Nothing is irreversible

 

except for death and maybe gravity.  Even that might not be true in LOST world.  I managed to see the first two episodes with help from my Buenos Aires mentor, Dom (many thanks!) and after downloading them overnight.   I apologize to my readers who don't watch the show, as this is the 2nd LOST post in a row.   After seeing the premieres of the final season I can't help myself.  I promise to get back to my S. American adventures including my weekend trip to Florianopolis.  It won't happen again.  

The first thing that struck me about the first 2 episodes is how things were slightly amiss in the LAX timeline.  Everything seemed somewhat plausible, Jack saving Charlie's life, Kate escaping like a manic, Jin reverting to his old pigheaded husband role, etc.  However, there were a bunch of small inconsistencies that any astute LOST watcher will pick up on:

- What is Desmond doing on the plane?  If the island was sunk 27 years prior then he would have never landed on the island and completed his voyage around the world.  It's possible but still highly coincidental for him to be on that plane from Sydney to LAX.  

- Hurley says "he's the luckiest guy in the world".  Even before he got to the island he thought the numbers were cursed as his business got hit by a meteor, his relative died, mom's house burned down....

- Sawyer warning Hurley about being taken advantage of rather than trying to con him.  

- What is the spot of blood on Jack's neck?  Is it stress related just getting on the flight and his father's death or something more?

- Speaking of Jack's father, where is his coffin and his body?  The coffin at least was seen on the island when they crashed.  

- I remember Bernard sitting in the tail section, NOT next to Rose.  

- Lastly, where is Shannon??  She was obviously on the flight that crashed.  

All of these discrepancies that reality is not exactly the same as if they had never crashed at all.  It's an alternate alternate reality.  

Now that we've confirmed that Jacob's nemesis is, in fact, the smoke monster, it seems like he is a truly bad dude.  Everyone is terrified of him + after killing most of Jacob's bodyguards he beats up Ricardus and carries him off.  He mentions something about Richard being in chains, perhaps a reference to him being enslaved on the Black Rock way back when?  

Given what we've seen, I don't think there are two parallel realities going on.  They are not exactly parallel anyway as one is 3 years before the other.  Juliet also states post humously that "It worked."  My theory is that the plane landing at LAX is the future of our Hbomb survivors in the future.  That means the past is the future for those in the future?  Does your head hurt yet?  The landing at LAX is a sort of flash forward for them.  They need to do more than just blow up the Hbomb to get to that reality.  Time, indeed, will tell.