Oceanic Six: On Trial

Here's the latest crackpot Lost theory I'm working on: the term "Oceanic Six" is a name given to the six defendants in a very high-profile trial.

When I first heard the name "Oceanic Six" I immediately thought of Abbie Hoffman and the Chicago Seven. The Chicago Seven were defendants in a high-profile 1969 trial. The original Chicago Eight were indicted for demonstrating against police action at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. One of the eight did not complete the trial, leaving the Chicago Seven.

News of the Chicago Seven and their courtroom antics was major national news fare. Hoffman's face became so recognizable, he would write "FUCK" on his forehead so his face wouldn't get on TV.

Even now, 38 years (almost to the day) after the Feb. 18, 1970 verdict where all members of the Chicago Seven were acquitted, the trial is still a headline. Aaron Sorkin recently wrote a movie about the trial; it's being produced by Steven Spielberg and is scheduled to start shooting next month.

All this is to prove that a high-profile trial would be one of the best ways to make the "Oceanic Six" the most recognizable faces in America, if not the world. Sayid in a flash-forward in the Seychelles says he was the recipient of a large settlement. A major trial could have convened for months before the Oceanic Six decided to swear their silence and take a settlement. (But the fact that they are recognizable from the trial suggests an open courtroom, a place where most secrets would come out -- but I guess not all).

The number "Six," instead of Seven as in the Chicago Seven, may allude to another novel we can add to the list of Lost literary references. "Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said," is a Phillip K. Dick novel where the main character is a celebrity who loses his identity overnight. The novel is set in an America that has become a police state. Also present are a race of super-humans called the "Six." With themes of rebellion in a police state and celebrity in common with the Chicago conspiracy trial, and the prevalent "Six" in common with the "Oceanic Six," I have to think it's not coincidental.