Hi everyone,

I am hoping we get to find out where the others have gone before the end of episode 8.

I wanted to start a thread with speculation on what the temple is?

- Could it just be another hatch? They all have mythical names.
- If it is a temple as we understand a temple what is it used to worship?
- When was it built?
- Who built it?
- What significance does it have?
- Were the others moving because they knew the boaties were on their way?

etc, etc, etc,

Maybe it's a temple built by the 4-toed people.
If so, my guess is it's been upgraded at some point with at least surveillance cameras and probably some other technology.

Definitely Ben knew something was up & they had to desert Bensylvania. Maybe Bensylvania is the only place able to be mass gassed, and he wanted to be able to massacre whoever was coming, whether it was the Losties or the Freighter Tots.

Question is, who else in the group knows some of what Ben knows?

Ben seems to let people know only what he needs to know.

Only Richard Alpert and the weird Judge woman seemed to know anywhere near as much as Ben. My thinking is that when we finally see the Temple we will find many more others than we originally thought existed. I think Ben's group of others are charged with integrating the real world or keeping it at bay.

How could Ben a lowly janitor's son rise to be the head of the Island when clearly others existed way before he did? Would Ben have the genes to rise to be such a leader?

That said Hitler, Stalin, etc prove you do not have to have a Cambridge Education to become a Dictator.

Anyway regarding the Temple. I think it worships the Islands trapped consciousness of people who have time traveled and died. It also worships all other Island weirdness. Yes it probably by now has been kitted out with technology. But I think we are going to see a whole community around the temple of say over 200 houses or more. Think old Jerusalem.

I kind of thought that the HUGE stone post where Locke's dad was tied up to looked "temple-like"... kind of fitting that Locke's dad was supposed to be "sacrificed" on it.

I know someone SAID the Others were headed to the temple, but I can't remember who told them.

My timeline of events is all messed up, I think -- confirm for me...
- John follows them when they desert Bennsylvania, and meets up with them at the "post".
- John leaves again to get Sawyer to do the dirty work
- BEN sends some guys to get the beachies
- BEN comes back to the walking Losties to prevent them from leaving the freighter.
- The rest of the Other folks are headed to the... temple?

Could they be headed back to that post for another "sacrifice"?

quote:

Originally posted by SKM325:
I know someone SAID the Others were headed to the temple, but I can't remember who told them.

I can't confirm for sure which episode it's from, but it's one of the last S3 eps. Ben tells Richard to take everyone (meaning everyone who's been wandering over hill & dale since evacuating Bensylvania) to the temple.

quote:

Originally posted by Kris_London:
Ben seems to let people know only what he needs to know.

Only Richard Alpert and the weird Judge woman seemed to know anywhere near as much as Ben. My thinking is that when we finally see the Temple we will find many more others than we originally thought existed.

How could Ben a lowly janitor's son rise to be the head of the Island when clearly others existed way before he did? Would Ben have the genes to rise to be such a leader?

Anyway regarding the Temple. I think it worships the Islands trapped consciousness of people who have time traveled and died. It also worships all other Island weirdness. Yes it probably by now has been kitted out with technology. But I think we are going to see a whole community around the temple of say over 200 houses or more. Think old Jerusalem.

Kris, these are great questions. To add more, I do not wonder so much how Ben came to be a leader of the Others on the island. First, he is clearly intelligent and capable. Second, he has at least some connection to the island, like John.

No, my question is that given Ben's apparent ages when he got to the island and at the time he killed his father, how did Ben become the world traveller and manipulator of events OFF the island? He would have had virtually no experience of off-island activities.

Also, I agree with another thread that Juliette looks much like the picture over John's shoulder. Yet the picture, which might be Ben's mother, was framed in an island setting. This, when she was said to have died at childbirth. Was she somehow previously connected to the island?

Finally, my feeling, based on no evidence whatsoever, is that the "temple" will be a relic of the past. It seems to be a great opportunity to connect the toe-chcallenged statue to a past civilization. Could the temple be linked to the Black Rock survivors?

How many more people on the island? Unlike others posting here, I do not believe there will be a huge population to be found elsewhere on the island. There are enough Others of whom we have had fleeting glimpses, to develop into the story. It is difficult for me to see some metropolis in the jungle, especially when there can be no childbirth.

quote:

Originally posted by pagecarl:
Also, I agree with another thread that Juliette looks much like the picture over John's shoulder. Yet the picture, which might be Ben's mother, was framed in an island setting. This, when she was said to have died at childbirth. Was she somehow previously connected to the island?

Hmm...I wonder if, as a teen or adult, Ben painted that picture from the memory of his mother's appearance to him in the island jungle? Most of Ben's memories would be of island scenery, & Ben's vision of her is a connection between Emily Linus & the island.

quote:

Originally posted by Alaïs_Longthought:

quote:

Originally posted by pagecarl:
Also, I agree with another thread that Juliette looks much like the picture over John's shoulder. Yet the picture, which might be Ben's mother, was framed in an island setting. This, when she was said to have died at childbirth. Was she somehow previously connected to the island?

Hmm...I wonder if, as a teen or adult, Ben painted that picture from the memory of his mother's appearance to him in the island jungle? Most of Ben's memories would be of island scenery, & Ben's vision of her is a connection between Emily Linus & the island.

A good idea, Alais. The other possibility, however, which just came to me is that Ben DID paint it, in the setting of our lost island, but it actually is Juliette, not his mother. we know Ben has a Juliete fixation. Why not a painting?

quote:

Originally posted by pagecarl:

quote:

Originally posted by Alaïs_Longthought:

quote:

Originally posted by pagecarl:
Also, I agree with another thread that Juliette looks much like the picture over John's shoulder. Yet the picture, which might be Ben's mother, was framed in an island setting. This, when she was said to have died at childbirth. Was she somehow previously connected to the island?

Hmm...I wonder if, as a teen or adult, Ben painted that picture from the memory of his mother's appearance to him in the island jungle? Most of Ben's memories would be of island scenery, & Ben's vision of her is a connection between Emily Linus & the island.

A good idea, Alais. The other possibility, however, which just came to me is that Ben DID paint it, in the setting of our lost island, but it actually is Juliette, not his mother. we know Ben has a Juliete fixation. Why not a painting?

Eeeewwww, good idea, but that's so creepy! I guess a true stalker can't tell that he not only isn't attractive to the quarry, but that his actions (like painting a portrait) would scare anyone off.
At least it wasn't a nude. Anyone remember the Dick Van Dyke ep?

quote:

Originally posted by hurling:

quote:

Originally posted by pagecarl:

quote:

Originally posted by Alaïs_Longthought:

quote:

Originally posted by pagecarl:
Also, I agree with another thread that Juliette looks much like the picture over John's shoulder. Yet the picture, which might be Ben's mother, was framed in an island setting. This, when she was said to have died at childbirth. Was she somehow previously connected to the island?

Hmm...I wonder if, as a teen or adult, Ben painted that picture from the memory of his mother's appearance to him in the island jungle? Most of Ben's memories would be of island scenery, & Ben's vision of her is a connection between Emily Linus & the island.

A good idea, Alais. The other possibility, however, which just came to me is that Ben DID paint it, in the setting of our lost island, but it actually is Juliette, not his mother. we know Ben has a Juliete fixation. Why not a painting?

Eeeewwww, good idea, but that's so creepy! I guess a true stalker can't tell that he not only isn't attractive to the quarry, but that his actions (like painting a portrait) would scare anyone off.

So true, Hurling. After all, I have painted oils of all of you and hung the pictures on the wall and that seems fine to me?????

quote:

Originally posted by pagecarl:
So true, Hurling. After all, I have painted oils of all of you and hung the pictures on the wall and that seems fine to me?????

I'll bet my portrait was easy to do...just two dots & you were done.

quote:

Originally posted by pagecarl:

So true, Hurling. After all, I have painted oils of all of you and hung the pictures on the wall and that seems fine to me?????

Oy gevalt! I don't think I needed to know that! I thought we had a tacit agreement just to dream about each other.

There is also the possiblity that the painting is of Annie, the cute little girl that Ben had a friendship when he was a wee lad.

When the therapist said that you look just like her, I was thinking of Annie.

quote:

Originally posted by Theoldred:
There is also the possiblity that the painting is of Annie, the cute little girl that Ben had a friendship when he was a wee lad.

When the therapist said that you look just like her, I was thinking of Annie.

That is another good idea. Does this imply that Ben has "aged" her in his mind to paint the picture or that in his travels to the mainland he actually tracked her down? Given his compulsions toward Juliette, there seems to be little he is not capable of.

And given that the comment came from the therapist, do we believe that at one time Ben shared his connection to Annie with his therapist? It is difficult seeing Ben sharing anything with anyone right now.

Keeping that thought in mind, is the entire scene with Juliette intended to show that Ben's choices are often driven by personal goals instead of being directed by the island?



Sorry, Hurling, I cannot stick just to dreams. I am an artist. I need to create! Now painting Alais from her red-headed avatar and nothing else, that was a challenge. And you should see my picture of Sparticustard.

quote:

Originally posted by pagecarl:

quote:

Originally posted by Theoldred:
There is also the possiblity that the painting is of Annie, the cute little girl that Ben had a friendship when he was a wee lad.

When the therapist said that you look just like her, I was thinking of Annie.

That is another good idea. Does this imply that Ben has "aged" her in his mind to paint the picture or that in his travels to the mainland he actually tracked her down? Given his compulsions toward Juliette, there seems to be little he is not capable of.

And given that the comment came from the therapist, do we believe that at one time Ben shared his connection to Annie with his therapist? It is difficult seeing Ben sharing anything with anyone right now.

Keeping that thought in mind, is the entire scene with Juliette intended to show that Ben's choices are often driven by personal goals instead of being directed by the island?



Sorry, Hurling, I cannot stick just to dreams. I am an artist. I need to create! Now painting Alais from her red-headed avatar and nothing else, that was a challenge. And you should see my picture of Sparticustard.

Why pagecarl, I had no idea! Is there no end to your talents? You must provide us a link to your online gallery.

Ben wouldn't "confide" anything to anyone. But the therapist, or anyone else, may have noticed his behavior towards Annie, or whenever her name was mentioned, if she was gone from the island.

Here's Annie: Annie

Here's Ben's mom: Ben's mom

Here's Joshanda's cap of the painting: painting

Hard to tell who it's supposed to be; they should've hired pagecarl to paint it.

I agree, pagecarl, even a true prophet has to interpret what he hears, and that's always colored by personal desires. Megalomaniac stalkers don't blindly follow orders.

And, is this a first? We're on- and off- topic simultaneously!

quote:

Originally posted by hurling:

Here's Annie: Annie

Here's Ben's mom: Ben's mom

Here's Joshanda's cap of the painting: painting

Thanks for the photo comparisons, Hurling! I have to say, between Annie, Ben's mom, and Juliet, the painting looks BY FAR the most like Ben's mom, IMHO. Though, we've yet to see Annie all grown up. She too may have dyed her hair blond.

quote:

Originally posted by Jack'sGirl:
Thanks for the photo comparisons, Hurling! I have to say, between Annie, Ben's mom, and Juliet, the painting looks BY FAR the most like Ben's mom, IMHO. Though, we've yet to see Annie all grown up. She too may have dyed her hair blond.

And I think it looks clearly more like Juliette. I remain unsure of how ben would have any sort of clear picture of his mom, who died at birth.

quote:

Originally posted by pagecarl:

quote:

Originally posted by Jack'sGirl:
Thanks for the photo comparisons, Hurling! I have to say, between Annie, Ben's mom, and Juliet, the painting looks BY FAR the most like Ben's mom, IMHO. Though, we've yet to see Annie all grown up. She too may have dyed her hair blond.

And I think it looks clearly more like Juliette. I remain unsure of how ben would have any sort of clear picture of his mom, who died at birth.

Although I don't remember this myself, I read somewhere that the painting is first seen in the house of Ben and his father, on Ben's birthday (in the scene where his father is drunk on the couch). If that is in fact true, then the painting is almost certainly of Ben's mom.

As for other sources for Ben's clear image of his mom, I believe he had a photo of her in his bedroom when he was a child. And, he "recognizes" her when her apparition - or whatever it was - appeared to him.

The mystery deepens...the painting has changed!

Check out the following link from lostpedia:

http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Image:Woman-with-hampster.jpg

Now check out the following link from our own Forums. Go down to Joshanda's March 10th post.

http://filmfodder.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2071074421/m/4031068984

For more information on Emily Linus:

http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Emily_Linus

Curiouser & curiouser...

How has it changed? they both look the same to me, but shot from opposite angles.

quote:

Originally posted by rhys:
How has it changed? they both look the same to me, but shot from opposite angles.

Check out the hair. The way it's draped across the right side of the woman's forehead is different, & in the Lostpedia picture, her hair is hanging over her left shoulder. In Joshanda's screen capture, the woman's hair is behind her left shoulder. Also, the chin has changed—in the first picture it's pointier & in the second it's more blunted.

You can also see the first version of the portrait in Joshanda's second screen capture (the one w/Ben in the wheelchair), immediately below the one w/Locke sitting in front of the second portrait.

The picture is definitely different. The first pic that Joshanda posted looks more like Ben's mom -- curlyish blond hair, older face. The second pic looks less like his mom, and more like someone Ben's age around purge time -- closer to 30ish, brownish straight hair. Who knows -- maybe they want to steer the story line to be about Annie, and NOT about Ben's mom.