I think that Desmond knows things that our Lost crew doesn't, but not necessarily more, if that makes sense. Finding out what's in the hatch doesn't tell us much about WHY they landed on the island. After all, Desmond thinks the world has a sickness. And of course it could, but the point is I love how he just raises a lot more questions than he answers. I love this show!

Didn't Desmond say he was preparing for a race or something in 2/1?

Didn't Desmond say he was preparing for a race or something in 2/1?

A race around the world if I recall correctly?

It's got to be tied in.
They wouldn't put something that random into the ep. without purpose.

There also seemed to be such deliberate delivery with his suggestion in 2x01 of "Lift it up". It was played off like he was discussing Jack's ankle, but the way it was delivered...

And what is with this show and the foot theme?

Perhaps on his race, Desmond was caught by the others when his plane crashed and forced to live in his 'house?'

But in that case, who built the hatch and sealed him inside - he wouldn't be taking an entire hatch with him on a race around the world?

I highly doubt he was racing. He's wearing a uniform to a type of "complex" that apparently built the thing. He was training alright, but not for a race.

I highly doubt he was racing. He's wearing a uniform to a type of "complex" that apparently built the thing. He was training alright, but not for a race.

Oh I don't think he was racing to the island (that wouldn't even be possible!). I just seem to recall him answering with that excuse to Jack during the stadium scene in 2x01.

It's pretty clear The Others and Desmond/The Hatch have really nothing to do with one another at present. I really don't even think he has anything to do with the security system. His only mystery is his Dead Man Switch. What would he be trying to prevent if he thought the world was gone? It looks cold war'ish, and I think he is really just a underling. The Government shadow agency/Corporation probably know about (or created) the security system, sharks, etc, etc, possibly even the sickness, but he most likely doesn't. I think his bosses have long since forgot about him/The Island aswell.

So do you think he;s going to be a regular now? He can't really go anywhere unless they kill him off or he runs off (where to?). The hatch is open, they're not going to just leave, forget about the whole thing, and let the man be with all those resources and shelter.

Dead Man Switch is probably for a self destruct that will go off in the next episode. Killing Desmond and not allowing our characters the ability to move in.

I think Desmond's days are numbered. As a character he knows to much, therefore the writers will need him gone.

Good catch on him wearing the uniform with the emblem! I almost wonder if there was a clue to the 'race around the world' phrase. Something tells me we wont know until episode 3!

From the mural its obvious he has a way of knowing things. Also he seemed very m uch in the know when talking to Jack in the flashback. He obviously has psychic abilities of some sort. Interesting that we have him and Walt on the same island.

Maybe Desmond thought he was training for a trip around the world but was later duped.

The Dharma corporation could have have others training as well.

Desmond was chosen as the most fit, then lied to and put in the hatch as part of an experiment . They told him that there was a catastrophe coming so he wouldn't try to leave or escape.

Everything else on the island, monster, polar bear, shark, etc, could also be part of the same experiment.

As to what the experiment is, I can only guess that maybe some privately funded group (Dharma) is preparing to unleash some virus onto the world to "cleanse it". They could be building underground bunkers to protect themselves, so using Desmond as a guinea pig, they place him in the hatch to see how people cope when confined in close quarters for extended periods of time.

my two cents

The race may refer to "human race" as in staying alive. My guess is whoever built the area in the hatch/shark/monster (island in general) is either government or a corporation who were concerned with a nuclear holocaust and started to plan for humanity's survival. Chances are, it was a corporation who went bankrupt and forgot about the island and Desmond (he thought Lock was there to get him/replace him). And the lines on the wall signifying how many days/months he had been there suggests he may have been there for a quite a while and forgotten.

The quarenteen on the inside of the hatch, Desmond asking how many people are sick (radiation poisoning?), the stockpile of food, etc. may suggest the nuclear holocaust theme. Plus, all his belongings are from the 70's (where nuclear holocaust was on everyone's mind).

Wasn't there a movie with River Phoenix and Harrison Ford with a theme like this? I'm sure I'm wrong. I am confused after all....

I highly doubt he was racing. He's wearing a uniform to a type of "complex" that apparently built the thing. He was training alright, but not for a race.

He could have been...it could be a slight play on words. Remember that, in the stadium in Jack's flashback, Desmond didn't say he was GOING ON a race around the world, or even that he was RUNNING a race around the world...just said he was training for a race around the world. I think it went like this:

Jack: (asks Desmond why he's doing the Tour de Stad)
Desmond: I'm in training.
Jack: For what?
Desmond: A race around the world.

Might this mean a race in the evolutionary terms? As in a new human race? That could be where the drugs come in that Desmond shot into his arm in the opening of Man of Faith, Man of Science...

Since Desmond knows WAY too much, (even if he only knows a little), it's a guarantee that he's a goner. I think this is going to be LOST's trademark "red-shirt" concept. Anyone that has even the tiniest bit of information is destined to die or go crazy before he/she has the chance to share that information. Cases in point:

1) The pilot - he could have told them lots about where he thought they were; what, if anything, attacked the ship (such as a magnetic pull), or any other unusual happenings.

2) Ethan - He could have answered endless questions about the Others, but nope... Bang! Charlie made sure we would stay in the dark.

3) Danielle - For some reason, no one on the island seems interested in grilling Danielle on what she knows or WHO she knows ("hey... you know a guy named Ethan?"), or even asking ANY specific question about life on the Island. But she's crazy, so that's the show's excuse as to why no one is questioning her too deeply.

4) Now we have Desmond- Desmond is going to blow up the hatch-itat with himself in it before we can really find out what he knows. He obviously knows what company he works for and why they hired him (or at least why they TOLD him they were hiring him). We're not going to get any of that. We're going to get some vague, question-inducing answers, and then we'll lose both Desmond and the hatch-itat.

the piranha has spoken.