Desmond's flashes

[werlost]

Why do you think Desmond flashes to 1997 and not another time like arriving on the island or when he started his journey (besides the writers)? Is there supposed to be some significance to that time besides him meeting Daniel?

[islander]

Why do you think Desmond flashes to 1997 and not another time like arriving on the island or when he started his journey (besides the writers)? Is there supposed to be some significance to that time besides him meeting Daniel?

i was about to ask the same question. it started off as a random point in 1997. once he talked with past and present dan, he knew to arrange a date to meet dan and later he learned he would die if he didn't have penny as a constant so structure was added after he talked to dan. otherwise it seemed like a random day in des' past to me.

another question, did des alter his future? he would have died like minkowski had he not talked to dan, and dan would have died had he not talked to des.

[hyperRevue]

1996.


And the producers said you can't alter the future. It's not like Back to the Future they said.

[ortrules]

And the producers said you can't alter the future. It's not like Back to the Future they said.

Yes, but what they say and what they show is different. Look at how Desmond continued to save Charlie. If he hadn't saved Charlie the first few times then Charlie would've never gotten to the underwater station to disable the jamming frequency. I'd say that qualifies as an alteration to the future.

[islander]

1996.


And the producers said you can't alter the future. It's not like Back to the Future they said.

I recall Des used to tell Charlie that he saw Charlie was going to die, but Des was able to alter the way Charlie actually died. Is that altering the future, or is the fact that Charlie died (YES HE DIED) qualify for "not altering the future"? I dunno.

[bunnydixon]

well the frames changed in miles flashback - that was something changing? and yes i think charlies death qualifies as changing the future as if he died the first time, the second situation would never have occured.

[hyperRevue]

Yes, but what they say and what they show is different. Look at how Desmond continued to save Charlie. If he hadn't saved Charlie the first few times then Charlie would've never gotten to the underwater station to disable the jamming frequency. I'd say that qualifies as an alteration to the future.

I don't know about that. What the producers say about the show is usually the truth. They aren't trying to deliberatly deceive us.

And I don't think the Charlie - Desmond thing is about doing something in the past to change the future/present. Maybe Des saving Charlie's life a few times was always part of his destiny. I don't think he altered the future because Charlie still died. If he had died earlier, then someone else probably would have swam down to the Looking Glass.

[peaches]

Desmond altered the future by causing Dan to write in that journal telling himself that Des would be his constant... had Desmond never gone to see Dan that never would have occured and the journal entry would not have been made (future altered)

[hyperRevue]

well the frames changed in miles flashback - that was something changing? and yes i think charlies death qualifies as changing the future as if he died the first time, the second situation would never have occured.

Maybe. But now we're getting into the whole thing about is the future already written or do you make it as it goes.


I think in LOST there are ultimate events that cannot be changed. Like the old lady told Des when he was in the past, fate has a way of course correcting. So, Charlie was destined to die, but the way he died didn't matter. Des could keep delaying it, but it was going to happen.


That's different than like in Back to the Future, where because Marty bought the sports almanac, future Biff is now rich. The producers said stuff like that can't happen in LOST. They specifically said so.

[hyperRevue]

Honestly, I see what you guys are all saying. I suggest you listen to the new podcast, because they explain it much better than I am/can.

[ortrules]

I don't know about that. What the producers say about the show is usually the truth. They aren't trying to deliberatly deceive us.

And I don't think the Charlie - Desmond thing is about doing something in the past to change the future/present. Maybe Des saving Charlie's life a few times was always part of his destiny. I don't think he altered the future because Charlie still died. If he had died earlier, then someone else probably would have swam down to the Looking Glass.
That's quite a fine line between what qualifies as a change in the future...

[hyperRevue]

That's quite a fine line between what qualifies as a change in the future...

haha, just listen to the podcast!

[hyperRevue]

And also, remember, that the consciousness of 1996 Desmond flashed into 2004 Desmond on the boat. It wasn't that 2004 Desmond flashed back.

I'm not sure what that really means, but it's worth noting. Maybe. No idea.


RE: The Podcast. The producers said they are very paradox adverse, meaning nothing that happens in the past can change the future or present that we have seen.

Which I guess is not the same as what I was saying. The characters can change the future but all the flashforwards we have seen are true. Those won't change.

[beachblinkette]

How does a course correction differ from changing the future or the past?.There seems to be a fine line and I don't quite understand the difference, yet. Thanks.

[hyperRevue]

How does a course correction differ from changing the future or the past?.There seems to be a fine line and I don't quite understand the difference, yet. Thanks.

It's different because the ultimate outcome still occurs. Des can't stop Charlie from dying, but he can change HOW he dies. Maybe it's not different at all. But I've actually backed off my original statements after re-listening to the podcast.

They didn't say the characters can't change the future (Daniel said that, but whatever). They said that stuff they do in the past won't change the flashforwards we've already seen.

[lostfan]

I wonder if Dan not being Desmond's constant could change the future somehow. Because Dan seemed upset after reading his journal.

Also- Did Desmond remember everything at the end of the episode after Penny told him that she got in contact with Charlie?