Frank Lapidus/Theories

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Childhood on the Island

• Three of the other people on the freighter (Charlotte, Daniel, and Miles) have been shown to have had a childhood or origin on the Island. Could Frank have been born or lived on the Island before, too? Was that a criterion for being chosen for the freighter mission?
  • Unlikely, since this would mean that Naomi Dorrit, Martin Keamy and his team and perhaps even Gault and his men would have to follow the same criteria, which is a bit of a stretch.
    • It's been clearly indicated that Naomi's Science team were separate from the Mercenary team and rest of the freighter. It could easily have been a 'requirement' from Charles Widmore/Matthew Abaddon that the members of the science team have some prior experience on the island. Given how little we know of Lapidus' history, it is very possible he has some prior connection to the Island.

Frank is Saywer

• The two look quite similar
• Frank would be about the right age, although maybe a bit too young
• If Sawyer was to continue his life from the 1970s, it is unlikely he would not come up in the 'present'
• Frank sounded the same as Sawyer when he was talkıng to Jack on Ajıra 316 as Sawyer dıd when he was talkıng to Jack when they fırst met ın 1977.
• Frank may not have flown Ocıanıc 815 because he knew ıt would crash because he ıs Sawyer.
  • The only way this would be true is if Sawyer was stuck in 1977. But we know it's not the case because... whatever happened, happened. And what happened in Sawyer's 1977 is that his father killed his mother and then himself. If Frank is an aged version of Sawyer, then that would either put him in his mid-60's in 2007 or Sawyer in his mid 20's in 2004. I don't believe either to be the case
• Faraday, Charlotte and Mıles had reasons to be on the ısland, possıbly Frank's ıs that he ıs Sawyer.
• Frank never talked to Sawyer, possıbly because he would be talkıng to hımself.
  • This is incorrect. They spoke to each other in "There's No Place Like Home." Sawyer wound up freeing him from handcuffs before they flew off of the island.
• Sawyer doesn't trust Ben just as Frank doesn't.
  • Sawyer also didn't initially trust Frank before being told by Jack that he was OK.
• There appears to be a bookcase above Frank's TV ın hıs flashback ın the epısode Confırmed Dead, thıs may show that Frank reads as Sawyer does.

Why replaced as Pilot on Oceanic 815

• Was replaced by Seth Norris because he was known to be an alcoholic.
  • More specifically, perhaps, because he turned up drunk on September 22nd and therefore was barred from the cockpit.
• He missed out on flying on the 22nd for some as yet unknown reason, and then became a drunk because of his guilt over Seth Norris' death.
• Matthew Abaddon arranged for him to be bumped from Flight 815.
• Lapidus was supposed to be on the island. Seth Norris was killed because he wasnt.

Manifest Memorization

• Frank memorized the manifest so that when he arrived on the Island, he would know if he met a survivor of Flight 815.
• Frank memorized the manifest because he was guilty about Seth Norris crashing the plane where-as Frank feels that he could have made it to L.A.

Reasons for being on Ajira 316

• Frank was arranged to be on Flight 316 by Widmore, possibly via Sun. This would give rise to the idea that Frank and Sun have left together on one of the three outriggers on the beach near the Hydra Station where they landed. These two are likely plotting against Ben on behalf of Widmore.

Candidacy

• He is a candidate to become the new leader of the others.
• He is a candidate to become the new host for Jacob's soul.
• An episode in Season 6 will focus on his "candidacy" and give insight into Frank's life before the Freighter and between the rescue and Ajira 316, including the reason he didn't fly Oceanic 815.
• He is a candidate to become a member of the group Ilana/Bram belong to.
  • Ilana knows that John is dead, so she thinks Frank could be a Candidate for the new Leadership role of the others. Frank was supposed to fly 815, but he didnt. When the monster found out the pilot wasn't Frank, it became angry and killed Seth Norris, because it knew that someone else would become the new leader of the others instead of Frank. That someone is Locke.
• Frank is a candidate for a Jacob-level position with total power over the island.
  • Jacob was the one who ordered the runway, so he clearly wanted Flight 316 to land. Flight 316's landing was what ultimately led to Jacob's death (due to Locke's possession by MIB), so he knew he was going to die. He instructed Bram and Ilana to find a successor and he brought Frank back to the island as a 'candidate' for this position.

Misc.

• His middle initial J, stands for Jacob.
• He is named after Frank J. Tipler, who has expanded on the philosophical idea of the Omega Point created by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. Teilhard's Omega Point idea is a major key to the mythology of the entire show and Jacob, specifically.
• He is one of freighter's "good people".
• His injuries occurred while the helicopter was flipping around in turbulence, so they happened before he landed the helicopter. Or possibly after landing he was dizzy and fell upon or after exiting the helicopter.
• Due to his call to Oceanic Airlines, and the awareness of a cover-up, Matthew Abaddon recruited him.
• The man Frank talked to about Seth Norris was Martin Keamy
• Frank and Rick Lapidus are related.
• Frank will surive.