# Lost 3.5: The Cost of Living **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769 "2006-11-01T19:20:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/161 "2006-11-03T14:28:14Z")
[QUOTE=SenorBeef] Jack only came into that room because of a medical emergency - it wasn’t planned. [/QUOTE] The reason for him going to the room wasnt planned… having the x-rays put up for him to see when he got there was… meaning that when they decided to get him, somehow the x-rays got put up… based on the exchange, Benry was going to show them to Jack ‘after he was broken’… juliette fained ignorance as to who left them out, and that she didnt “show them to him, they were just there”. [QUOTE=SenorBeef] Something I’ve seen no discussion about: Yemi’s image said “You speak to me as if I am your brother” - what was that meant to indicate? That it was the island that was demanding a confession? [/QUOTE] I think its Eko’s projection of his guilt unto his brother… how he thinks his brother would react at that point. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/162 "2006-11-03T15:02:34Z")
[QUOTE=jackdavinci] - “You’ll like this one. To Kill a Mocking bird” Any significance to that choice of fake movie? [/QUOTE] Ben has been ‘mocking’ Jack and this is Julliet’s plan to…well, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/163 "2006-11-03T15:24:01Z")
[QUOTE=Harborwolf] And while we’re discussing the evil that is second hand smoke, is it me or does it need bodies to fully take shape. Jack’s dad has vanished only to creep about the island. Now the body of Eko’s bunnyman vanished only to reappear in an upright position. Wonder where it found the horse corpse. Maybe there was a bottle of glue laying about. [/QUOTE] I think I’ll go with this theory. Shapeshifting smoke monster finding dead people on the island and then taking on their form. For this we have: Jack’s Dad, missing from his coffin. Reappears to Jack. Boone, dies. The later reappears to Shannon. Eko’s brother. Body is missing. Reappears to Eko. Horse. Didn’t see a dead horse anywhere but maybe TCM did. On the contrary we have: Mysterious Walt appearances. Walt isn’t dead. Hurley’s friend Dave. (however, we did see that Hurley imagined him back in the institute). I think this mystery will be solved if they 1. Come across the body of a dead horse somewhere. 2. Have a reappearance by Anna Lucia, Shannon, or Lindsey. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/164 "2006-11-03T15:41:32Z")
Is the title of this episode possibly a wink at the title of Neil Gaiman’s miniseries? _Death; The High Cost of Living_? Simply that this episode was going to have a death? ---
**Author:** ![AttackOfTheSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@AttackOfTheSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AttackOfTheSmurf)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/165 "2006-11-03T16:50:21Z")
[QUOTE=Ultros] I think the best theory about the Monster so far is that it’s a cloud of iron dust being controlled by magnets which run through tunnels under the ground. These magnets can control the individual particles so precisely that the cloud can be induced to change shape, something like the bad guy in Terminator 2. This doesn’t explain the mind-reading, but it explains everything else, at least within the generally accepted bounds of Hollywood science fiction and pseudoscience. [/QUOTE] Why would iron dust sound like an old wooden rollar coaster being pulled up a hill? ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/166 "2006-11-03T17:19:40Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] For this we have: Jack’s Dad, missing from his coffin. Reappears to Jack. Boone, dies. The later reappears to Shannon. Eko’s brother. Body is missing. Reappears to Eko. [/QUOTE] I don’t recall dead Boone reappearing to Shannon – I’m not sure about this one – or am I forgetting a scene? Missing dripping Walt definitely appeared before Shannon. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/167 "2006-11-03T18:04:10Z")
How 'bout: 1. The TCM is controlled by Cyclops (Nathan Fillion?). 2. To create apparitions/mirages Cyclops needs something to scan to make a facsimile. 3. When that’s done, he can controll TCM remoteley and use a joystick. 4. Cylops might have had access to Waaaaaaaalt, at some time, being able to make a scan, i.e. the apparitions don’t have to be from dead people. 5. Ghosts are 3d holograms, not solid. 6. The rattling sound of a chain and the claxon (siren?) come from when small hatches are opened letting out TCM. Just a WAG. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/168 "2006-11-03T18:36:21Z")
[QUOTE=Charlie Tan] How 'bout: 1. Ghosts are 3d holograms, not solid. Just a WAG. [/QUOTE] When yemi’s ghost walked thru the trees into the jungle, the leaves/branches moved. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/169 "2006-11-03T18:51:51Z")
[QUOTE=simster] I think its Eko’s projection of his guilt unto his brother… how he thinks his brother would react at that point. [/QUOTE] Or maybe the TCM saying, "Jesus, you thick-witted bastard. I am not your brother. Was that plane that crashed a short yellow one? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/170 "2006-11-03T19:16:02Z")
[QUOTE=simster] When yemi’s ghost walked thru the trees into the jungle, the leaves/branches moved. [/QUOTE] That could just be a production oversight (TV shows aren’t usually very good about erasing shadows, reflections, and footprints of invisible or intangible characters), but i’m pretty sure he also was touching the cross necklace when Eko handed it to him. ---
**Author:** ![jaderabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@jaderabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaderabbit)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/171 "2006-11-03T19:17:48Z")
[QUOTE=Ultros] I think the best theory about the Monster so far is that it’s a cloud of iron dust being controlled by magnets which run through tunnels under the ground. These magnets can control the individual particles so precisely that the cloud can be induced to change shape, something like the bad guy in Terminator 2. This doesn’t explain the mind-reading, but it explains everything else, at least within the generally accepted bounds of Hollywood science fiction and pseudoscience. [/QUOTE] Oooh, I like that. The noises sound mechanical, and the pseudopods are pretty strong. I was thinking it seemed like a machine, but I couldn’t explain how they could get black smoke to cling so closely to the skeleton. If it’s a robot armature with iron dust instead of an exoskeleton, that explains it better. Of course, I have no idea _why_ anyone would want to build such a thing, but we have seen some weird magnetism on the island. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/172 "2006-11-03T19:19:09Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek] Was that plane that crashed a short yellow one? -Joe [/QUOTE] Man, it took me a while to get this. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/173 "2006-11-03T20:00:52Z")
I think the TCM is entirely mechanical and that there really is no psychokinesis hocus pocus at all. There are probably several “arms” to this mechanical security device spread out over certain points on the island. They could be protecting one particular location or are forming a perimeter to protect a large area. The “smoke” could be something used to disguise the machinery and to perhaps disorient the “interloper.” The machinery may also contain a video camera. After last nights episode I started thinking that the smoke may also be or contain some sort of an hallucinogen. I don’t think that what people are seeing are produced by the TCM at all. I think it’s their own psyche being projected through their hallucinogenic experience. Now that still leaves the question as to how the security system went haywire. Or did it? Could it be actively controlled by eyepatch guy or someone else on the island? If so, who is it? Whomever is controlling it, perhaps he/she/they realized Eko could be a threat and that’s why he was killed. Locke? Well he’s pretty much a peaceful man so perhaps that’s why he was left alone. Hypothesis is still in development. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/174 "2006-11-03T20:38:16Z")
[QUOTE=Ultros] I think the best theory about the Monster so far is that it’s a cloud of iron dust being controlled by magnets which run through tunnels under the ground. These magnets can control the individual particles so precisely that the cloud can be induced to change shape, something like the bad guy in Terminator 2. This doesn’t explain the mind-reading, but it explains everything else, at least within the generally accepted bounds of Hollywood science fiction and pseudoscience. [/QUOTE] BTW, even if that isn’t “the answer”, I don’t think we’ll get anything more satisfying than that when we finally do find out what it is. It’s obviously not going to be something that fits into the realm of real scientific/engineering possibilities. Maybe there is someone who can psychically control the magnetic field to produce any arbitrary arrangement of “iron dust” particles. Think magnetic confinement of the type used in nuclear fussion. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/175 "2006-11-04T04:34:43Z")
One thing about _Lost_, the actors don’t need to worry if their character is killed. Thanks to the flashbacks and mysterious appearances, they can still make regular appearances. So far this season, we’ve seen John Terry (Christian Shephard), Brett Cullen (Goodwin), William Mapother (Ethan), Ian Somerhalder (Boone), and Adetokumboh M’Cormack (Yemi). And next week’s episode will have Fredric Lehne (Marshall Mars). ---
**Author:** ![running\_piglet\_cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/22d042/32.png) [@running\_piglet\_cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_piglet_cheese)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/176 "2006-11-04T11:09:45Z")
Who’s Marshall Mars? Any theory of how Yemi’s plane got side tracked all the way to the Pacific? Also, there doesn’t seem to be another missed button pushing incident to cause the crash, so was it deliberate and does that mean the Losties’ crash was also deliberate? If we assume that the smoke is a security system limited to a certain area triggered by trespass, then Walt and Boone would be halucinations produced by some other means. So, what it the Others are using mental halucinations for manipulation on certain Losties and other images are caused by TCM? ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/177 "2006-11-04T14:23:30Z")
How recent was the Yemi plane crash? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/178 "2006-11-04T16:37:28Z")
It’s unclear. It was before they got to the island, but (presumably) after it actually happened in real life. How long was echo a priest? It seems like the show portrays the period as about a week before he chops people up and bugs out. But he actually knows a lot of scripture and stuff, more indicative of years. Maybe he went on to study it after he bailed from his brother’s church? ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/179 "2006-11-04T16:42:24Z")
[QUOTE=running piglet cheese] Who’s Marshall Mars? [/QUOTE] The marshall that tracked down and captured Kate. Next week is a Kate flashback episode. [QUOTE=running piglet cheese] Any theory of how Yemi’s plane got side tracked all the way to the Pacific? Also, there doesn’t seem to be another missed button pushing incident to cause the crash, so was it deliberate and does that mean the Losties’ crash was also deliberate? [/QUOTE] Well they made it fairly clear that Desmond’s failure to push the button is what crashed flight 815, but there are many other wrecks on the island (Danielle’s ship, Desmond’s ship, Yemi’s plane, the Black Rock, Adam & Eve, etc) and I doubt not pushing the button caused all of them (especially the Black Rock) so there must be some other force at play. But I don’t think any of it is deliberate. I think it is the ‘fate’ concept, the same reason that the Losties have connections in the past for no apparent reason. ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769/180 "2006-11-04T17:49:24Z")
[QUOTE=Antigen] So Benry thinks that the crash was an act of God? So the Others _didn’t_ bring the plane down on purpose, didn’t seek out these people specifically? [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=AttackOfTheSmurf] I think Benry was talking out of his butt about the god thing. I still think the plane was rerouted 1000 miles over the island for a reason other than fate. That seems like a long way for fate to go to me. [/QUOTE] I think the plane was expected by Benry - it’s just that he didn’t know there would be a spinal surgeon on board. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-3-5-the-cost-of-living/378769.md?page=10)