Walt is Responsible for the So-Called ‘Cabin Fever’
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By Oceanic_JC
- Walt is Responsible for the So-Called ‘Cabin Fever’
- Created: Mar 19, 2008
- Last updated: Aug 26, 2008
- After episode: 3.2: The Glass Ballerina
- Status: Current
- Flag this theory:
I believe Walt is located somewhere on the Freighter, perhaps in captivity and is using his psychic powers to cause the ‘Cabin Fever’.
— Oceanic_JC
Now the symptoms of the ‘cabin fever’ (reading books upside down and jumping into the sea wearing heavy chains) struck me as being somewhat different to the symptoms of time jumping suffered by Des and Minkowski.
We know that the time-jumping is caused by the Island and are led to assume that this is also the case with the ‘cabin fever’.
Don’t make assumptions and don’t trust the captain!
Whilst the ‘time jump’ sufferers are perfectly lucid (although obviously in a distressed state) the ‘cabin fever’ seems to have a profound effect on the persons ability to function mentally.
Which got me thinking about Walt and dead birds.
We know Walt possesses some sort of psychic ability which has manifested itself in his ability to psychologically ‘control’ birds. He is able make birds fly headlong into windows thereby killing them. This is seen in two episodes. One off island an one on-island.
The second time we see this happen Walt is being held captive in Room 23. He kills birds by having them fly into a boarded up window, despite the fact that he is locked in the room! Juliet reports to Ben that the others are too scared to go into the room with Walt.
So what if Walt has not only grown physically but has grown stronger mentally to? Would he not now have the ability to do to the freighties what he has previously done only to animals?
Could he have enough control to make someone don heavy chains and jump off the side of a boat? Smash their own head off a wall leaving a bloody stain?
I believe this could well be the case.
Which raises a couple of questions:
Is the captain even aware that Walt is the source of the ‘Cabin Fever’?
Has he locked him up in an attempt to protect the crew?
Key characters
| Short Name | Full Name | Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael | Michael Dawson | 2.22, 1.14, 4.8 | 301 |
| Walt | Walter “Walt” Lloyd | 2.2, 1.14 | 350 |
Key episodes
| # | Title | Aired | Central character | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.23 | Live Together, Die Alone | 5-24-2006 | Desmond | 323 |
| 1.14 | Special | 1-19-2005 | Walt, Michael | 73 |
Key events
| Theme | Relevant Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|
| Michael and Walt released | 2.23 | 290 |
| Michael returns | 2.19 | 161 |
LOVE IT LOVE IT!! +1
theres so many s’s in posssesssesss
+1 though
That would be really ….really interesting……in fact….brilliant.
I love the idea,
Maybe ..that is what Ben wanted all along, he wanted Walt to go to the freighter knowing exactly what would happen to them as the result of Walt being around them.
The book Regina was reading was The Survivors of the Chancellor.by Jules Verne, and like lost is based on timelines, and like the crew in the freighter the crew of The Chancellor slowly died until only a small number remained and were rescued.
+1 = )
Brilliant!
This line of thinking makes good sense and would make for compelling story telling. Very Good +1
I don’t believe Walt directly killed the birds. His strong electro-magnetic aura casued the birds navigation to go haywire and crash into the building. Birds navigate by using electro-magnetism (in real life, not just on LOST). That being said it is definitely possible for Walt to be on that boat…we have the tapping and the eratic behavior of the crew as evidence. I know that was definitely tapping because when I capture a young boy and lock him in my meat locker the sound of him banging on the heavy metal door and the pipes sounds identical to what I heard on the freighter.
Crazy man, crazy! +1
I hope you’re right. That’s a really interesting idea. +1
I love the idea of Ben turning round and saying, “you know all that crazy stuff going on on your boat? Yeah, well I made that happen! BAM! Teach you guys to mess with me!”
Awesome. Simply awesome. It always occurred to me that it was strange for them to let Walt go, seeing as though they went to such an effort to kidnap him in the first place. And especially seeing as how Ben wont let anyone leave the island. At all.
This theory does make perfect sense, and is quite frankly the simplest answer I’ve had to the conundrum yet - which makes it most likely to be true. +1 from me all they way.
Agreed ive read a few others peoples thoughts along these lines and its a simple explanation and it does add up. +1
Oh you’re good. Yes this is VERY good.
@ Staypuft it sounds like you are suggesting that Walt is Ben’s man on the boat rather than Mike which I also like.
Thanks for the positive feedback guys!
Have to say that this one struck me like a bolt from the blue and I just through it up as quickly as I could.
I’m 100% convinced that Walt is responsible for the cabin fever. The parallels between causing birds to fly headlong into windows (which has been shown in two episodes now) and humans to jump off boats wearing chains is just too close.
I wonder what was responsible for the blood stain? Somebody bashing their own head off the cabin wall?
So if this is in fact true it does make you wonder… and I am far from convinced I am right on this next one.
Is Walt also the saboteur? I don’t mean that Walt is personally smashing up radio’s and engines but maybe he has the ability to make the crew members the saboteurs through mind control? I mean it’s a bit odd that Michael, a person who you would think the most likely target for the crew’s suspicion, would be able to go around doing these things undetected is it not?
If I am right then maybe we can now begin to understand why Walt is so important to the story.
For sure this sounds amazing! Walt is Ben’s man on the boat.
I like the idea that he can control the minds off the freighties using telekenisis. Regina did not die the same way as Minkowski, minkowski had his own mind even if only for a while. The odd thing with Regina’s death was that she seemed to be in a trance as she walked towards the edge of the boat, she didnt even say a word. She seemed to be under some kind off hypnosis or control.
+1 Man, hope you’ve cracked it!
Nice theory ! +1
Supposing Walt is Ben’s man on the freighter, you know that Michael would never allow Walt to serve Ben willingly.
Do you think it’s possible that Walt WANTS to be on Ben’s side, and has brainwashed, or messed with Michaels mind so that he thinks he is someone else, and doesn’t interfere with Walt’s orders?
I mean, if he can in fact mess with people psychologically, it seems logical that he could do the same to his father?
Hi New2Lost,
I think it’s more likely that Althetimeintheworld is correct and that Ben engineered a situation where Walt and Michael would be on the boat as he was aware of Walt’s powers and what would happen if he was put into this situation.
I think Ben could predict the disastrous consequences for the freighter crew is Walt was couped up on the boat without having to give Walt any orders. He is using Walt.
So I don’t think Walt is taking orders from Ben, and believe that Michael was Ben’s point of contact / ‘man on the boat’ up to the time he was captured by Jack.
I’ve only been watching Lost for about 6 months, so I’m playing catch up… haha… I bought the first 3 seasons on DVD, and have been watching them feverishly… my girlfriend threatens an intervention!
Anyways, it seems as though Ben has incredible charm, and the ability to brainwash the masses… So, with that said, I’d have to stand by my idea that Walt is Ben’s man… Only because Michael would have to realize by now that the freighter is no rescue boat. Being there for that long, he’d have to know. He’d get rowdy. Judging by his actions in the past. He wants nothing to do with the Island, or Ben… He’s only worried about getting Walt home.
And the people on the freighter know that he came from the island. And that he’d recognize any Lostie that happened to board. So why would he play like he didn’t know Sayid and Des? And assume a different name?
New2lost, that is what is bugging me? Michael and Walt appear from behind the mist of the electric seas only to see a freighter. The people on the freighter would surely be questioning their appearance as they are on a tug boat with no food and probably little fuel. What would be their excuse for being out in the middle of the ocean excpet for admitting they were on an island. Walt could have influenced their minds before they could fathom anything but this is far fetched. They obviously used ALIAS’s but why?? Need more info
Really like this. +1
I think Walt is very important to the story.
Well… Ben knows who is on the freighter, and who they work for, as he he mentions to Miles. Perhaps knowing Walt’s powers, Ben planned for the freighter to be stuck where it is? Using Walt, the engine equipment malfunctioned. As did the communication room. Without any contact between the freighter and Widmore, Ben has at least bought time to hatch a plan to save himself?
Oceanic, While it is a creative and original concept, it does overlook the obvious!
We know that several of the crew members took a small boat off of “the freighter” and went too close to “the island” as stated by Minkowski, and most of them died in a variety of manners.
I would think, if someone were afflicted with the same malady as Minkowski and Desmond, but to varying degrees, it might be more than plausible they could be “a little bit crazy” in addition to suicidal/homicidal. Perhaps that’s why she didn’t notice she was reading the book upside down!
Just a thought!
Im with you +1
I don’t think it overlooks the obvious dabia. As stated in the theory, I am trying to look beyond the obvious.
Certainly if the captain is to be believed then the island is responsible. He may even believe that to be the case.
We know that two crew members took a small boat to the island and died because they were unable to find a constant.
This strikes me as being distinctly different to committing suicide. Note that Minkowski and Des were perfectly lucid whereas here we have someone apparently in a trance like state.
I have much greater trouble believing the apparently straight forward answer that the island is to blame for everything, as this fails to tie Walt back into the storyline and he has to make an appearance at some point.
I hope we will find more evidence soon. The next episode is Michael-centric isn’t it? Could hold a few clues/answers.
Unfortunately because I’m in the UK I’ll have to disappear from this website for a few days so I don’t spoil anything for myself. :(
I have to admit I went back and forth on this one for awhile! But, after reading it several times, I must admit it makes a crazy kind of sense!
Ben wanted to get rid of Waaaalt and what better way to do it than sabotage the freighter at the same time? +1
Crazy, but really good. :)
I think the bloody stain is because someone put a gun in their mouth and pulled the trigger… not because someone smashed their head against a wall… :)