I am absolutely convinced that LOST is actually a video game. And I believe that the following description explains just exactly how the game is played. For ease of use, the top part of this page has been designed as a "Quick Start" reference. A more detailed explanation continues below it.

"Two players. Two sides. One is light. One is dark." Locke S1E2

The Light player is 'good' and the Dark player is 'bad'. At the start of each level, the characters are in a mixture of 'good' and 'bad' roles.

The Light player is required to manipulate the characters into 'good' roles by choosing the actions that they take when they are faced with a variety of obstacles and situations. The way in which the character responds to these obstacles and situations determines which role that character takes on.

The Dark player attempts to manipulate the characters into 'bad' roles by placing obstacles in their way. The obstacles can be the various versions of the monster or they can be introduced into the game by creating situations via game prompts that can result in 'bad' choices being made.

The two players help to create the details about the main characters' everyday lives on the island. And, the players also create the characters flash backs and flash forwards by responding to a series of prompts during the game. A list of pre-set options to choose from actually results in all of the duplications that occur on LOST

The cross connections between the characters that appear in their flashbacks and flash forwards are created by the game.

There are specific instructions/rules that are being provided at different times in the game.

Points can probably be won for a variety of accomplishments such as finding items like the Dharma hatches & stations, the power sources and maps & keys. Points could also be won for actions such as cooperating or saving people.

There are six levels in the game and there are time limits for completing the levels. However, additional time can be earned when a character accomplishes certain objectives.

The Numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) are many things in the show, but one of the most important things that they represent are the time limits for each level.

Level 1 = 42 days, Level 2 = 23 days, Level 3 =16 days, Level 4 = 15 days, Level 5 = 8 days and Level 6 = 4 days. Making the total number of days in the game that our LOSTies will spend on the island= 108.

A level is completed when the time limit for the level have passed, when all of the objectives for that level have been accomplished and when the character in the role of the White Rabbit actually goes down the hole.

Level 1 and Level 2 have been completed. Season 3 saw the completion of Level 3 and most of Level 4.

All characters are Reset to their original 'good' and 'bad' roles at the beginning of the next level. S3E8 is a great example of a character being reset. And S4E6 actually shows us the words "Master Caution Reset" on the computer in the Tempest.

Memory losses and eye color changes often result when a character switches to a different role.

The game is won when all six levels are completed.

I also believe that the game may be designed so that is could also be played by just one player. In that case, the game itself would take on the player position of the Dark or 'bad' player.

I had also thought that we were given a hint early in Season 1 when Claire stated that she has searched through over 20 suitcases and still couldn't locate a hair brush. I thought that perhaps this was an indication that Locke was a 'game player' since he has no need of a brush. I now think that is is simply a case of a brush not being on the list of the pre-set options to choose from for the actual contents of the suitcases and items in the cargo hold.

I had also considered the fact that perhaps the use of the different eyes in the opening sequences of several of the Season 1 episodes actually represented different 'Points of View' on the part of the 'game players'. A new Eyes page has been added that discusses the opening eye shots, the peculiar appearance of the main characters eyes in several episodes and most notably their eyes in the Season 3 Promo Poster.

I have completely dismissed the idea that any of the LOST characters are playing the game, in favor of there being unidentified 'game players' completely outside of the game.

"Two players. Two sides. One is light. One is dark." Locke S1E2

Who knows? It could even be JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof who are playing!

Considering the fact that the second "J" in JJ Abrams' stands for Jacob, I am starting to lean very heavily toward Abrams and Lindelof being the players.

And what about the planned final show of the series that TPTB have told us they have known from the very beginning? It may very well have the camera pulling back to reveal them in a surprise ending that is as big of a surprise as the endings of two other noted TV shows: St. Elsewhere's SNOW GLOBE and The Bob Newhardt Show's DREAM. It's interesting to note that snow globes and dreams have played a big part in the LOST mythology.

And when they do show us that LOST is, in fact, a video game during the very last show of the series, it is entirely possible that they will start with this shot of the game's circuitry from "LOST Connections" on the Season 2 DVD and have the camera panning back to show us the players.

By the way, it's interesting to note that when the "LOST Connections" first appears on the screen, Carlton Cuse is asking the question "...or could there be a larger picture still to come into focus?"

It also gives a whole new meaning to Sawyer's quote from S1E3: "You're just not looking at the big picture, Doc."

The instructions and rules of the game are slowly being revealed to both the LOSTies and to the audience.

Level 1 Instructions
The Season 1/Level 1 objectives centered around finding food, water, constructing shelters and cooperating to build social structure. There are disastrous results when Sawyer, Jin, Michael and Walt attempt to leave the island on the raft and disregard these objectives. Walt is kidnapped, the raft is fire-bombed by the Others, and Sawyer & Michael are separated from Jin. In S1E23, the Hurley Bird appears. The Hurley Bird is an indication that Level 1 is coming to an end.

There is an interesting quote by Carlton Cuse in an interview with James C. Poniewozik, the TV critic for TIME magazine, regarding the fact that the LOSTies and the lack of instructions given to them in Season1/Level1.

Level 2 Instructions
Season 2 Level 2 begins with Sawyer, Jin and Michael being returned to the island, albeit, to the Tailies side of the island. This is the first indication that attempting to leave the island before all Levels have been completed is not an option in this game.

In S2E1, we met Desmond and saw the Swan Hatch Orientation film that instructed the LOSTies to type in the numbers and then push the "enter" button every 108 minutes. This video came complete with Dr. Marvin Candle providing instructions. This video also served to explain one of the main objectives for Season 2 /Level 2.

In S2E9 we get to see what is assumed to be a missing piece from this video (found in the Arrow Station) spliced into it. Again, the LOSTies are told that they must enter the numbers every 108 minutes.

Early in Season 2/Level 2, Desmond attempted to leave the island in Libby's sailboat, the Elizabeth. In S2E23, just as Sawyer, Michael and Jin had been returned to the island, Desmond is also returned to the island. This is the second indication that attempting to leave the island before all Levels have been completed is not an option in this game.

In S2E21 the Pearl Hatch Orientation video is found. The video is narrated by Mark Wickman. After watching it, Mr. Eko is now convinced that pushing the button is important because they are meant to do it. That is, it is their purpose or objective.

Locke, on the other hand, decides that it is a useless activity. He not only decides that he will no longer push the button, but he actually sabotages Eko's efforts to continue doing so. Desmond is then forced to use the Failsafe key that he had been told about by Kelvin Inman. Employing the Failsafe Key stops the need for the button to be pushed. It also completes the objectives for Season 2/Level 2 and allows the game to progress to Season3/Level3.

The Hurley Bird appears in the Season 2 Finale. In the same way that the Hurley Bird indicated the end of Level 1 in Season 1, this second appearance by the Hurley Bird is an indication that Season 2/Level 2 is coming to an end.

Michael and Walt are seen leaving the island in a boat provided by the Others at the end of Season2/Level 2. However, we can fully expect to see Michael and Walt again since we know that the Others lie and that they most likely lied to Michael about his ability to escape, and we have also been shown that attempting to leave the island before all Levels have been completed is not an option in this game.

Level 3 Instructions
Season 3 has been very important to further understanding just how the game is played and what some of the rules in the game actually are.

During Season 3 several characters, including Juliet, Boone, Mrs. Hawking and Nadia the cat, have shown us just how important these characters are to understanding the game.

In S3E1 Juliet has a thick file folder in front of her from which she relates bits and pieces of Jack's life history to him. Jack questions her about what information is in the file.

Jack: "What is that?"
Juliet: "This Jack, is your life."
Jack: "Do you... Is it just about me or is it about my family too? My friends?"
Juliet: "It's pretty much about everything."

I believe that the file folder is a physical representation of the rules and instructions for the game. Juliet is consulting the instructions to learn what will motivate Jack so that he can be manipulated into performing the surgery on Ben/Fake Henry. Juliet also tells Sayid and Sawyer in S3E16 that she knows all about them, indicating that she has seen their files as well.

S3E3 is named "Further Instructions". In this episode, Locke builds the sweat lodge and Boone visits him there. Boone gives Locke instructions on what he must do next, save Eko. Boone's appearance should be viewed as a game prompt, a prompt that gets Locke to do the next thing required of him.

S3E8 introduced us to Mrs. Hawking.

While it appears, at first, that Mrs. Hawking is simply another character in the role of Psychic. She is actually the most important development to date to the understanding of how the game is played and what can and can't be done in the game.

Mrs. Hawking clearly instructs Desmond about what can and can't be done in her conversations with him.

Desmond: "I'll take it."
Ms. Hawking: "I'm...sory?"
Desmond: "It's perfect. I'll take it."
Ms. Hawking: "No you won't!"
Ms. Hawking: "Give me the ring! Give it here!"
Desmond: "Uh, I don't understand."
Ms. Hawking: "This is wrong. You don't buy the ring. You...you have second thoughts. You walk right out that door. So, come on. Let's have it."
Desmond: "I don't know what you're on about."
Ms. Hawking: "You don't buy the ring, Desmond!"
Desmond: "How do you know my name?"
Ms. Hawking: "I know your name as well as I know that you don't ask Penny to marry you. In fact, you break her heart. Well, breaking her heart, of course, is what drives you in a few short years from now to enter that sailing race to prove her father wrong. Which brings you to the island where you spend the next 3 years of your life entering numbers into the computer ...until you are forced to turn that failsafe key. And if you don't do those things, Desmond David Hume, every single one of US is dead. So give me that sodding ring!"

In the next part of the conversation with Desmond, Mrs. Hawking gives him his marching orders:

Desmond: "You're here to...to talk me out of marrying Penny. Well, it won't bloody work!"
Ms. Hawking: "Oh yes it will."
Desmond: "No! There is no island. There is no ...button. It's madness! I love her, she loves me. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with her!"
Ms. Hawking: "No, Desmond. You're not."
[The scaffolding from the construction site suddenly collapses, burying the man with the red sneakers and killing him instantly]
Desmond: "Oh my god!"
Desmond: "You knew that was going to happen, didn't you!"
[Ms. Hawking silently nods her head yes]
Desmond: "Then why didn't you stop it! Why didn't you do anything!"
Ms. Hawking: "Because it wouldn't matter. Had I warned him about the scaffolding, tomorrow he'd be hit by a taxi. If I warned him about the taxi, he'd fall in the shower and break his neck. The universe, unfortunately, has a way of ...course correcting. That man was supposed to die. That was his path. Just as it's your path to go to the island. You don't do it because you choose to, Desmond. You do it because you are supposed to."
Desmond: "I'm going to meet Penny in an hour. I've got a ring. She'll say yes. I can choose whatever I want."
Ms. Hawking: "You may not like your path, Desmond. But, pushing that button is the only truly great thing that you will ever do."

So, Mrs. Hawking is actually acting as the common type of pop-up screen that appears in most video games to provide prompts and often details the types of actions that may be taken by a character in the game.

Mrs. Hawkings gives us the following game rules:

1. The characters have pre-ordained paths that they must follow

2. A character can not save another character's life, if the game determines that they are supposed to die (such as Mrs. Hawking & Red Sneaker Man or Desmond & Charlie)

3. The universe has a way of course correcting when someone takes an action that they shouldn't such as attempting to leave the island. Desmond has apparently changed the future each of the three times that he has saved Charlie's life. In S3E17, Desmond chooses to save Charlie. Charlie says to Desmond, "You'd have gone and sacrificed me" and Desmond replies "If the flashes don't happen exactly as I saw them, then the picture changes. I was supposed to let you die Charlie" and "It means it's pointless. I keep saving your life. It's gonna keep happening again and again. Maybe that's the point, maybe it's a test like God testing Abraham?" Desmond seems to have changed the future so much by saving Charlie's life that he actually changes who shows up on the island. Penny had appeared in his flashes as being the rescuer that would come to the island, but the person who arrives on the island is Naomi instead of Penny.

In S3E9 we again see Juliet with a file folder. She takes a picture of Ben's infected incision out of it when she is speaking to Jack, She is obviously looking for instructions for what to do for Ben.

In S3E9 we also learn something about the Others from Alex "We're pretty strict about killing one of our own" and that there is "an Eye for an Eye" justice amongst the Others. It is also possible that when Ben said in his note that "the rules don't apply" to Juliet, that perhaps the "Eye for an Eye" rule only applies to the Others.

Nadia, Mikhail Bakunin/Patchy's cat actually provides information to Sayid by scratching at the rug. By paying close attention to Nadia the cat, Sayid is able to discover the entrance to the Flame Hatch. Kate also realizes that Ms. Klugh is important to finding Jack since she knows where he was taken. Unfortunately, when Ms. Klugh tells Mikhail Bakunin/Patchy to kill her (in Russian), and he does, Ms. Klugh is eliminated as a source of instructions.

S3E11 provides us with more instructions. Locke plays chess with the computer and wins. He then views the Flame Hatch video. Once again it features a character who looks exactly like Marvin Candle/Mark Wickman but this time, we are not given his name. Locke dutifully follows the instructions given in this video. He enters 77 into the computer because it instructs him to do so if there has been "an incursion by the Hostiles".

Locke's actions result in the Flame Hatch being blown to pieces and the Dharma Instruction Manuals are destroyed along with it. Fortunately, Sayid has retrieved the maps of the cables and the barracks which will lead them to the Others and Jack. Therefore, the maps will help the LOSTies achieve their main goal for Season 3/Level 3, getting Jack back and learning to live on the island with the Others.

Level 4 Instructions
In S3E19, we see that Ben/Fake Henry has a pile of green file folders on his desk, Richard Alpert gives Locke a file on Sawyer, and we learn from Locke that the Others have files on all of the LOSTies.

In S3E20, we see the new Dharma arrivals watching an orientation video in the processing center. They are given instructions about the purpose and operation of the sonic fence.

Additional parts of the Level 4 instructions were the maps included the binder that Sayid took from the Flame Hatch. He used the maps in the binder to locate the Perimeter Fence, the Barracks in New Otherton and the Looking Glass. It will be interesting to see just what else might be in that binder and what else Sayid took with him from the Flame.

S3E22 Walt appears and tells Locke that he has work to do. In S4E2 Locke tells his group that Walt told him what he was "supposed to do"

In S4E2 Matthew Abbadon has a pile of files on his desk that are about Miles Straume, Charlotte Lewis, Daniel Faraday and Frank Lapidus

S4E4 has Ben saying to Locke "You keep hitting dead ends. You couldn't find the cabin, you can't make contact with Jacob, you're so desperate to figure out what to do next, you're even asking me for help". He also tells Locke "You're more LOST than you ever were." and then later on says to Locke "Excellent John, you're evolving".

Regarding that last comment about "evolving", it's interesting to note that in S3E3, as Charlie was standing guard for Locke at the Sweat Lodge, he said to Locke "I'm gonna stand out here in case you devolve into a monkey". Perhaps evolving and devolving is the name that the game gives to the process of the Role changes.

S4E5 gave us even more instructions as we learned from Daniel that "The future cannot be changed". This was also discussed by Lindelof and Cuse during the February 28, 2008 podcast.

S4E5 also provided the instructions on how to locate the BOATies on the Kahana by following a specific heading, and how to become "unstuck" in time by using a constant. See Level 4 below for a description of what happened to Desmond when he was "stuck" during S4E5.

S4E6 Ben shows Locke a file on Widmore and also shows Locke a video tape of Widmore and tells Locke "This is the man whose boat is parked offshore. This is the man that's been trying to find the island". and in S4E6 we see juliet reading Jack's file.

Level 5 Instructions
In S4E7, Bernard offers Jin the following advice "You make bad choices, bad things happen to you" and "You make good choices and then good things..." Giving the first indication in the game that bad things will happen to the various characters if they make bad choices. This is part of the discussion where Bernard explains why he and Rose chose to stay with Jack rather than going with Locke "Because it was the right thing to do, Locke is a murderer". Juliet also warns Sun about leaving Jack's group to join Locke saying "This is a bad idea". The implication is that anything bad that now happens to Locke is probably a result of the game punishing him due to his own bad choices.

In S4E7, Kate draws a map to New Otherton for Sun and Jin, although, Sun finally decides not to join Locke as a result of her conversation with Juliet.

Gault says in S4E8 that "The rules of desertion still apply to everyone", this goes along with what we have seen before, that leaving is not an option in the game.

In S4E8, when asks by Sayid why he is on the Kahana, Michael replies "I'm here to die". He also attempts suicide four times in S4E8, by smashing his car into a cargo container, by trying to shoot himself in the alley, by trying to shoot himself in his room and by activating the bomb. In all cases, he fails. Tom/Mr. Friendly tells him in the alley that "The island won't let you" and the note that pops up from the bomb says "Not Yet". Both Tom/Mr. Friendly and Ben essentially tell Michael the same thing, that he has work to do before he can die. This is obviously a case of course correction, Michael will not be able to commit suicide before he completes whatever the task is that he needs to do.

When Michael asks Tom/Mr. Friendly about the ability of the Others to leave the island in S4E8, "So, you people can just come and go?", Tom/Mr. Friendly replies "Some of us". It implies that only some of the Others can leave the island, while some of them cannot.

In S4E8 Tom/Mr. Friendly gives Michael a black file that contains pictures of pictures of the cemetery in Thailand where Widmore dug up the 324 bodies, a copy of the invoice for the used plane and he tells Michael "That's not your plane. It's a phony. A man named Widmore put it down there and he staged the whole wreck".

In S4E9 when Locke asks Ben about the smoke monster again, Ben tells him "You can ask Jacob". Then, when Sawyer asks "Who the hell's Jacob?", Ben answers that "He's the man who's gonna tell us what to do next". Indicating that Jacob is going to provide them with some "Further Instructions".

Alex's Death and The Rules

In S4E9, we were given what appear to be some new rules, those that concern Ben and Widmore killing each other's family members. In the past, when we have been given new rules, they have been pretty cut and dried as to their meaning. However, the whole scenario of Alex's death is curious and somewhat contradictory.

Keamy was holding Alex as his Prisoner and threatening to shoot "your daughter" if Ben did not come out of the house. Next, Ben did a curious thing, he denied that Alex was his daughter and admitted to kidnapping her as a baby from Danielle. But when Keamy killed Alex, Ben was stunned by it and said that "He changed the rules." A little later in the episode, when Ben entered Widmore's bedroom, we learned that Ben was referring to Widmore when he said "He changed the rules".

The question is, if Ben thought that neither he, nor Widmore, could kill each other's family members then why didn't he just continue to insist that Alex was his daughter, instead of denying her as his daughter? If it is true that they can't kill each other's family, then insisting she was his daughter should have kept her safe, but instead, he did the opposite and denied her. apparently leaving Keamy free to kill her.

Ben and Widmore then have an have an interesting exchange in Widmore's bedroom regarding Alex's death. Ben says "I'm here because you murdered my daughter" and Widmore comes back with "...we both know very well I didn't murder her at all, you did". Ben responds 'No, that's not true" and Widmore says "Yes, it is". Why does Widmore blame Ben for Alex's death?

is there actually a rule against killing each other's family members? If there is no such rule, why did Ben think there was? And why did Ben deny Alex was his daughter and admit to being a kidnapper. And why would Widmore accuse Ben of being responsible for her death?

I'm not sure but here are a few thoughts I have had about all of this.

It may be possible that Ben has become subject to the rule we learned from Bernard in S4E7, that is, if "You make bad choices, bad things happen to you". Perhaps killing his own father somehow left him open to allowing other members of his family to be killed. I'm not sure if that is the case here.

Further, if Widmore could actually change the rules, then why couldn't he change the rule that he and Ben can't kill each other?

Another thought has to do with the concept of their Roles at the time of Alex's death. Ben was in the role of Daddy, Alex was in the role of a Prisoner. Ben stops and appears to be thinking over his options for a second and then suddenly switches to the role of Kidnapper and bang- Keamy kills Alex. It was interesting to note that this was the very first time that Ben admitted to Kidnapping Alex from Danielle.

Did Ben's sudden switch from Daddy to Kidnapper play a part in Alex's death? As the Kidnapper, he freely admits that Alex is not his daughter, and therefore Keamy would be allowed to kill her. Then how would Widmore's comments fit into this? Does it imply that by Ben allowing himself to switch from Daddy to Kidnapper that Ben caused her death? What caused the switch in Ben's roles? If the 'bad' player caused it, what was the reasoning? Could it have simply been done deliberately by the 'bad' player to escalate the war? Could Ben have somehow stopped the switch from Daddy to Kidnapper or was it out of his control? There have been memory lapses associated with role changes in the past. Did Ben have some sort of lapse in his memory of the rules as a consequence of switching roles?

My answer is, I don't know. But I'm sure we'll be learning more as we go along.

S4E10 brings us more examples of files on people. Jack is shown carrying Ms. Berenberg's file, Dr. Erika Stevenson gives Jack a file on Ryan Laker and Jack is later seen examining this file when he is looking at Ryan's xrays.

S4E10 also gave us the fact that even though the smoke monster attacked Keamy's men, they all seem to have survived. When asked about this in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel after the show aired, Carlton Cuse stated that "The monster has different rules for different people". Cuse also answers Rose's question on why Jack got sick on an island that actually cures people and Cuse answered that "Jack gets sick because he is not in communion with the island". This is the first indication we have a possible answer for why Ben got his cancerous tumor and ties in with Richard Alpert's statement to Locke in S3E19 that the Others are concerned that Ben is too obsessed with the pregnancy issues.

S4E11 Locke tells Hurley "Hopefully, the man who lives in the cabin can tell us what to do about the people who are trying to kill us" and when Locke finds Horace Goodspeed, Horace provides instructions when he tells Locke "You gotta find me John, you gotta find me... and when you do, you'll find him" when Locke asks "Who?", Horace replies "Jacob, he's been waiting for you for a real long time". When Locke does find Horace's body in the pit, he finds a map in Horace's pocket that leads him to Jacob's cabin.

S4E11 Captain Gault tells Keamy that it is not protocol for him to open the safe by himself and then Keamy extracts what he refers to as the "secondary protocol" which has the same Dharma logo on it that was seen on Ben's jacket in S4E9. Keamy tells Gault that "It says where Linus is going".

In S4E11 Locke tells Abbadon "You should read my file and he replies "I did read your file"

Finally, in S4E11 Locke asks Christian Shephard, "How do I save the island?" and he later tells Ben "He wants me to move the island"

In S4E12 Ben gives Locke specific instructions on what to do "You're going to go into the greenhouse through that hole there. Once inside you're gonna turn left, go about 20 paces until you see a patch of Antheriums on your left. They're in an alcove against the north wall. Face that wall, reach down with your left hand, you'll find a switch that activates the elevator. The elevator takes you down to the actual Orchid station." There is one other type of instructions that we see, but that is not mentioned. As Desmond leaves the pilot of the Kahana to find out what is causing the RF interference with the fathometer, he passes a set of life jacket instructions that are on the wall near the door.

LOST has levels just like many other video games. There are six levels. And that my friends is why there will be a definitive end date as was discussed in a January 14, 2007 AP article. When all 6 levels are completed, it will be "GAME OVER". Whether the show's fans like it or not.

Level 1 was 42 days long, Level 2 was 23 days long. Likewise, Level 3 was 16 days long, Level 4 will be 15 days, Level 5 will be 8 days and Level 6 will be 4 days long. Making the total number of days our LOSTies spend on the island equal to 108 days. Which, by the way, corresponds to January 7, 2005.

So, what happens now that we find out in S4E1 that there will be the "Oceanic 6" who apparently leave the island before the end of the game. That's easy. It's obvious that they will have to return to the island to complete their full 108 days on the island before the game can end. And this is starting to become evident by statements made by the LOSTies. Such as, Jack telling Kate in S3E22 that they have to "...go back", Charlie telling Hurley in S4E2 that "They need you" and Hurley then telling Jack that they need to go back to the island.

108 will be the the number of days spent on the island by the LOSTies and does not include the number of days shown in either the Flash Backs or in Flash Forwards. What about the 2006 model phone that Jack was using in the flash forward in S3E22? It's not a problem since the characters will leave the island on January 7, 2005. Therefore, there is no conflict with a phone being shown in S3E22 that was first marketed in 2006 or with the LA Times Newspaper that contained actual articles from April 2007.

To date, the game levels have been as follows:

Season 1 = Level 1= 42 days

Season 2 = Level 2 = 23 days (Days 43-65)

Level 3 = the first 16 days of Season 3 (Days 66-81)

Level 4 = 15 days (Days 82-96) which began during the last part of Season 3 and will run into the beginning of Season 4

Level 5 = 8 days (Days 97-104)

Level 6 = 4 days (Days 105-108)

At the end of each level, a major reset of the characters occurs at the beginning of the next level.

"I was unsuitable on several levels" Desmond S2E2

The Reset (aka "Loop, dude, loop" Hurley S2E17)
The concept of resetting is very important to LOST. It was vitally important in Season 2/Level 2 that the clock had to be reset each time the 108 minutes had counted down. It also represents another very important part of the game, as it describes what happens to the characters during the game.

In the May 26, 2006 podcast, there is a discussion of the fact that the characters' personalities are constantly being reset to the original personalities that they had at the beginning of the show. That the characters are on the island to be tested over and over again and that you have to go back to square one over and over again. 

And that is exactly what happened between Season 1/Level 1 and Season 2/Level 2. The characters were completely reset to the roles that they had at the beginning of LOST Season 1.

A reset also occurred between the end of Season 2/Level 2 and the beginning of Season 3/Level 3. Where, once again, the characters were completely reset to the roles that they had at the beginning of LOST Season 1/Level 1.

What was so important about the entire episode of S3E8 "Flashes Before Your Eyes"? I believe that we have now seen the mechanics of the reset.

Desmond's entire experience with the flashes was actually him experiencing his own character being reset. Think of Desmond's "flashes" as being similar to what happened to the clock in the Swan Hatch when it would reset after the button was pushed, the numbers flashed by while it was resetting. And when the button was not pushed, the hieroglyphics flashed by.

Listen carefully when Desmond has his "flashes" in S3E8 - the sound of the Swan Hatch clicking as it resets can clearly be heard as the "flashes" occur.

Desmond's reset just took a little longer than it took for the other characters to reset. And for some reason, he was much more aware of it than the other characters. Perhaps it was a consequence of the force of the implosion.

Level 4 began in Season 3 on the night of day 81 on the Other's side of the island with the reset that occurred when Kate and Juliet experienced the flashes. There were four flashes, one for each level. This reset was also accompanied by the same sound heard when Desmond reset, that is, the sound of the Swan Hatch timer clicking as it resets.

It appears as if S3E22 showed us the beginning of the end of Level 4 and the start of the reset that will occur at the beginning of Level 5. See Level 4 Objectives below.

As an interesting note, there have been some curious camera flashes that were seen in Level 4. The first occurred near Hurley in S3E17, the second near young Ben in S3E20 and the third flash was near Mikhail Bakunin/Patchy in S3E22. The fourth flash was a red flash that was seen in S4E3 when Locke is trying to locate Jacob's cabin. I had said that I expected that there should be a total of five of them to signal the start of Level 5. And in S4E5 we saw the fifth flash- a red flash that occurs on Sayid's face as he is standing on the deck of the Kahana. Is the fifth red flash that indicate that Level 5 has begun? No I don't think so. But I do think that they are indicative of the fact that Level 4 is ending.

As for flashes, well S4E5 had more flashes occurring in it than we have ever seen in any other episode before now. Just as Desmond had problems with his reset in S3E8, I think he is just having problems again with resetting. But this time, he starts to reset prematurely as a result of the lightening storm and gets "stuck" in reset just like Eloise and Minkowski. As a matter of fact, there are a number of flashes that occur on the helicopter before Desmond has his initial Flashback, here are 5 of them (#1, #2, #3, #4, #5). And although he gets back to the helicopter in 2004, subsequent flashes from the thunderstorm continue to send him back to 1996 (#6, #7, #8, #9). When he gets to the boat, he flashes back in time when the doctor shines the flashlight in his eyes. Even Desmond knows that it is the flashes in his eyes that are sending him back, and later in the episode he tries to get back by flashing his own eyes.

The big question is not why did Eloise get "un-stuck" when she was flashed by Daniel's light, but why didn't it also "un-stick" Desmond? Is it that Desmond has been exposed to a larger dose of radiation or electromagnetism than Eloise has been?

It's also curious that Daniel's light was purple, in essence making Eloise's "sky turn purple". Is that why Sayid isn't having the same problems as Desmond? Was Sayid far enough away from the implosion (with Jin and Sun on the boat) in S2E23 that he didn't get a large enough dose of radiation or electromagnetism to be as affected as Desmond when he leaves the island? We now know that Sun is one of the Oceanic 6?

Kate, Sawyer, Jack and Hurley were all on the Pala Ferry Dock during the implosion in S2E23. Is that why Sayid, Kate, Jack and Hurley can leave as part of the Oceanic 6? Does that mean Sawyer opts to stay on the island as he indicated he wanted to do when speaking to Kate in S4E4?

As I predicted, S4E6 showed the end of Level 4 and the beginning of Level 5 on the morning of Day 97. The biggest difference with this Level change is that we actually saw the words MASTER CAUTION RESET appear both on the Tempest system map and on the computer that Daniel was working on. In fact, we also see Juliet and Charlotte being reset under the blinking lights as they leave the Tempest. When they arrive outside, they have been reset to the roles they were in when they first arrived on the island, Charlotte as a Lifeguard and Juliet as a prisoner.

S4E11 gave us a curious flash that occurred as Jack ran for the satellite phone that was dropped by Frank Lapidus. it was similar to the types of flashes that occurred in Level 4 in S3E17 through S3E22 as detailed in the paragraph that is six paragraphs above this one. This may be a sign that Level 5 is coming to an end. And we may have had the Hurley bird as there were birds chirping in S4E10 that served to cover over the sounds that Aaron makes and to help hide him from Keamy and his men. This could indicate that the monster is working to protect Aaron or it could be the Hurley Bird for Level 5.

Besides all the flashes of the cameras at the Press Conference, S4E12 gave us some more more curious flashes. There is a curious red flash seen on the side of a tree as Jack and Kate walk through the jungle and there is a red ring seen around the sun in one scene. These flashes all occur before the Level change so they are not related to characters resetting, and the red one on the tree may be the only one that is important since it may signal that Level 5 is coming to an end. And although Ben used a mirror to signal the Others on the mountaintop with mirror flashes, I do not believe that they have any thing to do with the Level changing.

Level 1/Season 1

Level 1 Roles
You may want to read Roles, before you continue reading this or it may not make sense to you.

When Season 1/Level 1 opened, the characters were in the following roles:

Level 1 Objectives
During Season 1/Level 1 they were required to take care of their most basic of needs: to find food, water, shelter, medicine, defensive weapons and to build a rudimentary social structure (Live Together, Die Alone). They constructed temporary shelters, Sun began farming (Jack and Kate helped by collecting seeds), Jack and Sun set up the caves as a hospital, they designated a cemetery and Michael designed the water purification system for the caves.

During the course of Season 1/Level 1 their roles began to change, often frequently, and usually into a completely different role than they had previously been in.

To proceed to the next level, the Losties needed to work together to find the hatch, to locate the dynamite and to open the hatch.

But several other things were needed to complete Level 1:
1) All of the LOSTies had to be in 'good' roles
2) They had to be cooperating with each other for "The Greater Good"
3) Someone had to take on the role of the Leader
4) The Fail Safe had to be identified and utilized
5) The Hurley Bird needed to appear
6) We needed to see the plane crash again
7) and the White Rabbit needed to go down the hole

And here's how the requirements were met

1) Good Roles - The Season 1 Finale/Level 1 ended with the characters in the following 'good' roles:

You can cross reference the situations and quotes listed in the chart above by checking the Another Life section of this website or by reading the Season 1 Finale transcripts on LOST HATCH.com

2) Cooperation - The Season 1 Finale had all of the LOSTies banding together in unprecedented cooperation and working toward "The Greater Good" to launch the raft and to get everyone to a safe place. All of the LOSTies were in 'good' roles at the end of S1E24. The only LOSTie that is rude and insists that only he, and he alone, can perform a particular task is Arzt in S1E23 when they are moving the dynamite. Just before he blew to pieces. No wonder he died. He would not have been able to move on to Season 2/Level 2.

3) The Leader - Jack has finally taken over the role of the Leader

4) The Fail Safe - Locke tells Jack in S1E23 that they should split up the dynamite "It's not smart to keep it all together. So we split 'em up. If we need 3 sticks to blow the hinge, then we should bring 6... 3 and 3... failsafe, in case one of us..."

5) The Hurley Bird appears

6) We needed to see the plane crash again, and we did in the Season 1 Finale

7) The White Rabbit - Kate, the White Rabbit, goes down the hole into the Swan Hatch (occurs in S2E1)

As a final note on Level 1, Locke nearly became the White Rabbit in S1E24 when he was being pulled down the hole by the black smoke monster. All of the objectives had been met at that point except for the fact that they still had not opened the hatch. If Kate and Jack had not pulled Locke up out of the hole, it would have been GAME OVER.

Level 2/Season 2

Level 2 Roles
Season 2/Level 2 started, and guess what happened? The game reset the main characters - and all of our LOSTies are reset back to their original roles:

Level 2 Objectives
Season 2/Level 2 had the Losties continuing to build up their social structure as Rose began organizing a makeshift pantry/kitchen on the beach with the newly arrived supplies from the food drop, they constructed more substantial tents & shelters, Eko began building the church and the bathroom and laundry were discovered.

Level two introduced completely new environments for the LOSTies to explore, the Dharma Hatches and Stations.

The objectives for this level included continuing to enter the numbers every 108 minutes, locating and entering the Pearl Hatch and joining up with the remaining Tailies (more Live Together, Die Alone).

Just as before, the same things were needed to complete Level 2:
1) All of the LOSTies had to be in 'good' roles
2) They had to be cooperating for "The Greater Good"
3) Someone had to take on the role of the Leader
4) The Fail Safe had to be identified and utilized
5) The Hurley Bird needed to appear
6) We needed to see the plane crash again
7) and the White Rabbit needed to go down the hole

And here's how the requirements were met

1) Good Roles - The Season 2 Finale/Level 2 ended with all but one of the characters in 'good' roles. There was one character in a 'bad' role, Michael the Daddy. More on him below.

You can cross reference the situations and quotes listed in the chart above by checking the Another Life section of this website or by reading the Season 2 Finale transcripts on LOST HATCH.com

2) Cooperation - The Season 2 Finale has all of the LOSTies banding together to get Walt back and they all are in 'good' roles, except for Michael who is in the 'bad' Daddy role. Like Arzt at the end of Season 1, things do not look good for Michael at the end of Season 2. Although absent in Season 3 and slated to return in Season 4, Michael probably has little chance of living for very long before he dies as a consequence of his actions.

3) The Leader - Fake Henry is the Leader