What's Hot: My Take On Time Travel
What's Hot: My Take On Time Travel
"Because You Left" blew away any doubt that time travel is going to play a big part during season 5.The Losties plus Julite (she will be included in the Losties for this article) are skipping through time due to Ben turning the frozen donkey wheel (or is it because the Oceanic 6 left?). I have been against the idea of time travel throughout the series. Even with the "Constant", I was satisfied that it was just Desmond's conscience traveling through time. The Losties are time traveling and I have come to accept this plot line. I am at least satisfied that it appears to be a linear form of time travel, not parallel universes.
I am a little different than most of our regular members here at SWLS. I am not a science fiction fan. I do not watch any sci fi shows . Lost tricked me by drawing me in with a great story filled with fantastic actors playing interesting roles. It even opened me up to giving shows like Heroes and Fringe a chance, but neither could hold my interest. I bring this up because it shows my limited history of time travel. My main dislike for time travel is the paradox's that come into play. I also dislike the idea of the story line changing every time someone goes back in time. This was my main complaint of Heroes this year. This is why I am at least satisfied that Lost's version of time travel is going to be linear.
Daniel provided us with an explanation that time travel is like a string, you can go back and forth but not start another string.He also clearly stated that you can not change anything, this was backed up by Pierre Chang. These explanations eliminates the paradox's of people running into each other, changing the story line or changing the future we have seen. A very important conversation between John Locke and Richard Alpert is being overlooked. When Locke asks Richard where he went, Richard responds that he did not go anywhere, but that Locke did. So it is only the Losties that are moving through time. The Others are not moving during the flashes. The Losties run into a new group of mercenaries and a tribe of unknowns using flaming arrows (a nod to the 4 toe statue?).If the Others were moving also, they would of moved with Locke at the beginning of the episode. This distinction makes it a more succinct use of time travel.
I believe that "Because You Left" showed us that the Losties will not be running into themselves during episodes. They will not be changing the story line that we have established with the flash forwards and the story line that we have followed over the last few years. The producers have repeatedly stated that they wanted to avoid these kinds of paradoxes. I believe with their version of time travel they have accomplished their goal. It is going to be a new tool for telling the story of Lost. We will get to meet the Dharma Initiative in its prime, get more of the island history and fill in the many story lines we are missing. Then in 70 hours all of our favorite characters will be back together and they can stop the time skipping. At least one former skeptic can hope. So I was wrong about time travel, but the producers did not make me hate their version.
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Jug, I agree with you 100%! I'm not a sci-fi fan, and, as you know, I've always bucked the idea of time travel. Your article is very well stated!
Well, now, on to travel through space!
What's the protocol in the "course correction" handbook for someone that dies while the island is skipping into the past? Like what if Locke had been killed by Ethan before the his plane even crashed on the island? Obviously, Locke survived for a reason. But is it possible to die on the island while it's skipping back even before you are born? Just curious... of course, these events can always be attributed to how "things that happen on or around the island are exempt from the real world".
I think that things are going to stay fairly linear, for certain. The one catch they have employed is Desmond. I think that because he's had visions of the future and been (in a sense) present simultaneously in two different time that perhaps part of his consciousness is still dislodged - allowing there to be some sort of communication wit him. However - I think this is only possible with Faraday - because they are one another's 'constants.'
Also - I think they indicated quite plainly in the premier that it will be impossible for them to interfere with themselves in the 'present.' When Sawyer asked Faraday 'when they were' - he responded 'either in the past... or the future.' My immediate reaction to this was a simple "duh, thanks for that." But there is something important in that. He did not say that the present was a possibility. The present, as they know it, is the instant the island shifted the first time.
I think that being dislodged from time, like a skipping record, that they have no way of returning to that point. For whatever reason, Faraday's words also seem to indicate to me that there is no chance they will ever appear during a time with Losties leading up to the first jump.
Thus far - we have no indication that they have gone to more than 2 different times. They have always jumped back and forth between past and future. Never the same time twice. I believe that they will continue to move in a linear fashion in both of these times. Which is to say - if 2 hours pass after a jump to the past, then the next jump to the future will be 2 hours after the previous.
Perhaps this was better suited to a thread than a comment, but oh well.
What a great explanation for your skepticism about time travel - and for why you are staying on board. Thanks, Juggy!
One of the most exciting thing I've ever heard come from an interview with Lindelof is that he is thoroughly brushed up on all the types of time travel used in stories. I'm trusting that TPTB are doing something new here - more linear, more character specific, more dramatically integrous than we might now be expecting. The question is not "Why" or "How" are they time travelling -- the question is "What for?" What will become of these beloved (and not so beloved!) characters in this unique dilemma?
I don't think rules have been broken. We in our eager fan-analysis have just made some assumptions about what those rules are. I think the rules are still coming out and this process has only just begun! Can't wait for more!
You know, I only started watching the show because it involved plane crash victims surviving on a deserted island. If someone had warned me it would eventually involved mercenaries and mysterious corporations and time travel I would have said, forget it! But this show somehow makes me love all of that stuff! That's the beauty of Lost. Anyway, great article Juggy! I feel pretty much exactly the same as you do, and I'm glad it's not turning into Heroes-style time travel. And I say that as a Heroes fan!
I guess that is what Hawkings stated about the universe course correcting itself. So Charlie had to die, they stopped it a few times but could not forever.
Not sure how much of the past they really changed with Desmond.(I do agree he broke his rule). But he really only gave him a memory but did he really change Desmonds past?
There have to be rules, and yes, rules are made to be broken. We all know this, so just expect it to happen. My question -- when rules are broken badly enough, do the temporal police come to correct things? OOps! That's Star Trek, which would be a sci-fi show, right? Although I notice that it seems to be the "red shirts" that get killed on the island..... so who knows...
"I am a little different than most of our regular members here at SWLS. I am not a science fiction fan. I do not watch any sci fi shows . Lost tricked me by drawing me in with a great story filled with fantastic actors playing interesting roles."
100% agree. It is still a great show and I have no choice but to accept it, but I'm really disappointed they went this route. The problem I have is that there are no rules. I know they are trying to lay some rules down, but as has been stated, they have already broken them.
Daniel does indeed explain time travel as linear, one piece of string, etc. But then he goes and changes his rules by changing Desmonds past.
So there seems to be a way to change the past and therefore the future.
I thought that the reason the past could not be changed is because the time travel has in effect happened the first time around, but with desmonds dream, that doesnt seem to be the case.
I was wondering - maybe the flashbacks were the effect of their pasts being changed by time travellers?
But what fun is holding our tongues!!! I like being out on the edge, take a chance, make a prediction.
I believe and hope that the show will not allow time travel to get in the way of good story telling. The main attraction to Lost is the characters and the Lindelof and Cuse know this.
But sometimes the whole "not changing things" aspect can really get cloudy. It'll be interesting to see if all of our reactions to these recent events hold true as the season continues. For instance, we already know that the "rules" Daniel has defined don't apply to Desmond, for some reason. Perhaps there are others that they don't apply to. And if that's true, does it mean those others CAN change things, or can only slightly modify things, but that there will always be a course correction? Guess we'll have to hold our tongues to see where it leads...for now.
thanks for the kind words.
The producers talked about a new way of story telling this year, I believe this is going to be it, and not much more than that.
Excellent summary! I feel the same way as you. I was VERY disappointed when LOST went with the time travelling theme. However, I do like that you pointed out that is does seem to be linear and it will be used more as a tool to explain characters and events that have happened on the island earlier. I'm not so disappointed anymore, thanks!