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Flashforward

Ben can't kill Charles Widmore

• Team Darlton confirmed in the most recent abc.com podcast (May 19) that the reason Ben and Widmore cannot kill each other is because they both are abiding by a set of rules set by the island and therefore the island will not let them die/kill each other until their work is done, much in the same fashion as Michael's inability to die earlier this season.
• Ben can't kill Widmore because Charles can't be killed off the Island same as Michael, meaning Charles has been to the Island before. Charles was on the island pre-DHARMA and may be extremely old. He somehow left the Island and has been trying to return ever since.
  • The reason Michael cannot be killed is not because he is off the Island, but because the Island "won't let him," meaning that the Island has more for him to do.
  • If Widmore simply wanted to get on the Island he would've done it. He has other initiatives with Ben and killing everyone on the Island.
    • But Widmore can't find the island, and at the end of the episode Ben confirms this by saying, "You'll never find it."
    • Widmore can't find the Island for the same or similar reason Ben can't kill him, and Michael can't kill himself. "The Island won't let him," or take your pick from the rest of this list. His freighter has already found the Island, so you wouldn't think it would be too hard. But even if Widmore himself were to be on that freighter, and have Lapidus try to fly him to the Island, fate would intervene and he would never even see it.
      • The freighter people also only found the island's location because they were contacted from it (by Jack). Naomi did find it without being contacted, but she did not seem to expect to find it when she did, and it appeared to be more down to luck. The island may have been previously impossible to locate because of a magnetic field surrounding it which has now been destroyed/de-activated ever since Desmond imploded The Swan.
  • This seeming immortality may also explain Richard Alpert. Alpert cannot die off Island and cannot age off the Island either.
    • Neither Widmore or Alpert are Island natives any more than anyone else is. Alpert was part of a group of Island residents led by Widmore but Widmore somehow got off the Island.
    • Maybe the reason Widmore was so intent on buying the Black Rock ledger was because both he and Richard were crew members on it, and having spent so many years on the Island they never aged, and developed a sense of immortality, but Widmore decided to join DHARMA when they got to the Island whereas Richard did not, and perhaps got put to work in the Orchid station, being transported off the Island before the Purge.
    • Richard and Widmore were on the Black Rock together, but Richard was one of the slaves while Widmore was one of the crew. The slaves escaped after the shipwreck, and became two groups of Others that are now on the Island, each of them referring to the other as the Hostiles.
      • One of the crewmen had a baby with one of the slavewomen, in some sort of Romeo and Juliet type relationship. These two are the Adam and Eve, but they were killed for their disloyalty, and the baby was raised by Charles who brought her off the island, who turns out to be Penelope. Desmond is a "slave child" according to the crew (and Widmore), and he wants to marry a "crew child" just like the previous generation, and Widmore won't allow it, and neither will Ben allow it (because he will kill her).
        • This is not possible: The ship crashed in 1885. Penelope is not over 100 years old. Women who get pregnant on the island die before they give birth.
• The reason that Ben can’t kill Widmore is because they are both using each other as their “constant” and if Ben kills Widmore then he will also die.
  • The two have been in contact with each other in the past, on island, and Ben is a time traveler. Widmore says: "I was wondering when you were going to show up," as if he had been expecting him--and as if this were not the first time Ben had made a random appearance to see Charles. When Ben jumps through time, he must always contact Charles because Charles is his constant, hence, he cannot kill him or he will die himself during his time jumps.
• Ben can't kill Widmore because Widmore has something Ben needs or wants. Or something will be unleashed if Widmore is killed. Hence, Ben has to beat Widmore or get him to quit.
• Ben doesn't actually want Widmore to die. Instead, he wants him to live with the pain of having his daughter taken from him, the way Alex was taken from Ben. He simply wants Widmore to live so he can suffer with never finding the island and losing his daughter.
• There is some time paradox surrounding Widmore, something like how you can't go back in time and kill your own grandfather. Widmore (and perhaps Michael and others), are somehow connected to a time-travel problem which precludes them being killed.
  • The use of lighting during their discussion was more than a simple style reference to Star Wars; perhaps it is more of a clue--that Widmore is actually Ben's father, as Vader was Luke's father. Then Ben faces the "Grandfather Paradox": if he kills his father, he himself would cease to be. Therefore, he can't kill Widmore as it would be at his own risk, or Fate makes it simply not possible for any attempt to kill him to work.
  • We don't actually know if Roger Workman was really Ben's biological father.
  • This paradox would still work even if Widmore is some very distant relative of Ben.
    • This means that Ben cannot be a direct relative of Penelope, since he plans on killing her.
• Jacob runs a game between Charles and Ben. There are rules of this game and the prize is the Island. If Jacob is indeed one of Widmore's ancestors/relatives, that would be his connection. If the Black Rock crew are indeed the original Others, then a fallout could have occurred creating the Hostiles on one side and DHARMA on the other. Ben purged the DHARMA team leaving Widmore with no connection (which is why he said the Island was his). Jacob could be holding a contest to see who deserves the Island for keeps: His descendant Charles (DHARMA) or the crew of his ship (Hostiles/Others). Having no path to the Island, Widmore wanted the Black Rock ledger to get back and fight for it.
  • To Ben and Widmore, this is no more than an elaborate high stakes bet: they both want the island and have found a way to "play" for it. The fact that the Island has so many mysteries just adds to the excitement and intensity of the "game." The others and all of the Losties are just pawns. Ben can't kill Widmore because then the game would be over; he wants to win and savor his victory.
• Ben and Widmore represent "good" and "evil". Neither good nor evil can kill the other. The Island is something that one of them controls, i.e., good vs. evil. Ben controls it now; Widmore did at one time and wants it back. But the question is, which one is good and which one is evil? Ben said in an earlier episode, "We're the good guys."
  • They are (and have been for probably a long time) the two most powerful people in the world because they know the existence of the island and its powers, apparently are sometimes able to use those powers, and at different times have "owned it". There is a chance they can't die by way of using time travel.
  • They are two "gods" vying for power. Ben is the self-proclaimed "good" one (as he had said a long time ago), and Widmore the "bad" one. If Widmore takes control of the Island again, the Earth will enter an age of darkness (again; Widmore already "owned" the Island). As Ben told Sayid, they are in a war.
• Due to island's time trip special power, Ben and Widmore know that they will live in the future. They will meet each other in a future time trip. They don't know what will happen, but only know that it's impossible to die this day because in the future they are still alive.

Ben won't be able to find Penelope

• Ben doesn't know much about her, apart from the fact Widmore has a daughter.
  • So far Ben has known a great deal about almost everyone connected to the Island.
• Ben can't locate Penny for the same reason why Charles can't find the Island.
• At the time of Ben and Widmore's encounter (after the point where Desmond makes contact with her from the freighter, Penny has already left England in search of the Island.
• Charles has hidden Penny somewhere to keep her from looking for the Island.
• Widmore knows there's a check that will keep Ben from being able to kill Penny.
  • This could have to do with the "rules" that Ben supposedly thought would keep Alex from being killed.
  • Widmore may have something on Ben that will he knows will keep him from being able to track down Penny and kill her.
  • Widmore may have subjected Penny to something coming from DHARMA-related research that will protect her. We already know he wants firm control over the elements in Penny's life (i.e. going to great lengths to keep Desmond away from her).

Widmore to Ben: "That island is mine...it always was; it will be again."

• Charles is referring to finding the Island while he was captain of The Black Rock, AKA Magnus Hanso.
  • Interestingly, Widmore's dialog in "The Shape Of Things To Come" seems to resembles pirate speak.
• Charles is referring to his being a deity which was previously worshiped at the Temple on the island. That's why Ben can't kill Charles: he is immortal.
  • Then why would Charles even ask if Ben was there to kill him?
• Charles was the one who initially approached Alvar Hanso and the Hanso Foundation about studying the Island. His company, the Widmore Corporation, provided their services in beginning the DHARMA Initiative. They worked together with Paik Heavy Industries to construct the Island as it is now. Therefore, he would be among the few who could claim ownership of the barracks and the stations, but the island itself predates all of them.
  • His company's products have appeared several times to date, such as (Henry Gale's balloon, Sun & Rachael's pregnancy tests, etc.).
• Widmore had some hand in the purge in an attempt to gain control of the island from DHARMA. However, beforehand, Ben convinced the hostiles that they should keep it for themselves (or lied to them). He may have also used Widmore's resources to accomplish this task, meaning that Ben couldn't have gain control without Widmore.

Widmore is unable to get to the Island as a result of the Purge

• "The Purge" actually refers to an event when Widmore was 'expelled' from the Island. The "Purge" has been thought to refer only to the event where Ben and the hostiles gassed and killed the DHARMA people, but the term "purge" generally means to 'wipe clean' or 'empty', such as to purge a hard disk. Politically, when an existing regime is purged, the leaders are exiled.
  • The date for the Purge seems to be 1984 or 1985 (see comments on the Purge listing) for details. Ben was a young man, around 18 to 22.
    • An older man like Widmore could still refer to a young man as 'boy'.
  • Ben picked a time when Widmore was off the Island for the Purge. This somehow prevented Widmore from returning.
  • However, there is no no evidence shown yet that Widmore has physically been on the Island.
• Prior to the Purge, Widmore and Mr. Paik seem to have been involved and built the stations for DHARMA. Since the Purge, Widmore has been hunting the Island.
• If Widmore is connected to the Island through Magnus Hanso, then his affiliation with the Island predates the DHARMA Initiative. Widmore may have ordered the Purge, but was unable to regain control of the Island because of Ben's relationship with Jacob.
• Ben has some way of hiding the Island, or it naturally is somehow hidden.
  • The smoke monster, which has been called a kind of 'security system' for the island keeps it hidden or untraceable within time.

Widmore tells Ben he knows "what" he is

• Ben is not Human. Perhaps he is Loki, god of trickery?
  • Perhaps if Widmore has been a inhabitant of the Island he would be familiar with DHARMA, and if he's familiar with DHARMA then he'd be familiar with the Orchid Station. Seeing what we saw in the Orchid Orientation Film maybe he realizes that the only way Ben could have safely left the Island would be to use the Orchid, and if he did, that would essentially mean that the man in Widmore's room is NOT Ben, but Ben2 or in an homage to the bunnies Ben15.
  • You're right.....though many religions have gods that are born as humans, but you're likely right.
  • We're also assuming that this Ben is the original one. It could be that Ben's form has been assumed by something on the island.
  • Agreed. There's a far more important bit that's been ignored, though. "I know what you are, boy". Could mean a lot of things. Maybe simply that Charles was on the island when Ben first arrived as a kid, or something much deeper to do with age.
  • If this is some sort of 'alternate' Ben. I'm suggesting it's Walt who had a hand in getting him to the desert. It could be possible in a future episode Ben will gain control of Walt again, and use him to project this image or 'alternate Ben' into the future. I only thought of this because of Widmore's comment: "I know what you are, boy". It led me to think maybe Widmore realizes this is not Ben, but Walt - somehow representing Ben... in the future. It's far fetched but it gives possible meaning to Widmore saying "WHAT you are" and "BOY".
    • Perhaps Widmore was the leader of the original inhabitants and Ben overthrew him to become the leader by purge time.
    • 'Boy' was commonly used as a derogatory term applied to slaves, possibly indicating an association between Widmore and the Black Rock slave traders.
  • Back to the idea Linus and Widmore represent both good and evil. It is unclear who is which, both lie about their intentions. Widmore is possibly saying he knows which one(good/evil) Ben is.
  • When Widmore says he knows what Ben is, he's referring to the fact he knows he's the son of a workman.
• Widmore is referring to the Purge: "I know what you are [a mass murderer]".
  • "I know exactly what kind of man you are Mr. Keamy" - said by Ben after reciting Keamy's resume (scene with Alex as hostage). Roughly a foreshadowing of the Linus and Widmore conversation?
    • No, probably has more to do with how Michael gave Ben the list of Freighties, so Ben was able to do extensive research on the personnel. Keamy is just some dude that Widmore hired to get a job done, just like the other freighties, including Michael.
  • When Widmore says "I know who you are boy, *what* you are" - this is a direct reference to Ben being the son of the DHARMA workman Roger Linus. Lower class, ie. Son of a Janitor, unworthy to drink his MacCutcheon scotch.
• Ben is a lower-class slave child who stole the island from Widmore in an Island Civil War. He is an object, just a slave.

Nadia's Death

• Widmore had Nadia killed.
  • Sayid told Nadia all about the Island and how the story the Oceanic 6 are telling is a coverup. Nadia wanted to go public or tell someone instead of keeping the secret, so Widmore's people kill her to shut her up.
  • Widmore hired Bakir to kill Sayid, as he was the most reluctant to keep information about the Island and 815 secret. Sayid's death would incite fear into the rest of the Oceanic Six. Bakir killed Nadia by mistake.
    • This echoes Alex's death; Widmore will have further problems as he has hired men that are trigger happy and "change the rules".
  • Bakir was certainly a Widmore hireling--otherwise, he probably would have looked confused when Ben said he wanted him to deliver a message to Widmore.
• Ben had Nadia killed to convince Sayid to work for him.

Widmore is a Hanso

• Widmore is Magnus Hanso. He came to the Island on the Black Rock with Alpert and they both gained immortality. Hanso, being the captain of the ship, claimed the Island in his own name and the crew deified him like in Heart of Darkness (which has been referenced a few times). Then Ben came along and purged DHARMA and he and Alpert took control of the Island out of Hanso's hands. Hanso has had many years to make money which is why he is now a billionaire, using the alias of Widmore. This explains why he calls Ben a boy even though he is not even a young adult. It's the same kind of hint as when Ben said to Alpert "you do remember birthdays, don't you?"
• We were told that the book belonged to only the Hanso family, if he was a Hanso he probably wouldn't have had to get the book from an auction. It's quite likely that Widmore funded the project and feels like he "owned the Island" because he paid for all the work that was put into building the Initiative, but he didn't necessarily have to live there. It seems that while DHARMA was running people could leave the Island a bit more easily than while Ben is running things. So when Ben and his crew took over, killed everyone and blocked all communications and made it difficult for people to find the Island that Widmore lost contact and couldn't get back. It's very likely that the feud between Widmore and Ben is completely based on control.
  • Charles Widmore using a fake name would assume that he no longer has control over the "Hanso Foundation", therefore whoever does (Ben perhaps) would be the ones selling the Hanso's property. This would explain why he is buying it back. So that he can try to regain the island.
• In addition to that, Alex is Hanso's daughter from Rousseau, conceived on the Black Rock. Widmore killed Ben's real daughter (whom we haven't met) in the past, so Ben, to take revenge, did the same by knowingly having the soldier kill Alex. (Remember what Widmore said to Ben: "I know that everything you have you took from me.")
  • You're forgetting that Ben mentioned Penelope by name when talking to Widmore. He furthermore references "change of rules" at both times - in the room as well as on the island.
  • When Ben and Widmore were exchanging words, they seem to specifically reference Alex's death.

On the island

Ben's Hidden Door

• Ben's hidden door, covered in hieroglyphics, conceals the "magic room" Ben described to Locke in a previous episode, that can give you whatever you most desire. In this episode, Ben most desired the smoke monster to kill the mercenaries.
  • Correction. The magic box. And no, the magic box was a metaphor and it was proven that Tom probably gathered Locke's dad from his travel off the island and brought him back to fulfill Locke's release of the pain for Ben's own manipulative reasons.
• Has anyone wondered why this Hidden Room and Hidden Door are at ground level?, when it obviously appears that the hidden door uncovers some pre-existing stone door which would naturally be the entrance to some under-ground area. However,.. there is no such under-ground mound/etc near Ben's (or any of the others) Houses. Also, these houses were built by Dharma... this means that the house, the hidden room, and the stone door already existed and were already "hidden" by Dharma prior to Ben's arrival. Which leads to the question of who (Dharma person) lived in this house prior to Ben? .. surely if they knew about this room/door, that it would be the highest-level person from the Dharma Initiative living at this most important house.
  • Perhaps the highest-level person was Jacob
  • Perhaps this is why the hostiles were "hostile" towards the Dharma Initiative. They moved in on their territory and built over their sacred areas.
  • Ben's "Hidden Door" is really one of the Cerebus system tunnels or "Vents" - Cerberus

Smoke Monster

• Ben went into a C.V. as referenced by the blast door maps: a Cerberus vent. He doesn't exactly control the monster but since he knew that the sonic fence was disabled he went into the CV and got the monster's attention so it came running. The monster rampaged on the first people it saw, Keamy's people. Just doesn't explain why the monster couldn't come in that CV.
  • The Monster made a pretty direct bee line for the mercenaries. Usually the Monster circles around,etc, but this was a VERY directed attack. Either Ben pointed a tool and hit attack or the Monster has sentience and Ben 'told' it to attack. It wasn't random.
    • The monster circles around people to judge them, to determine a course of action. Maybe it just didn't have to do this this time, because Keamy's men were so self-evidently deserving of the kind of judgment they received.
  • Also, the Smoke Monster didn't kill the entire party.
• When Ben enters the old-looking room to "activate" the Smoke Monster, we see it is of ancient design, and the door even has hieroglyphics on it. Therefore, it is possible that the smoke monster is the creation of an ancient race of people who previously lived on the island and built the four-toed statue we see in the season two episode "Live Together, Die Alone."
  • If it was indeed created by an ancient race, then perhaps the monster is connected to The Temple, perhaps even residing from there, with the temple being the center of the network of Vents. This is why the Temple is the last safe place on the island, because the monster will protect anyone inside it.
  • Very likely. Ben's house was probably strategically built to protect and hide the ancient door.
  • Maybe the natives didn't "create" the monster, but they may have certainly worshiped it, or learned how to control it (as Ben does).
  • I think it's pretty save now to assume that the Cerberus Vents mentioned on the blast door map weren't Dharma's work (as many of us believed) but either built by an ancient race or at least discovered by them. It could be "just" a network of caves that are connected with each other.
  • Then what is it mechanical sounding at various times?
    • The mechanical sound that comes from that monster was first heard during Locke's first flashback during "Walkabout" (sound effect occurs within the first few frames) and is the sound of his electric calculator at his desk. Most likely the sounds that we hear coming from the monster are memories it has extracted from people.
    • The Monster's mechanical sounds are first heard in Pilot, Part 1.

Claire

• Claire dies in the next episode. This was hinted at or foreshadowed in this episode by Miles in the scene where Ben comes back out of his secret room, just before he tells everyone to run for the trees. See this excerpt of the transcript from this episode.

SAWYER: You all right, sweetheart?

CLAIRE: Yeah, a bit wobbly, but, uh, I'll live.

MILES: Well, I wouldn't be too sure about that.

While still making their way back to the beach - the day after seperating from Locke, Ben, and Hurley - they have to make camp for the night, and she dies while Sawyer (and maybe Miles) is sleeping, as a result of the head wounds suffered when the building she was in was blown apart by an RPG.

• Claire's death is evidenced by the fact that:

1. In the next episode she has apparently left her child and gone missing during the night.
2. In the next episode she is seen sitting in the cabin at night, in total darkness, with undead Christian, acting very peculiar (as if that isn't peculiar enough) and expressing no interest in Aaron's whereabouts or wellbeing.
3. Miles' made the cryptic remark referred to above.
4. There is (at least) a rumor going around that one of the female series regulars will not be around next season.

• Claire died in this episode. James found another version of her, similiar to Christian.

"Changed the rules"

• The Lost Universe has to conform to a set of rules and Widmore figured out how to change them.
  • Perhaps Widomore tells Ben that Ben himself changed the rules because as far as Widmore is concerned, Ben attacked first because of an above theory that Ben went back in time, killed all of the freighties in the jungle, or actually on the boat (as well as the doctor who suddenly washed up) and then the Monster took over to course correct time. So technically, Ben changed the rules first and that is what Widmore meant by saying that Ben was the one who did the changing. So Widmore is in fact correct in saying this according to a timeline. Maybe this is why Ben comes back so dirty, he's just cleaning up from Rambo mode.
  • Ben can't kill Widmore because the island won't allow it, just like Michael couldn't kill himself. Hence, "We both know that I can't do that"
    • When Widmore tells Ben he knows "what" he is, perhaps this is a time loop like Desmond and his ring. Maybe Ben is a younger/past/maybe future version of Widmore or vice versa, and can't kill him because then neither would exist. Perhaps the "rules" then are the way things were/are/supposed to be, and in that set of reality Alex doesn't die, so Widmore/Ben or whoever/whatever he is, changed the rules, like Desmond would have if he bought Penny the ring.
      • And The Rules maybe the course correction that Ms. Hawking warned Desmond of. That somehow Widmore has caused something to happen that time couldn't repair.
  • This is due to a time loop that is occurring until a certain result is achieved.
    • This is highly unlikely, as Ben and Widmore do not look at all alike.
  • This is why Ben told 'Kevin' that he couldn't set off the bomb on the boat since there were innocent people there.
  • It would seem that there was an unspoken agreement to not make this personal or involving each parties direct relatives (Alex wasn't Ben's biological daughter, but he raised her as one and therefore should be counted as one). So when Martin killed Alex, he stepped past the boundary and therefore broke the "rules."
    • This seems consistent with Ben's emotional reaction. When Alex died, he didn't seem shocked in the sense that they did something that was impossible to do, but shocked in the sense that the Widmore people crossed a serious line that he genuinely did not expect them to cross. His rage and shock was more along the lines of "how dare they!" than "how could that be possible?"
      • I disagree. His was certainly in shock with a look that would say "I knew that couldn't happen, but somehow it did". As if he already seen this event before and lived through it with a different ending. There is a reason for his confidence and also how he always knows what to do next.
    • Wouldn't have Ben's claim that Alex wasn't his real daughter just encouraged them to kill her then?
      • His claims that she wasn't his daughter and she meant nothing to him was "self-talk" to convince himself that he didn't have feelings for her. He knew that it was going to come down to the wire. Either he go with them or Alex is killed. Under no circumstances that he could control would he go with them.
      • He was trying to make it seem like it would be pointless to kill her. If he convinced Keamy that he really didn't care about her, and if Keamy had some compassion he could have been swayed to just hold her as a captive and not kill her. Obviously Ben's plan backfired.
        • Backfired? Think of it this way. BEN changed the rules. When Ben was faced with the choice, he chose to point out to the Widmore gang that she wasn't his daughter. (and really wasn't) With that said, he made it so in the universe that whatever rules were in place, she didn't apply now and forced the Widmore gang to shoot her. He made a big mistake.
          • No he didn't. Keamy was going to kill her regardless if Ben didn't surrender and maybe even then. That's why Ben claims Widmore changed the rules. At that point Ben had one trick left and it just didn't work. Widmore changed the rules of the game. Ben was trying to save Alex's life. He was not giving Keamy permission to kill her. He was horrified and shocked that it went that far because of the rules.
            • The point is that Ben was already scared and intimidated by these people and to see one of them execute his daughter in front of him took it to a new level.
            • Has anyone ever actually seen Ben scared or intimidated? It seems to me that his shock didn't necessarily result from his daughter's death itself, but from his belief that she should have been protected by something, whether a time-travel paradox, a gentleman's agreement with Widmore, etc. I got the impression that not only was he upset about his daughter, he was also afraid for his own life since the rules were changing. This is why he kicked it up into mercenary Ben mode and really made some things happen.
• The rules are related to the core environmental and human factors reflected by the Numbers and the Valenzetti Equation.
  • One of the stated goals of DHARMA is to change one of the variables of the Valenzetti equation, perhaps "changing the rules".
• The "rule" that Widmore changed was how the Monster works. The last thing Ben says before Alex's execution was something along the lines of, "She's willing to sacrifice herself in defense of this Island." He said that because showing true loyalty to the Island should be enough to call the Island (in the form of the Monster) to one's defense. The willingness to sacrifice will result in no need for a sacrifice (like Abraham sacrificing Isaac). However, the Monster does not come, and Alex is killed, because "he changed the rules," forcing Ben to find another means of calling the Monster. Widmore is the God to Ben's Lucipher; he has the ability to change rules at his whim, but the two are still locked in an eternal struggle. Think about the imagery in the final scene, and connections to Paradise Lost.
  • He just thought the island's rules wouldn't allow her to die. She was innocent and maybe did have more work to do. But the monster has never been selective in a group as to some getting killed and some not. It comes to kill or it comes to judge or people get away. There has been no selection process from a group. So that rules out killing Keamy and not Alex. Ben said that they all needed to stay as far away from them as possible, on his order. That's a little far fetched with the bible stuff.
• The rules are simply the rules to the bet or the game that Ben and Widmore are playing. They are playing for the island and pure glory over the other. The island has its own mysteries as does the Dharma Initiative. Ben uses all he has learned about the island and the "science" behind it to help him win, while Widmore uses his money and violence. Who will win? Ben? Widmore? Some unnamed party? The Island?
• The rules are actual, written rules that tell the island who can die and who cannot. For example, it is written that Michael cannot die (as shown by his multiple suicide attempts) while other characters can. Ben was certain that his daughter could not be killed and was shocked that Widmore had changed the rules. These rules are either entered into the computer system on the island or told to Jacob
  • Unlikely. Time travel is hugely apparent now and when someone already has a destiny it is determined in stone. When someone travelled from the island to the future and a so-called person was alive, they will be alive till then. That is... if the rules aren't changed and that points back to the valenzetti equation as the island is a micro version of that for the whole world.
• Ben will track down Penny who is somehow back together with Desmond. Ben will try to kill Penny but Desmond will kill him first. This is the "great thing" that he will do because Ben has been trying to cheat fate, which is emboided by Mrs. Hawking who told Desmond about the "great thing."
  • The great thing Desmond was born to do was to push the button. In fact, as Mrs Hawking said during Flashes Before Your Eyes it is the "only truly great thing [he] will ever do".
• Either Ben is a personality of Widmore, or Widmore is a personality of Ben. The conversation in the bedroom (especially in the case of Widmore) sounded like a conversation Widmore was having with his split personality. If this is true, Widmore killed his own daughter, but in his own mind he thinks Ben killed her. He makes reference to keeping a drink by the bed when the nightmares started. They can't kill each other, possibly because they are both "imaginary". The game they are playing (and the rules they are following) are simply within the imaginary realms of Widmore's psychotic mind.
• It is very simple. The rule that changed was harming children. Up to this point in the show, we have never had a child under 18 years of age killed. For a matter of observation, it seemed that even as far back as the Dharma project, children we given special attention. The Others were very interested in sheltering children, even if their purpose was to groom the children into future members of their tribe. When Ben instigated the Purge, we didn't see any children among the dead. Even when the Others had Karl in Room 23, the experiment was certainly not life threatening. Widmore changed the “rules” when he had Karl and Alex killed.
  • Unlikely, because Alex told Ben on the radio "They killed Karl". Ben should've said or expressed something if that theory is correct. Instead, he told her "I've got everything under control", and let her die. !
• Ben and Widmore are playing to a formal set of rules, either dictated by themselves or an intermediary. The fact Sawyer, Locke, and Hurley were playing Risk during this episode is very important here, especially when you take into consideration the dialogue during that scene. This is important not only for the obvious correlation between this board game involving world domination and the apparent battle between Ben and Widmore, but Hurley says "Can't believe you're just giving him Australia. Australia's the key to the whole game." My eyes went wide at that line.
• In addition to whatever meaning "changing the rules" has for the story, it also is a production reference used as a joke - the producers had claimed in an interview that all flashforwards will be shown in chronological order. They *changed the rules* by breaking the promised order (Iraq is obviously before Berlin and the Seychelles) and they are admitting it!
• Widmore "changed the rules" when he killed Alex. However the "rule" is not that you can't kill family members, children, whatever. The rule is you can't knowingly kill another's "constant". When Charles killed Ben's constant he "changed the rules".

"Risk"

• While playing Risk Hurley states that 'Australia is the key to the whole game'. This is foreshadowing that Australia will be the key to the game being played between Ben and Charles Widmore.
  • ...or the whole 'game' of Lost.
  • This needn't be anything other than a wink to the audience. All of the castaways were in Australia prior to boarding flight 815 and crashing on the island. No Australia, no Lost.
  • Many people do think that Australia is the 'key' to Risk, so perhaps there is no deeper meaning to Hurley's statement.
  • Then again, when Ben and Widmore talk directly, Widmore speaks now with an Australian accent, which he did not have previously.
    • The actor himself is from New Zealand. I wouldn't put too much credence into this.
  • Jin was delivering two Rolex watches as gifts from Mr Paik to someone in Sydney and Los Angeles. Jin had already been in Sydney and boarded the 815 to deliver the 2nd watch to someone in LA. We can assume the delivery of the gift in Sydney was completed. The 2nd watch does not get delivered, and eventually Michael uses it to pawn for a gun. So, who was the person to receive the 1st watch in Sydney? Jin should know.
    • Australia hosts one of the worlds premier sailing races - the "Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race" which is sponsored by Rolex. The annual race normally starts on Boxing day, December 26th and the winner normally finishes after about 2 days. It is known for rich men racing their maxi-yachts, such as Oracle's Larry Ellison.
    • Widmore is referred to as a sailor with a huge yacht.
    • If Jin was to present this to Widmore, he would have done it on or before the 26th, as the race leaves from Sydney, and that is where flight 815 took off from.
      • The Crash of 815 takes place on Sept 22nd, so this timing would seem too early for Jin to present the watch.
      • Perhaps a fictional version of the Global Challenge race (a race around the world referred to and participated in by Desmond) is the answer. In the Global Challenge, Sydney was one of the stop off points.
  • Instead of focusing on Australia, Sawyer attacks Siberia. This is a reference to the Portuguese Artic station we saw at the end of Season 2, when the Swan imploded.
    • This is consistent to the time difference between the station (day-time) and Penelope waking up in the middle of the night to answer the phone (presumably in London / UK).
    • This also shows Sawyer's priorities are different to other players. He goes to the beach with Claire, Aaron and Miles, whilst Hurley, Locke and Ben go and find Jacob.

Jack is getting sick

• The Island and/or Jacob caused Jack's illness as a punishment for making the bad decision of calling the Freighter.
• Jack may be beginning to abuse pain medications (as seen in "Through the Looking Glass") -- overuse causes stomach or gastrointestinal complications.
• There was an interesting line from Jack when he's taking the antibiotics. Kate asks him if he has a prescription for the pills and he jokingly says, "Yeah, I wrote it myself." This could be a connection to the scene at the pharmacy counter in "Through the Looking Glass" when the pharmacist thinks Jack signed for his own prescription, although Jack argues it's his father's signature.