# Lost 5.16/5.17 "The Incident" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 13, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317 "2009-05-13T18:16:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![EvilHamsterOnCrack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@EvilHamsterOnCrack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilHamsterOnCrack)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/301 "2009-05-19T13:10:52Z")
What comment? Was Jacob in surgical gear and I didn’t notice? ---
**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:** [May 19, 2009, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/302 "2009-05-19T13:13:38Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > And now I’m wondering, why did NotLocke want to bring everyone with him? Part of some bigger scheme, or just misdirection from the writers? I think this was just an excuse for the writers not to have to pay for Cindy, the kids, and various Others we’ve seen before for a background scene. > [@Merijeek](#): > > It just annoys me that in a show crawling with actual, legit mysteries we get people trying to invent other ones. When did Ben say the “magic Box” is just a metaphor? Last time I remember it being mentioned was when Locke asked if the Orchid chamber was the box and Ben just said “no”. It’s still somewhat of a mystery - while the Others have been shown using the submarine, they’ve also been shown going off island a lot more than seems feasible given only having one sub, Ben’s passports imply he’s spent a lot of time off island, and Richard’s been shown to be off island before the Others had a sub. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/303 "2009-05-19T13:26:55Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > When did Ben say the “magic Box” is just a metaphor? Last time I remember it being mentioned was when Locke asked if the Orchid chamber was the box and Ben just said “no”. > [@](#): > > When Locke pressed Ben for more about the box in “The Brig”, Ben snapped back that “the box is a metaphor, John.” Despite this, he continues to maintain that by some agency things that people on the island want or need show up. [http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Magic\_box](http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Magic_box) Of course, Ben is a huge liar, so it wouldn’t be hard to believe that he was covering his ass with the metaphor comment. But plenty of non-cannon stuff says: [Spoiler] 1. The Others kidnapped Cooper and brought him to the island; and 2. The Magic Box does not refer to some specific place or thing.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/304 "2009-05-19T13:29:48Z")
> [@EvilHamsterOnCrack](#): > > What comment? Was Jacob in surgical gear and I didn’t notice? I thought he was the anesthesiologist who asked Jack if he was ok. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/305 "2009-05-19T16:59:48Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > I think this was just an excuse for the writers not to have to pay for Cindy, the kids, and various Others we’ve seen before for a background scene. I don’t know. Just watched the episode again, and NotLocke tells them all to rest up because he has “big plans for them.” ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/306 "2009-05-19T22:50:27Z")
> [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > I thought he said that he’d been off-island three times, two to visit John. I could be wrong though. If that is what he said, I hope we get to see his third trip in a flashback next season. > . I thought he was one of the people who recruited Juliet. So there’s the third visit. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/307 "2009-05-19T23:19:57Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > I thought he was one of the people who recruited Juliet. So there’s the third visit. That would have occured well after 1977 when he asked Jack. I rewatched the episode where Richard “visits” Locke and he only actually visits him twice. For the Science internship, he called Locke’s teacher. I’m not sure if that was the third or not. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/308 "2009-05-20T02:51:54Z")
I had to look up the line, I got so curious. At about the 19:45 mark of part one: “I’ve gone off the island three times since then…to visit him.” The three times certainly are related to visits relating to Locke. Again, not sure if the third visit is the science internship. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/309 "2009-05-20T03:17:47Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > I had to look up the line, I got so curious. > > At about the 19:45 mark of part one: > > “I’ve gone off the island three times since then…to visit him.” > > The three times certainly are related to visits relating to Locke. Again, not sure if the third visit is the science internship. I pretty sure the third was about the science internship. It’s just easier to say “three times” than “I’ve been of the island two times to see John Locke, plus a third time to offer him a itrip to science camp that was clearly just a trip to the island.” ---
**Author:** ![WorkInProgress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@WorkInProgress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WorkInProgress)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/310 "2009-05-20T18:51:05Z")
A couple of things… Since Ben’s nature was changed after he was healed as a child, maybe we can assume that it was Esau that healed him rather than Jacob. He seems to be “dark” rather than “light”. Locke seems to have a box connection. The box company where he worked The “Magic Box” The Ajira Box ---
**Author:** ![TooSchoolforCool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tooschoolforcool/32/19621_2.png) [@TooSchoolforCool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TooSchoolforCool)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/311 "2009-05-20T23:42:33Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > I thought he was the anesthesiologist who asked Jack if he was ok. I don’t think so, and I was pretty watchful for when Jacob was going to show up in this scene, but I could be wrong. That candy bar changed the WHOLE COURSE of Jack’s life, I tell ya. ---
**Author:** ![mshar253](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@mshar253](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mshar253)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/312 "2009-05-21T01:23:43Z")
> [@TooSchoolforCool](#): > > I don’t think so, and I was pretty watchful for when Jacob was going to show up in this scene, but I could be wrong. I don’t know if he was an anesthesiologist, but Jacob was definitely in the OR. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/313 "2009-05-21T01:47:02Z")
> [@mshar253](#): > > I don’t know if he was an anesthesiologist, but Jacob was definitely in the OR. I thought that the anesthesiologist was Jacob too. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/314 "2009-05-21T02:00:39Z")
> [@Sir\_Prize](#): > > I thought that the anesthesiologist was Jacob too. Nope: [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3439987/](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3439987/) ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/315 "2009-05-26T15:26:04Z")
Okay, maybe everyone else already realized this long ago, but I just noticed. We’ve all been told that the number 108 (minutes that elapse between resetting the clock in Swan) is the sum of the magical numbers 4+8+15+16+23+42. OTOH: 1 X 4 X 27 also equals 108. Why those particular factors? Because 1 is 1 to the first power, and 4 is 2 to the second power, and 27 is three to the third power. Such a nice simple mathematical progression that I now wonder if that is how it came to be picked. That is, rather than the six ‘magic’ numbers being chosen for whatever reason by the writers, instead they picked 108 and then afterwards chose numbers to sum to it. Whether that has any import at all, dunno. Hmmm. 4 to the fourth is 256, 256 X 108 is 6912… ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/316 "2009-05-26T15:32:57Z")
Oh, c’mon! The only bright side to “Lost” being off the air is that I don’t have to do math. You’re ruining it! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/317 "2009-05-26T15:46:03Z")
I just watched last night, and I’m glad to see somebody else resurrected this thread, so I didn’t have to. 🙂 So I just wanted to point out: IANANuclear Physicist, but as I understand it, an H-bomb is detonated by a conventional explosion first, which starts the chain reaction which causes the nuclear explosion (all of which takes micro-seconds, of course). That’s why a little bit of plutonium is wrapped in a ton of dynamite. So you can’t just pull the nuclear core out of a hydrogen bomb and bang on it with a rock. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/318 "2009-05-26T15:52:46Z")
Wouldn’'t ANY nuclear explosion have made the island uninhabitable? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/319 "2009-05-26T18:03:50Z")
> [@well\_he\_s\_back](#): > > Wouldn’'t ANY nuclear explosion have made the island uninhabitable? Hiroshima has a current pop of well over a million. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317/320 "2009-05-26T18:31:30Z")
_Finally_ got around to watching last night… Awesome episode! > [@well\_he\_s\_back](#): > > Can someone offer up an explanation for why Sun did not flash back 30years with the rest of the time travellers? I didn’t see anybody respond to this question (from back on page 2), so I’ll take a crack: Eloise had told them that their chances of returning to the island were based on how closely they could re-create the conditions of the original flight. The four who went to 1977 were (intentionally or not) representative of original 815 passengers: Jack = Jack – Escorting his father’s body; escorting Locke’s body. Sayid = Kate – Prisoner in handcuffs. Hurley = Charlie – Traveling with Charlie’s guitar. Kate = Claire – She is now the guardian of the baby Claire was carrying on 815. (okay, this one’s flimsy, but it’s something…) Sun = ??? – Just another passenger on the flight. So, those who represented original 815’ers went back to join their fellow Losties, while those who didn’t (Sun, Ben, Ilana, and so forth)… didn’t. I’m probably way off, but that’s my guess. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-5-16-5-17-the-incident/496317.md?page=17)