I was watching the Hurley episode, Numbers, on my DVD player last night and I came across something I thought was interesting.

When Hurley tells Lenard that he used the numbers to win the lottery, Lenard says, "Ohhhh, you shouldn't have done that! You've let the numbers out of the box!"

So...in Season One they were thinking about 'the magic box'?

Or was it kind of accidental, like making an obscure reference to Pandora's Box?

Or are the numbers a way a non-attuned person could access the power of the island?

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charlie98210
"Whoa!" she said. "Cry 'Havoc!' And let loose the dogs of war!"
And, like Banquo's ghost, they just won't go away.

Interesting catch. The whole idea of letting something out that was supposed to remain locked up. hmmmmm i like this idea! <3

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Because all we really need to survive is one person who truly loves us. And you have her.

Good catch... I'm sure it was a metaphor, but isn't that what Ben said to Locke about the Magic Box? I think we have been focusing the wrong way about the numbers, about their usage anyway. You know they will be explained sometime, hopefully not in the last epi of the last season. Something about the numbers is like the, well, whatever the heck was in Pandora's box right!

Right. Using the numbers gets you what you want (i.e., winning the lottery) but there is a price to be paid (bad luck for all around you that you care about).

I wonder what price Sawyer is going to have to pay (for taking advantage of what the "box" gave him).

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charlie98210
"Whoa!" she said. "Cry 'Havoc!' And let loose the dogs of war!"
And, like Banquo's ghost, they just won't go away.

^Well, maybe being on the island and taking it's gifts doesn't mean you have to pay, since, you know, you're already LOST!?!
But that would be dumb.. I'm sure Jacob will ask for some sort of sacrifice, i just hope it isn't Kate!

Just thought of something else. There is a whole kind of ying and yang type of thing going on here. Like the white and black stones. Like Locke said, if you want something from the island, you have to give something. A whole push/pull, kind of a circle, type of thing.

Am I making any sense?

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charlie98210
"Whoa!" she said. "Cry 'Havoc!' And let loose the dogs of war!"
And, like Banquo's ghost, they just won't go away.

I think we need to know who this Jacob is before that gets answered. If he is who I think he is, then, yes, you have to give in order to receive. and yes, it makes perfect sense.

There also are many references and allusions to quarantine.
-the hatch where they entered the numbers had quarantine written on it
-the island has served as a quarantine
-the only guy hurley knew that knew about the numbers was in a quarantined environment
So are the numbers supposed to be quarantined?