Will or won’t the Numbers ultimately be explained?
What do you think: are they just a mysterious force that binds the Universe together and will never be explained at all? Or will they end up having some kind of explanation, be it a natural one or supernatural one?
Personally, I’m fine with never getting an explanation. But I also liked The Force in Star Wars better before mitichlorians (something Damon Lindelof once alluded to).
If we get an explanation, my money’s on this long shot: they’re just random lottery numbers that got caught up in a time loop. Everyone got obsessed with their supposed good or bad luck, and self-fulfilled their own prophecies (“made their own luck”).
Oh, those pesky numbers that have driven so many of us crazy!
The writers have stated that they have no intention of delving into the meaning of the Valenzetti Equation. However, we have been provided with some clues along the way.
We do know that some of the characters view the numbers as a pre-cursor of bad luck.
When Hurley steals some of the documents that Sayid had found in Danielle Rousseau’s camp, the documents contain the repeated numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42, the same numbers for the Valenzetti Equation which Hurley had used to win a lottery jackpot.
When he approaches Rousseau she tells Hurley that this is how her team found ‘the island’, and in view of what happened to her team, she also considers the numbers to be bad luck.
What bothers me is, that we have not been provided with how or why Rousseau’s team of scientists came to ‘the island’.
One aspect for the sequence of numbers continuing to appear in a variety of ways, could be astrological, and each of ‘the losties’ are linked to them, for whatever reason.
I believe we will learn the significance of the numbers in terms of what they mean to the characters and why they keep repeating, as you have pointed out.
Self-fulfilling prophecy is definitely a consideration.
Great topic!
dabs, I agree that they’ll have to mention the Numbers at least a few more times in S6. I can handle never knowing who the real Henry Gale was, but I have to know something more about the Numbers!
I never considered that Danielle’s team might have had ulterior motives, perhaps even seeking out The Island. Interesting idea.
Do you remember the dude who called out the Numbers while building The Hatch? There was something weird about that guy to me — he wasn’t just some generic extra… it’s like they wanted him to stand out. Maybe (it’s a long shot) he’s a connection to events yet to unfold!
Hi Blade, I hope we do get further clarification on Rousseau’s team. When Jin flashes to when they landed on ‘the island’, he sees an item (can’t recall) that has B612 written on it.
The episode was entitled The Little Prince, and B612 was the name of an asteroid/planet in the book entitled The Little Prince. A definite shout-out from the writers. This is why I was so frustrated not to learn more about her teams mission.
I know who you are speaking about at The Swan, but can’t recall who it was at the moment. I agree with you, that particular scene seemed to stand out. Somebody from off of ‘the island’ wanted that particular sequence of numbers placed on The Swan.
So, I think we will learn more about why they are so important.
Well the real Henry gale is right here 🙂
Ugh, I hated The Little Prince book.
I think the numbers play some part in Lost, and I think they will be explained. They basically made up Hugo’s identity so they must be pretty important, as far as I’m concerned.
At least, I really hope they explain… 😉
If you remember, Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince” begins with an aviator telling the story of how his plane once crash-landed in the desert (perhaps Tunisia?).
While the aviator tries desperately to repair his damaged aircraft before he runs out of water and dies, he meets a strange little boy who turns out to be an extra-terrestrial.
The Little Prince tells the aviator about his travels to various distant worlds and his adventures since his arrival on earth. It happens to be one of my favorite children’s books.
The story I am miffed that they did not show in flashback was that of Sam Toomey and Lenny, the two navy radiomen who intercepted the same transmission as Rousseau and went mad because of it. In fact that is where Hurley originally got the numbers.
If Jughead changed the future from 1977 on, there were no transmissions and Lenny never went mad. He never met Hurley in Santa Rosa and Hurley chose a completely different set of numbers for the lottery win. Hence the McCluck’s Ad with “Ever since I won the lottery my life has been filled with good luck”…
Okay, now I think they’re going to be handled exactly the same way as the Richard/Locke compass. They’ll be left as a beautiful, enigmatic, self-referential paradox.
The compass loops over and over through time, but at no point was it ever _created_. I think the Numbers will be the same.
This idea shows up often in sci-fi, and I actually like it because (a) even casual fans can grasp its weirdness, and (b) it’s an easy way of saying, “Not all things can be explained. So have fun with it!”
I REALLY HOPE THEY DO EXPLAIN THE NUMBERS FOR THE SAKE OF LOST VIEWERS WHO AREN’T AS DEDICATED AS US LOONATICS 🙂 I MENTIONED TO MY MATE YESTERDAY ABOUT ENZO VALENZETTI AND THE COUNTDOWN TO THE END OF THE WORLD AND SHE LOOKED AT ME AS IF I HAD 2 HEADS – SHE’S THE KIND OF GIRL WHO WILL WANT EVERYTHING EXPLAINED IN THE LAST 42 MINUTES OF SEASON 6 COME NEXT YEAR OR ELSE IT WILL BE THE WORST TV SHOW EVER.
ANYHOW I’M KINDA DISAPPOINTED AT HOW LITTLE THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN MENTIONED IN THIS LAST 2 SERIES’ COMPARED TO THE FIRST 2. I’M FEARING THEY’LL JUST DIE A DEATH LIKE THE LIBBY STORY – HOPEFULLY NOT!
THE BEST EXPLANATION IS
4TH OF AUGUST 2015
16:23:42
BEING THE EXACT TIME WHEN EVERYTHING ENDS – NOT EVEN BACTERIA WILL SURVIVE!!
I’LL BE IN THE BAR THAT DAY AS SOON AS IT OPENS DRINKING MacCUTCHEONS!! SEE YAS ALL THERE!!