Now, let’s all accept the fact that I left my science education behind quite some time ago. However, I know fillings used to have mercury in them, and I seem to recall a physics teacher pulling mercury with a magnet.
So…what’s the problem there? Just a field that strong would also scramble a brain or something?
-Joe
Wait again: so…there’s a huge power cable going into the Looking Glass station. The Losties have an axe.
So why the whole crap with Charlie in The Looking Glass? Take the axe, cut the cable. End of problem.
Or hell, Rousseau has dynamite. Put it in one of the big specmin jars Artz had. Weight the bottle. Light the dynamite. Drop the bottle over the hatch. Depth charge. End of problem.
I’m sure the phrase “What lies in the shadow of the statue?” is either
a code phrase. Those in on the operation will give the countersign when asked this and be known to their colleagues.
A hypnotic trigger. We know the Others have access to brainwashing tech, either theirs or Dharma’s. People could recieve their “treatment” and return to their normal whatevers as sleeper agents until activated by the trigger phrase.
Or there’s literally something in the shadow of the statue, something secret and important that only a few people know about. If you know about it, you’re one of them (whoever they are) and would be on their side. If you don’t, you’re on the outside. Though your other options are possible too, I guess.
Maybe the “What did one snowman say to the other snowman” was another code-phrase/trigger? Kelvin and Desmond learned the phrase from Radinsky but weren’t programmed or didn’t learn the meaning of the phrase.
Also, (from 3x23)
What kind of totally perverted, psychotic logic do these people use?
Ben: Jack, I need to talk.
Ben (to Losties): Hi. I don’t think we’ve been introduced. I’m Ben…
Jack (angry): Don’t listen to him!!
Ben: Jack, you just killed seven of my people. The least you could do is give me five minutes.
Jack: Dahhh…oohkay!
Um…why? The killing was 100% clear self defense. Absolutely no moral ambiguity in the setup as presented: it’s total war. So why does Jack owe ben ANYTHING? (except that Jack is an idiot)
OK, here’s a question: are we supposed to think that Jack is an idiot? Do the writers write him that way knowing that we will all think he’s a stubborn, self-righteous moron? Or do they realize how he comes off and want it that way? I’m curious, because pretty much everyone I know who watches the show thinks that. We also all think Kate is a useless bitch who mucks up every plan she touches, and only gets away with it because she’s hot. Is that intention on the writers’ part too? Or are we actually supposed to like her?
Kate’s also a whore*
I really don’t know–NONE of Jack’s actions make sense if he’s not an idiot. If he is, everything falls into place.
Why blab about Juliette’s cue-card movie AND save Ben? One OR the other, but both? Totally insane.
Why let Ben talk. You KNOW he’s gonna do something stoopid and evil. Totally insane.
Why steal perscription drugs while wearing the single worst fake beard-moustache ever designed when you could say that your terrible ocean voyage left you in chronic pain and you need a regular, renewing perscription and about 50% of the doctors out there (given your uber-heroic status) would be happy to write that scrip? Totally insane.
*She sleeps with men to use them. Not, like Sawyer, 'cause it’s fun. She’s a sick, manipulative bitch.
SOooo—after calling the boat why in the WORLD would anyone keep Ben alive? And more important, why would you take him along with you (4x01) when going into the jungle at night to search for someone Locke murdered?
Sooooooo…after refusing to kill Ben who we KNOW is a mass murderer and who everyone KNOWS will betray them in a heartbeat, Jack tries to shoot Locke…for bringing Hurley back to camp?
Does this make ANY sense?
I think we were supposed to like, admire, and sympathize with them. Thing is, that can only work so long when you’ve got a group of whiny, self-centered idiots. Sure, Lucy is a bitch, but after a while you just start blaming Charlie Brown because he’s falling for the same thing for the zillionth time.
-Joe
I think the tide has turned against Jack As Leader, and even he knows it and is OK with it. His time away from the island seems to have been good for busting down his ego. He was a reluctant leader anyway, so now he can safely sit back and let Sawyer run the show.
As for Kate… I don’t know why they put up with her. Probably because they can’t stop her from acting like an idiot without killing her, since she doesn’t listen to anyone, and they’re not ready to kill her yet.
An attractive woman can get away with a whole lot before people eventually leave her to die in a cougar trap.
-Joe
I don’t know if it would scramble a brain, but surely it would have stronger effects on something else first? I mean, when I get an MRI, I don’t have to take my fillings out, but I do have to remove all jewelry, my bra, anything with metal zippers or buttons, etc.; basically anything that might have magnetic-attractive parts. And… he was shoveling, right? presumably with a metal shovel?
Maybe Alvarez just happened to be positioned such that the only magnetic item on the wrong side of his body was a filling, but it makes me go :dubious:.
I don’t think this has been asked before around here.
Radzinsky: Kelvin told Desmond that Radzinsky made the not-very-accurate blast door map, the one with all kinds of questions and speculation and stuff like “UNKNOWN!!” noted on it. Kelvin also said Radzinsky had a photographic memory.
But in Dharmaville 1977, Radsinsky is second in command to Horace, helped design and build the Swan, has a nosy/bossy personality, and generally seems to be on top of details. Why on earth would he *not *know so many things about the various Dharma stations and installations?
Yeah. I’ve wondered the same myself. Either he was putting on a show for Kelvin, he suffered a traumatic brain injury, or Kelvin was conning Desmond.
I don’t believe he’d have that many unknowns .
A brain is an electric machine, right? What if a brain is hit by the kind of magnetic charge that can bring a plane down from 40,000 feet?
-Joe
That seems to have happened after Radzinsky’s brain was a thin coating on the ceiling of the swan. I don’t think magnets could make that much worse. 
IIRC, we still have not seen any actual footage of Rad in the Swan with Kelvin. I’m still suspicious of Kelvin’s claim that he was even there with Rad.
Though, of course, there may be a magnetic component to The Incident.
You’re right; we haven’t. Though I wonder where Kelvin would pull that name up from if he’d never med Rad, especially since we know Kelvin was busy in the Gulf War and presumably not part of the Dharma I. before he got recruited and went to the Swan. I’m betting Kelvin at least knew Rad, though maybe Kelvin lied about the author of the map (or maybe Rad suffered catastrophic magnetic brain rearrangement, or something, before Kelvin showed up).
I’m leaning towards thinking the writers have an interesting explanation for this, rather than a continuity error gone retcon, given that they KNOW how fascinated fans have been with dissecting the blast door map.
Good point. I’d be surprised if they’d station a brain damaged guy to push the button from the word go, though.
I suspect Kelvin killed Rad, and maybe he tortured him first. I’ve got no idea how that fits into the timeline, though.
Yeah. I think it was on purpose and there’s an interesting explanation, if not a good one.
No–I’m thinking The Incident lobotomized Radzinsky (and couldn’ta happened to a nicer person)