What Was Charles Widmore's Plan? - LOST EXPLAINED FAQ

Welcome to the LOST EXPLAINED FAQ. This video series addresses Frequently Asked Questions about LOST and drills down into the specifics of the show. The aim is to answer smaller, more complex questions that deserve their own explorations and deep dives.
In this FAQ, we explore the motives and plans of Charles Widmore, who was not always the easiest character to track throughout the show. What were his motivations? What was he trying to achieve with the freighter? Where do his loyalties truly lie? We shall explore why he did what he did throughout the show and answer questions such as: what was the true purpose of the Kahana mission? Did Widmore specifically order the murder of Alex? Did Keamy really plan to kill everyone on the island? Did Jacob meet with island leaders before Ben? Was Widmore telling the truth about his motives? And many more!
Consider donating to the LOST EXPLAINED Patreon: / lostexplained
You can view the full LOST EXPLAINED video series here: bit.ly/3ab3LNy
You can view the full list of FAQ videos here: bit.ly/3OsuMOC
Leave your suggestions for FAQs in the comments and -- who knows? -- maybe you'll have your specific question answered.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:42 Widmore's Origins
05:20 Widmore's ex-communication from The Island
08:10 Why didn't Widmore use The Lamp Post?
09:25 Why did Widmore send the Kahana Freighter?
11:48 What were Martin Keamy's orders?
16:50 Did Widmore order Alex's execution?
18:41 What was "Secondary Protocol"?
20:30 How culpable is Ben in these events?
22:16 Did Jacob meet with other island leaders?
23:23 What mission did Jacob task to Widmore?
25:00 The lessons behind Widmore's character arc
27:40 Credits

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Consider donating to the LOST EXPLAINED Patreon to keep this channel and content alive. Your contributions help me to continue producing new content: www.patreon.com/LOSTEXPLAINED

[@Stubbla]

youtubing is free lol.. why are you asking people for money?

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Because some people like the content enough to become part of its creation and to get early access, and I build a community around the Patreon on top of youTube. More crucially, the money helps me to dedicate more time to making the videos. It takes a tremendous amount of time and effort and work to make this content, and I can't afford to dedicate as much time to the process without extra incentive. A lot of KZbinrs have Patreons and encourage subscribers to join. This isn't anything new. And those that can donate, do donate. I don't really get your problem with that tbh.

[@vincentlorusso689]

Widmore and his crew are truly the greatest victims of the writer's strike. Getting deeper backgrounds on Daniel, Charlotte, Miles, and Frank would have been so so great.

[@vincentlorusso689]

This channel is such a reality check. I started watching Lost the summer before the final season and I thought I understood everything there was to know about it by now. Widmore's perspective never resonated with me the way it should have. Thank you so much for these videos.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

I feel like the show would have greatly benefitted from giving us a Widmore-centric flashback episode in Season Six. That way we could have seen a bit more about his time as leader and his life off-island, plus how his relationship to Penny deteriorated. And we could have gotten a glimpse of that Jacob meeting, which would have helped bring a bit more context to the endgame.

[@vincentlorusso689]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 I absolutely agree. I never considered the knowledge he carried when I watched his scenes and some extra background on how he manages and deals with that knowledge would have added so much great context.

[@Oldschoolrap91]

Couldn't have said better. Wonderful. I think I need to start another rewatch soon. 😁

[@JJJJJVVVVVLLLLL]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 that’s why I always thought the higher episode count was a good thing tbh. Charlotte, Daniel, Charles etc etc really wouldn’t have hurt imo to see more. But I can tell the show was getting significantly less production money in the later seasons and I know it’s a miracle they got to shape an ending for it.

[@pandakicker1]

I always misjudged him, too. The time I rewatched it recently, I understood him better. I also got into it around the same time you did.

[@Jultomten630]

Great video. Very sad that Widmore got so little screen-time in season 6.. He would certainly have deserved an centric-episode with flashbacks...

[@Sarco86]

Completely agree. I also think we could’ve seen a Claire flashback episode in similar vain to “the other 48 days” which would’ve started from the rocket blowing up the house she was in up to where she found Jin. Could have covered off many aspects of the mythos, the cabin, MIB, Sickness/Claimed etc etc

[@Jultomten630]

@@Sarco86 Yeah, would have been great to see the beginning of the "friendship" between Claire and MIB.

[@notoriousbmc1]

I like to think that somewhere in Daniels Journal, "buy Microsoft shares" and "bet on the Cowboys in the Super Bowl" is written down. That's how Widmore amassed his fortune.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Lol, I think that's totally plausible 😂

[@incelpolskatv3855]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 in this video you are saying that Eloise and Widmore were afraid of "back to the future stuff" just like Hugo when he was looking at his own hand?

[@EvilVacuum]

Widmore, although portrayed mostly as a villain, I feel he was one of the many tragic characters. Almost everything he did was to further the island’s plan, even at his literal expense.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

I do have more sympathy for his character on re-watches. For a long time, we only see him through he eyes of Desmond and Ben. Two men who hate him. But by Season Five and Six we get a better sense of who he is and what drives him. He's not a good guy or a hero, but he has more depth and complexity than those initial viewings might suggest.

[@Sarco86]

They really needed a Widmore/Jacob episode I feel somewhere around the Desmond episode in S6, felt his story was rushed over in S6 amongst some other stories.

[@nathanbanks5155]

I've always considered myself "The biggest LOST fan." Rewatching at least once every year since my first watch in 2013. Getting mad at anyons who says, "Weren't they just dead the whole time" etc. Your videos make me feel like I'm watching this show again for the first time

[@Lional]

I always found it funny that the actor that plays Jacob is the same guy that plays Lucifer in Supernatural.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

I think the showrunners played into that association a little bit. Especially in Season Six's 'Ab Aeterno' when they tease out the idea that Jacob is "the devil". Jacob even smirks at that when Richard mentions it. Definite reference!

[@christys7161]

"Make peace with your Bens.". Great video; thank you!

[@Geddarm]

The fact that this Channel even exists is one of the coolest things in my life

[@JHallenbeck]

Man, you've made the Widmore story so much clearer and more palatable here. And I love how you found a way to end this recent batch of videos with some life lessons that we can all take from the storylines. "Make peace with your Bens" might be the most important and hardest one of all. But you're right! Had Widmore made peace, he would have lived. Soooo many people would have lived! It's easier for us to blame external factors on the outcomes of our lives sometimes. We may not be slaves to a time loop (that we know of!) but we do find ways to justify making bad choices. I love this channel so much. As soon as I can, I will start donating to your Patreon because this channel is producing A+ content that expounds upon the lore and nourishes the heart and mind. Thank you!

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

I really appreciate your kind words and any support you can give.

[@GetYourPull18]

Thank you for keeping the Lost flame alive

[@TheXipeTotek]

Your videos really make the show a much richer experience when you rewatch it

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

My core drive behind this channel is to deepen and enrich the mythology for fans, so I take great pleasure in reading comments like this. Thank you 🙏

[@judywright4241]

I’m bingeing it right now and I’ve always thought Widmore was with the Dharma Initiative! So I’m in the midst of the time traveling after Ben has turned the Island. This changes my own experience as to ‘The Others’🤯

[@tommyormerod068]

RIP Lance Reddick, whose ‘light’ rejoined The Source today 😔

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Well said. It's incredibly sad news. Lance was only 60. Another LOST alumni gone before their time. RIP.

[@Choekaas]

Great points about the barracks massacre! You're absolutely correct, the last time Widmore was on the Island, the Others had already occupied the barracks. It could've very well been Widmore's deduction that the Others - being so secretive as he knew them - had the sonic fence on all the time and was protected by any attacks from the survivors. Especially the surprise of Ben being with the survivors and not with his own people. I also wonder if the first time he came to the Lamp Post was after that talk with Eloise in "The Variable", since he finally learned how to find the Island and Eloise knew that The Island wasn't done with Desmond - seeing as Desmond didn't board Ajira 316 and was at the hospital instead, maybe she decided to cooperate with her former lover. Or that the next window/directions came from Jacob instead.

[@jessicalyn84]

Talk about a great algorithm. I just finished the series for the 3rd time two days ago. This video was so informative and I now see Charles in a whole different way.

[@JaclynOrtiz]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… Charles, Eloise, and Desmond are the most intriguing characters in the series because I feel like we never got that full story. Thanks for making this video.

[@myriamsoledadnavarretevald7855]

Wonderful video!!!

[@albertoskrico9412]

This is the best channel I could’ve ever found. Thank you so much for making me love the show even more!

[@danieln3771]

Your Channel is phenomenal Man, don't stop! Thank you :))

[@gamerunner12]

I love the lost content! Thank you

[@ffallenaangel]

Love your work

[@waynetaylor1025]

Amazing analysis, Well said at the end 👏

[@LilyoftheValley408]

Excellent video! You made my day. Love your content. Keep up the great work! We appreciate it!

[@DragonUltraMaster]

Yyyyyyesssss... Another masterpeice about Lost! Keep up the amazing and outstanding work you do!

[@denatic6665]

Wow what a great detailed video crazy the level of depth this show has thank you

[@Brellowcrop]

Awesome vid, mate. Like it

[@Flappingcluck]

I love the touching and positive lesson at the end. Great video, love your content.

[@reallyharsh]

incredible video 👍👍

[@kacheek9101]

Great, great summary video on Charles Widmore. The show definitely showed him so piecemeal that it's difficult to put it all together on the first watch

[@MrSmegHead]

Bravo to you good sir another wonderful video. I hope there are plenty more to come. Absolutely love your insight

[@juliusgrund2395]

Great ending! Love that you put up the mirror and encourage reflection on our own lives.

[@BeatleHead88]

That was beautiful thank you

[@buddystewart2020]

Another great episode. So, not only do we get help understanding the character of members of the show, we get some good advice on letting go in our own lives.

[@sebastianthorsen7682]

wow what a amazing video! going to have to check out more of yours. namaste

[@jamesglandon3737]

Thank you so much for another episode! I was actually looking up to see if I missed an episode because it had been awhile and thought I may have missed one lol. All your effort and editing are very appreciated, keep up the excellent work and quality of content. All the best to you and your family! Cheers from Canada!

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

I tend to post a new video every two weeks to a month, depending on the size of the script and subject. A lot of FAQs tend to clock in between 20-30 mins, and they take a while to edit. Got a new video coming up soon which is 70-minutes long! I hope to see you there when it drops :-)

[@Artylandia]

As usual, amazing

[@marinabassi3767]

Why am I crying ??? I can't use the same praising words every time a new video comes, but... You'll know what I mean...Wow... There definitely IS a Source !

[@magnumg3932]

Lovely video 10/10!

[@EternityinOurHearts316]

That was beautiful! Thanks! Love your videos as a defense for compatibleism!

[@hurmzz]

Beautifull ending, well done.

[@Johndeniro]

Nice channel! Love the videos. Going to Hawaii soon and will do a Lost tour. Trying to read up. Watched Lost two times in the past.

[@demancheedouard2144]

And all of that is pure improvised writing. There is no plan, only "what cool unexpected thing could happen next? Mercenaries ! Time Travel ! Why ? We'll figure out later" And brillantly done actually.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

The writers often described their writing of LOST as being a road map that allowed for diversions and detours (and even some u-turns). And I think that's a good analogy. Some of it was improvised, some of it was planned. I think the first season was definitely flying by the seat of its pants. The writers admit that they had little to no idea of where the story was going. But as they entered Season Two they started planning out the mythology/backstory of the island. Hence why we get introduced to huge mythological touchstones in that season: DHARMA, the light/energy beneath the island, smoke monster form, the others as an advanced group pretending to be savages, Egyptian references, Ben, Charles Widmore, etc. The problem was, without an end date, the writers spent a couple of years stretching for time. And they had to elongate their storytelling and spin their wheels a lot. Hence why we get episodes about Jack's tattoos and Charlie's weird dreams lol. Compounding this fact was the adjustable nature of the writersroom. As in: they changed their minds about some ideas as they went along. Especially since the writersroom was a revolving door of talents over the six year run. I discuss in my video on the purge that the writers definitely retconned details and plot points, which obviously throws off the narrative in places. There are a few glaring details that we have to reconcile with generous head canon. But to say they had no plan and just made it up as they went is not true either. Every season had a plan and a central theme and core narrative drive, and you can see that when looking at the seasons isolated from one another. There is no way they could have written the flashforward-heavy Season Four without thorough planning (that structure dictated that they needed to know where they were going) and they certainly couldn't have crafted the incredibly intricate time travel plot of Season Five without extensive preparation and plotting. Time travel story arcs (with multiple strands and characters) need forethought to add up. The time travel in that season certainly does add up in terms of logistics. And before they even had an end date, they were working towards the idea of some Oceanic survivors leaving the island then wanting to come back after years away. They just couldn't pull the trigger on that storyline until they knew where the end destination on their road map was going to be. And they were always working towards Jack's death as the final scene. Even the idea of an afterlife (sideways) is sewed very early on in Season Two's episode '?'. In fact, Season Two sets up a lot that gets paid off in the final two seasons. Anyway, I think the writing of the show was a complex process and the reality is more nuanced than "they made it up as they went" or "they had a plan that they followed from start to finish". Both are inaccurate statements imo. Sorry for the essay lol!

[@mightiesthelmutz2836]

I still enjoy great shows. Own the boxset, watch it 1-2 per year still. Love these !!

[@stregadisalem732]

I was always Team Widmore when it came down to his rivalry with Ben. It was sad when Captain Gault and Widmore died. Keamy was the worst.

[@Silas-lc9op]

Another phenomenal video. Great job! Taking these lessons and applying them in real life. Another cool topic that could be interesting is Rose and Bernard. Keep up the great work. Ben's mercenary, Sayed, was a revenge for sure. Widmores people and the Oceanic six. They just had tranq guns and Sayed was just offing them. I also wondered who Pennys mom was. I watch each video several times and recently became one of your membership people. Namaste 🏝

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

That's great Silas! Thank you for signing up. :-) Really appreciate your comments and support. 🙏

[@raeliamrussi2679]

Excellent video as usual. I love most of the characters on the show and I admit that Charles Widmore was always low on the list. But this video helps! Interestingly, I've warmed up to Eloise with rewatches and now find her one of the most tragic characters on the show. I can't say the same for Widmore. I would love to see a similar analysis of Eloise ❤️

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

An Eloise-centric episode is definitely on the cards someday! So you shall get your wish :-) Widmore definitely came across as an inconsistent villain between Season Two and Season Six upon first viewing. His motives always seemed contradictory and hard to follow but, once you step back and see the bigger picture (thanks to Season Five and Six), it becomes clearer that he was as much a slave to fate as Eloise was. Only rather than challenge his lot in life or try to be a more honourable person in the grand scheme, he doubled down on his cruelty and ruthlessness. It's only in Season Six when we see him make a move towards redemption, and even then he is still pretty ruthless in how he goes about achieving this. But it's clear that he has changed his ways enough to show more magnanimity towards Desmond and our Losties. And to a lesser extent Ben. I find him a really fascinating character when looking back. Not sympathetic per se, but certainly more interesting and cohesive than the first time watching through. I hope this video helps to clarify what he was about and why he was the way he was.

[@polydypsia6424]

That final send off! 😊

[@rickeydilley7263]

Your series has got me hooked! You've added so much to my knowledge of Lost. I was wondering if you have addressed something about the show that has haunted me since season 3: In season 1 when Joanne (I think that's her name) was drowning and Boone and Jack go out to try and save her. Charlie says "I don't swim". Then in season 3, suddenly Charlie is an expert swimmer! Is this something that has to be chalked up as a blooper or is there another answer I have missed? Thanks! I hope you keep these videos coming!

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Thank you :-) And yes, I have addressed Charlie's swimming ability (or alleged lack of) in my video on Desmond and Charlie, which you can watch here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3-ZhauVqKaLbac

[@AlexGeh]

You are really good at establishing a big picture perspective! One pair of characters I wondered about these last episodes are Rose and Bernard. Not sure if they're worth an entire video or if you're planning to cover this in the episode guide, but especially watching the Desmond video recently made me wonder about them. They make a point of *not* being involved and other than rescuing Demond from the well they're never seem to be an essential part of the overall story. And all of that despite even being part of the time travellers. For all we know they weren't even candiates. So in that sense they are a sort of antithesis to the destiny-heavy journey of the other characters.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Yes, as the series goes on, Rose and Bernard adopt the philosophy of not getting involved. You could argue that they unintentionally mirror Jacob's hands-off approach to the tribal warring on the island: let things work themselves out. But they also claim to be retired, which is a fair enough reason for wanting to stay out of the chaos and violence, and living a quiet, peaceful life instead. They were older than most of the other characters. Sometimes they embodied some of the emotional themes of the show, such as letting go of the past and being present with your loved ones, or the important need for finding and keeping soulmates. But they also (unintentionally) represent some iffy moral positions throughout, which I explored a little bit in my video on "Good vs Evil". I think I'd cover Rose and Bernard's mini-storyline in the series guide when going through their centric-episode 'S.O.S'. It makes sense to talk about them in detail with that particular episode, I think.

[@AlexGeh]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Looking forward to it! :)

[@asmrtpop2676]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Tbf, they also aren’t leading anyone and they aren’t observing people like a game or experiment. They truly are just trying to “stay in their lane” and enjoy the time they have together. The Island gave them a miraculous opportunity to grow old together, and I can’t fault them one bit for it. Also, their decision gave Vincent a stable little forever family lol. The older I get, rewatching this and slowly developing my own health problems, I identify more and more with them.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Well said! 👍

[@MlebKdrz]

I'll add my interest in more exploration of Rose and Bernard. This comment really got me thinking about the contrast between them as a couple and Eloise and Charles as a couple. These two pairs represent very different responses to the knowledge they receive about the island (arguably quite similar knowledge about the island's powers and time travel); they use that knowledge and the wisdom of their life experiences very differently. Eloise and Charles are almost brutally unsympathetic characters yet I don't think they should have been presented any differently. (I often think that they even sacrificed the sympathy of the audience for the island. It's as though their characters serve the story in our universe exactly as they served the island in theirs.) Could Eloise and Charles have taken Rose and Bernard's approach? Destroyed or hid or just kept the journal and lived quietly in the jungle with Daniel, enjoying the time they had together? It's interesting to consider if they ever thought about it, and what (or who) might've eliminated that option if they did. They're together in the flash-sideways, after all, suggesting to me that they wanted to be happy together. Did Rose and Bernard abdicate a responsibility they had by virtue of their knowledge of the island or did they embrace it by accepting that whatever happens, happens? Did they understand the threat posed by the MiB? I like to imagine these four crossing paths in the seventies, even being friends. Like if Rose and Bernard are why Eloise and Charles fully accepted time travel as reality and committed to their roles and sacrifices. Or if Eloise's and Charles's tragedy of losing Daniel is why Rose and Bernard commit to not getting involved. Or if they shared their knowledge, banded together, confronted Jacob, and he told them, "You two, miserable lives, protect the time loop. You two, happy lives, protect Vincent." And after that he decided that no one should be able to share relevant knowledge on the island ever again, lol. Mystery solved!

[@totemmechanics1]

...quality video putting elements together not many others have so far even after all these years... not issue of writers producing details that don't make sense but understanding what is clearly pretty much straight up logic. they all did outstanding job bringing to viewers an unrivaled depth of art an storytelling. criticisms people should have with this show should revolve around Desmond and Widmore's wigs an Jack's Jim Morrison beard

[@x-ta-sy]

Greta video! Could you do one explaining the Freighter people?

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

I feel that this video explains the reasons for why the freighter was sent and the differences between the main teams. Who else would you like to know about from the freighter specifically?

[@x-ta-sy]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 a breakdown of the characters themselves, if that makes sense? It's no pressure though

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Oh I see! I don't tend to do character profiles in general, or breakdown specific characters unless they have a set of overarching questions and/or mysteries attached to their arcs, like Jacob or Mother or Juliet or Desmond, etc. I always found that characters like Faraday, Charlotte and Miles had fairly self-explanatory arcs. Plus, I often touch upon their characters whilst exploring other parts of the mythology. For instance, I have discussed Faraday a lot whenever talking about Desmond or Widmore or Eloise, or the time travel in general. That said, I don't rule out doing deep dives into each character in future. A lot of people have asked me to do character analysis videos, so it might be on the cards someday! And I'm sure that would include the freighter folk. 👍

[@lastpme]

Make peace with your Bens…🤔…not sure about that one 😂. Another excellent video 👍🏿

[@connormoorerocks]

dunno if you have done a video on Chronological LOST HD but you should, it needs more eyes and it's truly amazing

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

I haven't seen the whole of it so I cannot fairly comment on the overall project. From what I did see, I would contest the placement of certain scenes in the early chronology, such as the donkey wheel conversation between Christian and Locke (which I argue takes place in the objective present day of 2007). But I will get around to watching it at some point because it's a very ambitious project that has been clearly made with love.

[@sandal_thong8631]

I like a lot of this, but don't get the idea of Jacob intentionally ignoring Ben to provoke him on purpose. However, previous to that, he tells Ben that he has a choice and can walk out of there, leaving them to discuss things without him. In another video the author said Jacob didn't like seeing Ben's character become corrupted and feeling "What's in it for me?" So when he pleads "What about me?" he interprets it as the previous and replies, "What about you?" But was that merely a question, or as Ben believed a sign of disdain, saying Ben's service, faith, loyalty and sacrifice didn't matter to him?

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

The idea is that Jacob didn't approve of the decisions that Ben had been making. It probably didn't start straight away. It surely took time for Ben to become the manipulator that we know. And I think Jacob was disappointed in how the boy full of promise turned out: closer to the dark than the light. I don't think he personally liked him. But Jacob also believed in both people and The Island sorting out things for themselves. The less he interfered, the more that events would play out the way The Island wanted/needed them to. Ben probably requested to speak to and see Jacob multiple times over the years, and Jacob shunned him very specifically as a result of the bad choices he made as leader. By the time we get to their confrontation in the statue, Jacob knows that he might have to die in order for the chain to move forward and is prepared for that (Widmore and Desmond are already on the way!). And so he does not coddle Ben. He could easily say: "Ben, I see you and acknowledge your sacrifices. It was all part of a plan. Everything that happened to you was for a reason" but he knows the choice is ultimately down to the man himself. If Ben made the right decision in that moment (not to kill Jacob) it would have demonstrated that Jacob was correct about humanity's redeemability right in front of the Man in Black: "See brother! The worst person on this island can make a morally right choice, even under your influence." So, Jacob does not want to manipulate that choice. It has to come from Ben. It has to be real. So, there are mixed emotions going on in that scene for both Ben and Jacob.

[@sandal_thong8631]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 OK. That makes sense. But then he also disses Richard, who laments that Jacob told him he had a plan and Richard was supposed to be a part of it. And now he's on his own. I'm guessing Richard didn't know there were candidates like Dogen at the temple, or perhaps he was one, but never saw himself as Jacob's replacement, so got crossed off.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Jacob told different people different bits of information as and when they needed to know. He was playing a long game. Richard only needed to know what he knew, just like Dogen. The only one who knew what the overarching plan was supposed to be was Jacob himself. If Richard had known about the candidates from the start then that would have changed how he operated and his judgement. I don’t think it was a diss so much as “need to know”.

[@williamthepleaser1]

Nicely.

[@mddi1420]

I always confused by widmore arc despite his hatred for linus. So insightful

[@amazingkris]

Gorgeous! You just made me a fan of Charles Widmore.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Ah that's great! My goal was to make a video that would clarify and map out Charles Widmore's motivations and choices so that fans could track his arc better and see that there is a logic behind everything he does. So I'm really pleased to hear that it has elevated the character for you.

[@amazingkris]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 I only ever interpreted Charles to be a brutal tyrant, and that his assertions to have changed for the good were simply a coping method to go after Ben. His deal with Desmond makes a LOT more sense now, especially the opposite attitude he takes with him in the flash-sideways.

[@sfinnera1]

You are the Lost God!

[@drewc.4061]

Hi friend. Excellent video again. One question regarding Ben. Is it not accurate to say that Daniel knew that the time-jumps started because of Ben's actions at the Orchid (turning the wheel), and that it is probable that he made notes to this effect in his journal? Because if this is the case, then it's likely that Widmore would've known the importance of Ben being allowed to turn the wheel, yet if Ben had surrendered himself to Keamy in order to save Alex, he would've been removed from the Island before turning the wheel. Is this another case of Widmore taking risks with the fulfilment of the timeline?

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

That's an interesting thought! Daniel certainly makes the connection between The Orchid and the time travel, only he doesn't know what exactly. Because he says the following: "Whatever Ben Linus did down at the Orchid station, I think it may have dislodged us." Which means he didn't know about the wheel, only that the station had time travel-related capabilities. We could argue he acquired knowledge about the wheel during the three years with DHARMA, but it's unlikely. Because we see that he dies on the very day that Pierre Chang discovers the wheel. Anyway, whether or not Faraday jotted down a note about this event in his journal is possible, but it raises more questions than it resolves. I think the issue I have with that idea is that if Faraday wrote something along the lines of: "Ben Linus used The Orchid to move the island but it sent the rest of us hurtling through time"... then why would Widmore send mercenaries to extract Ben. Their mission is exclusively to get Ben off the island, at the cost of murdering anyone who gets in the way. And if Widmore believes Ben will be the root cause of the time travel and crucial to sustaining the loop then the mercenaries mission and primary objective seems antithetical to that. Sure, you could argue Widmore was simply providing the motivation to Ben to do what he does, but does that really hold water? The way in which Widmore speaks about Ben and these events after the fact imply that he had no ulterior motive beyond ousting Ben. He doesn't say to Locke: "Ben needed a reason to push that wheel. I gave it to him." He says the opposite: "I needed Linus removed... so it could be your time." Never mind the confrontation in the London penthouse between the two men, in which the disdain is mutual and Widmore does not make any mention of sending the mercs to get Ben to do what needed done. There's only so much we can attribute to the journal, I think. At least that's demonstrable within the story, and I feel this detail might make the freighter arc more inconsistent as a result. I don't dismiss it, but I don't personally endorse it either.

[@lastpme]

I think Jacob allowing Ben to be healed was part of his long con with the MiB. I think Ben was on Richard and Jacob’s radar the first time Richard met him and he told Richard he could see his mom. Being able to see the dead was a similar power Hurley has which helped the remaining candidates beat the MiB in the final season. I think the island took away’s Ben’s gift so he would become jealous of John once he came to the island. The island did a similar thing with John when it took away’s John’s ability to walk which forced Boone to climb into plane which led to his death. Jacob and the island was just as manipulative as the MiB…everyone who came to the island were just pieces to game and they didn’t know the rules.

[@MadsoKuest]

I think that Widmore and Eloise were not trying to "avoid a time paradox" rather they took everything that happened with the time travelers as the will of the island or Jacob, after all they were benefited in their conflict with the Dharma Initiative, plus Daniel also guided them about burying the bomb in 1954.

[@darrelmarchick6854]

These all seem like solid rational explanations to the series. The only fly in the ointment I would ask you to consider is a fairly substantial one. One that Ben told Hurley, when Hurley became the leader of the island. Hugo says Jacob said no one could leave the island. Ben replies that is just how Jacob ran things.. maybe there is another way, a better way. So up until Jacob is dispatched, No one was allowed to leave the island because that was what Jacob willed. So we know that the smoke monster can assume any shape and admitted to taking on the shape of Christian to Jack in season 6. How is Jack able to see Christian when he and the others were "off the island" and supposedly back in the mainland. If that is indeed smoky in the form Christian is on the mainland because Smoky is specifically being held by Jacob. How is Christian/Smoky on the mainland. How were Eloise and Charles and Ben allowed to leave. Hugo/Hurley makes a cryptic statement to Jack when they are playing horse basketball in the psychiatric hospital. He says we never really left the island. There are a whole bunch of things about Locke from the very 1st season that seem off and are too many to cite. But thats the beauty of this show. It allows every viewer to draw their own conclusions

[@GWGMJ]

For some reason i miss the computerised voice 😄 don't get me wrong, it's just i got used to it for so many episodes. Keep up the great work mate 👍

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

That's totally fair enough! There are many, many people who were perfectly happy with the text-to-speech voice, hence why it lasted for as long as it did. The only reason I changed it up was because it had started to stifle channel growth and views, with more and more criticisms coming in from people who simply couldn't get into videos due to the voice. And I didn't want it to be a barrier to other people enjoying the content. I think it has proven itself to be the right call.

[@imnothingbutastreetcat7996]

To people whoever watched the entirety of the lost. I suggest you guys watch this cool show "Manifest", Its just the same, has to do with some sort of plane.

[@TyCrawford]

Ok, I've been going through the series and I think I need some supplementary help. What I understand: The source was uncorked, unhindered in Mother's time. She went into the unhindered source as protector, became smoke monster and protector at same time. Mother passes protectorship onto Jacob. Man in Black kills Mother. Jacob tosses Man in Black into unhindered source, MiB becomes smoke monster. Later, Egyptians cork the source, I think, you said, at the request or influence of Smoke Monster/MiB, IMO in order to prevent anyone else from becoming a Smoke Monster Why, then, is it that uncorking the source puts the light out, when it felt like the cork itself was what was darkening the light (as seen in scenes where we see the entrance to the source after it is corked vs before it was corked)? Thanks in advance, keep up the good work.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

The Egyptians corked The Source on Jacob's instructions. Remember, only the island protector could find the cave of light. I explain why this all happened and the timeline of events in my latest video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3OXnKmIrbNqfsU

[@TyCrawford]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 ah, okay. I will try and see how that answers my questions when I get there, trying to go mostly sequentially through your content.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

You're definitely watching it in the right order, which I appreciate! My latest videos explore this part of the mythology more in detail. The cork is related to an "ancient incident" and was basically built to keep the light from burning itself out.

[@Amen.ahmed1]

The story of Matthew Abaddon is long and he came to the Island long time before Charles.

[@catac83]

Widmore did all that Jacob asked him to in order to become the leader of the island once again just like Linus. He is interested only in power like MIB said, everthing else like family and friends or try to become a better person is secondary to him.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

But we know he had changed his ways by Season Six because he is there to stop the MiB and save the world. We also later see that he cares enough about saving Penny’s life to risk that entire mission. I think Widmore was genuine in wanting to make things right, but it was too little, too late.

[@Joshua-uw7wm]

In the Bible Abaddon is the name of God's right hand man. Neat

[@asmrtpop2676]

I love Ben’s retort when Widmore says he (Ben) murdered Alex.

[@Hampion]

Hey - I love your videos! I really do, do you think there is any chance you could go back and re-create the older videos using your voice? Since it's much nicer and more natural with it!

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Already on it! Will start releasing brand new versions of old videos in the next month or two.

[@Hampion]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 looking forward to it 😀

[@therealrealSANDMAN]

Please someone tell me how Jacob, Richard, and possibly old time others went on and off the Island

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

In the old days, I think Richard and The Others would have used boats to come and go from The Island. I have suggested in a previous video that Jacob used the mirrors in the lighthouse to teleport off-island to the locations he saw reflected within the mirrors.

[@therealrealSANDMAN]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 I’m thinkin about when John spoke to Richard back in the ‘50s in the others camp and he was just about to reveal how and then the flash came and…boom! Time travel 😅

[@incelpolskatv3855]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Teleport ? ok, he also did some shopping to buy new clothes, nice suit when he visit Sawyer etc, did he borrow some cash from Richard? he knows a lot about modern world, quite surprising as for someone who is living alone inside a statue for 2000k + years lol

[@mddi1420]

09-22-2022 happy 18th to Lost

[@mudriym_]

Incredible video, as always! Looking forward to new releases! 😁 I have 2 questions, can you answer please? 1. Why in 3x05 Man in Black took the form of not only Emeka and his people who were killed by Eko, but also the little boy from the church? We know that Man in Black only takes on the forms of the dead because they have already returned to the Source. But what about the boy? There is no information about him in canon. 2. Why in 1x06 the bodies of Mother and Man in black lie in different places in the caves, but in 6x05 and 6x15 in one place? So, 2000 years ago they were buried in one place, in 2004 they lie in different places, in 2007 they are in one place again. P.S. Sorry if there are mistakes in English, I am not an English speaker.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Thank you! Your English is great, and both of these are great questions. My next video is actually going to address all of the island apparitions and ghosts, including the appearances of Emeka and the altar boy. So keep an eye out for that one when it drops! As for your second question, it does appear to be a continuity error sadly. What's interesting is that the writing and production teams were aware of it because in 'Across the Sea' they make a deliberate choice to show us the scene when Jack and Kate first discover the bodies in the cave. Reminding us of the positioning of "Adam and Eve". However, I think there is perhaps an answer we can hypothesise based on the discrepancy. The easiest answer is that someone moved one of the bodies. And the only person who makes sense is: the Man in Black. Maybe he moved his own body away so it wouldn't forever be laying next to his "Mother" -- the woman who caused all of his pain and suffering. Then sometime during 2004-2007, when our Oceanic 815ers were absent from the island, Jacob moved it back to where it belonged. That said, I do think it's ultimately just a production error that we can only really try to reconcile with generous head canon like the above.

[@mudriym_]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Thank you very much!

[@Jultomten630]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Interesting topic for next video. It would be great to hear your opinion about Harper. Was it really Harper that Juliet and Jack met in season 4? Or possibly ghost/MIB?

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

@@Jultomten630 An analysis of Harper's appearance will be included in that upcoming video 🙂

[@Jultomten630]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Great!

[@animal245533]

Do you think there is any significance of Keamy showing up in the flash sideways being a foil to the losties once again.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

I think several old antagonists showing up in the flash sideways is significant. We also get Ethan, Mikhail, Cooper, Widmore, etc. Everyone was connected, even the bad guys. And the bad guys brought out certain emotions from our Losties that played into their ultimate revelations about who they are and where they are.

[@geektoys370]

can you do a video about the hanso foundation and what happened to them?

[@MrEbawu]

thank fuck for this channel. As a lost addict i appreciate you, lost explained

[@buzzwithdrip6347]

A question Richard Alpert gave Locke his compass, instructing him to give it back to him the next time Locke saw him. ("Because You Left") When Locke time-shifted to 1954, he gave the compass to Richard in order to prove he was from the future. ("Jughead") In 2007, The Man in Black posing as Locke told Richard to give the compass to Locke, thereby creating a time loop. ("Follow the Leader") It is also something of a self-contained paradox, since the compass was never created. Does this paradox exist in lost?? Also there's the rope over the orchid

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Yes indeed, this paradox certainly exists in LOST. The compass is symbolic of the paradoxical nature of the causality loop/bootstrap paradox. It helps to illustrate how what we see in Season Five is a loop that keeps going around and around like the snake eating its own tail. I also agree that the rope at The Orchid well could potentially be viewed in this same way, but only if the Egyptians used the same rope that they found in the ground for the well that they eventually built.

[@buzzwithdrip6347]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 man i hate paradoxes, wish it never existed in lost

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

@@buzzwithdrip6347 I know some fans were turned off the show because of the time travel and because it leaned harder into sci-fi ideas. But this paradox answers so many mysteries and questions at the same time. It was a clever way to explain to the audience why "destiny" existed for these characters in the first place. For me, the time travel storylines of Season Five were some of my favourite storylines from the entire series. But I like my time travel and mind-bending paradoxes, so it was right up my alley.

[@buzzwithdrip6347]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 i don't mind season 5 but i don't like paradoxes, what If Richard gave Locke a Dr different compass??

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Richard can't give him a different compass because he is following Fake Locke's instructions. Fake Locke gives Richard the compass to give to Time Travelling Locke. It's part of the loop and "whatever happened, happened". This event could never have played out any differently. The compass is eternally recurring. And this paradox is intentional and by design. The way to look at it is like this: The Source is the reason for the time loop. It's "the god in the machine", so to speak. It is guiding events through its influence, instruction and direct action across the entire series (and throughout the entire lives of our characters). The compass is really a manifestation and a result of The Source's manipulation over the fabric of time itself.

[@jprice7]

Thanks for all the effort you expend on these videos and answering our questions. I have a couple that no one else seems to be asking, if you'd indulge me: 1. The Oceanic 6 rationalized lying about the island to "protect" the people still on it. But who exactly are they lying to for this "protection" purpose? Surely they're not afraid of armies and the private sector invading the island. They have no desire to preserve the pristine sanctity of the island and if anything, might see such parties as good for the ones left behind. It can't be Wilmore, because Wilmore knows they're lying, and they know he knows because they're playing along with his cover-up. What gives? 2. In many videos you say that the island has no qualms killing people the very moment they complete their usefulness/destiny. So why exactly did the other Oceanic survivors have to live exactly long enough to travel to the 50s and get massacred in the fire arrow scene? Was their real purpose to serve as meat shields for Sawyer and Juliet? (Sorry if I sound harsh on this one. It's just always bothered me how callous it was for the writers to kill off these background characters in one fell swoop after taking such pains to invest us in the notion that they were all important members of a community that lived together rather than dying alone). 3. Why was the Man in Black stuck in the form of Locke after Jacob's death? Related to that, how does Ilana have knowledge of such a minor detail about his powers? 4. Why is the island shown to be at the bottom of the ocean in the flash sideways?

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

1. Remember, the Oceanic 6 were basing their decisions off little information. Jack says the lie was to protect those they left behind, but really he is doing it because Locke told him to. And Locke, like Ben, wants to keep the island a secret from the outside world. But Hurley questions this decision/lie throughout Season 4 and Season 5, and the O6 all suffer fallout and immense guilt from distorting the truth. The show portrays them as being wrong for having lied. It was a way of covering up the truth of their experiences. Because who would believe their crazy stories of smoke monsters and hatches? The only people who would believe it would be the people who already know about that stuff, like Widmore. Who the O6 believe is willing to kill over the island. They have justified the lie to themselves using Widmore. In their minds, they don't want to risk making their knowledge public in the fear that people like Widmore will seek out the island again, which could risk the lives of people still there. But really they lie for the wrong reasons. 2. As for the background survivors, they are part of the time loop too, remember? Anyone who travels in time in Season Five is already part of past events that cannot be unwritten. The reason why all of those survivors from Oceanic 815 are on the plane to begin with is because they each have a destiny to fulfil on the island, including being part of the Oceanic camp and being involved in day-to-day events (less dramatic stuff we never see). More importantly, many of them are destined to appear in the past of 1954 and be killed by flaming arrows on the beach (mistaken for military invaders by The Others). This event cannot be unwritten. It is their fate. A tragic one. But yes, I agree that it was a harsh decision by the writers to kill them off that way. The plot mechanics of Season Five could no longer support their existence. 3. The Man in Black was stuck as Locke because Jacob had been killed, which limited MiB in his powers and abilities. The brothers are two halves of the same battery. The positive charge has been destroyed, limiting what the negative charge can do. I explain this a bit in an old video, but will be elaborating on it in more detail in an upcoming video. 4. A few reasons for the sunken island. Firstly, The island has no reason to exist in the world of the dead. It's purpose is to keep the living world in balance. In he sideways, this "cork" is no longer needed because everyone is already dead and on the other side of the light. Like a mirror image. Through the looking glass, you might say! It is visual metaphor, but it is also literal. I explore the practical reasons as to why the island is literally sunk in the sideways in my video on "Were they dead the whole time?", in which I explain that it is a result of our Losties not crashing on it within the sideways' imaginary timeline and, therefore, not time travelling back to 1977 within that "timeline". Hence nothing to stop The Incident from destroying the island. That day in 1977 is the schism point in which history within the sideways starts to alter the original history of our characters. You can also look at the island being sunk in the sideways as a collective expression of our Losties not having remembered it yet. The sideways is a construct of memories and fantasies and possibilities. The ocean is part of their collective consciousness, and the island lies just beneath it.

[@HereIsWisdom1318]

5:16-I never put it together that Daniel Faraday and Penny Widmore are half brother and sister!

[@ffallenaangel]

Great vidd. I never thogut of wildomore excpet a bad guy who dont like desmond. Nevrr thogut he wqs like that with him becaus he knew time ttavel

[@ffallenaangel]

But i dindt undrrstood the 2 protocol

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Secondary Protocol was a back-up plan for Keamy, devised by Widmore. In case the mercenaries failed to extract Ben, the Secondary Protocol essentially told Keamy where Ben would go and what he would try to do next. In other words, it explained that Ben would head for The Orchid and try to move the island. The file that we see Keamy reading explains how to locate the station and its functionality. Here's the dialogue between Keamy and Captain Gault: GAULT: What is that? KEAMY: It's the secondary protocol. GAULT: What does it say? KEAMY: Says where Linus is going. GAULT: How would Mr. Widmore know that? KEAMY: 'Cause he's a very smart man. And if Linus knows that we're gonna torch the Island, there's only one place that he can go.

[@ffallenaangel]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 aa know i understandm he send him to orchid to catch ben. Not to move the island. Ty

[@buzzwithdrip6347]

How does the kahana find where the location of island is ?

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Remember the tracking station that Penny was using to find The Island? Well, Charles Widmore no doubt had a similar set-up. They needed to wait for an electromagnetic event to reveal The Island's location.

[@doct0rnic]

Re watching the show, if Charles was trying to shape the events of the time loop, why did Jacobs body guards try to stop Miles from working for Widmore in the first place?

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Because Widmore wasn't Team Jacob at that point. He was still out for himself in many ways. Yes, he was trying to fulfil his commitment to the loop, but he was also trying to settle an old score with Ben too. It wouldn't be until *after* the freighter that Widmore has his conversion. Jacob seeks him out. As for why Bram and co show up to talk Miles out of joining up with Widmore, we can assume that they had been watching Widmore and his operations for a while. They see that Miles has special abilities and perhaps wrongly assume that he is a candidate. I don't think Bram was working off direct orders from Jacob at that point. Most of the time Jacob's bodyguards appear to be operating independently until summoned or specifically instructed by the Big J. Like Ilana.

[@doct0rnic]

​@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 I see, thanks for the reply

[@ZachAsaD]

Can you do a video perhaps explaining the most popular things? In 30mins or so length? I get too fatigued listening for so long

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

What do you mean by the most popular things? Like the most popular mysteries? If you get too fatigued listening to the longer videos just watch them in bitesize chunks in your own time. You don’t have to watch them in one go.

[@notoriousbmc1]

Richard said "I watched them die" but he knows the man he told Locke to get, to murder his father, was the same man who sat with him in New Otherton in the 70's. Why is Richard so blunt with Sun? He knows they didn't get vaporised. He speaks with them, 30 years after the hatch blows up! If Richard realised that these people he had files on, in 2004 were obviously the same people he saw in the Dharma Initiative, why was he shocked when John Locke planted the idea that he was from the future, and was going to visit Richard in the 50's?

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

It's a matter of perspective. From Richard's chronological timeline, he meets the time travellers AFTER they have met him in 2004. He then watches Jack, Sawyer, Kate et al set off Jughead in 1977 and vanish in the blast. He meets some of them again years later in 2004, but he knows they haven’t time travelled yet because they do not know him. Therefore, the people he is interacting with -- i.e. Locke -- have yet to live through the timeline he saw them in first. His past is *their* future. And he knows their future ends with Jughead. And that is the last he sees of that time travelling group in terms of their chronology. He had no reason to believe they were going to pop up again in 2007. As far as he was concerned, the time travellers paths end in 1977.

[@wadewilson8924]

So are you saying that Jacob wanted ben to feel unwanted and knew everything the whole time ? I know he had a plan but I’m not sure Jacob knew everything that the island knew about time travel and what not. I always felt like Jacob just didn’t think Ben was worthy.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

No, I'm not saying Jacob knew everything the whole time. He isn't omniscient. I delve into Jacob in much more detail in my Theory of Everything series with Part One (Origins) and Part Two (Ancient Past). We know that he demonstrates remarkable moments of foresight in which he appears to know what is going to happen in certain circumstances, such as with Locke's fall from the window. It's an intuition that comes from The Island and I don't think he distinguishes his own will from The Island's will. I agree that Jacob didn't approve of Ben's leadership for various reasons but some of his feelings towards Ben are down to that old Island-intuition. Because Ben needs to feel rejected for things to play out the way that they do.

[@wadewilson8924]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 I agree to an extent. It’s the island intuition that rubs me the wrong way. It makes the little game between him and the man in black seem less significant to some extent

[@s0cializedpsych0path]

Whidmore was a flawed Christ-like figure... he gave his only son and eventually his own life, to save the world... even if he had to do a lot of awful things to do it. Most of the awful things he had to do, also hurt him to do. They were sacrifices.

[@perusbersuerkki]

Well said

[@Greaseball01]

As an aside, what happens when someone dies in the flash sideways? Cus they're already dead at that point right? So... Why is it even possible to kill them.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

I will be exploring everything sideways-related in a couple of videos time. If you don't want to wait for that (and you don't mind the text-to-speech voice I used to use), you can actually watch an old video of mine that explores this subject in depth: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqSrgYlsma6dqa8

[@MuhammadGullan-bj2gl]

popping up on JASL!!! gorgeous!!! hold up!!!

[@marklechman2225]

Ok but so why did Zoe act like she was going to kill all of the candidates on the beach? Was that order given by Charles?

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

It was an empty threat. It was just to get them to give up their guns and surrender. They needed the candidates alive.

[@Shadeofdrag]

2:34 ; Daniel told mid age Éloïse that he was her son. And she also retreived Dan's journal that contrains her own writing. It is why she realize that he's really his son from the future.

[@tony.g20]

While I almost always either learn something, or 100% agree with your analysis, I actually do not entirely agree with this one. Let me explain why? And how my variation explains some of Widmore's decisions. First, we know that MIB at some point cleverly sets his trap, and begins to execute his Loophole Strategy. I believe this began when he realized that Jacob made a critical error in judgment by bringing Charles Widmore, a man who loved Power more than protecting the island there in the first place. Ben was not the problem. If anything Ben was EXACTLY the kind of person Jacob loved. A man completely dedicated to the island. Who didn't ask "why". An easily manipulated foot soldier...just like John Locke. While I agree that many of Widmore's problems began when Benjamin was brought to the Temple by Richard, I think its fair to deduce that when Charles told Ben to kill Danielle and her infant child this was at best a misguided attempt to make Ben seem evil, but more likely, at worst; it was a trap executed by MIB to as already corrupted by the MIB. Let me explain.... When the MIB realizes that this "amenable for coercion" man named John Locke will one day inhabit the island as 1 of Jacobs candidates he sets a plan in motion. The first evidence that supports this theory occurs on the night Widmore tells Ben that there is an order " directed by "Jacob" to kill Danielle and baby Alex. We know this is highly unlikely for 3 reasons. First, they both survive Widmore's unjust attempt at getting Ben to murder two innocent people. Secondly, they both played a critical role in assisting our Losties in the future, therefore the island was not done with them yet. And three because there is nothing in Jacob's story that indicates he would instruct anyone to kill his own candidate(s), and moreover we know that the MIB cannot kill them himself if one or both were. (Remember at least 1 Rousseau is on the Lighthouse sun dial.) If the above information is true, or likely true, then....... I believe Widmore was approached by the MIB posing as Jacob, and perhaps even in Jacob's image (but perhaps not as explained by Widmores response to Ben below), told of John Lockes importance, and supported by their encounter in 1954 that he would play a critical role in pushing John Locke to the island. Remember Lockes 815 booking was unique. As it was the only flight booked by 1 of our candidates that came with an metaphoric "push" by Abaddon via Charles via MIB to head to Australia for a Walkabout. This also explains why, Jacob in realizing the MIB is on the verge of successfully executing his loophole, makes the very unique decision to visit Hurley 3 years after the initial crash, to tell Hurley the 1 thing he desperately needed to hear since Libby's death, "You're not crazy" in order to get him on that flight. Ensuring that once this epic battle between Jack and Flocke has commenced,Hurley is there to takeover. After all, Jacob just brings Locke back from his fall...but it is Abaddon via Widmore that ensures his return in 2004 to begin his final loophole step. But perhaps the greatest evidence that supports my theory came right from Widmore himself. When Widmore and Ben see each other in Bens house shortly before he is shot, Ben challenges Widmore's intentions by saying "you have never even seen Jacob" in his response he states "I most certainly have.....he visited me shortly after......and convinced me of the error of my ways....and prepared me for this exact moment". Obviously we know that Desmond was the real person Jacob needed, and Widmore was just the vessel..pun intended. But, its what he both says and doesn't say that are critical. "Error of my ways" what error? Following the wrong man or path perhaps? It also proves that Widmore acknowledges in that moment that Jacob was not giving him orders in 1954, because he had not yet met him. If he had met him on previous occasions he would have responded to Ben very differently. Lastly, I really appreciate you taking the time to read this. IMO you are the ultimate authority on all things LOST and your insights are incredible. I'd love to share 1 theory regarding the sideways that I believe must be true...because it cant be coincidence.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

You know, I actually think that might have been the original intention in the writersroom: that Widmore was Team MiB, which would also mean Abaddon was Team MiB. And there are some scenes in Season Four that can certainly be read in that way. If that is true then something between Season Four and Five changed that plan. Because when Widmore and the Man in Black meet, it's clear they have no obvious history. When they finally meet in 'The Package' their exchange goes like this: WIDMORE: Do you know who I am? LOCKE: Charles Widmore. Do you know who I am? WIDMORE: Obviously you're not John Locke. Everything else I know is a combination of myth, ghost stories, and jungle noises in the night. LOCKE: I think you know more than that judging by these pylons. So, I don't think there is evidence that Widmore had been corrupted by the Man in Black. Sometimes people just go bad all on their own. As for Widmore's kill order on Rousseau and baby Alex... This is an answer I have given elsewhere. I think the military invasion of the 1950s is where the antagonistic attitude of The Others first originated; they were probably peaceful before that time. Then after their experiences with DHARMA and the purge, I think Widmore just became so hostile to any outsiders on the island that he wanted them dead on sight. But he was also testing Ben's loyalty and commitment with that mission: would Ben kill a baby for Widmore? The answer was no, he would not. There were limits to Widmore's power and influence now. And we also see that Widmore won't kill the baby himself either when Ben offers him the chance to do so. Because Widmore knows it would be seen by his people as an unforgivable act of evil. Whereas if Ben had carried out Widmore's order then it would prove Widmore still had absolute power but also damage Ben in the eyes of The Others as a baby-killer. Would have been a win-win. That whole scene, to me, is simply a dangerous and cruel game that Widmore was playing with Ben as their little power play wrestled back and forth. How much of this was sewed by the Man in Black is open to speculation, of course. I don't think Widmore had been "claimed" or "infected", but the Man in Black could have been sabotaging The Others in various other ways that we never see. A lot of years and decades pass on the island for The Others that we never see, so we can imagine all sorts of scenarios.

[@tony.g20]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 I was busy yesterday so I rushed my response. I appreciate your insights and have edited my response. However, apologies if it natches or contradicts your response, as I wanted to expand upon mine prior to reading yours.

[@tony.g20]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 ..Is this ny old friend from the UK.. CD?

[@buzzwithdrip6347]

Not really sure on your theory

[@tony.g20]

@@buzzwithdrip6347 ...well I acknowledge I'm not really sure either. Do you have anything that supports or refutes my theory?

[@geektoys370]

I never understood what was “ if anything goes wrong Desmond will be my constant” *edit*. I now understand that faradey wrote this to help Him remember knocking on Desmond’s hatch door

[@BelfackeR]

John Lark. Is all i hear when you pronounce john Locke

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

John Lark is a fine name!

[@BelfackeR]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 This is very true! August Walker, also known as John Lark, is one of the two main antagonists (alongside Solomon Lane) of the 2018 action thriller film Mission: Impossible - Fallout.

[@DaLikeButtonMrB]

Wildmore? Isn’t it whitmore?

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

No, that’s a common misspelling though. Look up “Widmore Industries Lost” and you’ll see some screen grabs from the show of his company name with the correct spelling 👍

[@chadweirick]

This was such a great series. I was hoping we would see Disney spin up a Star Wars version of this. Instead they keep popping out duds. Sigh.

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

This stuff isn't Canon right? To hire you again to make the reboot

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Some of it is canon while other parts are speculations based on some deductive reasoning, but it is all based on information presented within the show. I try not to make up something that I cannot link back to a line of dialogue or an event or circumstance that we saw take place. I do think Widmore's backstory is mostly implied but we still have distinct facts about his backstory to work from. I like any theory crafting to have a grounding in what was presented.

[@StoneBasses]

I still think the Widmore/Lamppost reasoning is a little thin. With everything he's willing to do to get what he wants. Has surveillance gear in that spot in Tunisia, but can't figure out that Eloise has a hidden Dharma station? Or he just won't go there because of his relationship with her?

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

I think this is more a case of logical deduction than anything else. We know that Widmore was ousted from the leadership just as Ben was beginning to takeover DHARMA facilities on the island. So, Widmore didn't necessarily have an inside track on The Others absorbing DHARMA facilities *off-island* either. We also know that Widmore wants to find the island again and has invested a lot of money into that project, and is willing to do whatever it takes to attain that information. So, if he knew that The Lamp Post existed then he would have definitely forced his way inside and taken it over. I doubt anyone would expect him to do anything less lol. But Widmore can't know about what he doesn't know. And he clearly does not know about The Lamp Post. And, to be fair to him, not even Ben appeared to know about it either. Eloise Hawking was running that church publicly, but running the station below in secret. She was a guardian in her own way. Waiting for the day to come when the Oceanic 6 would come back on her radar.

[@2QAYL1138]

Great work connecting the technical aspects of the show to its themes. I did catch one slip-up in your explanation though: "Jacob needed Ben to feel snubbed." This goes against what we know about Jacob. Miles, who can't really be questioned when it comes to how the dead think or feel, says that Jacob was always hoping he was wrong about Ben i.e. Jacob neither wanted nor needed to die, nor for Ben to feel or do anything against Jacob. In other words, Jacob wanted Ben to make the right choices on his own even though he didn't believe Ben would. This laissez-faire approach makes Ben a parallel to Jack, to whom Jacob also avoided revealing himself, aside from touching him anonymously while handing him a candy bar. Jack wasn't even on Jacob's list, according to Pickett. (To me, that's the first clue that Jacob wants Jack to act for himself instead of treating him like a chess piece. Jack was on Ben's list because he's a spinal surgeon, hence the emotional manipulation Ben put him through.) Jacob isn't the emotional manipulator that MiB or Ben is. Ben's resentment was not engineered by Jacob nor was it part of his master plan, because Jacob's goal was to prove that people are not all like Ben.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Lol, it's not technically a slip-up on my part. It's just my actual reading of the scene and something I've thought through very carefully. Here's my elaboration on these circumstances for more clarity: Jacob understands that whatever choice a character makes in a situation will be the choice they were supposed to make at that time; he accepts The Island's will is The Island's will. But Jacob doesn't always *know* what someone will choose to do only that it was what they were supposed to do in that moment. He didn't want Ben to kill him for various reasons. But Miles' explanation indicates that Jacob was simply hoping Ben would be redeemable in that moment. Because it would prove Jacob *right in front* of the Man in Black, and speak to the wider "game" they had been playing about human beings being inherently corruptible. That flawed people could be redeemed. That they could make good, selfless, morally right choices. He was hoping that Ben would embrace the light. At the same time, we also know through a surplus of evidence that Jacob had been preparing for the day of his own demise for a long time (as long as he had been searching for candidates) and knew that his death, when it finally came, would be the trigger point for the endgame. He already had Ilana and her people in place on the island and had spoken to and prepped Widmore to bring back Desmond (they were literally on their way), so he was fully aware that his time was at an end. The fact that Desmond was being delivered with the specific purpose of un-corking The Source is evidence enough in and of itself. Why? Because the heart of the island could not be at risk from MiB with Jacob still in the picture. If Jacob really believed he would live another century (even another decade), he would not have set this plan in motion. Jacob wasn't fully omniscient; he only knew what he needed to know. Much like everyone else. Sure, his knowledge base was far wider than the average islander of course, but he was as much a cog in the destiny machine as everyone else. Just as Jack turns out to be. Their deaths were preordained to happen the way that they do. Protectors sense when their time is near an end and they accept their role in events and their ultimate fate. I disagree with your take on Danny Pickett's line: "Shepherd wasn't even on Jacob's list." Damon Lindelof is quoted as saying the following about this seeming contradiction: "The idea that Jacob had a list that he furnished to the Others or to Ben is up for debate." We know that Ben has been lying to his people for a long time about talking to Jacob. We also know that Ben has been driving the energies of his people into solving the pregnancy crisis, and that some of his people are starting to turn on his leadership. It is heavily implied that Ben has been throwing his own lists and instructions into the mix, claiming they came from Jacob. Because no one but Richard actually knows which list has come from Jacob and which list has come from Ben. It's obvious that the list with Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley on (that Ms. Klugh gives to Michael) is a Ben list. Those are people he wants to further his own agenda; to benefit him. Not Jacob. Whereas, in the mobisode 'Room 23', Ben declares that Walt was kidnapped because he was on Jacob's list. And that makes sense because The Others go to a lot of trouble with Walt, and his abduction triggers a whole series of causal events. Pickett, like many of The Others, didn't know which list was coming from Jacob and which list was coming from Ben. He's also 180 degrees wrong in his statement anyway. Because Jack *was* on Jacob's list, and had been for some years now. It's just no one but Jacob and the Man in Black knew about this list until the final season. Either way, what Pickett says is based on being misled by Ben about where the orders were coming from. Just like everyone else.

[@2QAYL1138]

@@LOSTEXPLAINED108 Of course Jacob was aware of and watching Jack, but Jack wasn't on any authentic list of Jacob's given to the Others until S6, in my opinion. This was to maintain Jack's freedom of choice by withholding his importance from everyone until S6. Letting it get out that Jack was so important would have changed Jack's response to events to make him something more tragic like Locke, who was constantly told he was special & it got him killed. That juxtaposition is thematically significant. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here & you probably do too. Just doesn't make sense to me that Jacob was causing Ben's frustration with him. "Jacob never tells us what to do" according to Richard.

[@LOSTEXPLAINED108]

Well, it depends on how we define what an authentic list is. The lighthouse dial and cave wall of names are authentic in that they come from Jacob, they just aren't known to any of our core groups. And this lighthouse list has been around far longer than any of the smaller paper lists being passed around The Others. It is semantics in some sense because I get what you mean here. While it is true to a certain degree that Jacob never tells people what to do, he does influence and nudge people. We see him do this multiple times. Examples that spring to mind: with Hurley in the cab (and later at the temple) and with Jack in the lighthouse. We see him orchestrate many events/scenarios that lead to specific outcomes. He even tells Hurley: "Jack is here because he has to do something. He can't be told what that is. He's got to find it himself. Sometimes you can just hop in the back of someone's cab and tell them what they're supposed to do. Other times, you have to let them look out at the ocean for a while." It's clear that he senses what Jack's ultimate purpose is in the grand scheme. He knows Jack has a very specific task that needs to be accomplished. As does everyone who comes to The Island. And the philosophy he imparts to Hurley (and Richard) of letting people work things out themselves is essentially what Jacob did to Ben for years. Let him look out at the ocean. There is a middle ground here though. We can also argue that -- on a more emotional/psychological level -- Jacob simply didn't approve of Ben's leadership in general. The lies, the manipulations, the murders. He was disappointed with how Ben turned out, I'm sure. So he chose not to validate his leadership by meeting with him. And, like so many choices in the show, it played into the outcomes that The Island required. In this same instance, if Jacob didn't recognise that Ben's journey was playing a significant role in what The Island wanted/needed then he could have interceded and essentially said via Richard: "Do better. Be better." But he didn't. Because Ben needed to be Ben.

[@BonyBahony]

now... ask yourself who can write such a story...? Aliens did :D