Gon. Here is everything advantageous to life.
Ant. True; save means to live.
The Tempest. Act ii. Sc. 1

The Island:

Prison Island

Hotel California--wanna revisit this theory?


Not sure how/if archived theories can be "revived"...but I recently listened to Hotel California and was struck by possible connections to Lost...I knew I wasn't the first to think this and found the Hotel California thread from October 2004 in the wonderfully organized archives of T&S (thanks Doc Bauer!)


Hotel California thread from October 2004


I'd love to hear more recent thoughts on it given Damon's interview, and this quote about theories:


Quote:
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DAMON: I think it's really interesting that people think there is ONE definitive answer.
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So is he saying that there are multiple things responsible for what's been happening? I think that's what Damon was alluding to. (BTW, I'm a big fan of the lithium and chaos/butterfly effect theories!)


Our survivors that are here each have guilt/penance/redemption issues, that don't have to be resolved in purgatory. Maybe it is their subconscious desires for inner peace and resolution that "checked them in", and their well-demonstrated stubbornness and selfishness (mostly through flashbacks) that makes it so they can "never leave".


And if they can never leave...can they find peace, happiness and some sort of pleasantness living on the island together?

Is there some [shared] cathartic moment that will be the series end?


Do those that "check out anytime they like" become the Others?


DontWannaBLost

Re: Hotel California--wanna revisit this theory?

Quote:
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DAMON: This is not a fictional reality that is playing out in someone's brain.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ANDQuote:
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Maybe it is their subconscious desires for inner peace and resolution that "checked them in
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is there not a conflict between Damon's statement and your theory?

hg

Re: Hotel California--wanna revisit this theory?


The song Hotel California is about drug addiction. I don't think that it relates to the show, unless you connect it to Charlie.

thoughtform

Re: Hotel California--wanna revisit this theory?


DWBL, I'm glad you brought up Damon's statement that there is no one definitive answer to Lost. That's why so many of our theories sound plausible.


The work that's going on with the numbers, the formula, and Lithium, just to name a few, may all prove valuable in the near future. But, the one that has me baffled, is the connection between our survivors. What could bring these different people together on a plane destined to crash!


Hodgepodge

Re: Hotel California--wanna revisit this theory?


hg, I don't think there is a conflict with their subconscious desires and what Damon said. I think it was the desire to have resolution to their issues that enabled them to survive the crash. Its like the common belief that if you are faced with death/extreme danger if you can think of something motivational you can help yourself survive. IMO, for our survivors that motivation and desire is in their subconscious, partially explaining why they haven't really talked to each other about it. I do not think the island is a dream in someone's subconscious (agreeing with Damon's statement)


Hodge, YES, i would LOVE to know what it is that brought them together...I think it has something to do with their need for resolution, but how was that identified? Did they all have psychic readings? Did they all pass a mystic on a street corner who could sense their inner turmoil? Is there a travel agent somewhere that figured it out and booked them on the same flight? Or did they just happen to all be on the same plane and its something in common with each of them that made these folks survive?


There are just so many ways this could play out! I'm really open minded, just love speculating and reading everyone's speculations as to what the connection could be!


DontWannaBLost

Re: Hotel California--wanna revisit this theory?


I find myself focusing on the parents of the castaways. Many with powerful but absent fathers or mothers. We may see that the success of the parents was at the cost of the children. Whatever bought these parents is now still in control of the children. Some have been institutionalised, some were wards of the court(foster care),it seems all have been greatly influenced by the extremely manipulative nature of the parent(s)


thoughtform

Re: Hotel California--wanna revisit this theory?


thoughtform, I think you're onto something. The parents were not only dysfunctional but powerful; at least one parent had money and influence:


Locke's father,
Christian,
Boone's mother,
Susan,
possibly Sawyer's father before he lost the money to the grifter;
possibly Kate's father,
possibly Sayid's family, since he was in Republican Guard and not just regular army;
Shannon's father;
Sun's father and Jin's father-in-law;
possibly Michael's parents if he went to art school;
Charlie's parents?


drabauer

Re: Hotel California--wanna revisit this theory?

Quote:
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The song Hotel California is about drug addiction. I don't think that it relates to the show, unless you connect it to Charlie.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


Actually, the most credible interpretation is that it is about the California culture (and, specifically, the music-industry culture) of the 70s. All the glamour, fame and hedonism of L.A. was just bait for the traps of addiction, corporate sellout, moral poverty, loss of artistic integrity, etc. A favorite theme for Henley, Frey and company. The cult comparison is a nice touch.


gravelpup