Sayid, and why did he have Kate's address?
Goons. Hired goons. Gonna kill Kate later.
Why was the Smoke Monster at the Temple?
It was ... there?
How do the producers of Expose deal with the deaths of their two lead actors, Nikki and Paolo?
Paolo was never on Expose. Nikki only had a guest appearance. She was only OK.
How does Eloise come to run the Lamp Post station?
She knew about it because A) she was the leader of the Others for quite some time and B) her son Faraday built it back in 1970. DHARMA no longer existed and she's a crazy all-knowing time witch, so, yeah, that shit's hers now.
How does a pendulum predict the Island's movements?
The magic and magnetism from the Island is connected to the Lamp Post because [science and magic], so it pushes the pendulum in a magicy, sciencey sort of way.
Why do those returning to the Island need to recreate the circumstances of their first arrival?
To alert the Island of their return and so the Island will recognize them.
How did Jack, Hurley and Kate get from that Ajira flight to the 1970s, and why didn't Sun?
You forgot Sayid, and they got to the 1970s because they were Candidates and because of Magic Time Island. Sun did not flash back to the 1970s because she was no longer a Candidate, just like Ben and everyone else on Ajira 316.
How did Richard bypass the sonar fence?
He is immortal, thanks to Jacob. This is true.
How did Ethan go from a member of the DHARMA Initiative to a member of the Others?
He was a kid during the Purge. The Others don't kill kids. They take them.
What's with all the hieroglyphics underneath the Temple?
Some of the Island's early inhabitants were of Egyptian descent. They built the statue, and the tunnels underneath the Temple, and probably many other things on the Island. What's with things existing?
Why did Widmore tell Ben to kill Rousseau and her baby, and why did he then let Ben keep it anyway?
Because the Others don't cater to outsiders unless pushed or prompted by Jacob [or other beneficial reasons on a case-by-case basis]. Widmore's a bit of a prick and didn't want to deal with it. Ben appealed to his less prick-ish humanity, and Widmore gave in because he was surrounded by people who clearly didn't want anyone to kill a fucking baby, and he was expecting a child of his own soon, and it's way easier to say "Kill a baby" than it is to look directly at a baby and say, "Yeah, kill that baby right there." Short answer, though: Because characters have free will.
Why did Daniel leave the Island in the '70s?
He was helping design and build the Lamp Post station.
Why does Richard think he saw everyone in the 1977 DHARMA picture die?
Richard helped Jack and company get Jughead to the surface and watched the aftermath. During the Incident, there was an enormous flash of light when everyone flashed back to the present. To him, it looked like they died.
Who broke the circle of ash around Jacob's cabin?
I don't know, actually. Maybe a squirrel. The one true Unanswered Question.
Why can Jacob leave the Island but the Smoke Monster can't?
When Jacob drank the water, it imbued him with the power of the Island. He is connected to it, but he is not bound to it. Smokey was created from the Source of the Island and is bound to it. The Man in Black's body did not turn into Smokey. His body was buried in the caves next to his mother. Only his consciousness was transferred into the Island's Smoke. The Smoke is bound to the Island, not connected to it. The role of Island Protector is actually both Jacob and Smokey's powers combined. Their mother was a Jacob-like entity, but also a Smoke Monster, as we saw when she destroyed the Man in Black's town. Mother split her duties down the middle between Jacob and the Man in Black, which is what caused the whole mess in the first place. Eventually, Hurley the Jacob and Jack the Smoke Monster will die, and Walt will become the new Island Protector. He will have the powers of Jacob, and take the form and powers of a Smoke Monster, too. He will be one with the Island, as well as Protector of it.
Jacob uses his last breath to say, "They're coming," but who are They?
The surviving Candidates, from the '70s.
What's the deal with the pool that brings people back to life?
It's a pool of Magic Water from the Source, and it can bring people back to life. Why won't anyone tell me what the deal is with airplane food? Why!?
Why did Sayid come back to life with a British accent?
I will not dignify this joke question with a joke answer.
What is the "infection"?
It is the word used to describe people under the Smoke Monster's influence. Claire was infected. Rousseau's husband and team were infected. Sayid was infected, until the power of love gave the infection the business.
Why was the Smoke Monster confused that Sawyer could see Young Jacob?
Very few people can see Jacob, let alone the dying ghost kid version of him. Smokey thought Young Jacob was a vision he was having, because the Island's prone to giving people visions to mess with them. The fact that Sawyer saw it too meant that Young Jacob wasn't just some trick of Water and Light. Furthermore, do you really need me to explain why someone on LOST was confused?
What's the magic lighthouse about?
It's about eight stories high.
How is Dogen simply being alive keeping the Smoke Monster out of the lighthouse?
Jacob gave Richard immortality. He also gave Dogen this protective power. Magic powers on Magic Island.
What happened to the flight attendant Cindy and the kids?
They were taken and assimilated by the Others.
Why didn't Sun tell Jin to go just so their daughter wouldn't be an orphan?
Because she made a choice. Sun and Jin died together. Bad parents, great husband and wife. Oh, well.
Where did Jacob and the Smoke Monster's mother come from?
Where did Jacob's mother's mother come from, and who was her mailman?
Where did Allison Janney come from?
The West Wing.
Who finished the Magic Wheel that combined Light and Water?
Jacob, or someone else. Definitely a person.
What is the nature of the Light?
The molecular structure of the Magic Light is unknown.
Why does Tina Fey want the electromagnetic map of the Island?
So she can find where the largest pocket of electromagnetic energy is and use that information to find the Source of the Island.
How does the electromagnetic thing send Desmond to the afterlife and back?
Desmond was imbued with special Electromagnetic Time Magic, something the Island thrives on, and generates. The Source of the Island is "Life, Death and Rebirth." Essentially, it IS the afterlife. The Island and the Sideways Afterlife are connected. Desmond, being special, was shocked and filled with Electromagnetic Time Magic, which rocked his consciousness through the Island, through the Source, to the Afterlife, and back. I feel that it's important to mention the Electromagnetic Time Magic one more time.
Wasn't Sayid's soulmate Nadia, not Shannon?
No. Shannon was because, as corny as it sounds, Island Love is stronger than Any Other Love. More on this on LOST Answers.
Why weren't Michael, Walt, Lapidus, Eko or any of the other characters at the Church?
Michael wasn't allowed to move on. Walt had a different important group of people to move on with, as did the others. The group at the Church was very specific. They were the most important people in each other's lives, and they were meant to move on together. More on this on LOST Answers.
Read more: http://www.cracked.com/blog/108-answers-to-losts-supposedly-unanswered-questions_p2/#ixzz2KhxUe8W4
