In yesterday's look at The Others, I mentioned the frustration that comes from trying to pin down one sole modus operandi for the group. The Lostaways' inability to adequately defend themselves for so long stemmed from this lack of knowledge, and even by the end of Season 3 of Lost, it's not as if they'd arrived at some epiphany by which they suddenly understood the psychological makeup of their antagonists. They simply had a pile of dead bodies and a host of unanswered questions.

We as viewers know more than the Lostaways about The Others, but it's not as if the insight we've gleaned leads to a completely clear picture of their machinations. It's somewhat clearer, to be sure, but The Others themselves possess far more knowledge than either the Lostaways and the viewers when it comes to their true purpose on the Island.

And what is that purpose, pray tell? That all depends on whom you ask. The Others themselves seem split into two groups: those that continue to accept Ben as their leader and those who seek alternate leadership. The key, as pointed out by many of you already, lies in this conversation between Richard Alpert and John Locke during the episode entitled "The Brig."

RICHARD: Ben knew you weren't gonna kill your own father. He put you in front of everyone in our camp just so they could all watch ya fail.

LOCKE: Why?

RICHARD: Cause when word got back here that there was a man with a broken spine on the plane who could suddenly walk again, well, people here began to get very excited because that, that could only happen to someone who was extremely special. But Ben doesn't want anyone to think you're special, John.

LOCKE: And why are you telling me this?

RICHARD: Ben has been wasting our time with novelties like fertility problems. We're looking for someone to remind us that we're here for more important reasons.

LOCKE: What do you want from me?

RICHARD: I want for you to find your purpose.

As you recall, Richard worked with Ben to enact the Purge due to Ben's relationship with the Island. This suggests the Hostiles were themselves people who treated the Island in much the same way that Locke did upon first arriving. But it also suggests that life after The Purge didn't truly sit well with The Hostiles, who might have enjoyed a Dharma-less life but didn't necessarily deem Barrack life one worth living, either.

Think for a bit about the treatment of John Locke on the show during the first four years. Season 1 and Season 3 Locke are qualitatively different from those seen in Seasons 2 and 4. The fundamental difference between these two Lockes? The former exists within nature, the latter shields himself from it through man-made edifices designed in opposition to, not harmony with, the Island. And it's possible that such an effect could also have happened those that rid the Island of the Dharma Initiative only to turn into a group of people with plumbing problems and book clubs.

Amidst all this, new recruits are consistently brought to the Island, post-Purge, as either a response to the fertility issues that arose or merely as a means to Ben Linus' ends. So long as everyone thought that Ben merely acted as a conduit to Jacob, all was well. And if people started to question either Ben or Jacob, well, there was Room 23, co-opted from the Dharma Initiative as place where people could be "educated." Such a trend---those who overthrow a regime turning into the very regime itself---is a hallmark of literature ("Animal Farm") and popular culture (The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again"), and the dissension within the ranks of The Others could stem from Ben's abuse of power for his own benefit.

The world-wide story that is Lost somewhat mirrors the tension between the two groups: while Team Alpert is Island-centric, Team Linus is global is scope, using the front of Mittelos Biosciences in order to conduct essentially black-ops missions around the world. While we see Richard working for Mittelos in 2001, it's clear that during Juliet's stay on the Island his patience with Ben has worn thin. After all, given Richard's seeming agelessness, one wonders how The Hostiles viewed the notion of procreation in the first place. Did they simply accept the Island's seeming Fountain of Youth in exchange for not propagating, or did they experience similar fertility issues years/decades/centuries earlier? In any case, Ben's obsession with childbirth may not have started the schism within The Others, but it certainly widened it.

So one can safely posit that the years after the Purge saw Ben fall in Richard's eyes from savior to false prophet: a man content with Barracks living, cutting-edge experimental science, and dictatorial rule rather than open, communal, symbiotic existence with the Island. Even the very place he sent them at the end of Season 3, The Temple is not an ancient sanctuary built by ancient civilizations, but another Dharma station. What many of us assumed to be a place of hollowed ground is merely one with reinforced steel.

So while it's easy to state the mission statement of Team Alpert ("Yeaaaaa Island!"), it's much more difficult to define Team Linus' goal. We know Linus inspires insane loyalty amongst some of The Others (Mikhail, those in the Looking Glass), and does so through a combination of psychological manipulation and religious zealotry ("God Loves You and He Loved Jacob") that instills levels of fanaticism that cannot be overcome through force of logic. It's not enough to simply state that Ben abuses people's belief in Jacob in order to subject them to his own plans. We need to know why he does the things he does, risks the loyalty of those who previously followed him blindly, and threatens the very nature of the Island itself.

At the center of such mysteries is the figure of Jacob himself, the core conundrum and Rosetta Stone of the Others. To understand him, his identity, and his relationship with Ben is to understand everything else. And as such, we'll leave that discussion until tomorrow so we can deal with it in further detail. We'll also take a closer look at Room 23 and see just what it and Jacob might have in common.

But that shouldn't stop you from putting your own thoughts and feelings down for all the Internet to see. Are there more factions within The Others, or simply the two mentioned here? How much sway would you say Ben still holds over The Others? What function does Room 23 serve in the maintenance of order amongst the group?

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

Comments

Perhaps Ben knows that the Others have turned on him. Ben then tells Michael to somehow have the freighter-folk believe Ben is at the Temple. Therefore, the freighter folk attack the Temple killing, or at least attempting to kill, the Others. However, I am not sure how Michael would accomplish this without drawing attention to himself. Unless, as a result of Sayid turning him in, he is forced to give up Ben's location on the Island. Whatever the case, it is possible that Ben did not send the Others to the Temple to protect them but rather get rid of them, as he has no use for them anymore.

Shaggysteve | Apr 8, 2008 7:34:35 PM | #

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For those who have the means to play it, I recommend picking up a copy of the video game Bioshock, which deals with similar themes as The Schism. As with all ostensibly-Utopian communities, something goes wrong, and the aftermath of this grand experiment is what is explored during the course of the game. No, it has nothing to do with Lost, but it's still worth a look for those interested in similar ideas and thematic elements. If this show ever does get to the stage where they can put out a large companion book, I'd be interested in seeing a bibliography (or at least a list) of all the sources the writers used while creating the various mythologies of Lost. If this is supposed to be a parallel view of the actual Earth, then I'm sure they used both fictional and non-fiction materials to create their world. In some ways, Lost is a lot like a video game (a well-done one, anyway) in that you are introduced to characters somewhat slowly (and always in a manner so that you never get a complete picture of them); there is a locale of some sort to explore (be it a made-up world or the back streets of London); and the story is only revealed in pieces, with later information coming after a great deal of exploration, dialogue and gameplay. While I have no desire to play a video game based on the show (even those "official" ones that have been given the blessing of the creators), I can now see how certain video games that I have played have parallels to events on Lost. Maybe that's why people like me have patience to keep with the show, while those who expect instant gratification have no use for Lost. In any case, we don't have much longer to wait for the rest of the season. In the meantime, I'll give Bioshock another run-through to see if I missed anything.

Dark Disciple | Apr 8, 2008 8:23:54 PM | #

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Dark Disciple, The Last time I played Resident Evil 4 it gave me a Lost vibe, so I understand what you mean.

As for the Temple, whenever I hear of it I think of "Beneath the Planet of the Apes," even more so now that we know the Temple is a station. This association isn't good, since the only thing I can picture is Richard Alpert leading the Others in their daily prayers to the Almighty Bomb. ;-)

Xannie | Apr 9, 2008 5:43:13 AM | #

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Great summary of the Others, Ryan. Focusing on the relationship between Benjamin and Jacob, I think we'll eventually find out that Jacob has been captured, or contained, by Ben. Why? We'll Ben seems to have had one motivation from the get-go; control. Hear me now, believe me later. He's limited access to Jacob through fear. He's threatened by Lockes ability to commune/communicate with Jacob. The ash surrounding the cabin is only further indication of containment. Obviously, the ash doesn't keep people out! But methinks that Ben's control over Jacob is tenuous, at best. Oh one last thing. The eye, that Hurley saw through the hole in the cabin, belonged to Aunt Jemima. Dharma Syrup rules, dude!

Brian of the North | Apr 9, 2008 6:15:39 AM | #

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OK, Lostpedia does make mention of the Temple as a Dharma station. I am not totally on board with this theory but, if it is,as Lostpedia theories also (well theorizes), it could very well be the yet undiscovered Orchid Station where Dr. Marvin Candle (or one of his aliases) was doing time travel experiments with rabbit number 15.

On another note, I hadn't thought that Ben would send his followers with Alpert to the Temple to be wiped out!!!!That's a truly frightening thought because he just sent his "daughter" there. Maybe Ben is the one who wants to kill everyone on the island and not the frieghter people. No, that can't be either because miles did not disagree when Ben said that the freighter folks are the ones who wanted to kill everyone. I'm confused today.

That is not Aunt Jemima in the window!!! That is little vampire Danny Glick scratching at the window....happy nightmares.

Chris | Apr 9, 2008 6:59:40 AM | #

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Ryan, that article is one of your best! Kudos.

Be forewarned, I’m about to venture into pure speculation. But, it’s fun to speculate, so hear me out…

You touch on a very good point about Ben. While he sees himself as a protector of the Island, he fails to embrace the Island itself and instead puts it in beakers and test tubes, hoping, through science, to either understand its inner workings or to work them to his benefit. He is the man of science in the Others community; a man who may have overthrown the DHARMA Initiative, but still sees the Island through the eyes of a scientist. Richard Alpert, on the other hand, is a man of faith, holding a holistic belief in the Island itself, rather than its various unique properties.

Ben is, as you've put it, a false prophet. He was the golden child of the natives, brought to the Island from the outside, but one with a deep connection to the Island itself. He was seen as the one who would end the destructive presence of the DHARMA Initiative and restore the Island to peace. Richard's plan was flawed, however, because he did not fully understand who Ben was. Ben was more than a boy with a special connection to the Island. He was a boy with a deep scar on his psyche, given to him by his own father; a man who loathed his son and blamed him for causing his mother’s death. This scar made Ben different from the other children. He became introverted, awkward and angry. His hatred of DHARMA stemmed from his hatred of his father. Removing the cause of his anguish didn’t stop the symptoms of it, however, and he became obsessed with that which he removed. He went back to the empty stations of the DHARMA Initiative and continued their research.

But why? Well, Ryan, I think you have an excellent theory when it comes to Benjamin’s motivations: Annie. Annie is Ben’s one and only love. He has kept her in his heart all these years and for good or ill, she has shaped Ben into the person he is now. We don’t know what happened to her, but I think your theory is the best one I’ve heard so far: Annie died tragically, being perhaps the first victim of the fertility crisis that now plagues the Island.

Ben lost Annie because of the Island; the same Island he loves and defends. His connection with it was tarnished by his inability to commune with it, his desire to understand it through science and his obsession with filling the void inside of him left by his father. Through losing that connection Ben and the one person he cared about became vulnerable to the Island’s will. By the time Juliette is recruited, Ben has lost Annie and has a cancerous tumor growing inside him. He has bent the entire focus of the Others away from the Island itself, toward protecting the Island from outside forces and, more importantly, solving the fertility problem that has scarred him more deeply than his father ever could have.

Enter John Locke, the new prophet. He has fallen from the sky, was crippled but can now walk. He understands the Island and embraces it. He knows in his heart that his destiny is tied to the Island itself. John Locke is the living, breathing representation of everything Richard and the natives believe in. His story is not so different from Ben’s. His whole life has been nothing but one tragedy after another, filled with fear and loneliness, and he carries the same scar from a father who didn’t love him. He is a fundamentally different person, however, because he is and always has been a man of faith; one who is willing to embrace the unknown and who believes his life serves a purpose. I think he will eventually become the new leader of the Others and live out his days serving the Island. Ben, on the other hand, for all his cunning and intelligence, will have a tragic end, I think.

Jeff | Apr 9, 2008 7:52:22 AM | #

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I think Ben still has some pull as the Others leader. This is especially true if they were the shooters at the end of Karl and Danielle; since Ben has been gone for so long, unless he psychically communicated to the Temple, then the Others there would have no way of knowing he wanted Alex's companions shot on sight. Yet they still shot them instinctively, just because they knew Ben would want it.

But that assumes too much, I think. In the end, although a number of the Others may not like Ben and the direction he's taken their group, they understand he has a personal connection to their "god" Jacob and that, although he's a ruthless SOB, he may also be the only person who can keep them safe from the Boaties that are coming to kill them.

Other Sean | Apr 9, 2008 8:09:08 AM | #

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Great job, Jeff.
Darlton have said that Annie will play a big part in Ben's story before the end of the series. I soooooooo look forward to seeing more of Ben's backstory with Dharma before the purge, maybe leading right up to the purge.That flashback will give us a lot more insight into what Ben's true motives really are.

Chris | Apr 9, 2008 8:13:28 AM | #

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great points, jeff! i think that while Locke is poised to be the next Man of Faith for the Island, if he makes the wrong choices (per ryan's discussion of Locke in odd seasons=super man vs. Locke in even seasons=super wuss) he could also fall from the Island's grace like Ben has. i feel like Locke has been offered this choice many times (open the hatch or don't open the hatch, go live in hatch or live in the wild, blow up the hatch or don't, etc.) and sometimes he chooses correctly (i.e. ths things the Island wants: blow up hatch, live in wild) and sometimes he doesn't (open hatch). i hope that eventually he becomes the Island's wild man, as the Island wants him to be.

how about this for some pure conjecture: Locke regains his cojones and solidly affirms himself as the Island's Man of Faith and goes to live out his days in the jungle with Danielle. they eventually die and are the Adam and eve skeletons from season 1.

mri | Apr 9, 2008 9:02:50 AM | #

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OOOO!! or even higher on the wild speculation scale:

Locke becomes the Island's M.O.F. and in doing so, figures out not only the fertility problem, but fixes those deaths connected to it. thus ANNIE pops back ti life and THEY are Adam and Eve.

'kay, wild speculation over...

mri | Apr 9, 2008 9:05:46 AM | #

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Other Sean, I don't think Jacob is the ruthless god that you make him out to be. He seems ruthless only because Benjamin has been his mouthpiece for so many years. I'm betting man and I'd bet that Ben has found a way to trap Jacob for his own purposes.

Brian of the North | Apr 9, 2008 9:22:59 AM | #

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As far as the Temple being a Dharma station, the link provided shows the word "Temple" handwritten, which means that Dharma may have called it something else entirely. I think your speculation about it being the Orchid is great, and makes intuitive sense, but what about the work inside the hatch causes the Others to call it a temple? Hmmm....

Ryan | Apr 9, 2008 9:24:01 AM | #

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I finally found some video regarding the true nature of Smokey. Check it out....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC5HZzjjI9Y

Brian of the North | Apr 9, 2008 9:28:31 AM | #

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Ryan, I am guessing that the Orchid station may provide a way off the island by means of (and I am NOT a big fan of this) teleportation/time travel to another, safer location. Who knows how sophisticated the Orchid station's research had become since rabbit 15 made his appearance x2.

Chris | Apr 9, 2008 10:04:06 AM | #

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My guesses are as follows:

The Temple is not a Dharma station; or if it is, then I am in agreement that it may or may not be the Orchid.

Ben is using Jacob for his own good, just like he uses everyone else. I think that might be the reason for the "Help me" message to Locke, and thus Ben's shooting of Locke.

I think it most likely that Ben had Danielle and Karl killed, because he doesn't like people trying to take what's his. Reference Juliet and Goodwin and Locke and Jacob for more details.

The more I see of him, the less I like him. Ben is becoming the sleazy, freaky, creepy little man that always stand behind the bigger people and pulls their strings. If his ultimate demise is to be fed slowly into a rock crusher, a la Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, then my PVR and I will spend an afternoon with a beer and some popcorn watching that over and over again in slow-motion.

Alas, I digress.

AdSlinger | Apr 9, 2008 10:26:38 AM | #

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I disagree that Ben had Danielle and Karl killed. Those were freighter commandos, straight up.

Jeff | Apr 9, 2008 11:19:11 AM | #

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Re: Brian of the North

I meant that Ben is ruthless, not Jacob. There's not enough evidence for me yet to make a call on Jacob's personality, beyond "extremely spooky."

Other Sean | Apr 9, 2008 12:09:39 PM | #

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I agree about Danielle and Karl. At first I thought it was Ben because of his history of "getting rid of" anyone who would take what's his (thinking that He didn't want Danielle or Karl interfering with his relationship with his daughter); which, I'm sure is what the writers want us to think. However, the copter and Lapidus were missing from the freighter; where are they? What's their mission? Did Sayid let on that Linus has a daughter on the island, a girl that he kidnapped from Rousseau? He DID expose Michael without hesitaion. Could it be that Ben is holding this over Sayid's head (giving him a shot at redemption like Michael)and that's why Sayid has to do his bidding after the "rescue"?

Chris | Apr 9, 2008 12:28:48 PM | #

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i dunno, i still like Ben for Danielle and Karl's murders...maybe b/c i want Ben to go ahead and be eeeevil (like the froo-its of the de-vil) instead of still hanging onto the the "we're the good guys" thing. or, if he stil is a good guy, haveing to justify their murders.

mri | Apr 9, 2008 1:00:37 PM | #

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Chris, I don't think Sayid told anyone about Ben's daughter, I think the Freighties knew before they even arrived.

Jeff | Apr 9, 2008 1:04:10 PM | #

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Oh hell yes! According to Ausiello, there's the possibility of a 14th hour of Lost this season! http://community.tvguide.com/blog/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/700000049.

Jeff | Apr 9, 2008 1:22:02 PM | #

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BOTN-

just got to go check your link....thanks dude. if i have any more vampire-Salem's Lot-Lost Boys nightmares, i'm blaming you!!

:-)

mri | Apr 9, 2008 1:29:40 PM | #

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mri---yep, it didn't follow the book, but it had it's really creepy moments. Too bad they couldn't make a decent film adaptation.

Brian of the North | Apr 9, 2008 1:56:24 PM | #

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