If you're a religious Lost zealot, you've probably noticed all the mirrors and reflections in season 6's alternate universe.  If not, you should know that in every flash-sideways episode, there's at least one key moment of a character looking into a mirror or reflective surface, contemplating who they are.

For John Locke, it came as he was deciding whether to call Dr. Shephard for a consult on his spine.  For Kate, it was right after leaving Claire on the side of the road.  But what do these mirror images have to do with the series?




That should be obvious to any Lost fan.  The show is built on the idea of duality.  The survivors of Oceanic 815 got a fresh start on the Island, where they were reborn.  The Island itself features many instances of this central theme.  There's the battle between Jacob (the Man in White) and his Nemesis (the Man in Black).  There are also the constant references to Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, a story about traveling through a mirror into a backwards world.

The altverse on Lost is such a place, and these scenes of characters looking into mirrors reflect the notion of their duality.  Are their choices free or predetermined?  When Ben looked into the mirror to see the simple teacher he'd become, did he see a glimmer of himself from the original timeline, a small glimpse of his mirror self, the leader of the Others?

Whatever the exact meaning, mirrors play a key role in the final season and the series, so it's best to keep an eye out for any mirror-related clues.

What's your theory about the mirrors, meaningful clues or mere red herring?


(Image courtesy of ABC)