Here's everything we still don't know about 'Lost'

Sat, Jul 26, 2008 at 04:37 AM EST

Yea, what's up with the goddam tarps? There seems to be an unlimited supply of tarps. I've been on planes all my life and I don't remember seeing one god-damn tarp or hearing about airlines stashing them with the luggage just in case the plane crashes they can come in handy.

Why hasn't anyone else noticed THIS"???????

Sam123 Mon, Feb 11, 2008 at 11:22 PM EST

I have been agonizing over the tarp thing too!!! it would be one thing if they were just using plastic... this might come from packaging or plane insulation or SOMETHING-- but they seem to have stereotypical blue camping tarps that you would buy at EMS or walmart-- whats going on??

grace Wed, Dec 6, 2006 at 11:57 AM EST

i love lost and i cant wait for the dvds to come out so i can really watch all of the shows. i hate the fact that so many other ppl are still bitching that they dont like the show. if you dont like it then dont watch it. i love lost and will watch it till the end keep up the great work :)

Lex Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 04:22 PM EST

Donna, I have wondered about the tarps since the pilot myself! They seem to have an awful lot of them.

I don't see why everyone blames JJ Abrams for the lack of answers-- anyone who reads up Lost or listens to the podcasts know that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse run and write the show. JJ Abrams didn't even have time to direct one episode either last or this season, as promised awhile back.

While I don't mind not knowing answers immediately (there would be no reason to watch then), my gripe is how they kill off characters and add new ones while still neglecting other characters. Libby, Mr. Eko, Ana Lucia, Shannon, Boone- now 3 more are set to die when the show returns this spring. Charle, Claire, Sayed, and Hurley barely get any screen time anymore, yet they bring on 2 new Losties who suck!

jen Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 04:17 PM EST

question 29 asks where desmond was hiding his boat. when desmond took over number punching and kelvin was going out in the hasmat suit, he was fixing up desmond's boat to escape the island (don't remember what episode it was). then desmond followed him, they fought, kelvin was presumably killed, the numbers weren't punched, and the "plane crashed." wouldn't it be a safe assumption that desmond never moved the boat, and therefore the boat was exactly where it was when kelvin was repairing it?

Donna Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 04:11 PM EST

Here's a Lost mystery that I have yet to see addressed anywhere - Where are all the tarps coming from? Every person seems to have his or her own personal shelter and each shelter is made with at least one tarp. They have used tarps to make a water catch basin and even to wrap the dead for burial. Now, I don't know about you, but I rarely pack a tarp when flying halfway 'round the world, I'm betting Oceanic Airlines does not pack it's cargo hold with extra tarps "just in case," and I can't imagine the hatch had a stockpile of 30 or 40 tarps on the off chance an airliner might crash nearby. So where in the heck are all these tarps coming from? I need answers!!

Oscar, BuddyTV Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 01:31 PM EST

It will al be resolved. This is what I keep telling my self.

ryan Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 12:10 PM EST

IGN needs editors, badly...having "The Numbers" as the #1 mystery? After saying in Mystery #4 that the Numbers in fact DO have meaning, thanks to "The Lost Experience"? Weak. Seems like this article was coddled from a post-Season 2 analysis coupled with a few things throw in last week to produce a less-than-stellar list. Too bad.

The Number 1 mystery, clearly, is, "Wherefore, Paulo and Nikki? Wherefor?"

Dan Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 11:37 AM EST

So Staubin are you suggesting blind allegiance?

I have no interest in CSI either, but for me Lost will only continue to "amaze" if it finds a creative and hopefully plausible conclusion... and before everyone jumps all over me I'm not saying next episode.

At this point, I need a sign from JJ that he actually cares about ending this show with dignity... whenever that may be.

staubin Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 10:39 AM EST

Lost continues to be one of the most inventive, fearless, and intriguing shows on network tv. So what if it takes a little bit of investment when the payoff can be really big. There is no other television experience like it. We live in a world where three of the top five watched television shows start with CSI. A world where instead of going for the rainbow sprinkles, we consistently settle for vanilla since it sells the best. For those of you who are giving up on Lost because it's too much effort, or too obtuse to understand, all you are doing is contributing to the death of the only major network prime time show that never ceases to amaze me.

QueenElessar Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 10:33 AM EST

To GT-

As I understood it...the "him" that both Desmond and Kelvin were waiting for...was their replacement to guard the hatch and push the button. Whoever was put their initially (maybe Kelvin) was supposed to wait for their replacement...and the poem was like the code word to prove who they were. Kelvin thought Desmond was it...and he wasn't...but he ended up becoming the guardian of the hatch anyway...still waiting for the replacement. When Locke showed up, he thought he might be the guy.

There probably never was a replacement if it all was some sort of sick social experiment.

But I'm fairly sure that that's what the poem and the "are you him?" was about.

Liza Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 10:29 AM EST

I am with you Michael.
I love the show, but sometimes feel frustrated that we get no answers at all. Some of my friends have given up, but not me, I still have hope that one day everything will be answered. My question about the polar bears is why haven't they died from the heat. Don't they need cold to survive?

Michael Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 09:37 AM EST

Dear Mr. Abrams,

I am a fan of Lost, but I am fed up with all your plot twists. No matter how many times I watch and rewatch each episode, download it from ABC.com, go to the Lost website and all the other affiliated websites, watch all the easter egg webisodes, buy all of the available Lost products searching for clues, dig around on Lostpedia, and post angry comments on every TV blog I can find, I still just cannot understand everything right away!

My question is - why are you doing this to us?

Sincerely,
An Avid Lost Viewer

p.s. – I’ll never stop watching!

p.p.s. – I hate you!

Dan Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 09:31 AM EST

After reading the Stephen King piece I feel even more inclined to stop watching. I was hooked initially but as it becomes more culty and sci-fi I find myself losing interest. The most distressing thing about the King article is that it leaves the impression that there is no exit strategy; the show was never conceived with an exit strategy, and; ABC is only interested in milking this for all it's worth.

Bottom line, expect viewers to get jerked around long past the point where it jumps the shark and some lame-ass resolution when the ratings plummet and irrelevance sets in. Way to go JJ, you're really breaking the mould there.

GT Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 09:19 AM EST

The mystery I want to know about is why didn't Ben/Henry just go and ask Jack to perform his surgery? I mean Jack seems like the kind of guy who would do it, and it seems like it would be a lot simpler then the whole elaborate kidnapping scheme.

Brian Hodges Wed, Nov 29, 2006 at 09:51 PM EST

One thing they don't address is who the "him" of "are you him?" is. When Locke first goes down into the hatch, Desmond asks, "Are you him?" and then recites the beginning of some riddle and is obviously disappointed when Locke doesn't know the answer. When Desmond first comes to the island, Kelvin asks him the same questions. Who the hell are these guys waiting for?

G Wed, Nov 29, 2006 at 07:40 PM EST

I find it interesting that no one has made the connection between Alias and Lost. Not some meta-same universe Dharma/Section 6 connection, but the connection that Alias was Abrahms other high concept show. With lots of questions. Lots of unanswered questions.Lots of unanswered questions that made the show, which had such an amazing first two seasons, into downright crap by the third and certainly by the final season. I would have hoped JJ would have learned his ways but the poor kid just likes to make plot twists with no answers. (See also Mission Impossible III... they BLATANTLY don't answer the main plot question... what is the device the bad guys want?)

sarahhhh Wed, Nov 29, 2006 at 07:38 PM EST

Remember the part in the Season 2 finale when they showed those scenes in the snow/arctic and talked about Penny or something? Whatever happened to that? What was it even about? I can't remember.

wildecat Wed, Nov 29, 2006 at 06:12 PM EST

FYI Mike - those of us who have children or other loved ones with developmental disabilities find the "R" word extremely offensive when used as an insult, so please cool it.

Mike Wed, Nov 29, 2006 at 05:24 PM EST

Russell, you're retarded.

Tim Wed, Nov 29, 2006 at 05:13 PM EST

Glad I gave up on Lost back in the spring.

Russell Wed, Nov 29, 2006 at 05:07 PM EST

They are in LIMBO. Purgatory...whatever you want to call it.

EP Sato Wed, Nov 29, 2006 at 04:40 PM EST

I thought the Polar Bear question was answered. There were a pair of polar bears brought to the island as part of the Dharma initiative. It would seem they were housed in the bear cage that now houses Sawyer. Of course, this brings me to question whether or not "the Others" are really on a separate island.

While I love this show, the real question should be how many of us plan to return to the Island in January. Personally, I'm going to let tivo record the rest of the season and just avoid any popwatch spoilers until having a major sit down and watch party the day after the season finale. Each week seems to bring more frustration than answers, and while the point of the others isn't necessarily to like them, this season has made me really really hate "the others" and their lame plotlines. Just tell us who they are already!