Lost Theories: Desmond Flashback - Real or Fake?

Desmond Returns From His Flashback

I've been getting a lot of questions about the Desmond Flashback in Lost Season 3, Episode 8 "Flashes Before Your Eyes". So, this really is not a Lost spoilers post, but more like a Lost theories post. There is no spoilers-y explanation for it since the spoilers actually are in the creators' intentions. Like a lot about Lost, this was a thinking person's flashback. Not necessarily a tight linear narrative, but rather thought provocation about the rich mystery of the Lost TV series island itself.

What happened was, the flashback was of Desmond's experience as he turned the failsafe hatch key in the season finale of Lost Season 2. Desmond turns the key and is blown clear out of the hatch, and onto the surface of the Lost island. He is unconscious and covered with blood. His life flashes before his eyes, hence the episode 8 title. Desmond was remembering key events of his life, with an overlay of his present experience. The island references, recognition of Charlie and so on were all an overlay of dream on Desmond's memories of his life.

That is my favorite theory among the millions of theories floating around. One theory for each of the 20 million or 14 million or zillion Lost TV show fans... whatever ... If you KNOW, you know what I mean. :)

Back to the theories discussion: you cannot really decipher all that is dream from that which was real, and of course that was the intention of the Lost writers. Alternatively, if you are a cynic, it was just an entertaining mishmash, or you could say Desmond was travelling through time. To give a bone to that camp, the writers conveniently wrote Desmond naked, as losing his clothes. In one literary embodiment of the time travel myth, you lose your clothes when you return home. So, under such a theory Desmond actually time - travelled back to his past and lost his clothes upon return.

Lost Spoilers Blog: "The Cost of Living", Season 3 - Episode 5 of Lost

Usual Warning: If you want to remain in suspense until the broadcast, stop reading now...

These are the pre-broadcast spoilers for Season 3, Episode 5 of Lost on ABC TV in the USA. The Clues blog on this episode is here: Lost Clues Blog, and will be updated after the broadcast.

Ok, another brilliant Lost plan will be implemented by the beach Losties in order to rescue Jack, Sawyer and Kate. Yep, they will go after computer power to assist. So, it's time to go, and go hunting for a hatch computer. The computer has got to lead them to greater knowledge.

Back at the Other’s zoo, on the Other's other island, Jack keeps working his psychological warfare angle from the the fish tank. Another way of looking at his strategy is "turn Julliette" - in case Kate takes Sawyer. It is hard to determine who is playing whom.

The flashback will focus on Mr. Eko’s backstory. From Spoilerfix the episode features Nigerian woman named Amadi who is intuitive and strong and has a son, a violent warlord named Azi, and a sweet altar boy named Daniel.

The title of this episode says it all. – the cost of living. And they are not referring to economic statistics! This is the price you pay to stay alive, or else you die. Indeed, the big rumor this week is that one of our favorite characters dies. That’s right Mr. Eko. I have to tell you I am pretty skeptical about this rumor and my misdirection radar is beeping away on it. The “official” rumor leaked out through TV Guide - who usually gets it right when it comes to Lost - is:

“Next week, a major character (as in a series regular) whose name is not Sawyer will join Boone, Shannon, Ana Lucia and Libby in the big island in the sky. And you're not going to believe who it is. I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes”

The whispered rumor connected to this PR hype is that it is Mr. Eko who dies. Unfortunately the readers of this 100% accurate blog :) should bet this is a spoiler and one of the most loved Losties is a goner.

To the contrary, the flashback for this episode will be Mr. Eko’s. Why spend all the production dollars on someone you are firing? Ok I’m on the fence on this one, leaning to a bye bye Eko. As I said before, here, I would not want any inaccurate spoilers , so I may pull this one. For now it stays. We’ll see.