I don't know how many folks picked up what Tom was saying to Ben when Sawyer was waking up, but it sounds like the hatch implosion really hurt them. If they are in fact having to deal with an enemy force other than the Losties, it can't be a good thing.

On the other hand, it may allow for the losties to actually figure out what the heck is going on for once!! :)

Yeah, this was one of the more interesting details from tonight's episode to me, yet I have seen it rarely mentioned. From the reaction from Ben and the rest of the others, it seemed like they really didn't care when it blew up. Now it seems that it will have at least a decent impact on them.

Also, to me this hinted that the others really didn't know (or care) too much about the Swan station and what it did. Otherwise they would have had some of their people down there pushing buttons rather than rely on any ol' scotsman who happened to wash ashore.

I thought this was interesting because it shows the Others don't know everything about the island and Dharma. Tom didn't say "the EMP blast" he just said "since the sky turned purple". If Ben didn't know what the hatch was for - why did he trick Locke into quitting pressing the button?

I think Ben wanted Locked to stop pressing the button, but hadn't counted on Desmond turning the failsafe key. I think he assumed Locke would leave the button, realise he was wrong, and then press it again, but him not pressing it would allow something else to happen.

Well, considering we don't really know what would have happened if the button had gone unpushed permanently (and more importantly, we don't know if Benry knows either), it's really tough to comment on if/why Benry would want the button to stop being pushed. However, now that we know they are occupying at least one of the surrounding islands, the theory that he wanted Locke to stop pushing it but just didn't want to be anywhere near it when it didn't get pushed sounds a lot more likely.

I think Ben wanted Locked to stop pressing the button, but hadn't counted on Desmond turning the failsafe key. I think he assumed Locke would leave the button, realise he was wrong, and then press it again, but him not pressing it would allow something else to happen.

That's right - I totally forgot about the failsafe key. Ben didn't know about Desmond's boat so he probably didn't know about Desmond. Hence he wouldn't know Desmond would be at the hatch and have the key.

But the fact they don't seem to realize what the failsafe key has done casts doubt for me that the "Others" were a part of Dharma. Or at least the scientific part of it.

Yeah, this was one of the more interesting details from tonight's episode to me, yet I have seen it rarely mentioned. From the reaction from Ben and the rest of the others, it seemed like they really didn't care when it blew up. Now it seems that it will have at least a decent impact on them.

Also, to me this hinted that the others really didn't know (or care) too much about the Swan station and what it did. Otherwise they would have had some of their people down there pushing buttons rather than rely on any ol' scotsman who happened to wash ashore.

It seems more and more likely that the people known to the Losties as the "Others" have broken away from the traditional Dharma group and are just using various facilities as they see fit. Ben and Juliet didn't know about Kelvin's hiding of the sailboat (or as said before didn't care enough too investigate) so they obviously don't keep track of everything. What did Ben tell Locke about the Swan station? "This place is a joke." Also in the season premiere during the book club meeting, Juliet was ridiculed for offering a book that was described as "religious hokum pokum."

Ben and Juliet seem to be very rational, methodical people. They're methods lean toward behavioral modification and psycho analysis. However the island that flight 815 crashed onto seems to contain things that point well beyond the Others scientific scope (Smoke monster, healing powers). Based on next week's preview I think we'll begin to find out that there are indeed other "Others" that don't yet prescribe to Benjamin Linus' school of thought.

Well, considering we don't really know what would have happened if the button had gone unpushed permanently (and more importantly, we don't know if Benry knows either), it's really tough to comment on if/why Benry would want the button to stop being pushed. However, now that we know they are occupying at least one of the surrounding islands, the theory that he wanted Locke to stop pushing it but just didn't want to be anywhere near it when it didn't get pushed sounds a lot more likely.

Sure that makes sense. Otherwise Benry would have just let the button go unpushed when Locke was trapped under the blast door. Wonder what Benry thought was going to happen? Doesn't look like he was counting on Desmond and the failsafe. Wonder if he knew what the failsafe could do? He certainly didn't seem to be prepared for either, as he and the Others were still on the boat dock when the failsafe blew. How exactly was he planning on being on the small island when the timer counted down. He would have had to know when Locke was going to let it blow. Could they have been watching the Swan hatch from a location other than the Pearl hatch?

This is the most logical thread so far this season! There is alot of talk about Ben and his crew not knowing about the boat and therefore not knowing about Desmond. We haven't seen the crew that had Michael captive yet, are they another detachment of the Ben's crew?
Also, it did seem strange that if the Swan station was THAT important, then Ben would have known more about it such as knowing who was pushing the button.

This is the most logical thread so far this season! There is alot of talk about Ben and his crew not knowing about the boat and therefore not knowing about Desmond. We haven't seen the crew that had Michael captive yet, are they another detachment of the Ben's crew?
Also, it did seem strange that if the Swan station was THAT important, then Ben would have known more about it such as knowing who was pushing the button.

I agree. Them not knowing what was going on backs this theory up. If they were to know ANYTHING about the Swan from its originally intended use, in this case containing the magnetic field, it would be the consequenses of NOT containing it.
Team Ben/Juliette may have known about the existance of the swan, but my guess is that they had no idea it was still in use.

Let's not forget Benry pushed the button in the lockdown eppie. If he didn't want the button pushed...why didn't he just walk out of the side door when he had the chance?

Well, Tom was in the Michael-captivity group, and so was Alex, at least for the part when he and Kate were both captive at the same time. But this season definitely shows that the others really don't know everything about the island. Maybe there is hope for Jack, Kate, and Sawyer after all!!!

Maybe Locke wasnt wrong for not pushing the button? Boone told Locke he had to "clean up his mess" by saving echo, but that doesnt necessarily have anything to do with the button/swan/magnetic field. I might be wrong but, i remember Locke having a vision/dream that helped him and echo find The Pearl, which lead to Locke doubting the button, which lead to the button not being pushed, which lead to failsafe key being used, which could, as Locke said, "save us all".

Im thinking that by destroying the hatch, the Losties may be able to get the upper hand on the "others". How it will work to their advantage im not sure, ill just have to wait and see!

Well, the others may have known about the Swan, but figured, like Jack, seeing they are scientists, that it was part of the experiment and did not really do anything. Perhaps now that they know it DID do something, they are rethinking many of thier own beliefs about the island.

I think that whatever was going on in the Swan hatch had the effect of "propping open the door" between the Island and the outside world, so that there was at least a crack that they could travel and communicate through. I think that prop has been removed so that the "door" to the outside world reverts to its natural state... that it opens infrequenly and unpredictably.

I think Ben wanted it closed because contact with the outside is a threat to his control of the Others and the Island. I agree with He11FiRe that he wanted the Swan destroyed but didn't want to be anywhere near when it happened, which is why he didn't just let it go during the "Lockedown".

The fact that Tom (and presumably the rest of the Others) only know that the sky turned purple and the comms are down combined with the fact that Ben was going alone to find Locke suggests to me that it was only Ben's idea to seal off the outside world (which could indeed be seen as the "end of the World" from an Islander's point of view). And I think the Others will be royally pissed when they find out what Ben did.

I believe that because Ben predates the Others on the Island means that he knows much more about it than they do. What remains to be discovered is whether Michael and Walt made it out in time, and when and how the Others will find out what Ben's done.

ok, so from his quote are we to assume they can no longer communicate with the outside world? That's what i took coms to mean.

Also, the island cured Rose and Locke, why does an other now have a tumor?

Could the blast have efefcted the island's healing abilities?

also, who's blind?

Let's not forget Benry pushed the button in the lockdown eppie. If he didn't want the button pushed...why didn't he just walk out of the side door when he had the chance?

Even though he didin't know what would happen if they stopped pressing the button, Ben probably didn't want to be around for it. He planted doubt in Locke's mind with the intention that they would stop pressing it at a later time.

This is the most logical thread so far this season! There is alot of talk about Ben and his crew not knowing about the boat and therefore not knowing about Desmond. We haven't seen the crew that had Michael captive yet, are they another detachment of the Ben's crew?
Also, it did seem strange that if the Swan station was THAT important, then Ben would have known more about it such as knowing who was pushing the button.
1) Well, Mrs. Klugh from Michael's capturing was seen in the book club flashback and she was with Tom when they took Jack, Kate & Sawyer captive.
2) Am I the only one who, upon hearing "the sky was all purple" (and seeing people scurrying about in the hatch), immediately thought of Prince's "1999" song?!?! "The sky was all purple, there were people running everywhere..."

IMHO, the repercussions of the EMT light/noise show will become the crucial plot point it HAS to be by the end of Eppy 6, and on thru the rest of the season!

ok, so from his quote are we to assume they can no longer communicate with the outside world? That's what i took coms to mean.

Also, the island cured Rose and Locke, why does an other now have a tumor?

Could the blast have efefcted the island's healing abilities?

also, who's blind?

I don't think he was referring to a single person being literally blind, but a group being metaphorically blinded. And who that group is, I'm not sure. My thoughts would be either the main losties back on the beach (maybe they can't see what's really going on?) or possibly the other group of others.

Another thought which has only just occurred to me - what if he did mean literally blind, and the children (who will have more sensitive eyes than the adults) have had their eyesight damaged somehow (temporarily or permanently) by the effects in the sky?

I think when he said they were blind, he meant they can no longer monitor activity on the bigger island since the implosion. Obviously they can still watch Hydra island.

I don't think the others contact with the outside world has anything to do with the Swan hatch. I think they still have it. Dharma has been dropping food on a regular basis, so I also don't think there is a impenetrable force field around the island either.

Njc------------------