Laertes

I posted this in the current episode discussion (this means I am current up to Feb. 2, 2010 on the episodes). No one is answering me there. I hope someone will and can, etc.

So this is a question that doesn't pertain specifically to this episode, but no one I know has an answer..... Why did Jack feel like he had to lie about the island? I presume that the people on the boat sent by Widmore already told him about the island, so why are the Oceanic 6 not talking about it? Or is this a case of the O6 not realizing that Widmore already knows and Jack was saying not to say anything about the other survivors because he's not sure who sent the ship and he wants to protect the island from whoever sent the ship?

RoyalTea

Locke told Jack he needed to lie.

Joe Schmoe

I think Jack knew that whoever sent the freighter folk did so to kill everyone on the island. Locke is the one who told him to lie about the survivors on the island just before Jack, etc., left the island on the helicopter.

MEJHarrison

I think you shouldn't split your question off into a separate thread just because people didn't answer you.

Larry C.

Yeah that's reserved for premium members.

Count Dooku

Jack knew that some person or group planted the fake Oceanic jet at the bottom of the sea, and sent the freighter to the island to kill all the crash survivors. The only possible (rational) motivation for those two actions is to keep the existence of this very special island a secret.

But Jack doesn't make the decision (for the Oceanic 6) that they have to lie until Hurley points out that the island moved. Now that the island has moved, it's impossible for them to tell their true story and get rescuers sent to the island for those left behind.

So, if the Oceanic 6 tell the truth about the island, all they do is make themselves a target of whoever sent the freighter. (I don't think they knew about Charles Widmore.) By lying, they signal their assent to keeping the existence of the very special island a secret in exchange for their lives. Plus, after hearing Hurley (the former mental patient) bring up the island moving, I think Jack (the medical professional) realizes how the Oceanic 6 will be regarded if they start telling tales about smoke monsters and polar bears.

Hurley tells Walt that the Oceanic 6 have lied about the island in order to protect the other survivors left behind. I'm certain Hurley believes this, but that explanation really doesn't hold water. Since the freighter was destroyed, Charles Widmore never got confirmation that all the Oceanic 815 survivors had been killed. And for him simply to believe that everything went according to plan is a little Dr. Evil of him --especially considering six survivors turned up alive later on.

DthRdrX

The above post is pretty spot on IMO. I'll add a few thoughts to it as well.

I believe everything went on exactly as Widmore expected it to. Eloise and himself had Daniel's journal for sometime and the main goal was probably getting Ben off the island, Locke promoted to the leader of the Others and then off the island, and the three science team members to the island.

For Jack, I really think seeing the island vanish was the beginning of his journey towards becoming a man of faith. He was in denial at first but quickly threw out the idea to lie, which he thought Locke was crazy for suggesting in the first place. So while I believe he wanted to protect those left behind, and themselves, I personally think he started to question how special that island really is.

whotony

Can't wait.

Laertes

You may be right, but I've been wondering for years and beside the fact that no one was answering, it wasn't really relevant to discussion on the current episode anyway, so maybe it shouldn't have been in that thread in the first place. My option was to sit there with my question unanswered. I don't know.

Thanks for the answers. Count Dooku, thank you. I was thinking something along those lines, but I hadn't quite gotten there yet. And DthDrdrX, thanks. Jack's motivation has been bothering me for awhile now and I couldn't quite see the logic. Makes sense now.