Friday, June 27, 2008

How Does Daniel Know About The Secondary Protocol?



There's something really squirrelly about Daniel Faraday in the finale. It seems clear he knows that Ben is going to move the Island. But it also seems clear he doesn't know the freighter is going to blow up because he's intent on reaching it with as many people as possible. Any ideas how Daniel knows this?

My first idea is that Daniel has been trusted by Widmore with documentation from the Dharma Initiative about The Orchid. Daniel has information in his notebook about that station. And he knows what the phrase secondary protocol means. Before this the only people who had access to this secondary protocol were Keamy and Captain Gault and they both needed to be present to access it.

Or could it be the case that Daniel is time traveling? That he's seen the Island move before? And if that's the case, why doesn't he stay with Charlotte? Surely any log-carrying guy could drive the Zodiac at a 305 heading. Why does Daniel feel he must do it especially after all the radiation he's been exposed to?

10 comments:

maven said...

Well, obviously Daniel know a lot of info about the island. That info must have come from Widmore. Many of us speculate that Widmore has been to the island before and may have actually turned the FDW himself. Also, Widmore seems like a collector of info (note the Black Rock ledger), and he might have past dealings with Alvar Hanso and got info about the DI from him. Some even think Widmore is Magnus Hanso (I like that one).

Widmore seems to have trusted Daniel with this info because he just might be the one scientist who understands what's going on and has done those experiments with having a constant. His crying at the TV news about plane being found in the trench might be related to him knowing that a course of events have been set in motion leading to what happened in the Orchid Station.

memphish said...

Daniel's story is really confusing to me right now. It could be that Widmore gave him info for his notebook. It really stood out to me that Daniel has info. that was locked in Captain Gault's safe and which clearly Charlotte, Miles and Kenny Rogers know nothing about. There's certainly enough there to imply something more sci fi too, but not enough for us to nail Daniel down completely.

I also really love the idea that if he takes off his tie his head will fall off like the girl in that velvet ribbon ghost story. :-)

pgtbeauregard said...

Memphish,

that's a funny visual about the tie!!

It seems plausible that Daniel has done some time traveling (what with all of his experiements at Oxford)

The notes look to be hand written, and I am assuming by him. I just can't see Widmore giving that information to Daniel, since he is so flaky and all.

memphish said...

But Daniel uses the phrase "Secondary Protocol" or at least recognizes the phrase. Somehow he knows something that at first we're led to believe only Keamy and Capt. Gault have access to.

And here's the other big thing -- if he has time traveled why doesn't he a) stay with Charlotte and b) avoid the rigged Freighter?

pgtbeauregard said...

I hope TPTB answer this question is Season 5. and quickly!!

Good thoughts and good post :)

Capcom said...

Yes, these are the two main Qs about Dan, for sure. Third Q in line being why he was crying, if it wasn't just sensitive-guy-empathy. He does seem a very gentle and peaceful character that would be sad over any loss of life.

It seems like he was given privy to the major science info that was not given to the rest of the F4s, and was told because he is an expert in all that and it was his part of the mission. It doesn't seem odd that he knew things about the Orchid that the others didn't know, because they know things that he doesn't know as well.

I agree, it seems that if he had previous seen or experienced (and remembered) the future of the ship, he wouldn't have taken everyone there. It kind of seems like maybe he was told about what was there on the island, i.e., the Orchid, FDW, etc., and his notebook is all the info that he knows and could gather about the physics of it all so he could be prepared for his purpose there and to take with him. Just a guess.

lost2010 said...

I have this odd idea that a group of people were warned by Annie prior to the purge and left the island on the last ferry out so to speak. That could be why Charlotte's parents took her and left. And it could be that some mentor of Daniel's likewise was evacuated from the island. I mean, he got started on those odd EM experiments somehow or other.

memphish said...

I like those ideas Lost2010. Do you think Ben's the one who warned Annie? That could be a good story. It would also be cool if the person who set Daniel off on his time traveling rat research was former DI or Mittelos or something.

lost2010 said...

I tend to think that if Annie was still there at the time of the purge, Ben would have warned her. And I keep thinking someone would have saved the children - and I like the mysterious Annie for that job.

pgtbeauregard said...

lost 2010,

That's a great theory! Ben warned Jack that he had only about one hour to get off the island, and he wasn't even fond of him!