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Because some people like the content enough to become part of its creation and to get early access, and I build a community around the Patreon on top of youTube. More crucially, the money helps me to dedicate more time to making the videos. It takes a tremendous amount of time and effort and work to make this content, and I can't afford to dedicate as much time to the process without extra incentive. A lot of RUclipsrs have Patreons and encourage subscribers to join. This isn't anything new. And those that can donate, do donate. I don't really get your problem with that tbh.
Widmore and his crew are truly the greatest victims of the writer's strike. Getting deeper backgrounds on Daniel, Charlotte, Miles, and Frank would have been so so great.
@@TJMalana Charlotte has a backstory! What do you mean? She lived in the Dharma Initiative Barracks when she was a little girl, and then, when she's already an adult woman she returns to the Island, and that's why she gets all those symptoms, and headaches, and that's what will eventually cause her own death and disapearance right in front of Daniel (because she died before the last time flash)...
This channel is such a reality check. I started watching Lost the summer before the final season and I thought I understood everything there was to know about it by now. Widmore's perspective never resonated with me the way it should have. Thank you so much for these videos.
I feel like the show would have greatly benefitted from giving us a Widmore-centric flashback episode in Season Six. That way we could have seen a bit more about his time as leader and his life off-island, plus how his relationship to Penny deteriorated. And we could have gotten a glimpse of that Jacob meeting, which would have helped bring a bit more context to the endgame.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 I absolutely agree. I never considered the knowledge he carried when I watched his scenes and some extra background on how he manages and deals with that knowledge would have added so much great context.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 that’s why I always thought the higher episode count was a good thing tbh. Charlotte, Daniel, Charles etc etc really wouldn’t have hurt imo to see more. But I can tell the show was getting significantly less production money in the later seasons and I know it’s a miracle they got to shape an ending for it.
I've always considered myself "The biggest LOST fan." Rewatching at least once every year since my first watch in 2013. Getting mad at anyons who says, "Weren't they just dead the whole time" etc. Your videos make me feel like I'm watching this show again for the first time
Completely agree. I also think we could’ve seen a Claire flashback episode in similar vain to “the other 48 days” which would’ve started from the rocket blowing up the house she was in up to where she found Jin. Could have covered off many aspects of the mythos, the cabin, MIB, Sickness/Claimed etc etc
I think the showrunners played into that association a little bit. Especially in Season Six's 'Ab Aeterno' when they tease out the idea that Jacob is "the devil". Jacob even smirks at that when Richard mentions it. Definite reference!
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 There's a significance, because Jacob is a solar symbol, and we see him in 1789 clothes. And Lucifer is illustrated by the night star, the Moon (1917). Twin brother of Jacob is Esau (Locke : The Man in Black). Refering to Moon Cult in North Korea. In Ussher's chronology of the birth dates of biblical figures, these dates correspond to world revolutions. Jacob is born in 1789 BC. Sarah died in 1939BC-1812 BC. Abraham in 1948 BC-1775 BC.
I like to think that somewhere in Daniels Journal, "buy Microsoft shares" and "bet on the Cowboys in the Super Bowl" is written down. That's how Widmore amassed his fortune.
Talk about a great algorithm. I just finished the series for the 3rd time two days ago. This video was so informative and I now see Charles in a whole different way.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… Charles, Eloise, and Desmond are the most intriguing characters in the series because I feel like we never got that full story. Thanks for making this video.
I’m bingeing it right now and I’ve always thought Widmore was with the Dharma Initiative! So I’m in the midst of the time traveling after Ben has turned the Island. This changes my own experience as to ‘The Others’🤯
Man, you've made the Widmore story so much clearer and more palatable here. And I love how you found a way to end this recent batch of videos with some life lessons that we can all take from the storylines. "Make peace with your Bens" might be the most important and hardest one of all. But you're right! Had Widmore made peace, he would have lived. Soooo many people would have lived! It's easier for us to blame external factors on the outcomes of our lives sometimes. We may not be slaves to a time loop (that we know of!) but we do find ways to justify making bad choices. I love this channel so much. As soon as I can, I will start donating to your Patreon because this channel is producing A+ content that expounds upon the lore and nourishes the heart and mind. Thank you!
I just watched LOST for the third time, and now I love it even more, everything makes much more sense than the first time, and this explanation on Witmores plan is genius!
Thank you so much for another episode! I was actually looking up to see if I missed an episode because it had been awhile and thought I may have missed one lol. All your effort and editing are very appreciated, keep up the excellent work and quality of content. All the best to you and your family! Cheers from Canada!
I tend to post a new video every two weeks to a month, depending on the size of the script and subject. A lot of FAQs tend to clock in between 20-30 mins, and they take a while to edit. Got a new video coming up soon which is 70-minutes long! I hope to see you there when it drops :-)
Another great episode. So, not only do we get help understanding the character of members of the show, we get some good advice on letting go in our own lives.
this was a fantastic analysis of Widmore. I think you hit the nail on head in illustrating how Lost explores the complexity of morality. This was a major theme in the show. The idea that morality is never black and white and often times bad things are necessary to enable good things. It make sense that the show came out around the time of the War On Terror. Yeah i'll leave you to read between the lines on that one.
This was so helpful. Charles Widmore I always felt never got a chance to fully explain himself and I always had trouble following his motivations even after multiple rewatches.
Great, great summary video on Charles Widmore. The show definitely showed him so piecemeal that it's difficult to put it all together on the first watch
Thank you so much for this analysis! I’ve watched Lost start to finish half a dozen times and never understood Whitmore or his place in the canon. I really appreciate your explanation!
Widmore, although portrayed mostly as a villain, I feel he was one of the many tragic characters. Almost everything he did was to further the island’s plan, even at his literal expense.
I do have more sympathy for his character on re-watches. For a long time, we only see him through he eyes of Desmond and Ben. Two men who hate him. But by Season Five and Six we get a better sense of who he is and what drives him. He's not a good guy or a hero, but he has more depth and complexity than those initial viewings might suggest.
They really needed a Widmore/Jacob episode I feel somewhere around the Desmond episode in S6, felt his story was rushed over in S6 amongst some other stories.
Why am I crying ??? I can't use the same praising words every time a new video comes, but... You'll know what I mean...Wow... There definitely IS a Source !
Great points about the barracks massacre! You're absolutely correct, the last time Widmore was on the Island, the Others had already occupied the barracks. It could've very well been Widmore's deduction that the Others - being so secretive as he knew them - had the sonic fence on all the time and was protected by any attacks from the survivors. Especially the surprise of Ben being with the survivors and not with his own people. I also wonder if the first time he came to the Lamp Post was after that talk with Eloise in "The Variable", since he finally learned how to find the Island and Eloise knew that The Island wasn't done with Desmond - seeing as Desmond didn't board Ajira 316 and was at the hospital instead, maybe she decided to cooperate with her former lover. Or that the next window/directions came from Jacob instead.
Excellent video as usual. I love most of the characters on the show and I admit that Charles Widmore was always low on the list. But this video helps! Interestingly, I've warmed up to Eloise with rewatches and now find her one of the most tragic characters on the show. I can't say the same for Widmore. I would love to see a similar analysis of Eloise ❤️
An Eloise-centric episode is definitely on the cards someday! So you shall get your wish :-) Widmore definitely came across as an inconsistent villain between Season Two and Season Six upon first viewing. His motives always seemed contradictory and hard to follow but, once you step back and see the bigger picture (thanks to Season Five and Six), it becomes clearer that he was as much a slave to fate as Eloise was. Only rather than challenge his lot in life or try to be a more honourable person in the grand scheme, he doubled down on his cruelty and ruthlessness. It's only in Season Six when we see him make a move towards redemption, and even then he is still pretty ruthless in how he goes about achieving this. But it's clear that he has changed his ways enough to show more magnanimity towards Desmond and our Losties. And to a lesser extent Ben. I find him a really fascinating character when looking back. Not sympathetic per se, but certainly more interesting and cohesive than the first time watching through. I hope this video helps to clarify what he was about and why he was the way he was.
Another phenomenal video. Great job! Taking these lessons and applying them in real life. Another cool topic that could be interesting is Rose and Bernard. Keep up the great work. Ben's mercenary, Sayed, was a revenge for sure. Widmores people and the Oceanic six. They just had tranq guns and Sayed was just offing them. I also wondered who Pennys mom was. I watch each video several times and recently became one of your membership people. Namaste 🏝
You are really good at establishing a big picture perspective! One pair of characters I wondered about these last episodes are Rose and Bernard. Not sure if they're worth an entire video or if you're planning to cover this in the episode guide, but especially watching the Desmond video recently made me wonder about them. They make a point of *not* being involved and other than rescuing Demond from the well they're never seem to be an essential part of the overall story. And all of that despite even being part of the time travellers. For all we know they weren't even candiates. So in that sense they are a sort of antithesis to the destiny-heavy journey of the other characters.
Yes, as the series goes on, Rose and Bernard adopt the philosophy of not getting involved. You could argue that they unintentionally mirror Jacob's hands-off approach to the tribal warring on the island: let things work themselves out. But they also claim to be retired, which is a fair enough reason for wanting to stay out of the chaos and violence, and living a quiet, peaceful life instead. They were older than most of the other characters. Sometimes they embodied some of the emotional themes of the show, such as letting go of the past and being present with your loved ones, or the important need for finding and keeping soulmates. But they also (unintentionally) represent some iffy moral positions throughout, which I explored a little bit in my video on "Good vs Evil". I think I'd cover Rose and Bernard's mini-storyline in the series guide when going through their centric-episode 'S.O.S'. It makes sense to talk about them in detail with that particular episode, I think.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Tbf, they also aren’t leading anyone and they aren’t observing people like a game or experiment. They truly are just trying to “stay in their lane” and enjoy the time they have together. The Island gave them a miraculous opportunity to grow old together, and I can’t fault them one bit for it. Also, their decision gave Vincent a stable little forever family lol. The older I get, rewatching this and slowly developing my own health problems, I identify more and more with them.
I'll add my interest in more exploration of Rose and Bernard. This comment really got me thinking about the contrast between them as a couple and Eloise and Charles as a couple. These two pairs represent very different responses to the knowledge they receive about the island (arguably quite similar knowledge about the island's powers and time travel); they use that knowledge and the wisdom of their life experiences very differently. Eloise and Charles are almost brutally unsympathetic characters yet I don't think they should have been presented any differently. (I often think that they even sacrificed the sympathy of the audience for the island. It's as though their characters serve the story in our universe exactly as they served the island in theirs.) Could Eloise and Charles have taken Rose and Bernard's approach? Destroyed or hid or just kept the journal and lived quietly in the jungle with Daniel, enjoying the time they had together? It's interesting to consider if they ever thought about it, and what (or who) might've eliminated that option if they did. They're together in the flash-sideways, after all, suggesting to me that they wanted to be happy together. Did Rose and Bernard abdicate a responsibility they had by virtue of their knowledge of the island or did they embrace it by accepting that whatever happens, happens? Did they understand the threat posed by the MiB? I like to imagine these four crossing paths in the seventies, even being friends. Like if Rose and Bernard are why Eloise and Charles fully accepted time travel as reality and committed to their roles and sacrifices. Or if Eloise's and Charles's tragedy of losing Daniel is why Rose and Bernard commit to not getting involved. Or if they shared their knowledge, banded together, confronted Jacob, and he told them, "You two, miserable lives, protect the time loop. You two, happy lives, protect Vincent." And after that he decided that no one should be able to share relevant knowledge on the island ever again, lol. Mystery solved!
Such a great video man. I just went and watched the epilogue DVD video thats like 11 minutes long and this was a recommended video to play next AS WELL as someone in the comments of that video recommending ur channel. Definitely gonna stsrt from ur first vid and make my way to the end. So until next time, see you in another life, brotha
That’s really awesome to hear! So glad to know that the algorithm is still picking me up. I have updated and improved all of the older videos on the channel (of which there were about 30 originally) and I remade them all in better quality and rolled them into an epic six part series called The Theory of Everything. I recommend you start with this playlist: LOST EXPLAINED - The Theory of Everything ruclips.net/p/PL5iTj9psbPrNovFOg4pJJIyxiLAv2WAKB Hope you enjoy! 🙏
Your series has got me hooked! You've added so much to my knowledge of Lost. I was wondering if you have addressed something about the show that has haunted me since season 3: In season 1 when Joanne (I think that's her name) was drowning and Boone and Jack go out to try and save her. Charlie says "I don't swim". Then in season 3, suddenly Charlie is an expert swimmer! Is this something that has to be chalked up as a blooper or is there another answer I have missed? Thanks! I hope you keep these videos coming!
Thank you :-) And yes, I have addressed Charlie's swimming ability (or alleged lack of) in my video on Desmond and Charlie, which you can watch here: ruclips.net/video/9N6Tx_sAX7E/видео.html
...quality video putting elements together not many others have so far even after all these years... not issue of writers producing details that don't make sense but understanding what is clearly pretty much straight up logic. they all did outstanding job bringing to viewers an unrivaled depth of art an storytelling. criticisms people should have with this show should revolve around Desmond and Widmore's wigs an Jack's Jim Morrison beard
I've watched through Lost multiple times and always focused on Eloise having near supernatural foresight, realising it was because of the time travel on 2nd viewing but I have ways maintained Widmore was just a greedy businessman who had been scorned and never connected the dots! Great video
Another fantastic video-thank you! This doesn't contradict anything you say...just adding to the conversation. I always thought it was interesting that when Ben brings the kidnapped baby Alex back to The Others' camp, Widmore says something to the effect that if the island wants her dead, she'll be dead. I agree that I don't think Widmore ordered her murder, and that Keamy went rogue. But I have assumed she died b/c the island willed her death. I think her death was a "sacrifice the island demanded" to help Ben complete his destiny. Alex's death allowed fake Locke to pose as Alex and convince him to follow every order from Locke-leading to Jacob's eventual murder, and on and on...until the Losties eventually kill the smoke monster and save the world.
My best “call it before it’s revealed” moment was recognizing Cunningham as young Widmore when he threatened to cut off Juliet’s arm to illustrate how serious he was. I keep wanting to check previous Widmore scenes to see if he used the phrase “illustrate” before or if he just felt like Charles.
To be fair to you, this particular topic is very esoteric. Widmore’s story is not the clearest or most prominent plot line of the series. But you should definitely do a rewatch because the show is awesome! 🤩
I haven't seen the whole of it so I cannot fairly comment on the overall project. From what I did see, I would contest the placement of certain scenes in the early chronology, such as the donkey wheel conversation between Christian and Locke (which I argue takes place in the objective present day of 2007). But I will get around to watching it at some point because it's a very ambitious project that has been clearly made with love.
I think that Widmore and Eloise were not trying to "avoid a time paradox" rather they took everything that happened with the time travelers as the will of the island or Jacob, after all they were benefited in their conflict with the Dharma Initiative, plus Daniel also guided them about burying the bomb in 1954.
Hi friend. Excellent video again. One question regarding Ben. Is it not accurate to say that Daniel knew that the time-jumps started because of Ben's actions at the Orchid (turning the wheel), and that it is probable that he made notes to this effect in his journal? Because if this is the case, then it's likely that Widmore would've known the importance of Ben being allowed to turn the wheel, yet if Ben had surrendered himself to Keamy in order to save Alex, he would've been removed from the Island before turning the wheel. Is this another case of Widmore taking risks with the fulfilment of the timeline?
That's an interesting thought! Daniel certainly makes the connection between The Orchid and the time travel, only he doesn't know what exactly. Because he says the following: "Whatever Ben Linus did down at the Orchid station, I think it may have dislodged us." Which means he didn't know about the wheel, only that the station had time travel-related capabilities. We could argue he acquired knowledge about the wheel during the three years with DHARMA, but it's unlikely. Because we see that he dies on the very day that Pierre Chang discovers the wheel. Anyway, whether or not Faraday jotted down a note about this event in his journal is possible, but it raises more questions than it resolves. I think the issue I have with that idea is that if Faraday wrote something along the lines of: "Ben Linus used The Orchid to move the island but it sent the rest of us hurtling through time"... then why would Widmore send mercenaries to extract Ben. Their mission is exclusively to get Ben off the island, at the cost of murdering anyone who gets in the way. And if Widmore believes Ben will be the root cause of the time travel and crucial to sustaining the loop then the mercenaries mission and primary objective seems antithetical to that. Sure, you could argue Widmore was simply providing the motivation to Ben to do what he does, but does that really hold water? The way in which Widmore speaks about Ben and these events after the fact imply that he had no ulterior motive beyond ousting Ben. He doesn't say to Locke: "Ben needed a reason to push that wheel. I gave it to him." He says the opposite: "I needed Linus removed... so it could be your time." Never mind the confrontation in the London penthouse between the two men, in which the disdain is mutual and Widmore does not make any mention of sending the mercs to get Ben to do what needed done. There's only so much we can attribute to the journal, I think. At least that's demonstrable within the story, and I feel this detail might make the freighter arc more inconsistent as a result. I don't dismiss it, but I don't personally endorse it either.
I like a lot of this, but don't get the idea of Jacob intentionally ignoring Ben to provoke him on purpose. However, previous to that, he tells Ben that he has a choice and can walk out of there, leaving them to discuss things without him. In another video the author said Jacob didn't like seeing Ben's character become corrupted and feeling "What's in it for me?" So when he pleads "What about me?" he interprets it as the previous and replies, "What about you?" But was that merely a question, or as Ben believed a sign of disdain, saying Ben's service, faith, loyalty and sacrifice didn't matter to him?
The idea is that Jacob didn't approve of the decisions that Ben had been making. It probably didn't start straight away. It surely took time for Ben to become the manipulator that we know. And I think Jacob was disappointed in how the boy full of promise turned out: closer to the dark than the light. I don't think he personally liked him. But Jacob also believed in both people and The Island sorting out things for themselves. The less he interfered, the more that events would play out the way The Island wanted/needed them to. Ben probably requested to speak to and see Jacob multiple times over the years, and Jacob shunned him very specifically as a result of the bad choices he made as leader. By the time we get to their confrontation in the statue, Jacob knows that he might have to die in order for the chain to move forward and is prepared for that (Widmore and Desmond are already on the way!). And so he does not coddle Ben. He could easily say: "Ben, I see you and acknowledge your sacrifices. It was all part of a plan. Everything that happened to you was for a reason" but he knows the choice is ultimately down to the man himself. If Ben made the right decision in that moment (not to kill Jacob) it would have demonstrated that Jacob was correct about humanity's redeemability right in front of the Man in Black: "See brother! The worst person on this island can make a morally right choice, even under your influence." So, Jacob does not want to manipulate that choice. It has to come from Ben. It has to be real. So, there are mixed emotions going on in that scene for both Ben and Jacob.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 OK. That makes sense. But then he also disses Richard, who laments that Jacob told him he had a plan and Richard was supposed to be a part of it. And now he's on his own. I'm guessing Richard didn't know there were candidates like Dogen at the temple, or perhaps he was one, but never saw himself as Jacob's replacement, so got crossed off.
Jacob told different people different bits of information as and when they needed to know. He was playing a long game. Richard only needed to know what he knew, just like Dogen. The only one who knew what the overarching plan was supposed to be was Jacob himself. If Richard had known about the candidates from the start then that would have changed how he operated and his judgement. I don’t think it was a diss so much as “need to know”.
In the old days, I think Richard and The Others would have used boats to come and go from The Island. I have suggested in a previous video that Jacob used the mirrors in the lighthouse to teleport off-island to the locations he saw reflected within the mirrors.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 I’m thinkin about when John spoke to Richard back in the ‘50s in the others camp and he was just about to reveal how and then the flash came and…boom! Time travel 😅
I think several old antagonists showing up in the flash sideways is significant. We also get Ethan, Mikhail, Cooper, Widmore, etc. Everyone was connected, even the bad guys. And the bad guys brought out certain emotions from our Losties that played into their ultimate revelations about who they are and where they are.
Very very well put!. I had a little trouble understanding widmores motivation. But you explained it great! I kinda even thought he was still looking after the island. Ben was a curl bastard and was put in charge of the island all by chance or fate. But i also feel its all part of the plan of Jacob or the island. I believe ben got the tumor so jack gad to operate on him so the timeline would play out
I feel that this video explains the reasons for why the freighter was sent and the differences between the main teams. Who else would you like to know about from the freighter specifically?
Oh I see! I don't tend to do character profiles in general, or breakdown specific characters unless they have a set of overarching questions and/or mysteries attached to their arcs, like Jacob or Mother or Juliet or Desmond, etc. I always found that characters like Faraday, Charlotte and Miles had fairly self-explanatory arcs. Plus, I often touch upon their characters whilst exploring other parts of the mythology. For instance, I have discussed Faraday a lot whenever talking about Desmond or Widmore or Eloise, or the time travel in general. That said, I don't rule out doing deep dives into each character in future. A lot of people have asked me to do character analysis videos, so it might be on the cards someday! And I'm sure that would include the freighter folk. 👍
I think Jacob allowing Ben to be healed was part of his long con with the MiB. I think Ben was on Richard and Jacob’s radar the first time Richard met him and he told Richard he could see his mom. Being able to see the dead was a similar power Hurley has which helped the remaining candidates beat the MiB in the final season. I think the island took away’s Ben’s gift so he would become jealous of John once he came to the island. The island did a similar thing with John when it took away’s John’s ability to walk which forced Boone to climb into plane which led to his death. Jacob and the island was just as manipulative as the MiB…everyone who came to the island were just pieces to game and they didn’t know the rules.
Ben never saw the dead. It was the MIB manipulating Ben because he had an abusive dad. If Sayid never shot him as a kid he would have ended being like Claire if he didn’t join the others.
Few understood the purpose of being on the island, which is to respect the island, especially because of the protector, who did not know how to take care of his people, he remained very distant, at the same time many tried to dominate it for their desires, and of course, the island does not like that. The only people who really knew what the island was really like were Bernard and Rose, they lived respecting the island, and above all because the Island gave them a second chance to live, and they genuinely stayed there as a thank you, finding their way and purpose.
I’ve started an episode guide where I am going through the series episode by episode. It’s pretty much the equivalent of a podcast now. Check it out here: LOST Episode Guide ruclips.net/p/PL5iTj9psbPrNFZaiwhulGTzxdWG5qSeEe
A question Richard Alpert gave Locke his compass, instructing him to give it back to him the next time Locke saw him. ("Because You Left") When Locke time-shifted to 1954, he gave the compass to Richard in order to prove he was from the future. ("Jughead") In 2007, The Man in Black posing as Locke told Richard to give the compass to Locke, thereby creating a time loop. ("Follow the Leader") It is also something of a self-contained paradox, since the compass was never created. Does this paradox exist in lost?? Also there's the rope over the orchid
Yes indeed, this paradox certainly exists in LOST. The compass is symbolic of the paradoxical nature of the causality loop/bootstrap paradox. It helps to illustrate how what we see in Season Five is a loop that keeps going around and around like the snake eating its own tail. I also agree that the rope at The Orchid well could potentially be viewed in this same way, but only if the Egyptians used the same rope that they found in the ground for the well that they eventually built.
@@buzzwithdrip6347 I know some fans were turned off the show because of the time travel and because it leaned harder into sci-fi ideas. But this paradox answers so many mysteries and questions at the same time. It was a clever way to explain to the audience why "destiny" existed for these characters in the first place. For me, the time travel storylines of Season Five were some of my favourite storylines from the entire series. But I like my time travel and mind-bending paradoxes, so it was right up my alley.
Richard can't give him a different compass because he is following Fake Locke's instructions. Fake Locke gives Richard the compass to give to Time Travelling Locke. It's part of the loop and "whatever happened, happened". This event could never have played out any differently. The compass is eternally recurring. And this paradox is intentional and by design. The way to look at it is like this: The Source is the reason for the time loop. It's "the god in the machine", so to speak. It is guiding events through its influence, instruction and direct action across the entire series (and throughout the entire lives of our characters). The compass is really a manifestation and a result of The Source's manipulation over the fabric of time itself.
Ok, I've been going through the series and I think I need some supplementary help. What I understand: The source was uncorked, unhindered in Mother's time. She went into the unhindered source as protector, became smoke monster and protector at same time. Mother passes protectorship onto Jacob. Man in Black kills Mother. Jacob tosses Man in Black into unhindered source, MiB becomes smoke monster. Later, Egyptians cork the source, I think, you said, at the request or influence of Smoke Monster/MiB, IMO in order to prevent anyone else from becoming a Smoke Monster Why, then, is it that uncorking the source puts the light out, when it felt like the cork itself was what was darkening the light (as seen in scenes where we see the entrance to the source after it is corked vs before it was corked)? Thanks in advance, keep up the good work.
The Egyptians corked The Source on Jacob's instructions. Remember, only the island protector could find the cave of light. I explain why this all happened and the timeline of events in my latest video: ruclips.net/video/aB4kvRxN7Hc/видео.html
You're definitely watching it in the right order, which I appreciate! My latest videos explore this part of the mythology more in detail. The cork is related to an "ancient incident" and was basically built to keep the light from burning itself out.
These all seem like solid rational explanations to the series. The only fly in the ointment I would ask you to consider is a fairly substantial one. One that Ben told Hurley, when Hurley became the leader of the island. Hugo says Jacob said no one could leave the island. Ben replies that is just how Jacob ran things.. maybe there is another way, a better way. So up until Jacob is dispatched, No one was allowed to leave the island because that was what Jacob willed. So we know that the smoke monster can assume any shape and admitted to taking on the shape of Christian to Jack in season 6. How is Jack able to see Christian when he and the others were "off the island" and supposedly back in the mainland. If that is indeed smoky in the form Christian is on the mainland because Smoky is specifically being held by Jacob. How is Christian/Smoky on the mainland. How were Eloise and Charles and Ben allowed to leave. Hugo/Hurley makes a cryptic statement to Jack when they are playing horse basketball in the psychiatric hospital. He says we never really left the island. There are a whole bunch of things about Locke from the very 1st season that seem off and are too many to cite. But thats the beauty of this show. It allows every viewer to draw their own conclusions
That's totally fair enough! There are many, many people who were perfectly happy with the text-to-speech voice, hence why it lasted for as long as it did. The only reason I changed it up was because it had started to stifle channel growth and views, with more and more criticisms coming in from people who simply couldn't get into videos due to the voice. And I didn't want it to be a barrier to other people enjoying the content. I think it has proven itself to be the right call.
Question. If Widmore and Eloise understood time travel to the point that whatever happens, happened and the future cannot be changed. Why did they feel the need to get involved and make things go the way they should? Wouldn't they have thought that things will work themselves out.
There's a few components to this answer. The first one being that simply knowing the future isn't an excuse to sit back and do nothing. Eloise could choose to not raise her son to become a physicist and let him find his own way as a musician instead, hoping that fate will naturally do all of the work for her, but what if that isn't how it works? What if the future and the fate of the world depends on her choices to act upon the knowledge she already has? What if human choice dictates how fate unfolds? So, if Eloise doesn't raise Daniel to become the man that will time travel to 1977 and tell them all to use Jughead then will that lead to a catastrophic time paradox? Will the world end as a result of Daniel's absence? She cannot take that risk, so she spends her life making sure everything she does goes towards fulfilling her knowledge of the future (and the past). It's the irony of choice when you are trapped within a deterministic system. Whatever you choose is what you were supposed to choose. Whatever you do is what you were supposed to do. Because the outcomes are already predetermined. Had the story been that Eloise took the path of least resistance, ignored what she had seen and what she knew, and let Daniel be a musician then that would have been how it was supposed to be. And Daniel's path to The Island and time travelling would have been via a different chain of events and through some other series of "happenstances". But that isn't what happened. Eloise chose to assist The Island and fate in making sure that whatever happened in 1977 happens again. On the opposite end of this debate, you have Team Jack who believe that if they set off Jughead in 1977 it will prevent the hatch from being built, therefore changing the future. However -- this choice -- despite trying to work against fate is actually (ironically) fulfilling fate. Eloise learns this lesson after Jughead's detonation ensures that The Swan is constructed and completed. The Island *wants* this chain of events to happen and she cannot risk altering that chain through inaction. So, in short, Eloise does what she does because she cannot risk breaking the causality of the timeline. This comes in part from her experiences in 1977 as well as her general island zealotry and belief in a greater purpose and greater good.
To people whoever watched the entirety of the lost. I suggest you guys watch this cool show "Manifest", Its just the same, has to do with some sort of plane.
Excuse my English. I like your way of explaining the events of the series. I propose you as a writer in case they make a movie or other story related to the universe of Lost and the Island. I'm curious what part of this universe you didn't like? (perhaps because it was due to the fact that some event was not narrated well). How do you think the end would have been if the writers' strike hadn't been there? Do you think that this whole story was thought from the beginning or perhaps they changed their focus as time went by? Can you clarify the doubt of why the smoke monster "obeyed" Ben when he was threatened by the mercenaries when they took Alex's life?
Your English is awesome! :-) To answer your questions: I didn't like the way Rousseau's storyline on The Island came to an end. It was too abrupt and her story felt incomplete, to the point where they had to recast a younger actress to tell her backstory during the time travel season. Also, not bringing back Walt for the final season was a miscalculation too. The writer's strike didn't have as big of an impact on the overall narrative as people think it did. It only affected Season Four and it only caused the loss of two planned episodes that were later absorbed into Season Five. I made a video all about that issue and how the whole show was written behind the scenes and whether or not they were making it up as they went along. You can watch it here: ruclips.net/video/RbR4cPGcF20/видео.html
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Thanks for answering, your channel is fabulous and I finally find a space to enjoy the curiosities of the program. I agree with the Frenchwoman, I also think that she died quickly and abruptly. And about whether the series was thought out in all aspects, I always thought that the producers of the series had a general outline, for example the monster, the others, Jacob and candidates in case he dies, in addition to the confrontation of "good and evil" the monster and the protector of the island, embodied in two of our protagonists like Locke and Jack in that confrontation while the island trembles and a volcano erupts (it's a shame that we didn't see that last part). But beyond that, the introduction of certain mysteries, or perhaps the evolution of certain characters, places, some aspects of the mythology of the series, perhaps there was some change there.
Ah that's great! My goal was to make a video that would clarify and map out Charles Widmore's motivations and choices so that fans could track his arc better and see that there is a logic behind everything he does. So I'm really pleased to hear that it has elevated the character for you.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 I only ever interpreted Charles to be a brutal tyrant, and that his assertions to have changed for the good were simply a coping method to go after Ben. His deal with Desmond makes a LOT more sense now, especially the opposite attitude he takes with him in the flash-sideways.
one of my favorite, what I like to call "fun plot holes" (details that technically don't make sense, but I don't seriously consider a detriment to the actual show narrative) is the origin of that photo of Ben that Miles shows to the gang, their means of identification on him. He sure looks like he's at an airport security checkpoint. or really, it's simply the fact that he's ANYWHERE else in the outside world, while there's no indication Ben ever left the island once arriving there as a child, to the point where he gets transported off it via the wheel at the end of season 4. We know Richard used the sub to go off island several times over the years, but nothing else to indicate Ben did and why
Ben definitely spent time off the island. Sayid finds multiple passports with his photo on but different names, which means he is well travelled. We later see that he was a preferred guest at that hotel in Tunisia in which he often visited under the name “Moriarty”. So, he definitely was familiar to airports. It’s not a plot hole, just a couple of subtle easy to miss plot points.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 oh my god I can't believe I forgot about the Tunisia hotel stuff. I used to be so much more well versed on every detail of this show lol (tho I still feel like I could respond sufficiently enough back to most people who go on the "they didn't answer anything" rant when they'd give me one of their supposed examples)
Incredible video, as always! Looking forward to new releases! 😁 I have 2 questions, can you answer please? 1. Why in 3x05 Man in Black took the form of not only Emeka and his people who were killed by Eko, but also the little boy from the church? We know that Man in Black only takes on the forms of the dead because they have already returned to the Source. But what about the boy? There is no information about him in canon. 2. Why in 1x06 the bodies of Mother and Man in black lie in different places in the caves, but in 6x05 and 6x15 in one place? So, 2000 years ago they were buried in one place, in 2004 they lie in different places, in 2007 they are in one place again. P.S. Sorry if there are mistakes in English, I am not an English speaker.
Thank you! Your English is great, and both of these are great questions. My next video is actually going to address all of the island apparitions and ghosts, including the appearances of Emeka and the altar boy. So keep an eye out for that one when it drops! As for your second question, it does appear to be a continuity error sadly. What's interesting is that the writing and production teams were aware of it because in 'Across the Sea' they make a deliberate choice to show us the scene when Jack and Kate first discover the bodies in the cave. Reminding us of the positioning of "Adam and Eve". However, I think there is perhaps an answer we can hypothesise based on the discrepancy. The easiest answer is that someone moved one of the bodies. And the only person who makes sense is: the Man in Black. Maybe he moved his own body away so it wouldn't forever be laying next to his "Mother" -- the woman who caused all of his pain and suffering. Then sometime during 2004-2007, when our Oceanic 815ers were absent from the island, Jacob moved it back to where it belonged. That said, I do think it's ultimately just a production error that we can only really try to reconcile with generous head canon like the above.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Interesting topic for next video. It would be great to hear your opinion about Harper. Was it really Harper that Juliet and Jack met in season 4? Or possibly ghost/MIB?
Hey - I love your videos! I really do, do you think there is any chance you could go back and re-create the older videos using your voice? Since it's much nicer and more natural with it!
Whidmore was a flawed Christ-like figure... he gave his only son and eventually his own life, to save the world... even if he had to do a lot of awful things to do it. Most of the awful things he had to do, also hurt him to do. They were sacrifices.
Consider donating to the LOST EXPLAINED Patreon to keep this channel and content alive. Your contributions help me to continue producing new content: www.patreon.com/LOSTEXPLAINED
youtubing is free lol.. why are you asking people for money?
Because some people like the content enough to become part of its creation and to get early access, and I build a community around the Patreon on top of youTube. More crucially, the money helps me to dedicate more time to making the videos. It takes a tremendous amount of time and effort and work to make this content, and I can't afford to dedicate as much time to the process without extra incentive. A lot of RUclipsrs have Patreons and encourage subscribers to join. This isn't anything new. And those that can donate, do donate. I don't really get your problem with that tbh.
@@Stubbla Youtubing isnt free, it cost time. He values his. You sound like a child.
Widmore and his crew are truly the greatest victims of the writer's strike. Getting deeper backgrounds on Daniel, Charlotte, Miles, and Frank would have been so so great.
Daniel and Miles got a backstory but not Charlotte and Frank.
@@TJMalana Charlotte has a backstory! What do you mean? She lived in the Dharma Initiative Barracks when she was a little girl, and then, when she's already an adult woman she returns to the Island, and that's why she gets all those symptoms, and headaches, and that's what will eventually cause her own death and disapearance right in front of Daniel (because she died before the last time flash)...
This channel is such a reality check. I started watching Lost the summer before the final season and I thought I understood everything there was to know about it by now. Widmore's perspective never resonated with me the way it should have. Thank you so much for these videos.
I feel like the show would have greatly benefitted from giving us a Widmore-centric flashback episode in Season Six. That way we could have seen a bit more about his time as leader and his life off-island, plus how his relationship to Penny deteriorated. And we could have gotten a glimpse of that Jacob meeting, which would have helped bring a bit more context to the endgame.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 I absolutely agree. I never considered the knowledge he carried when I watched his scenes and some extra background on how he manages and deals with that knowledge would have added so much great context.
Couldn't have said better. Wonderful.
I think I need to start another rewatch soon. 😁
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 that’s why I always thought the higher episode count was a good thing tbh. Charlotte, Daniel, Charles etc etc really wouldn’t have hurt imo to see more.
But I can tell the show was getting significantly less production money in the later seasons and I know it’s a miracle they got to shape an ending for it.
I always misjudged him, too. The time I rewatched it recently, I understood him better. I also got into it around the same time you did.
I've always considered myself "The biggest LOST fan." Rewatching at least once every year since my first watch in 2013. Getting mad at anyons who says, "Weren't they just dead the whole time" etc. Your videos make me feel like I'm watching this show again for the first time
I dont feel so strange now 😅 i have the dvd versions with all the extras. I cannot imagine being without the extras!
Such a terrific show!!
The fact that this Channel even exists is one of the coolest things in my life
"Make peace with your Bens.". Great video; thank you!
Great video. Very sad that Widmore got so little screen-time in season 6.. He would certainly have deserved an centric-episode with flashbacks...
Completely agree. I also think we could’ve seen a Claire flashback episode in similar vain to “the other 48 days” which would’ve started from the rocket blowing up the house she was in up to where she found Jin. Could have covered off many aspects of the mythos, the cabin, MIB, Sickness/Claimed etc etc
@@Sarco86 Yeah, would have been great to see the beginning of the "friendship" between Claire and MIB.
I always found it funny that the actor that plays Jacob is the same guy that plays Lucifer in Supernatural.
I think the showrunners played into that association a little bit. Especially in Season Six's 'Ab Aeterno' when they tease out the idea that Jacob is "the devil". Jacob even smirks at that when Richard mentions it. Definite reference!
Where's the money Lebowski?!
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 There's a significance, because Jacob is a solar symbol, and we see him in 1789 clothes. And Lucifer is illustrated by the night star, the Moon (1917). Twin brother of Jacob is Esau (Locke : The Man in Black). Refering to Moon Cult in North Korea. In Ussher's chronology of the birth dates of biblical figures, these dates correspond to world revolutions. Jacob is born in 1789 BC. Sarah died in 1939BC-1812 BC. Abraham in 1948 BC-1775 BC.
I like to think that somewhere in Daniels Journal, "buy Microsoft shares" and "bet on the Cowboys in the Super Bowl" is written down.
That's how Widmore amassed his fortune.
Lol, I think that's totally plausible 😂
Maybe on sawyer’s😂
I remember Sawyer saying that when he was leaving the Island etc he said buy Microsoft Shares etc
Talk about a great algorithm. I just finished the series for the 3rd time two days ago. This video was so informative and I now see Charles in a whole different way.
RIP Lance Reddick, whose ‘light’ rejoined The Source today 😔
Well said. It's incredibly sad news. Lance was only 60. Another LOST alumni gone before their time. RIP.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Wait I just finished watching the show...who else?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… Charles, Eloise, and Desmond are the most intriguing characters in the series because I feel like we never got that full story. Thanks for making this video.
Your videos really make the show a much richer experience when you rewatch it
My core drive behind this channel is to deepen and enrich the mythology for fans, so I take great pleasure in reading comments like this. Thank you 🙏
I’m bingeing it right now and I’ve always thought Widmore was with the Dharma Initiative! So I’m in the midst of the time traveling after Ben has turned the Island. This changes my own experience as to ‘The Others’🤯
Man, you've made the Widmore story so much clearer and more palatable here. And I love how you found a way to end this recent batch of videos with some life lessons that we can all take from the storylines. "Make peace with your Bens" might be the most important and hardest one of all. But you're right! Had Widmore made peace, he would have lived. Soooo many people would have lived! It's easier for us to blame external factors on the outcomes of our lives sometimes. We may not be slaves to a time loop (that we know of!) but we do find ways to justify making bad choices. I love this channel so much. As soon as I can, I will start donating to your Patreon because this channel is producing A+ content that expounds upon the lore and nourishes the heart and mind. Thank you!
I really appreciate your kind words and any support you can give.
I love the touching and positive lesson at the end.
Great video, love your content.
I just watched LOST for the third time, and now I love it even more, everything makes much more sense than the first time, and this explanation on Witmores plan is genius!
Thank you so much for another episode! I was actually looking up to see if I missed an episode because it had been awhile and thought I may have missed one lol. All your effort and editing are very appreciated, keep up the excellent work and quality of content. All the best to you and your family! Cheers from Canada!
I tend to post a new video every two weeks to a month, depending on the size of the script and subject. A lot of FAQs tend to clock in between 20-30 mins, and they take a while to edit. Got a new video coming up soon which is 70-minutes long! I hope to see you there when it drops :-)
Another great episode. So, not only do we get help understanding the character of members of the show, we get some good advice on letting go in our own lives.
This is the best channel I could’ve ever found. Thank you so much for making me love the show even more!
this was a fantastic analysis of Widmore. I think you hit the nail on head in illustrating how Lost explores the complexity of morality. This was a major theme in the show. The idea that morality is never black and white and often times bad things are necessary to enable good things. It make sense that the show came out around the time of the War On Terror. Yeah i'll leave you to read between the lines on that one.
This was so helpful. Charles Widmore I always felt never got a chance to fully explain himself and I always had trouble following his motivations even after multiple rewatches.
Great ending! Love that you put up the mirror and encourage reflection on our own lives.
Your Channel is phenomenal Man, don't stop! Thank you :))
I love the lost content! Thank you
Great, great summary video on Charles Widmore. The show definitely showed him so piecemeal that it's difficult to put it all together on the first watch
Thank you so much for this analysis! I’ve watched Lost start to finish half a dozen times and never understood Whitmore or his place in the canon. I really appreciate your explanation!
wow what a amazing video! going to have to check out more of yours.
namaste
Wow what a great detailed video crazy the level of depth this show has thank you
Bravo to you good sir another wonderful video. I hope there are plenty more to come. Absolutely love your insight
incredible video 👍👍
Yyyyyyesssss... Another masterpeice about Lost!
Keep up the amazing and outstanding work you do!
Awesome vid, mate. Like it
Widmore, although portrayed mostly as a villain, I feel he was one of the many tragic characters. Almost everything he did was to further the island’s plan, even at his literal expense.
I do have more sympathy for his character on re-watches. For a long time, we only see him through he eyes of Desmond and Ben. Two men who hate him. But by Season Five and Six we get a better sense of who he is and what drives him. He's not a good guy or a hero, but he has more depth and complexity than those initial viewings might suggest.
They really needed a Widmore/Jacob episode I feel somewhere around the Desmond episode in S6, felt his story was rushed over in S6 amongst some other stories.
Excellent video! You made my day. Love your content. Keep up the great work! We appreciate it!
Why am I crying ??? I can't use the same praising words every time a new video comes, but... You'll know what I mean...Wow... There definitely IS a Source !
Great points about the barracks massacre! You're absolutely correct, the last time Widmore was on the Island, the Others had already occupied the barracks. It could've very well been Widmore's deduction that the Others - being so secretive as he knew them - had the sonic fence on all the time and was protected by any attacks from the survivors. Especially the surprise of Ben being with the survivors and not with his own people.
I also wonder if the first time he came to the Lamp Post was after that talk with Eloise in "The Variable", since he finally learned how to find the Island and Eloise knew that The Island wasn't done with Desmond - seeing as Desmond didn't board Ajira 316 and was at the hospital instead, maybe she decided to cooperate with her former lover. Or that the next window/directions came from Jacob instead.
Excellent video as usual. I love most of the characters on the show and I admit that Charles Widmore was always low on the list. But this video helps! Interestingly, I've warmed up to Eloise with rewatches and now find her one of the most tragic characters on the show. I can't say the same for Widmore. I would love to see a similar analysis of Eloise ❤️
An Eloise-centric episode is definitely on the cards someday! So you shall get your wish :-)
Widmore definitely came across as an inconsistent villain between Season Two and Season Six upon first viewing. His motives always seemed contradictory and hard to follow but, once you step back and see the bigger picture (thanks to Season Five and Six), it becomes clearer that he was as much a slave to fate as Eloise was. Only rather than challenge his lot in life or try to be a more honourable person in the grand scheme, he doubled down on his cruelty and ruthlessness.
It's only in Season Six when we see him make a move towards redemption, and even then he is still pretty ruthless in how he goes about achieving this. But it's clear that he has changed his ways enough to show more magnanimity towards Desmond and our Losties. And to a lesser extent Ben. I find him a really fascinating character when looking back. Not sympathetic per se, but certainly more interesting and cohesive than the first time watching through. I hope this video helps to clarify what he was about and why he was the way he was.
Nice channel! Love the videos. Going to Hawaii soon and will do a Lost tour. Trying to read up. Watched Lost two times in the past.
Another phenomenal video. Great job! Taking these lessons and applying them in real life. Another cool topic that could be interesting is Rose and Bernard. Keep up the great work. Ben's mercenary, Sayed, was a revenge for sure. Widmores people and the Oceanic six. They just had tranq guns and Sayed was just offing them. I also wondered who Pennys mom was. I watch each video several times and recently became one of your membership people. Namaste 🏝
That's great Silas! Thank you for signing up. :-) Really appreciate your comments and support. 🙏
I love this, thank you so much
You are really good at establishing a big picture perspective! One pair of characters I wondered about these last episodes are Rose and Bernard. Not sure if they're worth an entire video or if you're planning to cover this in the episode guide, but especially watching the Desmond video recently made me wonder about them. They make a point of *not* being involved and other than rescuing Demond from the well they're never seem to be an essential part of the overall story. And all of that despite even being part of the time travellers. For all we know they weren't even candiates. So in that sense they are a sort of antithesis to the destiny-heavy journey of the other characters.
Yes, as the series goes on, Rose and Bernard adopt the philosophy of not getting involved. You could argue that they unintentionally mirror Jacob's hands-off approach to the tribal warring on the island: let things work themselves out. But they also claim to be retired, which is a fair enough reason for wanting to stay out of the chaos and violence, and living a quiet, peaceful life instead. They were older than most of the other characters. Sometimes they embodied some of the emotional themes of the show, such as letting go of the past and being present with your loved ones, or the important need for finding and keeping soulmates. But they also (unintentionally) represent some iffy moral positions throughout, which I explored a little bit in my video on "Good vs Evil".
I think I'd cover Rose and Bernard's mini-storyline in the series guide when going through their centric-episode 'S.O.S'. It makes sense to talk about them in detail with that particular episode, I think.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Looking forward to it! :)
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Tbf, they also aren’t leading anyone and they aren’t observing people like a game or experiment. They truly are just trying to “stay in their lane” and enjoy the time they have together. The Island gave them a miraculous opportunity to grow old together, and I can’t fault them one bit for it. Also, their decision gave Vincent a stable little forever family lol.
The older I get, rewatching this and slowly developing my own health problems, I identify more and more with them.
Well said! 👍
I'll add my interest in more exploration of Rose and Bernard. This comment really got me thinking about the contrast between them as a couple and Eloise and Charles as a couple. These two pairs represent very different responses to the knowledge they receive about the island (arguably quite similar knowledge about the island's powers and time travel); they use that knowledge and the wisdom of their life experiences very differently. Eloise and Charles are almost brutally unsympathetic characters yet I don't think they should have been presented any differently. (I often think that they even sacrificed the sympathy of the audience for the island. It's as though their characters serve the story in our universe exactly as they served the island in theirs.) Could Eloise and Charles have taken Rose and Bernard's approach? Destroyed or hid or just kept the journal and lived quietly in the jungle with Daniel, enjoying the time they had together? It's interesting to consider if they ever thought about it, and what (or who) might've eliminated that option if they did. They're together in the flash-sideways, after all, suggesting to me that they wanted to be happy together.
Did Rose and Bernard abdicate a responsibility they had by virtue of their knowledge of the island or did they embrace it by accepting that whatever happens, happens? Did they understand the threat posed by the MiB?
I like to imagine these four crossing paths in the seventies, even being friends. Like if Rose and Bernard are why Eloise and Charles fully accepted time travel as reality and committed to their roles and sacrifices. Or if Eloise's and Charles's tragedy of losing Daniel is why Rose and Bernard commit to not getting involved. Or if they shared their knowledge, banded together, confronted Jacob, and he told them, "You two, miserable lives, protect the time loop. You two, happy lives, protect Vincent." And after that he decided that no one should be able to share relevant knowledge on the island ever again, lol. Mystery solved!
Such a great video man. I just went and watched the epilogue DVD video thats like 11 minutes long and this was a recommended video to play next AS WELL as someone in the comments of that video recommending ur channel. Definitely gonna stsrt from ur first vid and make my way to the end.
So until next time, see you in another life, brotha
That’s really awesome to hear! So glad to know that the algorithm is still picking me up. I have updated and improved all of the older videos on the channel (of which there were about 30 originally) and I remade them all in better quality and rolled them into an epic six part series called The Theory of Everything. I recommend you start with this playlist:
LOST EXPLAINED - The Theory of Everything
ruclips.net/p/PL5iTj9psbPrNovFOg4pJJIyxiLAv2WAKB
Hope you enjoy! 🙏
I still enjoy great shows. Own the boxset, watch it 1-2 per year still. Love these !!
Your series has got me hooked! You've added so much to my knowledge of Lost. I was wondering if you have addressed something about the show that has haunted me since season 3: In season 1 when Joanne (I think that's her name) was drowning and Boone and Jack go out to try and save her. Charlie says "I don't swim". Then in season 3, suddenly Charlie is an expert swimmer! Is this something that has to be chalked up as a blooper or is there another answer I have missed? Thanks! I hope you keep these videos coming!
Thank you :-) And yes, I have addressed Charlie's swimming ability (or alleged lack of) in my video on Desmond and Charlie, which you can watch here: ruclips.net/video/9N6Tx_sAX7E/видео.html
I loved when they introduced Faraday! The high point of the show for me.
...quality video putting elements together not many others have so far even after all these years... not issue of writers producing details that don't make sense but understanding what is clearly pretty much straight up logic. they all did outstanding job bringing to viewers an unrivaled depth of art an storytelling. criticisms people should have with this show should revolve around Desmond and Widmore's wigs an Jack's Jim Morrison beard
I've watched through Lost multiple times and always focused on Eloise having near supernatural foresight, realising it was because of the time travel on 2nd viewing but I have ways maintained Widmore was just a greedy businessman who had been scorned and never connected the dots! Great video
Thank you for this channel. I am INVESTED
Another fantastic video-thank you! This doesn't contradict anything you say...just adding to the conversation. I always thought it was interesting that when Ben brings the kidnapped baby Alex back to The Others' camp, Widmore says something to the effect that if the island wants her dead, she'll be dead. I agree that I don't think Widmore ordered her murder, and that Keamy went rogue. But I have assumed she died b/c the island willed her death. I think her death was a "sacrifice the island demanded" to help Ben complete his destiny. Alex's death allowed fake Locke to pose as Alex and convince him to follow every order from Locke-leading to Jacob's eventual murder, and on and on...until the Losties eventually kill the smoke monster and save the world.
Yes, I agree completely with that! Every death is part of the causal chain of events. No one ever dies for nothing. Well said!
Beautifull ending, well done.
Wonderful video!!!
Amazing analysis,
Well said at the end 👏
Lovely video 10/10!
Love your work
My best “call it before it’s revealed” moment was recognizing Cunningham as young Widmore when he threatened to cut off Juliet’s arm to illustrate how serious he was. I keep wanting to check previous Widmore scenes to see if he used the phrase “illustrate” before or if he just felt like Charles.
I need to go back and rewatch this series. I remember almost none of all this!
To be fair to you, this particular topic is very esoteric. Widmore’s story is not the clearest or most prominent plot line of the series. But you should definitely do a rewatch because the show is awesome! 🤩
As usual, amazing
dunno if you have done a video on Chronological LOST HD but you should, it needs more eyes and it's truly amazing
I haven't seen the whole of it so I cannot fairly comment on the overall project. From what I did see, I would contest the placement of certain scenes in the early chronology, such as the donkey wheel conversation between Christian and Locke (which I argue takes place in the objective present day of 2007). But I will get around to watching it at some point because it's a very ambitious project that has been clearly made with love.
I think that Widmore and Eloise were not trying to "avoid a time paradox" rather they took everything that happened with the time travelers as the will of the island or Jacob, after all they were benefited in their conflict with the Dharma Initiative, plus Daniel also guided them about burying the bomb in 1954.
5:16-I never put it together that Daniel Faraday and Penny Widmore are half brother and sister!
Love the content
Oh man…inspiring…and memorable ❤
That was beautiful thank you
Charles Widmore was built up to be such a villain, but ultimately he just wanted to keep the darkness in.
Hi friend. Excellent video again. One question regarding Ben. Is it not accurate to say that Daniel knew that the time-jumps started because of Ben's actions at the Orchid (turning the wheel), and that it is probable that he made notes to this effect in his journal? Because if this is the case, then it's likely that Widmore would've known the importance of Ben being allowed to turn the wheel, yet if Ben had surrendered himself to Keamy in order to save Alex, he would've been removed from the Island before turning the wheel. Is this another case of Widmore taking risks with the fulfilment of the timeline?
That's an interesting thought! Daniel certainly makes the connection between The Orchid and the time travel, only he doesn't know what exactly. Because he says the following:
"Whatever Ben Linus did down at the Orchid station, I think it may have dislodged us."
Which means he didn't know about the wheel, only that the station had time travel-related capabilities. We could argue he acquired knowledge about the wheel during the three years with DHARMA, but it's unlikely. Because we see that he dies on the very day that Pierre Chang discovers the wheel. Anyway, whether or not Faraday jotted down a note about this event in his journal is possible, but it raises more questions than it resolves.
I think the issue I have with that idea is that if Faraday wrote something along the lines of: "Ben Linus used The Orchid to move the island but it sent the rest of us hurtling through time"... then why would Widmore send mercenaries to extract Ben. Their mission is exclusively to get Ben off the island, at the cost of murdering anyone who gets in the way. And if Widmore believes Ben will be the root cause of the time travel and crucial to sustaining the loop then the mercenaries mission and primary objective seems antithetical to that. Sure, you could argue Widmore was simply providing the motivation to Ben to do what he does, but does that really hold water?
The way in which Widmore speaks about Ben and these events after the fact imply that he had no ulterior motive beyond ousting Ben. He doesn't say to Locke: "Ben needed a reason to push that wheel. I gave it to him." He says the opposite: "I needed Linus removed... so it could be your time." Never mind the confrontation in the London penthouse between the two men, in which the disdain is mutual and Widmore does not make any mention of sending the mercs to get Ben to do what needed done.
There's only so much we can attribute to the journal, I think. At least that's demonstrable within the story, and I feel this detail might make the freighter arc more inconsistent as a result. I don't dismiss it, but I don't personally endorse it either.
I like a lot of this, but don't get the idea of Jacob intentionally ignoring Ben to provoke him on purpose.
However, previous to that, he tells Ben that he has a choice and can walk out of there, leaving them to discuss things without him.
In another video the author said Jacob didn't like seeing Ben's character become corrupted and feeling "What's in it for me?" So when he pleads "What about me?" he interprets it as the previous and replies, "What about you?" But was that merely a question, or as Ben believed a sign of disdain, saying Ben's service, faith, loyalty and sacrifice didn't matter to him?
The idea is that Jacob didn't approve of the decisions that Ben had been making. It probably didn't start straight away. It surely took time for Ben to become the manipulator that we know. And I think Jacob was disappointed in how the boy full of promise turned out: closer to the dark than the light. I don't think he personally liked him. But Jacob also believed in both people and The Island sorting out things for themselves. The less he interfered, the more that events would play out the way The Island wanted/needed them to.
Ben probably requested to speak to and see Jacob multiple times over the years, and Jacob shunned him very specifically as a result of the bad choices he made as leader. By the time we get to their confrontation in the statue, Jacob knows that he might have to die in order for the chain to move forward and is prepared for that (Widmore and Desmond are already on the way!). And so he does not coddle Ben. He could easily say: "Ben, I see you and acknowledge your sacrifices. It was all part of a plan. Everything that happened to you was for a reason" but he knows the choice is ultimately down to the man himself.
If Ben made the right decision in that moment (not to kill Jacob) it would have demonstrated that Jacob was correct about humanity's redeemability right in front of the Man in Black: "See brother! The worst person on this island can make a morally right choice, even under your influence." So, Jacob does not want to manipulate that choice. It has to come from Ben. It has to be real. So, there are mixed emotions going on in that scene for both Ben and Jacob.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 OK. That makes sense. But then he also disses Richard, who laments that Jacob told him he had a plan and Richard was supposed to be a part of it. And now he's on his own.
I'm guessing Richard didn't know there were candidates like Dogen at the temple, or perhaps he was one, but never saw himself as Jacob's replacement, so got crossed off.
Jacob told different people different bits of information as and when they needed to know. He was playing a long game. Richard only needed to know what he knew, just like Dogen. The only one who knew what the overarching plan was supposed to be was Jacob himself. If Richard had known about the candidates from the start then that would have changed how he operated and his judgement. I don’t think it was a diss so much as “need to know”.
Damn so many years passed. I remember I was obsessed with Lost back then. Nice channel m8.
Thank you 🙏 I was late teens when the show first aired. Feels like a lifetime ago!
Please someone tell me how Jacob, Richard, and possibly old time others went on and off the Island
In the old days, I think Richard and The Others would have used boats to come and go from The Island. I have suggested in a previous video that Jacob used the mirrors in the lighthouse to teleport off-island to the locations he saw reflected within the mirrors.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 I’m thinkin about when John spoke to Richard back in the ‘50s in the others camp and he was just about to reveal how and then the flash came and…boom! Time travel 😅
That final send off! 😊
Do you think there is any significance of Keamy showing up in the flash sideways being a foil to the losties once again.
I think several old antagonists showing up in the flash sideways is significant. We also get Ethan, Mikhail, Cooper, Widmore, etc. Everyone was connected, even the bad guys. And the bad guys brought out certain emotions from our Losties that played into their ultimate revelations about who they are and where they are.
Very very well put!. I had a little trouble understanding widmores motivation. But you explained it great! I kinda even thought he was still looking after the island. Ben was a curl bastard and was put in charge of the island all by chance or fate. But i also feel its all part of the plan of Jacob or the island. I believe ben got the tumor so jack gad to operate on him so the timeline would play out
But I also wondered if the island tried to kill Ben with the tumor because Jacob had seen the future and knew the blade was coming
Greta video! Could you do one explaining the Freighter people?
I feel that this video explains the reasons for why the freighter was sent and the differences between the main teams. Who else would you like to know about from the freighter specifically?
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 a breakdown of the characters themselves, if that makes sense? It's no pressure though
Oh I see! I don't tend to do character profiles in general, or breakdown specific characters unless they have a set of overarching questions and/or mysteries attached to their arcs, like Jacob or Mother or Juliet or Desmond, etc. I always found that characters like Faraday, Charlotte and Miles had fairly self-explanatory arcs. Plus, I often touch upon their characters whilst exploring other parts of the mythology. For instance, I have discussed Faraday a lot whenever talking about Desmond or Widmore or Eloise, or the time travel in general.
That said, I don't rule out doing deep dives into each character in future. A lot of people have asked me to do character analysis videos, so it might be on the cards someday! And I'm sure that would include the freighter folk. 👍
I think Jacob allowing Ben to be healed was part of his long con with the MiB. I think Ben was on Richard and Jacob’s radar the first time Richard met him and he told Richard he could see his mom. Being able to see the dead was a similar power Hurley has which helped the remaining candidates beat the MiB in the final season. I think the island took away’s Ben’s gift so he would become jealous of John once he came to the island. The island did a similar thing with John when it took away’s John’s ability to walk which forced Boone to climb into plane which led to his death. Jacob and the island was just as manipulative as the MiB…everyone who came to the island were just pieces to game and they didn’t know the rules.
Ben never saw the dead. It was the MIB manipulating Ben because he had an abusive dad. If Sayid never shot him as a kid he would have ended being like Claire if he didn’t join the others.
Wow thanks lovely video
HARD AF
Few understood the purpose of being on the island, which is to respect the island, especially because of the protector, who did not know how to take care of his people, he remained very distant, at the same time many tried to dominate it for their desires, and of course, the island does not like that.
The only people who really knew what the island was really like were Bernard and Rose, they lived respecting the island, and above all because the Island gave them a second chance to live, and they genuinely stayed there as a thank you, finding their way and purpose.
I always confused by widmore arc despite his hatred for linus.
So insightful
Please, man... make a podcast
I really need this...
I’ve started an episode guide where I am going through the series episode by episode. It’s pretty much the equivalent of a podcast now. Check it out here:
LOST Episode Guide
ruclips.net/p/PL5iTj9psbPrNFZaiwhulGTzxdWG5qSeEe
You brother (oi Desmond) are making the content of utter most importance. God probably loves you even more than Jacob.
A question
Richard Alpert gave Locke his compass, instructing him to give it back to him the next time Locke saw him. ("Because You Left") When Locke time-shifted to 1954, he gave the compass to Richard in order to prove he was from the future. ("Jughead") In 2007, The Man in Black posing as Locke told Richard to give the compass to Locke, thereby creating a time loop. ("Follow the Leader") It is also something of a self-contained paradox, since the compass was never created.
Does this paradox exist in lost??
Also there's the rope over the orchid
Yes indeed, this paradox certainly exists in LOST. The compass is symbolic of the paradoxical nature of the causality loop/bootstrap paradox. It helps to illustrate how what we see in Season Five is a loop that keeps going around and around like the snake eating its own tail. I also agree that the rope at The Orchid well could potentially be viewed in this same way, but only if the Egyptians used the same rope that they found in the ground for the well that they eventually built.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 man i hate paradoxes, wish it never existed in lost
@@buzzwithdrip6347 I know some fans were turned off the show because of the time travel and because it leaned harder into sci-fi ideas. But this paradox answers so many mysteries and questions at the same time. It was a clever way to explain to the audience why "destiny" existed for these characters in the first place. For me, the time travel storylines of Season Five were some of my favourite storylines from the entire series. But I like my time travel and mind-bending paradoxes, so it was right up my alley.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 i don't mind season 5 but i don't like paradoxes, what If Richard gave Locke a Dr different compass??
Richard can't give him a different compass because he is following Fake Locke's instructions. Fake Locke gives Richard the compass to give to Time Travelling Locke. It's part of the loop and "whatever happened, happened". This event could never have played out any differently. The compass is eternally recurring. And this paradox is intentional and by design.
The way to look at it is like this: The Source is the reason for the time loop. It's "the god in the machine", so to speak. It is guiding events through its influence, instruction and direct action across the entire series (and throughout the entire lives of our characters). The compass is really a manifestation and a result of The Source's manipulation over the fabric of time itself.
Make peace with your Bens…🤔…not sure about that one 😂. Another excellent video 👍🏿
The story of Matthew Abaddon is long and he came to the Island long time before Charles.
can you do a video about the hanso foundation and what happened to them?
Ok, I've been going through the series and I think I need some supplementary help. What I understand:
The source was uncorked, unhindered in Mother's time. She went into the unhindered source as protector, became smoke monster and protector at same time.
Mother passes protectorship onto Jacob. Man in Black kills Mother. Jacob tosses Man in Black into unhindered source, MiB becomes smoke monster.
Later, Egyptians cork the source, I think, you said, at the request or influence of Smoke Monster/MiB, IMO in order to prevent anyone else from becoming a Smoke Monster
Why, then, is it that uncorking the source puts the light out, when it felt like the cork itself was what was darkening the light (as seen in scenes where we see the entrance to the source after it is corked vs before it was corked)?
Thanks in advance, keep up the good work.
The Egyptians corked The Source on Jacob's instructions. Remember, only the island protector could find the cave of light. I explain why this all happened and the timeline of events in my latest video: ruclips.net/video/aB4kvRxN7Hc/видео.html
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 ah, okay. I will try and see how that answers my questions when I get there, trying to go mostly sequentially through your content.
You're definitely watching it in the right order, which I appreciate! My latest videos explore this part of the mythology more in detail. The cork is related to an "ancient incident" and was basically built to keep the light from burning itself out.
I love Ben’s retort when Widmore says he (Ben) murdered Alex.
You have a talent for communication. Excellent video
That was beautiful! Thanks! Love your videos as a defense for compatibleism!
You are the Lost God!
These all seem like solid rational explanations to the series. The only fly in the ointment I would ask you to consider is a fairly substantial one. One that Ben told Hurley, when Hurley became the leader of the island. Hugo says Jacob said no one could leave the island. Ben replies that is just how Jacob ran things.. maybe there is another way, a better way. So up until Jacob is dispatched, No one was allowed to leave the island because that was what Jacob willed. So we know that the smoke monster can assume any shape and admitted to taking on the shape of Christian to Jack in season 6. How is Jack able to see Christian when he and the others were "off the island" and supposedly back in the mainland. If that is indeed smoky in the form Christian is on the mainland because Smoky is specifically being held by Jacob. How is Christian/Smoky on the mainland. How were Eloise and Charles and Ben allowed to leave. Hugo/Hurley makes a cryptic statement to Jack when they are playing horse basketball in the psychiatric hospital. He says we never really left the island. There are a whole bunch of things about Locke from the very 1st season that seem off and are too many to cite. But thats the beauty of this show. It allows every viewer to draw their own conclusions
For some reason i miss the computerised voice 😄 don't get me wrong, it's just i got used to it for so many episodes. Keep up the great work mate 👍
That's totally fair enough! There are many, many people who were perfectly happy with the text-to-speech voice, hence why it lasted for as long as it did. The only reason I changed it up was because it had started to stifle channel growth and views, with more and more criticisms coming in from people who simply couldn't get into videos due to the voice. And I didn't want it to be a barrier to other people enjoying the content. I think it has proven itself to be the right call.
Daniel Faraday such an underrated character in LOST.
Question. If Widmore and Eloise understood time travel to the point that whatever happens, happened and the future cannot be changed. Why did they feel the need to get involved and make things go the way they should? Wouldn't they have thought that things will work themselves out.
There's a few components to this answer. The first one being that simply knowing the future isn't an excuse to sit back and do nothing.
Eloise could choose to not raise her son to become a physicist and let him find his own way as a musician instead, hoping that fate will naturally do all of the work for her, but what if that isn't how it works? What if the future and the fate of the world depends on her choices to act upon the knowledge she already has?
What if human choice dictates how fate unfolds?
So, if Eloise doesn't raise Daniel to become the man that will time travel to 1977 and tell them all to use Jughead then will that lead to a catastrophic time paradox? Will the world end as a result of Daniel's absence? She cannot take that risk, so she spends her life making sure everything she does goes towards fulfilling her knowledge of the future (and the past).
It's the irony of choice when you are trapped within a deterministic system. Whatever you choose is what you were supposed to choose. Whatever you do is what you were supposed to do. Because the outcomes are already predetermined. Had the story been that Eloise took the path of least resistance, ignored what she had seen and what she knew, and let Daniel be a musician then that would have been how it was supposed to be. And Daniel's path to The Island and time travelling would have been via a different chain of events and through some other series of "happenstances". But that isn't what happened. Eloise chose to assist The Island and fate in making sure that whatever happened in 1977 happens again.
On the opposite end of this debate, you have Team Jack who believe that if they set off Jughead in 1977 it will prevent the hatch from being built, therefore changing the future. However -- this choice -- despite trying to work against fate is actually (ironically) fulfilling fate. Eloise learns this lesson after Jughead's detonation ensures that The Swan is constructed and completed. The Island *wants* this chain of events to happen and she cannot risk altering that chain through inaction.
So, in short, Eloise does what she does because she cannot risk breaking the causality of the timeline. This comes in part from her experiences in 1977 as well as her general island zealotry and belief in a greater purpose and greater good.
To people whoever watched the entirety of the lost. I suggest you guys watch this cool show "Manifest", Its just the same, has to do with some sort of plane.
Excuse my English. I like your way of explaining the events of the series. I propose you as a writer in case they make a movie or other story related to the universe of Lost and the Island. I'm curious what part of this universe you didn't like? (perhaps because it was due to the fact that some event was not narrated well). How do you think the end would have been if the writers' strike hadn't been there? Do you think that this whole story was thought from the beginning or perhaps they changed their focus as time went by? Can you clarify the doubt of why the smoke monster "obeyed" Ben when he was threatened by the mercenaries when they took Alex's life?
Your English is awesome! :-) To answer your questions: I didn't like the way Rousseau's storyline on The Island came to an end. It was too abrupt and her story felt incomplete, to the point where they had to recast a younger actress to tell her backstory during the time travel season. Also, not bringing back Walt for the final season was a miscalculation too.
The writer's strike didn't have as big of an impact on the overall narrative as people think it did. It only affected Season Four and it only caused the loss of two planned episodes that were later absorbed into Season Five. I made a video all about that issue and how the whole show was written behind the scenes and whether or not they were making it up as they went along. You can watch it here: ruclips.net/video/RbR4cPGcF20/видео.html
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Thanks for answering, your channel is fabulous and I finally find a space to enjoy the curiosities of the program. I agree with the Frenchwoman, I also think that she died quickly and abruptly. And about whether the series was thought out in all aspects, I always thought that the producers of the series had a general outline, for example the monster, the others, Jacob and candidates in case he dies, in addition to the confrontation of "good and evil" the monster and the protector of the island, embodied in two of our protagonists like Locke and Jack in that confrontation while the island trembles and a volcano erupts (it's a shame that we didn't see that last part).
But beyond that, the introduction of certain mysteries, or perhaps the evolution of certain characters, places, some aspects of the mythology of the series, perhaps there was some change there.
Gorgeous! You just made me a fan of Charles Widmore.
Ah that's great! My goal was to make a video that would clarify and map out Charles Widmore's motivations and choices so that fans could track his arc better and see that there is a logic behind everything he does. So I'm really pleased to hear that it has elevated the character for you.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 I only ever interpreted Charles to be a brutal tyrant, and that his assertions to have changed for the good were simply a coping method to go after Ben. His deal with Desmond makes a LOT more sense now, especially the opposite attitude he takes with him in the flash-sideways.
one of my favorite, what I like to call "fun plot holes" (details that technically don't make sense, but I don't seriously consider a detriment to the actual show narrative) is the origin of that photo of Ben that Miles shows to the gang, their means of identification on him. He sure looks like he's at an airport security checkpoint. or really, it's simply the fact that he's ANYWHERE else in the outside world, while there's no indication Ben ever left the island once arriving there as a child, to the point where he gets transported off it via the wheel at the end of season 4. We know Richard used the sub to go off island several times over the years, but nothing else to indicate Ben did and why
Ben definitely spent time off the island. Sayid finds multiple passports with his photo on but different names, which means he is well travelled. We later see that he was a preferred guest at that hotel in Tunisia in which he often visited under the name “Moriarty”. So, he definitely was familiar to airports. It’s not a plot hole, just a couple of subtle easy to miss plot points.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 oh my god I can't believe I forgot about the Tunisia hotel stuff. I used to be so much more well versed on every detail of this show lol (tho I still feel like I could respond sufficiently enough back to most people who go on the "they didn't answer anything" rant when they'd give me one of their supposed examples)
Incredible video, as always! Looking forward to new releases! 😁
I have 2 questions, can you answer please?
1. Why in 3x05 Man in Black took the form of not only Emeka and his people who were killed by Eko, but also the little boy from the church? We know that Man in Black only takes on the forms of the dead because they have already returned to the Source. But what about the boy? There is no information about him in canon.
2. Why in 1x06 the bodies of Mother and Man in black lie in different places in the caves, but in 6x05 and 6x15 in one place? So, 2000 years ago they were buried in one place, in 2004 they lie in different places, in 2007 they are in one place again.
P.S. Sorry if there are mistakes in English, I am not an English speaker.
Thank you! Your English is great, and both of these are great questions.
My next video is actually going to address all of the island apparitions and ghosts, including the appearances of Emeka and the altar boy. So keep an eye out for that one when it drops!
As for your second question, it does appear to be a continuity error sadly. What's interesting is that the writing and production teams were aware of it because in 'Across the Sea' they make a deliberate choice to show us the scene when Jack and Kate first discover the bodies in the cave. Reminding us of the positioning of "Adam and Eve".
However, I think there is perhaps an answer we can hypothesise based on the discrepancy. The easiest answer is that someone moved one of the bodies. And the only person who makes sense is: the Man in Black. Maybe he moved his own body away so it wouldn't forever be laying next to his "Mother" -- the woman who caused all of his pain and suffering. Then sometime during 2004-2007, when our Oceanic 815ers were absent from the island, Jacob moved it back to where it belonged.
That said, I do think it's ultimately just a production error that we can only really try to reconcile with generous head canon like the above.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Thank you very much!
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Interesting topic for next video. It would be great to hear your opinion about Harper. Was it really Harper that Juliet and Jack met in season 4? Or possibly ghost/MIB?
@@Jultomten630 An analysis of Harper's appearance will be included in that upcoming video 🙂
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Great!
What about the rules though? It's often said/suggested there were rules of engagement they did, and Widmores men broke them?
I still find it EXTREMELY funny that "Mittelos" is basically German for "without any money" 😅🤭
(Only spelled with one less "l")
Hey - I love your videos! I really do, do you think there is any chance you could go back and re-create the older videos using your voice? Since it's much nicer and more natural with it!
Already on it! Will start releasing brand new versions of old videos in the next month or two.
@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 looking forward to it 😀
Whidmore was a flawed Christ-like figure... he gave his only son and eventually his own life, to save the world... even if he had to do a lot of awful things to do it. Most of the awful things he had to do, also hurt him to do. They were sacrifices.
Well said