Theorising Season 4 et al

I was chatting with fellow SysOp Santa today (not all about Lost, we do actually have normal conversation occassionally), but we got to speaking about Season focus. We all know Season 1 was about building characters and introducing the hatch. Season 2 then gave us the "what's inside" and DHARMA stuff, with Season 3 then orientating on the Others in more emphasis. The writers themselves have talked about how each Season focuses on a different mystery arc in greater emphasis, and how each Season is always different in style. So we got to thinking, now that S3 is well underway, what do we think Season 4 will focus on. I'd love to see comments with other peoples' opinions, but here's my idea thinking about the show's progression. Prepare for a major rant...

To me, the natural progression is going back one step further in time. S1 was about the present, Flight 815. S2 then kind of headed back to the late 20th Century, with DHARMA's stations. S3, although very much about DHARMA too, has really stuck to the Others (apparently on the Island before DHARMA says Mikhail). So, I personally think we'll be heading to the days of the statue, predating possibly even the Others. Our focus right now is really on why did DHARMA and indeed the Others like this Island so much. It must be to do with its healing powers (Others), ability to be invisible from the outside world (DHARMA dodgy experiments). However, I think S4 will kind of change the focal point to WHY is the Island like this, as opposed to why these groups like these things (if that makes sense). I'll bet S3 finale hints at why the Island is how it is, but it won't be until Season 4 that we learn some how's and why's, rather than the consequently-s.

My other big thing in relation to this was that I'm thinking the Others predate DHARMA, but not in the sense of by hundreds of statue construction years. I don't get the real vibe that they lived on the Island in primitiveness before stealing DHARMA's barracks and killing them all with their secret weapon sickness (Danielle:"It was them. They were the carriers" - ending the purge pretty well, guns and sonic barriers are all well and good, but bio warfare helps too). To me, they seem very late 19th Century at the earliest on the Island, likely more around WWII arrivals. This made me look back at some of the things that have crashed on the Island, which made me get to a rather interesting, if slightly unlikely theory. The Others came over on the Black Rock as slaves. This would be incredibly deep in the ideology if it was so, as the Lost Experience told us that Magnus Hanso owned the boat (relation to Alvar there, head of Hanso, financer of DHARMA? Possible grandad). That would be good if the Others met DHARMA, realised their financer was the blood relative of their old capturer - tension ensues. Then again, DHARMA's destruction of a lot of the Island and trying to use them for study might have annoyed em too.

The whole Magnus thing was definitely an interesting area. It probably explains how DHARMA came to the Island. The Sri Lanka vid said that the Island's location is only known to Alvar, the DeGroots, and a few high rankers. Did Alvar find the Island by surrendippity? Maybe he was searching for the remains of Magnus, possibly to satisfy his father (daddy issues, anybody), or maybe the Black Rock had gold onboard he wanted. Anywayz, stumbles on the Island! Discovers all its amazing healing and invisibleness. So when he starts up DHARMA and needs a nice hidden joint to test his Valenzetti Equation, the Lost Island is the perfect place.

Any of this sound plausible? More crazy outlets for the Lost theories that weave in my head. My next research is gonna be on those numbers - I suddenly had an idea of what they might mean / refer to (other than ambiguous core values of the V. equation)? Will I make some famous breakthrough - 99.99% chances of a no, but if there's one thing you learn from TLE, it can actually be quite interesting trying. So, as I said, please post theories for me to read, and try to make em more continuous prose-y than mine :-)

Later!