LOST 5-14: "The Variable" 2009.04.29 - TWoP Forums p1:
-I found the 'variable' solution (It's people! soylent green) too kinda of tacky and cliche.

p6:
-Oh, I was fuming at that. OK, so Daniel was focusing on 'The Constant' and not 'The Variable.' OK. Fine. I can see him missing some super-special snowflake like Desmond as a variable.
But he seemed to suggest that when he mapped out his time travel theory, he forgot to make the time travelers themselves into variables. And that's stupid. yeah, the whole premise of the question: if a time traveler is introduced into the past, does that change it? No. oh, I forgot about the time traveler being there. he could change it.
anyway the whole appeal of Whatever happened, happened is its meaning that the time traveler was always there at that time, always did whatever he freely chooses to do, and whatever happened always happened. always as in: these things are always. also that is not predestiny, unfree wills, it's realness: *is* is not the same as *is not* (Kings 1.2 Prosperity: "I used to force the distinction: Is. Isn't."), what happens really happens, the happening of Being, the Event. what happened, happened.

[update 5 May: TWoP frontpage minicap for this episode's recap Your Mother's An Other?!: In this landmark 100th episode of Lost Daniel explains that while whatever happened, happened, that's only assuming nothing has changed right, so I shoot him.]

-I am devastated about Daniel. I feel like there could be so much more done with him.
-I felt let down by this episode and didn't enjoy it very much.
me too
-So, one of the best new characters on the show, who has a compelling story, a mysterious past, made me even more interested in him after one centric episode, gets (possibly) killed off, and we're left with *Jack & Kate*?
-Daniel's already alive in 1977, he should be roughly 10 years old or older. He's just not on the island.goodness knows where he is.
--Daniel's memory is really screwy. It's entirely possible that he is currently on the Island. hmm. Ellie turns away fr killing her son and rejoins the 10yrld version? we pick up w him there?
-We had the video of Chang making a video from Comic Con. It sounds very much like Daniel is the one talking to him in the background. When is this movie supposed to take place? This episode certainly didnt give us any indication that Faraday had time to go and visit Chang a second time. hmm. well that's a bit hopeful. but~ that spoiler re a major cast char dying ~bcs of that, it dsn't look good to me.
p10
-She goes her whole life after the shooting knowing that she shot future him; Eloise has to push Daniel throughout his childhood & professional life towards a path of going back to the island. The bomb needs to explode, and the only way that can happen is if Daniel goes back. Eloise is trying to prevent the time loop from continuing and has to sacrifice her son. If he succeeds or Jack/Kate succeed, then adult Daniel dying won't matter because the time loop will end, young Daniel will grow up and never need to come back on the freighter. that wld exonerate her. I guess.
--If Daniel, Jack or Kate succeed then the island is completely destroyed oh including Eloise and Charles. Daniel will never be born or if Daniel is a child on the island then he is killed when the island explodes. It seems to me the that a nuclear explosion is far worse than the "incident" happening. good point.


p5 | -And what did he need to accomplish? what did he accomplish that it was ok for her to send him back to die?

p6 | -And don’t tell me the only reason for all of this is to prevent the crash of 815. I mean, is that really all there is?

right. those are the questions. satisfying to see my complaints~dissatisfaction~objection~questions voiced.


-So, the plane wouldn't crash and Jack & Co can go forward with their miserable lives? Locke will be paralysed. Kate's in jail. Hurley's cursed well, or not on that one ~ no numbers. Sun & Jin are in a loveless marriage. Rose is dead from cancer. Sawyer continues his search for Locke's father. Boone, Shannon and Charlie die anyway because as Eloise is so fond of saying "The universe has a way of course correcting".

-So Jack's going to try to prevent the plane crash? This makes me hope we're not being set up for a Jack v Locke showdown in the near future: "Jack, no, don't [stop the incident]! We were meant to crash here!" "No, John, we weren't!"
For the record, I don't think most of the castaways would ignore the chance to save the lives of the 300-something people who died in the plane crash oh y them, regardless of where they themselves might end up.