LOST: "The Man Behind The Curtain" Analysis and Comments

Benjamin Linus

Lets start here, with Ben.  The "father issues" theme that seems to plague so many of our other characters (Jack, Locke, Sawyer, Hurley, Kate, Walt...  hm. All of "the good ones!" Well, Jin and Sun also I guess.) also seems to be a factor in Ben's past.  Curious isn't it?  I wonder why this theme is so prevalent.  I really don't have an answer for that question.  I just think it's strange that it plagues all of them, and so obviously.

In doing it though, they've knocked Ben down a few notches, from "eccentric tyrant leader" to "troubled psycho leader" perhaps.

Couple this with the way Locke has chipped away at the way the Other's see Ben, and we've turned him into a real person, with real issues.  Suddenly he doesn't seem so cold and conniving, well not as much anyway.

The "Hostiles"

So it would seem there is indeed more to "Richard Alpert" (if that is indeed your real name!) than we've been shown before!  He's one of the original "natives!"  Although "native" is probably a loaded term.  "Persons there before DHARMA" is probably a better description.  What does he know about the nature of the island that he hasn't shared?  Obviously he knows something, judging from his reaction to the young Ben.

It's my theory that he, and the rest of "the natives" are descendants of the Black Rock's complement.  Crew and slaves alike.  I know its been talked about elsewhere before, but I don't think there's another explanation.  If you've got one, please share! I want to hear it!

The big question that presents itself now, though is: "Why hasn't Alpert aged a day in the last 30 years?!?!"  Is this somehow related to the whole "infertility" thing?   Are they not descendants of the Black Rock's crew at all, but in fact the crew of the ship?  Somehow made immortal, or at least un-aged by the island?  The mythical and sought after "fountain of youth" found?

I mean, dude, this opens an entirely new door on this.  It also brings that rotten old hunk of ship to the forefront.  John's taking Cooper there was no accident.

There's another option I just thought of.  What if the "natives" were former DHARMA employees who discovered the true nature of the island, and having realized the truth, simply up and left?  Having "communed" with the island, they gained some special insight (and powers it seems, along with youth) and were treated as "enemies" of DHARMA and the whole "hostiles" bit is just "spin?"  Ouch!

And who was fighting who?  Were the natives defending themselves against the DHARMA menace? Or was DHARMA trying to protect themselves against the "native" incursion?

I don't think we've discovered yet who "the bad guys" really are.  Not yet.

There is another thing to think about here also.  Young Ben heard the same whispering that the beachies heard so many times in season one, and then he discovered the "natives."  I'll get to that in a minute.

DHARMA

And what of this entity we've come to know as "The DHARMA initiative?"

On the surface they seem to be a strange sort of hybrid of the stereotypical "hippie commune" and some sort of "Maoist" uniformed revolutionaries.  60's "hippie" communism carried through to its logical conclusion, from a political science/sociology point of view?  And what of their "mission?"

There's more to the background story there than we've been told.  Not as much anymore, but still more to know.

It also explains Mikhail and the Flame, and the "video menu" Locke uncovered.  I'm betting Mikhail came to the island with some updated technology, and was promptly "captured" by the Others.  Having little other choice he did their bidding.  It's clear that they hold something over his head anyway.

We know they built the fence, and we know why.

"Native Wildlife"

I assume that when the good Dr. Candle spoke of the fence keeping out the "native wildlife" that he was speaking about your friend and mine, Cerberus, the smoke monster, "Old Smokey," whatever name you want to give it.  Obviously DHARMA didn't know anything about it.  If they did they weren't telling the crew at the barracks.  Covering up a failed experiment?  Maybe.  Doubtful though.

And the natives, now the Others?  From Juliet's comments a few episodes ago it seems clear that they don't know what it is either!  At least if they (meaning Richard and the other OG's) know they didn't tell any of the new guys.

Meaning that "Cerberus" has little to do with either group.  It's tied to the island.  It's not a bunch of "nanites" or a big machine on rails or anything else.  Interesting then they found a way to keep it at bay, with technology.  Hmmm.

I think also that we just had the entire polar bear situation explained to us, somewhat indirectly.  They were released (or escaped) during or after the purge, and took up residence in that other cave.  Although it remains to be seen who the jumpsuit there belonged to, and which kid was playing with toys there....

The Visions

From Richard's comments to young Ben, it seems clear he knows something about Ben's visions of his mother.  Again, what has he not told the rest of the Others?  Or at least something we don't know.

Its clear that his group understood the island had something to do with it, and that if you saw the visions, that you were somehow special.

So what's that mean for our survivors?  Locke, Jack, Kate, Hurley... they've all had these visions too.  They also were considered "good ones" by Ben. 

Ah, but lets throw a wrench into that.  Shannon.  She had visions too if you remember, of Walt.  If she had survived, would she have been "on the list?"

Mittelos Bioscience

OK, so lets go back to our pal Richard.  If in fact he was one of those on the island before DHARMA, then what is the deal with the whole "Mittelos Bioscience" charade?  "Lost Time" or not, it seems strange to me that they'd utilize the resources of DHARMA (and get away with it I might add) to bring more people to the island.  And what is the real aim here?  Richard spoke to Locke of bigger and grander goals than the fertility issues.  Don't have much more to add to that right now.

Jacob

What or who is Jacob?  We "met" him, I suppose, but we really didn't, did we?

I can't decide right now between a few of my personal theories on Jacob:

1. Jacob equals "The Island" equals "Cerberus" equals "something evil."  This is the main one I'm leaning towards at the moment.  If you look at it this way, and then figure in Desmond's experiences with the "guardian angel" types he's run into so far...  AND you consider Ben's comment about Jacob hating technology, couple with the fact that the only thing keeping Cerberus at bay is the sonic fence....  Yeah, I know, its a little weird.  We just went from the realm of "The X-Files" to something bigger, a supernatural clash of good vs. evil.  With plot devices.  I'm not sure I like it right now.
   
2. There is a person behind all of this.  A real live mortal person pulling the strings behind the curtain if you will.  If so then who and why?  Too many questions once we start down that road.  Doesn't explain all the supernatural stuff going on.
   
3. Something sci-fi at work.  I hope this isn't the case.  This explanation would contain more plot devices than a season of Star Trek.
4. Something else I haven't thought of yet.  But C&D have.  Probably the case

The Q & A

The big one we're left with here is:  Will "Jacob" save Locke from certain death?  If he is our classical hero figure as we've been shown, then he can't die.  Not yet.  Or at least if he does, he has to be magically resurrected.  How trippy would that be?

I think I ran down everything else above.  If I left anything out, please feel free to put the smackdown on me.

I'm still trying to make more sense out of it, these are just the things I thought of last night and this morning.  I will probably come up with more and contradict most of what I just said.