Dharma Stations Part 4: The Pearl
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By AngeloComet
- Dharma Stations Part 4: The Pearl
- Created: Jan 21, 2008
- Last updated: Oct 6, 2008
- After episode: 3.22: Through The Looking Glass
- Status: Current
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It makes sense that The Pearl was denoted by a big question mark on the Blast Door Map.
— AngeloComet
I have been intrigued by what the original purpose of the Dharma Stations were. Through the design of the various Stations, and for the few that we have been able to see Orientation films for, I believe that solid foundations can be drawn to build a case for their original intentions. In this series of theories I shall examine each Station in the order their existence has been revealed. Here I shall turn my attention to The Pearl.
In a similar vein to The Swan Station, The Pearl has an initially confounding duality as both genuine, working Dharma facility and functioning psychological experiment. The Pearl Station is, on the surface, a monitoring station. Situated deep underground, the main room (with en suite!) features nine monitors. As Nikki observed, “All these TVs - this guy says that there’s 6 stations - maybe some of these TVs are connected to the other hatches.” (Sharp intake of breath at the use of the term “hatches” for Dharma Stations, and relax.)
It initially makes sense. 9 televisions. Apparently 6 Dharma Stations (the Orientation films had The Swan as Station 3 of 6, The Pearl as Station 5 of 6). 9 screens. 6 Stations. This suggests there are either multiple feeds from certain Stations, or that there are links to other Stations (there are more than 6 after all!). It beggars belief that, having got a feed to The Flame working (where Mikhail was first spotted) Sayid gave up and didn’t bother trying to make the rest work… And why is The Pearl number 5 of 6 anyway? If the place was designed to view the other Stations you’d have thought it would come last, no?
It makes sense that The Pearl was denoted by a big question mark on the Blast Door Map. This baby is more of a mystery than first appearances suggest. And the plot thickens.
The narrator of The Pearl Orientation film called himself Mark Wickmund. Unless you believe this is not the same guy that was Marvin Candle in the Swan Orientation film (for the record, I do) the clear difference between the two is that Mark Wickmund has two working arms and Marvin Candle has only one. Point is, the Swan Orientation film was made after the Pearl Orientation film. That gives us a real chicken before the egg situation.
To clarify, let’s look at the man himself and analyse his speech in the Pearl Orientation film. (The following has been edited for brevity.)
“Hello, I’m Dr. Mark Wickmund, and this is the orientation film for Station 5 of dharma Initiative. Station 5, or the Pearl, is a monitoring station where the activities of participants in dharma Initiative projects can be observed and recorded Note here the use of “projects” - plural.… for the ongoing refinement of the Initiative I believe this little statement to be the true crux of the matter; a point I shall expand upon later.… Your tour of duty will last 3 weeks and during this time you and your partner will observe a psychological experiment in progress. Your duty is to observe team members at another station on the island. Note the singular use of “station”; it would appear that each ‘team’ of observers are limited only to observing one experiment at a time. These team members are not aware that they are under surveillance, or that they are the subjects of an experiment Oh the irony!… What is the nature of the experiment, you might ask? What do these subjects believe they are accomplishing as they struggle to fulfill their tasks? You, as the observer, don’t need to know. All you need to know is the subjects believe their job is of the utmost importance. Doesn’t this feel like speech linking directly to the Swan and only the Swan? Remember, everything that occurs, no matter how minute or seemingly unimportant, must be recorded. Each time a notebook is filled with the fruits of your diligent observation, roll it up [audio/video problem] containers provided. Where the “fruits of your diligent observation” will be shot out of a tube in the middle of nowhere.
What I think is the Pearl Station was never a bona fide monitoring station. The Pearl was pure experiment. The reveal of the pneumatic tube that went nowhere is the big giveaway, but it’s also worth remembering the ironic line from above. “… team members are not aware they are under surveillance…” There is a camera in the Pearl Station! The monitoring station was being watched! The original Dharma guinea pigs would not have known about the camera in the Pearl; when Locke and Mr. Eko found the Station the camera was visible because someone had ripped the casing apart and exposed it.
Of course I’m compelled to ask, Why? Why watch the watchers? Perhaps it was just a psychological experiment to understand the nature of observation. Perhaps it was just a psychological experiment to see if people would do it. Or maybe it was a study of Observer Effect (a theory tackled in more dramatic fashion with Desmond and his influence on his own observations/flashes);a sort of study on the effect that observation of a study can have on the study - “for the ongoing refinement of the Initiative”. That’s trippy on all kinds of levels but nothing would much surprise me when it comes to those ker-azy Dharma kids!
So that’s how I think The Pearl was originally set-up. The watchers watched and the observers made notes and posted them into a tube that went nowhere. Probably a Dharma van - maybe driven by Roger Linus on occasion - collected the notebooks routinely. And so it went. But I believe ‘the incident’ at the Swan Station changed the importance of the Pearl Station. Before ‘the incident’, I can imagine there was a different Swan Orientation film… one where ‘Marvin Candle’ had two working arms… But after ‘the incident’ a new Swan Orientation film was made about the importance of inputting the code. The Pearl Station became a fundamental means of monitoring the Swan (again, Dharma’s perverse scientific nature retained the experiment in progress despite the genuine importance). A computer with printouts of the Swan Station computer’s output was installed, and maybe that camera in the Pearl - the one that was observing the Dharma guinea pigs - also kept an eye on the Swan Station so Dharma could react should it appear that the button, for whatever reason, wasn’t going to get pushed. . .
That’s how I envisage things went in the Pearl for quite some time. And then there was ‘the purge’. Oh dear. Whichever two hapless Dharma guinea pigs were in the Pearl at the time no doubt found themselves left down there - though given the lack of supplies and living conditions there’s no way two people could have remained down there for long before they stuck their heads out of ‘the hatch’ and wondered what was going on. When their relief never appeared, maybe they tore the Pearl apart and found the hidden camera and realised they were part of an experiment. Naturally, they’d stop making notes in their notebooks, and so we have to assume that the large pile of notebooks Jack, Kate, etc found had been building up before ‘the purge’ - Dharma had perhaps stopped collecting for some time, for reasons unknown. (How the notebooks managed to remain undamaged by rain I simply cannot comprehend - all manner of elaborations can be extrapolated out of this query!)
So, as in the Swan Station, post-Purge Dharma workers were left on their own to survive as best they could. I recall the skeleton found in the bear cave was wearing a Pearl Station outfit and it makes me wonder if this was not the ultimate fate of one such unfortunate Pearl Dharma worker… And that’s where my thinking concludes for the Pearl. Except one last point. On the Blast Door Map the Pearl Station was symbolised by a great big question mark so I feel it would be fitting to end this post on an open question.
There was a camera in the Pearl Station, the presence of which begs the question: who was watching the watchers, and is there anyone watching the Pearl Station now. . .?
Swan Station Post: http://lost-theories.com/theories/2008/jan/14/dharma-stations-part-1-swan/
Arrow Station Post: http://lost-theories.com/theories/2008/jan/16/dharma-stations-part-2-arrow/
Staff Station Post: http://lost-theories.com/theories/2008/jan/17/dharma-stations-part-3-staff/
Key episodes
| # | Title | Aired | Central character | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 | The Cost Of Living | 11-1-2006 | Eko | 139 |
| 2.21 | ? | 5-10-2006 | Eko | 167 |
Key locations
| Theme | Relevant Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|
| The Pearl station | 2.21, 3.5, 3.14 | 229 |
Great theory! Very well thought out; I enjoyed reading it.
Another nice summary AC +1 (obviously)
As for the question of who is (if anyone) watching the pearl, do we know which station is 6 of 6, I don’t remember it being disclosed (though I could be wrong). If we take the Hydra out of the equation (purely because it’s on a different island) does that only leave us with 5 from 6. Perhaps station 6 is the orchid. As you say its odd that the Pearl is station 5, so that’s what I’m going with…Station 6 to monitor station 5.
AC, nice work again. And I agree with LJ.
I believe Dr. Edgar Halowax calls the Orchid Station 6 in the Orchid orientation video. Some believe that the Orchid is the same station as the Swan, or that the Orchid performs similar functions to what the Swan used to perform before the “incident”
Very well done AC +1
Eko thanks for the confirmation that the Orchid is station 6.
I hope its not the same station as the Swan, it would suck to introduce a new station that has already been destroyed.
AC, I left this information in the last theory you wrote about the hatches! I guess you never saw it, so I will provide it again.
This is exactly what the Dharma Initiative was originally studying in the stations, or hatches as you prefer! I believe this information cannot be ignored when theorizing about the original intended use of the hatches, in order for a theory to hold weight. I believe that it should, and I am not saying that yours does or doesn’t! You decide!
1) Psycological Research: Behaviour Modification, Dissociative Disorder Study, Psycho Dynamic Research, Systematic Desensitization.
2)Parapsychological Study: Anomalous Phenomena, Bilocation & Remote Viewing, Telekenetics & GESP, Clairvoyance & Clairaudience.
3)Physics & Electromagnetics: Boson String Research, Matrix Mechanic Theory, Paleogeogrphy, Quantum Electrodynamics.
4)Zoological Sciences: Cryptozoological Research, Genus Abberational Studies, Phylogenetics, Species Allocation & Conservation.
5)Astronomy & Meteorology: Electron & Degeneracy Research, Gravitational Radiation, Peculiar Stellar Velocities, Radiative Transport Study.
6)Human Advancement: Heterogeneity Refinement, Cryogenics & Cellular Stasis, Ectopic Integration Studies, Monoclonal Research.
If we know what Dharma was initially studying, we are provided with a guideline to some of the mysteries which remain unsolved. We get an overall understanding of some of “the islands” mystique.
I have a feeling that the seventh Hatch will tie all of the above together, and will make sense out of all of the other hatches.
Yikes!
Yikes, indeed Lojozz! Speculation is based upon facts and observations, as opposed to something you just pull out of your ass! My intention is not to be rude, so I hope the critique is taken in the light in which it is intended!
It behooves us to do the necessary research in order for our speculations to be believable! AC is certainly smart enough to do that!
dab, do the numers you use in your list correspond to the numbers of the “stations”?
Dab, so according to your information:
1) Psycological Research: Pearl
2)Parapsychological Study: Orchid
3)Physics & Electromagnetics: Arrow
4)Zoological Sciences: Hydra
5)Astronomy & Meteorology: Swan (I’m guessing based on the Gravitational Radiation research and radiative transport)
6)Human Advancement: Staff
I would speculate that the remote viewing research coming out of the Orchid is the source of our ‘whispers’. This is alluded to in the actual orchid video where there are numerous background whispers which are supposed to be the camera crew.
Can’t wait for your next post AC!
YouAll and Talks: I got this information off of the hatches which were displayed on YouTube way back in S2. My understanding is that some of the names of the hatches were changed afterwards. As to why the names were changed, I don’t know. So, I deliberately left out naming them, although I think it is fairly obvious which ones are which, and think Talks probably has it right.
Sorry, I meant to say, Talks probably has some of the names right!
Dab, thanks for the information. Dare I ask, is it considered ‘official’?
I tend to think both Swan and Peal have a crossover as psychological study, which means limiting one Station to one function sometimes doesn’t square up… and the Pearl observed other stations besides the Swan (which means there were likely Dharma guinea pigs in the other Stations potentially doing other tasks that would not have necessarily fitted with the Stations ‘intended’ concepts).
There are also at least about 8 Stations, too (makes me think they’ve added some as they’ve gone along since season 2).
All that said, I don’t particularly dispute the validity of the info (and will bear it in mind for the remaining posts).
Eko - thanks for that little bit of information. As I move closer to the end of the series my thoughts are turning more to the Orchid (with a sense of dread mostly!) so every little bit will help!
Everyone else - thanks for the comments and encouragement.
LJ, we will no doubt discuss this all to death and back again over a few drinks! Save your “yikes” for that!
I really enjoy reading your theories. You think deep into them and go into a lot of detail. Knowing what the stations were originally intended for will help us figure out what might be to come. I love the way you think.
AC, I will say this! I reference all information, and until it is verified, I don’t pass it along to anyone else, so consider it verified or you may verify the information the same way I did.
Also, if you can find the time, you should refer to Wikipedia regarding the interpretation of the studies. It may prove helpful in future theorization. Very interesting stuff!
Cheers!
YAY!
+1
:)
Dabs, I wish there was a link for that information you provided. I know I have read it or seen it before as well I just can’t recall where.
If it is from The first Lost Experience I’m not sure if I would consider it canon.
The breakdown of the stations according to Lostpedia: http://lostpedia.com/wiki/Stations
Dharma (Six letter acronym for, “Department of Heuristics And Research on Material Applications) Initiative Stations, their function and numbers: http://lostpedia.com/wiki/DHARMA
I can’t help but recall Radzinsky’s blast door map while trekking from post to post regarding the “stations” AC.
The poor guy was as much in the dark as we are at this point regarding their true intent and purpose.
However, in the course of revisiting the map, and specifically focusing on the “?” or Pearl Station, some interesting notations can be found.
Blast Door Map: http://lostpedia.com/images/9/9f/Dharma_stations.jpg
I agree with your assessment that the Pearl was in fact the actual psychological experiment.
As you suggest, the question mark made by Radzinsky on the map and probably the ground (salted earth) points to the over arcing question of who is in control here?
Shammie, I took a look at the link you provided from Lostpedia, which was not the source I obtained the information from, nor was it from the Lost Experience. The Dharma stations and their original use were posted on YouTube. I don’t know if that information remains. I do recall the writers stating that the initial stations and their research were changed to accommodate the story line as it progressed, and is why I did not attempt to match the stations with the research.
I guess you’ll just have to either accept that the information I provided is accurate, which I pride myself on doing (I am employed as a Research Assistant), or delve into your own interpretation, and we can continue circling the globe forever, if you get my meaning!
It’s all good Dabs, but you know me… ever the skeptic and fact finder as well…
I did some digging and mind you, I don’t take everything L.P. says as “canon” but here it is: http://lostpedia.com/wiki/OrientationFilm(fake)
I did watch this video again from LE1 (with a grain of salt): http://lostpedia.com/wiki/SriLankaVideo
Some interesting stuff to be found there!
You know I love ya Dab’s. Kindred spirit diggin’ for the truth. ;)
OMG, Shammie! Nothing you have posted has anything, I repeat anything to do with what I was referring to at all, whatsoever! So your point and your links and how it pertains to the information I provided has no bearing.
I clearly stated my point, and stand behind my statements, regardless of how many links you throw out there, which btw, I have seen in abundance!
Sorry, you will have to continue circling the globe all on your own, on that trip to find “the truth”, because it certainly isn’t in anything you’ve provided so far!
Ya know I luv ya more than my luggage, Shammalaman! Catch ya on the flip side!
Again, I am not questioning your memory or judgment Dabs. I just follow the creed of “believe half of what you see and none of what you read”.
Is this film you are referring to Dabs?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHqBCcKewNg&search=Dharma
What Lostpedia says about this film:
http://lostpedia.com/wiki/Initiative_Classifications
Sham, your perseverance is unwavering and to your credit! I’m completely with you on the cynicism front; if it can’t be proved right, it most likely can’t be right.
I can’t access the youtube link at work (pesky censorship!), but the lostpedia-classification page looks like you’ve hit the spot. I’m a little relieved: the hard and fast classifications seemed somewhat fixed and rigid for my taste. Great work.
Thank you kindly AC.
Dab dear, I realize that the previous links I provided had really nothing, I repeat, nothing to do with the list you provided. ;)
I wasn’t using them to prove or disprove the validity of your post. I was merely throwing them out there for everyones consideration because they dealt with the stations.
My comment number 18 with the link was intended for AC. I thought he would enjoy reading the blast door map again and getting Radzinsky’s viewpoint.
This link http://lostpedia.com/wiki/OrientationFilm%28fake was the only link that was meant for you and pertained to the list you provided but it was a bad URL.
My last post contains the correct URL and I leave it up to people to make up their own minds on the matter.
Sorry for the misunderstanding Dabs.
Shamballa, This was NOT what I saw on YouTube! I watched 6 seperate videos between S1 & S2 which were put out by ABC’s Lost Original website, directly related to the show, regarding the hatches.
And for the record, I am recuperating from a bad head cold, NOT a frontal lobotomy!
LOL! Well ok then.
I dont agree with the Swan orientation being made after the pearl…..one reason….SWAN=projection and PEARL=VHS
LJ, why must we rule out the Hydra as observing The Pearl? Just because it’s on the other island doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t be the one. According to the Lostpedia article on the Hydra, “camera number one is fixed on Jacob’s cabin,” which, if I’m not mistaken, is on the main island.
I’m not sure where this information came from or if it’s at all substantiated, I’d just argue that the Hydra is as likely as the Orchid for which station is watching the Pearl. Personally, I think it’s the Arrow, but this is based on nothing but my own suspicions.
Great synopsis, AC. I for one, continue to be stumped by the whole Pearl/? deal. Given the fact that it lies at the “center” of the octagon (on the BDM), one would have expected this station to have a richer story/purpose. I have a nagging feeling that we do not know the entire story of the Pearl/? yet.
And another thing: Why is the Pearl exterior marked with a ’?’