LOST means different things to different people.
But what is the word lost?
As an adjective, it means being unable to find one's way; not knowing one's whereabouts; unable to be found; (of a person) very confused or insecure or in great difficulties.
It also could mean something that has been taken away or cannot be recovered like an attempt recapture one's lost youth. Or an opportunity not used advantageously or wasted.
The word also means having perished or been destroyed such as a memorial to the crewmen lost at sea.
It could also mean a game or contest in which a defeat has been sustained by a player.
However, the origin of the word "lost" comes from Old English losian for ‘perish, destroy,’ also ‘become unable to find,’ from los ‘loss.’
The above denotes the various layers to LOST, the TV show.
First, the characters each had a backstory that showed them unable to find their own way through their lives. They were very confused or had great difficulties in their lives finding true happiness.
Second, many of the characters had lost something or someone in their lives that put them on a dark path of regret, anger or hopelessness.
Third, many characters wasted opportunities or friendships that led them down the path of loneliness.
Fourth, the main characters seemed to be both lost at sea and perished at the hands of the island guardian(s). Whether they were merely pawns in a game by the island powers is a plot debate point. But the word, as with the show, was about winners and losers in the struggle of power and conquest (the heart of business and personal relationships such as love).
Lastly, the origin definition may come the closest to telling what LOST was truly about: if you are unable to find (someone), you will perish and be destroyed by life.
Showing posts with label meaning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meaning. Show all posts
Monday, November 6, 2017
Thursday, July 7, 2016
THE FORMATIVE NUMBERS
When one connects the cross Numbers on a clock face, you get the following result:
8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18.
These numbers could be important because they form the basis of the formative years of a person's personal growth.
At common law, the age of 7 was deemed the age of reason. A person was expected to know the difference between right and wrong.
The age of 18 confirms adulthood. A person is emancipated from their parent's guardianship. They can join the military, make contracts, get married, etc.
How one what acts and behaves during the time between age 8 and 18 is important. What were the parental guidance? What were the environmental factors? What were the support mechanisms? Did the person learn values, goals and ethics? Did he or she fall in the wrong crowd?
Look at the people devoid of parental love and attention:
Locke.
Ben.
Sawyer (after his parents were killed).
Look at people who only had the attention of one parent:
Hurley.
Kate.
Shannon.
Walt.
Claire.
Jin.
Look at people who had a "normal" upbringing:
Jack.
Sun.
Sayid.
In the "normal" group, Jack had the upper middle class upbringing which led him to become a highly respected surgeon. He was smart, encouraged, had the means and opportunity to get a large slice of the American Dream. But in the end, was he a happy person?
Sun came from a very wealthy family. She was repressed by class status and her Korean culture. The only way she could get attention and feel independent was to rebel against her father in the worst possible way: by marrying a poor man. But even that goal did not make her a happy person.
Sayid grew up in a tight family setting in Iraq. His household was ruled by a strict father and a demanding culture. Sayid did what he had to do - - - such as butchering an animal his older brother could not do - - - which gave himself value to the group. And that need to be valuable in a group was the anchor that dragged his personal ambition and happiness down.
In many ways, the characters brought up by one parent have two common traits: loneliness and selfishness. Hurley was raised by his strict mother after his father left. She was religious and pushy, especially about his social life. That caused Hurley to eat to repress his social life. As a result, his mother enabled him to become a shy, quiet, dependent child who would never want to leave the artificial womb of her home. It is selfish to stay with a parent when, with any personal drive, you should be on your own. Claire had a similar relationship with her mother. Her mother wanted her to settle on a normal path, but Claire had a wild streak. They would fight over trivial matters. The last argument led to her mother's severe and fatal injuries.
You can add bitterness to characters like Kate and Walt. They were given a relatively carefree life, their needs being met by their mothers, but they were not very grateful. Each would act up in a controlled tantrum for attention. Then they were upset when things did not go their way, not understanding that it is the effort you have to put in yourself to get the result you want.
The characters who lost their parents early in the childhood, Ben, Locke and Sawyer, all had one driving trait: criminality. Their moral compasses did not have the bearings that parents instill in their children. Ben was beaten down daily by his alcoholic father who blamed Ben for his own shortcomings and lousy life. Locke's known abandonment was reinforced like a knife blade in his back each day he was in a foster home. Sawyer could only think of revenge after his father committed murder-suicide because of a con-man's trick on the family. Each would cross paths in the criminal world and go with its flow, including Locke - - - in seeking a "family" would have been fine living in a drug selling commune if they would accept him.
They say there is good and bad in everyone. What dominates a person's adulthood comes from what happens when a child is 8 to 18 years old. Each of LOST's main characters personalities were crystallized by events that happened in their childhoods.
8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18.
These numbers could be important because they form the basis of the formative years of a person's personal growth.
At common law, the age of 7 was deemed the age of reason. A person was expected to know the difference between right and wrong.
The age of 18 confirms adulthood. A person is emancipated from their parent's guardianship. They can join the military, make contracts, get married, etc.
How one what acts and behaves during the time between age 8 and 18 is important. What were the parental guidance? What were the environmental factors? What were the support mechanisms? Did the person learn values, goals and ethics? Did he or she fall in the wrong crowd?
Look at the people devoid of parental love and attention:
Locke.
Ben.
Sawyer (after his parents were killed).
Look at people who only had the attention of one parent:
Hurley.
Kate.
Shannon.
Walt.
Claire.
Jin.
Look at people who had a "normal" upbringing:
Jack.
Sun.
Sayid.
In the "normal" group, Jack had the upper middle class upbringing which led him to become a highly respected surgeon. He was smart, encouraged, had the means and opportunity to get a large slice of the American Dream. But in the end, was he a happy person?
Sun came from a very wealthy family. She was repressed by class status and her Korean culture. The only way she could get attention and feel independent was to rebel against her father in the worst possible way: by marrying a poor man. But even that goal did not make her a happy person.
Sayid grew up in a tight family setting in Iraq. His household was ruled by a strict father and a demanding culture. Sayid did what he had to do - - - such as butchering an animal his older brother could not do - - - which gave himself value to the group. And that need to be valuable in a group was the anchor that dragged his personal ambition and happiness down.
In many ways, the characters brought up by one parent have two common traits: loneliness and selfishness. Hurley was raised by his strict mother after his father left. She was religious and pushy, especially about his social life. That caused Hurley to eat to repress his social life. As a result, his mother enabled him to become a shy, quiet, dependent child who would never want to leave the artificial womb of her home. It is selfish to stay with a parent when, with any personal drive, you should be on your own. Claire had a similar relationship with her mother. Her mother wanted her to settle on a normal path, but Claire had a wild streak. They would fight over trivial matters. The last argument led to her mother's severe and fatal injuries.
You can add bitterness to characters like Kate and Walt. They were given a relatively carefree life, their needs being met by their mothers, but they were not very grateful. Each would act up in a controlled tantrum for attention. Then they were upset when things did not go their way, not understanding that it is the effort you have to put in yourself to get the result you want.
The characters who lost their parents early in the childhood, Ben, Locke and Sawyer, all had one driving trait: criminality. Their moral compasses did not have the bearings that parents instill in their children. Ben was beaten down daily by his alcoholic father who blamed Ben for his own shortcomings and lousy life. Locke's known abandonment was reinforced like a knife blade in his back each day he was in a foster home. Sawyer could only think of revenge after his father committed murder-suicide because of a con-man's trick on the family. Each would cross paths in the criminal world and go with its flow, including Locke - - - in seeking a "family" would have been fine living in a drug selling commune if they would accept him.
They say there is good and bad in everyone. What dominates a person's adulthood comes from what happens when a child is 8 to 18 years old. Each of LOST's main characters personalities were crystallized by events that happened in their childhoods.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
12
In order to probe for more meaning in the Series, this post postulates working the Numbers in order to see if something falls from the creative tree.
The Numbers: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42.
The Numbers were the winning picks for Hurley's cursed lottery ticket.
The Numbers were the SOS signal that Hurley's mental patient friend heard in the Pacific.
The Numbers were assigned by Jacob to his candidates.
The Numbers were used to control the electromagnetic discharge.
One of the themes of the show was time. Time was an important plot and action device to move characters into twisting situations.
Time is best represented by a clock face.
If the Numbers were the first part of a code, then using clock face we can try to find hidden information. If we start at 4 then add 8 we get to 12 (circled). If we add the next Number, 15, and count through the dial we land, we land at 3 (circled). If we continue this addition around the clock we land on 6, 7 and 12 again.
If the Numbers now lead us to another set of numbers (as codes often do), what does 3, 6, 7 and 12 represent?
If we go to the lighthouse candidate dial, there begins some speculative answers.
The Number 3 does not appear in the records. Neither does Number 6 or 7. If we use this set to represent people, the first thing that came to mind was the island's first "known" family. The Number 3 could represent "Crazy Mother." Numbers 6 and 7 could represent Jacob and his brother who were born on the island. Crazy Mother killed their Roman mother in order to have company and a successor for her island guardianship.
But then who is 12?
In the lighthouse dial, the name FOSTER appears, struck out.
There was no known character with the surname Foster in the series.
But since this code has 12 doubled in occurrences, 12 must have important significance.
The word "foster" means to encourage, promote, nourish. It comes from the English word for feed, nourish. It also has a reference to "bring up another" as in being a foster parent or guardian. In English surname ancestry, the name Foster means forester, or forest ranger, a person in charge of the hunting territories.
One can make the supposition that the Number 12 represents a guardian, and in the context of the island, the island's natural guardian. It is possible that Crazy Mother was the third successor island guardian, and Numbers 4 and 5 could have been Jacob's parents who were killed prior to assuming the office or title.
Foster does impact on Jacob's childhood. Crazy Mother was actually his foster mother, not his birth mother. She raised him to become the island's new guardian. This fostering for an orphan or an abandoned child is the centerpiece of Locke's back story.
In the episode, "Cabin Fever," Locke's story starts with his mother, Emily, going out to see that older man, Cooper. Against her mother's wishes, Emily storms out to meet her boyfriend, but she is struck by an automobile. She is rushed to the the rural hospital where it is found that she is pregnant. Against all odds and 1950s medical technology, her child, Locke, is born premature. Witnessing the miracle baby from the observation window is Richard Alpert. Alpert would return to visit Locke as a child, giving him the object test to determine his character for island leadership. Locke apparently picks the wrong item, and Alpert leaves disappointed in Locke's choice.
By this time, Locke has bounced around between foster homes. In his current situation, his foster sister, Melissa, does not like him. She disrupts his board game pieces. Locke is very unhappy with his situation. But when his foster sister Jeannie dies, a golden retriever appears at the house then takes residence in Jeannie's room. Locke sees the dog as a person, the spirit of Jeannie. Once Jeannie's mother passes, the dog vanishes.
Dogs play important roles in modern society. Dogs show unconditional love, support and companionship to human beings. Dogs provide protection and comfort to people. Dogs help people, especially young children, caring, nourishment, responsibility and play.
Dogs are also powerful symbols.
In some ancient civilizations the Dog was a symbol of the underworld. In Egypt, the guardian of the dead was Anubis who was a dog-headed god. The jackal portrayed as black was the symbol of both death and regeneration.
The Dog’s quality made it associated to a guardian and therefore the protector of souls that entered the underworld. Its ability see well in the dark makes it a symbol of instinctive knowledge and the Greeks, North American Indians and Romans were said to associate Anubis with a star (Sirius) and called it a dog star.
Additionally, in ancient Mexico, the dog was buried with human sacrifice so that it could guide it to the hereafter while in ancient Scottish legend the green dog of the fairy world was believed to drive nursing mothers into the hills so as to provide milk for the fairy creatures.
It is important to connect the massive amount of ancient Egyptian symbolism in the LOST mythology. Many believe that the time and resources to create these backgrounds, symbols and messages were important background clues to the island mysteries and the overall series premise.
And what did Crazy Mother tell Jacob about the light cave? It was the source for life, death, and re-birth. Anubis, the dog god of ancient Egypt was the symbol of death and regeneration (or rebirth). These stories fit perfectly like adjacent puzzle pieces.
The Number 12 must represent Anubis, as the guardian of life, death, the protector of souls, and the underworld's agent of regeneration in the after life. As the guardian of the underworld, this means that the island is a portal or intermediate stage along the journey from life, death and rebirth. That is why Crazy Mother and Jacob sought to protect it from outsiders like Widmore who had evil intentions.
As a way station between the living and the dead, it does not mean the main characters were "dead" on the island - - - they may have been caught between the two worlds. A person's candidacy to immortality ends with their death; but to become the guardian, one needs to "accept their death" in order to be reborn. This could be what the series creators were asking in their big questions: what is life? what is death?
To assume such a powerful and important role, a viable candidate would need the compelling traits of a dog: loyalty, faithful, honest, willing to fight injustice, protect others, be vigilant, and nourish other people. The two successor guardians, Jack and Hurley, had those qualities.
The island guardians may be the gatekeepers, like the ferrymen on the River Styx, and not actually the heir to Anubis' throne. The island ordeals may have been the tests of who was worthy of the role of helping others in their journey to the next level of existence.
And this makes more sense when you realize that the last character "to awaken" to take the next step was Jack. On the island, he was the leader who rallied the survivors into a community. He continues to put himself behind the needs of other people. He helped, counseled, treated and risked his own life for them. In the sideways world, he was the last person in the church to realize what had happened to them. That they were now dead and ready for the next stage. His friends in the church greeted him warmly. Jack sat in the first pew, almost in a daze that "the most important people" in his life created the ending so they could stay together, forever.
And this parallels Jack's final moments on the island. For it is Walt's dog, Vincent, who comes from the jungle to lie next to Jack. Recall, it was Vincent who first awoke Jack after Flight 815 crashed on the island. It was Vincent's interaction with Jack that set Jack on the path to the beach, and into the chaos of helping all of the survivors - - - without any judgment.
Some may doubt the importance of Vincent as a character. Vincent was in the jungle, he heard a whistle from Christian Shephard, who we would learn was the human manifestation of the smoke monster. We presume that there were two smoke monsters on the island: Jacob and MIB as being the two immortal beings. It called Vincent over and told him to go wake up "his son." That is not a true statement, unless you use it in the context of being a foster parent. As Vincent ran off towards Jack to do this, Christian stated that Jack "had work to do." One could use those statements to indicate that this Christian form was in fact Jacob, who brought "his candidates" to the island to play a game with MIB.
But that opens the possibility that Vincent was the manifestation of MIB, taking the command from Jacob to start a "new" game. But there is a more plausible explanation - - - that Vincent was not MIB but a higher power in disguise. A higher power more important than Jacob, in a role that would not shine any light of suspicion or concern on the island hierarchy.
The final link in this decoding of the Numbers shows that Vincent is Anubis. Vincent found Jack in the bamboo clearing and led him to his flock of lost souls. In turn, it was Jack who guided the decisions for the survivors to find salvation. Vincent was present to observe all of the island tests. In a quiet way, Vincent also helped push the characters into finding clues or messages when he would "get lost" and search parties had to go and find him. It was in these searches that the characters began to bond which would be an important factor in facing the long journey and island trials. What better way to get people to do what they need to do by nudging them along instead of commanding them to so something?
And the symbolism of new numbers embodies the qualities of the family unit: mother, father, children. Parents are present to foster, nourish and develop their children into good human beings. Children are present to explore a new world, challenge it, learn about it, find their values and principles, to create purpose and understanding to their lives . . . . then repeat the process of creation.
Anubis creates new family units for the island over the eons on time. As society has developed from small tribes of hunter-gatherers into modern technology advanced families, Anubis recognizes and supports the concept of "foster" families to help lost souls find deep and meaningful relationships in life. And his foster families can include misfits, outcasts, cripples, criminals, the mentally weak, lonely and rebellious. . . the main characters on the show.
The Numbers: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42.
The Numbers were the winning picks for Hurley's cursed lottery ticket.
The Numbers were the SOS signal that Hurley's mental patient friend heard in the Pacific.
The Numbers were assigned by Jacob to his candidates.
The Numbers were used to control the electromagnetic discharge.
One of the themes of the show was time. Time was an important plot and action device to move characters into twisting situations.
Time is best represented by a clock face.
If the Numbers now lead us to another set of numbers (as codes often do), what does 3, 6, 7 and 12 represent?
If we go to the lighthouse candidate dial, there begins some speculative answers.
The Number 3 does not appear in the records. Neither does Number 6 or 7. If we use this set to represent people, the first thing that came to mind was the island's first "known" family. The Number 3 could represent "Crazy Mother." Numbers 6 and 7 could represent Jacob and his brother who were born on the island. Crazy Mother killed their Roman mother in order to have company and a successor for her island guardianship.
But then who is 12?
In the lighthouse dial, the name FOSTER appears, struck out.
There was no known character with the surname Foster in the series.
But since this code has 12 doubled in occurrences, 12 must have important significance.
The word "foster" means to encourage, promote, nourish. It comes from the English word for feed, nourish. It also has a reference to "bring up another" as in being a foster parent or guardian. In English surname ancestry, the name Foster means forester, or forest ranger, a person in charge of the hunting territories.
One can make the supposition that the Number 12 represents a guardian, and in the context of the island, the island's natural guardian. It is possible that Crazy Mother was the third successor island guardian, and Numbers 4 and 5 could have been Jacob's parents who were killed prior to assuming the office or title.
Foster does impact on Jacob's childhood. Crazy Mother was actually his foster mother, not his birth mother. She raised him to become the island's new guardian. This fostering for an orphan or an abandoned child is the centerpiece of Locke's back story.
In the episode, "Cabin Fever," Locke's story starts with his mother, Emily, going out to see that older man, Cooper. Against her mother's wishes, Emily storms out to meet her boyfriend, but she is struck by an automobile. She is rushed to the the rural hospital where it is found that she is pregnant. Against all odds and 1950s medical technology, her child, Locke, is born premature. Witnessing the miracle baby from the observation window is Richard Alpert. Alpert would return to visit Locke as a child, giving him the object test to determine his character for island leadership. Locke apparently picks the wrong item, and Alpert leaves disappointed in Locke's choice.
By this time, Locke has bounced around between foster homes. In his current situation, his foster sister, Melissa, does not like him. She disrupts his board game pieces. Locke is very unhappy with his situation. But when his foster sister Jeannie dies, a golden retriever appears at the house then takes residence in Jeannie's room. Locke sees the dog as a person, the spirit of Jeannie. Once Jeannie's mother passes, the dog vanishes.
Dogs play important roles in modern society. Dogs show unconditional love, support and companionship to human beings. Dogs provide protection and comfort to people. Dogs help people, especially young children, caring, nourishment, responsibility and play.
Dogs are also powerful symbols.
Dog is a symbol for companion and guardian. In a positive light they are a symbol of loyal, faithful, honesty and willing to fight injustice.
The dog is seen as a powerful symbol of loyalty, intelligence and vigilance. As a descendant from the Asiatic Wolf man’s relationships with dogs goes back over 40,000 years and then it was the 11th sign of the Zodiac where it represented symbols both positive and negative.In some ancient civilizations the Dog was a symbol of the underworld. In Egypt, the guardian of the dead was Anubis who was a dog-headed god. The jackal portrayed as black was the symbol of both death and regeneration.
The Dog’s quality made it associated to a guardian and therefore the protector of souls that entered the underworld. Its ability see well in the dark makes it a symbol of instinctive knowledge and the Greeks, North American Indians and Romans were said to associate Anubis with a star (Sirius) and called it a dog star.
Additionally, in ancient Mexico, the dog was buried with human sacrifice so that it could guide it to the hereafter while in ancient Scottish legend the green dog of the fairy world was believed to drive nursing mothers into the hills so as to provide milk for the fairy creatures.
It is important to connect the massive amount of ancient Egyptian symbolism in the LOST mythology. Many believe that the time and resources to create these backgrounds, symbols and messages were important background clues to the island mysteries and the overall series premise.
And what did Crazy Mother tell Jacob about the light cave? It was the source for life, death, and re-birth. Anubis, the dog god of ancient Egypt was the symbol of death and regeneration (or rebirth). These stories fit perfectly like adjacent puzzle pieces.
The Number 12 must represent Anubis, as the guardian of life, death, the protector of souls, and the underworld's agent of regeneration in the after life. As the guardian of the underworld, this means that the island is a portal or intermediate stage along the journey from life, death and rebirth. That is why Crazy Mother and Jacob sought to protect it from outsiders like Widmore who had evil intentions.
As a way station between the living and the dead, it does not mean the main characters were "dead" on the island - - - they may have been caught between the two worlds. A person's candidacy to immortality ends with their death; but to become the guardian, one needs to "accept their death" in order to be reborn. This could be what the series creators were asking in their big questions: what is life? what is death?
To assume such a powerful and important role, a viable candidate would need the compelling traits of a dog: loyalty, faithful, honest, willing to fight injustice, protect others, be vigilant, and nourish other people. The two successor guardians, Jack and Hurley, had those qualities.
The island guardians may be the gatekeepers, like the ferrymen on the River Styx, and not actually the heir to Anubis' throne. The island ordeals may have been the tests of who was worthy of the role of helping others in their journey to the next level of existence.
And this makes more sense when you realize that the last character "to awaken" to take the next step was Jack. On the island, he was the leader who rallied the survivors into a community. He continues to put himself behind the needs of other people. He helped, counseled, treated and risked his own life for them. In the sideways world, he was the last person in the church to realize what had happened to them. That they were now dead and ready for the next stage. His friends in the church greeted him warmly. Jack sat in the first pew, almost in a daze that "the most important people" in his life created the ending so they could stay together, forever.
And this parallels Jack's final moments on the island. For it is Walt's dog, Vincent, who comes from the jungle to lie next to Jack. Recall, it was Vincent who first awoke Jack after Flight 815 crashed on the island. It was Vincent's interaction with Jack that set Jack on the path to the beach, and into the chaos of helping all of the survivors - - - without any judgment.
Some may doubt the importance of Vincent as a character. Vincent was in the jungle, he heard a whistle from Christian Shephard, who we would learn was the human manifestation of the smoke monster. We presume that there were two smoke monsters on the island: Jacob and MIB as being the two immortal beings. It called Vincent over and told him to go wake up "his son." That is not a true statement, unless you use it in the context of being a foster parent. As Vincent ran off towards Jack to do this, Christian stated that Jack "had work to do." One could use those statements to indicate that this Christian form was in fact Jacob, who brought "his candidates" to the island to play a game with MIB.
But that opens the possibility that Vincent was the manifestation of MIB, taking the command from Jacob to start a "new" game. But there is a more plausible explanation - - - that Vincent was not MIB but a higher power in disguise. A higher power more important than Jacob, in a role that would not shine any light of suspicion or concern on the island hierarchy.
The final link in this decoding of the Numbers shows that Vincent is Anubis. Vincent found Jack in the bamboo clearing and led him to his flock of lost souls. In turn, it was Jack who guided the decisions for the survivors to find salvation. Vincent was present to observe all of the island tests. In a quiet way, Vincent also helped push the characters into finding clues or messages when he would "get lost" and search parties had to go and find him. It was in these searches that the characters began to bond which would be an important factor in facing the long journey and island trials. What better way to get people to do what they need to do by nudging them along instead of commanding them to so something?
And the symbolism of new numbers embodies the qualities of the family unit: mother, father, children. Parents are present to foster, nourish and develop their children into good human beings. Children are present to explore a new world, challenge it, learn about it, find their values and principles, to create purpose and understanding to their lives . . . . then repeat the process of creation.
Anubis creates new family units for the island over the eons on time. As society has developed from small tribes of hunter-gatherers into modern technology advanced families, Anubis recognizes and supports the concept of "foster" families to help lost souls find deep and meaningful relationships in life. And his foster families can include misfits, outcasts, cripples, criminals, the mentally weak, lonely and rebellious. . . the main characters on the show.
Monday, April 4, 2016
23 ANAGRAMS
Anagrams (hidden words within a word or phrase) were part of the LOST background.
A generator for "Jack Shepherd" reveals 23 anagrams. 23 was Jack's candidate number. Huh.
Jack Shepherd
Jacked Rep Shh
Jacked Per Shh
Paced Jerk Shh
Caped Jerk Shh
Chad Hep Jerks
Chap Shed Jerk
Jack Shred Hep
Jack Herds Hep
Jack Sherd Hep
Jacks Herd Hep
Cap Jerked Shh
Hadj Heck Reps
Hadj Hecks Rep
Hadj Hecks Per
Hadj Peck Hers
Hadj Speck Her
Hadj Pecks Her
Jar Pecked Shh
Jack Ed Rep Shh
Jack Ed Per Shh
Cap Ed Jerk Shh
Jar Peck Ed Shh
Cap Jerked Shh . . . Jack was a CAPtive, he was clearly JERKED around on the island and in the O6 arc, and SHH, the revelation came to him in churches.
A generator for "Jack Shepherd" reveals 23 anagrams. 23 was Jack's candidate number. Huh.
Anagrams for: jackshepherd
Displaying all:Jack Shepherd
Jacked Rep Shh
Jacked Per Shh
Paced Jerk Shh
Caped Jerk Shh
Chad Hep Jerks
Chap Shed Jerk
Jack Shred Hep
Jack Herds Hep
Jack Sherd Hep
Jacks Herd Hep
Cap Jerked Shh
Hadj Heck Reps
Hadj Hecks Rep
Hadj Hecks Per
Hadj Peck Hers
Hadj Speck Her
Hadj Pecks Her
Jar Pecked Shh
Jack Ed Rep Shh
Jack Ed Per Shh
Cap Ed Jerk Shh
Jar Peck Ed Shh
Cap Jerked Shh . . . Jack was a CAPtive, he was clearly JERKED around on the island and in the O6 arc, and SHH, the revelation came to him in churches.
Monday, June 9, 2014
ANOTHER VIEW
In a column in June, 2010 Psychology Today, the writer made an interesting observation on the LOST conclusion.
He remarked that at the end of the day, relationships is what really changes us. We change because our behavior is impacting someone or something in a way that we don't or they don't like. When he watched the last episode of LOST, he believed the show was not being about a problem or puzzle to be solved, but about the people who were stranded on that island and how they lived and learned together.
He understood that many fans felt the producers of Lost could have or should have tied together the entire plot line. What happened to Walt? What was the meaning of Jacob and his family? In the end, he opined that the only way to end such a confusing story is the same way we manage our confusing lives, "to embrace relationships." That's what he said he did when he watched the show; he mourned, cheered, puzzled and ultimately came out without real answers, but connected to their experience.
He acknowledged that the ending placed fans into two camps. One group is frustrated. They are angered by what the writers have "done to them;" confused by the end that didn't provide them with the answers they wanted, they complain that they were lead astray. The other group talks about the beauty of the end, the way the last frame had us watch Jack's eye close the same way it opened. We are left with the circular beauty of life.
The author found himself in the middle. He felt confused and frustrated by
the ending, but still he liked the enjoyment of watching
the main characters lives unfold and discussing the complex relationships that were the foundation of
the story line. He decided to let go of his questions and just enjoy the final moments of the show.
He remarked that at the end of the day, relationships is what really changes us. We change because our behavior is impacting someone or something in a way that we don't or they don't like. When he watched the last episode of LOST, he believed the show was not being about a problem or puzzle to be solved, but about the people who were stranded on that island and how they lived and learned together.
He understood that many fans felt the producers of Lost could have or should have tied together the entire plot line. What happened to Walt? What was the meaning of Jacob and his family? In the end, he opined that the only way to end such a confusing story is the same way we manage our confusing lives, "to embrace relationships." That's what he said he did when he watched the show; he mourned, cheered, puzzled and ultimately came out without real answers, but connected to their experience.
He acknowledged that the ending placed fans into two camps. One group is frustrated. They are angered by what the writers have "done to them;" confused by the end that didn't provide them with the answers they wanted, they complain that they were lead astray. The other group talks about the beauty of the end, the way the last frame had us watch Jack's eye close the same way it opened. We are left with the circular beauty of life.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
ONE FRAME
The idea is that one could condense the drama of an entire film into one frame. It is not a new idea; movie posters attempt to capture the essence of the film.
Is there one frame, one image, one picture, that sums up everything LOST?
Is it:
1. The graveyard next to the beach where many characters were buried?
2. Desmond turning the fail safe key?
3. Jack dying in the bamboo grove with Vincent at his side?
4. The smoke monster billowing above the tropical canopy?
5. The wreckage of Flight 815 on the beach?
6. John Locke in the coffin?
7. The imagine of the island deep under water?
8. The large pendulum device in the basement of Eloise's church?
9. Jack identifying his father's body in the Sydney morgue?
10. Flight 815 breaking up in the sky over the Dharma barracks?
In all the advertising posters for the show, the main element had always been The Island.
Is there one frame, one image, one picture, that sums up everything LOST?
Is it:
1. The graveyard next to the beach where many characters were buried?
2. Desmond turning the fail safe key?
3. Jack dying in the bamboo grove with Vincent at his side?
4. The smoke monster billowing above the tropical canopy?
5. The wreckage of Flight 815 on the beach?
6. John Locke in the coffin?
7. The imagine of the island deep under water?
8. The large pendulum device in the basement of Eloise's church?
9. Jack identifying his father's body in the Sydney morgue?
10. Flight 815 breaking up in the sky over the Dharma barracks?
In all the advertising posters for the show, the main element had always been The Island.
Monday, October 14, 2013
ONE EQUALS THREE
In mathematics, it makes no sense. In religions and mystic studies, it makes all the sense.
1 = 3
The Number 3 is an ancient and powerful number.
Three represents the trinity, a perfect number. The triad or trinity is a symbol of the unity of body, mind and spirit. The symbol is of universal significance - it is found throughout history and all over the world.
In science, Atomic Number Three - Lithium deuteride is the explosive material of the hydrogen bomb and may eventually be the fuel of controlled fusion reactors. Three symbolizes great power.
Three is important in geometry, which is the basic understanding of nature and engineering. Two straight lines cannot possibly enclose any space, or form a plane figure; neither can two plan surfaces form a solid. Three lines are necessary to form a plan figure; and three dimensions of length, breadth, and height, are necessary to form a solid. Hence three is the symbol of the cube--the simplest form of solid figure. As two is the symbol of the square, or plane contents (x2), so three is the symbol of the cube, or solid contents (x3).
The ancient Egyptians used the power of the pyramid, which is a triangle, to build great structures. It was believed that the Pythagorean theory was first used here.
Three, therefore, stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire.
There are three great divisions completing time--past, present, and future.
Thought, word, and deed, complete the sum of human capability.
Three degrees of comparison complete our knowledge of qualities.
The simplest proposition requires three things to complete it; viz., the subject, the predicate, and the copula.
Three propositions are necessary to complete the simplest form of argument--the major premise, the minor, and the conclusion.
In nature, three kingdoms embrace our ideas of matter--mineral, vegetable, and animal.
In all cultures and societies, the number three represents the basic unit of family: father, mother, child.
When we turn to the Scriptures, this completion becomes Divine, and marks Divine completeness or perfection.
The Divine completeness of the Shepherd's care (John 6:39), is seen in His revelations as--
Many people believe that man embodies three principles of life: intellectual, moral, and spiritual.
Many world religions contain triple deities or concepts of trinity, including:
In Christianity, the Trinity defines God as three Divine persons: the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct, yet are one "substance, essence or nature". A nature is what one is, while a person is who one is.
In Hinduism, the Trimurti is the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver and Shiva the destroyer or transformer.
In Hindu Tridevi, the three consorts of the Trimurti (Great Trinity), that are personified by the forms of three Goddesses. Saraswati is the goddess of learning and arts, cultural fulfillment (consort to the creator). She is the cosmic intelligence, cosmic consciousness, cosmic knowledge. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and fertility, material fulfillment (consort of the maintainer or preserver). However, she does not mean mere material wealth like gold, cattle, etc. All kinds of prosperity, glory, magnificence, joy, exaltation, or greatness come under Lakshmi. Parvati is the goddess of power and love, spiritual fulfillment (consort of the destroyer or transformer). She also depicts transformative power of Divinity, the power that dissolves multiplicity in unity.
The Three Jewels of Buddhism, refer to the three things that Buddhists take refuge in, and look toward for guidance. The Three Jewels are:
Buddha: the ideal or highest spiritual potential that exists within all beings;
Dharma: the teachings of the Buddha, the path to Enlightenment; and
Sangha: the community of those who have attained enlightenment, who may help a practicing Buddhist to do the same. Also used more broadly to refer to the community of practicing Buddhists, or the community of Buddhist monks and nuns.
In the pagan world, the Wiccan Rule of Three (also Three-fold Law or Law of Return) is a religious tenet held by some Pagans that states that whatever energy a person puts out into the world, be it positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times
It is clear that he number Three is intertwined in both science and faith.
Throughout history, religion and pagan societies found great meaning and power in the number three. Why would so many diverse people on the planet gravitate toward this number? In 1966, scientists found that the Number 3 was a critical component of humans, as our DNA is sequenced in sets of three proteins. Many people believe that this represents a key to understanding the universe since we have been encoded with the number three.
In LOST, we fixated on The Numbers (4,8,15,16,23,42). We were told that the numbers only represented Jacob's final candidates, even though the Numbers had sew into the story at many times (lottery numbers, Hatch ID number, the Hatch alarm code, etc.).
But in the final candidates numbers, we can find an interesting solution to a math question. If the candidate's number represent the attributes of a person, can we distill a number from them.
If we take Jin minus Jack minus Sayid we can get a number.
42-23-16 = 3
If we take Sawyer minus Hurley minus Locke we can get the same number.
15-8-4 =3
When we take that to mean "33" as the solution to the Numbers Candidate equation, we look to the candidate's list to find that Candidate number 33 was "Novak."
Novak is the name is derived from the Slavic word for "new" meaning something similar to "new man", "newcomer" or "stranger" in English. The name was often given to someone who came to a new city, or a convert to Christianity.
In the church, Christian explains their situation in a triad expression for time in the sideways world that there is no past, present or future.
CHRISTIAN: Everyone dies sometime, kiddo. Some of them before you, some...long after you.
JACK: But why are they all here now?
CHRISTIAN: Well there is no "now" here.
JACK: Where are we, dad?
CHRISTIAN: This is the place that you...that you all made together, so that you could find one another. The most...important part of your life, was the time that you spent with these people. That's why all of you are here. Nobody does it alone Jack. You needed all of them, and they needed you.
JACK: For what?
CHRISTIAN: To remember...and to...let go.
We could make an argument that the Number 3 is a meaningful solution to the series. The concept of the past, present and future tied into one being or place or enlightenment is equivalent to any form of the Trinity. Here, Jack was a stranger (man of science) in a strange land (the island, a place of spiritual faith). He had to release his intellectual self, control his emotional/moral feelings, in order to become aware of his spiritual existence in order to move on after his death.
1 = 3
The Number 3 is an ancient and powerful number.
Three represents the trinity, a perfect number. The triad or trinity is a symbol of the unity of body, mind and spirit. The symbol is of universal significance - it is found throughout history and all over the world.
In science, Atomic Number Three - Lithium deuteride is the explosive material of the hydrogen bomb and may eventually be the fuel of controlled fusion reactors. Three symbolizes great power.
Three is important in geometry, which is the basic understanding of nature and engineering. Two straight lines cannot possibly enclose any space, or form a plane figure; neither can two plan surfaces form a solid. Three lines are necessary to form a plan figure; and three dimensions of length, breadth, and height, are necessary to form a solid. Hence three is the symbol of the cube--the simplest form of solid figure. As two is the symbol of the square, or plane contents (x2), so three is the symbol of the cube, or solid contents (x3).
The ancient Egyptians used the power of the pyramid, which is a triangle, to build great structures. It was believed that the Pythagorean theory was first used here.
Three, therefore, stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire.
There are three great divisions completing time--past, present, and future.
Thought, word, and deed, complete the sum of human capability.
Three degrees of comparison complete our knowledge of qualities.
The simplest proposition requires three things to complete it; viz., the subject, the predicate, and the copula.
Three propositions are necessary to complete the simplest form of argument--the major premise, the minor, and the conclusion.
In nature, three kingdoms embrace our ideas of matter--mineral, vegetable, and animal.
In all cultures and societies, the number three represents the basic unit of family: father, mother, child.
When we turn to the Scriptures, this completion becomes Divine, and marks Divine completeness or perfection.
The Divine completeness of the Shepherd's care (John 6:39), is seen in His revelations as--
- The "Good Shepherd" in death, John 10:14.
- The "Great Shepherd" in resurrection, Hebrews 13:20.
- The "Chief Shepherd" in glory, 1 Peter 4:5.
Many people believe that man embodies three principles of life: intellectual, moral, and spiritual.
Many world religions contain triple deities or concepts of trinity, including:
In Christianity, the Trinity defines God as three Divine persons: the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct, yet are one "substance, essence or nature". A nature is what one is, while a person is who one is.
In Hinduism, the Trimurti is the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver and Shiva the destroyer or transformer.
In Hindu Tridevi, the three consorts of the Trimurti (Great Trinity), that are personified by the forms of three Goddesses. Saraswati is the goddess of learning and arts, cultural fulfillment (consort to the creator). She is the cosmic intelligence, cosmic consciousness, cosmic knowledge. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and fertility, material fulfillment (consort of the maintainer or preserver). However, she does not mean mere material wealth like gold, cattle, etc. All kinds of prosperity, glory, magnificence, joy, exaltation, or greatness come under Lakshmi. Parvati is the goddess of power and love, spiritual fulfillment (consort of the destroyer or transformer). She also depicts transformative power of Divinity, the power that dissolves multiplicity in unity.
The Three Jewels of Buddhism, refer to the three things that Buddhists take refuge in, and look toward for guidance. The Three Jewels are:
Buddha: the ideal or highest spiritual potential that exists within all beings;
Dharma: the teachings of the Buddha, the path to Enlightenment; and
Sangha: the community of those who have attained enlightenment, who may help a practicing Buddhist to do the same. Also used more broadly to refer to the community of practicing Buddhists, or the community of Buddhist monks and nuns.
In the pagan world, the Wiccan Rule of Three (also Three-fold Law or Law of Return) is a religious tenet held by some Pagans that states that whatever energy a person puts out into the world, be it positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times
It is clear that he number Three is intertwined in both science and faith.
Throughout history, religion and pagan societies found great meaning and power in the number three. Why would so many diverse people on the planet gravitate toward this number? In 1966, scientists found that the Number 3 was a critical component of humans, as our DNA is sequenced in sets of three proteins. Many people believe that this represents a key to understanding the universe since we have been encoded with the number three.
In LOST, we fixated on The Numbers (4,8,15,16,23,42). We were told that the numbers only represented Jacob's final candidates, even though the Numbers had sew into the story at many times (lottery numbers, Hatch ID number, the Hatch alarm code, etc.).
But in the final candidates numbers, we can find an interesting solution to a math question. If the candidate's number represent the attributes of a person, can we distill a number from them.
If we take Jin minus Jack minus Sayid we can get a number.
42-23-16 = 3
If we take Sawyer minus Hurley minus Locke we can get the same number.
15-8-4 =3
When we take that to mean "33" as the solution to the Numbers Candidate equation, we look to the candidate's list to find that Candidate number 33 was "Novak."
Novak is the name is derived from the Slavic word for "new" meaning something similar to "new man", "newcomer" or "stranger" in English. The name was often given to someone who came to a new city, or a convert to Christianity.
In the church, Christian explains their situation in a triad expression for time in the sideways world that there is no past, present or future.
CHRISTIAN: Everyone dies sometime, kiddo. Some of them before you, some...long after you.
JACK: But why are they all here now?
CHRISTIAN: Well there is no "now" here.
JACK: Where are we, dad?
CHRISTIAN: This is the place that you...that you all made together, so that you could find one another. The most...important part of your life, was the time that you spent with these people. That's why all of you are here. Nobody does it alone Jack. You needed all of them, and they needed you.
JACK: For what?
CHRISTIAN: To remember...and to...let go.
We could make an argument that the Number 3 is a meaningful solution to the series. The concept of the past, present and future tied into one being or place or enlightenment is equivalent to any form of the Trinity. Here, Jack was a stranger (man of science) in a strange land (the island, a place of spiritual faith). He had to release his intellectual self, control his emotional/moral feelings, in order to become aware of his spiritual existence in order to move on after his death.
Monday, June 3, 2013
MEANS OF DESTRUCTION
“ We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction. ”
— Aesop
If a hero is to die, there should be a valiant purpose.
When we analyze the island candidates, the picture is not clear.
Jack died on the island. He was injured during his fight with Flocke (MIB/Smokey in Locke's form).
Why did Jack fight Flocke? We were told that it was to save the island and/or the world. Or it could be to save his friends. Or, as Jacob stated, to make Jack's friends deaths meaningful.
One has to believe that Jack was delusional to think he could defeat Flocke. He would have known that Flocke was indestructible (Sayid failed to kill him). Jack knew he was a supernatural monster. Jack possessed no knowledge on how to defeat him. The conclusion to the alleged demise of Flocke is purely blind luck with no island mythology or science fiction context. We observed that the replacement of the stone cork in the light cave "reboots" the island. In that process, one argues that the immortals become mortal (except Jacob was already "killed" before the re-set). The dramatic conclusion never caught up with the continuity of the prior scripts.
Jack was MIB's enemy solely because he was a candidate? Everyone brought to the island was a potential candidate. MIB did not kill them all. MIB did not seem to be a creature of "fair play," to allow itself to be destroyed by corrupt, weak and inferior human beings. We know now that the "island rules" are really no rules at all. So what means did MIB give Jack that allowed him to destroy Flocke?
When Jack accepted his role of guardian, he basically accepted a suicide mission. Jack saving Desmond inside the cave should have killed Jack because of the high level of EM energy. So, at that point, did Jack actually become "equal" to MIB (both had been throw into the cave and emerged alive). If somehow Jack because a smoke monster during the reboot, that could explain why he could possibly defeat Flocke. But Jack's power and fighting skills did not defeat MIB - - - it was a bullet from Kate's gun. Besides, if Jack became a smokey, then why should his human wounds kill him?
The same goes for the Ben killing immortal Jacob. There is a claimed "loophole" that MIB found - - - which allowed Ben, a follower, to stab Jacob to death. Then MIB burned Jacob's body. But we saw ghost Jacob afterward interacting and physically touching other islanders. The means of Jacob's destruction is as puzzling as Jack's own demise. Then events we saw do not fully support the conclusion we see.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
TRUE LESSONS
"The difference
between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then
given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson." - - -Tom Bodett
One of the purposes of literature is to move characters through storied events to find some sort of meaningful Epiphany or change at the end. If LOST was a character study in life lessons, then what can we truly glean from the experience?
1. Do Not Trust Your Own Eyes. The eye metaphor was consistent throughout the series. It was used to open and close story arcs, to filter information from various sources, and to cloud judgment. Many characters saw strange things and could not believe their eyes. Coupled with the inability to trust their fellow characters, people's eyes turned blind to the most important events in their lives such as family, friendship and love. Locke is the perfect example of this with his failed relationship with Helen.
2. Love is More. An aspect of a character's blindness to his or her own surroundings is the fact that many characters could not understand or appreciate the love or their life if he or she was standing right in front of them. Kate is the perfect example of this - - - she avoided commitment and love with all her childhood boyfriends. As an adult, she only used physical love to manipulate men to do her bidding or further her escape. Love is more than just words or flings, it is committed action. Without a full explanation, a light switch went off in Kate's head that her true love was Jack. The moment she knew Jack was going to die on the island she knew her true feelings - - - but it was too late. She could only re-connect and share those emotions with Jack in the after life.
3. You Cannot Change Yourself. Each character had a deep personal flaw. Whether it was awkward social skills, inflated ego, evil or criminal tendencies, each person kept true to their inner beast. When confronted with dangerous tests or strategy, they tended to fall back on what they knew best - - - their personal flaws to struggle their way through a tenuous situation. Sayid is a prime example of this when he was confronted with danger and he was in need of critical information, he fell back on his life skills as a torturer. He kept an distant demeanor because of this character flaw. Even when he was accepted by the beach camp, he could not keep his defenses in check (and he had to leave the camp, only to be captured and tortured by Rousseau). Sayid could only change his path when he took the submarine bomb down the hallway to save (most) of his comrades. It was that moment of change, taking life over death, did Sayid have a redemptive moment. Other people are needed in order for a person to change their wayward lifestyle.
4. Power Corrupts. There is a basic human desire to control one's circumstances. People want to be able to control all aspects of their lives. What they want is what they should get. When Locke constantly yelled "you can't tell me what to do!" he was lashing out against his own inherit weaknesses. The want to be accepted as a leader of men is an important aspect of a person with low self-esteem. Ben is the perfect example of a meek and lonely child, in a bad drunken father relationship, whose fantasy is to be king - - - to make the rules, to have followers, to be worshipped by his fellow man and loved by desirable women. But once Ben got to the throne of leadership of the Others, his love of that power base corrupted his soul. With any challenge to his authority, he would lash out against anyone near him. Fear took over for respect. That fear would compound into more and more inhumane reactions to challenges of his authority. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But the payoff was not their for Ben. His power was a mere illusion in a bigger game of life. But he burned down all the bridges he could have had with people who would have liked him for himself, but for his lust for power.
One of the purposes of literature is to move characters through storied events to find some sort of meaningful Epiphany or change at the end. If LOST was a character study in life lessons, then what can we truly glean from the experience?
1. Do Not Trust Your Own Eyes. The eye metaphor was consistent throughout the series. It was used to open and close story arcs, to filter information from various sources, and to cloud judgment. Many characters saw strange things and could not believe their eyes. Coupled with the inability to trust their fellow characters, people's eyes turned blind to the most important events in their lives such as family, friendship and love. Locke is the perfect example of this with his failed relationship with Helen.
2. Love is More. An aspect of a character's blindness to his or her own surroundings is the fact that many characters could not understand or appreciate the love or their life if he or she was standing right in front of them. Kate is the perfect example of this - - - she avoided commitment and love with all her childhood boyfriends. As an adult, she only used physical love to manipulate men to do her bidding or further her escape. Love is more than just words or flings, it is committed action. Without a full explanation, a light switch went off in Kate's head that her true love was Jack. The moment she knew Jack was going to die on the island she knew her true feelings - - - but it was too late. She could only re-connect and share those emotions with Jack in the after life.
3. You Cannot Change Yourself. Each character had a deep personal flaw. Whether it was awkward social skills, inflated ego, evil or criminal tendencies, each person kept true to their inner beast. When confronted with dangerous tests or strategy, they tended to fall back on what they knew best - - - their personal flaws to struggle their way through a tenuous situation. Sayid is a prime example of this when he was confronted with danger and he was in need of critical information, he fell back on his life skills as a torturer. He kept an distant demeanor because of this character flaw. Even when he was accepted by the beach camp, he could not keep his defenses in check (and he had to leave the camp, only to be captured and tortured by Rousseau). Sayid could only change his path when he took the submarine bomb down the hallway to save (most) of his comrades. It was that moment of change, taking life over death, did Sayid have a redemptive moment. Other people are needed in order for a person to change their wayward lifestyle.
4. Power Corrupts. There is a basic human desire to control one's circumstances. People want to be able to control all aspects of their lives. What they want is what they should get. When Locke constantly yelled "you can't tell me what to do!" he was lashing out against his own inherit weaknesses. The want to be accepted as a leader of men is an important aspect of a person with low self-esteem. Ben is the perfect example of a meek and lonely child, in a bad drunken father relationship, whose fantasy is to be king - - - to make the rules, to have followers, to be worshipped by his fellow man and loved by desirable women. But once Ben got to the throne of leadership of the Others, his love of that power base corrupted his soul. With any challenge to his authority, he would lash out against anyone near him. Fear took over for respect. That fear would compound into more and more inhumane reactions to challenges of his authority. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But the payoff was not their for Ben. His power was a mere illusion in a bigger game of life. But he burned down all the bridges he could have had with people who would have liked him for himself, but for his lust for power.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
THE MEANING OF LOST
A title is the name of an artistic work. A title is a word from Latin, for ‘inscription, title.’ The word originally denoted a placard or inscription placed on an object, giving information about it, hence a descriptive heading in a book or other composition.
The title to the series was called LOST.
The word "lost" is a past and past participle of lose.
adjective
1 unable to find one's way; not knowing one's whereabouts
• unable to be found
• (of a person) very confused or insecure or in great difficulties
2 denoting something that has been taken away or cannot be recovered
• (of time or an opportunity) not used advantageously; wasted
• having perished or been destroyed
3 (of a game or contest) in which a defeat has been sustained
verb
1. be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something)
• cause (someone) to fail to gain or retain (something)
• be deprived of (a close relative or friend) through their death or as a result of the breaking off of a relationship
• (of a pregnant woman) miscarry (a baby) or suffer the death of (a baby) during childbirth.
• (be lost) be destroyed or killed, esp. through accident or as a result of military action
• decrease in (body weight); undergo a reduction of (a specified amount of weight)
• waste or fail to take advantage of (time or an opportunity)
• (of a watch or clock) become slow by (a specified amount of time)
• (lose it) informal lose control of one's temper or emotions:
2 become unable to find (something or someone)
• cease or become unable to follow (the right route)
• evade or shake off (a pursuer):
• informal get rid of (an undesirable person or thing)
• informal cause (someone) to be unable to follow an argument or explanation
• (lose oneself in/be lost in) be or become deeply absorbed in (something)
3 fail to win (a game or contest)
• cause (someone) to fail to win (a game or contest)
4 earn less (money) than one is spending or has spent.
The origin of the word "lost" is Old English for "perish, destroy," also "become unable to find."
One could go through each definition of the word "lost" and tie it directly to an event depicted in the show:
The 815ers did not know where they landed; the island was hidden so rescuers could not find them.
The survivors were very insecure in their own being and having a great difficulty with their situation.
Many had their lives taken away from them. They were played like pawns in various games devised by the Others and Widmore. Many were deprived of their freedom. Many were deprived of an emotional bond. Some tried to gain respect and leadership, but failed. Some had relationships broken a part by jealousy or rage. Pregnant women on the island died in their third term. Many people were killed during military actions taken on the island. Faraday's experiment showed that time was slowed on the island. Ben lost his control and his emotions when he finally met his master, Jacob. Jack could never find his father on the island. Desmond could not find the right route off the island in his sailboat. The survivors spent many days running through the jungle being pursued by the smoke monster or the Others. Ben deposed of his father and Dharma folks as being unworthy of the island's unique bounty. Many characters could not follow the logic, argument or explanations given to them as strange events were happening to them. Many characters became fully immersed in their own ego, power and control. Locke became obsessed with the Hatch and the computer input of the Numbers. The grand island contest appears to be a game between Jacob and MIB. If there was a bankruptcy in the show, it was the moral bankruptcy that many characters showed their fellow man.
LOST followed the dictionary definition almost like a checklist to build the story lines.
So does LOST really mean its origin of "perish, destroy and unable to find (something)?"
The title to the series was called LOST.
The word "lost" is a past and past participle of lose.
adjective
1 unable to find one's way; not knowing one's whereabouts
• unable to be found
• (of a person) very confused or insecure or in great difficulties
2 denoting something that has been taken away or cannot be recovered
• (of time or an opportunity) not used advantageously; wasted
• having perished or been destroyed
3 (of a game or contest) in which a defeat has been sustained
verb
1. be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something)
• cause (someone) to fail to gain or retain (something)
• be deprived of (a close relative or friend) through their death or as a result of the breaking off of a relationship
• (of a pregnant woman) miscarry (a baby) or suffer the death of (a baby) during childbirth.
• (be lost) be destroyed or killed, esp. through accident or as a result of military action
• decrease in (body weight); undergo a reduction of (a specified amount of weight)
• waste or fail to take advantage of (time or an opportunity)
• (of a watch or clock) become slow by (a specified amount of time)
• (lose it) informal lose control of one's temper or emotions:
2 become unable to find (something or someone)
• cease or become unable to follow (the right route)
• evade or shake off (a pursuer):
• informal get rid of (an undesirable person or thing)
• informal cause (someone) to be unable to follow an argument or explanation
• (lose oneself in/be lost in) be or become deeply absorbed in (something)
3 fail to win (a game or contest)
• cause (someone) to fail to win (a game or contest)
4 earn less (money) than one is spending or has spent.
The origin of the word "lost" is Old English for "perish, destroy," also "become unable to find."
One could go through each definition of the word "lost" and tie it directly to an event depicted in the show:
The 815ers did not know where they landed; the island was hidden so rescuers could not find them.
The survivors were very insecure in their own being and having a great difficulty with their situation.
Many had their lives taken away from them. They were played like pawns in various games devised by the Others and Widmore. Many were deprived of their freedom. Many were deprived of an emotional bond. Some tried to gain respect and leadership, but failed. Some had relationships broken a part by jealousy or rage. Pregnant women on the island died in their third term. Many people were killed during military actions taken on the island. Faraday's experiment showed that time was slowed on the island. Ben lost his control and his emotions when he finally met his master, Jacob. Jack could never find his father on the island. Desmond could not find the right route off the island in his sailboat. The survivors spent many days running through the jungle being pursued by the smoke monster or the Others. Ben deposed of his father and Dharma folks as being unworthy of the island's unique bounty. Many characters could not follow the logic, argument or explanations given to them as strange events were happening to them. Many characters became fully immersed in their own ego, power and control. Locke became obsessed with the Hatch and the computer input of the Numbers. The grand island contest appears to be a game between Jacob and MIB. If there was a bankruptcy in the show, it was the moral bankruptcy that many characters showed their fellow man.
LOST followed the dictionary definition almost like a checklist to build the story lines.
So does LOST really mean its origin of "perish, destroy and unable to find (something)?"
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
THE BRIGHT SIDE
Monty Python used farce to enlighten the human experience. One of their iconic song lyrics said "Look on the Bright Side of Life."
Indeed.
Let us look at the bright side(s) of the LOST series.
First, it was a major return of the serialized American television drama. Most television shows are self contained episodes. But LOST was built upon the weaving of episode upon episode to create a vast and complex story line, which was unique but also a throw-back to 1970s miniseries. Networks viewed these long, drawn out story arcs to be risky and unable to hold an audience from season to season.
Second, it was pushing the edge of an ensemble cast. Most television dramas focus in on a hand full of major characters and one-off episode guest stars. But LOST flooded the pilot episodes with more than a dozen "main" characters - - - which showed the chaos, complexity and mystery of so many different back stories. The idea of having such a large cast helps create more conflicts between the characters. Like sporting matches, the group subdivides into competitive teams - - - leaders and followers (which was a rampant theme in the series).
Third, LOST tapped into the general concepts familiar with most avid readers of American literature. The classic shipwreck story of survival on a tropical jungle is a prototypical story engine that most people could relate to; many people were hooked into the concept because they had thought about what they would do in a similar situation. The idea of the miracle of surviving a plane crash being muted quickly by the terror of a mysterious smoke monster captured another classic American television concept: science fiction. So the series quickly found two base audiences: action-adventure drama and science fiction.
Fourth, LOST began its first episodes showcasing "likable" characters. The survivors seemed like nice people put into a horrible situation. Every viewer could readily identify with one or more of the main characters: Jack, the healer; Kate, the runaway; Hurley, the loner; Locke, the faux outdoorsman; Rose, the spiritualist; Sawyer, the troublemaker; Charlie, the strung out musician; and Claire, the pregnant and scared young woman. As the series progressed, many viewers attitudes towards these characters changed as their actions or back stories unfolded which is probably the only true element of TPTB's mantra that the show was all about "character development."
Fifth, the biggest contribution of LOST to this television era was its cross-over into the social media world. LOST fan sites immediately sprung up on the internet. Fan reviews of each episode included detailed comments from other fans. Entire fan communities grew up around a single television series. Whether by accident or design, the way the series was constructed in convoluted flash backs, unanswered questions, clues or alleged Easter eggs, kept fan interest and debate lively between episodes - - - and even after the show went on seasonal hiatus. New internet friendships were created by the common interest of sharing ideas about the show. In this respect, LOST was an accidental pioneer of real time social commentary on television shows.
Sixth, as a result of these new fan communities, viewers began to reach out beyond the confines of merely watching and digesting their program, to research and writing elaborate and complex theories about the program. I learned more about ancient Egyptian culture, rituals and religion than in any school course because of LOST. The "expansion" of personal knowledge of researching bits and clues shown in the series and then sharing one's findings in the community was a unique aspect of the LOST experience. Sadly, no other show since has galvanized its fan base like LOST.
Seventh, as a bold and risky script concept, LOST's initial success allowed networks (and cable channels) the basis for green-lightning more "unconventional" shows. Networks like Showtime and HBO suddenly began taking risks with high-concept shows. Other networks allowed niche shows to soldier on if its fan base was vocal enough to keep it on the air.
Eighth, there was a backlash against future LOST-type shows. The pendulum swung back toward single camera situational comedies, but with "elevated" writing (such as the scientific facts spoken in every episode of The Big Bang Theory.) Networks were willing to give writers and show runners more rope to play with, but once things got "too complex" to follow, then those dramas were hanged out to dry.
Network executives knew that die-hard LOST viewers, after spending so much time and energy on their show for 6 long seasons that presented hundreds of questions with vague to misleading answers, were exhausted by the end. A disappointing end to the series is a bitter folly for some. Some critics believe that after LOST, American viewers lost it’s patience for a long, serial suspense dramas that raised more questions than answers from season to season. Once a show becomes too complex, or when the series starts "to get that Lost feeling," many viewers will jump ship.
It does push network executives and production firms to avoid their new shows to have roller coaster type scripts and story lines that end "with the lack of viewer pay off.” In some respects, new drama shows are catering concepts that are less complex, and each episode having a distinct and clear guaranteed pay off in the framework of a cohesive story. This is the good fall out from the LOST experience.
However, some networks have gone completely in the opposite direction to push cheaper, easily produced with no plot or story line fodder such as reality programs. Those programs do not challenge viewer's minds. They are mostly idle time killers. This is the bad fall out from LOST.
Ninth, a lingering aspect of the LOST experience may be nostalgia. It may be part of the show itself, or it may be part of the community feeling some viewers experienced on-line. It could be the wispy sigh of "what could have been" which is the normal regret of passing youth. LOST is one of those series that one can sit back and ponder. Since the series conclusion was so open-ended and ripe for personal interpretation and re-interpretation, it may linger on like the fog hiding the footprints in a Scottish moor.
Indeed.
Let us look at the bright side(s) of the LOST series.
First, it was a major return of the serialized American television drama. Most television shows are self contained episodes. But LOST was built upon the weaving of episode upon episode to create a vast and complex story line, which was unique but also a throw-back to 1970s miniseries. Networks viewed these long, drawn out story arcs to be risky and unable to hold an audience from season to season.
Second, it was pushing the edge of an ensemble cast. Most television dramas focus in on a hand full of major characters and one-off episode guest stars. But LOST flooded the pilot episodes with more than a dozen "main" characters - - - which showed the chaos, complexity and mystery of so many different back stories. The idea of having such a large cast helps create more conflicts between the characters. Like sporting matches, the group subdivides into competitive teams - - - leaders and followers (which was a rampant theme in the series).
Third, LOST tapped into the general concepts familiar with most avid readers of American literature. The classic shipwreck story of survival on a tropical jungle is a prototypical story engine that most people could relate to; many people were hooked into the concept because they had thought about what they would do in a similar situation. The idea of the miracle of surviving a plane crash being muted quickly by the terror of a mysterious smoke monster captured another classic American television concept: science fiction. So the series quickly found two base audiences: action-adventure drama and science fiction.
Fourth, LOST began its first episodes showcasing "likable" characters. The survivors seemed like nice people put into a horrible situation. Every viewer could readily identify with one or more of the main characters: Jack, the healer; Kate, the runaway; Hurley, the loner; Locke, the faux outdoorsman; Rose, the spiritualist; Sawyer, the troublemaker; Charlie, the strung out musician; and Claire, the pregnant and scared young woman. As the series progressed, many viewers attitudes towards these characters changed as their actions or back stories unfolded which is probably the only true element of TPTB's mantra that the show was all about "character development."
Fifth, the biggest contribution of LOST to this television era was its cross-over into the social media world. LOST fan sites immediately sprung up on the internet. Fan reviews of each episode included detailed comments from other fans. Entire fan communities grew up around a single television series. Whether by accident or design, the way the series was constructed in convoluted flash backs, unanswered questions, clues or alleged Easter eggs, kept fan interest and debate lively between episodes - - - and even after the show went on seasonal hiatus. New internet friendships were created by the common interest of sharing ideas about the show. In this respect, LOST was an accidental pioneer of real time social commentary on television shows.
Sixth, as a result of these new fan communities, viewers began to reach out beyond the confines of merely watching and digesting their program, to research and writing elaborate and complex theories about the program. I learned more about ancient Egyptian culture, rituals and religion than in any school course because of LOST. The "expansion" of personal knowledge of researching bits and clues shown in the series and then sharing one's findings in the community was a unique aspect of the LOST experience. Sadly, no other show since has galvanized its fan base like LOST.
Seventh, as a bold and risky script concept, LOST's initial success allowed networks (and cable channels) the basis for green-lightning more "unconventional" shows. Networks like Showtime and HBO suddenly began taking risks with high-concept shows. Other networks allowed niche shows to soldier on if its fan base was vocal enough to keep it on the air.
Eighth, there was a backlash against future LOST-type shows. The pendulum swung back toward single camera situational comedies, but with "elevated" writing (such as the scientific facts spoken in every episode of The Big Bang Theory.) Networks were willing to give writers and show runners more rope to play with, but once things got "too complex" to follow, then those dramas were hanged out to dry.
Network executives knew that die-hard LOST viewers, after spending so much time and energy on their show for 6 long seasons that presented hundreds of questions with vague to misleading answers, were exhausted by the end. A disappointing end to the series is a bitter folly for some. Some critics believe that after LOST, American viewers lost it’s patience for a long, serial suspense dramas that raised more questions than answers from season to season. Once a show becomes too complex, or when the series starts "to get that Lost feeling," many viewers will jump ship.
It does push network executives and production firms to avoid their new shows to have roller coaster type scripts and story lines that end "with the lack of viewer pay off.” In some respects, new drama shows are catering concepts that are less complex, and each episode having a distinct and clear guaranteed pay off in the framework of a cohesive story. This is the good fall out from the LOST experience.
However, some networks have gone completely in the opposite direction to push cheaper, easily produced with no plot or story line fodder such as reality programs. Those programs do not challenge viewer's minds. They are mostly idle time killers. This is the bad fall out from LOST.
Ninth, a lingering aspect of the LOST experience may be nostalgia. It may be part of the show itself, or it may be part of the community feeling some viewers experienced on-line. It could be the wispy sigh of "what could have been" which is the normal regret of passing youth. LOST is one of those series that one can sit back and ponder. Since the series conclusion was so open-ended and ripe for personal interpretation and re-interpretation, it may linger on like the fog hiding the footprints in a Scottish moor.
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