Lost

[DaShi]

I don't think Locke brought his father. It's more likely that the Others kidnapped him in order to have Locke kill him. Story he told about his car wreck sounded like it could have been staged. Just as they likely killed Juliet's exhusband to get her to come to the island.

[Drake Tungsten]

I think there's more to it than that. The "magic box" is a metaphor, but I doubt it refers to something as mundane as kidnapping. Besides, why would the Others care about Locke killing his father?

[DaShi]

They seemed to care when they tied his father to the statue and made him leave when he didn't. It seemed odd that they entire group would find such an event so important to Locke's being able to join them. Then to see Ben kill his own father. I think it will come up again later, and Locke's indirect killing will make a difference somehow.

[Drake Tungsten]

They seemed to care when they tied his father to the statue and made him leave when he didn't.

I'd care if the guy was brought to the Island by the "magic box". I'm don't see why I would care enough to kidnap him and bring him to the Island myself, though.

[DaShi]

The fact that a point was made that the paramedics smiled at Locke's father seems to indicate that he was kidnapped. They knew who he was, and Locke was always important to them. It's no stretch to believe that they would seek out his father.

Why did they want Locke to kill his father? It wasn't just Ben who wanted it. The scene didn't make sense in the context it was presented. So I suspect that something more will come of it later that will clarify it.

Perhaps it's a ritual necessary to see Jacob. That would explain why Ben was glad that Locke failed (only going along with it because the other Others wanted Locke to do it).

[Drake Tungsten]

The fact that a point was made that the paramedics smiled at Locke's father seems to indicate that he was kidnapped. They knew who he was, and Locke was always important to them. It's no stretch to believe that they would seek out his father.

Why would they seek out his father? It makes sense if they received some sort of signal that he was needed for something, but otherwise it seems pretty unlikely.

Why did they want Locke to kill his father? It wasn't just Ben who wanted it. The scene didn't make sense in the context it was presented. So I suspect that something more will come of it later that will clarify it.

It makes sense if it was some sort of test. But what kind of test is it? Do you just have to kill your father? That seems rather odd. Or is the test overcoming and moving past the person/event that most affected your life? The latter makes more sense to me. Locke's test was overcoming his father, who pretty much destroyed his life after they met. But what was Ben's test? Overcoming the death of his mother, perhaps? Is it really a coincidence that all the woman on the Island die in pregnancy before the end of their second trimester, the same time at which Ben's mother gave birth to him? Is Ben supposed to find a way to stop those deaths? It would explain why he recruited Juliet (and won't let her leave) and why the Others seemed so obsessed with babymaking...

That would explain why Ben was glad that Locke failed (only going along with it because the other Others wanted Locke to do it).

The relief Ben shows at Locke's failure also makes sense if you look at it as Locke failing a test Ben himself hasn't passed yet. The Others deference to Locke after he came back with his father's body (even while he was beating the crap out of one of their own) may indicate that he's achieved something that no one else had, Ben included.

[DaShi]

But if they needed to test Locke like that, then they would have clearly kidnapped his father in order to perform their test.

[Drake Tungsten]

I agree, but they had to have some way of knowing Locke's dad was needed before they would have kidnapped him. Maybe the "magic box" told them? Kind of hard to speculate until we know exactly what the test is and what the magic box actually is and what it does.

edit: I wouldn't call it "their" test, though. I'm thinking it's a test that's bigger than the Others, maybe one required to commune with the Island or Jacob.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
The relief Ben shows at Locke's failure also makes sense if you look at it as Locke failing a test Ben himself hasn't passed yet. The Others deference to Locke after he came back with his father's body (even while he was beating the crap out of one of their own) may indicate that he's achieved something that no one else had, Ben included.

The Others always worshipped Locke since he performed the greatest miracle they've ever seen: he walked. But at this point, all theories are valid until we know more.

[Guynemer]

A minor detail but nevertheless:

Seven months is well into the third trimester, while I think Juliette said something about women not making it midway through the second, which would be 4-5 months.

[Drake Tungsten]

I thought she said they never made it past their second trimester...

edit:

In "D.O.C.", Juliet states that if the mother conceived off-Island, they will most likely survive the pregnancy. However, if the baby was conceived on the Island, the mother will likely die before their third trimester, as a result of the mysterious issues surrounding the location.

http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Pregnancy

Ben Linus was born on December 22, early in his mother's third trimester.

http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Ben

[Guynemer]

I'd have to see the episode again, but I'm ~80% certain she said midway through the second.

[Geronimo]

In Desmonds earlier visions wasn't he always personally present for the events he foresaw? Isn't his vision of Charlie in the looking glass with a switch the first time he would have had a vision of an event in which he would not be able to personally see the event?

[Dinner]

Hot *****es with guns in underwater bunkers. This series just keeps getting weirder.

[Guynemer]

Originally posted by Geronimo
In Desmonds earlier visions wasn't he always personally present for the events he foresaw? Isn't his vision of Charlie in the looking glass with a switch the first time he would have had a vision of an event in which he would not be able to personally see the event?

No; he saw Charlie drown when trying to save Claire (champion swimmer, my eye) and when trying to catch a bird. He was only present for the fairly awesome arrow through the neck.


Some speculation:
--The Underwater Hotties: are they Others? Dharma? Both? Neither? My best guess: remember that Juliet said that Ben told everyone that the Looking Glass was lost, flooded, and no one had ever been there. That would suggest that none of the Others have been there since the purge. Thus, the answer: one of the Underwater Hotties is Ben's little girlfriend from his childhood, spared from the purge as none of the Others knows she is there. (We can only hope the other Underwater Hottie is her lover. ) They have no way to leave themselves. The only problem with this theory is how are they getting supplies, unless they've got a massive stockpile like Desmond did. (Another question this all raises is why would Dharma want to jam transmissions from the Island?)

--Naomi's story should be sounding fishier by the hour to the 815ers. If her ship is really 18 miles away, where is her rescue? If her ship is really 18 miles away, shouldn't they be able to see the Island(s) visually, let alone with their instruments? Shouldn't someone else already have shown up to investigate? (Granted, it's been strongly hinted that the Island(s) are invisible both visually and to instruments unless you're guided in, know where you're going, or just profoundly ****ing unlucky, but the 815ers have no reason to know this.) Even though her story would make sense in light of what the 815ers don't know about the Island, I think she is full of ****, and not at all who or what she claims to be. I don't think she's with the Others either; they all seemed rather alarmed at Mikhail's news of her. That leaves--Dharma? Some other entity involved with all the goings on?


Who's dying next week? My guesses:

Spoiler:

Poor, poor Charlie will end up dying somehow, though I don't think he'll be shot by the UHs. Claire and Hurley will be devastated. Obviously some of the Others are going down, probably that new tough guy in particular. And Locke may end up dying; if not, Sawyer may bite it trying to help the shooters. I doubt any of the shooters are going anywhere.