"Be persistent. "The wheel sticks."

[jparenteau]

Here's a curious point I discovered on review of episode 3: Orientation:

When Jack is quizing Desmond about why he didn't know about the plane crash, Desmond makes a point of saying he puts in a code every 108 minutes, and thus he's been busy. They also make several references to him not "getting out much," or at all, particularly because of the quarantine on the inside of the hatch and his fear of catching whatever is "out there."

So why, when Kate asks for the "back door", does Desmond not only point her right to it, but also say, "Be persistent. The wheel sticks," as if he uses that door all the time? It's like when you know a door slams all the time, you always warn people not to let it slam.

I think Desmond has been outside a lot, and he knows exactly where he's going now that he's out.

Any comments?

[the Chameleon]

"Be persistent. The wheel sticks," as if he uses that door all the time?

I would think the wheel is hard to turn due to lack of use.

[mapinguaris rock]

So why, when Kate asks for the "back door", does Desmond not only point her right to it, but also say, "Be persistent. The wheel sticks," as if he uses that door all the time? It's like when you know a door slams all the time, you always warn people not to let it slam.

Why do you assume that the only way for Desmond to know that the door sticks is for him to use it "all the time?" I'm pretty sure that all it takes is a couple tries to open the thing to be confident in making a statement like that.

[Been Jammin65]

Perhaps he started to leave a few times but chickened out and sealed it up. Perhaps after Kelvin died, he took him outside and buried his body, then ran back inside and sealed the door quickly. Perhaps Kelvin left and commented on the way out that the wheel sticks (Desmond just assumes that he is dead because he left and never came back).

There are many possible explanations.

[Archimedes44]

Calvin met Desmond on the beach. So Quarantine or not, Desmond knows that it's okay to leave the bunker. I would assume he has left the bunker many times. For no longer than 107 minutes at a time.

Arch

[ccmerlot]

I think Desmond has been outside a lot, and he knows exactly where he's going now that he's out.
Agreed. He took only enough serum (or whatever those injections are) he thought he would need, which was only a few bottles. He knew where to go, and how long it would take him to get there. (I think he is heading to another hatch.)
(we know there are more than one hatch on the island, if Des' was electromagnetism, and the shark and polar bear came from the zoology lab) (that leaves psychology, parapshycology, meteorology, and utopian socia.....something).

[Lost Dog 4815162342]

By the way it's Kelvin not Calvin.

[LostInWilderness]

Kelvin/Calvin's body is somewhere. I think Desmond gets out just fine. Did anyone notice that whenever Desmond was pressed he changed the subject. He was very adept at it. Also, where did he get weapons training? Is that part of training for a trip around the world? Why would he have trained with the weapons if he was alone in the complex for years?

Desmond is lying. He set them up.

[EGlVM]

Yeah, i'd say Desmond has had contact with another station and knows where it is. (And is going there to seek sancuary)

[JediArturo]

<help me remove blank stare from face, please>

Desmond is lying. He set them up.

I agree, Desmond is not telling the whole story. Very well could be lying. But how is he setting them up? To take over the button pushing? I got that he(Des) was all set with J & L taking over, even if J&L didn't want to/didn't know how to. Is that what you mean? Desmond gave them only a tid bit of info, sucked 'em in, button was pushed, adios says Des?

[Mattie]

Desmond is lying. He set them up.

Like Danielle, I definitely think he's not telling us everything he knows. But he did seem genuinely scared when he shot the computer -- something he couldn't have planned. He had no way of knowing Kate would come up behind him and hit him on the back/head and make him misfire. And that's what prompted him (fearing the world would end) to run out of the hatch.

[Momofsamty]

Just a thought, but I am beginning to think that is how they get people to man the station, by luring outsiders in and tricking them into watching the stupid timer and button. There seems to be some type of pattern here. How do we know Kelvin wasn't marooned there in the same fashion as these others? I know every fiber of my being was telling Jack "DON'T PUSH THE BUTTON" because I had a feeling he was going to get sucked in, and I believe that was why he was so hesitant, because pushing the button was like giving in and becoming a "lab experiment" now they are never going to stop pushing it. They are to afraid. If I had been there I would have not wanted to push it, I would have taken my chances.

[face2off]

I would have taken my chances.

I wouldn't have because my fillings would hurt me like a pain in the arse, brotha... :rollin

[Momofsamty]

Good One! Brutha

[Driveshaft4Dee]

True enough.
Not to mention that, if anyone caught it (or probably read it somewhere), when Shannon saw Walt whispering, he was saying "Don't press the button. The button is bad."
Wonder why Shannon wouldn't share that bit of information. Unless she didn't get it. But it sounded pretty clear.
The whole situation kind of confuses me, but then it really gets everyone thinking.
I like the theory that it's a trick. Kelvin lured Desmond to press the button, then Desmond lured Jack and/or Locke. And of course he convieniently ran. So now he's free from that. And Jack and Locke are stuck there. The question is, who'll they lure next? And I'd really like to see what would happen if they didn't press the button.

[LostInWilderness]

Let's not forget that Desmond met Jack, a virual miracle occurred, then Desmond ends up on the same island. To say the odds against this are astronomical is an astronomical understatement. Desmond is either in on the scam, experiment, mission, whatever, or he's another pawn.

Given the deflection, the lies and the inconsistancies, I think he's in on it.

[boonian androphile]

I think that he was coerced to be in on it and he pretty much said so by his description of being met at the beach by Kelvin/Calvin. He was met by someone all right but necessarily at the beach, not on the island. Maybe the woman in the photo would have bought the farm had he not complied.

[Sarahs Monkey]

Since Desmond is an unreliable narrator, who says there was ever a Kelvin to begin with?

[ccmerlot]

The question is, who'll they lure next? And I'd really like to see what would happen if they didn't press the button.

Who's to say we haven't seen this? Another poster pointed out that the count down did infact reach 0:00 before re-setting to 108.
What happened?

[ol1911]

was this mentioned before (i'm sure) the first time kate was lowered down the hatch before the light came on we hear the sound of that wheel and door open and close. so that means someone either ran out of the hatch when kate was being lowered in there or someone ran in the hatch... sorry if this was already mentioned.

[hatchfreak0506]

it was interesting wat someone said about luring others in to push the button. i think this is very true. remember way back in season 1, ep. 11 when boone and locke find the hatch becasue boone dropped the flashlight and they heard a metallic sound? what if the electromagnetism thing was in effect, making the flashlight come zooming towards the hatch door? this would make sense. i wouldnt like knowing that the discovery of the hatch was just so random.

A Laboratory?-- Come on!!!!!!!!

[hirsh39]

i think that desmond isn't as in the know as you think. when kate and locke first came down he didn't seem receptive, or that he wanted to lure them in to something, and when the computer was shot, he was flipping out. then again, he certainly does seem like he's running someplace in perticular, maybe to another hatch or some control tower, but i don't think he's pulling a trick on the lostaways

[NateDawg]

Desmonds just eager to be outta the hatch. The way he face planted while tear assing through the jungle, didnt exactly scream I know where im going.
Anyone locked in the hatch that long has got to be aware of whats goin on. Theres no way he wouldnt poke around for some clues. I know I would get a little restless around day 320.
Unless of course hes just an unlucky sob, like the rest of the lostaways.

[Cranky]

:bump: Biggest. Bump. Ever. :bump:



Due to the nature of this hiatus, I'm exploring ancient conversations. Here's a track from 2005 (boy, was that a good year).





"Be persistent. The wheel sticks..." It sho' does.

[jane_eire]

Oh, nice find!

[yung23]

funny how lines from way back seem to mean so much more now...

purpose or coincidence ?

I am personally awaiting for the answer to desmonds line to jack "you've got to lift it up"

maybe it was about the eventual swan toliet seat jack would use


its really about the veil of the future, imo

[Crow T. Robot]

I think it would be very possible that Desmond saw Kelvin go through that door many times and saw that the wheel sticks. Mystery (which isn't a mystery at all) solved!