+ Will Ethan Return from the grave?

[Credit Dauphine]

I think at the very least, the grave will turn up empty at some point. I think Ethan Rom was created from Charlie's imagination from the start. He appeared in order to give Charlie a means of "protecting someone" (Claire).
Remember: many of the weird occurances happen in conjunction with previous defining moments in the charecters lives. In the most recent Charlie flashback, it was clear at the end that all Charlie wanted was to "take care of" the woman he came to love...and she told him he would never be able to take care of anybody. Now the wish fulfillment: What could happen on the island that would allow Charlie to be a hero to the woman (Claire) that he cares about? Answer: a villain appears with only one driving desire - he wants to abduct Claire.
In fact, I think that Ethan didn't hang Charlie...I think he possibly hung HIMSELF at the thought of losing Claire to Ethan the first time. She became yet another woman he could not "take care" of. Charlie didn't know that Ethan was created from his id...he just figured that he failed again, and he couldn't bear to live with the thought. It could provide another explanation as to why Charlie was so silent for so long after Jack revived him. (Jack's "wish" to save Charlie was stronger than Charlie's "wish" to die...so he lived).

Anyhow, the grave will turn up empty 'cause Ethan only existed as a means to Charlie's end.

[soup]

I think Ethan was very real, and now he is very dead. Did you see how stiff his body was when Charlie and Hurley was hauling it to the grave site? rigormortis (sp?)

Locke does espouse in the preview that they know they are not alone, though. There are more where Ethan came from.

Perhaps Ethan was on the plane, a stowaway, and we'll see him in the Vincent episode in the hold. He went out with Locke hunting before, so maybe he went out alone and saw his own version of the monster, or was somehow possessed by the "whispering voices" so many of them have heard.

[Clementine Kruczynski]

I think the fact that Hurley made a "joke" about Ethan returning from the dead, means he's not coming back.
But there's pleanty of theorys running around that Ethan might have clones.

[Ken]

I don't think that Ethan will rise from the dead, but I wouldn't be surprised if the grave came up empty--I think the rest of the others may come to retreive their comrades body.

[east928]

I would NOT be surprised if he ends up missing...when they showed the close up of his fingers, they were stiff, but I sure thought I'd see a slight twitch...didn't see it, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. They shot from that angle to have us believe he's really dead. He probably is, but just suppose... (as Locke would word it)........ heheheheh.... I think he's a clone. OR, I think we may find out he wasn't as bad as he seemed, and then feel really bad about him dying. (things are NOT what they seem on this island. Anywhere else, I'd vote he was just a bad guy, but on this show, I'm not so sure). I think they'll eventually find the grave empty and blame it on the boar...but...we won't KNOW until later...hmmmm..... also, I wish Sawyer would have killed that boar when he had the chance...I don't think it's a normal boar....I think it's a manifestation of whatever it wants to be.....

[jcrew1179]

If Ethan was in fact on the Plane as a Stowaway, maybe he wanted Claire's baby because he was running a Baby-smuggling adoption ring. You can make a lot of money selling babies on the black market, possibly in some sort of sex trade. Perhaps Ethan was going to sell the baby to a couple in L.A. - just as the Psychic predicted.

Its a dark theory, but not implausible.

Also, since Ethan is Tom Cruise's cousin, maybe Tom Cruise was going to adopt the child in L.A.

[whoisnumberone]

I think Ethan is dead, but the "Others" will be making an appearance. The whole notion about events or people being subconsciously summoned might be correct in some instances, but I do think the Others are very real.

I am also convinced that either this is not the real Claire or that she is evil now. She hardly had a mark on her and how did she escape? Ethan seemed generally upset that she was gone, perhaps there are more than one group on the island, besides the survivors?

[kilian30]

I like the "Ethan is a manifestation from Charlie's mind" theory. That's how she escaped. The island was giving Charlie another shot to redeem himself. I like the idea that maybe he hung himself.

this theory doesn't explain everything, but i think you're on to something.

If Ethan is just Charlie's demon, than who are the others that Danielle talked about?

[G-Man]

i think it is a virtual lock that ethan's grave is discovered to be empty at some point, and we find later that The Others dug him up, or Charlie and Hugo didnt bury him deep enough and animals dug him up and carried him away (but the obvious cliffhanger opportunity is there to show the empty hole before revealing later it was one of the aforementioned reasons).

[Credit Dauphine]

How's THIS for a theory about Danielle:

Danielle was a yet ANOTHER manifestation, this time of SAYID'S mind. Why? The repeating radio message and the notes that Sayid brought back from his capture were all in French. So who is the only castaway that is able to help Sayid investigate the French language transmission and writings? Shannon...a woman who he is attracted to and might want to spend more time with.

[ClaireAndCharlie]

very good thoughts and reasonings, but I think Ethan is real. Maybe not from the "others" but i think he is definetely real.

As for him rising from the dead....my friend's whole family was watching (theres like 5 or them) and they saw him BREATHE. I didn't see it, but all of them did. Now either the writers are too lazy to get a dummy or he's alive ;) I think they showed us the body from that angle for a different reason than it seems to some

[RunLoganRun]

Previous Quote:

Now the wish fulfillment: What could happen on the island that would allow Charlie to be a hero to the woman (Claire) that he cares about? Answer: a villain appears with only one driving desire - he wants to abduct Claire.

My Thoughts:

Interesting theory, but why would Charlie make Ethan so invincible ? If he wished to save a damsel in distress, then why not make your foe a little easier to beat ? Charlie would have never won the battle without the gun, and he did not manifest the guns/case - these items are real.

[LoStMyMiNd]

My goodness, why didn't they just eat him, after all they said they were running low on protein (just kidding)

No I think Ethan is someone's alter ego and/or dual personality character. He may return from the dead because the other half of him hasn't actually been able to let him go. Does that make sense?

[east928]

No. Ethan will not return from the grave. Reason? One of the writers, Camon Lindelof put it this way:

"I promise you: The next time you see a dead body, that person's going to stay dead."

Well...that pretty much explains it. HOWEVER......if Ethan is a clone, then it would be possible for the character to come back. The writers simply say, 'a dead body' ... but that doesn't mean the character is really dead....clones anyone?

[LoStMyMiNd]

No I don't believe its clones

[KatesBoyfriend]

You people are falling off the deep end with the whole "character x is a manifestation of character y's mind". This seems to be recurrent theme on the theories board and yet not a shred of evidence backs any of it up.

[LoStMyMiNd]

So whats your theory KatesBoyfriend?

[Maybishudbahippy]

Ethan is real...I dunno your theories all make sense but I have the strange feeling that Ethan is simply the bad guy on a very popular TV show...

However, one thing that confuses me is why his clothes were so neat. If he has been on the Island for some time, surely his clothes would have been at least a little torn. Is this just another thing that slipped past the editors, or is there a reason his clothes are so tidy? I don't know...just speculating.

[deelsee7]

"I promise you: The next time you see a dead body, that person's going to stay dead."

Ethan coming back would not make Damon Lindelhof a liar. The next body we saw was Steve, er, Scott, er...
Well, anyway, it WASN'T Ethan.

That said, it doesn't mean I think Ethan is coming back, but it also doesn't mean I think he's gone for good either. :D If he does come back, the cheese factor will depend on who - or what - Ethan really was, but I must admit I REALLY want to know more about him. Did he really hang Charlie? Why did he want Claire's baby? Why was he so @#$% strong? Was he even human? Was he really bad, or just misunderstood?:lol

Was the breathing body - yes, I played it back and it's definitely there - a) poor production, b) a portent of things to come, or c) simply the writers messing with us? It was obvious from the angle of the shot that 'they' wanted 'us' (the detail-obsessed fans) to notice it, so I think poor production is out, but Hurley's comments to Charlie make me lean toward the writers messing with us.

[sawyerhasbestlines]

Did someone say clones? Where's my hairbrush?

[twinmom]

Well, even if he isn't dead, he won't "come back" for at least a few more episodes-long enough for us to put it on the back burner.
It wouldn't surprise me either way, but I am disappointed either way. If he is dead..well, I guess they will be able to "tell" his tale through other's flashbacks, but still....I think there could have been more said.....maybe they will show deleted scenes on the season one dvd:)
If he isn't dead, it will ruin it in the soap-opera way, that no one is ever really truly dead on that island. Now, I had forgotten about that "other" group-not the people that have been there for 16 years, but the group that Rose's husband is apparently a part of???You know, the dead??....jeez, there are still unanswered questions from episode one:)
As for him being from Charlie's mind....the only thing I would question is how did Hurly talk to him (when he asked him where he was from) and Hurley is right there helping CHarlie bury him...is Charlie imagining all of that? Not likely...although who knows anymore-you have an island with plenty of drugs and pastes that can make you hallucinate! I think I even remember reading awhile back that someone was questioning if Ethan was in Jack's mind-when they were fighting and all. I don't know-I think he is real, but I wouldn't be surprised in the least if he has some unfinished business:)

[tanuki314159]

Interesting that the writers KNEW the viewers would wonder about Ethan returning since they had Hurley joke about it. Maybe they should have cremated him or buried him with a stake though the heart...

[ilovelost28]

alot of people think that Ethan is not really dead. I think he's going to come back.

[Lovesx3Requiem]

Maybishudbahippy i agree with you about the clothes thing. I don't think the stowaway idea is right either because he wasnt on the manifest.

[nastyned]

I would like to see what is behind the door Locke and Boone found before they bring back a dead guy.

[Black Dahlia]

To keep him dead, not only will they have to put a wooden stake through his heart, but a virgin must dig up his grave by the light of a full moon, fill it with holy water, cut off his head, and stuff his mouth full of holy wafers.

Seriously, though, if you turn up the volume right before he gets shot and listen carefully, you can hear him mutter a call out for "tech support."

[Chance Gardener]

No





I like to watch.

[llywrch]

Seriously, though, if you turn up the volume right before he gets shot and listen carefully, you can hear him mutter a call out for "tech support."

Well, if it worked for his brother in the movie . . .

Geoff

[dajoker]

Won't happen.

[t0xicity3k]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I felt like discussing the topic.

Anyway, I feel he will be back. As much attention to detail as the crew has shown, I refuse to believe that showing him take deep breaths before he was being buried was a mistake.

Surely, along the way while they were editing, someone would have noticed that the actor was breathing and they would have reshot the scene, or cropped the shot to just show Charlie and Hurley. Furthermore, they would have just used a dummy if they didn't WANT the breathing to be done. I don't think I would feel as strongly about this as I do, but those weren't just light breaths, they were deep breaths. Even I could sit there for the duration of that shot while holding my breath.

[raspberrygirl]

Seriously, though, if you turn up the volume right before he gets shot and listen carefully, you can hear him mutter a call out for "tech support."



this makes me wonder more about why his last name is Rom :|


seriously, his last name bugs me :p

[lost416]

Having him come back alive would seriously rank this among one of the dumbest shows ever and would cause me to lose all respect for everything the writers have set up. Seriously, we are to believe he could sustain 4 close range gun shots to the chest, that a skilled doctor (Jack) would have never examined him to confirm that he was in fact dead, that he stayed in a catatonic or suspended state in the body bag/tarp from when he was shot until he was buried, he was able to survive lack of oxygen once buried and then unearth all of the dirt on top of him to come back to life. PUH-LEEZ!!!

I think the blatant foreshadowing (really, these writers aren't that over the head obvious about anything) was just a way to get people talking. That being said, I could see Ethan reappearing in what turn out to be dream sequences but are not evident as such at first in order to spark debate about whether he is alive or not. Perhaps in the finale even???

[sawyerhasbestlines]

I have faith in the writers of the show.

They might decide to bring Ethan back. And if they do, I think they will be able to pull it off in an original way that's not schlocky and will hold our interest.

[truffula]

It's nice to know I'm not the only one who CLEARLY saw him breathing when they showed the shot of his hand.
Now at the same time I agree that it would be ridiculous to think he staged his death for so long, but I'm not sure exactly how long it was from when he was shot to when they buried him. I can't imagine they would let his corpse sit around and rot for a few days before burying it; so am I correct in thinking they buried Ethan the morning after he was shot?
6 maybe 8 hours tops between shooting and burial
(you would think he would start to smell after a while)
That's not THAT long to be "dead", especially if you're Ethan Rom of the Island with God only knows what kinds of special powers (given to him by either the others or the island). Remember he was a pretty resiliant guy trampsing thought the jungle with both Charlie and Claire, beating the crap out of Jack the first time, and not staying down the second.
Maybe Ethan has mutant powers like Wolverine?
Sorry, thats just too far, even for me.
We'll just hafta wait and see about Ethan.
Peace,
The Truffula

[SpidermanHouston]

The actor that plays Ethan, William Mapother, has joined the cast of another show. It's a new show for next Fall on CBS. That doesnt mean he cant do two shows but it will be harder.


THRESHOLD (CBS) - William Mapother ("Lost") has joined the cast of the drama pilot in a recurring role. He'll play Gunneson in the Paramount Network Television/Heyday Films-based project, which tracks a team investigating a potentially hostile alien spaceship. Carla Gugino, Charles S. Dutton, Brent Spiner and Robert Patrick Benedict also star in the pilot, which comes from creator Bragi Schut and fellow executive producers David Heyman, Mark Rosen, Brannon Braga and David Goyer.

[truffula]

Thanks for that tidbit Spidey.
Kinda eliminates him returning on the island, but maybe he'll still show up in flashbacks.
We'll see. Thanks again,
truff

[truffula]

Thanks for that tidbit Spidey.
Kinda eliminates him returning on the island, but maybe he'll still show up in flashbacks (see my post in "Where does Ethan come from?":rolleyes thread)
We'll see. Thanks again,
truff

[truffula]

i thought i was editing my earlier post, so very sorry for the duplicate post - won't happen again
truffula

[RunLoganRun]

Previous Quote:

"This makes me wonder more about why his last name is Rom - seriously, his last name bugs me."

My Thoughts:

Yes, indeed - is the name a reference to 'read only memory' ? Which would mean we are dealing with an implanted computer chip containing data that can not be modified in any way. Is Ethan a cyborg ? If so, will someone come looking for his body to retrieve his 'memory' ? I asked this once before, did we see any blood on Ethan after he was killed ?

[LoStMyMiNd]

I did not see Ethan breathe, does anyone have a screen cap?

I think Ethan will return but only in someone's back story

[lost416]

I understand the computer reference but I think a more plausible explanation is something I saw in another thread. ROM is how the Royal Ontario Museum (www.rom.on.ca/) (http://www.rom.on.ca/)) refers to itself. With Ethan stating he was from Canada, it is likely ROM is a false surname and he just used something that popped into his head (or maybe he was on an expedition from ROM) -- kind of like Jan Brady inventing George as her boyfriend and stating his last name was Glass because she was staring at a glass. I tend to think he is either linked to the ROM and has adopted it as his name or that his surname has some significance (i.e. related to someone on the island) and he is covering it up.

[Nephthys]

lost416 wrote:
Having him come back alive would seriously rank this among one of the dumbest shows ever and would cause me to lose all respect for everything the writers have set up.

I really really agree... I think bringing Ethan back will be a great cliché and I really hope they don't. But if they do, I hope they do it in a way that's not totally abused already (like the "rotten hand up from the dirt"-classic).

Anyway, bringing Ethan back would mean we could get some answers about him and what he his, and the producers wouldn't want us to get any answers now, would they?

[Baron X]

No, and certainly not because he was a figment of Charlies imagination.

[JacksGirlfriend]

They could easily bring him back from the dead if he had never actually been "alive."

And if that happens, I'm all for the dirty hand thrusting through the dirt. Always a classic.