"Flashes Before Your Eyes" Mailbag

I got quite a few comments about last night's episode (whether or not you liked the episode, it was definitely a conversation starter!) so I thought I'd list some of the comments here in a post.

The one thing this episode did was leave it open for one of two interpretations: Either you believe Desmond's body really did leave the island and he time-travelled to the past, but once there realized he couldn't change the events. OR, you're looking at the episode from a more spiritual standpoint, and taking the title at face value, you see what happened as his life flashing before his eyes, but it allowed for him to participate in it. People who have had near-death experiences have talked about this phenomenon, and many of them not only saw the flashes of their life run by them like a movie strip, but they say they feel like they were re-enacting the scenes again, with the knowledge that they'd already happened. So either theory is a viable one at this point, or maybe it's a combination of the two. What's fun about it is trying to figure out the logic of either one of these being true.

I've read an interesting theory about physics recently about how the observing an experiment changes the outcome, which is what Desmond was doing. Seeing as he was aware of what was happening, it was changing the result. As for the ring, it will sit at the bottom of the river until some hobbit swims down and finds it. Paging Charlie...

LOL!! That's an interesting theory indeed, and it could bring the two elements together. He could be watching it from afar in flashes, but just in watching it, he changes it. Now, if he's really just experiencing all of this in his mind, which is the one theory, then the ring isn't really at the bottom of the Thames (which is why I asked that). The woman in the ring store said that when he originally came into the store, he walked out without buying it, which means the first time through, he didn't buy the ring, and therefore didn't throw it into the Thames. But if he really did time travel, then he did throw it in there, and now it's sitting there because he's changed history, despite thinking he didn't.

it makes sense to me (now!) that busking charlie was a pre-drive shaft charlie, but why didn't he recognise desmond on the island, then, as the same crazy man who accosted him on the street in london? and why didn't desmond recognise him on the island as the busker he went loony in front of in london? (or did he, and i missed it?)

Well, in either theory, he wouldn't remember it. (This takes some explanation, so bear with me.) The rant that Desmond has is relating to Charlie not remembering him, and that he remembered standing there, and that it began to rain, etc. BUT, the first time through, he probably just stood there, listened to the kid on the corner, and dropped his pound into the guitar case and went on his way. There was probably no discussion, no exchange, etc. So Charlie would have no memory of him in that case. But if he really did time travel and had that discussion, the real question becomes, does that change all of history that happened before?? Charlie wouldn't remember Desmond when he first sees him, because Des hadn't gone back to change time yet. But maybe now, both Charlie and Desmond have memories that when they first met, Charlie totally remembered him from that encounter. The thing is, the writers won't go back in time to recount absolutely everything with this new changed memory. (I hope.) So we'll never know if Charlie now remembers the encounter.

Or, the other explanation is, the drugs seriously fried Charlie's mind and his memory ain't what it used to be. And knowing several people who busked in their university days, crazy people who walk up to you while you're playing guitar in the street and begin ranting and raving are a daily occurrence. There's no reason why Desmond would stick out among all the other crazies. :)

You're completely, 100% WRONG about the "flashback". When Desmond turned the key, he actually relived that. He didn't tell that verbatim to Charlie because why would Charlie believe him? I'm not even going to bother pasting the rest together for you, but let me just tell you this: Rewatch the episode, and listen to the end of the conversation Desmond's teacher friend has with a female student before seeing "The Scot" and then the converstaion he was with the Scot afterwards, where he even admits he's time traveling. How can you not have picked up on it?

OK, listen, Paulo. If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, STOP posting on my blog anonymously! First of all, I know it's you. Secondly, I wish you'd believe me, I'm not THAT Nikki! She's on the island with YOU. Thirdly, how the frak did you get Internet access when you're on the island?? Sheesh. I can barely tolerate having to listen to your inane conversations on the show, I really don't want to have to talk to you outside of it as well. If I thought you were a legitimate poster instead of just Paulo hiding behind his Anonymous tag, I'd ask you this: If I said pink was my favourite colour, would you tell me that no, I'm 100% dead wrong, because green is a much better colour? Because that's kinda what you've done here. The show was not cut and dry. You can watch it your way -- and to believe they've time travelled is a very valid interpretation of it, as I actually said in my blog and above, and I respect you for having that -- and I can watch it my way. But let's all be nice, K? Just chill out, Paulo. Go have a swim, hit a few golf balls, and mumble on about something that no one will pay attention to.

I loved last night's show Nikki, not quite as much as last week's though. I was also chuckling that Desmond "happened" to know an East Indian physicist who "happened" to be talking aboug time travel, how convenient! The episode had such a Final Destination feel to it, no matter what you do, you can't cheat death. I wonder if I believe that or not...Maybe Sylar will show up and lop off Charlie's skull and become a bad singer! LOL

Hahaha! Sigh... if only ALL of my favourite shows could come together like that. Maybe Betty will come to the island and be Sylar's personal assistant, and start ragging on him to be a better person, and finally yell, "I'm not going to tell you again: stop acting like a baby and get on with it!" and then Michael Scott would appear and say, "That's what she said." And Jim would look into the camera and make a face.

I liked the twist at the end, too. The ep reminded me of Stephen King's "Dead Zone" (the book), in which a likeable guy awakens from a coma and can predict the future to save people.

Hmm... good point! The writers LOVE Stephen King on the show, so it wouldn't surprise me if that's the case.