The most interesting exchange in this episode (and there were a few) is when Ben is explaining his motivations for manipulating Locke to have him blow up the sub. Basically he says he has 3 options: to let them go and lose face, to kill them and lose face, or to have them remain on the island.

This statement may seem somewhat innocuous in the whole scheme of things - however, Ben faced this exact same challege with Walt and Michael (and presumably Walt was much more valuable to the operations on the island, whatever they may be). Therefore, I think it is safe to assume that Walt and Mike are still on the island. That is if the writing on this show is "well-formed," which I sometimes doubt, but the parellels here are too strong to think it doesn't shed insight into their fate.

What do you think?


-bagua

good point, i think we may still see more of Mike and Walt

The difference with Mike and Walt was not that he agreed ot let Mike and Walt go, but that Klugh did, and Ben was abiding by Klugh's decision. So in that circumstance, it was Klugh who lost face, not Ben.

The difference with Mike and Walt was not that he agreed ot let Mike and Walt go, but that Klugh did, and Ben was abiding by Klugh's decision. So in that circumstance, it was Klugh who lost face, not Ben.

But Ben as the leader either wouldn't need to abide to Klugh's decision or, if he did, he'd also lose face by agreeing to such a "weak" decision. And what Ben said always showed that he was the leader of the group. He's constantly talking about "my people" in this episode.
There might be the mysterious Jacob who hierarchically stands above Ben, but other than that I always figured that Ben doesn't answer to anybody. Certainly not to Klugh.

When Michael and Walt left, Ben told them to follow a course of 325 (?) and they will find help. I don't necessarily think they made it off the island, perhaps they are being held too.


Last summer/fall I thought that I heard something about them being on the show at some point this season.

I think he said they'd find rescue at that bearing, and even back then I thought that coming form Ben, "Finding rescue" might mean something totally different from what Mike was expecting.

I read that they'd appear again, because "their story wasn't finished yet", but that it'd not be until season 4 that we see Mike and Walt again.

Whether by coincidence or fate, the Losties are challenging Ben's authority/power over the Others. Ben is a man of his word - he's made that very clear many times. Interesting that he is willing (?) to compromise his agenda to keep the faith of those who work for him. Whatever it is that's going on on the island, Ben wants to keep it going. He can't do it by himself.

I hoped that Michael & Walt got away, but I have a feeling they're detained somewhere.

Yes, when Ben said that "his people" needed "the illusion" of being able to leave, I thought that Michael and Walt were still hanging around somewhere.

That little drama with Michael and Walt taking off in the small boat could have been staged for Ben's people as well as for the Losties.