'Six in Six': Six mysteries that don't need answers in the final season of 'Lost'

Yesterday's iteration of "Six in Six" looked at "Lost" mysteries that I want definitively answered in Season 6. I don't need a complete set of schematics when it comes time to lifting the curtain. However, the ability to explain the mystery in a short, declarative sentence or two would be appreciated. Today, I'm listing out six ongoing mysteries that I hope still contain some shade of enigma when the final curtain draws.

I'm dubbing this the "Don't You Dare Midi-chlorian This, Darlton" list. If you're a "Star Wars" fan, you know of which I speak. If you don't, midi-chlorians were George Lucas' way of biologically explaining The Force. Like it needed an explanation on a microbiological level. Doing so actually ruined the mystery of The Force in much the same ways that the prequels ruined the awesomeness of the original trilogy. But since this is a "Lost" blog and not a "Star Wars" blog, I'm getting off the Lucas bashing train before I find the nearest tree and ram my face into it. (RYAN! SMASH!)

In short: these are mysterious elements of the show that should stay fairly mysterious. Some insight might be nice, but not at the expense of the wonder these elements create. Not everything in this world can be explained, and "Lost" does not owe us definitive answers to any of the following. In fact, I'd be unhappy if they even attempted to shed complete light on them.

The monster

Now, do I want to know more about the monster? Absolutely. But what I don't want is some overly technical explanation of its composition. I'm more concerned about why it kills some but spares others than I am about why it's unable to attack people inside banyan trees. I need a psychological/metaphysical explanation to make its actions over the years seem coherent. However, if it doesn't get a definitive origin story, that's fine by me. Let it just be something that's always existed on this unique Island without placing it under a microscope.

The hieroglyphics

"Lost University," the Blu-Ray only feature on the Season 5 DVD set, has further stoked interest in the myriad of hieroglyphics in the show by offering a course that allows you basic interpretation skills of the Egyptian symbols. However, pausing the screen while Montand loses his arm seems a pointless exercise to me. Look at the warning sign inside the Swan: it's nice and all to learn that it meant "underworld," but to me it simply was a not only a tribute by the DI to the indigenous population but also as a metaphor for that they did not understand about the Island. The variety of interpretations surrounding these mysterious symbols speaks to the impenetrability of their ultimate meaning. I prefer to think of these symbols as representative of the Island's epic history versus the Rosetta stone by which all answers about it can be derived.

The Island's fertility issues

Look, I'd love to have this issue resolved. But I don't want the show to take a biological approach in answering it. It's clear that if there were an answer in that realm, Juliet Burke would have found it. She discovered medicinal benchmarks while analyzing the problem, but never realized that the answer may lie outside of science. Having the problem lie in the will of the Island/Jacob/The Man in Black is a narratively satisfying answer without being overexplanatory. I want to know the "why," not the "how," when dealing with this mystery.

The core energy of the Island

"Exotic dark matter" is as far as I want this energy explained. More than Pierre Chang's explanation on the Orchid Video is too much. I think Isaac of Uluru summed up the Island's energy nicely: "There are certain places with great energy -- spots on the Earth like the one we're above now. Perhaps this energy is geological -- magnetic. Or perhaps it's something else." Fine. Done and Done. I'm willing to accept places on the Earth that defy rigorous scientific analysis, especially if it allows for events that could not happen anywhere else on the planet. A little 411 on the donkey wheel might be OK, but leave the core of the Island alone.

The Numbers

Even if the explanation for The Numbers from the non-canon "The Lost Experience" eventually enters into the show's official mythology (they were the core values in an equation that predicted the end of the world), that still wouldn't "solve" the issue of why these Numbers are so pervasive in the lives of the Lostaways. Trying to solve the ultimate meaning of the Numbers is like trying to solve a problem like Maria: impossible. I'm happy knowing that benign numbers can assume/assimilate powers that go beyond the ordinary if given the proper context, will, and exertion. We all grew up learning that three is a magic number; why not 4,8,15,16,23, and 42?

The cabin

Sure, Horace Goodspeed told John Locke all about the creation of the cabin in "Cabin Fever." But we now know that dream to be full of falsehoods and misdirections, sent by The Man in Black in order to further his long con. That being said, it's clear that The Cabin is a central place for important Island denizens, known by many and inhabited by a select few. But would knowing the identity of the dog pictured inside help us understand its ability to hop across the Island? Would the exact composition of the ash circle give us insight into its importance? I'm all for understanding why Ilana went there looking for Jacob; I just don't need to deconstruct the cabin itself plank by plank in order to gain insight into its importance.

Those are my six midi-chlorian mysteries: what are some of yours?

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Photo credit: ABC