The Constant

Without reservation, that was the best episode of Lost thus far. You could disagree with me, but then you'd be wrong. In addition to the fascinating time-related answers and questions in the episode, that phone call between Desmond and Penny had me fighting tears. That's true love if I've ever seen it. She's been tracking him down for three years, and she kept that phone number for eight years. I'm betting that Penelope will be Jack and the Oceanic 6's ticket back to the Island in Season 5.

I promise to make these observations as simple and factual as possible, given how confusing the episode was, but this first observation is complex and I apologize. Blame the writers of the show. Skip this first part if you don't want a headache.

The Little Chopper That CouldThe helicopter should have taken 20 minutes to reach the freighter, and yet it took more like 20 hours. A few weeks ago, Dan's rocket should have taken 30 seconds to reach the Island, and yet it took more like 30 minutes.

Simply put, an unusually large Lorentz Transformation occurs when an object travels between the Island and the Outside World. This has to do with Einstein's Theory of Relativity and something called Time Dilation. Time does not move at a different speed on the Island. The characters in this episode are, after all, talking to each other on the phone in real-time and, as the calendar aboard the freighter proves, it is Christmas Eve both on and off the Island.

The immense electromagnetic properties of the Island cause objects entering or leaving its field to "slow down" in time, from the perspective of people who aren't entering or leaving the field. From the rocket's perspective, for example, it really did only take 30 seconds to reach the Island. From the chopper's perspective, it really did only take 20 minutes to reach the freighter. Typically, these relativistic effects are supposed to be caused by gravity, not electromagnetism, but it looks like Daniel Faraday was proving that wrong at Oxford.

(How, then, can the characters speak to each other on the phone in real-time? Because they are communicating via radio waves on the electromagnetic spectrum, which do not go through any dilation when traveling to and from the Island.)

The Kahana
So there really IS a freighter 40km off the coast of the Island. And it's full of morally ambiguous guys with tattoos. Questions abound. Who are these people? Why did they bring a doctor? Who is the Captain? Were they sent by the Exploiter Side of my Light vs. Dark Theory to take the Island back from the hands of Ben and the Protector Side?

Desmond's Jumps
So, when a human passes through the Island's EM field, it apparently causes his or her consciousness to jump backwards or forwards in that person's individual timeline, like Desmond and Minkowski do in this episode. Their present-day selves go MIA, while a version of their past selves jumps into their present-day bodies. Confusing, isn't it? It sure made for an entertaining hour of television, though.

Flashes Explained
Well, now we know why Desmond sometimes has "flashes" of the future. He's not having visions. His present-day consciousness is jumping into his future body, allowing him to see events before they happen to his present-day self.

Dan's Problem
Remember the card scene from last week? Remember this week when Dan told Desmond that he wore the lead vest to protect himself from the radiation, to which Desmond replied, "What about your brain?" It looks like Dan is having memory problems due to his long-term exposure to the electromagnetic radiation in his office-based time machine. He appears to have figured out a way to use electromagnetic radiation to send consciousness through time. Apparently our consciousness is directly tied to electromagnetism in the sci-fi of the show, making my Manifestation of Will theory (where the Island's EM field allows for the physical manifestation of conscious will) seem even more likely. Hooray!

The LedgerHmmm. Is Charles Widmore getting his hands on the Black Rock Ledger in 1996 so that he can find the Island? Or is it all part of his ruse to send a ship to look for it which "accidentally" stumbles upon the "wreckage" of Oceanic 815? I'm betting on the latter.

All in all, this episode is probably one of the biggest keys to figuring out the show. It's a good thing I can watch it again this weekend for free in HD on abc.com...as long as I have plenty of tissues for the Penny scene.

Next Week"The Other Woman," a Juliet flashback that, as the above image from the preview tell us, will reveal the much-hyped Orchid Station of the Dharma Initiative.

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My theories on Rousseau, Ben, Jacob, Adam and Eve, and most importantly, who the main antagonist of the show will end up being (aka leader of the Exploiter Side that Ben wants to kill in the future). You probably won't agree with me, but I'd put my money on ______.