LT87: In Defense of LOST

CABIN FEVER AND RELIGIOUS FERVOR

A few fans of LOST are having a difficult time lately as the show seems to be getting closer and closer to that line. No, not the line that Mr. Friendly/Tom drew in the dirt that separated the Others from the Survivors. The line I’m referring to is that line between sci-fi and reality.

But before you claim that the show is going X-Files on us, let’s examine some themes. It has been clear from the start that LOST is examining the debate of science versus religion. However, it seems there might be three areas of examination.

Science – the producers promised at least a scientific theory would exist for every behavior. This approach opens the door for the show to push the envelope like Star Trek would do in days past. Let’s call this category “unproven science”.

Proven Science – of course, we have proven science involved like gravity which brought the plane to the ground.

Religion – faith-based beliefs. Believing in something you can’t prove. There is a reason they came up with the term “BLIND faith”.

See, many people are beginning to shake their head in disbelief in regard to time travel, island hopping and Smokey. Yet, those same people have zero evidence in their particular religious doctrines and are willing to embrace those views. How could anyone who calls them self “religious” actually debate the validity of anything then?

This edition of LOST TIDBITS will examine a few of those religious views that are quite mainstream in an effort to point out that if you/we are willing to believe THOSE things, how can sit a criticize the direction the writers of LOST are taking us? The hope is that the next time you are tempted to say, “That’s getting a little crazy and is a bit hard to believe”, that you remind yourself of a few religious matters that we routinely have no problem claiming to be…well…gospel.


PREGNANCY

While LOST has recently been pushing some strange concepts lately, we still need to give the writers a pat on the back for their consistency to themes such as pregnancy.

The past episode, Cabin Fever, tells us that Emily, John’s mother, was pregnant. Well, there is a common them of the show. And it consistent LOST fashion we are left with questions:

Is the father Mr. Cooper, John’s kidney recipient?

Is the father Richard Alpert, the never-aging Other?

Why isn’t she showing at 6-months?

In religious terms, 99% of Protestants and Catholics have no problem looking a friend in the eye (did I say eye?) and proclaiming their belief that a woman named Mary got pregnant without any father. I’m not suggesting that Emily experienced an immaculate conception, but I am saying the next time we are tempted to point a finger at LOST writers for the absurd, that we take a step back and remind ourselves of a few of the religious tenets we willing subscribe to!


PLANE CRASHES

Again in the opening scene, it begins with Emily playing a Buddy Holly song. This timestamps the events we are observing, but it should be noted that Buddy met his demise in a plane crash. Even more interesting to me, is that Holly, Valens and the rest died in a corn field in Iowa, my home state. It happens to be the state where Kate is also from.


RAIN

Again, we haven’t left the first scene and Emily runs outside in the rain to be hit by a vehicle (which is another reoccurring theme). We have all noticed how rain seems to be associated with bad things although a study is required to determine the exact connection between rain and events we observe.

In the Bible, the first time it rains is when mankind is wiped off the face of the Earth…except for an ark-builder, his family and a zoo. We’ve seen references to all these aspects in LOST. There are over 87 references to rain in the Bible.


MIRRORS

Again, we can’t get past the first scene without Emily using a mirror to put her lipstick on. In religious circles there is a concept called “The Bible Mirror”. In summary this theory places a mirror at year zero and separates B.C. from A.D. So what happens in 415 B.C. might mirror what happens in 415 A.D. This is interesting for no other reason that if we an determine how many years existed in B.C. (from creation to crucifixion), then we might be able to guess the date of our doomsday. In LOST terms, we would know the date of the Valenzetti Equation.

The entire Bible Mirror study is based on an interesting concept: time. If you are willing to substitute freely the word “days’ with “years”, you discover some interesting and predictable events of past and future. After all, the Bible itself gave us the concept when God tries to explain time in His eyes, “A day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day.” And it isn’t like LOST doesn’t have multiple timelines as the Freighter doctor ended up dying before he was dead. Huh?

FAITH TO MOVE MOUNTAINS

The Bible says that Christians have the ability through faith to move mountains. Literal or figuratively? I’ll let you decide. But LOST writers appear to be reading The Bible, - which when literally translated means “The Book” and it isn’t like LOST hasn’t included a couple of literary references.

So why does a nation of TV viewers who proclaim an inclination towards The Bible have problems with John being told to move the island? Oh, ye of little faith.

ANGELS

How strange to see our favorite lawyer, Abbadon (a name found in the Bible), meet John in physical therapy and encourage him to take a Walkabout. I suggest another Bible concept is being used on LOST: angels appear. In today’s vernacular we might call them ghosts.


MY THEORY

I suggest that LOST is using the Bible as its guidebook for a storyline. Perhaps during the summer break there will be time to examine one topic listed here at a time. I’d like to get a nice list of all the angel encounters found in the Bible and then compare to the usage of ghosts in LOST. Wouldn’t that be strange if we discovered that Michael might represent, well, Michael.

I’m not suggesting a re-telling of the Bible story, but a source. So if we read about the angel Gabriel, it might no longer surprise us that Nadia is played by Andrea Gabriel.

FYI: We have been told that Nadia has a sister named Melissa. Melissa is the same name of John’s foster sister who knocks over his board game of backgammon. Not sure where it fits in, but it also the name of my co-workers spouse. And his name is Michael. Coincidence or circumstance? Hmmm…


CLOSING ARGUMENT

I hope this edition of Lost Tidbits renews your faith in the show. And if you tend to lean towards science versus religion, even then we can boast that rarely a show comes along that leave my brain like mush quite like LOST can do week after week. That’s worth the price of admission right there.

Ok, my head hurts, so be sure to check back for an EXTRA edition of Lost Tidbits because we really need to examine more than just the opening scene from this episode. So, keep looking this week where we will examine the possibilities to:

* Would John remember Alpert from high school until the time he hands him a folder on his father?
* Is Claire dead?
* Is Abbadon really Walt?
* Are colors in play again with the helicopter?
* And what exactly is that on Keamy’s arm?

Enjoy,

KC