So, Ben was born about 32 miles outside of Portland (close to where Mittelos Bioscience was/is)?

Definitely. Looks like Portland has long been their staging area. Interesting that Richard, presumably a native, ended up going back there. Did he and Ben trick the Dharma superiors into thinking the initiative still existed? Could that explain why Kelvin was still sent many years later?

It also begs the question whether Horace Goodspeed just happened to find these two at the side of the road by sheer coincidence.

Doubtful?

Definitely. Looks like Portland has long been their staging area. Interesting that Richard, presumably a native, ended up going back there. Did he and Ben trick the Dharma superiors into thinking the initiative still existed? Could that explain why Kelvin was still sent many years later?

I think that if they kept up the facade for Dharma, it would insure their food drops would continue. After all, all the labels on the food have the Dharma logo. If Ben did not keep Dharma thinking that the Initiative is still viable, there goes their food source.

I think Richard told Juliet she was going to Portland so she wouldn't immediately freak out about the truth. (Not that she was ever told the truth until she arrived on the Island.) Portland came to Richard's mind, perhaps, because Ben was brought to the Island from the Portland area.

....Or.... Portland is truly significant to Richard's work.... Hmmmm... I appreciate any shout-out to my hometown. Even if it's for morally questionable purposes.

I think we'll find that it has some significance later.

The discussion of a volcano had me thinking a little bit.
Mt. St. Helen's is not to far from Portland. About 60 miles,
but only about 30 miles south from the southern most part of
Mt. St. Helen's National Park. Just a thought.
100%
Also, does anyone know anything about the Oregon Vortex?!
Heard some strange things about this, any Oregon natives here?
100%
Also, does anyone know anything about the Oregon Vortex?!
Heard some strange things about this, any Oregon natives here?

Also, does anyone know anything about the Oregon Vortex?!
Heard some strange things about this, any Oregon natives here? Not quite a native, I was about 18 months old when I moved here.

http://www.oregonvortex.com/

Optical illusion tourist trap would be the way I would describe it.
But it does fit in with the magnetic anamoly theme including vortex shaped force fields with pseudo scientific explanations.

Not quite a native, I was about 18 months old when I moved here.

http://www.oregonvortex.com/

Optical illusion tourist trap would be the way I would describe it.
But it does fit in with the magnetic anamoly theme including vortex shaped force fields with pseudo scientific explanations.

Thanks for the info...
looks like quite the tourist trap..

The suggestion that the "hostiles" had to keep pretending that the Dharma Initiative continued (in order to keep getting food drops, ect) is a good one, and would explain things like those vacuum tubes that went nowhere. One thing that confuses me, though, is that if his was Portland Oregon, why was everyone dressed as if it were spring? It would have been mid to late December, right? Brrrrrrr!

speaking of vacuum tubes, i wonder how long things went on with before stations like the pearl realized the main camp had been breached? I mean the people writing notes into the tubes seemed to keep doing it for a while thinking they were being collected when they weren't. I think thats an interesting point to bring up, cause we definitely saw a pile of them just sitting there back in season 2

speaking of vacuum tubes, i wonder how long things went on with before stations like the pearl realized the main camp had been breached? I mean the people writing notes into the tubes seemed to keep doing it for a while thinking they were being collected when they weren't. I think thats an interesting point to bring up, cause we definitely saw a pile of them just sitting there back in season 2

Quite a while I'd say. Let's see, there were two people doing 8 hour shifts around the clock, so that's 6 tubes/day, 180/mo, 2190/yr. I have'nt seen that ep in a while but it seemed to be several months worth of tubes in the pile. I assume the purge was done in stages, so it's possible the pearl, being a far distance from the barracks was taken well after the scene we saw last night. Being staffed by volunteers who came and went by the pala ferry, and otherwise just stayed put in the pearl watching the swan, maybe they were judged a non-threat and were left till last.

In Ben's Birthday thread, they seem to think this is Portland, Florida. Very near to where Juliet was. Ben's birthday is Dec 22nd. That climate was too warm for Portland Oregon.

The house where Jacob lived looked a bit like the Oregon Vortex "House of Mystery".

It also begs the question whether Horace Goodspeed just happened to find these two at the side of the road by sheer coincidence.

Doubtful?

I wonder this as well. I figured it might've been intentional, but their acting certainly made it look like it was a coincidence. I didn't pick up on anything creepy or suggestive of their planning to arrive in time for that... I think it's possible that Horace was genuinely a good person who wanted to help Roger out, especially since he had the trauma of losing his wife to deal with, and a newborn son to take care of. But, as usual, I have doubts, since it's not clear why Ben was born prematurely and why Emily died right after.

Florida? Where's that from?

Yes if Ben's birthday was in December, it would have been raining at the start of the episode.

30 miles from Portland could be a lot of places. I'm like 40 from Portland. What else was on the sign? Any screen caps?

I think that if they kept up the facade for Dharma, it would insure their food drops would continue. After all, all the labels on the food have the Dharma logo. If Ben did not keep Dharma thinking that the Initiative is still viable, there goes their food source.

I agree. It must have taken a lot of time for the "Hostiles" to orchestrate a take-over that would fool the off-island Dharma employees/superiors. Ben was told that he would have to be patient. I'm guessing he was sent back to live undercover among the Dharma to learn the protocol, etc. and pass along that information to the Hostiles for however long that went on. It must have taken YEARS for him to get enough information about all of their operations to be able to successfully pull off a complete takeover without any off-island Dharma people realizing it....

This theory that the outside world does not know about the breach/ purge works well with many plotlines... the food drops, the hostiles continuing work in the Dharma facilities. However, it has been stated more than once that the Dharma Initiative failed/ was cancelled in the 80's. This is open information to the Hanso Foundation, the primary funders of the project, so it would not seem to make sense that this is the reason they are still recieving supplies, etc.

Of course the Others/ Hostiles do appear to be very well resourced in the outside world, so this support is coming from somewhere.

We learned from TLE that there was a break between Alvar Hanso and Thomas Mittlewerk. Perhaps some answers lie there.

The House of Mystery is AWESOME... if you're 10 years old or younger.
Hey, at the Oregon Vortex all the trees lean in one direction. You gotta admit that's pretty eeeeeeerie. Oooooooooooo!

There have been some "unseasonably" warm and bright Decembers in the Portland area. I've experienced a number of them in my 33 years. In fact, it only snows maybe two days per year in the Portland metro area -- that's every year -- and the snowfall usually happens in January or February.

Portland, Oregon rests snugly between the Cascade Range (it's even closer to Mt. Hood than it is to Mt. St. Helens) and the Coast Range. The Tualatin Mountain Range runs through the west side of town (the West Hills mentioned in that one Everclear song). Within the city limits there's a volcano called Mt. Tabor. (Tabor looks like a little hill, but the crater is now being used as a basketball court. Seriously.) The region is very volcanic. Very tectonic. Very shaky. Very lava-y.

As for Horace and Olivia's arrival on scene: I can't think of a motive for them needing nor particularly wanting Ben -- and certainly not Roger -- on the Island. Seems to me that the couple pulled over to aid Roger and Emily because they happened to see people in trouble.
Perhaps a future episode will shed light on this question.

In Ben's Birthday thread, they seem to think this is Portland, Florida. Very near to where Juliet was. Ben's birthday is Dec 22nd. That climate was too warm for Portland Oregon.

Why not any of these?

Portland, OR, US
Portland, ME, US
Portland, CT, US
Portland, IN, US
Portland, TN, US
Portland, TX, US
Portland, AR, US
Portland, CO, US
Portland, FL, US
Portland, KS, US

I wonder this as well. I figured it might've been intentional, but their acting certainly made it look like it was a coincidence. I didn't pick up on anything creepy or suggestive of their planning to arrive in time for that... I think it's possible that Horace was genuinely a good person who wanted to help Roger out, especially since he had the trauma of losing his wife to deal with, and a newborn son to take care of. But, as usual, I have doubts, since it's not clear why Ben was born prematurely and why Emily died right after.

It seems to me if you have a headquarters in a particular city you are more likely to find recruits from that city. It's not shocking to me that Ben and his family would have been from near a Mittelos/Dharma facitlity. If it is Portland, FL that also neatly explains how they found Juliet and perhaps why there are so many Tallahasse connections. It could simply be coincidence, but because this is lost I'm gonna say it was fate that brought Ben to the island.

Why not any of these?

Portland, OR, US
Portland, ME, US
Portland, CT, US
Portland, IN, US
Portland, TN, US
Portland, TX, US
Portland, AR, US
Portland, CO, US
Portland, FL, US
Portland, KS, US
I went with Portland OR for several reasons, it is near areas that resemble the pictures they used while recruiting Juliet, one of the colleges there has a student body that reminds me of "Dharma type people", the writers being largely from California would be expected to be familar with that part of Oregon (several films have been shot there by Hollywood types) and Mittelos/Dharma would both have wanted the best for their people;) and mainly it is the Portland I am most familar with, so I thought of it first.

http://www.oregonvortex.com/



I have actually been there ...it is a WEIRD place .....it messes with your equilibrium and your sense...I actually got kinda weirded out and left quickly

Fits with the whole LOST island being a strange place

bawstngrl

If Ben's birthday is really in December (can anyone please tell me when this was mentioned in the show?), then it most definately wouldn't be Portland, ME. No one in their right mind would be driving a convertable in Maine, even southern Maine, just before Christmas. It would be freezing cold!

I'm from Oregon, originally--not far from Portland. I do believe the Portland referred to is supposed to be Portland, Oregon. There were some references in "Not In Portland" that led me to surmise it, but now I can't remember what they were without rewatching the episode.

There's even a mile-marker off I-5 that says "Portland 32" and it looked like the same sign and location to me! LOL.

The scene in the "forest" certainly did not look like Oregon terrain. It looked as if it were probably filmed in Hawaii.

I've been to the Oregon Vortex too, with my kids. It's just a tourist-y fun place to check out on a weekend with nothing else to do.

There are several volcanic peaks throughout Oregon--most in the Cascade range.

The suggestion that the "hostiles" had to keep pretending that the Dharma Initiative continued (in order to keep getting food drops, ect) is a good one, and would explain things like those vacuum tubes that went nowhere. One thing that confuses me, though, is that if his was Portland Oregon, why was everyone dressed as if it were spring? It would have been mid to late December, right? Brrrrrrr!

Not sure if this helps anything but doing just some surface digging on google I found that there is a Portland, Texas, and average highs there in December are in the upper 60s, around 68. I'll do some more looking, but I agree, Portland, either Oregon or Maine would be aaawwwfully chilly in mid-December...

Hmm. Must have been Kansas.