UPDATED May 21, 2010: Yes, we know some of these have already been answered, but the list as a whole still stands...
ABC's Lost has spent five years toying with us, dangling questions before our noses almost to the point of frustration. Obviously we'd love for everything to be wrapped up nicely, but producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have explicitly stated that not every question we have will be answered.
I'm cool with lingering mysteries that give us something to ponder once Lost is off the air, but there are 10 questions that I absolutely need to have answered or I will hunt down Cuse and Lindelof and give them a vigorous finger-wagging.
For obvious reasons, I've left out "What is the island?" (that's a silly question anyway) and "What happened after Juliet pounded on the H-bomb?" The first inquiry is basically the show, and the second will be answered about 30 seconds into the Season 6 premiere. The following 10, however, are must-answers.
1. What is the significance of the numbers?
We first saw the digits (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) back in Season 1—on Hurley's winning lottery ticket, then on the hatch door, then in the input sequence to reset the timer in the Swan Station, and finally in our nightmares. I can't even wear my Michael Jordan jersey anymore for fear a plane will crash on my head.
2. Why were they chosen to crash on the island, and what is their connection?
I could have wussed out and made these two separate questions, but they're really the same thing phrased two different ways. We know Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, Sun, Jin, and whoever else were selected by some higher being or cosmic force, and I'm guessing their connection has to do with more than just the fact they're all hot. Yes, Hurley gets some love too.
3. Why do some people appear as "ghosts"?
For lack of a better word, we'll call the people who have died and talk to people who are alive "ghosts." We've seen Charlie, Christian, Alex, Ana Lucia, and more come back and do their Casper impressions, but I'm at a loss for the rules of the whole phenomenon. Rule number one, you have to be dead... that's as far as I've gotten.
4. What is the Black Smoke?
Another question from the early days that producers have somehow managed to keep secret. We've heard it's some sort of security system, and it also judges people. Then it maybe takes the form of loved ones and bosses people around. It's kind of like Simon Cowell.
5. How is Egyptology related to all this mumbo-jumbo?
We've seen the croc-faced statue of Tawaret and we've seen hieroglyphs scattered all over the place like some Cairo tagger gone nuts. But what do ancient Egyptians have to do with the island? Is the island an inverted spaceship pyramid that's ready to blast off into outer space and head back to the mothership? (No, because that would be stupid.)
6. What's up with Walt? And Aaron?
Remember that dude? The kid? Michael's kid? Michael spent all of Season 2 screaming his name in that annoying moan. He was special. Then he disappeared. Ummm, what? Same thing re: Aaron.
7. Who is Jacob/Who is "The Man in Black"?
Methinks these two have a lot to do with the island and its mysteries (thanks, Captain Obvious). We know Jacob can get off the island and travel through time, and we know he made Richard Alpert how he is. We know the Man in Black wants to kill Jacob, and he may just be able to incarnate himself as the recently deceased. We also know Jacob likes to touch people. Seriously Jacob, use some Purell.
8. What's the deal with the Temple?
The Temple is the single-most mysterious location on the island. We know you can go there to be judged, like Ben did. We know that the Smoke Monster may call it home. It's part sanctuary, part examination room, and part hideout. It's like the island's YMCA.
9. Why do Widmore and Ben want the island?
No Ben, "the island is special" is not a good enough explanation. These two are willing to kill each other's daughters for the floating rock. I'm sure the producers have a different answer to this question, but I would accept that both Widmore and Ben have a raging case of Objectum Sexuality.
10. What is the deal with Richard Alpert? And Desmond?
Walt and Aaron have their own question, so the adults can have one too. Alpert doesn't age, Desmond can time travel. I'm not sure about you guys, but that kind of stuff doesn't happen to me or anyone else I know. Although I do know a few people who look good for their age and another who keeps waking up in strange places days after his last memory. But I don't think that counts.
What's on your must-answer list? Ask away in the comments, and I'll be back tomorrow with five questions Lost DOESN'T need to answer.
Follow TV.com writer and island enthusiast Tim Surette on Twitter: @TimAtTVDotCom
Comments (105)
1.?
2.they were chosen to come on the island cause jacob needed people to take over for him and their connection as that they were all unhappy and for most of them the island made their life better 3.some people are ghosts to warn and give advice to people that are alive
4.the black smoke is a mix of the energy that was within the island
5.because the people that were there before them did that stuff like the egypians
6.?
7. the man i black and jacob were just like ocenanic people they were confused but they were canidates to replace the protecter of the island and looks like jacob got the job
8.the temple is safe place where nobody can hurt them its like a place without electricity and stuff so they can have a simple life
9.they were both leaders they wanted power charels wanted it just because he was banished and ben didn't like breacking the rules so he didnt want him to have it
10.richard dosen't age because jacob was able to make him the same age in exchange for him to work for him on the island.desmond had a deisese that was speical on the island that makes you go back in time it was just like when all the castaways were time travelling exept they were on the island
well i hope you enojoy my anwers sorry about the spelling i am only 10moreless
i want to know if the people on the plane all died then how come we only got to see some of the passingers walking around {i.e dead/alive kate, sawyer etc.. } the other people can't die twice? also were the others dead on the island too and if so how did they die? how did penny die she was in the church? if all these sideway's things was not real she and desmond would not have got together to have a baby so she wouldn't have been shot ?? so many questions unanswered
The cabin. I want to know more about it. Who was the ghost/whatever that appeared in there the first time Ben and Locke go inside, why did he say "help me", why he started tossing things around and makings earthquakes.Also, how is the cabin able to move in space, from where did he get those powers. Hurley closed his eyes and said "youre not there" and then bam the cabin is gone. huh?Also, how did Ben knew where to find the cabin if it was moving in space? And then he couldn't find it later. ALSO, Locke finds the cabin plans and its whereabouts, but if the cabin is moving around, how did they find it anyway?So many questions about the cabin, so little answers.
Every one of these questions has been answered
10?More like 100000!
I was happy enough with the cork answer.
its seems to me they have answered a good number of them
@Karlwolfe50 OMG!!!! For the last time people THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN EXPLAINED ALREADY! They were just who the main characters happened to be on Jacobs list of potential candidates. Get over it already. And another thing; learn to read more news articles here on tv.com, because Damon and Carlton already explained to you idiots that Aaron and Walt were never 'special'. The Others just wanted kids, and Claire's psychic admitted to being a fraud. The case has been closed for 3 god damn seasons!
Most of the elements in the series were created by just throwing ideas together. I think there will be many things that don't get explained.
most of these have been answered! :)
so far going into tonights SERIES FINALE 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 10 have been answered. still need to know 1, 5, 6, and 9
I think the producer will end this show by saying this island is Antarctica lost empire and i cold believe him
What does Jack (and Claire's) father: Christian have to do with the Island? Multiple people have seen him on the Island. What happens to Richard now that Jacob is dead? Because if Jacob made him that way but now is dead will Richard die to? What does lie in the shadow of the Statue? I mean Jacob lived in the statue but whats behind it?
the numbers have already been explained via The Lost Experience and theyve already said they arent exploring that further. The Numbers relate to the Valenzetti Equation. The Dharma Initiative was on the island trying to change one of the numbers to try to save mankind from destroying itself
They're not going to bother answering most questions I think. They won't answer them on purpose because it is "cool and more mysterious" that way.
I think: 1.The polar bear was of course set free after "the Others" took over the dharma camp. That's why the cages was emty when Kate and Sawyer was there.2. When ben meet his "dead" daughter in the tembel, it was "the man in black" who was her, like he is john now. Cause he can not himselv kill jacob, as he said the the finale episode og season 5. So he "transformed" into ben's daughter so, cause he knew if she asked ben then he whould do it. 3. When Jacob is taking to "the man in black" on the beach, they are waiting for "the black rock" - Here they talk about, how they found the island and jacob is trying to prove that "MIB" is wrong and say: "They come. They fight. They destroy. They corrupt. It always ends the same." So I belive it's all a contest to them. That they are trying to test the people who comes to island. Don't understand this: "God loves you as He loved Jacob" So is he like a "mini jesus"? And is it all going a religious way? cause it seems that way, but in the end would that be so bad, cause with all the things that has happend, can it be explained with out naming God? Not bible god or muslim Allah, but just God.I bet they will go back in time to the plane after the bomb goes off. Cause then you get relly lost.moreless
I'm just afraid that we won't get any answers even when season 6 is over...
I would love to know about the polar bear. Back to season 1.
this is hilarious!
Claire!! I really what happened to her. Is she dead?? Taking time away from Aaron?? I dont know but i hope it will be answered!!
The Others?? Who are they and where they come from!! & of course Richard like is he using some really good moisturiser or what the real deal with him not aging.
Black Smoke of course!!
But a question i really want answered is what the deal with Walt!! Seriously he was a big part of the lost ploy for the first two seasons and then what he goes back to New York and lives a normal boring life. He better not. I want to know his deal so please god let it be answered
When you looked ALIAS from the same director you know we will get disappointed. New mysteries are added throughout the series but little are revealed. It is as if they hope we forget about the old mysteries when they throw in some new ones. I still love the show :-)
I'd like to know more about the statue (what happened to it), and more about Claire.
For me, one 'forgotten' mystery from the first season was the 'psychic' deliberately manipulating Claire onto the flight because, presumably, the plane would crash, and the supposed 'threat' Aaron would be if he lived.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1PAB6Sgdp8&feature=fvst
I have people working on the inside who obtained the information for me. As far as I am aware they keep their cards pretty close to their chest so I cannot confirm if this information is credible but as I understand it 1) The numbers when broken up and rearranged are coordinates to where the island can go (this would explain how farraday's mother knew when the next flight would land so to speak).
2) The man in black is actually the smoke monster (i think we already know that).
3) Jacob is in fact a representation of what is good and the MIB is a representation of what is evil (this is a biblical reference of God vs. Devil).
4) There is a reason as to why these partiular people were chosen however I do not know them yet. 5) Lastly (this ties in with (4)) the world outside the island is to be destroyed (an apocalypse). Obviously there are many questions that need answered but I am expecting information in the next few days and will update soon.moreless
I really hope they explain Richard. He's been my favorite character throughout the series (well, since we met him, at least). I can't be happy with the ending unless they explain that! Oh, and the Jacob thing. And the numbers. They all roll off my tongue in one continuous phrase "4815162342" (one number longer than a SS number). And I love that they worked the numbers into everything - if you watch closely, every time there's some sort of number on something, it's usually one of the numbers (like Oceanic 815, or the sports jerseys in one episode - I don't remember which one it was). I love the numbers...haha
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i hope they answer all the above questions
I've never read a blog before, so I apologize if this has been covered.
In regards to #5 - Egyptology - in addition to what you've mentioned, it would seem the two immortals (
Jacob/Man in Black) also have Carthaginian roots. * Just before Charlotte died she was being channeled by someone who said "I know more about Carthage than Hannibal"
* When they use the "machine" to leave the island, they always wind up in Tunisia - ancient Carthage.
* Check out Scipio Africanus in Wikipedia. He's the general who defeated Hannibal and there is a picture of his bust from the National Museum in Naples, Italy. He looks exactly like John Locke (or the actor Terry O'Quinn).
* Judging by the eye makeup, Richard Alpert must be an Egyptian.
I still don't know what it all means, but the journey has been interesting!moreless
I think the room of wishes was probably a hoax, a story ben made up to mess with locke's head once more...or wasn't it? I mean they could have gotten his dad there earlier, ben did say to tom (I think) to go get that man from tallahasse or wherever...
I've seen the scripts. Apparently they're just a bunch of wannabe improv actors making it up as they go along for a survivor type tv show/
why pregnant people die on the island and what's up with the "room of wishes", where locke's father was tied up in.
they also seem to recognize words like warning and winner and have a phobia about hairspray...
apparently polar bears like fish biscuits and are smarter than Sawyer...
and you lost lost fans please dont post your ridiculous answers on this thread like you're one of the producers on the show...
i need to know whats up with the polar bear... seriously
I'm also very curious about the disappearing of Claire, and the fact that she just sat there in the hut where Lock met with Christian...
I just meant that I need them to be explained, they're obviously going to do whatever they want...maybe a giant frog eats the island by mistake....
Nobodys FORGETTING about anything. If the Numbers NEED to be explained in whatever way then they will but if its supposed to be part of the mystery of lost (yno the reason why we all love the show!) then it will stay a mystery just like the island. even though im dying for answers on so many things some things are better left un answered so we can theorise for years to come......as long as those things arent stuff like Annie or Richard then i'll be kl lol.
I definitely am going to throw the tv out the window if they forget about the numbers. . That is the one thing the really needs to be at least talked about if it can't be explained. I'm serious...if they solve every other question by blowing up the damn island I still want the numbers solved. As for the rest:1. What are the islands healing powers?2. Time travel/forseeing the future3. What's up with Libby being in the same mental institution as Hurley?4. Why the hell didn't Paolo and Nikki mention that they saw both the nigerian plane and the hatch before Locke found them? Thank god they burried them alive...5. What's the point of Jacob's list?6. Is vincent god?7. Is Ben Jack's twin sister?8, A lot more info on Richard,,,a lot...9. How and why exactly are they special? That goes double for Hurley.10. I'm not kidding about this one: Why did I see a statue of Hurley's head in the jungle in season five when I got high on laughing gas? I was there even as I paused extremely real but when I later checked back it was gone. How can they do that to me? It was amazing btw :) Hurley's head deserves a statue in the jungle...moreless
To complicate Question 5 even more, I should mention that most hieroglyphics inside Jacob's ancient "house" are actually Ancient Greek...and who knew that Namaste (remember the banners at the dharma village) means "Here we are" in modern Greek... :)
One more thing. I think Walt will be involved again in season 6. I think the only reason they wrote him out is because they wanted seasons 1-4 to happen over only three months and knew the actor would age too fast. You see how old he looked in season 3 when he appeared to Locke in the hole. I also think the whispers are like the 'Will of Jacob' coming to redirect history to his liking, and I think the black smoke and the ghosts are really Jacob's enemy manipulating people toward his 'loophole'. As for individual people's powers, I think that's going to be something you have to accept that some people are gifted.
One more big question: Why didn't Sun go back in time? My personal answer to that is 'Well, she was sposeda die cuz she was preggers and wasn't sposeda leave'. But knowing lost anything you could guess is probably wrong. My biggest prediction about Aaron is that he's actually somebody we already know, and will end up going back in time.
The biggest question I would like to have answered is...why has no one shot Jack and Kate yet? Between them, they have made so many bad calls that have created new problems where none existed before, making an already difficult situation worse and in some cases, fatal.