The Purge Problem
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By 900situpsaday
- The Purge Problem
- Created: May 11, 2008
- Last updated: Aug 14, 2008
- After episode: 4.11: Cabin Fever
- Status: Current
- Flag this theory:
Horace is dead wrong.
— 900situpsaday
Horace Goodspeed thinks he has been dead for 12 years. He’s dead wrong. A mathematician should certainly be able to count the number of years since he has been dead.
During John’s “looping” encounter with Horace Goodspeed, he alluded to the fact that he might not “be making much sense” as he has been “dead for 12 years.” This statement causes a serious problem for our timeline.
We know that the purge took place at 4 PM on December 19th. We all witnessed Ben closing Mr. Goodspeed’s eyes. We all assumed he was dead.
The problem is that Mr. Goodspeed’s statement of 12 years places the purge on December 19, 1992.
Danielle arrives in a science expedition in 1988 and gives birth to Alex, who is kidnapped one week later.
Clearly, Ben didn’t have Alex when he gassed his father in the Dhamra van. How did Danielle survive the purge? How did Alex? She would have been four years old.
Perhaps Horace Goddspeed is correct and Danielle is a liar. I have never trusted Danielle’s story. I certainly don’t now given these facts. Perhaps Ben spared Alex’s mother? I just don’t buy it.
Of course, this could be one huge production error. And if so, I am deeply disappointed.
Key characters
| Short Name | Full Name | Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben | Benjamin Linus | 3.20, 4.9, & 3” href=”/episodes/theres-no-place-home-parts-2-3/”>4.13 | 1717 |
Key episodes
| # | Title | Aired | Central character | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.20 | The Man Behind The Curtain | 5-9-2007 | Ben | 413 |
Or it could have been 12 years according to the outside world. Not 12 years on the island.
I doubt a production error would be out by 4 years they are more careful than that. It doesn’t add up though good spot +1.
Exactly what Ive been thinking. Other people suggested that Alex was taken by the then hostiles and then given to ben…which never made much sense to me, especailyl as to me, it would seem they would only start stealing children once they became “the others” as it were.
We are I believe due a Danielle flashback at some point. When it will happen….3hr finale or early season 5, im not sure. But it’ll be damn good to find out.
Yeah, this has concerned me the moment Horace opened his mouth and said 12 years.
There are two caveats I can think of that can get around this chronological problem. The first is that Horace’s appearance was within a dream, and therefore, given it was a dream, is not prone to the rigours of real life timeline consistency. (This is a weak explanation.)
The second is that Horace appeared to be running in a loop. Stuck in a moment. If he became stuck in this moment, this loop, 12 years after his death then he would forever be stuck 12 years after he died, regardless of how many years passed. Thus, as he’s continually chopping the tree down, he’s always been dead 12 years.
How do we know that the entire Island was gassed? That’s a lot of gas. Ben put his mask on at a designated time which could indicate and Island wide gassing, but more likely Ben knew the time and gassed his Dad nice and individually. (What a guy.)
But think past Danielle surviving gas — so did the polar bear and a horse. I don’t think it was an Island-wide gassing.
There is more to Danielle’s story though. I think she and Ben shared knowledge that we don’t have yet.
AC thats a good attempt to explain the 12 years but he was chopping down the tree to build the cabin for him and the missus which would suggest it was something he was doing before the purge, so why would he have got stuck in this loop 12 years after he died?
i again agree with angelo. you listed my two explanations of this question.
remember guys, it was a dream. anything goes.
Stone, I don’t think we can dismiss dreams so easily in Lost. Over the past 4 seasons dreams have had a nasty way of coming true for the losties. Des, Locke, Claire, etc, have all had dreams come true.
AC - I also thought of Horace in a time loop, but it doesn’t settle right with me. Like, why 12 years? Why while building the cabin?
Lockeko - I couldn’t agree more! If these dreams are a means in which Locke (and formerly Ben) is how he gets instructions/information, then the reliability of these visions are of most importance.
I HATE to think it (and I hope I am wrong), but I sense production error.
Cannot be a production error. As far as I know there are only white people on the staff and white people don’t make mistakes. If it turns out to be a an error you can be sure that they will find a black man to blame and then fire his ass.
I agree with Apple, I don’t think everyone on the entire island was “purged.” Four-year old Alex, along with some of the others, may have survived the purge because they were safely tucked away at the Temple.
I agree with 900situpsaday.. I gotta disagree with Alice because I doubt Ben would have Alex all the time while his father was alive and DI was still active…
How do we know that Horace wasn’t dead before the Purge. There’s lots of potentially dead people running round the island. +1
Well JacksEyes Ben made a big point of shutting Horace’s eyes after the purge, so unless you can be killed twice I would say he was alive before the purge.