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A "Catch-22" refers to a no-win situation or a double bind. The literary sense is a situation in which two situations depend on each other to occur. In this episode it refers to the predestination paradox — Desmond only goes on the mission because he sees flashes of him doing so. But the flashes wouldn't have occurred unless he had gone on the mission. So where did the flashes come from?

For Desmond the no-win situation according to the flashes is as follows: either he lets Charlie die and finds Penny, or he saves Charlie but won't find Penny

"Catch-22" originates from the novel of the same name by Joseph Heller. In the novel, Heller initially uses "Catch-22" to describe a no-win situation. (A bomber pilot is told he can only avoid flying more missions by pleading insanity, but attempting to preserve his own life by pleading insanity is proof of sanity, meaning he must continue to fly missions. "That's Catch 22.") Later in the novel, "Catch 22" is used to by people in power any time they need to justify their actions.

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