re: #271 Walter L. Newton

The Island (which seems to contain a hunk of exotic matter, ego, mysterious powers) was being used back in the 70’s-80’s by a group of scientist to study certain global conditions that could lead to the end of the world. One aspect of the studies was trying to relocate certain animals into climates foreign to their natural habitat, ego, polars bears on a tropical Island.

The Island also does not exist in the same “time line” as the rest of the world, and even being near it can cause you to “skip” into other “time lines” as we have seen this season.

A bit complicated, as the show is into it’s fifth year, and one more year to go (yes, the basic plot and length of the series was worked out prior to it’s first season, a first for a TV series).

J. Michael Straczynski did that with Babylon 5 in the 90s. 5 years with a defined story arc. It’s an unusual way to make a series, but nothing is new in Hollywood.