Tuesday, May 19, 2009

"The Incident" – The Time Loop Theory


"It only ends once. The rest is just progress." - Jacob.

"One day I'm going to find a loophole." – Jacob's enemy.

Ok, here's a theory. I think the island is stuck in a continual time loop.

Let's say that Juilet banging on the bomb really does reset everything. But instead of landing in LAX, the plane crashes on the island AGAIN. Desmond said that time has a way of correcting itself. So, if they're meant to be on the island, even if the hatch doesn't bring them there... maybe something else does. I don't know what, but it's still possible.

If I was a writer on Lost, that would actually be the most interesting angle to me. They've done stuff like this before. When we all thought, "There's no way they'll actually leave the island" they did – at the end of Season 3. After that, I'm sure it was like writing a whole new show for them. And then we thought, there's no way they'll bring Locke back, they did. Kind of. This show loves to go where you would think is unsafe. They love "Game-changing" finales. So, I think that it's a strong possibilty that Juliet's final sacrifice worked. But only to recrash them on the island, yet again.

So if there is a time loop going on, then I think the Losties have been on the island several times before, and that everything that has happened on the island has happened before. That's what Jacob was talking about when he said "It only ends once." I think life on the island keeps ending the same way. Jacob always gets stabbed, but then the Losties detonate the bomb and reset everything. And it all happens over again. Jacob keeps trying to change it by bringing people to the island but his nemesis thinks he's making it worse.

If I'm right (which I know is a long shot), then only Desmond can stop the loop now, because he's the only one that's truly special and doesn't answer to the rules of the time loop.

It's just a theory. But it explains a lot. It would explain how Jacob knew exactly what time to be waiting for Locke after his 8-story fall and even how he knew exactly when to be there to save Sayid from getting hit by the car that killed Nadia. It explains a lot of the fate-like things and coincidences we've seen all along. And it explains Jacob and his enemy's weird conversation and modern-sounding language.

Also, maybe things are slightly different everytime the loop resets. Like an alternate reality based on the one that came before. Maybe everyone who dies stays dead... and becomes part of the smoke monster consciousness? I dunno.

I'm still working this theory out, but what do you guys think?

4 comments:

Angela said...

I think you're on to something, Wes. Sounds very plausible to me. As plausible as anything in "Lost" can be. That would be fun. So, next season would start out just like Season 1, with the plane crash??? But with minor differences along the way, I guess? That means we might see a bunch of characters again that were killed off early on. Man, how are we gonna make it until next season?

Anonymous said...

I agree with this theory, but think it is much more philosophical in nature, and man's continual tendency to repeat itself and turn to war and violence. That is the loop to me. When man figures that out, then it will pmove forward. This allows me to also tie in all the Eden and biblical faith type of theories. It's gonna end vague and philisophical.
jay

Anonymous said...

I also saw an article that pointed at that all the stuff Hurley got back from prison when he met Jakob was all the stuff Jakob gave the otehr characters- a pen, candybar,....
weird
j

Anonymous said...

Assuming the LOOP:
Oceanic 815 will always crash on the island... if the ElectroMagnetic force is aroound to make the crash happen.
The island inhabitants will always go back to the 70's when BEN turns the wheel; and accidentally knocks teh island/whatever off its axis.

That is how the looping has happened (at least in this last iteration).

But now, if Juliet has successfully destroyed teh energy... then Faraday's Theory is in effect. with no electromag energy.. then it can not crash Oceanic815 30 years in the future.
The plane will leave Sydney... and land in LA.
Jack buries his father, Kate goes to Prison, Sun & Jin divorce, Claire gives up Aaron, Locke still in wheelchair...
and everyone lives miserably ever after...

UNLESS... Fate is so powerful... that you can Not change what is meant to be. Fate will always work itself out no matter what.
(Like what Sawyer said: what's done, is done)

-wolfcat