Why desmond is special

Taken from the "Because You Left" episode on Lostpedia :. Faraday reiterates that Sawyer won't be able to meet Desmond because Desmond didn't remember meeting him in the past, and that he can't change whatever happened in the past. I take this as, Daniel says that Desmond won't be able to meet aka recognize any of them even tho he said Sawyer , which is why he doesn't recognize Daniel when he opens the door.

Desmond is "special" and the rules of time travel don't fully apply to him. Let's revisit that scene. But listen, that's not important. What is important, Desmond, is what I'm about to say to you.

I need you to listen. You're the only person who can help us because, Desmond You're special. You're uniquely and miraculously special. It's true the first time Desmond met Faraday was the year , but he wouldn't actually fully experience that memory until the year when his consciousness jumped back and forth between the two timelines The Constant.

So in chronological time they'd already met, but in terms of Desmond's personal timeline, they haven't. The Desmond in between those timelines is understandably confused and thinks he recognizes Faraday, but can't explain how. By all accounts, Desmond lives his life post without remembering that he'd one day end up on a boat miles off a magical island with a man named Sayid, or that a shopkeeper once told him that if he went on his sailing trip he'd end up pressing a button on that island every hour to save the world Flashes Before Your Eyes.

Desmond doesn't remember what happened during his mind's journey to the past until they happen to him "for the first time" in But then why doesn't he remember Faraday the second third? Because Faraday is right, Desmond is special and their meeting effectively changed the timeline. That's why Desmond is the only person who seems to notice the Island "flashing" during the main characters' time travel, and why he snaps awake in remembering for the first time an encounter he had never remembered before.

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Conveniently, he gets bailed out by Desmond. The reason: Charles Widmore, wants the Driveshaft singer to play at his wife's benefit, and he wants Desmond to make sure it happens.

By the way, the scene in Widmore's L. There was a scale too shades of Jacob and Man in Black. And the two shared that expensive bottle of liquor. The same bottle that Widmore once told Desmond was worth more than him. The exchanges between Charlie and Desmond were also rich with subtext. Many wink-wink lines about making choices and sticking to a preconceived path of life. Though some of this was heavy-handed, longtime fans had to appreciate seeing these two doomed friends reconnect.

And, perhaps, saving each other's lives. This moment happens more than half way through the episode. While Charlie and Desmond are submerged underwater, Desmond has a flash of enlightening deja vu — he has a vision of Charlie holding up his hand with the words "Not Penny's Boat" written on it just before he drowned.

This was depicted in the classic season four finale. Please don't make me explain it. Though Desmond is literally saving Desmond, it's really the other way around.

Here's why: Desmond's hallucination is a clear sign that he experienced another life. One that involves him running up and down steps in a stadium, loving a woman named Penny and listening to Mama Cass in a hatch in the South Pacific. He can sense it. And an old friend appears on scene to confirm it. Here, Daniel's last name is Widmore and he's a genius pianist remember him tickling the keys with that metronome in his flashback last season?

He tells Desmond about his encounter with a certain red-headed archaeologist, which leads him to sketch out a quantum physics formula. He confesses that maybe he too had an alternative existence. One of these characters was Desmond Hume. Introduced in the second season but not becoming a main character until the third , Desmond proved an instant hit with audiences. And that may be down to his tragic storyline, which proved just as sad and investing as any other.

There was one thing that helped Desmond stand out from the pack, and that was his ability to mentally project himself through different time periods. As was proven in The Constant perhaps Lost 's most beloved episode , this ability has dire and potentially fatal consequences.

It's obviously an annoying if handy trait to have, but it also comes with a wide swath of responsibilities - most of them incredibly stressful. For example, Desmond must continuously decide whether to save Charlie, let him die, or let him know about his upcoming death. Season five is perhaps Lost 's most ambitious. It also contains a very tragic subplot regarding Desmond and Penny.

At the end of season four, Desmond finally made his way off the island and reunited with Penny. He hoped to settle down with the love of his life, and they even got married and had a baby named Charlie. Unfortunately, the island got in the way.

He traveled to London to find Eloise and was then attacked by Ben, who shot Desmond and attempted to shoot Penny.

Desmond is completely unable to find peace and security - even after getting off the island and starting a family.

Perhaps Desmond's biggest flaw is his complete inability to find peace or contentment. He jumps from job to job and place to place, and his endless place-hopping eventually led him to the military. After Desmond breaks up with Penny, he enters the Royal Scots Regiment and climbs the ladder to lance-corporal.

Unfortunately, even this prosperous career opportunity ended in disaster when he proved unreliable, was thrown in a military garrison and was dishonorably discharged. A major barrier between Desmond and Penny is Desmond's economic standing. It's clearly established that Desmond is poor and unemployed, which is one of the reasons that Charles Widmore Penny's father condescends and looks down upon Desmond.

His economic status crushes his confidence and self-worth, and it eventually leads to deep feelings of inferiority and insecurity.