The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham/Theories

Main Article

Theories about The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham

Main Discussion

Theories may be removed if ...

Stated as questions or possibilities (avoid question marks, "Maybe", "I think", etc). More appropriate for another article. Illogical or previously disproven. Proven by canon source, and moved to main article. Speculative and lacking any evidence to support arguments. Responding to another theory (use discussion page instead). This does not include responses that can stand alone as its own theory. Usage of an indented bullet does not imply the statement is a response. See the Lostpedia theory policy for more details.

The war

The Mercenaries

• There is clearly a "Rift" among the Others. After the crash of Flight 815 and John Locke's arrival of on the Island, Widmore was now finally in a position to retake what he believes is his. As he stated, he needed Ben Linus out of the way so Locke could take the position of leadership.
• The War of 2008 will be a "small war" in terms of the number of combatants. The outcome will be earthshaking.
• "The War" is not between Ben and Widmore. Both however have a different idea as to how that war is to be fought (and both seem to feel Locke is critical to leading their side)
• The war has actually already occurred. It ultimately ended when Ben and the hostiles gassed the DHARMA Initiative in The Purge. Widmore merely alluded to it as a coming war because, in a way, since people which may have been involved in it were yet to travel back in time to that time period it was still "coming". So far, we've been fed the idea that "whatever happened, happened", and that things that have happened have always happened that way. Widmore may be seeking to change that though. By seeing to it that John returns to the island, he may be attempting to alter the past by making the "right" side win, instead of the "wrong" side (Ben's side). This may have been alluded to somewhat when Ben said that Widmore "broke the rules" when Keamy killed Alex. Maybe that wasn't the only rule Widmore was trying to break. Or, alternatively, taking in to consideration Ben's abilities as a master manipulator, the past has already been changed by Ben...and the way that events are currently, isn't the way it was supposed to have happened. Maybe Ben was never supposed to have "won", but was somehow able to cause events of the past to change in his favor. And now, Widmore is merely trying to correct this, by undoing what Ben did, and returning the past to the way it was supposed to have been.
• The war is between Jacob and Jacob's enemy. Because Locke dies, Jacob's enemy is able to steal his form and kill Jacob. If Locke had lived he would've somehow been able to save Jacob and defeat his enemy. As Charles predicted, because Locke did not survive the war was lost. Charles was likely told all this when he was leader of the Others by Jacob himself.

The building on the Island

• OK, now this is assuming a lot based on different theories. When the flash on the plane happened some people moved through time, while others stayed in the same time. The people who seemingly move into the past (where they encounter Jin and the old Dharma van) leave different maps and information on the Hydra station so that they are there when Locke arrives in present day. Somehow these things are going to lead Locke to the right locations so that he can eventually take his place and take control again.

Life Magazine from 1954

Daniel's Journal

Caesar's Hydra Discovery

Caesar's Hydra Map

• The building is part of the Hydra Station. Rousseau's map is there because Sayid, Sun, and Jin had it with them on the Elizabeth before it was captured and taken to the Hydra.
• In comparing the shot of Daniel's journal to the page found by Caesar, there are some differences. Daniel's was written in blue biro on lined notebook paper. The version Caesar finds is in black ink and the paper is yellowed and shows no lines. If these are copies, how were they made and by whom and why were they left here?
  • This could just be a prop error. Lost's been making a lot of those lately.
    • Who could blame them, it's hard enough to watch, let alone make.
• The magazine from 1954 implies that the building was no less than 50 years old (hence DHARMA have been around on the Island for at least that amount of time)
  • These may just be old things in the station; they could be in the present (ie when they are meant to be). However, they could be anytime in the past since we saw Daniel in the Orchid. Plus, they had no indication that they were Daniel's so the Others who were in the station wouldn't know that it was him...

Dan's Map

The Temple Map

Walt's Dream

• Walt Dream's about John in a suit in the Island surrounded by people who wanted to hurt them. It is possible that these people are Caesar and other 316 survivors because they think John is lying.
• It refers to when Caesar and his men tried to stop Locke from taken the boat in " dead is dead". He only wears the suit for 2 episodes and this is the only time when he was surounded by people who wanted to hurt him.

Locke

“	You're gonna have to die, John.	”
—Richard, "Because You Left"

Locke

• Locke could not die as a result of suicide as this is not the way in which Christian died. We know that the conditions of flight 316 have to be as close as possible to the conditions of flight 815 meaning that perhaps the conditions of Locke's death have to similar to the conditions of Christian's death. It is presumed that Christian died beacuse of a alcohol related heart attack, however Ben could have actually murdered Christian and staged his death in a similar fashion to the murder of Locke.
• Ben killed Locke because Locke needed to die in order to be reborn, but could not die by his own hand. Locke needed to accept his fate, but not hasten it (i.e. by suicide). Ben has a role to play just like everyone else; he's been privy to this role for longer, though, and thus is much more resigned to it. It involves a lot of unpleasantness, leading people to misinterpret him. If we run with the Locke as Jesus analogy, Ben is like his Judas (working under the theory that Judas' betrayal of Jesus was not a betrayal at all, but the only means by which Jesus could fulfill his destiny of dying and being resurrected). This is why Ben lost his temper with Jack and Sun; he has made sacrifices that they can't even begin to imagine. In the end, we will come to see Ben not as a saviour to the Island, but as a willing pawn in events - a role much harder to play, when you think about it.

• Ben cannot get back to the island because he doesn't know how to find it any more. But he knows Widmore does. He also knows that Widmore spoke to Locke because Locke is hanging out with Abaddon. Naturally he assumes Widmore told Locke what to do next, once he found everybody. So why does Ben first convince Locke to get down from the rope, only to strangle him and hang him up again? Because he can't kill Locke until he finds out how to get back to the island. He convinces Locke to try harder and get everyone back, he says "I don't know what we'll do, but we'll figure something out". Locke knows exactly what to do.
• Ben killed Locke because he knew that Eloise could send Locke back to the Island. She's the only one who knows how. Ben knew if Locke got to Eloise then he'd be able to get back and reclaim leadership of the island, so Ben kills him and takes his place in getting the others back to the island, through Eloise. Ben is desperately trying to steal Locke's destiny.

Locke is shot by Ben

• Ben killed Locke as a result of his rivalry with Widmore. Assuming that young Ellie is Eloise Hawking and considering the fact Widmore knew where she was, it appears possible that she may be sent from the island with Widmore and could be working with/for him. If John was to visit her himself, she would be informed that Ben turned the wheel and isn't allowed to go back so wouldn't let this happen. The situation may be the same with Widmore too which explains why he doesn't go back. What he is trying to do is preventing the situations in which Ben overthrew and banished him as he confessed to Locke. This brings up a new possibility that Widmore's aim is correspondent to "creating a new street" so it may be logical to think that Ben may also be trying to prevent this from happening.
  • It is unlikely Widmore knew about the Hawking and the Lamp Post because he would have gone to that years ago to find the Island.
• Locke's death was about choice. Matthew Abaddon tried to tell Locke this but Locke couldn't understand how dying was a 'choice'. On one hand Locke's death was inevitable and necessary. However how that death occurred was down to Locke's choice. Locke actually made the choice both to die and then not to die.

The Westerfield

• Locke was staying in the Westerfield Hotel, but there was a D and two Es burned out of the sign leaving WESTERFILHOTL, a possible anagram for "swifter to hell", in reference to the Catholic belief that suicides go to hell, not to mention murderers. It would also play into the Locke/Jesus analogy, as Jesus was supposed to have gone to hell for the three days between crucifixion and resurrection, which is the same time frame as Locke's temporary death.
• John 3:16 (chapter 3, verse 16 of the Gospel of John) is one of the most widely quoted verses from the Christian Bible,[1] and has been called the most famous Bible verse: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." A coincidence?
• I think Locke has to have visited Jack again between the time we see them together in the hospital and his attempted suicide and murder. Jack says in "There's No Place Like Home" to Kate that Locke says that them going back to the island was the only way to keep Kate and Arron safe. And throughout the flash forwards of season 4 and beginning of season five Jack says that Locke visited him, not the other way around. Anyways, I think both Ben and Widmore are truthful about Locke being "important". I like the Jesus/Judas analogy. Fits very perfectly. Ben is just a pawn ultimately, and nothing else.

Eloise Hawking

• If we assume that Ben already knew that Hawking would get them back to The Island, then the Jesus/Judas analogy fits better. However, that may not be the case. Hawking was a former Other, and we can assume that Ben knew that. However, he was unaware that she was watching the Lamp Post. This became a revelation to him and allowed him to get the Oceanic Six back to the Island. Regarding the murder, that would have taken place because of Ben's persistence to keep Widmore away from the Island.
• Ben killed Locke not because of what Locke said about Eloise, but because of what he said earlier in their conversation about Jin, when Locke said Jin gave him the ring and told him to not bring back Sun to the island. Until then Ben was sure that Jin had died on the Kahana together with the other people there after Ben killed Keamy. So now Ben had to assume that the Kahana people survived...

Ben

Ben

• Big Theory. Every one is hung up on how Ben said once you leave the Island you can never go back. The assumption is that he was talking physically. However there is some sort of connection between the islands leader and the island itself. Perhaps it was this connection that Ben gave up in leaving and can never get back?
• Ben was planning to sacrifice himself in the crash of 316; this was part of the larger plan he's following. This is why he needed to take care of his final business (at the docks) before the flight, and why he tells John that he'll miss him. (Ben is aware that John will be resurrected on the Island, but assumes that he himself will be dead by that point.) Because John and Ben failed to bring Walt back, the circumstances of 815 were not recreated closely enough, resulting in Ben being alive, and he and John being on the Hydra Island rather than the main Island. Ben still has work to do.
• There is the ongoing comparison of leadership styles. Locke tells people the truth and can't understand why they don't believe him. Ben manipulates knowledge, telling people believable lies and gets their involvement. As for Widmore, although he says he led them in peace, he gives the impression he would lead with force.

• Ben’s murder of Locke is a test; he genuinely has no idea whether Locke will live again when they return to the Island. If Locke is restored it will indicate to Ben that a certain timeline is unfolding, if he is still dead it will indicate a different timeline is unfolding. When John revealed that Jin was alive, it indicated to Ben an alternate timeline was unfolding, a course of events that Ben was not prepared for. The “Jin is Alive” timeline is more evidence of Widmore’s “changing the rules” and reveals to Ben that Widmore is succeeding in altering (or restoring) history in a way that is displacing Ben from the Island. The“Jin is Dead” timeline is the course Ben is prepared for; he already has foreknowledge of what is coming and had a totally different plan for returning to the Island, but when he realizes the “Jin Is Alive” timeline is unfolding that plan of return is no longer valid. He gets Locke to tell him about Eloise Hawking because he knows that the Island/Jacob surely would have provided Locke with a way to get back and must now employ this method of returning, although he has no idea how things will unfold or whether Locke will live or die. That also accounts for why Ben is so evasive when Jack asks about Locke’s demise.

Helen's Death

Helen

• Helen was killed by someone who wants John to stay on the Island. They knew if he came back and started a life with Helen, he would never return.
• Helen is not dead at all. It was a fake headstone left by someone who wants John to stay on the island.
• Helen is an Other/off island Other supporter. She was planted in John's life to set him on a certain course - like Abaddon, she was a catalyst. We will see her again, but her death by 'brain aneurysm' will prove to be foreshadowing.
• Helen's brain aneurysm was caused by temporal shifting.
• Helen was killed by a brain aneurysm which was unfortunate but naturally occurring--there were no island-related reasons for it.
• Helen's death is meant to be. Fate, not the island itself, needs Locke on his path.

Matthew Abaddon

Abaddon

• Abaddon says he was there to give Locke the information about walkabout on purpose, to get him to go to Australia and subsequently be a passenger on Oceanic 815. And was under orders from Widmore at the time. This implies Abaddon had a hand in getting the other Losties pointed toward being in Australia and needing the return to LA at that particular moment on that particular flight.

• • He certainly had a hand in getting other people there. He seems to pop up everywhere, and although my memory is not quite clear of earlier seasons, I remember he helped another Lostie on their way, as well as the Helicopter people. Having said this, I don't think we will find out seeing as how everyone got to the island has already been shown.

Exit (Tunisia)

The Tunisia Exit

• In October 2005, Ben arrived. He was intercepted by a patrol but he bested the two members. As a result, Widmore either had no warning of Ben's presence in London or, if he learned about the results of the encounter, knew that someone had exited but not who or exactly when.
• It was his best guess. Maybe Widmore didn't KNOW it was the exit but HOPED it was and it turned out to be right.
  • There is no reason why it wouldn't be a static point; this point in Tunisia is meant to be the opposite position on Earth to the island. If the island is moving gradually and has moved in the past, then why would it remain the same part of the Tunisian desert. It is a fairly large area...
• Widmore based his determination of the exit point on where the polar bear was found that Charlotte is seen to be excavating in "Confirmed Dead".

Caesar

Caesar

• Caesar is a plant from Widmore. Widmore has to have had someone on board that plane. He wants to find the Island, and he told John that he would do everything to get him back to the Island. This is one of many half-truths, Widmore does want to help John get back to the Island so that he can follow him and eventually regain control of the Island. Caesar is exhibiting planning and cunning, going for the gun, consolidating leadership and preparing for future events.
  • This sort of mirrors the original Losties with the guns.
• "The war is coming" implies to the final conflict between Ben and Widmore (who was spying on the Oceanic Six; Caesar or Ilana are the best candidates).
• Caesar isn't anyone yet; just clever, resourceful and a leader. Walt's dream about the people trying to kill Locke would indicate that this is going to happen sooner or later, which would mean that Caesar (the obvious instigator of the attack on Locke) wouldn't be doing that or involved in that if he was Widmore's agent or spy.