The Polar Bears’ existence in the Island explained
+6 6 Votes
Rate it:
By MySonsNameisJacob
- The Polar Bears’ existence in the Island explained
- Created: Jul 17, 2008
- Last updated: Aug 14, 2008
- After episode: 4.13: There’s No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3
- Status: Current
- Flag this theory:
I’m here to talk about the polar bears.
— MySonsNameisJacob
So anyhow. A long, long time ago a shady organization that goes by the name of the Dharma Initiative went to the Island for one reason only: to harness the Island’s magical attributes for their scientific cause. They established Stations and each stations have their own unique specialty. The Swan is used ala Big Brother, the Looking Glass is used as a communications site but underwater. The Hydra is used for examining underwater marine species and so on and so forth. But that is not the case here. I’m here to talk about the polar bears.
Now, the Polar bears were brought by the Dharma people in the Island but before the finale episode of S4 we, the audience, don’t have any idea why in poo perfect hell would they bring the animals here. But, if you have a keen sense of observatory skills like me, you will immediately know the reason why in the episode “There’s No Place Like Home pt.2”. Before that, it is assumed that these bears were tested if they could stand and adapt to the climate of the Island and they were kept in cages on that other Island (the cage with the fish biscuit) but apparently that wasn’t their sole purpose.
What is their main purpose? You might ask. Well folks, I give you three words: “Frozen Donkey Wheel”. In the season finale, Ben destroyed the vault in the Orchid station and what’s behind the vault is some kind of underground ice cavern which contains the wheel that if turned, will “move” the Island. Now, Marvin Candle mentioned in the Orientation that the Orchid is made out of exotic matter so before all this Freighter/Widmore hullaballu, the Dharma people didn’t risk using their people as a device to turn the ‘wheel’ if it need be turned instead they chose the next best resort: To use polar bears to turn the wheel.
If you think about it, the polar bears’ natural habitat is the cold climate so when these Dharma guys came to knew about the wheel, they enlisted the help of these big white furry creatures. And I quote Charlie God rest his soul “The polar bears are the Einsteins of the bear community” so it wasn’t really that hard to train these bears to exert a massive amount of strength to turn this donkey wheel.
Come to think of it, it also explains why the Black Rock was found by the survivors inland way back in season 1. Remember when Charlotte found this polar bear skeleton in the middle of the desert in season 4 episode 2? Yes you are thinking what I’m thinking: that polar bear skeleton was once a creature who moved the Island. Like Ben instantly appearing in the middle of the desert(The Shape of things to come), I think that polar bear once moved the Island and this moved Island is what we came to know about in the last 4 seasons. That must have been the reason why the Black Rock is inland. The Island must have washed it up when it was moved thus making it mysteriously appear inside the barren jungle.
Key characters
| Short Name | Full Name | Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben | Benjamin Linus | 3.20, 4.9, & 3” href=”/episodes/theres-no-place-home-parts-2-3/”>4.13 | 1629 |
| Charles | Charles Widmore | 388 | |
| Charlie | Charlie Pace | 1.7, 1.2, 2.10, 1.24, 3.21 | 394 |
Key episodes
| # | Title | Aired | Central character | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.13 | There’s No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3 | 5-30-2008 | Jack, John, Ben | 278 |
Key events
| Theme | Relevant Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|
| Sawyer kills a polar bear | 1.2 | 120 |
Key locations
| Theme | Relevant Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|
| The Orchid Station | & 3” href=”/episodes/theres-no-place-home-parts-2-3/”>4.13 | 116 |
This is a really interesting and original idea ….
And explains why the polar bear skeleton turned up in Tunisia.
And backed up by the cold temperature in the wheel room.
Great thinking.
Yeah, except it’s not that original. It’s been bandied around since the finale.
I like it— you bring together several obeservations and tie them up with a pretty bow of creative writing. +1 to you.
I have to say I agree with all of it, it is just not the first time I have thought it or heard others suggest it.
Good thinking though. I think you’re right here.
I very much want to agree with this, and I think this is exactly what the writers want us to think, but I have a feeling it’s a red herring.
Why???
how’d the polar bar, which lacks opposable thumbs descend a ladder?
The polar bear in the desert though is tough to explain. I noticed also, when Ben awoke there that it was the same place Charlotte found the collar and skeleton.
I want to believe this, though, and it has indeed been long discussed here. I just have 2 hiccups to get over, so someone, please explain how the big beast got down the ladder, and…perhaps more importantly, why DI sealed access to it with a time machine that will blow up if you put metal in it.
?If those things can be explained I think we’d be sompeplace.
Well, the island isn’t made of exotic matter… there is a pocket of exotic matter on the island… small detail though…. I think you’re right on with the polar bears being used to turn the wheel. I think there is or there once was another entrance to the cave with the donkey wheel. The Others may have sealed it though or it could even be linked though a series of caves which maybe can be accessed through Ben’s secret door back at the barracks… The time machine was put there because it relies on the exotic matter nearby to function. Maybe they were looking for a way to use it without moving the entire island and stranding some poor soul or bear in the desert…
I was expecting a different twist than what everyone else has been saying on this board. Be proud that you came up with this months after the S4 finale because its been discussed numerous times.
Good call on the bears turning the wheel. A lot of this has been discussed before but you put together a few pieces that had been overlooked.
Plus, if you look when Ben is turning the wheel, you can see holes in the wheel where you can attach a yoke….!
+1
i don’t know about this one. why would you need polar bears to turn the wheel when ben, of all people, is strong enough to do it himself?
I expected someone would ask that.
Ben did turn the wheel but it almost sucked the lifeforce outta him. And he had this crowbar with him so the leverage was easy as 1,2,3. As I mentioned before, the Dharma people probably didn’t want to risk a human life to turn that wheel so they got the polar bears instead.
Yeah, I think the point of using the bears instead of people is that the DI didn’t want all their people to end up stranded in the desert never to return…
Interesting idea.. my only question would be, why would the polar bear move the wheel? If they did use them to move the wheel, it would of been so they would have to leave the island, and not a person. But, it is an animal.. and without a person there to get them to move it, without stopping, would it? Or would it just sit around wondering why it was in the room all by itself? +1 though for a good idea
i tink it would take a retard not to think this so nothin new here
That is hardly original. I have seen this before and actually this is the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the donkey wheel.
@bestshowever
exactly.
Yeah numerous sites have already pointed this out. It is one of the higher rated theories on DarkUFO.
I like it :)
Whoever turns the wheel can’t come back to the island so maybe that’s why they used the polar bears.