Ah, you guys haven't been paying attention!!! Locke teased Ben about being able to walk while Ben used a cane. Ben counted on the island's healing power to help him recover quickly, that is why he had Jack do the operation on the island. However, Ben did not recover as quickly as he had hoped and now Locke can hear Jacob, and Locke is living in the Others' compound and running it like Ben did, so maybe Locke is the next Ben and the Losties are the next Others. Remember, so far, we don't know where the Others came from, except the jungle, and they didn't get along with the Dharmites. This may be a cyclical thing of renewing social groups driven mad by the island and being led by someone who believes in the island as an entity.

I don't think Ben is wealthy, I think he has gained control of the assets of the former Dharmites and anyone else that has fallen under his control over the years and he invested wisely. Besides, a guy with fake passports might just print fake money, too.

We don't have to.......we have YOU!

Thanx for the insight.

Ben is the head of the Iluminati, or at least the Knights Templar

No - Ben is not any type of good guy. Now if you said that he was a warlock or something like that, I'd be inclined to believe you Pale.

you are right Pooh, I did not intend to insult anyone - that Ben is a bad man

And, finally, in a recent New York Post article, Damon Lindelof offered this intriguing tidbit of information:

"The flash forward is part of an overall plan for the show," says Damon Lindelof, co-executive producer.

"Season 4 is about who gets off the island and the fact that they need to get back.

Season 5 is about why they need to get back,

and season 6 is about what happens when they get back."

WHEN THEY GET BACK?

Hope this isn't a spoiler for some of you

Spoiler? Heck no! Just gives me something to look forward to. Imagine the flash forwards that are set on the island in the future! We'll be so confused, we'll sign up for a flight on Oceanic Air.

My son's lacrosse game got re-scheduled to tonight because of snow yesterday. I want to grab the coach by the ears and shake him, screaming, "My God, man! Don't you watch Lost?" I'm going to set some sort of land speed record to get home the second the game is over.

Good episode last night! I was disappointed in my theory that the island is in the Sahara didn't pan out, but I liked the "jumping" consciousness effect the island can have on people.

Did anyone catch who the owner of the Black Rock's Captain's log was? Their last name was Hanso! I didn't catch the first name, but it wasn't the name of the Dharma founder, maybe his son? I'm wondering if the log has the coordinates of the island, and Olvar Hanso used them to find the island and start Dharma.

A few decent clues in last night's episode, but the story didn't advance too much. I like Desmond, and I'm glad he's still going to be part of the story.

I think last nights episode explained what happened to all of Russeau's ship mates. She didn't die, because her constant may have been her unborn child.

I think the Black Rock log book auction may have set up the two sides that are now battling for Ben, and Sayid and the girl friend that he killed as the two sides. Hanso and the Dharma project found the island from the log and set up experiments and stations on the island. Widmore got wind of the projects and bought the log and has been looking and mointoring it. I wonder if the boat is Widmore's first attempt to get to the island?

Did Ben's contact on the boat unlock the door for Desmond and Sayid, or was it the pilot? If it was Ben's contact, that could start the story line between Ben and Sayid.

I wonder if Daniel will now be back to "normal" since he found his constant in Desmond?

Maybe the best line ever in the show last night when Daniel put the apron on to protect himself from the radiation, and Desmond asked him what he put on his head.

I thought the best part of last night's show was that Desmond finally, finally got to talk to Penny. I also like Desmond and am glad he will continue to be part of the story.

I think you're right about Desmond being Dan's anchor. If you remember a couple of episodes back, Daniel is at home watching TV when he see a news report about Oceanic 815, and starts to cry. Someone (wife,girlfriend?) asks him why he is crying, and he says he doesn't know. He will probably be doing some time jumping himself.

Someone sent me a picture of the auction scene. The guy sitting in the back looks an awful lot like Ben. I'll be checking the tape tonight. I have the link, but can't seem to post it here.

Upon further review, it wasn't Ben in the auction scene.

And I still can't figure out how to post the link????


There is a rumor/theory circulating that Michael is the 'friend' on the cargo ship that opened the door for Sayid and Desmond. Interesting, he is supposed to show-up somewhere.

My wife thinks that they started the whole time travel thing to account for Walt growing-up???

Oooooh, I like your wife's theory on the time travel thing.

Does anyone know if, since the writers strike is finally resolved, there will be more episodes as originally planned for this season? I haven't been keeping track, but it sure seems like we should be nearing the end of the six episodes they had completed before the strike.

When the strike ended, the producers said they were in discussions with ABC and would like to produce more than the original 6 so that they can bring the season to an end.

If the time-travel theory works, why was Aaron the correct age at the end of the show 2 weeks ago?

I don't think we know if Aaron's age is correct, we don't know when the trial is taking place. Plus, as we have seen, the islands powers have affected people differently, as Desmond had the tinme travle thing but Sayid did not.

I think I read that there are two more shows from the initial set, then 5 or 6 more new ones starting in mid-April.

When Sayid and Desmond got to the freighter and Desmond was acting crazy, they asked if he had been exposed to radiation recently - he had, when the hatch exploded. That seems to be one of the triggers for the flashbacks/forwards.

`

I wonder what effect over exposure to the cooler has on some, there are some very weird posts being made lately - just saying

maybe it is the "Lost effect"

That could be true.......you have been acting a bit 'differently' lately PR

I need to find my way back to the island, or the woods where Pooh's house sits

I was going to say it was because Desmond arrived on his boat and left in the heli, but then I realized that sayid had come in during the plane crash, so I just shot my own theory full of holes. Except for the radiation part.

Pale - first you follow the yellow brick road. When you get to Little Red's house, hang a right. You will shortly come upon the 100 Acre Woods. My little cottage is tucked safely in a grove of willow trees!

oooh Pooh, there is so much work to be done:

counting the bees in the hive, etc

meet you on the corner by 1:00

(I wish I could get back to the days of Christopher Robin)

First, a question. If Charlotte and Daniel were really trying to stop some poisonous gas from escaping, then why would Ben want Juliette to stop them? If the gas escaped and, as Charlotte said, would kill everyone on the island, would it not kill Ben too?

Something admittedly silly that bugs me about this show is how they can all easily roam around the island in the jungle, at night, in a rainstorm, and easily find their destinations. My husband just laughs that this bugs me considering how many more unrealistic things are happening on this show!

If the Red Sox tape that Locke removed from the safe is the same Red Sox tape that they showed to Jack when the Others captured him and wanted him to perform Ben's surgery. . .then the footage Ben had of Mr. Widmore had to be very recently taped, did it not? In "Lost" time, it hasn't been that long since Jack was shown that the Red Sox won the series.

Who is Ben's "man" on the boat? Is it Walt? Walt's dad (whose name escapes me)? Is there any way it could be Sayid, since we know that he is working for Ben in the flash forwards? It surely must be a character we are already familiar with. And of course, they aren't going to tell us any time soon!

Juliette was only trying to stop Charlotte and Daniel because Ben had her convinced that they were trying to release the gas and not make it inert.

Everything about the show is unrealistic, so it makes sense that they can get around the island with ease. The crazy thing is that half the time they have no problem, but the rest of the time they do.

I thought Ben's man on the freighter might be Sayid at first, but he couldn't have been the plant if he was on the island. It may be Michael (Walt's dad). That would actually make sense - so it's most likely incorrect.

Ben wanted to keep the gas, in case he needed to purge any unwanted visitors. As he told Locke, if word got out about the powers of the island, there would be tons of people coming. They in effect disarmed Ben.

I think Michael is the friend on the boat.

I was thinking the same as Hoosier, the tape of Mr. Widmer had to be very recent which means Ben or his people are still getting on and off the island, or he has the whole time travel-thing mastered.