The following presumes a general understanding of the concept of Six Degrees of Separation. If you don't, you should study up, as its an important theme in the show.
In general its important to note that slowly but surely we're finding that some, if not all of the characters have One or Two Degrees of Separation between them. The likelihood of this occurring between passengers on a jetliner are fairly astronomical. So it's something worth keeping an eye out for in the show, as the shortness of the separation between the characters is likely a large part of the puzzle/mystery of the show.
Please add more connections when you find them and elaborate on the events of connections that are already listed --chrisbliss18 13:02, 21 October 2005 (PDT)
Connections revealed in one episode
Characters Connections update to "two for the road" (02x20)
By Episode
- Sawyer passes Boone in the Australian police station. [1:13 - Hearts and Minds]
- Sawyer met Jack's father, Christian Shephard, in an Australian bar. [1:16 Outlaws]
- The daughter of the man Jin is supposed to assasinate is seen watching a news piece on TV about Hurley winning the lottery. [1:17 - ... In Translation]
- Hurley and Charlie were staying in the same hotel the night before their plane took off from Sydney. [1:25 - Exodus: Part 3]
- Jack meets Desmond while running up and down the steps in a stadium. [2:1 - Man of Science, Man of Faith]
- Jack saves the life of Sarah rather than Shannon's father, Adam Rutherford. [2:1 - Man of Science, Man of Faith]
- Hurley comments on a Drive Shaft CD in a music store. [2:4 - Everybody Hates Hugo]
- Sayid is seen on a television while Kate is in Sam Austen's office. [2:9 - What Kate Did]
- Kate's mother, Diane, served Sawyer in a restaurant. [2:13 - The Long Con]
- Sayid encounters Army officer Sam Austen, Kate's stepfather, who is carrying a younger picture of Kate. [2:14 - One of Them]
- Locke inspects a house that Sayid's unrequited love, Nadia, is planning to buy. [2:17 - Lockdown]
- Libby is in Santa Rosa Mental Institute at the same time as Hurley. [2:18 - Dave]
- Ana Lucia travels to Australia with Jack's father, Christian Shephard. [2:20 - Two for the Road]
- Christian Shephard hits Sawyer with the door of the car when he opens it in front of the bar where they will later share drinks. (Ana Lucia apparently either didn't see Sawyer's face or didn't remember the incident because she never mentions it to him.) [2:20 - Two for the Road]
Cross-episode connections
- Claire uses same legal firm that Michael uses. [1:10] & [??]
- The priest who took Charlie's confession in The Moth later sold his scooter to Hurley in the airport (Exodus: Parts 2 and 3) just before Flight 815 departed.
- The Lotto Girl pulls Hurley's winning numbers. We later see her in sleeping with Sawyer as Mary Jo. [1:18 "Numbers"] & [2:16 - "Outlaws"]
- Locke's mother (Emily Annabeth Locke), Libby, and Hurley all spent time in Santa Rosa Mental Institute
- Hurley's manager Randy at Mr. Cluck's is also Locke's manager at the box factory. ["Walkabout" & "Everybody Hates Hugo"]
- Henry Gale's balloon was sponsored by Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack and has a Widmore Labs sticker.
- Eko finds on the island the bodies of his dead brother Yemi and a fellow drug smuggler in the crashed plane, Beechcraft, that was to smuggle heroin out of Nigeria.
- When Sarah was in the car accident, she was on her way to try on a wedding dress from Carlyle Weddings (or was planning the wedding through Carlyle Weddings) which was owned by Boone's mother/Shannon's stepmother Sabrina Carlyle. Boone was the business' Chief Operating Officer. Sarah hit Adam Rutherford in the accident, Shannon's father/Boone's stepfather.
- Richard Malkin Psychic who Claire visits several times in Raised by Another tells Eko that his daughter's resurrection is a fraud and so is his his own psychic abilities.
Hotel / Airport Connections
(Interesting in the storyline, but not unusual for people on the same flight; therefore, none of these should count as 6-degrees)
- Charlie was in the crowded elevator at the Australian hotel when Hurley was late to catch his flight.
- Michael and Walt also stayed at the same hotel.
- Jack met Ana-Lucia in the airport lounge before they boarded the plane
- Sayid asked Shannon to watch his bags in the airport for a moment
- [2:19 - S.O.S.] - Rose accidentally dropped her pills at the airport and Locke, still in his wheelchair, picked them up for her.
- Ana Lucia is behind Jack and Jin in line when Jack is pleading with the airline employee about his father's coffin
Obvious
- Boone and Shannon are stepbrother and sister.
- Jin and Sun are married.
- Rose and Bernard are married
- Michael and Walt are father and son.
Unusual Turn of Phrase
Some repeated unusual turns of phrase reveal/might reveal connections between characters:
- "... and that's why the Redsox will never win the World Series" is the saying that helped Sawyer make the connection between Christian, Jack and himself. Other, less significant, ones include:
- "Lest you forget" used by Christian to Jack and Charlie to Liam
- "See you in another life" used by Desmond to Jack and Dave to Hurley. Also when Sayid helps Nadia escape, she writes him a message "You'll find me in the next life, if not in this one."
Theories
- Locke's dad could be the real Mr Sawyer, whom Sawyer (James Ford) wants to kill.
- For that matter, Locke himself could be the real Mr. Sawyer.
- Hurley presumably owns the box company Locke works at, as stated by his business manager.
- This one is really out there, but maybe - they all have killed each other's father figures:
- Sawyer bought Jack's father's drinks, and thereby caused the end of his life
- Jack chose not to operate on Shannon's father.
- Maybe Sayid killed Kate's stepfather?
- Maybe Kate's stepfather (whom Kate killed) was actually somebody else's father too?