# Lost 2.1: "Man of Science, Man of Faith" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631 "2005-09-21T00:46:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/201 "2005-09-22T17:10:24Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > It’s about 25 or 26 TV-hours, IIRC. Can’t remember if the pilot counts as one epcisode or 2. But that’s with comercials. Figure about 40 minutes of real time for every 1 TV hour. Of course, you’ll be pausing and going back a lot, so add back in some time for that, too. Woo Hoo – I just phoned the library and it’s physically there – no one has it checked out at the moment. But there is one person who put it on hold and they have one week to pick it up, though they couldn’t tell me how long ago they were notified about its availability, so that week could be almost up. If they don’t pick it up within that period, it’s mine right away. If they do pick it up, they are only supposed to have it out a week, so at the outside I’ll be able to start watching season 1 in 2 weeks. Now, to clear my schedule to make at least 17 hours of television watching available. Holy Shit! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Farmwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8dc957/32.png) [@Farmwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmwoman)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/202 "2005-09-22T17:15:58Z")
So what’s the actor’s name who plays Desmond? I didn’t even consider the possibility he was Hatch Guy because (and this is a little embarrassing to admit, since my husband makes merciless fun of my inability to identify actors) I thought it was Alan Cumming, and I couldn’t imagine Mr. Cumming signing on for anything but a quick guest appearance. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/203 "2005-09-22T17:32:42Z")
> [@Farmwoman](#): > > So what’s the actor’s name who plays Desmond? > > I didn’t even consider the possibility he was Hatch Guy because (and this is a little embarrassing to admit, since my husband makes merciless fun of my inability to identify actors) I thought it was Alan Cumming, and I couldn’t imagine Mr. Cumming signing on for anything but a quick guest appearance. [Henry Ian Cusick](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0193738/) ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/204 "2005-09-22T17:52:02Z")
Jack’s flashback wig is almost as scary as some of the island’s surprises. Would it be a bad idea to play the “bad numbers” in the lottery? I’m torn…I want to know more about Desmond and the hatch, but I’m desperate to find out what became of the raft folks and those kid-snatchers on the boat. Hooked for another season. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Norse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/big_norse/32/9954_2.png) [@Big\_Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Norse)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/205 "2005-09-22T17:59:58Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > And of course, our boy Desmond is about 30, so he sure as heck hasn’t been down there California Dreaming for 35 years. He was about 30 in the flashback (which I figure was early on in Jack’s career, since his finacee learned to walk again, and he got married, all before the previous flashbacks we’ve seen - and he subsequently got divorced (or she died) sometime before the crash), we haven’t seen his face island time to know how much he aged. They did make a point to show a paunch (on a guy who had formerly been in good enough shape to run around the world). ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/206 "2005-09-22T18:08:40Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > Now I’m thinking about Ethan–was he the occupant of the lower bunk? He was much less scruffy than the Others seemed to be. Desmond and Ethan want Aaron, but the Others wanted Walt. Or maybe not. I like this idea. That there are two separate groups out there with separate agendae; The Others, and The Hatchers (motto: They’re Real! And They’re Spectacular!). The anachronisms within the hatch don’t bother me. I thought of most of the hardware that we saw as being original operating equipment (for the Island). Other equipment may have been added later for the creature comforts of the operators. Though why they couldn’t have given Desmond a DVD player escapes me… I also like **Innuendo Hunter’s** theory that this is a military operation from the 1970s (perhaps an experiment using mind control and psychotropic drugs). Because certain developing historical intersections of the key players make me wonder whether this had been planned for years before the crash. Perhaps CFL and her group were the first experimentees. While that experiment was proceeding, the next batch was being selected and prepared. Hypothesis: Many (but not all) of the current castaways were specifically chosen for this experiment, and had been observed for years. Eventually, they were manipulated to take this specific flight at the same time, along with some incidental redshirts. Perhaps some sort of drug was dispersed in the jet’s air circulation system, and the people were physically placed on the Island along with credible plane wreckage. Everyone received post-hypnotic suggestion and “remembered” a mid-air disaster that didn’t really occur. And now the chess board is set for a new game… ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/207 "2005-09-22T18:11:37Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > Would it be a bad idea to play the “bad numbers” in the lottery?. Probably about a million people have already thought of that. If any of them got rich, I’m sure we’d have heard it by now. I can attest that I tried the Bad Numbers in Keno on my last casino trip. The only thing evil that happened to me was that I was down $1. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/208 "2005-09-22T18:17:33Z")
Just to add another element of mystery, I have noticed a lot of oriental symbols on this show. Jack has that tattoo, Hurley has some type of Chinese character on a necklace, now this new symbol in the hatch. Any others that I havre missed? ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/209 "2005-09-22T18:19:27Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I can attest that I tried the Bad Numbers in Keno on my last casino trip. The only thing evil that happened to me was that I was down $1. I considered playing them at the roulette table last weekend. Fortunately, I was too drunk to _find_ the roulette table. 🙂 > [@Big\_Norse](#): > > He was about 30 in the flashback (which I figure was early on in Jack’s career, since his finacee learned to walk again, and he got married, all before the previous flashbacks we’ve seen - and he subsequently got divorced (or she died) sometime before the crash), we haven’t seen his face island time to know how much he aged. Jack’s wedding took place two years after Sarah’s operation (according to what Sarah said in her little rehearsal dinner speech, right?). The haircut Jack was sporting (which I never get tired of laughing at, by the way) puts this latest flashback of his no later than 1998, I’d say, and probably as much as three years earlier. > [@August West](#): > > Just to add another element of mystery, I have noticed a lot of oriental symbols on this show. Jack has that tattoo, Hurley has some type of Chinese character on a necklace, now this new symbol in the hatch. Any others that I havre missed? Boone also had a shirt with Chinese characters on it. I believe we saw it fall out of Shannon’s suitcase last night–I definitely recall seeing her folding it in last season’s finale. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/210 "2005-09-22T18:25:52Z")
I definitely agree that there’s at _least_ two groups besides the survivors on the island. CFL belongs to one (or may be one by herself), and The Others are another. Desmond may be a third, or may belong to the Others, although his isolation suggests otherwise. On thinking, it seems unlikely to me that CFL is connected to Desmond, since she didn’t seem to know about the hatch and didn’t seem to care, either, and Desmond seemed surprised when the survivors forced their way in, if he was in contact with Rousseau, he’d have some warning. But CFL did seem to inject Claire with the same stuff Desmond used… ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/211 "2005-09-22T18:44:04Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > So is it “No, button’s bad” or “No button’s bad”? Big, big difference does a tiny comma make. It’s hard to say. Being both backwards AND whispered, the inflection is a little tricky to pick out. Either way though, it’s intriguing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![rainy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@rainy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rainy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/212 "2005-09-22T18:59:01Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > Would it be a bad idea to play the “bad numbers” in the lottery? Not if you don’t mind splitting the winnings with a couple of million other LOST fans doing the same thing. Boy JJ couldn’t buy publicity like that could he? -rainy ---
**Author:** ![rainy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@rainy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rainy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/213 "2005-09-22T19:01:07Z")
> [@Skipper Too](#): > > I thought it was Locke too, hit the quick rewind on the DVR and it resembled him as Jack walk by him after he was already pronounced dead. I would have bet it was Locke as well, can anybody get us a screen shot of that fleeting little scene? -rainy ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/214 "2005-09-22T19:08:31Z")
I’m curious as to what the rest of Desmond’s day would have been if the hatch hadn’t been blown. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/215 "2005-09-22T19:28:20Z")
> [@Sam Hell](#): > > I’m curious as to what the rest of Desmond’s day would have been if the hatch hadn’t been blown. Well considering he was eating very well - the shake - and exercising, and living in a pretty posh little 70’s abode, I’d say he was researching something on the island. I’d venture a guess that he’s behind the black cloud that grabbed Locke, but I’m not sure. Nontheless I’d say that underground bunker is much much larger than we know now. **Any theories on the black cloud that grabbed Locke?** ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/216 "2005-09-22T19:40:21Z")
It’s the Spirit of Death come to claim those deemed worthy to pass on to their next life. Either that, or Marcellus Wallace’s soul. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/217 "2005-09-22T19:41:19Z")
I guess we know from Desmond’s record player that he doesn’t spend the day downloading music off the web and listening to it on an mp3 player. Here’s a question? How do they get all the parts to keep all that equipment running? Those computers are ancient? How come they haven’t broken down? They should have blown fuses or circuits by now shouldn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/218 "2005-09-22T19:46:22Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > I guess we know from Desmond’s record player that he doesn’t spend the day downloading music off the web and listening to it on an mp3 player. > > Here’s a question? How do they get all the parts to keep all that equipment running? Those computers are ancient? How come they haven’t broken down? They should have blown fuses or circuits by now shouldn’t they? If he’s got the ability to put fresh fruit into a blender and make a very tastey looking shake, I’d say he’s got the capability to get new parts for the equipment. Just a hunch though. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/219 "2005-09-22T19:46:59Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > **Any theories on the black cloud that grabbed Locke?** It’s a magnetic field generated by the machinery under the hatch, and probably controlled by the computer. The black cloud is actually ferromagnetic particles picked up in the field. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631/220 "2005-09-22T19:48:05Z")
> [@Menocchio](#): > > It’s a magnetic field generated by the machinery under the hatch, and probably controlled by the computer. The black cloud is actually ferromagnetic particles picked up in the field. Huh. Good theory! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-2-1-man-of-science-man-of-faith/322631.md?page=12)