And it didn't work so well with the Frontenders because 1) there were more of them, and 2) they were already forming their own little community, which would be harder to infiltrate.

My theory is that it's not that the front-enders were so much more formidable (they split up into two groups pretty quick, making each about the same size as the Tailaways) or that they were too far away (Ethan certainly got there soon enough), but that they are inside the perimeter of the security system. Basically, by being dropped from the sky so suddenly, it doesn't read them as intruders, but as residents. And the security system, while not impossible to infiltrate (explaining Ethan) makes it difficult to attack quietly and in force. It's possible, in fact, that the initial rumblings the night and day after the crash were from a woken up system that was being triggered by Others.

This might explain why the security system has made a lot of noise but not actually killed anyone since the first day. And I can fanwank the pilot as a matter of them being above the safe perimeter vertically. I wonder if Joanna went beyond the safe perimeter on the seaward side?

If this theory is correct, the security system is probably primarily meant to protect Swan Station and make sure that that button keeps getting pushed.

This show kinda bores me, but I've been bored lately so catching up.

Addressing some comments from WAAAAAY back: Why is everyone so surprised to see mostly Americans on the plane? I got the impression that Oceanic is supposed to be a US airline of some kind (don't know why, that's just how I've been interpreting it). In MY experience, Americans like to fly US airlines, French like to fly French airlines, British prefer British airlines, etc. So it makes perfect sense to me that there aren't that many Aussie folks aboard.

I agree that the whole Dharma thing feels like a psych experiment. I wish they'd stop rehashing the first 5 minutes of this season and get on with exploring the hatch. At least I've been able to catch up from recorded eps and fast forward during the boring bits.

If the Others take the able (first), and the good (second), then it does explain why they've left the front-enders relatively alone.

I imagine Ethan's report to them.

Other: "Who are the able? The ones that we must kill?"
Ethan: "I dunno, they're all kind of useless."

Other: "Then who are the good? Who must we save?"
Ethan: "They all kind of suck."
Other: "You staying? It's taco night."
Ethan: "Nah, I want to see how they get on with that golf course."

BWAH!

Am I the only one underwhelmed by last night's episode? We didn't learn anything new. Not really.

I'm not feeling the love.

I'm with you, Teppy. I was surprised to see the mad love. It was cool for a while, but then I realized we really weren't seeing anything we hadn't already inferred (or that couldn't have been told in dialogue). There was some good stuff, and I think we got to know the characters a bit better, but overall, I expected something better. And the end, which was the end of the previous episode, gave me bad memories of the first three episodes of the season, where we saw the same scene fifty zillion times.

Interesting theory I read on LJ today: the Others are already dead. Which is why they're taking only the children and the "good" people -- in some sort of a litmus test for the afterlife, I guess.

That doesn't explain why the Others are corporeal, or how they can be killed if they're already dead. Perhaps a whole new theory of the afterlife will be forthcoming.

Discuss.

Why is everyone so surprised to see mostly Americans on the plane? I got the impression that Oceanic is supposed to be a US airline of some kind (don't know why, that's just how I've been interpreting it). In MY experience, Americans like to fly US airlines, French like to fly French airlines, British prefer British airlines, etc. So it makes perfect sense to me that there aren't that many Aussie folks aboard.

Hmm. I tend to fly whichever is cheapest and/or most convenient. Do most people really go by the country of origin? I've never noticed that before.

I have nothing useful to say about the show, since I haven't seen it yet. Does ABC do reruns later in the week, or will I have to wait a while to catch this one again?

Oooh, tavella, that's a neat speculation.

The idea Steph mentioned goes along with the theory I've heard from several places that the castaways are in some kind of Purgatory. Maybe the good folks can go right away, but the people who have some issues need to work them out first?

But don't the people taken just get turned into 'others'? And they don't seem particularly at peace with anything, what with the random attacks and sneaking through the jungle and whatnot.