Alcohol, Sex & Running Away will get you nowhere...

I have noticed that alcohol constantly plays a big part in Desmond's failures or mistakes. As his first gf said, he needs to not be scared and tell someone the truth instead of constantly running away. We constantly get shots of Desmond drinking, which numbs his pain and helps him avoid situations even further. Not only did it cost him penny, but it cost him finding his calling as a monk. Desmond's constant avoidance of everything reminded me heavily of Kate's own avoidance. Although we don't see Kate interact with Alcohol as much as Desmond does, we do see her "being on the run" and even avoiding her conflicting feelings for Jack, by numbing the pain by sleeping with Sawyer. As Sawyer said: "All you have to do is ask." It seems like all Desmond had to do was say how he feels and admit his fears, and all Kate has to do is tell Sawyer how she is feeling. I just thought these were interesting connections between these two characters that I never really noticed before.

Desmond is definatley a raging alchoholic. I don't think his drinking causes him to fail, I think he drinks as a consiquense of his failure.

True it doesnt cause it directly, but its all related and it def. adds to him avoiding all of his problems don't you think?

But if he hadn't failed as a monk he wouldn't have met Penny. So he really wasn't supposed to be a monk, he was supposed to be a fired monk. So drinking wine got him Penny.

Drinking gives him an excuse to run away. yes that time it helped him meet penny, but he also ran away from Penny.

He ran years later still insearch of the greater good he was supposed to accomplish like the monk told him...

I noticed a lot of what the monk was saying to him kinda fit in with what the ring lady was telling him..

This is not your path... All for a greater good.. Things like that then he meets his Penny after getting fired the night before... Desmond following the path he had no control over.. If these things would have never happened he would not have been with Penny and would not have followed his path to the island!

Des drinks when he is in over his head, and lately he has been! Being responsible for people's fate is got to be wearing him down quite a bit, so I think drinking on a remote island is warrented. I don't really think he is a alcoholic. He was ready to turn down Charlie and Hurley, cause he knew he had spent a lot of time drunk lately. It was when he saw the name of the whiskey he changed his mind. It was a way of getting back and Penny's Father.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tessa A.

Des drinks when he is in over his head, and lately he has been! Being responsible for people's fate is got to be wearing him down quite a bit, so I think drinking on a remote island is warrented. I don't really think he is a alcoholic. He was ready to turn down Charlie and Hurley, cause he knew he had spent a lot of time drunk lately. It was when he saw the name of the whiskey he changed his mind. It was a way of getting back and Penny's Father.

PENELOPE: I'm just getting ice. [returning to his side] You alright? Sweetie, you okay?

DESMOND [disoriented]: What's happening?

PENELOPE: Well, what's happening is the result of combining ladders, painting a ceiling, and alcohol. Are you okay? You nauseous?

So it seems to me that drinking is something that Desmond does regularly even before he came to the island.

I didn't say he ONLY drinks when he is in over his head. He could have just as easily fallen off the ladder without alcohol. He has just resorted to that since hes been here, and frankly I don't blame him. Its like Sawyer and cigarettes, after he shot the marshall he tried to light one, and right after the plane crash. He was working as a set designer for the Royal Shakspere Company. If he was always wasted he probably wouldn't be working there.

Tessa I am not saying that Desmond is a raging alcoholic.. I am just saying that with most of what we have seen of Desmond in flashbacks and on island he is a drinker! I mean no disrespect to Desmond or you (of course).