upon 2nd viewing it is clear to me that Alpert is way more than we first expected. He and his people are the ones calling the shots. This would explain why he seems to be able to go to and from the island at will.

I think they are nothing more than Dharma test subjects who fought back.

Recall that Ben first met Alpert outside of the sonic fence. This would tell me that Alpert/hostiles are not part of Dharma. The fence was there to keep them and other unwanted animals out of Dharmas way is seems to me

upon 2nd viewing it is clear to me that Alpert is way more than we first expected. He and his people are the ones calling the shots. This would explain why he seems to be able to go to and from the island at will.

I'll agree with that. Alpert seemed to be the leader of the hostiles before Ben came along. As cunning as Ben has been, what if Alpert is one step ahead? :eek2:

Since he can leave the Island, could he have allies OUTSIDE the Island? Just asking.

Seemed to me that Alpert was acting on his own accord NOT Ben's when he gave Locke the file on Sawyer.

I'm not sure why - because he really hasn't done much besides just stand around in scenes - but I really like that character. Seems like he might play a significant role next season if he's not a casualty in the upcoming war.

Alpert is definitely more than just the 'right hand man' that we were led to believe he was in earlier episodes. I wouldn't be surprised to find that he has allies off island as well as on island, STH.

It is possible that the actor who plays Albert played Jacob, but I don't think that was Albert. I think the ring of gray matter around the cabin serves the purpose of keeping Jacob in the cabin or its vicinity

Seemed to me that Alpert was acting on his own accord NOT Ben's when he gave Locke the file on Sawyer.

I'm not sure why - because he really hasn't done much besides just stand around in scenes - but I really like that character. Seems like he might play a significant role next season if he's not a casualty in the upcoming war.

Exactly. Wouldn't it be great if the man doing all the conning (Ben) was actually being conned by someone much smarter (Alpert) ?

Has Alpert not aged in about 30+ years? When he met Ben in the jungle, he looked to be about the same age as he is NOW, even though, currently, he looks to be a little younger than Ben. Long hair and makeup aside, Alpert should have been cast by A CHILD, like Ben. Was this man actually Alpert or perhaps a relative of Richard Alpert's?

I think it was Alpert. Sure we could go all convoluted and say he was someone else but the general viewing public (not the few who post here) knew immediately it was "that guy who hangs around with Ben lately". He has unmistakable features. I don't think they were trying to fool us/ I think Richard is ageless/ages slowly.

The real reason I think he's the man really at the controls is the same as what we think of Ben. Ben makes people think things are their own ideas when they are really his. I believe Richard is doing exactly the same thing with Ben. He got Ben to kill his father and to be a part of killing everyone involved with Dharma (except maybe Kelvin and Radzinski, there's still some mystery going on there). He has made Ben feel as though he's in charge but in reality he's not. He depends on Richard to go into the real world and recruit folks. Why doesn't Ben go? Because he can't. He's not allowed to because Richard has him believing he's the boss.

I also suspect that Richard has convinced Ben that he's the only one who can talk to Jacob. I'd bet Richard can too and has been for many many decades.

The real reason I think he's the man really at the controls is the same as what we think of Ben. Ben makes people think things are their own ideas when they are really his. I believe Richard is doing exactly the same thing with Ben. He got Ben to kill his father and to be a part of killing everyone involved with Dharma (except maybe Kelvin and Radzinski, there's still some mystery going on there). He has made Ben feel as though he's in charge but in reality he's not.

Completely agree with you. Except that maybe Ben has understood ...and that's why suddenly Richard wants to change the "leader". :rolleyes:

I thought the same thing about Alpert not aging. I thought maybe they just did a bad job of making him look younger. How old was Ben when he killed his father? He looked about the same age as now.

Completely agree with you. Except that maybe Ben has understood ...and that's why suddenly Richard wants to change the "leader". :rolleyes:

Indeed. This seems to be what Alpert is up to A change of leader. Possibly the reason they just sat there and watched locke beat the tarnation out of Mikhail.

It also takes me back to the Juliet and Jack situation on the Hyrdra when Juliet shows Jack the video of her holding cards up. Maybe there was something more to that. Maybe she really meant what those cards said. For Jack to kill ben during surgery. Maybe Richard was playing her against Ben as well. It now seems to be leaning in the direction that Juliet really does HATE Ben. I think that Richard is behind this as well. Afterall he is the one who recruited her.

I also think that there has to be someone else who can talk to Jacob, and it probably is Alpert. Maybe the reason why Alpert gave Locke Sawyer's file is to knock Ben off his perch since Locke is special.

Richard Alpert is no doubt a big part of this mystery. He is turning up in key places and last night's episode confirms it beyond any doubt that I have. He's a player in this and I would extend he's a very big player in this.

I know everyone thought the title "the man behind the curtain" was about Ben. I agree here but i believe that Ben is merely "the curtain" he's a sham, an obfuscation to mis-direct us all. Alpert is the deal. If Alpert is as old and exprienced as it seems he will be central to the rest of the story. I feel it in my bones. :biggrin:

Let the mystical island rule! :smile:

Yeah,,that not what the episode showed

You have to remember how writers create suspense and questions in the viewers mind WHILE they watch the show

They show the whispers and then Albert appears out of nowhere. As we are viewing we are suppose to think he's the smoke monster. Then they show us he's not

Locke says Ben's behind the curtain. As we watch Ben talk to himself..we are suppose to think he's crazy...then they show he's not. Jacob was really in the chair

Its just writing technique. Introduce doubt--then show the solid proof. Introduce proof--then debunk it. or visaversa

Many, if not most, of the questions the put in your mind during the episdoes are resolved in that very episode. If they were not---the individual episodes would not be that good.

So..Jacob was real. There was NO man behind the curtain. The title of the episode was debunked.

I think Albert's non aging was deliberate. They went to such lengths to show the other characters younger/older. Look at the extreme makeup on Ben's dad. But Albert - simply longer hair. There is something different about him. He was so involve in Juliet's story too. It makes me think he really is way more important than we first thought. Since he wasn't a Dharma is he even a normal human? Maybe he was born on the island and the island doesn't age you. The original people may not have had the problem until recently.

Yeah,,that not what the episode showed

You have to remember how writers create suspense and questions in the viewers mind WHILE they watch the show

They show the whispers and then Albert appears out of nowhere. As we are viewing we are suppose to think he's the smoke monster. Then they show us he's not

Locke says Ben's behind the curtain. As we watch Ben talk to himself..we are suppose to think he's crazy...then they show he's not. Jacob was really in the chair

Its just writing technique. Introduce doubt--then show the solid proof. Introduce proof--then debunk it. or visaversa

Many, if not most, of the questions the put in your mind during the episdoes are resolved in that very episode. If they were not---the individual episodes would not be that good.

So..Jacob was real. There was NO man behind the curtain. The title of the episode was debunked.

Hey John, I always appreciate your observations as you stick with what we actually saw on the tube.

I suppose I'm trying to read between the lines with this thread. I fully realize that we were meant to think that Ben was the man behind the curtain. On the surface i agree as he certainly seems to be.

In my interpertation I think the man behind the curtain is the man "at the controls" or pulling the strings so to speak. In this epi we were also shown that Ben (younger Ben) was not at the controls but merely a way to achieve what Alpert's faction wanted all along... to banish/kill once and for all the Dharma people. Ben complied by killing his dad (another part of the mystery to be sure) and was complicit in the deaths of the rest of his (Dharma) people. His monitoring of his watch speaks to me that he was waiting for the specific time to begin the killing. It was planned, but then you all know this part.

I have no idea why he did this (well except for the "hate the Bad Dad thing that seems to permeate this show) but it is certain that Alpert was the spark. I believe him to be the real boss here.

I'll paraphrase here but didn't Alpert tell Ben to "be patient" after seeing his mom by the sonice fence? Wasn't Ben very patient (since he was much older like maybe 10-15 years older) when he participated in the purge? The origination of this "kill everyone you know" plan was probably not Ben's but Alpert's. This would tell me that Alpert is the person in control. Thus this thread.
:biggrin:

i almost feel like alpert isn't really human, but i'm probably wrong. i do believe he's a native of the island, and the natives don't age. i think richard's reaction when he first met "child ben" was very telling. he doesn't seem very isinterested in ben, until ben mentions seeing his dead mother. than he pointedly asks him what she said. it was the same question that ben posed to locke about jacob. richard then seemed interested in ben because he had that experience.

my tentative thought is the dead people who appear on the island are really just manifestations of smokey and/or jacob. i think jacob is probably not really a person, but the spirit of the island. people see him in different forms depending on what they need to see to be emotionally moved.

as to why ben seems to lead things instead of richard, i speculate that prior to an incident on the island (like a volcanic explosion) the hostiles had someone that could communicate with jacob on their behalf, but this person was lost. thus their interest in ben. but ben eventually began to manipulate the power of jacob for his own reasons (keeping people on the island so he will never be abandoned again and forcing them to appreciate him like his father never did). because of this he is losing his power to connect with jacob (hence his cancer and slow recovery from surgery). richard and some of the others (among whom i assume are several other "hostiles", as they don't seem to age or die), now realize that locke is a much better connection to the island. and ben knows it too, which is why he shot locke. this makes more sense then richard being able to pull the strings himself. he obviously needed ben for some reason, and now he thinks he needs locke instead.

this fits in much better with "the man behind the curtain" reference. in the wizard of oz, the man behind the curtain was the person pretending to be the wizard. he constantly tells everyone they can't see the wizard, and when he finally takes dorothy and gang to see the wizard, and he stages a complex show to make them fear the wizard and run away.

while in the end we found there was no real "wizard", there was the inherent power of oz, through which all the things dorothy and gang wanted were eventually given. They just had to overcome their fears and realize that within each of them they already had the power to gain the things they wanted.

if i parallel this to lost, then ben is the man behind the curtain, pretending that he controls a power that he can't really control and lying to everyone about it. but there really IS a power (the island) and eventually it will bring the losties that can come to term with their issues all the things they want (just click your heels and you'll be home).

so i don't think that the "man behind the curtain" reference was completely a red herring.

Here are my thoughts:

1) The fact that Richard doesn't age is at the heart of the mystery
2) Richard was part of the hostiles but I think the hostiles also consisted of the other OTHERS, since the original Dharmaites died in the gas thing
3) If the other OTHERS are actually hostiles, perhaps they also do not age, and maybe they have even been sent by Richard out into the world to collect/ensure the Losties arrival on the island in order to [insert another big mystery]. Remember when Jack was in the polar bear cage and the flight attendant was there with other others and he said "so you're with them now" and she said "it's not that simple" -- well, maybe she is also part of the Richard crew? Sent to ensure those individuals ended up on the flight? And maybe there have been others?

I think this has floated around there before, but it started to be clearer to me after last night's ep.

(though we all have our theories and think they are truth... this might not actually be true)

Cool Sandiego... BTW i used to live there a couple of decades ago (I'm old LOL)

I too do not think that "the man behind the curtain" is a red herring but rather, as you think (and I'm really glad to hear someone else believe this) is someone they need to go forward. They (the original native aka: alpert) need to change leaders.

Man this is gonna be good i think. I believe next season will see a whole lot more or Alpert and his ilk.
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(though we all have our theories and think they are truth... this might not actually be true)

Indeed Mariposa. Thus the wonder of this show :)

I love the character Richard, and I feel he plays a pivotal role in Lost.
I think that Richard Alpert may refer to "Ram Dass" aka Richard Alpert, a Harvard professor who, with Timothy Leary, conducted experiments on the effects of pyschedelic drugs on human subjects, achieved enlightenment, and wrote the book "Be Here Now." Ram Dass is a respected spiritual teacher to this day, and lives in Maui, for what it's worth. Mind, he's much older than Lost's R.A., but I think there may be a connection.
He also started the Hanuman Foundation (sounds like the Hanso foundation) to promoted spiritual well-being...

Has Alpert not aged in about 30+ years? When he met Ben in the jungle, he looked to be about the same age as he is NOW, even though, currently, he looks to be a little younger than Ben. Long hair and makeup aside, Alpert should have been cast by A CHILD, like Ben. Was this man actually Alpert or perhaps a relative of Richard Alpert's?

Clearly, he's a vampire.

The best line of the episode was also the most concealed revealing that Alpert doesn't age:

Ben: Today happens to be my birthday. You remember birthdays, don't you, Richard?

I know at first, it seems like a throwaway line having to do with them being on the island and not remembering what day it is, keeping track of time. But now that I think about it, this line's important.

Maybe this all has to do with the Lost Time clue.

Time flies on the island according to Richard... I wonder what he really meant by that.

I think that the island is on a different time than the rest of the world. That explains why Naomi's radio was so advanced to Sayid. A few months to our Losties is a few years... A few years to Richard is only a few months.

Maybe Richard and the other "natives" have that luck to age slowly. It's their gift from the island as it was to give John the use of his legs and Sun the gift of having a child she normally could never have. But what about Ben?

That's the eye opener for Richard and whoever else might be a "native." They see Ben isn't getting any kind of special treatment so they're realizing he's not the leader they thought he was. That's why he wants Locke. I'll be damned if somebody wasn't following Ben and Locke just to make sure that bastard wouldn't sabotage the only chance they might have at having a worthy leader.

I'm tired. It's late. But what an episode. I couldn't believe that ending. Left my jaw wide open.

I bet that Richard turns out to be "the loyal assistant who helps the Man behind the curtain". ;)


I like the ideas that Richard & Jacob were original crew members on the Black Rock. Jacob as Captain & Richard his first mate. Jacob has some how become stuck in some kind of weird place in between time periods. Richard is in the here & now, and he has been loyally running around the jungle waiting for Jacob's "savior" to come to the Island for sometime.

I don't have any real proof to back up my idea. Jacob & Richard both were shown wearing old pirate type clothing....I'm just running with that as "proof". ;)

That's an interesting thought there Colonel Sanders about richard running around in the present time trying to get help for his captain who is lost in time. This may be why Richard made the remark about Ben being way too concerned with reproduction on the island when there are much better things to be doing.

Recall that Ben first met Alpert outside of the sonic fence. This would tell me that Alpert/hostiles are not part of Dharma. The fence was there to keep them and other unwanted animals out of Dharmas way is seems to me


That fence was not there to keep animals out.

No one builds a sonic fence just to keep animals out.

That's an interesting thought there Colonel Sanders about richard running around in the present time trying to get help for his captain who is lost in time. This may be why Richard made the remark about Ben being way too concerned with reproduction on the island when there are much better things to be doing.

I like that thought.....If Richard & Jacob had a previously friendly relationship, then it does make sense that Richard would be becoming extremely impatient with Ben....Ben's become sidetracked with the pregnancy concern over finding a way "out" for Jacob....

I like that thought.....If Richard & Jacob had a previously friendly relationship, then it does make sense that Richard would be becoming extremely impatient with Ben....Ben's become sidetracked with the pregnancy concern over finding a way "out" for Jacob....

Yeah, what's the importance of nine dead women (and possibly two more now) compared to one invisible poltergeist geezer? Priorities!

If there is truth to the specualtions this week that the possibility of immotality exists, then yes it may be a bit weightier than worrying about reproduction.:)

richard and some of the others (among whom i assume are several other "hostiles", as they don't seem to age or die), now realize that locke is a much better connection to the island. and ben knows it too, which is why he shot locke. this makes more sense then richard being able to pull the strings himself. he obviously needed ben for some reason, and now he thinks he needs locke instead.

....

if i parallel this to lost, then ben is the man behind the curtain, pretending that he controls a power that he can't really control and lying to everyone about it. but there really IS a power (the island) and eventually it will bring the losties that can come to term with their issues all the things they want (just click your heels and you'll be home).

so i don't think that the "man behind the curtain" reference was completely a red herring.

I like this. I do think that even though Richard is important and powerful, may not age etc and is thus "special," I also think he needs or needed Ben for something, and he realized that when Ben said he saw his dead mother. Ben must be able to do something that Richard can't -- is it that he can communicate with Jacob? Also agree that Richard has lost faith in Ben. Remember the Others' interest in Walt. Now Locke comes along and seems like he might be a possible replacement for the privileged position Ben has held. I guess the question is, what is Richard's goal? What do the Others want from the island that they can't get without someone special, be it Ben or Locke?

Yeah, what's the importance of nine dead women (and possibly two more now) compared to one invisible poltergeist geezer? Priorities!

Ouch! :)

I'm not saying that isn't a major problem, I'm just wondering how much concern Ben really has for helping Jacob. I got the impression from last night's episode that Jacob was very tired of Ben and his failure in helping him out. Who knows how many years he's been stuck like this.

It's all about the one quote Richard said to little Ben, the most important quote of the series:

“Whoa, I didn’t mean to scare you. Wait, wait. Are you lost? Wait.”

even if you name isn't Earl that is a very important thought.

I wonder if he means as lost as everyone watching this show?
;)

Do you think it might be possible that the "Hostiles" are actually DHARMA people that were banished from the compound (maybe they disagreed on some of the "experiments" DHARMA was conducting), or that they may have been test subjects that revolted and sought refuge in the jungle?

That could explain why Alpert recruited young Ben, but made him stay patient until the time was right. Alpert and his crew knew that the only way for them to regain control of the situation was to get an "inside man" of sorts that could tell them the perfect time to strike and gather info for them. I don't really have an explanation for his apparent lack of aging, but I'm thinking that maybe Alpert and his crew were sort of the "hippies" of the DHARMA group and that they understood the true nature and capabilities of the Island. They disagreed with DHARMA's exploitation of these phenomena, and split from the DHARMA group to create their own.

Do you think it might be possible that the "Hostiles" are actually DHARMA people that were banished from the compound (maybe they disagreed on some of the "experiments" DHARMA was conducting), or that they may have been test subjects that revolted and sought refuge in the jungle?

That could explain why Alpert recruited young Ben, but made him stay patient until the time was right. Alpert and his crew knew that the only way for them to regain control of the situation was to get an "inside man" of sorts that could tell them the perfect time to strike and gather info for them. I don't really have an explanation for his apparent lack of aging, but I'm thinking that maybe Alpert and his crew were sort of the "hippies" of the DHARMA group and that they understood the true nature and capabilities of the Island. They disagreed with DHARMA's exploitation of these phenomena, and split from the DHARMA group to create their own.


I think they recruited Ben for the reason someone said earlier. When Richard found out that he had seen and spoken (sort of) to his dead mother, there was great meaning in that. I think if they just wanted an inside man they could have recruited Bens dad who obviously didnt like his job or being on the island. They wouldnt have had to wait so long for the Purge either. Ben was "special" in some way to Richard, but I think maybe now theyve realized John is even more special. Sorry bout the rambling, its almost 2am here. :biggrin:

holy mackeral... is Ben a pawn i all of this... I say yeh.

Seems like he might play a significant role next season if he's not a casualty in the upcoming war.

Spoiler font, please........

I think they recruited Ben for the reason someone said earlier. When Richard found out that he had seen and spoken (sort of) to his dead mother, there was great meaning in that. I think if they just wanted an inside man they could have recruited Bens dad who obviously didnt like his job or being on the island. They wouldnt have had to wait so long for the Purge either. Ben was "special" in some way to Richard, but I think maybe now theyve realized John is even more special. Sorry bout the rambling, its almost 2am here. :biggrin:

Yes and waiting was probably easy for Richard and friends if they don't really age.. what's 20 years? nothing. ;)

If Alpert is "The man behind the curtain" he is so without Ben`s awareness.

Notice when Alpert enters Ben`s tent?

He does not enter like a man who fears Ben, like most of "The Others" seems to do.

He smiles almost condescendingly. In fact, it almost seems like he`s laughing at Ben upon entering.

Why? Perhaps because he really knows what`s going on while Ben is clueless...or perhaps Ben have started to figure out things and doubting himself......loosing control....and Alpert is enjoying the changes.

Also notice how Ben yells at Alpert showing him no respect.

That tells me that if Alpert really is more important than Ben, he is not aware of it.

Since we all know that many of the episode titles are metaphors for things we see in the show...I thought I would point this out....

We have been made to believe that this "Jacob" character is essentially the "man behind the curtain", and is the one pulling the strings and calling the shots as far as events on the Island and the Others are concerned.... but consider this:

Ben was essentially confined to the DHARMA camp as a youth, and this camp was protected by a sonic fence (a "curtain" if you will) that protected them from the outside world (i.e. the Island outside the camp). When young Ben's curiosity as well as his desire to leave his father and DHARMA behind got the best of him; Ben pulled this "curtain" aside to reveal the Island and all it's glory and ended up finding who? Alpert.

I am liking this idea more and more that Alpert is actually the "man behind the curtain", and when you look at things from the point of view I described above it makes a lot more sense (to me anyways). And when you look at the grand scheme of things, wouldn't it make much more sense that a man who apparently defies the laws of aging (from what we know anyways) is the one in charge, versus a man that as far as we know is a mere mortal? (Ben)

Is it possible that Alpert and his crew all have this ability to defy the aging process due to some trait of the Island we have not seen yet? Perhaps they are aware of this "Jacob" person/phenomenon on the Island but are unable to communicate with him or even see him. When Alpert learned that Ben was apparently able to communicate with his departed mother, Alpert knew that Ben was "special" and that he may be the one that could communicate with this Jacob and decipher what it was the Island was all about.

Though this might deserve a thread of its own, I think by the end of the season we will either know that Ben is merely a pawn in all of this; or at the least we will have the seed of doubt planted that Ben may not be as all-important as we think he is.

I think now that we have been introduced to 2 groups of "Others". We have the Others that consist of Ben and his followers (who are victims of this illusion of Ben's greatness), but we also have this group of the REAL Others, that consists of Alpert and his followers (or disciples if you like, that know of the TRUE events that are occurring in the shadows) I think it is safe to say that Alpert and his crew orchestrated the events that led to the original "purge" we saw in this episode. When Alpert originally recruited Ben I think he knew and saw that there was something special about him, and that he would be a very valuable asset to their cause. Now that Locke has arrived into the picture, Alpert is essentially seeing him as a bigger and better version of Ben and they are seeking to replace him. For some reason that I can't figure out at the moment, I think that although Ben may be a pawn or tool to these real "Others"; I think that he also may have grown powerful enough to a point that it isn't possible for them to simply remove him from his throne so to speak.

Juliette on the other hand, I think she has been recruited by the real "Others" (headed by Alpert) and that is why she tried to get Jack to kill Ben during surgery. At this point, I don't think her little videotape Jack watched was a hoax... I think that they were really trying to get rid of Ben to make way for Locke.
100%
Something else I meant to include but clicked "Post" too fast... lol

Also take note that Alpert's name, (Richard Alpert) he also shares with a famous Harvard professor who was noted for his psychology experiments with LSD on human subjects with fellow professor Timothy Leary. For those of you not familiar with LSD (lol), does anyone know why the military and CIA were so interested in the drug during the Cold War era? Mind control and interrogation techniques. Sound familiar? Think back to the scene where Sawyer and Kate pulled Carl from the room showing the trippy subliminal message video.... coincidence? I think not. Now I'm not saying that the Others are employing LSD as a means of mind control over everyone (though I guess *anything* is possible with this show, lol) but I think the name coincidence is something worth noting. Dr. Richard Alpert = LSD experiments = powerful hallucinogen = military research on mind control/interrogation potential Thoughts?

I can dig it Halcyon, Thank you very much for so succinctly verbalizing the very reason i started this thread.

I am convinced this is important.

Thanks again for your detailed description.

Sholud be a good show eh?

My new favorite, off-the-wall theory is that Richard (along with the other "natives") are from the distant future, where life-spans are much longer -- and pinky toes are superfluous! I think Dharma accidentally brought them to the Island during the first Swan hatch incident. This might explain why Dharma didn't encounter resistance from any native population when they first arrived on the Island and started building all their hatches. Doesn't explain the raggedy hillbilly clothes, though.

It doesn't seem like Richard is all that wise to all the Island's mysteries, or else why would he need Ben to talk to Jacob? All I know for sure is that I'm really digging the addition of this awesome new character!

Ben Is meglomanical. His background certainly would set this up.

(Megalomania (from the Greek word μεγαλομανία) is a psychopathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of wealth, power, or omnipotence - often generally termed as delusions of grandeur. It includes an obsession with grandiose or extravagant things or actions. It is sometimes symptomatic of manic or paranoid disorders.)

Alpert knows this and probably encourages it as well. At first to secure Ben's participation in the purge of all of those he grew up with. Now I'm not sure why but possibly this is the reason Richard is seeming to phase out Ben in favor of Locke. Richard is all done with the crazy man Ben.

I've also come to like the opinion that Jacob is one of Ben's delusions. The entire episode was about how bad his childhood was. Ben probably needed an imaginary friend and grew up with Jacob. Maybe from eating a lot of Apollo bars. ;)

the way they shot the scene, the way he was standing outside ben's tent... he was literally the man behind the curtain...
If Alpert is "The man behind the curtain" he is so without Ben`s awareness.

Notice when Alpert enters Ben`s tent?

He does not enter like a man who fears Ben, like most of "The Others" seems to do.

He smiles almost condescendingly. In fact, it almost seems like he`s laughing at Ben upon entering.

Why? Perhaps because he really knows what`s going on while Ben is clueless...or perhaps Ben have started to figure out things and doubting himself......loosing control....and Alpert is enjoying the changes.

Also notice how Ben yells at Alpert showing him no respect.

That tells me that if Alpert really is more important than Ben, he is not aware of it.

I think it was Alpert. Sure we could go all convoluted and say he was someone else but the general viewing public (not the few who post here) knew immediately it was "that guy who hangs around with Ben lately". He has unmistakable features. I don't think they were trying to fool us/ I think Richard is ageless/ages slowly.

The real reason I think he's the man really at the controls is the same as what we think of Ben. Ben makes people think things are their own ideas when they are really his. I believe Richard is doing exactly the same thing with Ben. He got Ben to kill his father and to be a part of killing everyone involved with Dharma (except maybe Kelvin and Radzinski, there's still some mystery going on there). He has made Ben feel as though he's in charge but in reality he's not. He depends on Richard to go into the real world and recruit folks. Why doesn't Ben go? Because he can't. He's not allowed to because Richard has him believing he's the boss.

I also suspect that Richard has convinced Ben that he's the only one who can talk to Jacob. I'd bet Richard can too and has been for many many decades.

Nice! Sounds right to me.
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Spoiler font, please........

Why use spoiler font for someone's speculation?

I also hope Richard is the leader as some of you have noted, he is a much more mysterious character than most on the show and after seeing him all the way back when Ben was young and clearly in change of the hostiles makes it obvious he's numero uno!

I'm revisiting this thread after seeing the finale. Richard is not in it very much but where he does show up is almost as important as where he doesn't.

He does NOT go pregnant woman hunt... Therfore he survies.

He does NOT go with Ben to confront the losties.

He actually allows Ben to go off into the jungle on his own. Not the first time Ben has gone off on his own (first time he got caught in the net and spent time in the swan hatch). Apparently Richard doesn't mind. I'm absolutely convinced Richard is the true man behind everything mystical about this island.