Others/Dharma, Ben/Charles, Black/White, Good/Bad, War/Truce, Science/Faith,
Sorry for the title, I normally try for something catchy, but Im hoping this speaks for itself.
First off, lets piece those words together.
Dharma and the others are about to go to war. Ben and Charles will most likely be leading the two sides into battle right? This may relate way back to the opposite colors, Balck and White, and may also relate to who is truly good, and who is truly bad.From what Charles told John, he has to be on the right side. But which is that? This war thats coming. Could it be from breaking the truce…the rules maybe? Yeah, you like that, how could you not like that idea. That these rules that were spoken of, where rules on the island. Rules not of time, but of peace. It may make little sense from what we have seen so far, but I feel it will run its course.
To make sense of this, first we must figure a few things out. What are the sides of the war.
My guess would be Dharma and the Others.
Ben Vs Charles
Black vs…wait a minute. Ben was a Dhama guy.Then became an Other. Charles is an Other.Why would Charles be so concerned with Benjamin being on another side unless…
Charles jumped ship to Dharma. He saw the error in the ways of Alpert allowing Lockes crazy talk of being leader and speaking to Jacob. I stated in another post that by Richards reaction, it was not the first time he had to repeat a command to young Widmore.
This would make a lot more sense. We have seen our Losties transform back and forth, science, faith, science faith. I think what we saw with a younger Benjamin Linus was his Science (dharma) side, transform to his faith (side). Ben didnt have a good life growing up. An alcoholic father who never remembers your birthday and constantly reminds you that you killed your mother will probably be a good enough reason. Ben never allowed himself to truly be a Dharma member. From a child, he was used, like a homegrown terrorist, to ultimatley destroy Dharma. He jumped ship first, much like Charles told him how he broke the rules first, and helped team Others.
I predict that we will see a younger Charles Widmore, take a stand against the others as a member of team Dharma. This war that is coming, I imagine it has to do with the shooting we hear during a firefight between teamO and teamD, as Ben is a child with Annie in school. I dont think this is the actual war, merely the beginning of a few battles. I am assuming that the “purge” was the end to the war. Dharma wiped out and Ben, Richard, and the Others standing tall.
I truly wonder, if Charles is planning on sending Locke in, to possibly stop the actual purge itself. Try to have him change the history of the island, and possibly the world by doing so. Maybe John did something to help the Others to begin with…the first time.
Could Locke have visited Ben as a child and told him his destiny? Or maybe helped out at somepoint during or right before the actual purge itself?
Regardless, I think we will find that Widmore ran to Dharma, Ben ran to the others. And I think Locke is about to make the decision of his…life?…fate…? I dont even know how to express the importance of the choice John is going to make. What side he will choose, if I know Ben, leave it to him to have the last laugh. If my theory is correct, he “did”. But also if my theory is correct, Charles and John may be able to change that. We should have saw the foreshadowing a mile away, when Locke didnt pull the trigger and it turned out to be Widmore. Ben doing what he did should, the purge, should be around the time Charles left the island. Maybe he left to save himself, maybe Ben tricked him, or maybe he just got thrown off by the others. But I think we will learn that the rules that were originally brooken by Ben were the island truce, and when he slaughtered the Dharma Initiative, he started the ball rolling (or the island spinning lol), and broke the truce of the 70s island, and the peace of todays world.
AES, you never fail to disappoint! great theory, and so much to ‘chew on’.
The most poignant and important aspect of your theory is, that Ben & Widmore switched teams!
Young Widmore likely did see the error of his ways, at some point, and made a conversion. Ben, on the other hand, became so consumed with his anger and hatred, decided he would rally against everything Dharma represented.
Ben’s own world, was less than idyllic. He was terribly unhappy. He meets Richard Alpert as a child, and is swayed by Richard’s interest in him.
If we believe Richard already knew a man by the name of John Locke would be coming to ‘the island’ as their new leader. A peaceful, loving, spiritual man, perhaps choosing Ben was the right action for Richard.
So far, I have only seen Richard pander to John. He never raced out to welcome John with open arms, when #815 crashed on ‘the island’. This defies logic! We can therefore assume, Richard did NOT want Locke as their leader!
Richard has ONLY supported Ben!
One other thing, which struck me as completely odd was, the fact Ben did not know the whereabouts of Ms. Hawking! He was searching for three years, and never found her until Locke told him!
This tells me, Ms. Hawking although estranged from Charles Widmore has some rapport with him. He is likely the father of her son, Daniel. And, you know what they say about family!
You are really onto something solid here! I will have to sleep on some thoughts, and respond further.
Fantastic!
So the mistake would appear to be when Richard believes lock in the past and agrees to visit him as a child set the events in motion for 815 to crash and John to land on the Island. So Ben was playing John all along on the Island and pretending to make him their leader so he can manipulate him into doing what he wants. If this is true, maybe the legend of the leader needing to kill his father is false, and Ben was hoping that John would kill his father which would be opposite to the legend, but what Ben doesn’t know is that John didn’t kill his father after all….
Im not sure if it was necessarily a mistake by Richard. How do you not believe something like that when you are a man of Richards power and knowledge on a small island such as this.
One way or another John has info that Richard is familiar in a way with, and I think using the word “Jacob” is what really got his attention…BUT….as I and others have said before, this is all because John told Ben Jacob said they had to move the island. Thing is ‘Christian’ told John to move the island. Although this obviously played out the way it had before, I think the mistake was originally by John…for listening to anything Ben had said.
As for Ben tricking John into killing his father..I think Ben has the Others convinced of some very misleading information regarding their belefs of the island. Most likely from some journey into the past that possibly gave him insight into the islands mysteries and into conning almost everyone.
Remember the look on Bens face when John showed up with Coopers body. He knew JOhn wouldnt do it, and when John returned, it was utter disbeief.
But what are we missing, ah yes, we forget that Alpert was the one who gave John Sawyers file. Alpert knew he would kill Cooper and allow Locke to appear as the chosen one.
More important than Ben not knowing Christian said to move the island, or John not knowing/realizing Bens tricks, Richard went behind Bens back to give Locke the file. Went behind Bens back to allow him to appear as a leader, or savior. Went behind Bens back, because Ben is too caught up in the pregnancy issues of the island than he should be. Ben is off task, and Richard is well aware of the error of his way. In Richards future and Johns past, Richard is trying to fix what he allowed to happen. What he, the great others leader allowed to get out of hand, Ben.
You can say what you want, but it is fairly obvious that Richard is the leader, even if in a different way that Locke, Linus, and Widmore wish. He seems to have no alterior motive other than the well being of his people and the island. He is smitten, as any would be, by the travelers from the future, who inhabit his island. At least the ones who want to do right. So the question of the day is why?
Why does Richard need help. What is it, that makes him realize that John is the one.
People assume that John is not special because he is not truly chosen. But he chose himself in a way. Call it fate or free will, but JOhn took the initiative to find Richard after they time traveled. And after the war and the Dharma initiative, Richard STILL wants John. Get it?
Richard is full aware of what is going to play out in the 70s with the war, and he still allows and wants it seems, John to be the others leader, or at least go to the past and lead them. It will prove interesting what it is that John does during the battle to prove his love/leadership of the island, but whatever it may be, Richard is obviously pleased with it, or he would never allow John to do all the things he does post 815 crash.
This is a very confusing subject with the timelines being out of whack.
Ones past is anothers future, makes an explanation hard to explain, but every show brings new light.
Good thoughts on Richard, AES. He does seem like he is playing both Ben & Locke to some extent.
Perhaps, he needs both men. He is still giving Ben the allusion, he is ‘top dog’, while allowing John to complete the tests ‘the island’ has for him, in terms of true leadership. Giving him the occasional ‘heads up’.
Is there something about Richard, that makes him unable to fully ‘intervene’ in the course of these events?
He allows Locke to use his ‘free will’ to find his way. Is this Locke’s final test, to convince Richard he is leadership material?
Richard is a total mystery to me.
Fish/Chips?
Richard is something of a mystery. I think it’s the eyeliner.
Fish chips highbrow?