» Unresolved Plot Threads: I Need Closure Options

[murlough23]

This list got too long, so I've moved it to a Xanga post here:

http://www.xanga.com/murlough23/542224219/...-mysteries.html

This post has been edited by murlough23: Nov 2, 2006 @ 4:57 pm.

[Tubelcaine]

murlough, you had posted a question in another thread about when does a plot thread feel like it's been "dropped"... and when, if ever, is this a bad thing.

I agree that some things are probably introduced with the intention of going back to them later or tying them into the larger picture at some point. For instance, "Adam and Eve" seem to fit this category. Of course the Lostaways aren't going to get any answers about these two until they do some more exploring, fact-finding, whatever... and lord knows that ain't happenin anytime soon. I'm happy to let Adam and Eve go for now and look forward to finding out their story later.

To me, dropped threads that are problematic are the ones that seem fairly integral to the plot/environment of Lost. For instance, the cord that Sayid followed to Danielle's bunker. Where did it come from? Did it provide some sort of power source that the Lostaways could be using? We don't know, cause no one on the show bothered to investigate it or even share the info with others. This, to me, is lazy, unrealistic, and frustrating. I'd put Lostzilla (if it's not going to show up, fine, but people should at least be afraid of it!) and the Black Rock (ok, dynamite is dangerous, but shouldn't y'all be seeing if there's anything else of use in there, or trying to secure the area so scary bad people or innocent dumb people don't get a hold of the dynamite?!) in this category as well. The convenient disappearance and occassional reappearance of Danielle and Desmond is also annoying and contrived, but I suppose it can be fanwanked away (they're crazy!).

One thing that I think needs to be resolved this season: Not only how did Claire lose her memory and escape from her kidnappers, but why was Claire kidnapped? Was she kidnapped by the Others, Danielle, Ethan, or all of the above? Did they want her or Turnip, or both? Why did they eventually give up and favor Walt instead?

That whole scenario warrants some serious clarification.

This post has been edited by Tubelcaine: Nov 30, 2005 @ 8:18 am.

[Brakhage]

Thank you for this thread as I've long felt that Lost is like a juggler who keeps adding balls, never subtracting them. I fully expect this list to get longer rather than smaller ... though some of these should be taken care of tonight as noted.

I would add how did the Black Rock get there?.

[Untitled]

How did Charlie learn to shoot Ethan with pin-point accuracy?

[stevieaa]

Are the others without shoes the same as the hillbilly kidnappers?

Who is the girl in the picture with Desmond???

Are the differences in the hatch (lamp, table, etc.) a filming mistake or were some Desmond scenes an earlier flashback?

By the way great subject to start Murlough. Go NY RANGERS!

[minisprout]

What's with the black and white stones?

If Danielle's signal is blocking any other signal from getting out, why don't they just tell her to stop transmission so they can send an SOS?

Why hasn't Sayid tapped into the electrical cable so they can suffer through this show too?

Why don't these people talk to each other and share information? Oh wait, that would risk resolving these issues...can't have that...

[Murasaki Star]

What is the deal with the Dharma-tagged sharks? And Dharma in general?

[Lynderfalkhe]

Did the Island resurrect Charlie, or did Jack bring him back?

Are the Others and the Island on the same side?

[DeathBecomesMe]

Does Claire's psychic actually know that there are 40+ people stranded on a desert island and is doing nothing about it?

[gmanicus]

I'd like to add the following unresolved plots threads to the list:

- Who are The Others?
- Why do The Others take children?
- Why are The Others killing castaways?
- Why does the button need to be pressed [every 108 minutes]?
- What was being studied at the other bunkers and where are they?
- Why didn't the Tailaways encounter Lostzilla?
- Why was the Dharma Initiative presumably abandoned?
- What are the voices the castways hear?
- Where does the beach cable Sayid found go?
- What importance do all the castaways have? The tagline for season 2 said "everything happens for a reason" and they all seem to have connections to one another.
- How did Locke regain his ability to walk? He claims the island granted him use of his legs, but there has to be a better explanation for it.
- Why haven't the castaways encountered Lostzilla since the end of last season? Did they destroy it with the dynamite?

And perhaps the most important question that needs to be answered:

Why is there an anti-curiosity shield over the island? The castaways need to figure out how to destroy it so they can share information, ask leading and follow-up questions, and investigate their surroundings more.

[Micah D]

murlough - As usual, fantastic thread. I have to say, though, that I think some people are probably misunderstanding your original intent. The posts here have fallen in three categories:

1. Issues raised by the show as important to the show's mythology, but not mentioned in the previous five weeks.

I believe that all of your posts, as well as the following, fit that category: What is the deal with the Dharma-tagged sharks? And Dharma in general?, What's with the black and white stones?, How did the Black Rock get there, and Are the Others and the Island on the same side?

My understanding is that these are what should be posted in this thread.

2. Logical reactions of the survivors to the situation which have not been undertaken yet.

Questions such as "why haven't they explored more", "why don't they stop Danielle's transmission", "why don't they share info", "how did Charlie learn to shoot like that", "Is Charlie going to crack open the statue", etc. These probably should be in the episode threads or nitpicking threads; they aren't unresolved issues as much as complaints about actions on the island.

3. Minor questions regarding props or non-island characters that may or may not have any impact on the mythology.

Questions such as, "What does Claire's psychic know", "Who is the girl in the picture", "Are the differences in the hatch a mistake", etc. properly belong in an episode or spec thread, I would think.

So I'd venture a guess that questions in category #2 or 3 don't really apply to this thread. If I'm wrong, feel free to slap me on the wrist--but I think that this thread will be much more valuable if we all stick to #1--i.e., mythology storylines and plot arcs which have not been addressed in several weeks.

That being said, I'll add one of my own to this category:

Who were the drug smugglers, and how did they get from Nigeria to the South Pacific?

[LolaRuns]

I thought the polar bears were resolved in the Walt episode? That Walt has creepy psychic powers that can make things happen when he thinks about them. He reads comic with polar bear => wazoo polar bear.

[funnymoney]

I thought the polar bears were resolved in the Walt episode? That Walt has creepy psychic powers that can make things happen when he thinks about them. He reads comic with polar bear => wazoo polar bear.

That may be true, but the show didn't truly confirm this, and the appearance of the polar bear in Walt's episode seemed completely random. In addition, the Dharma Orientation video also included a shot of polar bears fighting and had mentioned that among the experiments conducted on the island, zoology based experiments were among them. So there are two completely different answers for why the bears are there, and the show has not directly confirmed which one is the correct one, hence why the question is still out there.

[Wiggle]

No answers or further questions, just an observation and thought.

I see all the unresolved plot threads as issues that are connected to the overarching story. According to interviews on the Season 1 DVD bonus disk, the producers supposedly have an idea of what will happen over 5-6 seasons of Lost. So we've seen maybe 20% of what they have planned. Any plot point that hasn't seen attention in awhile -- things like Locke's wheelchair, Jack's father's body, the cord that led Sayid to Danielle -- I assume is part of the bigger story and was dropped in early as a hint.

[JealousGuy]

I'd kinda like to know what the "secret" is that Locke told Walt early in the first Season...