(4/30/07) DHARMA DIALOGUE:
DHARMANS AND OTHERS AND NATIVES, OH MY....
BEN AND JACK AND LOCKE, OH MY....
This new HEMA Theory web page provides an explicitly collaborative examination of plots and patterns in Lost, framed in the natural form of a dialogue. The genesis of this dialogue was a recent email to me by a fellow friend in Lost, Stephen Oby. (Note: Our capitalized initials will be used to identify who said what, in the commentary dialogue that emerged from a series of email exchanges, with “SO” for Mr. Stephen Oby’s comments, and “TH” for my own comments.)
SO: The Others are the Dharma Initiative. Ben was either born or raised on the island by some of Dharma's original members. Their purpose was to study the remarkable effects of this island. Ben was raised to believe in the cause. Perhaps he was the sole survivor of "the purge" and took the task of Dharma upon himself. He recruited everyone (Juliette, Goodwin, Ethan, etc., although maybe not Mikhail). He even invented a mysterious character named Jacob that he brainwashes his people into believing is their powerful ruler. Truth is it's only Ben and his lying, manipulating ways.
TH: Yes, I've always thought the Others might include remnants of the Dharma Initiative (hereafter, for brevity’s sake, “Dharmans.”) Given the stated timeline for Dharma’s arrival on the island, if Ben were born to Dharmans after their arrival on the island, that would put Ben in his early 30’s, age-wise. To me, he looks older, perhaps in his early to mid-40’s. Still, Ben could have been discovered on the island, as part of a native group of islanders, and subsequently raised by Dharmans. In my “Soviet/Dharma Psi Wars” page, I even considered the possibility of yet another group of visitors on the island, namely a Soviet contingent conducting psi research, leveraging the island’s unique electromagnetic powers and exploring remote viewing— among other things— as a basis for strategic military weapons. Was Mikhail a remnant of this Soviet psi research contingent, and were the remaining members of this Soviet group recruited into the Dharma cause, following a ‘purge’ in which Dharmans killed most of the Soviet contingent? Or was Mikhail recruited by Dharma on the mainland, and subsequently transported to the island, to help Dharma by leveraging knowledge he gained through prior work in Soviet psi research? Is Jacob fact or fiction? This is a very intriguing question, given the deceitful Others, especially Ben. If Jacob is a living and breathing fact, is he Gerald de Groot, Aaron de Groot, Alvar Hanso, Charles Widmore, or (weirder yet!) an electromagnetic island-regenerated Christian Shepard? (How ‘bout that empty coffin…. shades of “Star Trek II and III”, namely the Genesis device and its effects in accelerating growth and regeneration.... Some interesting parallels to Lost, for sure!)
SO: For years Dharma has lured people to the island to study them. They use the hatches as kind of a set; this way they have a controlled study. It's possible that Dharma is responsible for the presence of the giant magnet in the hatch because it somehow causes everyone to crash (Yemi, Desmond, Henry Gale, Flight 815, Naomi's helicopter). This way they get a few people at a time that they can study on the island.
TH: Yes, this is what I've thought, all along, regarding the purpose, which is continuing. I’ve referred to the island as a giant ‘Skinner box’.... Hmmm… I’m not sure about the magnet theory.... I still like the possibility that Desmond missed typing the numbers in on time, once, and a 'purple rain' EMP burst knocked out Flight 815's electronics, and more, given the power of the burst.... Returning to the ‘magnet theory’, one could make the argument that if the strata comprising the base of the island is sufficiently infused with magnetite deposits, (which may also help explain the island’s unique electromagnetic phenomena in the first place), the entire island might function as a giant magnet…. Per my “Wounds and Wombs” page, even if the entire island can indeed function as one big super-magnet, I still believe there is evidence for the existence of nodes or “Hotspots” on the island, associated with distinctly good and bad electromagnetic effects.
SO: I myself am not exactly sure about the magnet theory. I've been trying to work through it and can't put it all together. I find it hard to believe that Magnus Hanso's ship being called the Black Rock is strictly a coincidence. I know I'm not the first to suggest this, but it seems that perhaps the ship was not a slave ship for its final voyage, but instead was carrying some specific cargo to the island.
TH: Yes, per my prior musings, it may be no coincidence they had mining equipment on the ship…. And per my ‘temporal diaspora’ theory, I would not be surprised to learn that one or more groups of visitors to the island, have traveled there over the years, some dumped on its shores by happenstance, with others driven by a myriad of plans and purposes… For example, in prior years, one or more groups of visitors may have traveled to the island in an attempt to realize the famous alchemical dream of turning lead (or other raw materials) into gold…. I hope at least one future Lost episode is comprised not of person-based flashbacks, but ISLAND-BASED flashbacks, enabling us to see the bits and pieces of prior groups coming to the island, fueled by their own unique dreams for leveraging the island’s powers…. This type of episode could be linked to the current timeline by having Flight 815 survivors discover artifacts from prior visitations, from Atlanteans to alchemists to Soviets and beyond….
SO: [Returning to a focus on the Others and Dharma….] It is eventually decided by the powers that be that Dharma needs a large sample size to study. They're confident that people would survive a plane crash due to the island's powers (which are a large part of what Dharma is attempting to study). I suspect that some survivors were put on the plane intentionally and others just ran into some bad luck. (It's likely that Christian Shepherd got himself into some kind of trouble and was forced to sacrifice both his children to their new experiment. Seems very Lost, doesn't it? A father forced to sacrifice his children?).
TH: Yes, for example, the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac…. Of course, more recently the story of sacrificing a child took on an interesting spin in the X-Files, namely which child to sacrifice….? Ironically, Fox Mulder drew the short straw, not Samantha….
SO: With Ben and the mysterious "Jacob" behind them, Dharma set out to study the survivors. It's possible that Ben was the only member of the Initiative who knew that a plane was going to crash, which explains why everyone acted so surprised at the beginning of the season (Ben's surprise was false, as is everything else he does). This seems likely because Ben's whole approach is manipulation; it's how he's spent his life so he knows no other way. What Ben did not anticipate was the survivors' reactions. Goodwin and Ethan both died, as did the man that Eko killed on the beach (or was it two men?). Ben is in trouble now because his people are doubting him, although he always has the imaginary Jacob to fall back on. They kidnap Walt in their effort to study children on the island (since no one can give birth they have no children, so to study children they're forced to steal children). It turns out that Walt's natural psychic abilities, combined with the power of the island, is unmanageable and they cut him loose. They kidnap Jack because Ben needs surgery; they're more or less borrowing the doc for a little while.
TH: This could be true, although per my prior writings, I think Dharma/Others are still engaged in a study of psi powers (parapsychology is one of the stated foci of the initiative), including: (1) psi genomes (DNA), (2) the effects of electromagnetism in augmenting/enhancing psi powers, (3) the effects of training/learning (esp. in children) to focus and leverage psi powers, and (4) the effects of applying the power of a 'collective mind' by channeling the powers of a group of psi-enabled children, through the island's unique energy field (see my prior writings, in these regards.) In addition, I feel they have been engaged in a range of gene therapy studies, with the warm-weather adaptation of polar bears being only one of many such studies. Ethan’s super-human strength suggests us they have succeeded in isolating one or more genes for physical power. And I am also still wondering if they have not yet mastered human cloning. This is a VERY interesting line of thought to pursue…. If we’re having so much trouble sustaining ourselves one way (mothers dying, with dire prospects for Sun), why not work on a parallel strategy—perpetuate the species, in this case the Dharmans, through cloning….? And why stop at simple cloning? Why not do some DNA designing and imbue the next generation with great strength and with psi powers? Finally, if wounds can heal faster on the island, I wonder if the cloning process might be accelerated, through leveraging the island’s unique energy field (HEMA cloning!)
SO: I still believe this to be true. The question is, how do they know so little? Ben seemed astounded by Locke's miracle. And they released Walt having apparently bitten off a bit more than they could chew. I could be reaching, but I'm starting to get the idea that the Others haven't learned much at all. It'd also be especially cool if the "Native" theory panned out and the Others were attempting to research the various effects of the island through these natives. Ben was probably coming across the island last year to retrieve Locke, as he said, because they were stunned when the island allowed a paralyzed man to walk. This also explains why they allow Locke to travel with them now: he is the strongest proof of the island's powers.
TH: My gut feeling is that the apparent surprise and awe of Locke’s healing is a long con, at the very least on the part of Ben, and perhaps by more of the Others. I would be very surprised if the Others/Dharmans know as little as they appear to know. After all, they tried to pull a physical ‘con’ of the Flight 815 survivors, by appearing (through make-up, clothing, huts, and other props) as backward…. I still feel the Dharmans are non unlike the Millennium Group, having access to a MORE advanced scientific understanding of the world than we on the mainland have access to…. All because Dharma took the best, brightest, weirdest minds to the island in the early 1970s, and unleashed this brainpower with lots of monetary and material resources, plus the resource trump-card of all… the ISLAND…. I’m still not convinced they were really so astounded by Locke’s ‘miracle’, since it find it heard to believe there were no like/similar healings in the 30 years prior to Dharma’s arrival on the island…. And I still feel that Walt is not the first and only psychic person they have studied on the island. Consider this mind-blowing possibility…. Given Dharma’s profound interest in Walt’s DNA and paternity, and the chance they may have isolated the genetic bases of psi powers, what’s to prevent them from using gene therapy to imbue people with psi powers, and to augment pre-existing psi powers, and to even…. design ‘clones’ of people (like Ethan), engineered with super-human physical and psychic powers, ‘designer islanders’ explicitly and purposively designed to live in and leverage the island’s unique electromagnetic energy field (HEMA genetic engineering meets cloning!)
SO: When Locke destroyed the communications station and the submarine, he eliminated Dharma's ability to communicate with the outside world. They, like the survivors, are now stranded on this island. They decide to change tactics, pack up and leave camp. It's entirely possible that everyone's faith in Ben has dwindled to nothing, but he continues to use Jacob to maintain control.
TH: The jury may still be out, regarding Dharma's links to the outside world. Did Naomi arrive via helicopter from a Dharma force, or through a Widmore-funded force? Hmmm.... Has Widmore taken over funding Dharma/Others? Did Mr. Widmore knowingly help nudge Desmond along a path leading him to the island? (Note: The whole Dharma/Widmore connection is a ripe for surmise, indeed....)
SO: There's certainly no way of knowing right now. The show has always been intentionally vague about the Others' motives, although we have learned a bit about Ben. I'm probably just hoping that abandoning their camp in gas masks was a move with a rational explanation and not just mind games for the survivors (and the audience). The way things play out exactly, I'm not sure. It seems to me that Dharma will eventually learn that Jacob is not real and turn on Ben. I wouldn't be surprised if it led to his death. The camps will split, with Jack leading the remaining members of the Dharma Initiative and Locke leading the survivors. Man of science, man of faith. Although the Jack-led Dharma will likely focus a bit less on science and a bit more on how to get off the island.
TH: You certainly are correct about two aspects.... First, we've been told that the final episode of the season will involve a Jack-Locke showdown. And second, the Jack/science, Locke/faith representations. Another key aspect, I believe, will connect to your last point... Jack will be the leader of those who want to leave the island, including many Flight 815 survivors, Juliet, and quite possibly some Others... And Locke will be the leader of those who want to stay on the island, including Rose and Bernard (if they ever return!), and some Others....
SO: That sounds right. My original thought was that Jack would become de facto leader of the remaining Others, but that's probably a little too clean. I can see a few people going with Jack and Juliette out of necessity (Sun, Claire maybe). If this is the case, though, we have a gray area, since Sayid (among others) want off the island but don't trust Jack. I have some others ideas on what Dharma is really studying and a possible separate faction of people in the island (The Natives.)
TH: I resonate with your idea of another faction on the island, especially since in my prior writings I've suggested (in a 'temporal diaspora' section) that the island has been visited by people throughout the ages, including prehistory. So I would not be surprised to learn that survivors of the "Black Rock" slave ship are part of this "native" group, as well as other parties who have been lured to (or stumbled upon) the island, throughout history. I would also not be surprised to learn that the Atlanteans and/or other ancient peoples have visited the island, with some visitors staying....
TH: Here is a real noodle-cooker, for your consideration.... I'm now strongly considering a theory in which it is not really the Dharma Initiative that is 'controlling' things on the island, but rather... it is the ISLAND itself, which possesses some level of Gaia-like intelligence and power (including electromagnetics...) It is the ISLAND that draws people to it, and impacts people and their stated agendas, turning them to the island's own purposes.... What undergirds the ISLAND's intelligence, purpose, and power? What lurks behind the scenes? I'm not quite sure, yet, but it definitely is intriguing! (Please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_hypothesis). SO: That certainly fits. Locke believes this to be the case and he is the island's greatest success story. The idea of the island being conscious makes absolute sense to me... perhaps the smoke monster is just the island manifesting itself and cannot be explained by any scientific reasoning. Only time will tell.
TH: Yes, indeed…. can't wait 'til Wednesday night!
Copyright 4/30/07
by Dr. Todd J. Hostager and Stephen Oby
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