# Lost 4.05: "The Constant"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 28, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512 "2008-02-28T15:49:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/1 "2008-02-28T15:49:31Z")
Thread rules:
> [@](#):
>
> Information about all episodes aired to this point – including the current week – will be unboxed.
> Information about this week’s episode’s “next week” teasers will be unboxed.
> Information about future episodes taken from spoiler sites/inside sources, including Podcasts, will be boxed. This includes links to promo photos and screencaps from future episodes.
> Speculation based on events in episodes aired up to this point (including teasers) will be unboxed.
> Speculation based on spoilers for upcoming episodes will be boxed.
>
> Please remember, links inside spoiler boxes are readable even to those who don’t highlight.
Kate seems to have carelessly risked the lives of a lot of people by letting Miles know where Ben is, all for the sake of finding out if Miles knows about her crimes. Now she’s been kicked back to Jack’s group, which might explain how people from Locke’s group get rescued. Should we expect Hurley to get expelled, or to leave, next?
Some time dilation seems to be affecting the chopper that Sayid and Desmond are on, as they never arrived at “the freighter” (which I doubt is going to turn out to be a freighter).
From the preview on Lostpedia for this episode:
\*\* “The Constant” \*\*: Sayid and Desmond hit a bit of turbulence on the way to the freighter, which causes Desmond to experience some unexpected side effects.
**Some useful Café Society links are given below:**
Thread index for Season 1 Episodes: [1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=277083) [2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=278382) [3](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=279542) [4](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=280792) [5](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=281998) [6](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=283328) [7](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=284665) [8](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=285925) [9](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=287237) [10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=289514) [11](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=290718) [12](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=295320) [13](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=296591) [14](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=297760) [15](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=301602) [16](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=302710) [17](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=303909) [18](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=304986) [19](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=309511) [20](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=310613) [21](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=315048) [22](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=316088) [23](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=317139) [24](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=318051)
Thread index for Season 2 Episodes: [1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=335991) [2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=337167) [3](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=338307) [4](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=339366) [5](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=340432) [6](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=343878) [7](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345144) [8](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=346239) [9](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=347177) [10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=353542) [11](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=354691) [12](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=355716) [13](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=357834) [14](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359015) [15](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=361048) [16](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=363982) [17](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=365010) [18](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=366081) [19](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=367064) [20](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=370033) [21](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=371010) [22](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=371991)
Thread index for Season 3 episodes: [1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=390771) [2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=391722) [3](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=392661) [4](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=393629) [5](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=394542) [6](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=395368) [7](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=407398) [8](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=408446) [9](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=409378) [10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=410362) [11](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=411321) [12](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=412292) [13](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=413323) [14](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=414347) [15](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=415259) [16](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=416195) [17](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=417197) [18](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=418222) [19](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=419145) [20](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=420116) [21](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=421113) [22](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=421996)
Thread index for Season 4 episodes: [1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=453462) [2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=454618) [3](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=455630) [4](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=456811)
[The Official Lost Jargon Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=286221)
Official “Lost” Questions Thread[Season 1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=284542), [Season 2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=336040), [Season 3](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=390739)
**Here are some interesting external links:**
[The Lost Report](http://hometown.aol.com/qcotms/myhomepage/index.html): A very well written summary of the most current episode often containing interesting insights. I don’t think you’ll find spoilers.
[The Tail Section](http://www.thetailsection.com/): Excellent site for still frame photos of key scenes, along with some good analysis. But… beware of spoilers!
[Sledgeweb’s Lost… Stuff](http://lost.cubit.net/): Pretty good site, but again beware of spoilers. I use it mainly for the Timeline section, which is an incredibly detailed breakdown of “how long since…?” for almost anything you can think of (pre- and post-plane crash).
[Door Map from Episode 2.17](http://www.thetailsection.com/uploaded_images/cleanwall-707484.jpg). A nicely cleaned up version of the diagram Locke saw while pinned under the lockdown doors. No spoilers.
[Lostpedia](http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Main_Page): The wikipedia of Lost information. Quite a comprehensive site, but beware of spoilers!
[ThEmIsFiTiShErE](http://themisfitishere.blogspot.com/): The Misfit offers his whacky commentary on “Lost”. Is he a nut-case or a clever insider? Careful, though, possible spoilers.
---
### Author:  [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/2 "2008-02-28T16:24:29Z")
If you are the sort of person who checks out on-line TV schedules that give a plot description, and that also mention guest actors and their roles, you may want to give it a miss this week. It may or may not be a spoiler. A character’s role is listed there that has been guessed at in previous threads.
---
### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/3 "2008-02-28T16:29:11Z")
**Plynck** could you save me some hunting and post what you’re talking about in a spoiler box? Busy day today.
---
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/4 "2008-02-28T16:30:49Z")
[QUOTE=Plynck]
If you are the sort of person who checks out on-line TV schedules that give a plot description, and that also mention guest actors and their roles, you may want to give it a miss this week. It may or may not be a spoiler. A character’s role is listed there that has been guessed at in previous threads.
[/QUOTE]
Is it complicated?
---
### Author:  [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/5 "2008-02-28T16:43:32Z")
I SWEAR I’m going to watch the show tonight and not go to trivia and watch the episode on Friday online. For the last 2 weeks I’ve had to avoid the Lost threads for a few days until I catch up.
---
### Author:  [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/6 "2008-02-28T16:45:55Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace]
From the preview on Lostpedia for this episode:
\*\* “The Constant” \*\*: Sayid and Desmond hit a bit of turbulence on the way to the freighter, which causes Desmond to experience some unexpected side effects.
[/quote]
[spoiler]Remember to consult you doctor before travelling through time dilation fields as unexpected side effects may occur. Dharma testing labratories confirm side effects including, but not limited too:
Headaches
Blurred vision
Cramps
Bloating
Erections lasting more than four hours
and
Accidentally killing you own grandfather
Side effects occured in less than 5% of those travelling through time dilation fields. If you experience any of the above, contact your doctor or quantum physicist immediately.[/spoiler]
---
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/7 "2008-02-28T16:55:52Z")
Although I only get “Eggtown” when I click on the 9:00 “Lost” episode in the TV section of my MyYahoo page, there are a few sneak peaks at tonight’s episode there. It looks like a good one:
[spoiler]One scene shows Desmond on “the freighter” as he gets locked in a room by some scruffy looking Freighter Folk. Turns out there’s another guy in that room, in bed, who looks pretty shaken up as he says “Is it happening to you, too” or something like that.
A second scene shows some dialog between Dan, Kate, Jack and Charlotte. Dan reluctantly tells Jack that time on The Island might not be the same as time off The Island, which might explain why the chopper hasn’t landed yet. _But I’m thinking: Jack should already know that since he watched Dan’s experiment._[/spoiler]
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### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/8 "2008-02-28T16:58:04Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace]
Dan reluctantly tells Jack that time on The Island might not be the same as time off The Island, which might explain why the chopper hasn’t landed yet. _But I’m thinking: Jack should already know that since he watched Dan’s experiment._
[/QUOTE]
Jack’s not always so quick with the inductive reasoning stuff.
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### Author:  [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/9 "2008-02-28T17:08:22Z")
[QUOTE=Gfactor]
**Plynck** could you save me some hunting and post what you’re talking about in a spoiler box? Busy day today.
[/QUOTE]
On your head be it…TVGuide shows that Alan Dale will be playing the role of Charles Widmore. Whether it is his freighter, as speculated here earlier, or a flashback remains to be seen.
[QUOTE=John Mace]
Is it complicated?
[/QUOTE]
🙂
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### Author:  [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/10 "2008-02-28T17:27:10Z")
I missed last week’s episode. Am I to understand that ABC usually reruns the previous episode prior to the new one?
The first 3 seasons I watched on DVD rentals so this situation has not come up for me before. Please advise.
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### Author:  [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/11 "2008-02-28T17:35:46Z")
Yes they have been rerunning the prior week’s episode right before the new one. Just ignore the Lost for Dummies pop-ups.
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### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/12 "2008-02-28T17:36:17Z")
[QUOTE=divemaster]
I missed last week’s episode. Am I to understand that ABC usually reruns the previous episode prior to the new one?
The first 3 seasons I watched on DVD rentals so this situation has not come up for me before. Please advise.
[/QUOTE]
Yes. ABC also has the episodes on its website: [http://dynamic.abc.go.com/streaming/landing](http://dynamic.abc.go.com/streaming/landing)
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/13 "2008-02-28T18:01:11Z")
[QUOTE=well he’s back]
Yes they have been rerunning the prior week’s episode right before the new one. Just ignore the Lost for Dummies pop-ups.
[/QUOTE]
Lost for Dummies… that’s a good one. 😃
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/14 "2008-02-28T18:15:06Z")
[QUOTE=Plynck]
On your head be it…TVGuide shows that Alan Dale will be playing the role of Charles Widmore. Whether it is his freighter, as speculated here earlier, or a flashback remains to be seen.
[/QUOTE]
I think all that really tells me is that this will be a
Desmond centered episode. He can’t be one of the Oceanic 6, so it might be an interesting flash forward.
---
### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/15 "2008-02-28T21:16:39Z")
I’m looking forward to this one. This will be the first time this season that I can watch the show on the day it airs. Unless something happens.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/16 "2008-02-28T23:02:40Z")
[QUOTE=Loach]
I’m looking forward to this one. This will be the first time this season that I can watch the show on the day it airs. Unless something happens.
[/QUOTE]
I’ll make sure someone is there to push the button so that nothing does happen. Oh, the button is no longer there. You’re on your own!
---
### Author:  [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/17 "2008-02-28T23:18:52Z")
[QUOTE=well he’s back]
Yes they have been rerunning the prior week’s episode right before the new one. Just ignore the Lost for Dummies pop-ups.
[/QUOTE]
Hey, I like those! Helps me figure stuff out.
Aw hell, make my dunce cap in a size 7 1/8.
---
### Author:  [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)
#### Post date: [February 29, 2008, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/18 "2008-02-29T00:44:19Z")
I’m still curious as to whether Michael and Walt would be on the freighter. (I don’t know why they would be. Just wondering.)
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 29, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/19 "2008-02-29T01:29:20Z")
I’m still curious what “the freighter” is.
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### Author:  [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)
#### Post date: [February 29, 2008, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-4-05-the-constant/439512/20 "2008-02-29T02:09:41Z")
Holy crap. He switched places with the flashback.
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