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(technically, "The Economist" doesn't redirect here, it IS the page's name)
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===General===
 
===General===
 
[[Image:4x03 Elsa's bracelet.jpg|right|150px|Elsa's bracelet]]
 
[[Image:4x03 Elsa's bracelet.jpg|right|150px|Elsa's bracelet]]
* The bracelet [[Elsa]] wears, which is shown as she dies, bears a strong resemblance to [[Naomi's bracelet|the bracelet Sayid found on Naomi]].
+
* The bracelet [[Elsa]] wears, which is shown as she dies, bears a resemblance to [[Naomi's bracelet|the bracelet Sayid found on Naomi]].
 
:* You can see the bracelet as they are getting ready for the opera.
 
:* You can see the bracelet as they are getting ready for the opera.
 
:*Even though a small portion of the Elsa's bracelet can be seen, enough is shown to safely say that it does not strongly resemble Naomi's bracelet. Naomi's was a plain bracelet, whereas Elsa's seems to be more fancy, hence going to the opera.
 
:*Even though a small portion of the Elsa's bracelet can be seen, enough is shown to safely say that it does not strongly resemble Naomi's bracelet. Naomi's was a plain bracelet, whereas Elsa's seems to be more fancy, hence going to the opera.

Revision as of 01:02, 23 February 2008


"Economist" redirects here. For the character referenced in the episode, see Economist (person).

"The Economist" is the third episode of Season 4 of Lost, originally broadcast on February 14, 2008. Locke’s hostage may be the key to getting off the Island, so Sayid and Kate go in search of their fellow castaway in an attempt to negotiate a peaceful deal.

Synopsis

Real-time events

As Sayid is meditating near the helicopter, Jack and Miles argue about what to do about Ben and Charlotte. Miles wants to go retrieve them but Jack is more cautious. Sayid crosses to Naomi's body and closes her eyes, covering her with a blanket. At the same time he removes a metal bracelet from her wrist and reads an inscription from the inside: "N, I'll always be with you. R.G."

4x03 Bracelet

Sayid holding Naomi's bracelet

In the meantime, Locke and his group are trekking through the jungle. Sawyer suggests that they torture Ben to find out who Ben's man on the freighter is, but Locke thinks it would be pointless. When they arrive at the place where Jacob's cabin used to be, Locke finds the gray substance on the ground that was there on his first visit, but there is no trace of the cabin. When Locke is asked what they were looking for, Ben makes a smug remark that Locke was looking for someone to tell him what to do next. Hurley expresses his disagreement over Locke's plan to keep Charlotte as a hostage, but Locke admonishes him and makes it clear that he is making the decisions. They proceed towards the Barracks.

4x03 Clock1

Daniel's clock showing 02:45:03

Back at the helicopter, Sayid offers to go and retrieve Charlotte from Locke. He believes that he can do it safely, while Jack will only cause violence. He gets Frank to promise that if he brings Charlotte back, Frank will take Sayid to the freighter. Miles and Sayid prepare to go retrieve Charlotte. Jack suggests that Kate should go with them, and the three set off to the Barracks with Sayid having taken Naomi's bracelet.

4x03 Clock2

Freighter clock showing 03:16:23

Daniel takes the lull during Sayid's mission to perform an experiment. He sets up a tripod with a beacon and a clock on it. He then asks Frank for his phone so he can call Regina. Frank hands it over on the condition that if Minkowski answers, for him to hang up. Daniel agrees and phones the freighter, getting Regina. He asks her to send a payload (a small rocket) to the beacon set on the tripod. Regina does so and begins counting down the geographic arrival of the payload in rapid 5-kilometer-steps, starting with 40km. But when she reaches zero (approximately 20 seconds later), the rocket has not reached the beacon. Regina claims that is "weird" while Daniel responds that it is "far more than weird". To Daniel's surprise, the rocket does finally arrive a while later. He compares the time on a digital clock from the rocket with the one from the tripod and sees that they are different by (00:31:20) 31 minutes and 20 seconds. Concerned, he says to himself "oh no, this is not good!"

4x03 Hurley in the closet

Hurley is found in the closet

When Sayid, Kate, and Miles reach the Barracks they find it apparently deserted. As they sneak around the settlement they hear thumping. Following the sound into a house they discover Hurley tied up in a closet. Hurley tells them that he was left behind by Locke. He says that Locke was threatening Charlotte and when Hurley tried to talk him out of it that Locke tied Hurley up in the closet. Hurley says that he doesn't know where the rest of Locke's group went, but that they were going to stop at Ben's house before they left.

Sayid, Miles, and Kate head to Ben's house and begin to search it. While Kate searches the bedroom, Sayid notices scratch marks in the floor at the base of a bookshelf in the living room. When he moves it, he finds a hidden walk-in closet. In the closet are numerous sets of nice clothing and several bureaus. Opening drawers, Sayid finds masses of cash from different countries. In another drawer he finds several passports from different countries. Opening one of them he sees that the passport is Ben's as, presumably, are the others. The Swiss passport Sayid opens lists the name as "Dean Moriarty".

4x03 Ben passport

One of Ben's fake passports

File:4x03 Desmond photo.jpg

Desmond confronts Frank about the photo

In the bedroom, Kate is searching under Ben's bed when she sees a pair of feet enter the room. When she stands up she sees Sawyer. He motions for her to be quiet, but she immediately yells for Sayid. When Sayid runs out of the closet he finds Locke pointing a gun at him. In the kitchen, Rousseau has a gun pointed at Miles. As the three of them are herded together, Hurley appears and apologizes for lying to Sayid.

4x03 Locke Ice tea

Locke offering Sayid iced tea

Locke takes Sayid to the Others' game room, where Kate had been imprisoned before. There Sayid finds Ben also imprisoned. Meanwhile, Kate and Sawyer talk about why they decided to go with Jack and Locke, respectively. When Kate indicates her belief that the freighter people can get them off the Island, Sawyer asks her why she's so anxious to go back. Sawyer tells Kate that she will probably be greeted in handcuffs when she goes back, that he has nothing to go back to and implies that they could live a better life together in the barracks. Kate replies with a snide remark, asking how long they would be able to "play house". Sawyer responds "why don't we find out?".

Locke comes to see Sayid. Locke apologizes for the ruse but he says they weren't sure whether or not the three of them were alone. Sayid indicates that he does not trust Miles and his people either. He tells Locke that if he brings Charlotte back then he will be able to gain access to the freighter and be better able to ascertain their motives. When Locke indicates that he is unwilling to turn over Charlotte for nothing, Sayid hints at some sort of deal.

4x03 Copter flying

The helicopter takes off

Back at the helicopter, Desmond confronts Frank about the picture Naomi had of him and Penelope. Frank refuses to answer Desmond's questions. Desmond gets angry and demands that Frank take him to the freighter on the next flight. Frank agrees. As they finish talking, they see Sayid coming over a hill. A moment later, Charlotte appears next to him. Kate and Miles are nowhere to be seen. When Jack asks what happened to Kate, Sayid tells him that she decided to stay with Locke.

Sayid indicates that he had to trade Miles for Charlotte. Frank accuses Sayid of being dishonest about their deal, but agrees to take Sayid to the freighter because Miles was "always a pain in my ass". Frank offers to take a third person but both Charlotte and Dan indicate that they wish to remain on the Island for now. Sayid insists that they take Naomi's body.

As Sayid and Desmond load Naomi into the chopper, Dan tells Frank that no matter what happens, they must fly on the exact same bearing in which they entered. Frank agrees to do as Dan says and lifts off, piloting the chopper off of the Island.

Flashforward

4x03 SayidFF shooting

Sayid shoots Mr. Avellino

Sayid is seen playing golf in the Seychelles. Another man approaches on a golf cart and begins a conversation. Sayid seems reluctant to converse with him, saying that they paid a premium for privacy. The man recommends that Sayid use a five iron but he insists that his seven iron will be better. The other man suggests a bet of fifty euros, to which Sayid replies "Lets make it one hundred" The man asks Sayid what he does for a living. Sayid replies that he does nothing and lives off of a substantial settlement he received from Oceanic Airlines. He reveals that he is one of the Oceanic 6. Upon hearing this, the man becomes visibly nervous. Despite having won the wager he declares that Sayid doesn't need to pay him, and attempts to leave. Sayid reaches down to his bag as if reaching for his wallet but comes up with a gun. Sayid says "I insist, Mr. Avellino," the man jerks his head in shock that Sayid knows his name, then Sayid shoots the man dead and calmly walks away from the scene.

At some other time, either before or after he shot Mr. Avellino, Sayid is in a cafe in Berlin, Germany, during winter. The only empty seat is at a table with a pretty blonde woman named Elsa. Sayid asks her for directions to Potsdamer Platz. She gives them to him and then introduces herself as Elsa. When Sayid asks her what she does she indicates that she works as a personal assistant for an unnamed economist. She carries a pager with which he will alert her when he is in Germany and needs her services. When she asks Sayid what he does he tells her that he is a corporate headhunter and will only be in town for one week. She then indicates that Sayid seems familiar to her.

4x03 Elsa on the phone

Elsa on the phone

He offers to tell her where she knows him from over dinner that night. After leaving the cafe, Sayid calls someone on a cell phone and tells that person that he has "made contact". He throws the cell phone in the trash. The woman is apparently part of an assignment he is working on.

4x03 Elza thinking

Elsa asks Sayid why he is still in Berlin

On their fifth date, Sayid and Elsa are going to the opera. She seems very fond of Sayid and decides to leave her pager at home. She says that she does not care if her boss calls that night, she just wants to spend it with Sayid. After a moment's thought, Sayid offers to carry her pager, saying that he would not want her to be fired because of him. When she asks why he is still in Berlin, Sayid tells her that his job is taking longer than expected. She regretfully tells him that she wishes that she was the reason he was staying.

4x03 Dead Elsa

Elsa shot dead

Some time later, Sayid and Elsa are lying in bed, having just had sex. Elsa indicates that she is growing tired of not knowing anything about Sayid's job or background. She tells him that she loves him and that they should have no secrets. Sayid agrees, but just when he is about to tell her, Elsa's pager goes off. She begins scrambling to get dressed and go to her boss. Sayid asks where, and she tells him the name of a hotel. At this point Sayid tells her that she must leave. He says that people will be asking questions about what happened to her boss. At this point Elsa begins to understand what Sayid's job is. She accuses him of wanting to kill her boss. Sayid reveals that her boss is not an economist. Apparently upset, she retreats into the bathroom. When Sayid tries to talk to her she turns to him with a gun and shoots him.

4x03 Sayid crying

Sayid, crying over the death of Elsa

As Sayid lies bleeding on the bed, Elsa, still in the bathroom, calls someone on her cell phone, apparently the economist. She indicates that Sayid still will not tell her the name of his employer. As she talks, Sayid grabs an object and throws it against the mirror of the bathroom door, from which Elsa had been observing him. When she storms out he lunges for his gun and shoots her dead. When Sayid takes a closer look at the body, he sees that Elsa is wearing a bracelet similar to Naomi's.

4x03 Ben helps Sayid

Ben treating Sayid's wound

Later on, Sayid stumbles into a dimly lit veterinarian's office. He is still wounded from his shoot-out with Elsa. He proceeds into the operating room where someone tells him to take off his jacket. Sayid sits down and the unseen person begins treating and questioning him. The unseen voice wants to know what Elsa's objective had been. Sayid tells the man, his employer, that she had been trying to find out his identity and the identity of his employer. The camera cuts to reveal that the man is Ben. When Sayid expresses what seems to be remorse Ben replies that "these people don't deserve our sympathies", and then asks him if he remembers what "they" did the "last time you followed your heart instead of your gun?" To which Sayid replies that it was via this event that Ben recruited him. The latter then reminds Sayid that the work they are doing is to protect Sayid's friends. Ben tells Sayid that he has another name for Sayid's list. Sayid explains that "they" know he is coming now, to which Ben merely replies, "Good."

Trivia

General

Elsa's bracelet
  • You can see the bracelet as they are getting ready for the opera.
  • Even though a small portion of the Elsa's bracelet can be seen, enough is shown to safely say that it does not strongly resemble Naomi's bracelet. Naomi's was a plain bracelet, whereas Elsa's seems to be more fancy, hence going to the opera.
  • The equipment Daniel uses to create a beacon is actually just a Swann Night Hawk Wireless Outdoor Camera.
  • The timers are off by approximately 31 minutes, 18 seconds. It is 1878 seconds or 31.3 minutes.
  • Elsa, Sayid's target, has several similarities with another woman in his life, Shannon:
    • She is also tall, fair, with light blond hair.
    • She speaks French.
    • She ends up shot in the abdomen, just like Shannon.
  • An economist is an individual who studies, develops, and applies theories and concepts from economics, and who writes about economic policy. He works to predict the behavior of large groups of people and may also be an expert who determines the value of economic damages and business valuations.
  • Among Ben's foreign banknotes is an original Series E £20 note issued by the Bank of England, withdrawn in 2001. The design incorporates the face of Michael Faraday.
  • The New Zealand passport shown briefly from the drawer is a diplomatic passport. Standard issue New Zealand passports are blue, while the one shown in the episode was red.
  • The passport that Sayid picked up to inspect was from Switzerland.
  • Continuing Day 94 from "Confirmed Dead," this episode takes place on Dec. 24, 2004 -- Christmas Eve.
  • Five iron is the club Paulo gives to Desmond in Every Man for Himself.

Production notes

Bloopers and continuity errors

4x03 German menu

The menu in the German restaurant

  • When Sayid shoots Mr. Avellino in the golf course, objects around the area are casting shadows. At the next overhead shot, all the shadows are gone.
  • The menu in the restaurant where Sayid meets Elsa features numerous spelling errors: "Tages Menu" ("menu of the day"; correct would be "Tagesmenü", although at least the parsing is an error actually found in many German restaurants); "Grilltes Huhnerfilet mit Gemüse" ("grilled chicken filet with vegetables"; correct would be "Gegrilltes Hühnerfilet mit Gemüse"); "Steak mit Knobloch Kartoffen" ("steak with garlic potatoes"; correct would be "Steak mit Knoblauchkartoffeln"); and "Gulash mit Bratkartoffen" ("goulash with roast potatoes"; correct would be "Gulasch mit Bratkartoffeln").
  • At the place Elsa marks on the map there is no restaurant. At this place is the Humboldt University of Berlin.
    • However, the 'Cafe Odeon' is within the area Elsa circled
  • After Sayid exits the bar, a building in the background can be seen sporting two flags, the German State Flag and the Bavarian flag, both of which are normally flown only above government buildings. This property, however, has stores on its floor level, which is rather unusual for a government establishment.
  • The triangular traffic sign announcing a pedestrian crossing at a distance of 70 yards is typically used on country roads rather than the city.
  • There are no yellow stripes on sidewalks in Germany.
  • The green Brazilian passport found in Ben's drawer has three mistakes. An authentic Brazilian passport would read "Brasil" , "Passaporte" and "República" rather than the English "Brazil" , "Passport" and "Republica" that are seen in the episode. Similar mistakes were made on Paulo's passport in Exposé
    • This could have been intentional on the props department's behalf, as it is illegal to produce fake passports.
  • When the helicopter takes off there are shots where Naomi's body should be seen, but is missing.
  • A shop seen in the episode, "Art und Weise" [1], is indeed real, but is not located on a street where a tv-tower is as visible as it is in the episode.
  • The location Locke expects the cabin at in this episode is not the same filming location that was used for the cabin in The Man Behind the Curtain. In that episode the cabin was surrounded by big trees, while here the spot is situated on a clearing with light vegetation.
  • In the scene when Sayid talks to Ben on the phone you can see that his right hand is empty when he walks towards the camera but in the next cut when he crosses the street he holds the city map in that hand.
    • However, it is possible he pulled it out after dumping the phone as that side of his body is away from the camera for some time.


Recurring themes


  • The numbers 16 and 23 appear on the rocket's digital clock that Daniel Faraday is holding during his experiment. (The Numbers)
  • In the cafe where Sayid and Elsa met for the first time there´s a picture on the wall showing a beer commercial "1516 Rein". The German purity law for beer (Reinheitsgebot) was declared on 4/23/1516. (The Numbers)
  • Elsa tells Sayid to meet her at the restaurant at 8:00. (The Numbers)
  • Sayid is playing golf. (Games)
  • Ben is waiting for Sayid at an animal shelter or vet's office. (Animals)
  • Hurley tricks Sayid, Kate, and Miles into being captured by Locke by pretending to have been left behind. (Deceptions and cons)
  • After leaving the island, Sayid is working as an international hitman for Ben, killing Ben's alleged enemies. (Rebirth)  (Redemption)  (Life and death)
  • Dan's experiment shows an apparent inconsistency between time on the island and off it. (Time)
  • Sayid says he has to kill the economist because he is on a list. (Lists)
  • Sayid promises Frank he will bring Charlotte back safe in exchange for a spot on the helicopter but he gives up Miles in order to get her. (Deceptions and cons)
  • Sayid closes Naomi's eyes. (Eyes)
  • Sayid closes Elsa's eyes after killing her. (Eyes)
  • Sayid breaks a mirror in order to attract Elsa's attention and to make time to grab his gun. (Deceptions and cons)
  • Elsa and Sayid have been dating, but both with ulterior, unrevealed intentions against each other. (Secrets)
  • Elsa is killed. (Life and death)
  • In his house, Ben keeps a hidden room filled with clothing, cash from around the world and many passports. (Secrets)
  • While playing golf at the Seychelles, Sayid wore a white glove, while Mr. Avellino wore a black one. (Black and White)
  • Hurley is called "Tubby" by Miles. (Nicknames)


Cultural references

  • On The Road: Sayid finds a passport of Ben's with the alias Dean Moriarty, a central character in this novel by Jack Kerouac, who also wrote Dharma Bums. Kerouac's Moriarty is based on Neal Cassady, who is also depicted in The Electric Koolaid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe, often repeatedly tossing a sledgehammer up in the air and catching it. (Literary works)
  • Sherlock Holmes: Moriarty is also the name of Sherlock Holmes' arch-nemesis, often considered literature's first super-villain. (Literary works)
  • Holy Qu'ran: A copy of the Holy Qu'ran is on the bookshelf in front of Ben's hidden room. (Religion and ideologies)  (Literary works)
  • Break Dancing: Hugo refers to Sayid's lethal leg movement in "Through the Looking Glass, Part 1" as such.
  • Gremlins: Sawyer calls Ben "Gizmo", referring to his bug eyes. Gizmo is one of the main characters in the films Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch. (Movies and TV)
  • The Economist: The Economist is also the name of a weekly British news and international affairs magazine. (Literary works)
    • The Economist is famous for publishing all articles anonymously, the collective voice being valued over that of the individual.
  • Casablanca: Elsa may be a reference to Ilsa Lund, the tragic female lead in Casablanca, a movie that centers around political intrigue, clandestine love affairs, and a café. (Movies and TV)
  • Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Elsa may alternatively be a reference to Dr. Elsa Schneider from the third Indiana Jones movie. Dr. Elsa Schneider was a blonde Austrian professor and Nazi sympathizer who seduced both Indiana Jones and his father in order to learn the secret location of the Holy Grail. (Movies and TV)
  • Die Mauer: The café in which Sayid and Elsa meet is called "Die Mauer" (the wall), a reference to the Berlin Wall.
  • Sudoku: Elsa is seen holding a book with "More Easy Sudoku Puzzles" written on the back. (Games)
  • Baseball: Jack asks Frank if the Red Sox really did win the World Series, and comments that it has been 100 days since he has seen a game. (Games)
  • "If You Stayed Over": This song by British musician Bonobo (featuring Fink) is playing in Elsa's room while she and Sayid are in bed together. (Music)
  • Time dilation experiments: Daniel performed a time dilation experiment to see how the Island affects time. (Science)
  • "Playing House": Playing 'house', a game in which children pretend to be a family (with at least a husband and wife, often children and pets), is a common childhood activity. Sawyer tells Kate they can stay at the Barracks comfortably, and that there is nothing left for them in the "real" world. Kate asks Sawyer how long they could play house for. (Games)  (Isolation)
  • Cast Away: Movie in which main character is stranded on an island in the South Pacific after a plane crash. The main character also places a clock in a "payload" to see how long it takes to arrive at a specified destination. (Movies and TV)
  • Strauss Opera: Sayid and Elsa are preparing to leave for the opera. It is unclear as to which of Berlin’s several opera houses they plan to visit, although both the Staatsoper and Komische Oper are very close to Potdamer Platz in the area where they first met. Later as they kiss, Sayid remarks “Let’s go, Strauss awaits.” This could be a reference to either Richard Strauss (1864-1949) or Johann Strauss Jr. (1825-1899). Both composers penned many operas that remain popular in Germany. It should also be noted that Elsa’s name may be an allusion to the tragic heroine in Wagner’s influential opera Lohengrin.


Literary techniques

  • Sayid says "...the day I start trusting him [ Ben ] is the day I will have sold my soul" on the island, but ends up working for Ben in the future. (Irony)
  • On the Island, Sayid is using diplomacy and trying to honor a dead woman's body. Off the Island, he becomes a pragmatic assassin. (Irony)
  • When Sayid and Kate find Hurley in the closet, he says that he was "left behind" just as Juliet did. (Regularly Spoken Phrases)
  • However, like Juliet, Hurley was not actually left behind. It was simply a decoy to allow him to infiltrate the "opposing" side. (Juxtaposition)  (Foreshadowing)
  • Locke brings Sayid and Ben iced tea just as Mikhail brought Sayid and Kate iced tea. (Juxtaposition)
  • Sayid finds items behind a bookcase, including hidden money, as did Miles in Confirmed Dead. (Juxtaposition)
  • The scene where Kate sees Sawyer's shoes walk through the door from under the bed is an iconic scene, mirroring Sawyer's backstory in Season 1 where a young Sawyer sees his father's shoes from under the bed, walking into his room after he shot Sawyer's mother, and sat on the bed to shoot himself. (Juxtaposition)
  • Sayid says to Jack: "You're not the best candidate for this kind of mission." - just as Naomi told Abbadon that "These are the wrong people for a mission like this" in "Confirmed Dead". (Regularly Spoken Phrases)
  • Charlotte says to Frank that she has "work to do". (Regularly Spoken Phrases)
  • Sayid says the job he's on is proving harder than he first thought. Elsa suggests she thought he was staying in Berlin because of her, which in fact he is. (Plot twist)  (Irony)
  • The Economist names this episode, and the plot in the flash-forward revolves around him. However, we never get to see or know who he is. (Unseen character)
  • Sayid tells Elsa he is a head-hunter as in a corporate recruiter, yet in reality he is killing specific people for Ben which makes him an actual head-hunter. (Foreshadowing)
  • The delay between the freighter and the Island is 31 minutes. Elsa got paged by her boss an estimated "half-hour early". (Juxtaposition)


Storyline analysis

  • Locke says, "Right now, Hugo, I'm making the decisions". (Leadership)
  • Sayid is intentionally in a fake relationship with the counter-spy he had to keep an eye on, and ends up killing her. (Relationships)  (Rivalries)
  • Sayid leads Miles and Kate to try and sort out the issue with Charlotte, leaving the regular leader behind. (Leadership)  (Irony)
  • Retrieving Charlotte from Locke's group should be considered an A-Mission.


Episode references

  • Sayid falls for another blonde who also happens to die the same way Shannon did. (Abandoned)
  • Jack asks Frank if the Boston Red Sox really did win the Series. (The Glass Ballerina)
  • Hugo refers to Sayid's leg movement that killed an Other. (Through The Looking Glass)
  • Jack makes a joke about Kate returning to rescue him from the Others after he told her not to. (The Hunting Party) (Tricia Tanaka is Dead) (Enter 77) (Par Avion)
  • Desmond asks Frank why Naomi had a picture of Penny and him. (Catch-22)
  • Locke offers Sayid iced tea, just as Mikhail had once offered to Kate and Sayid. (Enter 77)
  • Kate asks Sawyer why does he want to stay on the island, and his answer is that there's nothing waiting for him out there. Kate had asked him why he wanted to leave in (Born To Run), when he answered because "there ain't anything on this island worth staying for".
  • Kate sees only Sawyer's legs from under the bed as he enters the bedroom, the same view given when Sawyer saw his father's legs from under his childhood bed. (Outlaws)
  • Ben takes care of Sayid's bullet wound just as Mikhail did. (Enter 77)
  • Sayid and Kate got captured moments after arriving at the Barracks, just as they did the previous time. (The Man From Tallahassee)


Unanswered questions

Unanswered questions
  1. Do not answer the questions here.
  2. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer.
For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: The Economist/Theories

On the Island

The Helicopter
  • Who is the R.G. on Naomi's bracelet?
  • Why do physical objects travel to the Island differently than electromagnetic signals?
    • Why was there a 31 minute, 20 second time difference?
  • Why does Frank tell Daniel to hang up the phone if Minkowski answers?
  • Why doesn't Charlotte tell Frank and Daniel about Ben's "man" on their boat?
  • What did Charlotte mean when she said "I've got work to do"?
Jacob's Cabin
  • Why is Jacob's cabin not where Locke expects it to be?
The Barracks
  • Why does Ben have a hidden room containing a collection of different currencies, clothing, and passports?
    • What business does Ben have in those countries?
    • Why does he need to use an alias?

Sayid's Flashforward

  • How much time has elapsed since Sayid left the Island?
    • When do these events take place in relation to other flashforwards we have seen?
  • Who is Mr. Avellino?
    • Why does Mr. Avellino become nervous upon learning Sayid's identity?
    • How did Sayid or Ben lure Mr. Avellino to the empty golf course for the hit?
  • Who is Elsa's employer?
    • Has the Economist been killed or is he still out there?
    • Was the Economist Ben's real target or was Elsa the real target?
    • Who paged Elsa and why was she paged thirty minutes early?
  • Who is Sayid protecting and what is he protecting them from?
  • Who are the people on Ben's list?
  • What happened the last time Sayid, to quote Ben, "thought with his heart instead of his gun"?
  • How did Ben leave the island?

External links