'Lost': The drawing of the three
Back in "The Shape of Things to Come," the general playing field of "Lost" seemed set. What we had watched for nearly four years was in fact a smoke screen, a misdirection, an incorrect prism through which to view the larger picture of the show. What seemed initially like the struggle of some forty-plus survivors on a bizarre Island was in fact just another chapter in the long war between Ben Linus and Charles Widmore. However, Season 5 is showing that not even this is quite correct.
In "Shape," we saw Hurley, Sawyer, and Locke playing a game of "Risk." A strategy game based on the concept of world domination, it was an apt metaphor for the struggle at play in the show. One could start to see the Lostaways, Others, and Dharma Initiative as pieces on the game board manipulated by two men. Perhaps the show pushed this so hard and for so long that it was itself a type of long con that Sawyer himself would admire. Because there was apparently a third party playing the game as well, a party that Linus and Widmore might not even know about.
This party is represented by those that know what lies in the shadow of the statue. I've tried to come up with a cool, pithy name to describe these people, but have thus come up a bit short. Naming them involves understanding their ultimate goal, and let's be frank: we've only had two scenes in which we've seen them state their obtuse agenda. "Some Like It Hoth" expanded on the few cryptic lines spoken by Ilana and Bram in "Dead is Dead," and left us with the clear sense that the Oceanic 6 were not the only people put upon Ajira 316 with a destination other than Guam in mind.
The likeliest candidate as head of The Shadow Folk is Eloise Hawking. She could very well be the Loki of "Lost," the Norse God of mischief that revels in disorder and chaos. This could explain her extreme interest in Desmond, a man for whom the rules of paradox don't apply. If you wanted to change something in the past in order to create a new future, he'd be the guy you'd want to set loose.
Under this theory, Hawking exploited the Oceanic 6 in order to sneak her own people into the Island. It was not enough for her to know where the Island would be using the Lamp Post as a guide; she needed the O6 to recreate the conditions of the original crash. Some might say that if Eloise wanted to sneak her people in, she could have been lying about the whole "recreation" aspect, which has always felt a little weird. However, if she didn't need the O6, why bother involving them at all? Wouldn't it be easier to simply play dumb and put Ilana and Co. on the plane by themselves?
One could posit that Bram and Company are simply Others living off the Island, much like Jill, the butcher that kept Locke save while Ben gathered the 06. But Miles' conversation in "Eggtown" with Ben negates this possibility, in my mind. Ben's unknowing look over Miles' $3.2 million dollar request suggests that Bram never conveyed Miles' request in the van before heading on the Kahana. That further suggests Ben doesn't know Bram, which means Bram works for a third party.
Next, look at Ben's short conversation with Ilana on the beach before heading to the Temple. It's a stunningly banal conversation, but achieves something monumental.
ILANA: Hello.
BEN: What's in the crate?
BRAM: Just some stuff we need to get moved.
BEN: Need a hand?
BRAM: Oh, thanks. We got it.
BEN: Okay. Have a great day.
When I first saw this scene, I thought everything was code, as if Ben gave her a "go" order that only the two of them would understand. But now, I see it as a recon conversation, with Ben noting her as an adversary. It's unclear if he understands her true purpose, but his Spidey sense goes off all the same.
So, it HAS to be Eloise, right? Wrong. It's quite likely that it's her, but she's not the only option here. A lot of readers here noted the similarity between the question about the statue and another famous question in "Lost" history: "What did one snowman say to the other?" This led them, and others, to suggest that what we're witnessing is a rebirth of the Dharma Initiative in some capacity. But this ain't yo' momma's DI; it's lean, mean, and ready to finish whatever job it didn't finish the first time around. Much less polar bear poop and much more exotic matter.
But hey, maybe it's both! Maybe it's Eloise Hawking as the new Charles DeGroot, abandoned by her people, helping the remnants of the real world Initiative take back what was lost in the Purge. (Dharma+Hostiles=Dhostiles! Pithiness achieved!) This would explain Hawking's presence in the Lamp Post, which seems quite frankly heretical for a former Island native. It also might finally explain the pallet drop from Season 2, and the relatively untouched nature of the Swan post-Purge. There's something quite sinister about the Swan at this point; not only from the black jumpsuits worn by those working on it, but the sense that the Swan wasn't originally constructed as a mere research facility.
I will confess I am not leaning in any particular way. I will say that this "Shadow of the Statue" business has taken a season that lost some of its initial way and reinvigorated it with a mystery that should sustain us through the season's final three episodes.
Which of the three options seems most likely to you? Or have a missed a fourth, fifth, or sixth option that seems probable to you? Tell me below!
Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude. He invites you to join the hundreds already in Zap2It's Guide to Lost Facebook group. He also encourages you to subscribe to the Zap2It's Guide to Lost Twitter feed. He also wants to remind you about tomorrow night's live chat!
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I'm sticking with my theory that the Status folks are DI. Hawking in the Lamp Post doesn't bother me any more than The Others living in the Barracks; once the war (Purge) was over, The Others took over DI ***ets, both on and off the Island.
What really convinces me that the Shadow team is the reconstituted DI is the (semi-canonical) video Pierre Chang makes with Faraday in the background. ***uming this got through to Ann Arbor, it makes sense that the DI would try to retake the Island. Probably took them so long because they lost the Lamp Post to the Hostiles.
Nice Dark Tower reference, for one. I always sort of thought the Blast Door Map reminded me of the Beams of the Dark Tower. And the Tower itself seems a good analogy for the island, doesn't it? Something around which the whole of reality centers?
As to the question at hand, I'm definitely in the "reconstituted Dharma" camp. I think the producers have been hinting at that via the ARGs, the riddle p***words, and other things. Especially the Chang/Faraday video, as Malcontent said.
A Dharma reboot seems to be the likely candidate. Being as Faraday is in the Chang video, it would make sense that his mother, Ms. Hawking, is also involved.
I've thought this for sometime. I really feel like the show is heading in a new direction (yet, was planned all along!) The 815'ers are very important to the story (and we'll find most are connected to the island, and in many cases probably been on the island before)... I think we're really going to find that the show is about Eloise, Charles, Ben, (don't forget Christrian), Dr. Pierre, and Richard and the "battle for the island". We've heard Desmond say "we're being used as pawns" and they've eluded to a "war" and "sides" several times. In Some Like It Hoth we got a big clue that Eloise is in fact a team. When Bram siad you're playing on the wrong team, we could infer he is working for Ellie since she organized the 316 flight. Or they can be a Darma 2.0 group (Ilana and Bram). The code, "the shadow of the statue" could be a "test" for who is in the group or not. This is how Terrorist cells operate (well, at least how it is shown in movies). They don't know who is a part of their group. I feel like Widmore, Ellie and Ben are all at odds, but we're not sure who is "good" and who isn't. I wouldn't be surprised if we're going to find out that Ben is the "hero" of it all. Don't forget about Sun and Christian and her "journey". She also met with Widmore before coming back to the island. Who knows who she is working for... no doubt Christian has plans for her. Many people seem to think Christian isn't alive, but why not. When flight 316 crashed, Locke was resurrected ... can't we believe that Christian was resurrected when 815 crashed? Remember, Ellie said the flight had to be as close to 815 as possible to work. I really feel like once the show wraps up, it will be the "losties" and "island originals" we care most about.
Great article, Ryan. I gotta say I'm sticking to my these-are-the-inheriters-of-the-Island / secret order of Island acolytes theory. It may be zany, but I'm a zany mofo.
I just think a question like "what lies in the shadow of the statue" points more towards the ancient history of the Island and not something Ben, Wimore or Hawking would be truly concerned with, and certainly not the DI. Heck, maybe they're Richard's people (or even as old as Richard) for all we know.
I like the idea that this group could act as a device to uncover a lot of the hidden layers that exist on the Island and in a way kind of point our Losties in the direction they need to be going heading into season 6, either as allies or antagonists.
At the very least, I've got a feeling that this group will in some way be the key to the entire engame of the show. Or I'm wrong again.
"Or I'm wrong again."
If that doesn't sum up our experiences with this show, nothing does. Good job, JeffC - as Ryan says, "pithiness acheived!"
I do agree that the "shadow of the statue" question implies a detailed knowledge of Island history; however, that doesn't knock out the DI as a possibility. We haven't seen Ellie yet with the Others during the '70's; perhaps she defected to the DI due to some dispute with Widmore and/or Richard. That could explain why she has access to the Lamp Post. Her knowledge, the DeGroots' personnel, and Hanso's munitions could make for a powerful team.
Or, I'm wrong again!
As I've said all along: I think Hawking + New Dharma are behind Ilana and Co. and I'm guessing even in the past (while still on the island) Hawking may have been working for Dharma pre-purge (kind of like the opposite of Ben who was working for the Others while he was still with Dharma). Perhaps when the Others find out, they ban her and go forward with the Purge.
I don't know how Charles knowing about Hawking's whereabouts fits into all this...Just some thoughts...lol
I agree it doesn't rule out Hawking and the DI, per se, but I like the danger and mystery of a hitherto unknown group of Island descendants mucking up everything Ben and Widmore have been putting into place.
Something about that metal crate instantly makes me think that they've brought some lost relics back with them that need to be inserted into various old stone keyholes in the Temple (or maybe in the shadow of the statue) to activate/deactivate something that is very bad (which is why they were lost in the first place). Maybe I'm too much in Indiana Jones territory, but I like me some Dr. Jones, so sue me :)
Someone more versed in this than I may be able to add/poke holes in this: what if the box is a type of sarcophagus, with both relics and a body inside? Kinds were buried with treasure and supplies, yes?
Had a weird thought on the way in that Ilana and Co. put the real John Locke in there, as we only have her word that Locke mysteriously appeared on the shore in the middle of the night. And we know now we shouldn't trust her at all. Way out there, I know, but it was a fun thought all the same.
What lies in the shadow of the statue is JUGHEAD. Lets look at who knows this, at least "who" in a sense that is relevant to the three groups you think are operating Ryan. Eloise Hawking, Charles Widmore, Richard Alpert, and possibly Daniel Faraday, and Swayer. I say possibly the latter two as we know they "jumped" soon after Faraday told them to bury the bomb and do not know if they ever saw the bomb being buried. This being information that can only possibly be known to a select few, or a select few with whom these select few have chosen to share this information. Perhaps with a small group of people working with, or for, Eloise, Richard or Widmore, a small group who may not even know everyone else who is involved, the answer would indicate a friend, someone on the same team perhaps even in another "group". Ryan, this would tell me that this "third" group possibly has "agents" in the other groups, all of whom are not necessarily known to each other.
Ryan, if you are right about three groups in conflict, I would think it would be Widmore/Eloise, Richard/Ben and Dharma, with the Island/Jacob using our lostaways as a way to take back some measure of control over a situation that has spun out of control, with a Buried Atomic Bomb threatenting the very existence of the Island itself. This brings me to another thoery I have, which is, if "I" lose this war your not going to have the Island either, as I am going to blow it up.
To the "Island", this would not be acceptable. For me, the large crate we saw Bram and Co. wheeling when questioned so "innocently" by Ben was a way to contain and/or transport the bomb off the Island. It did not contain weapons, it was for a weapon. That group is acting on orders from someone to safely remove or contain JUGHEAD.
To me, the show put out the idea of a buried bomb for a specific purpose. I do not think "Jughead" was a "filler" episode on the road of time travel the "leftbehinders" travelled in any way. That Bomb is somewhere on that Island and only a few people know where it is. Regardless of what side you are on, that knowledge, I think, is very, very important to someone and without question fits prominently into the rest of the show.