How was Ben able to get someone on the freighter? How have they been communicating? I don't doubt it, but I'm thinking through the logistics.

Just awesome that Ben is a step ahead of the freighter crew . . .

Ok, quick thought here....
So I just started wondering why it was that Penny would have been the first person that came across the monitor to Charlie in the Looking Glass. I now wonder if Penny actually is on that freighter and if she's really Ben's "man" on the boat..... Perhaps with all that Ben knows he doesn't know enough about her due to her deep pockets and ability to cover up her true identity. Maybe she's just been biding her time until she can actually get past the island's defenses and to it somehow...

It could be Michael.

Well, just speculating, I'll spoiler it even though I'm gathering this from the opening credits, so its not a spoiler definitively:

Harold's name has been with the regulars in the credits the past two weeks, so I'm guessing its Micheal. Plus, Locke bringing up Walt. Maybe they're back and are working for Ben now. That's what I'd say.

Penny looked surprised when Charlie mentioned the freighter offshore, so I don't think she's with them. I think Ben's man on the freighter could be Michael or Walt. When he gave them the coordinates to find rescue, do you think he led them to the freighter? Ben's a smart man and probably knew of the freighter and used Michael/Walt to his benefit.

Miles did call someone named Regina, who told him that Minkowski (sp.?) couldn't come to the phone.

I like the Michael idea as well.

Penny looked surprised when Charlie mentioned the freighter offshore, so I don't think she's with them. I think Ben's man on the freighter could be Michael or Walt. When he gave them the coordinates to find rescue, do you think he led them to the freighter? Ben's a smart man and probably knew of the freighter and used Michael/Walt to his benefit.

I love it. That's a very excellent possibility and most likely very probable for what did happen... and if that's the case (sorry, going off on a separate tangent now), do you think that people on the island age much slower than elsewhere and that's how they'll explain Walt's tremendous growth spurt? I know that this has been discussed on here for years, but that's just more possible evidence toward it if that is the case....

Or, as I mentioned in another thread, perhaps Walt is dead and Locke is just able to speak to his spirit as Ben has been able to and as Miles is able to...

I think my post got lost in the thread merge? Or maybe it will reappear.

Anyway, I agree with the Michael spec. It makes the most sense of characters we have seen before - I guess in that case it is the only choice!

I'm also interested in how the person communicated with Ben, considering that all technology was down or jammed. Also, .... darn, can't remember my last point from the previous post! I'll try to remember.

It could be Michael.That would be a very interesting twist. It would also be good to see him again.

I love it. That's a very excellent possibility and most likely very probable for what did happen... and if that's the case (sorry, going off on a separate tangent now), do you think that people on the island age much slower than elsewhere and that's how they'll explain Walt's tremendous growth spurt? I know that this has been discussed on here for years, but that's just more possible evidence toward it if that is the case....

Or, as I mentioned in another thread, perhaps Walt is dead and Locke is just able to speak to his spirit as Ben has been able to and as Miles is able to...

I still don't know about Walt's growth. I mean if he or Michael is Ben's insider (and thus off the island), wouldn't Michael go through a growth spurt too? And we know some Losties eventually get off the island (via flashforwards), but I didn't notice any growth spurt. I don't think just being off the island would make anyone grow faster. I'm clueless as to Walt's growth spurt.

Maybe it's Minkowski and that's why he can't come to the phone - they're on to him. Or it could be someone we haven't met yet.

The first thing that came to my mind is Michael. It makes sense. And it explains why his name is in the opening credits :)

Michael or Walt... I think that's the most plausible, but I am not sure why either of them would be telling Ben any information considering what he did to both of them.

I'm gonna go with it being Michael or Walt also. We know they both spent time around Ben and the Others, and they recently left the island.

I still don't know about Walt's growth. I mean if he or Michael is Ben's insider (and thus off the island), wouldn't Michael go through a growth spurt too? And we know some Losties eventually get off the island (via flashforwards), but I didn't notice any growth spurt. I don't think just being off the island would make anyone grow faster. I'm clueless as to Walt's growth spurt.


I don't expect to see a growth spurt in an adult off the island. Perhaps an AGE spurt. Perhaps aging a bit faster. Walt would grow taller due to his age and normal growth occurances, which would happen if he was on the island, but at a slower rate.

How much aging/growing occurs would be based on how much time difference there might be. If there is a time difference.

D/

Hmm i like the idea of it being Michael and/or Walt...that'll be interesting.
Also, Harold did say in a tv interview that he was coming back this season...

Minkowski is Ben's stoogie, that's why he couldn't come to the phone.

This was such a great twist! I had no idea who Ben was talking about, but after checking this thread Michael makes perfect sense.

I actually thought Ben was just messing with them by saying someone was on the boat and that he was actually reading their minds or something since we are apparently establishing that the new people have abilities, maybe they are after Ben because he has an ability too.

The first name that popped into my head was Michael.

It is very possible it is Michael. When Ben gave Michael the coordinates when he got on the boat, maybe he gave Michael the coordinates for the freighter. Maybe Michael doesn't know. Ben only told him to follow the coordinates and he would find rescue... Will just have to wait and see what happens.

Here is my crazy theory...it's Richard Alpert. Ben knew they were coming, Alpert was supposed to head to "the ruins" I'm not sure if that is code or not, but I have a feeling he is sort of a double agent working for Ben and for whoever is on the boat. Maybe that's why his feelings towards Ben were fleeting last season. Maybe the boat crowd has swayed his opinion. I think somehow there is still definitely a way off the island, the submarine was meaningless. Richard is on the freighter.

What part of no spoilers do you all not understand? Next spoiler gets the thread closed.

I actually thought Ben was just messing with them by saying someone was on the boat and that he was actually reading their minds or something since we are apparently establishing that the new people have abilities, maybe they are after Ben because he has an ability too.

Okay, you just boggled my mind, Karri. This had never even crossed my mind, but it could totally fit! It woud certainly help to explain why Ben know so much about all of the survivors! The only thing it doesn't explain is how he knew the freighties were bad news, before they arrived on the island. Unless, he can read minds from a distance.

I really think the whole Walt is taller thing is just a little joke. The actor who plays Walt is taller because he has aged in real life. That's one of the reasons they had to get Walt off the show because at his age he is growing and changing a lot. That would make no sense to watch Walt age 3 years when they've not even been there 4 months. I don't know who Ben's man is on the boat, but judging from the credits I think I know who it is and it's not a returning actor. I could be totally wrong though.

I think it's going to Micheal because he was let into a "freighter ship route" when he left on the boat. Maybe it's Walt? Communicating telepathically?

I love the idea of Ben's man being Michael. (Playing it safe with spoiler font.) As for Walt being taller and older ... maybe it's Future Walt and not a matter of rapid age progression.

Tiewashere, I love your idea about Ben's man being Walt communicating telepathically. I think that makes even more sense than it being Michael.

I just don't see how Michael would be "working " for Ben, he certainly wasn't Ben's buddy. He just did all those things to get Walt off the island, he wasn't in cahoots with Ben. I think his feelings for Ben are the same as the other Losties.

It could be Michael.

I think so. At the end of Season 2, Michael is given coordinates to the freighter most likely.

I think there was more to the deal between Ben and himself that we know of.

Perhaps get some info on that freighter.. If were to assume that Walt was there too, could he have sent John and Ben through some magical island means (esp or vision) the scoop about the freighter people?!

Don't the Other's still have a boat? If so, Ben could have easily have directed a group to the freighter in the same way he gave Michael directions to escape the island.

I don't know if it is Micheal. Why would Micheal help Ben? How would he communicate with Ben?

I think Ben may have someone on the boat but it's not Michael.............why would he help. He wanted away from there with Walt. Not to be sailing around looking for the island. The one I would suspect would be Regina whoever she is. When Ben says a man on the boat it could just be a generality. That would explain why the captain could come to the phone because she did not want that communication to come through. Remember the dedicated girls in the looking glass hatch were there for Ben and no one knew. Mikail thought they were in Canada.

It could be Michael. That would be a cool reveal!

It must be Michael. Ben has Walt to keep Michael helping him. IMO.

I think Michael's too obvious of a choice, although when he left by boat Ben did give him the ambigous "you'll find rescue" line. But maybe it is him and the twist lies in the reason he and/or Walt are helping Ben.

It's...
Michael...
In a recent episode of Jay and Jack's podcast they have a segment from Ryan of the Transmission podcast. One of the tidbits he tells about/shows is a photo of Michael standing on the deck of a large freighter... Either he's Ben's man, or he was picked up by the freighter..

Why would Michael knowingly help Ben? I put in knowingly because maybe Ben's reading his mind or something ;)

At any rate, just because his name has been in the credits doesn't mean anything more than the fact that he is going to appear in an episode. Remember, Niki and Pablo were credited at least 2 episodes before they appeared in the series.

My reason for believing it's Michael is because how unsurprised they were (especially Miles) that there were survivors from 815. If they had indeed rescued Michael on the boat a month earlier, they would have already been through the shock of "really?! there are survivors??" Why would Michael help Ben? Well...the boat that picked up Michael (the freighter) is headed back to the island to get Ben. Great, thinks Michael, "I just got off that island and now I have to go back?" SO maybe he helps Ben to ruin the chances of him having to go back and help Ben's guys win their little war with the Freighter people.

Hey i think you are all right just a little. My guess is Michael is the one warning everyone about Ben. When Mike left all he knew was Ben made him kill someone and the others kidnapped and killed the losties.

I can not explane yet how he got a photo of him but my best guess is one of the others (julite) gave it to him to show the outside world who the bad guy is. Ben found out that Mike ws resued and spilled the beans on him from his source (the girl on the phone).

After sening the flash back it is ovious that the 4 people are not theire to kill the Losties.

I don't know if it is Micheal. Why would Micheal help Ben? How would he communicate with Ben?

I totally think it's Michael. And he's communicating with Ben by harnessing Walt's abilities. That would also mean Walt is on the freighter. With the Looking Glass station jammed and Mikhail's hideway blown to smithereens, extra sensory abilities may be the only way to communicate between the island and the outside world.

Let's suppose that the writers might have thrown us a slight curve with the "I have a man on the boat" comment. (They wouldn't do that, would they?:rolleyes:) Let's consider the following points:


For Ben to know the information he did about the freighter team (and to exclude such deus-ex-machina'ish story devices as telepathy and mind reading...) Ben would have to have an information source, either on the boat, or on the mainland.
Communication with Ben from the boat would be a far greater problem than communication with Ben from the mainland.
Since the freighter team can communicate with the boat, Ben's comment would immediately compromise his spy there, if there was a spy...
Even under the pressure he was under, Ben would likely have tried to protect his spy on the boat by claiming he had a spy on the mainland. This could have provided the same information he gave...
IF he had a spy on the mainland, we'd expect him to protect that person by claiming he had a spy on the boat.
IF there had been a spy on the mainland, the information about the coming freighter team might easily have been passed to Ben through Mikhail, back when communication with the mainland was still happening, and before the jamming went up. In fact, the jamming may just have been initiated _precisely_because_ Ben got the word that a team was about to be sent to abduct him.
Getting a spy _somewhere_ in Abbadon's organization would be much easier than getting one specifically assigned to the boat.
Ben is not famous for telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...Considering all these things, I would propose the possibility that Ben may NOT have a spy on the boat, but that he does have a spy somewhere...

If Walt is involved how does that work? The actor playing Walt has noticeably aged since the end of Season 2. At this point it really doesn't seem like time is moving differently off the island. So if it is Walt on the boat, then he's been hanging out there for two years or just got taller and a deeper voice really quick? Remember, on the show it wasn't even 2 months ago that Michael and Walt left.

If Walt is involved how does that work? The actor playing Walt has noticeably aged since the end of Season 2. At this point it really doesn't seem like time is moving differently off the island. So if it is Walt on the boat, then he's been hanging out there for two years or just got taller and a deeper voice really quick? Remember, on the show it wasn't even 2 months ago that Michael and Walt left.

I'm still so in love with the Michael on the freighter and he and Ben using Walt to communicate that I'll throw in another idea. Maybe Michael and Walt did get back to the "real" world. They went back and started living a new life. They realized that they were confirmed dead. After a time, Ben sent Alpert or another amazingly hot and sinister flunky to coerce/threaten/bribe, Michael and Walt to come back. Maybe things weren't going so hot for the father and son once they got back to the mainland. Maybe they felt guilty about leaving their fellow castaways and thought this was a way to save them. Or maybe Ben threatened to expose them and/or kill them if they didn't aid him.

I definitely subscribe to the theory that Michael is on the freighter. However, I find it more likely that Walt is Ben's "man on the boat". I am not sure how comfortable the writers will be with giving him alot of screen-time with the growthspurt, but I would think he could be delivering messages to Ben this whole time...much like he did to John. After the raft fire we know he never wanted to leave, so his motivation could be protecting the island. I always felt his character wasted after Ben let them leave so easily, so I will be glad if he ends up being a pivital part from here on out. Same way I feel about Desmond...if you are going to give someone a supernatural ability, they better be in it for the long-haul.

So yeah, Michael and Walt maybe prisioners, or simply guests, on the freighter, but they know too much about the Losties ("These are good people") thanks to Michael, and Ben knows too much about the "rescue" party, thanks to Walt.

as far as walt being older and taller, TPTB have said REPEATEDLY that they have, and have had from the beginning, a way to explain walt's growth in the context of the story. since we're seeing obvious signs of tme-travel everywhere, from FBYE to the polar bear fossil in the desert, it seems to me that this is how they are going to explain walt's changes. either that, or he is in the future using his telepathic abilities to communicate with Locke in the past, maybe to change something that happened.

Here's a another wacked out thought. Maybe Walt isn't consciously helping Ben. Perhaps one of Walt's abilities is reading minds. Somehow, Ben has figured out how to tap into Walt's mind (through conditioning in Room 23?). So Walt, while on the freighter, is reading the minds of those on board - either on purpose or automatically (like Smokey?) - and then Ben can tap into Walt's mind somehow to get the info. Possibly when Walt sleeps or something?

as far as walt being older and taller, TPTB have said REPEATEDLY that they have, and have had from the beginning, a way to explain walt's growth in the context of the story. since we're seeing obvious signs of tme-travel everywhere, from FBYE to the polar bear fossil in the desert, it seems to me that this is how they are going to explain walt's changes. either that, or he is in the future using his telepathic abilities to communicate with Locke in the past, maybe to change something that happened.

I could buy the theory that Walt is communicating from the future, with Locke anyway. I can't see him giving Ben lots of info but who knows. I don't get how a polar bear from Hydra Station being in Tunisia is proof of time travel though?

to the polar bear fossil in the desert

Fossils are rock, scraped from other rock. What we saw were bones in dirt. Not all that old...

Polar Bear was probably wearing a Dharma time travel collar. Rubbed up against a tree and accidentally sent himself a few million years back in the past. :P

But seriously, I like the Walt + Time-Travel idea. I am sure John mentioning that Walt was taller was more significant than just a joke. Very interesting.

Fossils are rock, scraped from other rock. What we saw were bones in dirt. Not all that old...

That's what makes it more interesting than plain old time travel. For me the big question was why did Dharma take a polar bear from Hydra station to Tunisia and how long ago was this?

What if Ben's man was one of the one's who parachuted onto the Island. It would make sense since his man would want to be with the ones who were searching for him to be sure they didn't find him. Or to get his back if they did find him. Could it be one of the new four? I know this doesn't mean anything, but the name Miles Strom reminds me of the name Ethan Rom.

That's what makes it more interesting than plain old time travel. For me the big question was why did Dharma take a polar bear from Hydra station to Tunisia and how long ago was this?

Perhaps they didn't intend for the polar bear to tend up in Tunisia. They were experimenting with a lot of things that they couldn't wholly predict or control.

I am with Mark Kligman, I think it is Richard. He is a key person to the entire story and we have seen him off the Island. He and Ben are tight and Ben has trusted him from their first encounter.
100%
I agree with Mark Kligman, I think Richard is on the boat. He and Ben go back to when Ben was a young boy and I think Ben trusts him.

That's what makes it more interesting than plain old time travel. For me the big question was why did Dharma take a polar bear from Hydra station to Tunisia and how long ago was this?

Perhaps we might turn your question around. Was Dharma testing their new-and-improved heat-resistant polar bears in Tunisia before shipping them to the Hydra Station? This would make sense, as Polar bears will normally die in the island climate, and they'd want to make sure their experiments worked before going through the bother and expense of shipping live (and dangerous!) animals...

Note also that the bones were clean and fresh, as was the collar. They weren't all that old. It had more the suggestion of an animal that _didn't_ survive the heat it was being tested with being buried because I'd imagine it was starting to stink...

It could be Michael.

definitely what I thought

It could be Michael.


Woah! I never thought of that!!!!!
It makes perfect sense!

How was Ben able to get someone on the freighter? How have they been communicating? I don't doubt it, but I'm thinking through the logistics.

Just awesome that Ben is a step ahead of the freighter crew . . .


It sure seems that way. My personal guess is Eyeline McGee aka Richard Alpert. :eek2:

It also could be Michael, as some have suggested. Could Walt be with him then and possibly projecting himself on the island to warn Locke and the other Losties about the potential danger? He did appear other times, like to Shannon in the jungle.

My guess is that it's Michael. The coordinates that he gave to Michael didn't take him home but to the freighter. Ben's known all along that they were coming ... though, I'd guess, hoping they didn't make it. So, just in case, he used Michael as a plant. I would even wager to guess that Michael knew about it all along but played along with what Ben was telling him at the dock for Walt's sake.

I don't think it's Richard Alpert. We saw him on the island after the submarine was blown up, so how did he get off? Unless there is some other form of transportation we don't know about that's still working?

I think Ben did some investigating and found out the freighter was there (way before the sub was blown up) and sent Michael and Walt so Michael can be his spy. Remember, Ben was very strict of who he would let off the island, and it was a shock that he even let Michael and Walt go. He was so eager to let him go because there was a greater purpose. It kind of reminds me of the time when he finally let Alex go with him on a trek during TTLG.

I like the Michael idea, but what would be his motivation? If he led the freighter back to the island (presumably to rescue everyone), that would also bring the people who want to get Ben. So, Ben wouldn't want Michael to come back, right? And if he didn't want him to come back, why would he send him to the freighter in the first place?

I think it's Charlotte.
She didn't react to seeing Ben.
Ben shot her, knowing she had on a vest, to throw off suspissions.
She expected to see the DHARMA collar on the polar bear, because she was a field agent verifing that Ben's Time Machine worked. (The Poalr Bear was a test subject)
Ben said "man" to throw them off the scent.

It could be Michael.


Good guess! Michael was last seen with a little boat headed away from the island. It's
not unreasonable to suspect that they found him at sea and picked him up. It might
also explain the vision Locke had of Walt telling him that the people on the freighter are
bad. Walt would know that if he was on the freighter, too.
100%
I just don't see how Michael would be "working " for Ben, he certainly wasn't Ben's buddy. He just did all those things to get Walt off the island, he wasn't in cahoots with Ben. I think his feelings for Ben are the same as the other Losties.


Ben has been known to stretch the truth a little. He didn't say he had someone working
for him. He said "I have a man on the boat". If the freighter people are bad news and
Walt has figured this out then Ben is counting on his enemy's enemy being his friend.
I'm sure it freaked the freighter people out a lot more the way Ben put it. Now they are
going to start doubting each other.

I think it's Charlotte.
She didn't react to seeing Ben.
Ben shot her, knowing she had on a vest, to throw off suspissions.
She expected to see the DHARMA collar on the polar bear, because she was a field agent verifing that Ben's Time Machine worked. (The Poalr Bear was a test subject)
Ben said "man" to throw them off the scent.
I agree.
And besides all that, she was very surprised when she saw Claire with Aaron, as if she knew about what happens to pregnant woman on the island.

Miles did call someone named Regina, who told him that Minkowski (sp.?) couldn't come to the phone.

I like the Michael idea as well.


Maybe when he said, "man", it was to throw us off.
Maybe it's a woman.
Maybe Regina killed Minkowski couldn't come to the phone ala Kate and Naomi.

I think it's Charlotte.
She didn't react to seeing Ben.
Ben shot her, knowing she had on a vest, to throw off suspissions.
She expected to see the DHARMA collar on the polar bear, because she was a field agent verifing that Ben's Time Machine worked. (The Poalr Bear was a test subject)
Ben said "man" to throw them off the scent.


Not a bad idea as well. You least expect the person who was just shot. He knew she
would be wearing a vest. He might also be trying to cast suspicion on Michael (who
I still think *is* on the freighter).

Ok, quick thought here....
So I just started wondering why it was that Penny would have been the first person that came across the monitor to Charlie in the Looking Glass. I now wonder if Penny actually is on that freighter and if she's really Ben's "man" on the boat..... Perhaps with all that Ben knows he doesn't know enough about her due to her deep pockets and ability to cover up her true identity. Maybe she's just been biding her time until she can actually get past the island's defenses and to it somehow...

hmmmm.. Not. Penny's. Boat.

;)

Charlie's death really would be for nothing if Penny were on that boat.

Let's suppose that the writers might have thrown us a slight curve with the "I have a man on the boat" comment. (They wouldn't do that, would they?:rolleyes:) Let's consider the following points:

For Ben to know the information he did about the freighter team (and to exclude such deus-ex-machina'ish story devices as telepathy and mind reading...) Ben would have to have an information source, either on the boat, or on the mainland.
Communication with Ben from the boat would be a far greater problem than communication with Ben from the mainland.
Since the freighter team can communicate with the boat, Ben's comment would immediately compromise his spy there, if there was a spy...
Even under the pressure he was under, Ben would likely have tried to protect his spy on the boat by claiming he had a spy on the mainland. This could have provided the same information he gave...
IF he had a spy on the mainland, we'd expect him to protect that person by claiming he had a spy on the boat.
IF there had been a spy on the mainland, the information about the coming freighter team might easily have been passed to Ben through Mikhail, back when communication with the mainland was still happening, and before the jamming went up. In fact, the jamming may just have been initiated _precisely_because_ Ben got the word that a team was about to be sent to abduct him.
Getting a spy _somewhere_ in Abbadon's organization would be much easier than getting one specifically assigned to the boat.
Ben is not famous for telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...Considering all these things, I would propose the possibility that Ben may NOT have a spy on the boat, but that he does have a spy somewhere...

Thank you for saying what I have been thinking all along. I do however have an idea for who the spy might be:


Ben's childhood friend, Ann. There has been a lot of talk about whether or not she was killed during the purge. This would be a good explanation of what happened to her. He may have been able to save her by having her work off the island.

Maybe Regina killed Minkowski couldn't come to the phone ala Kate and Naomi.

I really like this idea! Miles even said it was important but she still wouldn't let him speak with Minkowski. Plus, this would let the Losties stay unharmed if the Oceanic 6 go to the freighter via helicopter. If Minkowski was there once the Oceanic 6 leave the island and land on the freighter, he'd probably kill them all.

Ben states he has someone on the freighter, I have no idea how he could know they were coming and then palce someone on there to spy and transmit date to him but I suspect we have a mole playing both sides of the fence here like in the cold war. After all someone had to be on the Island to take a photo of Ben. I wouldn't be suprised to learn that someone is playing both sides. Sort of like the spook work Inman used to do.

I for one do not think that the photo of Benwas taken on-island.

I think it's Charlotte.
She didn't react to seeing Ben.
Ben shot her, knowing she had on a vest, to throw off suspissions.
She expected to see the DHARMA collar on the polar bear, because she was a field agent verifing that Ben's Time Machine worked. (The Poalr Bear was a test subject)
Ben said "man" to throw them off the scent.


I agree.
And besides all that, she was very surprised when she saw Claire with Aaron, as if she knew about what happens to pregnant woman on the island.

This makes alot of sense, great idea! Explains a few things.

I'm thinking maybe this person on the boat is someone we have not met yet but that has transported data to Ben somehow before communications went down. I think it's possible that these boaties found out he was playing both sides. Miles seemed really intense when confronting Juliet so this man on the boat can't be in a good spot right now if he was caught being a spy. More questions would then arise regarding how Ben knows this man, how he was planted on the boat, how he was communicating, how he got caught communicating...clearly the mole may have been acting against the boaties.

Having relooked at the photo I think I might gree with you. It seems very Mid-town office not Island.

Ok, I honestly thing Ben is feeding everyone a load of crap. From day 1 Ben has known a LOT of information about people…names…background…etc. I think because of Ben’s ability to communicate with the island/Jacob, he has the ability to know anything about anyone, and their intentions – should the island deem it necessary. It’s obvious that the island can get inside anyone’s head, pull out information and mess with them. The island obviously sees this group of people as a threat, and has been feeding Ben the red alert sign (probably Locke as well!).

So I think it’s a pretty logical line of thinking that Ben knows all this because of the island. Ben isn’t going to tell ANYone that. But he does like to f**k with people. So why not create turmoil on this freighter of people…send word back that someone is a spy…and then they all turn on each other.

I can definitely see Michael and Walt chilling on the freighter, and Ben probably knows this. But I highly doubt that Ben and Walt are mind melding. The island is probably communicating with Walt on the ship, and then the island is feeding info to Ben.

So when do we get to see a manifestation of Naomi walking around and messing with people now that she's dead?

OH! And another thing. how the HELL are 6 people going to fit on that chopper?? Especially Hurley?? 4 people? -That's very possible..They could possibly limp to the freighter with Hurley in tow...that would mean Walt and Michael are on the boat...making 6. I wonder who has copter flight experience...Sayid? Patchie? Interesting to think about...

Perhaps you're right and we have seen the mole before, wednesd7777

What if Michael is the mole? What if Michael was given instructions by Ben to be taken aboard the freighter, and to then go to work for Ben. It wouldn't seem to fit with Michael's reaction at the end of season 2 ("Who are you people?"), or the fact that Ben seemed to be genuine in offering Michael a compass bearing towards rescue. But what if the only way to truly save Walt would be to continue to do what Ben asks? Just a thought. Harold Perrineau has been credited in past two episodes, without actually appearing. Michael is obviously still out there somewhere.

I don't think it's Richard Alpert. We saw him on the island after the submarine was blown up, so how did he get off? Unless there is some other form of transportation we don't know about that's still working?

I think Ben did some investigating and found out the freighter was there (way before the sub was blown up) and sent Michael and Walt so Michael can be his spy. Remember, Ben was very strict of who he would let off the island, and it was a shock that he even let Michael and Walt go. He was so eager to let him go because there was a greater purpose. It kind of reminds me of the time when he finally let Alex go with him on a trek during TTLG.
I don't think it's Richard either (though I'd love it if it were ... I miss Nestor). But Ben does still have Desmond's boat so that's one way to get them off the island and to the freighter.
Ok, I honestly thing Ben is feeding everyone a load of crap. From day 1 Ben has known a LOT of information about people…names…background…etc. I think because of Ben’s ability to communicate with the island/Jacob, he has the ability to know anything about anyone, and their intentions – should the island deem it necessary. It’s obvious that the island can get inside anyone’s head, pull out information and mess with them. The island obviously sees this group of people as a threat, and has been feeding Ben the red alert sign (probably Locke as well!).

So I think it’s a pretty logical line of thinking that Ben knows all this because of the island. Ben isn’t going to tell ANYone that. But he does like to f**k with people. So why not create turmoil on this freighter of people…send word back that someone is a spy…and then they all turn on each other.

I can definitely see Michael and Walt chilling on the freighter, and Ben probably knows this. But I highly doubt that Ben and Walt are mind melding. The island is probably communicating with Walt on the ship, and then the island is feeding info to Ben.

So when do we get to see a manifestation of Naomi walking around and messing with people now that she's dead?

OH! And another thing. how the HELL are 6 people going to fit on that chopper?? Especially Hurley?? 4 people? -That's very possible..They could possibly limp to the freighter with Hurley in tow...that would mean Walt and Michael are on the boat...making 6. I wonder who has copter flight experience...Sayid? Patchie? Interesting to think about...That works, too! Since Michael has already done the traitor-thing, it makes sense that Ben would put the blame on him and who's going to believe he's not working for Ben *again*? It also might explain the coffin and why Kate didn't want to go to the funeral. Once bitten, twice shy. He did the traitor-thing once and if it's made to look like he's done it again ... well, it makes perfect sense that she'd not want to go to his funeral.

As for the chopper ... Frank did say that he'd make a second run to come back for Naomi so why not make a few to take the survivors back to the ship?

They said Minkowski's name was GEORGE...Did I imagine that? And, I thought the way they were pronouncing it, the name was MANkowski instead of MINkowski...

...now why does the name GEORGE MANKOWSKI sound familiar to me?

I like the MICHAEL/WALT idea, and to be honest, I hadn't even thought of it! DUH! they might have Walt and Michael's being forced to do Ben's dirty work. Maybe that's an idea as to why...

PEACE--Kath

Just posted this on the Dual Moles thread. Hadn't come across this thread. Damn he lack of search function! :)

What if Michael is the mole? What if Michael was given instructions by Ben to be taken aboard the freighter, and to then go to work for Ben. It wouldn't seem to fit with Michael's reaction at the end of season 2 ("Who are you people?"), or the fact that Ben seemed to be genuine in offering Michael a compass bearing toward rescue, but Ben has been a conniving sod from the start. What if the only way to truly save Walt would be to continue to do what Ben asks? Just a thought. Harold Perrineau has been credited in past two episodes, without actually appearing. Michael is obviously still out there somewhere.

Michael may well know more than us about Ben. He could well be complicit with Ben's plans.

I like the idea that the compass bearing Ben gave Michael took him to the freighter. I always thought the way he worded what he said in that scene ("Follow that compass bearing and you will find rescue.") would be significant, like he wasn't lying, but he actually meant something different to what was being implied. Maybe the boat people did rescue him, but then Ben got in contact with him somehow and blackmailed him into working for him? Maybe he planted a walkie or something on him and radioed him when he was on the boat, or did a similar con to when he made Sawyer think his heart would explode if his heart rate got too high.

I also have a feeling that Minkowski's absence when Miles radioed him was significant. The way that Regina said "he's busy" (or something to that effect) pretty forcefully but didn't elaborate at all makes me think something is coming up to explain that.

They said Minkowski's name was GEORGE...Did I imagine that? And, I thought the way they were pronouncing it, the name was MANkowski instead of MINkowski...

...now why does the name GEORGE MANKOWSKI sound familiar to me?

I like the MICHAEL/WALT idea, and to be honest, I hadn't even thought of it! DUH! they might have Walt and Michael's being forced to do Ben's dirty work. Maybe that's an idea as to why...

PEACE--KathIt may have sounded like MANkowski but it is MINkowski (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lostpedia.com%2Fwiki%2FMinkow ski&ei=LcSsR767BqDApgT1nKimAw&usg=AFQjCNFSeRYCGIS5tcg3MzKn9ucZ01DkAQ&sig2=nD05i09jAXFlu0zTDKfNaQ). (WARNING: I didn't read this link so I don't know if it contains any spoilers.)

Every time I hear them say George Minkowski (sp.) I keep thinking of Mike Witowski from Monster's Inc. (I have a 3 year old). SO I am expecting the freighter phone to be manned by a small green alien with one large eye and Billy Crystal's voice....

I think that Ben's "man" on the boat is Michael and Walt. Walt does have powers that enable him to appear in places that he shouldn't be. And maybe Michael is being manipulated by Ben.

It could also be Regina.

Here's the exact words from the script when Ben was sending Michael & Walt off on the boat:

===========
[We see Gale and Michael at the pier.]

GALE: I'm not happy about the arrangement that was made with you Michael, but we got more than we bargained for when Walt joined us, so I suppose this is what's best. And you let me go, set me free -- you lived up to your word. We live up to our word, too. Do you know how to drive a boat?

MICHAEL: Yeah, I can drive a boat.

GALE: Good, then you're going to take this boat and follow a compass bearing of 325, and if you do that exactly, you and your son will find rescue.

MICHAEL: That's it? I follow the bearing and me and my son get rescued?

GALE: Yes.

MICHAEL: How do you know I won't tell people about where I was?

GALE: Maybe you will, maybe you won't. But it won't matter. Once you leave, you'll never be able to get back here. And my hunch is you won't say a word to anybody because if you do, people will find out what you did to get your son back.

MICHAEL: My friends -- I was promised you wouldn't hurt them.

GALE: A deal's a deal.

MICHAEL: Who are you people?

GALE: We're the good guys, Michael. Alright, she's all yours.

MICHAEL: What? What, am I stupid? Where's my son?

GALE: Walt's inside.

[Michael runs to the boat.]

GALE: Bon voyage, Michael.

MICHAEL: Walt!

WALT: Dad! Dad!

MICHAEL: Come here, come here [they hug]. You okay?

WALT: Yeah.

MICHAEL: You sure? Okay, I've got you now. It's going to be okay now. We're going home, Walt. We are going home.
===============

I like the idea that the compass bearing Ben gave Michael took him to the freighter. I always thought the way he worded what he said in that scene ("Follow that compass bearing and you will find rescue.") would be significant, like he wasn't lying, but he actually meant something different to what was being implied. Maybe the boat people did rescue him, but then Ben got in contact with him somehow and blackmailed him into working for him? Maybe he planted a walkie or something on him and radioed him when he was on the boat, or did a similar con to when he made Sawyer think his heart would explode if his heart rate got too high.

I also have a feeling that Minkowski's absence when Miles radioed him was significant. The way that Regina said "he's busy" (or something to that effect) pretty forcefully but didn't elaborate at all makes me think something is coming up to explain that.
Both of those sound like pretty good possabilities to me. I've been thinking since I first heard about the cast for this season that it isn't a coincidence that Micheal comes back to to the show at the same time to frieghter arrives.

I also started to wonder as soon as "Regina" said Minkowski couldn't come to the phone. Both because of how vague "Regina" was, and because it's seems kinda weird to me that George(?) would pick that moment to not be able to come to the phone. I know if I were in his position I wouldn't let that phone out of my site.

I like the thought about Ben finding out about the freighter, and giving Michael the exact location of it. Seems to fit very well. Ben's priority was never to "help" Michael & Walt get rescued. It was just the unfortunate result of needing to get Walt on that boat.

I really think that the mole is Walt. Michael has never had any sort of abilities. But Walt on the other hand, has a definite tie to the island..and can communicate with it in his own way.

So once again Ben is the master manipulator. I also like the thought that Walt doesn't even KNOW he's the mole. Just his presence on the boat allows for information to be passed from Walt to the Island/Jacob...and from the Island/jacob to Ben.

Here's the exact words from the script when Ben was sending Michael & Walt off on the boat:

Thanks, booyah.

Would you therefore say that it's less likely that Michael's the mole, and that it's Walt? Or is it somebody else?

No prob - here's the location of the scripts FYI:
http://www.lost-tv.com/transcripts/

And in response to your question, see my post at the end of page 8... at this point, the more i think about it, I think it's Walt.

Why couldn't it be both of them? Michael is sneaking around on the boat, doing all of the dirty work while unbeknownst to them, Walt is unintentially sending psychic "reports" back to the Island. Maybe that's what they were doing to Walt while they were holding him captive, strengthening his connection to the Island, just in case they needed him for something like this.

Thanks, booyah. I ususally go to LostPedia for the transcripts. I didn't catch your post on page 8 (I have now) because I think we posted at pretty much the same time :)

I think the script goes to show what I feared in my earlier post about 'Michael the Mole' not fitting with Michael's reaction to Ben in that scene. He was the obvious starting point I suppose, but I do like the talk of Walt being the mole.

Wow, nice work with the Michael idea, guys. That never even crossed my mind, but it's the perfect theory. It makes total sense. However, I don't think Walt is involved, just because we've been hearing for a while now that Harold would be returning, but nothing about MDK. So I dunno.

Miles did call someone named Regina, who told him that Minkowski (sp.?) couldn't come to the phone.

Minkowski would be the one also referred to as "George", right? I definitely think there was some significance to his not being available to speak to Miles... Possibly pertaining to Ben's man. However, it appears to me that Naomi and Co. did NOT know that Ben had a plant on their freighter (that would defeat the purpose of having a spy), so it may not be that George was dealing with them at that time, unless he found out, which could definitely cause some issues.

I still don't know about Walt's growth. I mean if he or Michael is Ben's insider (and thus off the island), wouldn't Michael go through a growth spurt too? And we know some Losties eventually get off the island (via flashforwards), but I didn't notice any growth spurt. I don't think just being off the island would make anyone grow faster. I'm clueless as to Walt's growth spurt.

I always just assumed that it was because MDK got... Older and consequently, taller. What is he now, like 19? :biggrin:

Ben didn't give Micheal the coordinates to get to the ship

remember Ben was shocked when he found out that the ship was close to the island

After sening the flash back it is ovious that the 4 people are not theire to kill the Losties.

That may very well be true but it doesn't mean that they'll actually take any Losties back to civilization if they can't acquire Ben first (and they may have their own agenda for wanting to be on and STAY on the island...). Also, if Ben somehow dies in the meantime, via the hand of one of the Losties, that may also enrage those that are trying to get him for whatever reasons. And that could lead to a war...

It may have sounded like MANkowski but it is MINkowski (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lostpedia.com%2Fwiki%2FMinkow ski&ei=LcSsR767BqDApgT1nKimAw&usg=AFQjCNFSeRYCGIS5tcg3MzKn9ucZ01DkAQ&sig2=nD05i09jAXFlu0zTDKfNaQ). (WARNING: I didn't read this link so I don't know if it contains any spoilers.)


...it didn't...:lipsseal: you're good. heh.

and thanks--maybe I should get my hearing checked before next week's episode!

PEACE--Kath

Ben's man on the freighter is Michael.

Walt's growth spurt is due to the actor playing him growing.

Locke's comment about Walt's growth spurt was a cutesy inside joke among the striking writers. Sometimes I wonder why we care about them so much.

Ben's man on the freighter is Michael.

Walt's growth spurt is due to the actor playing him growing.

Locke's comment about Walt's growth spurt was a cutesy inside joke among the striking writers. Sometimes I wonder why we care about them so much.

While the actor that played Walt has grown like boys his age do, it still needs to be explained in story if they were to use him. I too think the comment was a joke. I know why I care about the writers though.

I think it's Charlotte.
She didn't react to seeing Ben.
Ben shot her, knowing she had on a vest, to throw off suspissions.
She expected to see the DHARMA collar on the polar bear, because she was a field agent verifing that Ben's Time Machine worked. (The Poalr Bear was a test subject)
Ben said "man" to throw them off the scent.

This is VERY MUCH along the lines of what I have been thinking.... Nice post!

I think it's Micheal too, and here's how I think it went down.
Micheal's feeilng happy but guilty as he drives the boat away according to the compass, looking at Walt knowing he made the right chioce. Suddenly he hears some noise, he looks around and finds a walky-talky or some other com device. On the other side it's Ben, telling him he's got a chance of redemption. You can go home, he tells him, or you can head to the frieghter. He convinces him somehow that this frieghter is a threat, and he must infiltrate it using some cover story. Micheal does so, communicating with Ben the whole time.
To me it looks plausible, and I think it will also blow up in Ben's face somehow, knowing that Micheal is actully is a good person and wanting to make up for all he did, by using the frieghter to rescue the Losties, or 6 of them..

Michael was the most selfish of the Losties. THEY TOOK MY SON. He betrayed his fellow Losties and killed Libby and Anna Lucia to get Walt. I understand his anguish. But he caused so much pain and trouble to get what he wanted. His bargain with Ben is done. Why on earth would he go back to the island--even if he could? Out of guilt? Does he really think the Losties would welcome him with open arms and forgive all (thanks for saving us Michael!)? He's foolish and a coward. I'm glad he's back in some way this season--I hope to see him get his due for the terrible things he's done.

I think the Charlotte idea works well. But whose to say he only has one mole? Ben never trusts just one person. Just a thought.

I like the ideas of Charlotte and Regina, although I'll hold on to Michael myself for the time being.

But here's a question: If Ben does have a spy on the boat, why was he so surprised in TTLG that a woman had parachuted onto the island? (I think it was that ep, but maybe Greatest Hits?) When he heard that info through the walkie... he was stunned! He wouldn't have been that surprised if he had known there was a freighter 80 kilometers off shore with 2 helicopters and all those researchers, would he have?
100%
Walt's growth spurt is due to the actor playing him growing.

Locke's comment about Walt's growth spurt was a cutesy inside joke among the striking writers. Sometimes I wonder why we care about them so much.
We care because we love this show, which is created by the writers. As for Walt, we care because we have been told that his growth will be explained as an element of the plot of the show.

If Walt's the "mole" he must be a double agent because he helped Locke after Ben shot him. If Ben was working with Walt don't you think Walt would have tried to prevent that?

I don't think that Michael or Walt could be the mole. Ben would have to have given them instructions before they left besides which coordinates to sail to. Besides, Ben gave Michael an assignment once before, and we know how "smoothly" that went. It makes more sense to me that Michael and Walt never actually were able to get off the island - kind of like Desmond when he got the boat and kept sailing around and just couldn't get away from the island.

But here's a question: If Ben does have a spy on the boat, why was he so surprised in TTLG that a woman had parachuted onto the island? (I think it was that ep, but maybe Greatest Hits?) When he heard that info through the walkie... he was stunned! He wouldn't have been that surprised if he had known there was a freighter 80 kilometers off shore with 2 helicopters and all those researchers, would he have?
100%

Well, I think it would make sense for him to be surprised if his intel had told him that they (on the freighter) still had no idea how close they were to the island and that there were no plans to launch anybody (Naomi) in search of it... He was surprised because they weren't supposed to have been able to find it...

MarineOne, yeah, that certainly could be the explanation. But it is discrepant enough to make me doubt Ben's story.

Miles did call someone named Regina, who told him that Minkowski (sp.?) couldn't come to the phone.


I like the Michael idea as well.

When I watched the episode I thought it was Regina. I read a recap today on another web site and I was leaning toward it being Michael then I friend of mine thinks it is Minkowski. I could be any of those 3 if you ask me and it is just a theory

I don't think that Michael or Walt could be the mole. Ben would have to have given them instructions before they left besides which coordinates to sail to. Besides, Ben gave Michael an assignment once before, and we know how "smoothly" that went. It makes more sense to me that Michael and Walt never actually were able to get off the island - kind of like Desmond when he got the boat and kept sailing around and just couldn't get away from the island.

Ben said to Michael and Walt: sail using a compass degree of 325 (I think it was), and that, "you will find rescue." Just something interesting.

Ben could have been lying about the man on the inside. He does lie a lot and he was about to be killed unless he contributed to the group somehow.

It makes total sense that Micheal is the mole. Didn't we first see "MOLE" spelled out when Micheal was on the computer trying to talk to Walt? They hit us over the head with it.

This is what I thought too: that Michael is the mole.

Ben didn't give Micheal the coordinates to get to the ship

remember Ben was shocked when he found out that the ship was close to the islandMaybe just shocked that they were there so quickly. ;)

Ben's man on the freighter is Michael.

Walt's growth spurt is due to the actor playing him growing.

Locke's comment about Walt's growth spurt was a cutesy inside joke among the striking writers. Sometimes I wonder why we care about them so much.Not an inside joke at all. It's been said, several times, by TPTB that Walt's growth spurt will be explained within the story. And we care about the writers because 1] they're being shafted on compensation for their work and 2] they write this show that we love.

I think it's Micheal too, and here's how I think it went down.
Micheal's feeilng happy but guilty as he drives the boat away according to the compass, looking at Walt knowing he made the right chioce. Suddenly he hears some noise, he looks around and finds a walky-talky or some other com device. On the other side it's Ben, telling him he's got a chance of redemption. You can go home, he tells him, or you can head to the frieghter. He convinces him somehow that this frieghter is a threat, and he must infiltrate it using some cover story. Micheal does so, communicating with Ben the whole time.

To me it looks plausible, and I think it will also blow up in Ben's face somehow, knowing that Micheal is actully is a good person and wanting to make up for all he did, by using the frieghter to rescue the Losties, or 6 of them..That is a fantastic idea for how Michael got to be the mole. I like it!

If Walt's the "mole" he must be a double agent because he helped Locke after Ben shot him. If Ben was working with Walt don't you think Walt would have tried to prevent that?That's a very good point. I think it's Michael and not Walt.

Ben could have been lying about the man on the inside. He does lie a lot and he was about to be killed unless he contributed to the group somehow.Then how did he know so much about Charlotte? He didn't have access to the same source that gave him info on the Losties. Someone had to have gotten that info to him and fairly recently, too.

Then how did he know so much about Charlotte? He didn't have access to the same source that gave him info on the Losties. Someone had to have gotten that info to him and fairly recently, too.

Well, if Charlotte's the mole.......;)

I don't think Charlotte could be the mole. If she is Ben's "man" then she would have had to have been on the island before and Alex and Karl don't recognize her. It's possibly, but I think Michael is the better explanation at this point.

I don't think Charlotte could be the mole. If she is Ben's "man" then she would have had to have been on the island before and Alex and Karl don't recognize her. It's possibly, but I think Michael is the better explanation at this point.

Why would she have had to have been on the island before? They have had contact with the "outside" world.

I'm just not on board with the Michael idea. If he is on the boat, how would he have been able to get all this information on each of the team members? Surely not by asking them, and how would they ((Ben & Michael) have been in contact with each other?

Long time reader, first time poster. I love The Fuselage! You guys are so smart.

Here's my theory on Ben's man. Has anyone thought of Patchy? Mikael? The last time we saw him he was holding a grenade in TTLG. What if he survived the blast (like he always does) and somehow found the freighter? He has the experience as a spy, he's beholden to Ben (for some reason, he seems to do whatever Ben tells him to do) and he's ruthless. He could be the reason George couldn't come to the phone. Maybe he's already doing his dirty work and is wreaking havoc on the freighter. Also, he has advanced technology skills which may allow him to infiltrate the freighter's communications systems and send information to Ben. At least before Ben got tied up and incapacitated. :biggrin:

I agree, however, that Michael and Walt are on the freighter. But I think they're just chilling, waiting for the plot to catch up with them.

Any ideas?

If Ben had a mole on the freighter,why didn't they warn him Naomi was on the way?

He seemed VERY surprised when he found out about her,and had to hastily rearrange all his plans.

Abaddon was VERY clear that these 4 specific individuals had to go to the island.Its feasible that Ben and his cohorts in the real world knew what 4 individuals Abaddon would pick.

Its very Ben-like to let Charlotte think he has a spy.She will phone this information in,sowing paranoia and suspicion in the ranks.

Thank you for saying what I have been thinking all along. I do however have an idea for who the spy might be:


Ben's childhood friend, Ann. There has been a lot of talk about whether or not she was killed during the purge. This would be a good explanation of what happened to her. He may have been able to save her by having her work off the island.

I'm with chem girl!!!

I vote for Michael. Ben promised him rescue...but didn't promise WHEN. I think he is holding the rescue card over Michael's head for a while longer. Michael is continuing to jump through Ben's hoops...and probably with a gun to his head.

I'm not gonna get hung up on the "Walt Growth Spurt" thing. I think that ultimately it's going to be a moot issue. From a production point of view, the camera angle on Walt from the grave in the scene with Locke was likely an attempt to keep from seeing Walt from eye level and to hopefully distract from his real life growth. I would be surprised to ever see an explanation over the growth/aging issue in regards to Walt.

Well, if Charlotte's the mole.......;)Then why give all *her* info away? That instantly put her in line for big danger. That just doesn't make sense to me.

Why would she have had to have been on the island before? They have had contact with the "outside" world.

I'm just not on board with the Michael idea. If he is on the boat, how would he have been able to get all this information on each of the team members? Surely not by asking them, and how would they ((Ben & Michael) have been in contact with each other?How did he get the info from anyone on board? He got it, so someone is on that boat and it might as well be Michael. From what we know, Michael is the only one that's left the island and not been back yet. As to his reasons for helping ... we'll find that out eventually.

I agree that right now, Michael and/or Walt seem to be the obvious and logical choice.
The idea that was posted by somebody further up in this thread that Ben contacted Michael after he left on the boat is a possibility.
I don't think that Charlotte is Ben's spy. Ben is on the island, it would make little sense for his spy to come to the island as well. A far better position for the spy would be to remain on the boat and if possible inform Ben of all furhter developments, and try to influence those developments in their favor. It could be, but I'm not convinced that Charlotte is in cohorts with Ben.
The thing that disturbs me about the possibility that it's Michael is the time factor. I'm not entirely up to date on the Lost timeline, but it's not been that long since Michael left the island. Three weeks, maybe? If somebody can pinpoint the exact time I'd be glad.
But somebody who is spying for Ben on that freighter needs to be somebody who can get to all the information Ben needs without arousing suspicion. Even if the freighter had taken Michael on board as a castaway or something, I don't see how that would have given Michael access to that kind of sensitive information. After all, the freighter is on some sort of secret mission, surely the crew isn't exactly handing out info about their crew-members and what they're up to.

But here's a question: If Ben does have a spy on the boat, why was he so surprised in TTLG that a woman had parachuted onto the island?

The simplest explanation for this is that Ben _doesn't_ have a man on the boat. And why is everyone suddenly believing everything that Ben says?

Think about it; if Ben had a man on the boat, he wouldn't admit it, or it would compromise his spy. He could just as easily have a spy in Abbadon's organization back on the mainland. He'd have known everything he did know because the boat had been some time in coming, but no the recent detals about what the boat was doing, since the jamming had led to an information blackout recently.

But if he had a spy on the mainland, his statement of a "man on the boat" would be classic Ben. It would protect his real spy, disrupt operations on the boat, since word will eventually get back to them, and it would withold the truth, which seems to be Ben's hobby...

The simplest explanation for this is that Ben _doesn't_ have a man on the boat. And why is everyone suddenly believing everything that Ben says?

I'd usually have said the same thing as you, wesb, but on this occasion is was clear that somebody would have killed Ben had he not revealed that information. Locke may not have been able to do it, but Sawyer and Karl both seemed prepared to put a bullet in him. The information he had on Charlotte was very precise and detailed. I don't doubt Ben on this occasion, though it pains me to say that! ;)

Maybe Ben is clairvoyant?

The simplest explanation for this is that Ben _doesn't_ have a man on the boat. And why is everyone suddenly believing everything that Ben says?

Think about it; if Ben had a man on the boat, he wouldn't admit it, or it would compromise his spy. He could just as easily have a spy in Abbadon's organization back on the mainland. He'd have known everything he did know because the boat had been some time in coming, but no the recent detals about what the boat was doing, since the jamming had led to an information blackout recently.

But if he had a spy on the mainland, his statement of a "man on the boat" would be classic Ben. It would protect his real spy, disrupt operations on the boat, since word will eventually get back to them, and it would withold the truth, which seems to be Ben's hobby...

I'm leaning more towards Wesb's line of thinking myself, especially given that the photo of Ben was taken at an airport security line, which HAS to be Off-island.

Look at how easily Ben obtained detailed histories on each of the 815 passengers. We know that Ben has powerful means of researching anyone who catches his interest. We know he has been off-island as a child and as an adult. If he has been off-island since the purge, it would make sense that he would be keeping tabs on other people who have an interest in the Island. He might also be keeping track of people who appear to be 'special'. We've seen that he considers anyone who is 'special' and has access or perhaps potential access to the island to be a tremendous threat. (Whether a threat to him as a dictator or to the island itself remains to be seen.)

Ben was intimate with Dharma. He's most likely have a great deal of knowledge of who is aware of the Island and who is competing with Dharma for control of it. Scientists are a competitive lot. If Dharma was interested in researching the island, then there had to be others also interested. If Dharma ever published ANY of their findings, Game On for a race to replicate or disprove their work.

Ben told Jack that the people on the boat had been looking for The Island for "quite some time."

Everything that Ben spouted about Charlotte could have been obtained a long time ago, and not necessarily by a mole on the freighter. Which would explain why he couldn't anticipate their arrival date.

Sorry if this has been said already but what if we check flash forwards to somehow work out if people have aged quicker compared to the losties like the cop anna lucia knew. has he aged alot since we last saw him compared to hurley or jack in the same time frame.

not sure if there are any clues to this.

Just a thought!

Then why give all *her* info away? That instantly put her in line for big danger. That just doesn't make sense to me.

It's the ultimate mind game. And what does she care if he "gives all her info away"?What can the Losties do with it? And how do we know that all the information he gave about Charlotte is true? No one would ever suspect it was Charlotte if Ben tried to shoot her and then gave up info on her.

How did he get the info from anyone on board? He got it, so someone is on that boat and it might as well be Michael. From what we know, Michael is the only one that's left the island and not been back yet. As to his reasons for helping ... we'll find that out eventually.

Well, the actual Freighties have access to the equipment onboard the Freighter. Michael, again if he's on board, has access to nothing.

I just don't understand the reasoning people think it's Michael, just because he may be on the boat? Well, if that's the reasoning, Farraday, Miles, Charlotte, Lapidus, Naomi, Regina and Minkowski are all on the boat too, so they could just as easily be the mole if being on the boat is the only qualification for being the mole.:undecide:

That's why I also think there is a possibility there may not even be a mole on the ship but on the mainland and Ben is playing mind games again.

What if Ben's "man" on the boat is actually a woman? Regina. Played by actress/stuntwoman Zoë Bell. She tells Miles that Minkowski is 'tied up at the moment.' Did she literally tie him up?

What if Ben's "man" on the boat is actually a woman? Regina. Played by actress/stuntwoman Zoë Bell. She tells Miles that Minkowski is 'tied up at the moment.' Did she literally tie him up?

Yeah I had that thought too awhile back, about Minkowski being literally tied up. There are many possibilities!;)

That would be a very interesting twist. It would also be good to see him again.



I think the possibility of it being Michael is interesting.. but the question is.. if Michael is on the freighter, where is Walt? Obviously, he would not be going as Michael on the freigher because they have a detailed manifest they would know he was on 815.. (they knew Juliet was a native)
And does Michael know enough about Ben to want to/be able to collect that kind of detailed background information on the freighter crew? Ben took his son away from him.. granted he gave him back, but only after Michael betrayed his beach buds and shot 2 people.. .. Why would he want to help Ben at all?

I have a hunch it's Regina.. she sounded pretty sketchy when Miles called about Wikowski (sp)

Why would she have had to have been on the island before? They have had contact with the "outside" world.

I'm just not on board with the Michael idea. If he is on the boat, how would he have been able to get all this information on each of the team members? Surely not by asking them, and how would they ((Ben & Michael) have been in contact with each other?

I don't think Ben would trust someone in the outside world, whom he has never met before. If Michael is on the boat he wouldn't need to ask them who they were, he would just have to do some info digging. There would probably be records and profiles on the boat. Walt might somehow be the contact link. Whether the mole is Charlotte, Michael, or someone else, there is still the question of how they and Ben were able to communicate with each other.

Whether the mole is Charlotte, Michael, or someone else, there is still the question of how they and Ben were able to communicate with each other.

Perhaps via Walt? Just a thought. Not a theory I hold dear.

Say...maybe it's Kelvin...Desmond assumed he died, but do we know that?

He was pretty dodgy, after all.

Say...maybe it's Kelvin...Desmond assumed he died, but do we know that?

He was pretty dodgy, after all.

That is a good theory PINK FREUD. I like that one. We just assume that Kelvin was dead but we do know that the Others do have a medical station that they could have treated a head injury. I would like to think that we have not seen the last of Kelvin.

Say...maybe it's Kelvin...Desmond assumed he died, but do we know that?

He was pretty dodgy, after all.

Nope, not a bad thought at all. However, how would Kelvin have been able to get onto the Freighter? Unless Ben gave him another boat, and if that's the case Ben sure has a lot of boats!

Perhaps via Walt? Just a thought. Not a theory I hold dear.
I actually said the same thing awhile back upthread. I'm just glad someone else is thinking this too now.:biggrin:


The thing that disturbs me about the possibility that it's Michael is the time factor. I'm not entirely up to date on the Lost timeline, but it's not been that long since Michael left the island. Three weeks, maybe? If somebody can pinpoint the exact time I'd be glad.
But somebody who is spying for Ben on that freighter needs to be somebody who can get to all the information Ben needs without arousing suspicion. Even if the freighter had taken Michael on board as a castaway or something, I don't see how that would have given Michael access to that kind of sensitive information. After all, the freighter is on some sort of secret mission, surely the crew isn't exactly handing out info about their crew-members and what they're up to.
Michael left the Island on Day 67, and we are now on Day 94, so it's been almost a month.
Maybe they gave Michael the information because they knew he had been on The Island and they wanted his help and input?

If Ben had a mole on the freighter,why didn't they warn him Naomi was on the way?



The mole is a more recent development?

They were incommunicado?

I can think of more possibilities.

Regarding Kelvin, if he has ties with Ben, don't you think he would've told him about Desmond's boat? Early in season 3 when Colleen told Ben they had a boat (Desmond's) he was totally shocked. One can argue that maybe Kelvin didn't want to tell Ben so he could leave, but it's common knowledge amongst the Others that if you try to leave you'll end up sailing in circles.

For a while I have been thinking that the mole is just another one of Ben's attempts to stay alive. While I do believe that Michael is on the boat, I don't think he is walking around free. When Regina said that Minkowski couldn't come to the phone, I think he was away dealing with Michael (the prisoner).

After reading this thread, I happen to believe this:
I think it's Charlotte.
She didn't react to seeing Ben.
Ben shot her, knowing she had on a vest, to throw off suspissions.
She expected to see the DHARMA collar on the polar bear, because she was a field agent verifing that Ben's Time Machine worked.
She did seem happy (to be back?) when she landed in the water.

The mole is a more recent development?

They were incommunicado?

I can think of more possibilities.

island time,,ben found out about Naomi yesterday.

he has not had a chance to talk to his mole since then,as he has been with Jack or Locke the whole time

Nope, not a bad thought at all. However, how would Kelvin have been able to get onto the Freighter? Unless Ben gave him another boat, and if that's the case Ben sure has a lot of boats!Well, he has a sailboat! ;)

Hi all, first post to the fuselage, with my theory of Ben's MOTB. Going to be overcautious with the spoiler font to avoid making a potential n00b pas. I don't have any inside info, this is just my *convoluted* theory:


I agree w/ imfromthepast:

I think it's Charlotte.
She didn't react to seeing Ben.
Ben shot her, knowing she had on a vest, to throw off suspissions.
She expected to see the DHARMA collar on the polar bear, because she was a field agent verifing that Ben's Time Machine worked. (The Poalr Bear was a test subject)
Ben said "man" to throw them off the scent.

Furthermore, I think Charlotte is "Ben's Man" b/c she's his and Annie's daughter. Ben had to smuggle Annie off the island when she became pregnant so Annie wouldn't die in childbirth (which would be especially traumatic for Ben given the circumstances of his own birth). Charlotte has been trying to get to the island her whole life because of the stories she heard from Mom. That's why she was hunting Dharma polar bears in Tunisia, looking for clues. (At some point prior, she must have also had actual contact with her Dad, enabling her to become the mole)

I think this explains CS Lewis' euphoria upon landing in the island grotto. Almost like she had finally made it through the wardrobe into Narnia.....

She certainly seems the sneakiest/most insincere one of the "Freighter Four", doesn't she? Makes sense that she would come by it genetically. Seems possible she was also the only one wearing a bulletproof vest.... (at any rate, it seems pretty clear from Lapidus beach-bum attire that he wasn't wearing a vest; Miles and Danny, I'm not so sure about....)

So I think Ben warned his daughter to wear a vest because he knows firearms grow like coconuts on the island. Then he stole Karl's gun and plugged her twice to create a dramatic situation where he could explain the necessity of his own survival (knowing that Sawyer was already arguing for whacking him). At the same time, he'd accomplish this without actually killing his daughter, while eliminating her from suspicion that she's the mole. (See, Ben needs to accomplish two things here, 1). establish that he does, in fact, have a mole and 2). simultaneously protect said mole's identity so "he" can keep makin' molé.)


Well, just a theory. It's probably Michael :biggrin:

Hi all, first post to the fuselage, with my theory of Ben's MOTB ...Brilliant! And of course he'd know all her particulars! Best suggestion so far! :)

island time,,ben found out about Naomi yesterday.

he has not had a chance to talk to his mole since then,as he has been with Jack or Locke the whole time


A day could be enough time. He was talking to Rousseau and others during that time.

Also, he obviously talked to someone (either before or since) because he had factual
information regarding the boat. So either he knew about the boat far in advance and
had enough time to act or he didn't know and he's found a way to communicate.

Ben obviously has connections to the outside world, and i think they are much wide spread than we have previously thought. He even might be the leader of the whole Hanso organization.

I believe Ben is the source for the whole fake-aeroplane idea. He wanted the world to stop searching for possible survivors, because it would endanger the island to be found.

island time,,ben found out about Naomi yesterday.

he has not had a chance to talk to his mole since then,as he has been with Jack or Locke the whole time

When Naomi was knifed in the back by Locke hadn't she been with the Losties 3 days? I'm sure someone on the show had said that. According to Mikhail, it would take her a day to a day and a half to recover from her wound, plus the walk up to the radio tower encompassed a day, so Ben has known about her for more than a day.

When Naomi was knifed in the back by Locke hadn't she been with the Losties 3 days? I'm sure someone on the show had said that. According to Mikhail, it would take her a day to a day and a half to recover from her wound, plus the walk up to the radio tower encompassed a day, so Ben has known about her for more than a day.
Yeah, when I brought up Ben's surprise at Naomi being on the island way upstream in the thread, I said I thought he found out in TTLG. Actually, it was in TMBTC:

Mikhail: I encountered several of his people in the jungle. They had an injured woman with them. Apparently she had just parachuted onto the island.
Ben: What?!
Mikhail: Her helo crashed into water. She says her ship is approximately 130 clicks to the West of us. She has a radio telephone.
Ben: Where is she now?
Mikhail: I assume they have taken her back to their camp.
Ben: We'll be visiting their camp day after tomorrow, we'll take care of it then.
Mikhail: Day after tomorrow? We have to go now.

Ok, so they were supposed to do the raid in 2 days, but they bumped it up to that night. The next morning was when Ben met Jack and the group by the radio tower. So, if I figured this out correctly, Ben only had a few hours (including the time he spent trekking with Locke to Jacob) to contact his mole. This is leading me more and more away from the idea that he really DOES have someone on the boat.

Hi all, first post to the fuselage, with my theory of Ben's MOTB. Going to be overcautious with the spoiler font to avoid making a potential n00b pas. I don't have any inside info, this is just my *convoluted* theory:


I agree w/ imfromthepast:



Furthermore, I think Charlotte is "Ben's Man" b/c she's his and Annie's daughter. Ben had to smuggle Annie off the island when she became pregnant so Annie wouldn't die in childbirth (which would be especially traumatic for Ben given the circumstances of his own birth). Charlotte has been trying to get to the island her whole life because of the stories she heard from Mom. That's why she was hunting Dharma polar bears in Tunisia, looking for clues. (At some point prior, she must have also had actual contact with her Dad, enabling her to become the mole)

I think this explains CS Lewis' euphoria upon landing in the island grotto. Almost like she had finally made it through the wardrobe into Narnia.....

She certainly seems the sneakiest/most insincere one of the "Freighter Four", doesn't she? Makes sense that she would come by it genetically. Seems possible she was also the only one wearing a bulletproof vest.... (at any rate, it seems pretty clear from Lapidus beach-bum attire that he wasn't wearing a vest; Miles and Danny, I'm not so sure about....)

So I think Ben warned his daughter to wear a vest because he knows firearms grow like coconuts on the island. Then he stole Karl's gun and plugged her twice to create a dramatic situation where he could explain the necessity of his own survival (knowing that Sawyer was already arguing for whacking him). At the same time, he'd accomplish this without actually killing his daughter, while eliminating her from suspicion that she's the mole. (See, Ben needs to accomplish two things here, 1). establish that he does, in fact, have a mole and 2). simultaneously protect said mole's identity so "he" can keep makin' molé.)


Well, just a theory. It's probably Michael :biggrin:


I"M LIKIN' IT!!

Ok, so they were supposed to do the raid in 2 days, but they bumped it up to that night. The next morning was when Ben met Jack and the group by the radio tower. So, if I figured this out correctly, Ben only had a few hours (including the time he spent trekking with Locke to Jacob) to contact his mole. This is leading me more and more away from the idea that he really DOES have someone on the boat.


But how do you know that Ben's mole hasn't been on the boat since it left dock?

Like I said earlier, it's totally possible Ben had a mole on the boat all along, but was
unable to contact him/her until recently. Even Michael can fit that bill.

There just isn't enough information to say and I'm not sure it's terribly important. We'll
have the answer soon enough. This is one of the most minor mysteries on the show
at the moment. It hardly seems worth spending time debating about it.

Well, I don't know, of course, any more than the people who put the other 145 posts into this thread. And I don't think we can say what is a minor mystery or not, considering all that we don't know.

Whether or not Ben actually has a man on the boat, I think he has had info on the freighties for some time now. As Mr Abbadon told us, each of those team members was specifically selected, which implies that detailed background info on each person was compiled by someone. Ben's mole wouldn't have had to do all kinds of crazy research on these four people, all he had to do was access the files that were already created. That really leads me to believe that Ben has a man in the bigger organization that has been trying to track down the island for "quite some time". And lets face it, if there is this big ongoing struggle between the Others and some other group, you know Ben has been on the case since day one, infiltrating the enemy, getting info, screwing things up for everyone else... I think this is all the culmination of a scenario that has been playing out for quite a while, and our poor Losties are stuck in the middle.

I'd usually have said the same thing as you, wesb, but on this occasion is was clear that somebody would have killed Ben had he not revealed that information. Locke may not have been able to do it, but Sawyer and Karl both seemed prepared to put a bullet in him. The information he had on Charlotte was very precise and detailed. I don't doubt Ben on this occasion, though it pains me to say that! ;)

I think I had that one already pretty well covered. He didn't say anything that required a man on the boat; a spy on the mainland would have done just as well. (Everything he said would have been known even as the ship was first being launched to look for the island.)

So to protect his spy on the boat, he's have said he has a spy on the mainland. My suggestion is that he has a spy on the mainland so he says he has a spy on the boat. This not only protects the real spy, but disrupts activities on the boat.

Very Ben...

I think I had that one already pretty well covered. He didn't say anything that required a man on the boat; a spy on the mainland would have done just as well. (Everything he said would have been known even as the ship was first being launched to look for the island.)

So to protect his spy on the boat, he's have said he has a spy on the mainland. My suggestion is that he has a spy on the mainland so he says he has a spy on the boat. This not only protects the real spy, but disrupts activities on the boat.

Very Ben...

I have no argument with your logic, wes, and usually I'd be right with you in doubting Ben's statement. He's a fantastic liar after all (I watched One of The again on Sunday night - a brilliant episode). I just have my suspicions, and I think that the Michael/Walt idea has a high degree of probability.

As I've said on another thread though - I'm sure I'll be proven wrong come Thursday evening :)

M

The man on the boat is NOT Michael. It's Walt! Walt has psychic abilities and seems to "beam back" onto the island whenever he needs.

Hi all, first post to the fuselage, with my theory of Ben's MOTB. Going to be overcautious with the spoiler font to avoid making a potential n00b pas. I don't have any inside info, this is just my *convoluted* theory:


I agree w/ imfromthepast:



Furthermore, I think Charlotte is "Ben's Man" b/c she's his and Annie's daughter. Ben had to smuggle Annie off the island when she became pregnant so Annie wouldn't die in childbirth (which would be especially traumatic for Ben given the circumstances of his own birth). Charlotte has been trying to get to the island her whole life because of the stories she heard from Mom. That's why she was hunting Dharma polar bears in Tunisia, looking for clues. (At some point prior, she must have also had actual contact with her Dad, enabling her to become the mole)

I think this explains CS Lewis' euphoria upon landing in the island grotto. Almost like she had finally made it through the wardrobe into Narnia.....

She certainly seems the sneakiest/most insincere one of the "Freighter Four", doesn't she? Makes sense that she would come by it genetically. Seems possible she was also the only one wearing a bulletproof vest.... (at any rate, it seems pretty clear from Lapidus beach-bum attire that he wasn't wearing a vest; Miles and Danny, I'm not so sure about....)

So I think Ben warned his daughter to wear a vest because he knows firearms grow like coconuts on the island. Then he stole Karl's gun and plugged her twice to create a dramatic situation where he could explain the necessity of his own survival (knowing that Sawyer was already arguing for whacking him). At the same time, he'd accomplish this without actually killing his daughter, while eliminating her from suspicion that she's the mole. (See, Ben needs to accomplish two things here, 1). establish that he does, in fact, have a mole and 2). simultaneously protect said mole's identity so "he" can keep makin' molé.)


Well, just a theory. It's probably Michael :biggrin:





Excellent theory, I had a similar thought but your idea is fantastic. But like you I feel it may be the latter.

Ben obviously has connections to the outside world, and i think they are much wide spread than we have previously thought. He even might be the leader of the whole Hanso organization.
Actually, according to The Lost Experience a bad guy named Thomas Mittlewerk http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Thomas_Mittelwerk.

I think I had that one already pretty well covered. He didn't say anything that required a man on the boat; a spy on the mainland would have done just as well. (Everything he said would have been known even as the ship was first being launched to look for the island.)

So to protect his spy on the boat, he's have said he has a spy on the mainland. My suggestion is that he has a spy on the mainland so he says he has a spy on the boat. This not only protects the real spy, but disrupts activities on the boat.

Very Ben...
I'm sticking with the Michael via Walt idea for my main theory, but this sounds like a pretty good backup.:)

The more I think about it.. Maybe it's Patchy.. he never dies (by my figures he has at least 6 lives left) , has a scuba suit and could swim to the boat and collect informaton. He was the "information guy" :biggrin:

Mikhail was rubbish at lying to Sayid & Co though. Good at not being as dead as we'd thought, but bad at undercover.

This is leading me more and more away from the idea that he really DOES have someone on the boat.

Thanks for showing the dialogue, JennyLee! I wanted to re-watch that episode again to judge Ben's reaction. I'm also thinking more and more that he really doesn't have a mole on the boat. It reminds me of his reaction when he found out the Losties had a boat.

I'm really beginning to think it's part of his plan to get the freighties to turn on each other, thus getting away from their objective- capturing Ben. We've seen him play mind games before while in the hatch with Ben and Locke. I like wesb's theory idea that he has a spy on the mainland. So technically, Ben's only half lying. :biggrin:

Simply because Harold has been listed in the credits, I'm going with his man being Michael. Though I can't for the life of me comprehend why Michael would be on Ben's side. I don't think it was part of their arrangement - Michael already did more than enough for Ben to get Walt back. He's the last person I'd expect to be coming back, but this is Lost we're talking about, and TPTB are clever.

Hey Analog,

I've heard a lot of people make this argument: "Since Michael is listed on the credits, he must be the mole." With respect, and solely for the purpose of having a debate, I don't think that's a very compelling rationale. Harold Perrineau is listed on the credits simply because he has "star billing", meaning he's a main actor (but not necessarily that he's in every episode). The credits just mean he's going to show up eventually. But there are lots of possibilities. My guess is we're first going to see him in some flash forwards, and then he's going to hook up with Jack, Hurley, Kate, etc. and journey back to the island. Just a hunch -- I think it's more likely than him being the mole, though.

The reason I don't think he's Ben mole is I haven't heard a good reason *why* he'd help Ben out. Ben made him kill two people to save his son. If I were Michael, I'd be pretty ticked off about that....

The reason I don't think he's Ben mole is I haven't heard a good reason *why* he'd help Ben out. Ben made him kill two people to save his son. If I were Michael, I'd be pretty ticked off about that....

That's basically what I said isn't it? :)
I just realized though...Michael probably feels compelled to return to the island, much the same way that Jack and Hurlely do in the flashforwards. And guess who his only hope of returning is? You guessed it...

It may just turn out to be a little man in a canoe, for all we know! :14happy:

Here's food for thought. Someone on another thread started a few molecules bouncing around in my brain, and who knows when the madness will stop!

But what if all of the freighter people are Ben's "man on the boat"? In other words, what if these are new, unwitting recruits for the Others? I mean, they've got a few job vacancies as of the end of S3.

Maybe Abaddon really is a corporate recruiter type and his job, like Richard's, is to seek out new talent and bring them to the island for Ben to exploit. And like Juliet, these new people think they're coming for a short stay to solve one challenge particular to their talents, only to find that Ben won't let them go once they're here.

Ben has the inside scoop on all of them because he's seen their resumes. He's the one who hired him. They're looking for Ben because he's going to be their new boss. They just don't quite realize it yet.

Hmm. You could be onto something there gupwalla, but why would he try to kill Charlotte (unless he knew she had the vest on and was doing it for show), and why would he try to prevent the Losties from contacting the freighter?
On the other hand, the team does seem to have skillsets particularly suited to the Island: physicist, "ghost guy," anthropologist (the pilot? who knows). Maybe Ben doesn't know as much as he lets on, and wants help to figure out some remaining mysteries of the island.

I dont think the man on the boat is michael, but i do think michael is on the boat.

I think Ben knew the exact position of the freighter, thanks to his inside man and so could be sure michael would be picked up by it.

Maybe Abaddon really is a corporate recruiter type and his job, like Richard's, is to seek out new talent and bring them to the island for Ben to exploit. And like Juliet, these new people think they're coming for a short stay to solve one challenge particular to their talents, only to find that Ben won't let them go once they're here

This is a plausable idea. As these freighties talents can certainly come in useful on the island. Mabye Mile's 'powers' can be used to converse with Jacob?

Before reading all of these theories, I thought it was just a random other on the frieghter, whom we had yet to meet. However, now I'm thinking it could be Michael, as I feel Ben's co-ordinates led Michael and Walt to the freighter. Ben may have convinced Michael to work with him for longer, in order to gain passage home for himself and Walt.

But then again... Who knows? All this thinking makes my brain hurt :undecide:

Ben has the inside scoop on all of them because he's seen their resumes. He's the one who hired him. They're looking for Ben because he's going to be their new boss. They just don't quite realize it yet.
Well, that would certainly be a surprising twist! It will still mean that Ben would have been faking his surprise at hearing that Naomi landed on the island.
Hmm. You could be onto something there gupwalla, but why would he try to kill Charlotte (unless he knew she had the vest on and was doing it for show), and why would he try to prevent the Losties from contacting the freighter?
To regain power and control over the situation? I especially think shooting Charlotte wouldn't be that surprising if he had 3 additional recruits showing up. Ben doesn't exactly have a high regard for human life!

Going back to my idea that Ben's spy is probably on the mainland, and that the "man on the boat" comment was to protect the real spy and disrupt operations on the boat...

I'm also suspecting that Michael is on the boat, that Ben has a reasonable suspicion that Michael may have been picked up by them, and that he knows there will also be suspicion on the boat that Michael is the spy. This again protects Ben's spy on the mainland, yet leaves some lingering doubt on the boat that one of the legitimate crew may still be the spy.

It all sounds a lot like Ben...

Michael.
Explains Miles lack of surprise.

Its got to be Michael....

Evidence: On the dock when Ben lets Michael and Walt go, Ben gives them some coordinates and tells them to follow that bearing and eventually a ship(or does he say freighter???) will pick them up.

Here's food for thought. Someone on another thread started a few molecules bouncing around in my brain, and who knows when the madness will stop!

But what if all of the freighter people are Ben's "man on the boat"? In other words, what if these are new, unwitting recruits for the Others? I mean, they've got a few job vacancies as of the end of S3.

Maybe Abaddon really is a corporate recruiter type and his job, like Ric