Episode 4:05 - The Constant

[LovesToRead]

I think you are probably correct.

I think so too.

Not to be pedantic, but it is Minkowski.

Aww, go ahead an be pedantic! Someone needs to be! That's how details get detailed.

 

[suzybeezy]

Not to be pedantic, but it is Minkowski.

Yeah I've seen some people say its Minkowski, others say its McKowsky. I keep listening and I think its McKowsky, but of course, wouldn't be the first time I'm wrong

 

[latteda]

The best episode ever.

 

[suzybeezy]

Which bossman? Jacob?

I don't have time to read all of the posts, but here are a few thoughts of mine. I like Desmond the most with long hair (random I know ). I actually like Dan. I'm not sure what it is, but he just seems like a nice guy deep down. I'm confused though as to why he wrote in his journal about Desmond being his constant. He said before that the effects can be totally random. People can go back minutes, years, anything. So why does he think he will be able to use Des as his constant? What if he went back to before he met Des?

Yeah I thought that too. Why is Desmond Daniel's constant? Daniel described a constant as someone or something that's important to you that in the future and the past. So Desmond is important to Daniel. Which reminds me of when we first seen Daniel, so moved by the wreckage footage. Which makes me wonder, did I miss it, or did Daniel and Desmond never cross paths on the island?

 

[plum]

Yeah I thought that too. Why is Desmond Daniel's constant? Daniel described a constant as someone or something that's important to you that in the future and the past. So Desmond is important to Daniel. Which reminds me of when we first seen Daniel, so moved by the wreckage footage. Which makes me wonder, did I miss it, or did Daniel and Desmond never cross paths on the island?

they did, i think, before the helicopter went back to the ship... right? hmm

 

[snoochface]

I'm confused though as to why he wrote in his journal about Desmond being his constant. He said before that the effects can be totally random. People can go back minutes, years, anything. So why does he think he will be able to use Des as his constant? What if he went back to before he met Des?

Here's what I think.

The stuff happening on the island is happening in what we know of as "present day". But since there is time travel stuff going on, it is affecting the past. Desmond did not always remember the past (like Penny's phone number) until he went back and experienced it -- but, since that memory/experience was happening in present day times (on the boat) he obviously had experienced it already, he just didn't remember it, because he hadn't gone back and done it in the past yet.

So, with that in mind, Dan was watching the wreckage of Flight 815 on television, and began to cry. But he did not know why he was crying. I think this is because something serious happens on the island, something that he or someone else (Desmond? Ben?) goes back in time and tells him about, maybe so he can help like he helped Desmond. So by the time he is watching that footage on TV, he already knows whatever it is that happens, but he doesn't remember it because his future self hasn't gone back and done whatever yet.

So he cries at the footage, but doesn't know why he's crying -- yet. But he will.

Desmond must be important enough to him that at some point, his past self makes that note in the journal for his future self to read. His past self must know that his future self will need this constant, so he makes sure that his future self has the information.

 

[mina]

ohhh man, i cried at the end, when penny and desmond are saying they love each other, i was BAWLING

 

[RedTulipMom]

ya' know what came to my mind, remember when Charlie and Desmond crossed paths on the street? wonder if that was part of the time traveling?

i think it was. i think desmond has been experiencing bits of time travel, including seeing charlies death ever since the whole hatch exploded.

 

[RedTulipMom]

8? Obviously not the 6? Eh? You'll have to explain

.

well charlie can't be one of the oceanic 6 that survived the crash because we know he died. He CAN be one of the 8 though. Remember Jack at Kate's trial telling the story of 8 surviving the crash and 2 dying on the island? So their "story" is that only 8 survived the crash, NOT the 40 or more that really survived.

so according to Jack's story.. 8 survived the crash but 2 died on the island, thus the 6 oceanic survivors.

So my thought was that Claire and Charlie are the 2 that supposedly died on the island. My reasoning is this...if Kate has Aaron then Claire obviously doesnt make it back so they have to say Claire died AFTER giving birth to Aaron so she HAD to survive the crash. Then my reasoning for Charlie being one of the 8 was because Penny had contact with him before he died and he told her he was one of the OCeanic 815 survivors.

I assume Desmond has to stick to the same story as the oceanic 6, therefore they HAVE to say Charlie survived the crash, but later died on the island. Right?

 

[FatBurger]

Oh right, I wasn't sure what 8 people you were referring to.

 

[latteda]

I'm pretty sure the island time is before what we know of as present day. I think that's how Jack's dad's body ends up missing from the casket. If they actually went back in time when they landed on the island, even if it was just a few days back, Jack's dad would not be dead...thus, the casket would no longer contain a dead body.

I like Dan...I did even before The Constant.

Do we know absolutely for sure that the book that says "Desmond is my constant" is Dan's notes or is it possible that it is a note written by someone else who gave Dan the book? And, yes, Desmond and Dan did cross paths before Desmond left in the helicopter.

George really creeped me out at first. I thought he bore a striking resemblance to the one shot that we actually saw of Jacob in the cabin. I was just sure we were going to find out last night that when George was being transported in time-space, he was being transported to the cabin...flickering in and out or something...somehow caught there. And this is why he was begging Locke to help...because on the ship, he was strapped down and having to endure the constant switch between time and space. But since he apparently dies at the end of the episode, I guess that is going to turn out to not be the case.

 

[snoochface]

I'm pretty sure the island time is before what we know of as present day. I think that's how Jack's dad's body ends up missing from the casket. If they actually went back in time when they landed on the island, even if it was just a few days back, Jack's dad would not be dead...thus, the casket would no longer contain a dead body.

I like Dan...I did even before The Constant.

Do we know absolutely for sure that the book that says "Desmond is my constant" is Dan's notes or is it possible that it is a note written by someone else who gave Dan the book? And, yes, Desmond and Dan did cross paths before Desmond left in the helicopter.

George really creeped me out at first. I thought he bore a striking resemblance to the one shot that we actually saw of Jacob in the cabin. I was just sure we were going to find out last night that when George was being transported in time-space, he was being transported to the cabin...flickering in and out or something...somehow caught there. And this is why he was begging Locke to help...because on the ship, he was strapped down and having to endure the constant switch between time and space. But since he apparently dies at the end of the episode, I guess that is going to turn out to not be the case.

It may not be the case with Minkowski, but I think you bring up a really excellent suggestion about who and what Jacob might be, and the status of Christian's body too. Good job!

 

[cat1]

I was very moved...tears in my eyes...when Desmond and Pen were speaking on the phone. Wow, and it was Christmas Eve too. (Sayid figured that one out fast...or he/they have really been keeping track of the dates. And, although I already knew she would answer, since we know she's looking for him....it is amazing that she would answer....after 8 years!!!! Yikes....maybe she knows some things about this time-shifting stuff by now too.

My husband thinks that the journal Pen's dad bought holds the time-travel secrets. That was very weird to hear the reference Hanso during the auction. (Why did her dad leave the water running?)

Wasn't Desmond in Australia, in the armed services? So...does that mean he went "AWOL" to go to London to try to see Pen? I mean, that's not a close trip, but any means. I'm a bit confused about that part.

Oh, I was thinking that Sayid didn't mention about Desmond being the the hatch explosion because he seems to not reveal things when he doesn't really have to...very good at keeping the information private that may be used against them.

he was in the military in Glasgow ( scotland) that was stated in the episode but that was an awsome ep cant wait for next week

 

[knownbeforetime]

I forgetting to put this forward but where is Regina? We saw the two tough guys, the doctor, and Minkowski but where is famed Regina?

 

[Thinker]

One item that nobody seems to have brought up yet:

One of the pages of Faraday's Journal (from the screenshots) has a diagram of the Kabbalistic 'tree of life' or its first cousin. Rather an odd thing to be in the journal of a physicist, is it not?

 

[knownbeforetime]

One item that nobody seems to have brought up yet:

One of the pages of Faraday's Journal (from the screenshots) has a diagram of the Kabbalistic 'tree of life' or its first cousin. Rather an odd thing to be in the journal of a physicist, is it not?

Where are these screencaps?

 

[cat1]

Where are these screencaps?

yeah does anyone have any screenshots?

 

[PETE_]

Where are these screencaps?

yeah does anyone have any screenshots?

http://impossiblefunky.blogspot.com/2008/02/faradays-journal.html

 

[snoochface]

http://impossiblefunky.blogspot.com/2008/02/faradays-journal.html

Wow, that's really cool! I didn't notice the correlation with the map on the hatch door.

 

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

It doesn't look exactly the same but it's definitely similar. Interesting.