Lost
After watching Lost last night I am now hooked more than ever. Here my theory and of course it is subject to change once more information is revealed. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, stop reading because I talk about the episode.
Each member of Oceanic flight 815 will have the opportunity to change the past without directly knowing what they are doing. Last week, Sayid did not have to shoot Ben and continue the cycle. He could have taken Sawyer’s advice and just lied to Horace and things may have been different. This week, Jack could have operated on Ben and might have been able to save him thereby changing the future.
Jack is headstrong about his idea that he is back for a purpose, well his purpose just past him by and that is going to play a role in future episodes once he finds out that he squandered his chance to change things.
My two theories are that Ben remembers everything even though Albert says he will not once he is saved. For whatever the reason, Ben is setting in motion the events that would lead to him not becoming the bad person he is today.
OR
The island is trying to save itself and everyone on it by bringing people back to change the course of its history. The island does not want Ben to become bad and kill off the Dharma initiative or anything else he has done. To do this, the island has been setting events in motion for each of the Oceanic 6 to fix things and make it right. Each member has done something wrong in the past and the island is giving them a chance to become better people or change their lives.
My theory will probably change next week after I see the episode, but my prediction is that the series will eventually end where it began with Jack laying in the Jungle looking up in the sky like back in the pilot episode. However for some reason he will not remember his time in the past and will have to start all over and try to save himself and everyone else from Ben.