Season 3 - Ep. 8 - "Flashes Before Your Eyes"

Initial Episode Reaction:

“Because maybe … you're gonna be the one who saves me,” sings Charlie as a déjà vu’ed Desmond approaches him. Just one example of the cleverness and depth found in one of LOST’s masterpiece episodes.

While the full-on flashback was utilized as a plot device to reveal Charlie’s date with death, “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” like most LOST episodes, includes underlying themes, subtle foreshadowing and the fundamental question that remains at the epicenter of the show: fate versus freewill.

It is always a challenge, and major risk, to step away from the customary formula and draw up an innovative blueprint for an episode. LOST is never formulaic in its storytelling, but the writers consistently produce episodes with about one-third flashback, two-thirds island. However, the writers managed to take the normal format and furnish it with a charming and captivating twist. The end result was an episode that not only appears to have long-standing implications on the central story arch, but is also the provider of bountiful speculation on the deepest philosophical questions. And at the very least, the information unearthed in “Flashes Before Your Eyes” needs to be examined in context with the nature of Mystery Island. Desmond’s transcendence of time, or whatever state he has found himself in, may just be scratching the surface of what is going on with our Lostaways.

With this episode, the writers flex their muscles, both with conventional storytelling in a new environment and cavernous theoretical contemplation. The episode not only fleshes out the story of Desmond and Penny Widmore while reconfirming the classic motifs of the whiskey-swigging Scotsman – with a coward’s badge upon his chest, a good man who will never be great – but also what happened to him upon turning the failsafe key in the Swan station. Desmond, reluctant to believe it at first (and the viewers are with him), has seen his whole life flash before him, even parts of his life that have yet to happen.

How this is possible, even in a pseudo-science sense, becomes tricky, both for the writers and onlookers. Perhaps these are delusions of grandeur triggered by the electro-magnetic implosion, coupled with a run of good luck on the part of Desmond’s precognitive ambitions. Time (perhaps literally) will tell how it all holds up.

In the course of Desmond’s elongated flash to the past, we also are introduced to a fresh theme, though more of a second cousin to prior philosophical ideas. The ring lady oracle describes it as course correction by the almighty universe; in other words, the inability to escape fate. Like the Greeks before them, the writers of LOST are thematically echoing halcyon tales where the Tragic Hero stands at the crux of it all. Desmond, LOST’s version of Agamemnon or Oedipus or countless others, is destined for ruin, knows when and how it will occur, but can do nothing, despite best efforts, to avoid it. Of course, the ruin in this case, on island, is the demise of Charlie.

The writers have also re-utilized another element that prevailed throughout the first two seasons: acceptance of the island’s desires versus confronting the inevitable. Although a brief scene, Locke’s willingness to believe that Eko’s death has a greater meaning and was meant to be, very much represents the fate served down by the universe, as suggested by Desmond’s oracle friend. In contrast, Desmond is not willing to accept such a fate as he actively tries to alter the outcomes (Charlie’s death) set forth by the universe, the island, God or whatever. This very easily could be referred to as science versus faith, Locke versus Jack, all over again. Are the writers setting up further Polar Opposites, contrasting parts in yin-like and yang-like personas? Maybe, but that remains to be seen.

Overall, “Flashes Before Your Eyes” served as a unique glimpse at Desmond’s history, but this time with more than just a metaphorical tie to the island story. The writers take a chance and shake up status quo, in more ways than one, but do so in a surprising and provocative manner. The repercussions of this episode are quite intricate, and if crafted soundly, they should act as a telltale sign towards the meaning behind the series.

Analysis:

Dave Hume: While we learned the full name of Desmond last season, it seems even more appropriate to discuss the philosopher given what was learned in “Flashes Before Your Eyes.” David Hume, an 18th century philosophizer, obsessed over, among other things, the relationship between free will and determinism. Hume was a strong believer that free will and determinism were compatible and capable of co-existence.

From wikipedia:

“According to Hume, free will should not be understood as an absolute ability to have chosen differently under exactly the same inner and outer circumstances. Rather, it is a hypothetical ability to have chosen differently if one had been differently psychologically disposed by some different beliefs or desires. That is, when one says that one could either continue to read this page or to delete it, one doesn't really mean that both choices are compatible with the complete state of the world right now, but rather that if one had desired to delete it one would have, even though as a matter of fact one actually desires to continue reading it, and therefore that is what will actually happen.

Hume also maintains that free acts are not uncaused (or mysteriously self-caused as Kant would have it) but rather caused by our choices as determined by our beliefs, desires, and by our characters. While a decision making process exists in Hume's determinism, a causal chain of events governs this process.”

Of course, how can one have free will if everything is determined?

Well, when Hume says some kind of determinism is required if one wants to have free will, he is talking about knowing the results or effects of an action – otherwise what good is free will if one never knows what will come of his/her decisions – what positives, what negatives?

Another way to think of Hume’s suggestion is to question the belief of the past being fixed somehow, especially since certain results and effects in science seem to cast doubt upon it. Some physicists and eastern philosophies put forward that determinism might have a relationship with every element of the universe just as the universe influences every other part.

Yes, a fire will always consume wood. But, if you could foresee death, and know how it occurs, well, you'd be throwing a mighty big wrench in the plans of the almighty universe and the laws of nature.

The Time Paradox: Time travel is a complicated and touchy area for even the greatest of sci-fi writers. In the LOST world, where every mystical element of the show (allegedly) has roots in the pseudo-science realm, the writers have a challenge on their collective hands. But let’s try to explain one possibility of how time works, which snuggly connects with the concepts of David Hume.

Look at time for Desmond as a folded accordion, with the past, present and future overlapping and existing all at once. When he is in the past (the "flashback"), he is recalling things that have yet to happen; when he is in the present (on island), he is foreseeing things as if he has already experienced them. Desmond is basically transcending space and time; the flashes he is now experiencing on island (Locke's speech, the drowning, etc.) are much like the flashes he was experiencing in his flashback (i.e., the beeping from the hatch, the numbers, etc.). Physically, Desmond is in one space in time (the island), but another part of him is experiencing or has experienced the future, though he only receives bits of information from that future (like he did in his reliving of the past).

OK, Sherlock. But it isn’t possible, not in any pseudo-science sense.

If you put a gun to my scientific theory-mongering mind, I’d say true. But the greatest physicists in history have battled the mysteries of the universe and lost far more than they won. Conjecture and speculation without proof is frowned upon, but it inhabitants religion and the early stages of many scientific-thinkers hypotheses. The point is: time is an ever-growing challenge for scientists. Many believe time is not linear or one-dimensional, but rather as three-dimensional as space is. This idea, which is certainly meta-science but science nonetheless, is that time happens all at once. A metaphor to illustrate the idea is a stone thrown into a still pond, where the ripples, representing time, move out from the center of the contact point. Each ripple acts as different time lines with different experience, yet at the center is the stone, or the person. Of course, the stone, or the person, is only aware, and experiences, a linear path of time. But what if you could experience them all?

Another pseudo-science thought is that we are more than our physical bodies – certainly LOST has its share of examples with near death experiences, out of body experiences and forms of remote viewing. So if all time is simultaneous and we are more than our physical bodies, then perhaps we exist everywhere at once and it is only through a selective focus that we seem to be here in the present world. But what if Desmond, as a result of the electro-magnetic implosion, transcends this selective focus?

The plausibility of all this can be found within a populist explanation of string theory. Stephen Hawking was brought to the forefront after we sneaked a peek at Aldo reading A Brief History of Time; and the ring lady oracle’s listed name in the press release was, you guessed it, Ms. Hawking.

The Oracle: OK, so you just offered a mediocre reply to what happened to Desmond, but how does the old ring lady work into all this transcendence of time gibberish?

This is a better, and tougher, question to answer. It actually requires a much further paranormal explanation. The oracle could serves as a representative from the island, the universe, fate, etc. – all possibilities are supernatural and have no basis in even pseudo-science. The simplest answer is that Desmond’s oracle represents his subconscious, as offered by Desmond himself. This seems like an appropriate, Occam’s Razor-type answer.

But another possibility exists. If Desmond is transcending time and space, the ring lady could be as well. Contextually, she could be involved with DHARMA, the subject of The Valenzetti Equation, or whatever freakiness that inhabits the island. She could be a representation of evil – one that wants Desmond to succumb to fate. This may be a bit too far out there for LOST - combatant time travelers is pushing it. But smoke monsters are tough to comprehend as well. Hey, it’s a sci-fi show – can’t accept it, get while you still can.

The Wildcard: Desmond’s best pal, Donovan, who is a professor of physics in London, is advising a grad-student on her thesis that likely concerns Chaos Theory or something interrelated. Donovan is concerned with the research’s inherent unpredictability, making mention of the random qualities of life (such as a drenched Scotsman running into the rotunda). Such a comment brings to mind The Valenzetti Equation – a mathematical formula that “predicts the exact number of years and months until humanity extinguishes itself.” As Alvar Hanso explains, the purpose of the DHARMA Initiative is to change the numerical factors of any one of the core numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) in the equation in order to give humanity a chance to survive.

This begs the query: is Desmond the wildcard factor required to successfully alter the literal end of humanity, not just the mathematical guesstimate that intends to decipher the same? This is a rhetorical question.

Widmore and Whiskey: The whiskey bit, a brilliant monologue penned by Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard, established Charles Widmore as one of LOST’s sinister characters. Desmond isn’t even worth a measly swallow of Widmore Sr.’s valued MacCutcheon spirit. This brand of whiskey serves to symbolism Desmond’s unworthiness to Charles and Penny; and though frequently staring him in the face, the whiskey seemingly remains unattainable. That is, of course, until Charlie digs up a bottle on LOST Island. We understand perfectly why Desmond reacts with maniacal laughter towards the MacCutcheon after his pseudo-flashback - on the surface, it is irony at work, and at its best; but it also a notable sign that Desmond is worthy and capable of being a great man. Just one of many elements that came together in an episode that easily highlights season 3.

Oz: The red shoes were more than “a bold fashion choice worth noting" - they also were another obvious “Wizard of Oz” allusion after the man wearing them was crushed by a falling scaffolding, leaving only ruby-esque colored slippers protruding from slabs of metal and further wreckage. Ms. Hawking uses this “accident” as a demonstration of her principle belief of universal course-correction when one tries to alter destiny.

But the Oz reference itself may have an underlining meaning as well. What if, like with Dorothy in Oz, Desmond was not in another dimension of time, but simply knocked out and dreaming of his escapade to the past? The counter argument, however, is that Desmond can see the future; therefore, the turning of the failsafe key and subsequent implosion caused a time rip somehow. Perhaps it is a little bit of both – part dream (of the past), part precognitive abilities (from the present). Either way, time is no longer enslaving for Desmond - we just aren’t quite sure how or why.

Charlie’s Fate: Hieronymus Pace has had his brushes with death. He certainly appeared dead after Ethan strung him from a tree. Dr. Ethan came after him again later and a Rousseau trap nearly bludgeoned him to death. Then there are the near misses prevented by Sir Hume. Since LOST never shows its full hand, it seems likely that Charlie will not die. And, after all, the idea that you can’t change fate – that you have no control over yourself or others – is rather bleak and depressing. This is not to say that the ending will be a happy one, though; the possibility of someone taking the place of Charlie when it is his turn to roll the die of fatality is quite high. Desmond, to prove he is not a coward, to prove destiny wrong, may make the ultimate sacrifice in the process.