Let me say this up front as we delve into our three-part look into The Others: even more so than usual, what will follow is largely speculative. As such, you'll see a lot less of the usual huffery and/or puffery that accompanies my analysis of Lost. I'll reserve that bravado for another day and time, but for now I'll focus on offering as many possible answers to the many questions surrounding this central yet mysterious group of individuals.

Given the dialogue in yesterday's comments, it seems only right that I start off this discussion with my personal definition of The Others. While other people may define them differently, I would personally characterize them as "anyone part of the collective led by Benjamin Linus from the time of The Purge onwards."

That's a fairly clunky definition, to be sure, but I'm trying to deal with an entity with which we've had some interaction. After all, there's quite a bit of evidence demonstrating various civilizations that have made their way (or were brought, depending on your particular point of view) to the Island. But I don't want to term those that built the four-toed statues as "Others." That just wouldn't fit. I want to avoid speculation on the sociological history of the Island from the Big Bang to the Big Crash and focus as much as possible on what we know based on what the show's presented.

The Others have taken on many forms throughout the course of the show: the fever dream of Danielle Rousseau, whispers in the jungle, kidnapping hillbillies, book-club having survivalists, and now, hunted locals. With each twist and turn, or understanding of them and our sympathies towards them have shifted, leaving us ever more confused as to both their true nature and true intent.

After all, the show did something clever in naming this group "The Others." Sure, you can look at this name as a purposefully vague term, meant to be catchy and nothing more, but the word "other" is one that can only stand in contrast to something else. As such, the term really defines a relationship between, not within, particular groups. It functions very much like its predecessor, "The Hostiles," as definition through contraposition. It's a phrase that simultaneously identifies the definer and defined; the words "Others" and "Hostiles" set up immediate boundaries separating two sides into distinct groups.

The problem with this is of course perspective, and it's this perspective that the show exploits in nearly every episode. Calling those native to the island "Hostiles" was the Dharma Initiative's way of linguistically dealing in postcolonialism. It's language as subjugation, inherently placing those in opposition into a morally inferior position to establish authority. The word "Others" doesn't quite have such a ring to it, but nevertheless is an attempt by external parties to forcibly place a definition upon those they do not fully understand.

One can look at our murky understanding of The Others as a byproduct of this distanced viewpoint: while we call them The Others, what do they call themselves? A great deal of Season 4 has focused on Team Locke essentially living the lives that The Others did when Oceanic 815 went down. Does that make Team Locke The New Others? Well, from a matter of the Boaties' perspective, potentially, and there's the rub. We as viewers know our Lostaways in a particular way; those off shore on the Kahana know them quite differently. And such varied perspectives yield names such as "Hostiles" and "Others" and, to quote Faraday Lapidus, "natives."

That latter word is one he applied to Juliet Burke in "Confirmed Dead," and it's an interesting one, given that she'd only lived on the Island a little more than three years. Others, such as Richard Alpert, have been there decades (maybe even centuries) longer than that. Faraday doesn't really care about that difference; he only knows she wasn't on the manifest. But Cindy was on the manifest, and could rightly be called an Other as well by this point. So the word "native" is yet another incorrect way to truly define the Others. Ah, the joys of postmodern storytelling: where so much is possible and so little is definitive.

But let's try and get some definition, shall we? That's what we're nominally here to do. As I said before, I consider The Others to consist of a group of people under the rule of Ben Linus after the Purge. That means we're talking about any and all people from those that helped end the Dharma Initiative through those initiated from Oceanic 815. (Initiation will be covered in tomorrow's entry.) The Others, as presently constituted, consist of people from the following four groups:

1. Remaining members of the Hostile
2. Members of the Dharma Initiative sympathetic to the Hostiles
3. Post-Purge recruits
4. Oceanic 815 recruits

Some Others fall neatly and concretely into one of these categories. Others do not, primarily due to a lack of exposition about their characters. (Quick: categorize anyone in the book club who isn't named Juliet Burke. Exactly.) What is unclear, however, is what the purpose of The Others truly is. Isolated commune? Straight-up cult? Defenders of the Island? These and many other descriptions could be applied and successfully defended, and part of the reason for that is that's it's quite clear that fractures exists within the social structure of The Others.

We'll look at those fractures tomorrow, which will lead into a discussion into what the various groups within The Others truly believe, how it affects the power dynamic within the group, and what this all might have to do with an invisible man inside a cabin. In the meantime, it's your turn to talk about The Others.

What's your definition of "The Others"? If they could name themselves, what would they call their collective? What about the way in which Charlotte and MIles view Team Locke alters your perspective of The Others?

Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude.

Comments

I think the one plot device that is absolute genius in any medium is to keep the identity of the true villains unknown until the last act. With Lost, we have been presented with three distinct groups of people: the survivors of 815; The Others and their sub-groupings; and, although they're not really a group as much as an amalgam of individuals brought together for a singular purpose, The Freighter Folk (or whatever they're actually called). There are also various other individual characters/entitities/organizations that don't fit into any of these groups, but which are still important. Either by design, or because the writers have no bloody idea what they're doing (and I don't think that's the case), each group has its own argument for being either the protagonists or antagonists, with individuals within each group acting as influnces on the labeling of each group. This is great storytelling, because it does what we are doing with these blogs and posts--using logic, deduction and just outright speculation as to who is the real villain. While a show like this could easily go off the rails if too many groups are introduced into the mix, the writers have done a fairly decent job of keeping things tight, with only a few episodes where things were made needlessly complex (choose your own of those that have been mentioned previously).

The Others, as they are called, are only given this label by the survivors of Flight 815, and occasionally in a joking or almost-sneering manner by others on the show. It's like nicknames--you can't give one to yourself; somebody (or several somebodies) has to give it to you. Therefore, the definition of The Others on this show is whoever the survivors of Flight 815 decide are not "them." Of course, this got thrown off-course a bit whenever it was shown that Ethan was not one of "them," and so the definition of who was who was no longer necessarily viable. I'm sure everyone has wondered equally about Sawyer, Locke, Michael, Kate, Sun and even Walt, and if they are truly with the Flight 815 survivors, or if they have other agendas not yet revealed.

For me personally, I'm withholding judgement in a number of instances as to who is what. For now, I'm not going to automatically presume that anybody on Flight 815 is a "good guy," especially since it has already been shown that Ben Linus has mad skills when it comes to manipulating events as he sees fit (so does Widmore, but he's a different story, since he's been allegedly off-island the entire time). If Ben supposedly has a plant on the freighter, who's to say that he also didn't have somebody on board Flight 815 already? Maybe, when all is said and done, the one person who we think is the hero is anything but. Again, this is why Lost is such a great show, because every single character has some flaw that makes them vulnerable to manipulation (with the possible exception of Vincent, but then I'm sure Ben has some tasty doggie treats in a cupboard somewhere). With a few dozen episodes yet to go, I'm sure we have yet to see who may have been on The Island before the events of the first few seasons, who was finally brought together into what is now being called The Others, and who is actually the villain. Sure, speculation is rampant when this show is being discussed, but that's the only way it can be. Until the writers pen the final line of the final episode, we can't do anything else. We may all be wrong, but if the writers are fair and stay true to the quality that the show has displayed so far, I don't think anyone will care if we're so far off base it isn't funny, because it will have been one hell of a great ride.

Dark Disciple | Apr 7, 2008 8:30:10 PM | #

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Small correction: It was Lapidus, no Faraday, who called Juliet a "native." :-)

Xannie | Apr 8, 2008 5:56:44 AM | #

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Agreed that the perspective angle will played out until the very end of this series. The style of writing that has been employed by the writers definitely leaves the us v. them arguments out the window. One can speculate, but the best that we can hope for is some sort of finality that leaves the characters "character" intact. Often, mistakes are made when the writers attempt the "money-shot" with the plot twist on ones true identity. By that, I mean that in the final reveal, you can't have a characters true identity be something that totally flies in the face of the character that you've spent hours (in Losts case multiple hours) getting to know. So can Ben, the head Other, end up being the hero of the series? Yeah, I guess so, but it's going to take a lot of leg work to sell it to the viewers. Oh, and Ryan, that actress, pictured above, could have guest starred on Buffy or Angel as a vampire with no make-up needed. She sceeeeres me! (like Aunt Jemima)

Brian of the North | Apr 8, 2008 6:03:33 AM | #

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Harper is definately naturally creepy. If I saw her in the woods,(or anywhere else but on TV for that matter), I would flee for my life like my cats when my teenage son and his friends come barrelling into the room.
I think the "others" are comprised of Island natives from wherever and whenever across the island, Dharma Initiative crossovers who helped participate in the purge and were, therefore, soared, and newer recruits from off the island such as Juliet.
What bugs me is, the "others" are still doing research, not only fertility research but, mind games, brainwashing, psychological experiments....etc. Why? What exactly is their goal, their purpose, who benefits from their research other than the obvious and unfortunate pregnant woman? Who are they working for? Hanso? That would seem the most obvious choice since Harper had degrees from Hanso and the Passports that both Ben and Michael had had HNSO printed on them. If their purpose is to create a utopian society, isolated from everyone else on the planet, then why bother with the psych stuff? Just focus on keeping the unwanteds off your island and getting your women to successfully reproduce and that's it. Why all the freaky stuff. If they had just let the Losties go home like they wanted to in the first place, the freighter folks would never have found them. Though, poor Des would still be pushing that stupid button.

Chris | Apr 8, 2008 6:47:44 AM | #

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That should say SPARED, not Soared. Sorry

Chris | Apr 8, 2008 6:48:55 AM | #

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I can only imagine if Goodwins wife and Ethan got together. What a creepy baby that coupling would produce (if they could bring it to term)!

Brian of the North | Apr 8, 2008 6:51:35 AM | #

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BOTN-

EGADS MAN!! i just (hopefully) dodged a bullet with last night's dream fodder and you just HAD to go tossing a H-Ethan baby at me, or would it be E-per?

:-)

mri | Apr 8, 2008 7:22:59 AM | #

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I'm not usually a fan of combining names to refer to a couple, but "H-Ethan" as a name for the devil spawn of those two is pretty fantastic. I would so not wanna share a sandbox with that kid.

Ryan | Apr 8, 2008 7:26:01 AM | #

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YIKES!! Scarier than those creepy girls from "the Shining"

"Come play with us.......forever and ever.....

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Chris | Apr 8, 2008 7:44:34 AM | #

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ryan-

yeah, me neither, but i just could NOT resist sharing that one once it popped into my twisted brain...

mri | Apr 8, 2008 9:04:23 AM | #

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Am I the only one who naturally assumed Ehtan and Goodwin are brothers? They remind me of Boromir and Faramir.

Jeff | Apr 8, 2008 9:19:18 AM | #

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You guys got it all wrong. His name would be Thetan and he'd look strikingly like Tom Cruise. True Hellspawn.

Brian of the North | Apr 8, 2008 9:25:43 AM | #

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Chris: if one of the computers starts spitting out "REDRUM," I'm blaming you.

Jeff: so who's Denethor in that formulation? Maybe Ben, who is merely the steward, not king, of the Island? (Man, I need a life.)

Ryan | Apr 8, 2008 9:47:38 AM | #

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re: What Chris said:

Yeah, that's my big burning question, too. Fortunately, the burning is not accompanied by the itching. That's for another forum.

BotN: The sheer thought of ANYONE sleeping with that woman is enough to very nearly make me want to move into a monastery and take a vow of chastity. Bleh.
That chick is nasty cooked, frozen, warmed up and served with a side of gravy.

Ryan: Have we explored the possibility that the brainwashing might be a new thing? A way for the others to replenish their numbers now that the natural reproducitve ways are unavailable to them?

AdSlinger | Apr 8, 2008 9:53:50 AM | #

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Ad: you read my mind. Room 23 will be a part of tonight's entry.

I'm also going to look at how the Others might have lived without being so baby-fixated.

Ryan | Apr 8, 2008 9:56:53 AM | #

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Ryan, Ben would definitely be Denethor.

Jeff | Apr 8, 2008 10:10:40 AM | #

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OK more visual imagery to completely derail this TB...If the Others only way of reproduction is by adding to their population from the outside, what is the Freudian symbolism of a giant jet (with it's wings torn off no less!) slamming into the beach head? Or, sometimes, is a jet just a jet?

Brian of the North | Apr 8, 2008 10:34:01 AM | #

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Kudos to Adslinger BTW.

Brian of the North | Apr 8, 2008 10:35:06 AM | #

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Sorry Ryan, just too many King references to ignore. I'll try not to give you nightmares anymore.

According to Richard Alpert, when he was talking to Locke on that hill, Ben is more concerned with fertility than any of the "others".

Adslinger, you wanna itch too? Think of those pesky spiders that killed Nikki and Paolo.

Chris | Apr 8, 2008 10:37:52 AM | #

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Well, according to Ben, he calls his people "the good guys." Also, I find it very interesting that every time the Others mention themselves by that name (usually when speaking to an 815'er), they're doing it in a sarcastic or mocking tone.

When Ben was being held prisoner in the Swan, he said "these people you consider your enemies" and when Juliet is talking to Jack she says "it's very stressful being an Other." It's almost like they find they very title amusing.

It's clear there are many divisions within the Others. Most of them are because of Ben Linus. Ben is the one kidnapping people NOT on Jacob's lists (Jack, Kate, Sawyer). Ben is the one doing fertility experiments. Ben is the one travelling off-island and recruiting people from the outside world (Juliet). Ben lies to his people and trying to humiliate (and kill) a figure popular among them, like Locke.

As the Season 3 finale showed, it seems like the Others fall into two sides, and these sides could very well be a window into how long the Others have been around. On one side is the Ben Linus loyalists, like Mikhail and Harper (and probably Mr. Friendly). On the other side is Richard Alpert and various people currently at the Temple.

It seems like every time Richard Alpert is in a scene, he seems to be more in-touch with the Island than Ben is. He's really more like Locke, which is probably why Locke is so popular among the Others. It also seems like Richard is exhausted of Ben's schemes and how he is constantly putting the Island and the Others at risk; I would imagine he just wishes everyone - Ben, the 815'ers, the Boaties - would all just leave the Island and let him and his people live in peace.

Alot of this is why Ben said "if my people still wanted me..." Sure, he was probably misleading Locke on purpose when he said that, but it could very well be true; the Alpert clan of Others HAVE had enough of Ben, blame him for the war that is coming, and would be content to see him captured or killed by the Boaties.

Other Sean | Apr 8, 2008 12:22:52 PM | #

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The last few nights reading these, I've felt like I was transported back to fifth grade, when we'd sit on the monkey bars and try to freak each other out. And utilizing circular storytelling and serendipitous coincidences, Pennywise from "It" turned out to be a giant spider, did he/it not? Good in the book, but mighty disappointing in the mini-series. "Big spider? The clown was scarier, man," as my friend Pat said. And so now we have the twin girls from The Shining, standing on the bridge over the lake in my dream, intoning, "Waaaaaaalt! Come play with us, we all flooooat down heeeeeeere!" I'm gonna need therapy after this...or a couple bottles of Glenfiddich, whichever's cheaper.

Dark Disciple | Apr 8, 2008 12:26:34 PM | #

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Dark D.-

don't forget Mrs. Butterworth killing people and making them cry syrup tears.

seriously, BOTN, that was just creepy!!

mri | Apr 8, 2008 2:31:33 PM | #

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I put this on the other blog, but Ryan posted this one at the same time as my comment was posted.

I have been holding back on the King references, but I can't now... I am reading The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger for the first time and I am collecting all of King's works. I have read some King novel's in the past, but I am just drawn to his storytelling nowadays thanks to LOST. I hope I don't run across any spoilers here... So I might would have to wander away for awhile to avoid them.

I don't have anything to say now about LOST, except Ryan noticing the Dharma connection to the Temple. Does anyone think that the station that was supposed to be revealed this season s actually the Temple?

Mark O. Estes | Apr 8, 2008 3:16:33 PM | #

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I put this on the other blog, but Ryan posted this one at the same time as my comment was posted.

I have been holding back on the King references, but I can't now... I am reading The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger for the first time and I am collecting all of King's works. I have read some King novel's in the past, but I am just drawn to his storytelling nowadays thanks to LOST. I hope I don't run across any spoilers here... So I might would have to wander away for awhile to avoid them.

I don't have anything to say now about LOST, except Ryan noticing the Dharma connection to the Temple. Does anyone think that the station that was supposed to be revealed this season is actually the Temple?

Mark O. Estes | Apr 8, 2008 3:16:42 PM | #

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I had originally thought the 'Others' were very much like a cult. Especially with the the way they seemingly kidnapped and brainwashed people. However, we learned that they are a very complicated society composed of Natives, Scientists, Workers, and Outsiders.

Has anyone considered the possibility of Cindy being planted on 815 to bring it down? Also, could she possibly be a spy for Widmore, somehow feeding him information from inside the Others camp?

Someone posted last night, I'm thinking Jeff, theorizing that Ben and his cronies may work for Hanso. We saw Harper's diploma and Ben and Michael's passports have Hanso on them. Could it be Hanso turned on the DeGrotts and Dharma and wanted to use the Island for their own bidding? I have to say, this theory is very intriguing, and I like it very much.

Shaggysteve | Apr 8, 2008 4:25:17 PM | #

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Shaggysteve-

OH.....MY.....GOD!!!!! Cindy as a plant on the plane??! that just totally blew my mind makes a TON of sense too.

mri | Apr 8, 2008 5:30:36 PM | #

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Yeah, I mentioned that in my sermonette up above about a plant being on Oceanic 815. That's what I get for writing books, eh? Stuff gets skipped, hee-hee-hee. And Cindy would be just as good a candidate as anybody (including the pilot, poor sap, because who's going to be able to question him now that the bear has gnawed on him for a late afternoon snack?).

Dark Disciple | Apr 8, 2008 8:11:01 PM | #

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Cindy's much more interesting to me as a convert than a plant, although I can't rule it out. I guess I like the idea of someone turning into an Other THAT QUICKLY really freaks me out and makes Room 23 central to the way Ben runs his ship.

A lot of how this all plays out is just how accidental the engine trouble on Oceanic 815 was...was it mere coincidence, human intervention, or heck, Island intervention? If the Island can stop Michael's gun from going off, it can cause a malfunction on a plane.

Ryan | Apr 9, 2008 9:58:58 AM | #

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testing some stuff

[spoiler]spoiler[/spoiler]

spoiler

Rishi | May 25, 2008 2:58:15 AM | #

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spoiler

Rishi | May 25, 2008 2:59:06 AM | #

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