Tracking Device Trinkets
+14 16 Votes
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By fivestades
- Tracking Device Trinkets
- Created: Apr 3, 2008
- Last updated: Aug 14, 2008
- After episode: 3.2: The Glass Ballerina
- Status: Current
- Flag this theory:
It has been speculated before that certain items/talismans brought to the island could contain tracking devices. Jin/Michaels watch being a strong contender.
I think it was really significant in “Meet Kevin Johnson” that Tom almost magically located Michael in the alley moments after he had pawned his watch. Tom approaches Michael who is about to shoot himself and says “Excuse me, sir. You got the time?”. Conversation and a little fight ensues then Tom says “We’re the ones who sent you home, Michael. Did you honestly think we weren’t gonna keep tabs?”
A tracking device (maybe even a listening device) is premium kit for keeping tabs on someone, if that tracking device was removed I’m guessing secondary surveillance techniques would be employed, security cameras, spies?
Whats the betting that the Temple is a vast surveillance viewing room. Ben et al were keeping “tabs” on those they “sent home” and realised Michael had ditched the watch and was about to go awol. They manually track his movements after leaving the pawn shop and work out the timings and dispatch Tom to intercept Michael in the alley where they knew he would be. Did Tom give Michael another device?
This idea of surveillance in lost is not alone, it’s also supported by the fact Kate and Jack met at the “usual place”, the airpot presumably to block surveillance. I think it is safe to say they are all being surveilled in detail.
Oh while I’m on the conspiracy train, look at the way Jack and Kate position themselves outside the courtroom, Jack even checks the security camera to make sure. http://tinyurl.com/24upv3, enlarge it for a good look.
I have long believed the island is a testbed for future surveillance technology, aside from all the eye references, smokie, the hurley bird could be a new way to watch the world (check these if you’re bored http://tinyurl.com/37dtpz and see this for a sci-fi surveillance bird concept http://www.mastersofscifi.com/site/videos/watchbird1.html it’s from an abc series)
Anyway, got me wondering about tracking devices and if any characters off island have similar talismans……..and some of the 6 do! Jack- His fathers watch, Kate - Her toy plane, Aaron - Charlies ring (has Claire found Charlie’s ring that was left for Aaron? yet). Not sure about Hurley and Sun, do they have any precious trinkets??
Key characters
| Short Name | Full Name | Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron | Aaron Littleton | 368 | |
| Charlie | Charlie Pace | 1.7, 1.2, 2.10, 1.24, 3.21 | 403 |
| Hurley | Hugo “Hurley” Reyes | 2.18, 2.4, 1.18, 4.1, 4.12 | 559 |
| Jack | Jack Shephard | 1.1, 1.5, 2.11, 1.11, 1.16, 1.20, 3.9, 3.22, 3.1, 4.10, 4.12, & 3” href=”/episodes/theres-no-place-home-parts-2-3/”>4.13 | 1461 |
| Kate | Katherine “Kate” Austen | 3.6, 1.2, 1.3, 2.9, 1.12, 1.16, 1.22, 3.15, 4.4, 4.12 | 715 |
Key events
| Theme | Relevant Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|
| Michael and Walt released | 2.23 | 290 |
Interesting Five. Sun did lose her wedding ring for a time, I can’t think of anything for Hurley though.
Actually one thing does spring to mind for Hurley and that’s the VW Van, perhaps he kept the keys as a souvenir
Hurley also has the cd player.
I think that was Jin’s watch he sold. Wouldn”t that make it Paiks tracking device?
Or else… What if, lets say, someone who understands Korean buys this watch from the pawn shop, sees Paik’s name and knows who that is. What if Paik found out about this watch that was supposed to be lost along with Jin, who is supposed to be dead?
Nice angle late. If Paik wasn’t already in the search for the Island that would certainly bring him into the game.
Good suggestions! Keep an eye out for Hurley with either the cd player or keys.
Yeah lateralus, I was thinking that the tracking devices were in the items before coming to the island and people on the island also have access to the data?
I like your suggestion though!
I like the thought that either the Others or the island itself is watching the O6 (plus Michael and Walt) and I like the suggestion that the O might know this. However, I do not think they are being tracked via an inanimate object that each carries around. There will be a more supernatural explanation as to how people on or off the island are watched.
I don’t think so DC, if they are being tracked it is probably by people using technology— not mysticism
I think you could be right in your suggestion that they are all being tracked/watched. By Ben/Widmore/Locke? Whoever’s in control of the island at the time.
I agree with DC though that it wont be through objects they are carrying. Too much risk of leaving them at home when they go out.
Here’s my suggestion for the use of a potential tracking device in the watch: http://lost-theories.com/theories/2008/mar/22/mr-paik-makes-his-move/
ok, I see morbius’ point. good suggestions
M, how do you propose the tracking works
The writers almost seem to be blatently shoving that watch up our nose in that scene. They could have had Michael sell just about anything to get that gun. Or even had him aquire the gun from a thug in Central Park or something. They could have even had him sell any watch. I definately think they brought that up for a reason.
Or its just a red herring.
The others/island/Jacob were able to “track down” Locke’s father and bring him to the island without a tracking bug. I like the idea of the Temple being this “magic box” Ben spoke of though.
lol lockeko
morbius, I like your theory. As far as GPS tracking goes though, the most efficient way to keep track of someone would be through a close personal item, I am not saying Michael was exclusively watched with that item but as a level one surveillance. Inanimate would be best DC ; )
How do people think Tom came to be in the alley anyway?? Do you think the watchers might have seen Michael via surveillance in the alley and sent Tom back in world time to intercept?
With the islands time difference can the watchers see the future via real world surveillance systems from the island? They can watch world events with a 31 min lag? Does that make sense
maybe they were watching mike on googleearth by dharma
Very Nice. +1 and it should be rated higher than it currently is.
could ben have planted tiny robotic sensors into the losties while they were on the island.
that would be great tinywanker and it wouldn’t surprise me
thanks Irocz28! Yeah everyone is a bit tight today
lockeko, speaking of googleearth, you reminded me of another theory to post, cheers
+1 five and I agree with Irocz. This should be rated higher than it is!
There was someone else who posted a theory about this a while back, that possibly JIn’s “tombstone” was actually a camera where he was on the other end hearing what she had to say. I noted at the time that I thought when Hurley asked Sun “is anyone else coming with us”, Sun said “no,” and Hurley said “good.” I didn’t think Hurley saying that made sense at the time, because why would he be glad that none of his friends from the island came to visit Sun (when obviously he was on good terms with at least Jack)? I started to think that they were probably all under surveillance, which could be the guy outside of Sun’s delivery room, and the “he” that Kate is talking about (if it’s not the obvious Aaron). Michael’s watch and Friendly saying “do you have the time?” …that would be a very cool double entendre if that’s how he found him. Awesome.
the only problem i have with this is the jack looking thing. if you noticed, throughout the show, matthew fox constantly does this thing while in conversation where he looks to/over his left shoulder. it actually bugs me sometimes cause he does it A LOT! haha so yeah you could be right, and its very possible cause the camera is right there in plain sight. but would they (whoever ‘they’ is) use a security camera in a courthouse garage? idk. but there’s definitely a possibility. i like the theory.
It is claimed (on Lost forums) that the Oersted satellite orbits the earth every 108 mins (it doesn’t, it is more like 100 mins). The Oersted satellite is mapping the earth’s magnetic field and is named after Hans Oersted a danish physicist who worked on electro-magnetiscm. The name Alvar Hanso being a clue to Hans Oersted.
I think that there is a satellite in Lost, with a 108 minute orbit (108 being chosen by TPTB because it is the Numbers added up). I believe it is monitoring the island’s electromagnetic field but is also being used to track people. +1
This is very good . It means everyone was tricked into getting on the plane after all.
kselvog! I thought the same about the grave scene, it was very odd. It’s not quite what I was saying but did you mean that the watch could have been blocking tracking? so when he removed it, they could locate him, cause thats a really good idea! It makes sense that Paik would produce and distribute a specialist piece of kit like that?
hello mike lol, I hadn’t noticed him doing that
Jacks eyes I love the 108 link, thats brilliant. I am almost 99.8% that the politics behind the inspiration for Lost will be surveillance related.
Five, Glad to see I am not the only one riding on that conspiracy train lol I too believe there has to be some sort of method of tracking, and feel they probably use a variety of things. Although, I am not quite sold on the Temple yet. I am anxious to see what that place is all about. muaaahhaaa
TLG was a huge hint with Jack and Kate meeting at the Airport, IMO. In addition to the watches, and I believe some of the so-called injections some of “the losties” have received. Perhaps, that is how Tom located Michael. +1 Inventive! lol
Well, five, this score is more like it should be!!! Good for you!
I skimmed over this theory multiple times, but it wasn’t until I mentally connected Jack and Kate’s “secret” meeting place with Jack’s glancing of the CCTV that I became intrigued. I think there could be some merit to this, but I am still confused by some things…
Pre-crash is improbable -
Who would be capable of knowing who and what to track? I agree that Paik would have been able to do this with the watch, but what would Paik have to do with Hurley, Sawyer or Claire, for example?
Certainly it wouldn’t be Ben… He had no knowledge of the flight or its passengers prior to the crash as evident by Mikhail’s data collection, so the Temple wouldn’t be a monitoring station.
Unless the crash was staged? But how would anyone know that Desmond wasn’t going to push the button that caused the crash? And why would someone sacrifice the lives of the 253 passengers that didn’t survive, let alone know that the 71 that did survive would live to tell about it?
Post-crash and/or rescue is plausible -
It’s possible Ben ordered tracking devices for each of the Oceanic Six and Michael, but how would he know what items to rig? And why would he assume that anyone’s items had importance enough to be carried/worn at all times? Hurley has only been seen listening to his CD player a few times and has never been seen loaning it out to an “other”. And Kate’s shown no interest in her toy plane since she retrieved it from the marshal’s case.
Why would Ben need to track the survivors? His intelligence gathering skills are on par with any major intelligence agency in the world. Jack’s file, alone, would make for hours and hours of reading during Sawyer’s me-time. It seems he has numerous goons who could follow and/or track survivors without technology.
I like the theory, I just think it a stretch and lacks premeditation and motivation from the parties involved. +1