So it seems that this man is a higher up in the hierarcy of Sayid's list (so what's the running count on lists now? :)) Is it Abaddon? Widmore? Paik? Or someone else?

Well...to be fair, Sayid confirmed that this person is not an economist. :biggrin:

Well...to be fair, Sayid confirmed that this person is not an economist. :biggrin:

Touché :)

Danny and Frank definitely looked like they had heard the name "Widmore" before.

I am going to guess Widmore, only bc they mentioned Penny and Frank and Danny Boy did NOT have good poker faces.

I'll say it's Hanso...he probably speaks German:smile:. But also, was that even German Elsa was speaking?

abbadon i got a feeling

I am going to guess Widmore, only bc they mentioned Penny and Frank and Danny Boy did NOT have good poker faces.

Not sure if this is relevant, but in Find 815, one of the papers or emails Sam finds says that Maxwell is a subsidiary of Widmore or something to that effect. The name Widmore was right beneath Maxwell on the letterhead.

Elsa was speaking German.

Cardie

Rudy Giuliani! (R.G.)

lol flotsam

Rudy Giuliani! (R.G.)

LOL! Maybe that's why he didn't do so well in the polls. He was really distraught over Naomi and couldn't focus! :roflmao:
100%
Not sure if this is relevant, but in Find 815, one of the papers or emails Sam finds says that Maxwell is a subsidiary of Widmore or something to that effect. The name Widmore was right beneath Maxwell on the letterhead.

That's a possibility, too. I don't think Abaddon is high enough in rank, at least I don't get that feeling. He got the team together, he tried to seduce Hurley back. I think the Economist is just the dude funding the efforts, not the one trying to make it happen. So, Maxwell would fit in that theory, too.

Well we know whoever it is has a connection with Elsa and Naomi because of the matching bracelets. My guess is the person behind Naomi and the Frieghter 4's little "rescue" mission.

I'll say it's Hanso...he probably speaks German:smile:. But also, was that even German Elsa was speaking?

Elsa was speaking German, but with the obvious accent of somebody who's not a native speaker. However, all the German in the episode was grammatically correct, and the streetsigns were also without mistakes.
Though it didn't look like Berlin ;)

Maybe Naomi had Desmond's picture because she was hired by Widmore to kill Desmond.

I think there's a good chance it could be Widmore. Although that would be really cool if it was Alvar Hanso. But if so why would he want Sayid dead becoming a threat to the rest of the Oceanic 6 as well??

He paged Elsa 30 minutes late... 30 minutes... hmmm

But Sayid kills Elsa, and we don't know if he ever kills her boss (he probably doesn't since he seems to go right to Ben for help).
So was Elsa his target all along?

so what's the running count on lists now?

Counting the list of lists or not? :lipsseal:

He paged Elsa 30 minutes late... 30 minutes... hmmm
That was my first thought too. I mean, they certainly made a point to show that the difference between island time and real world time is 31 minutes. A few scenes later the "economist" calls Elsa about 30 minutes late. Coincidence? Maybe, whoever is Elsa's employer is on the island.

My guess is Abaddon, or his superior. Or as the episode stated "Everyone has a boss".

What if Ben is playing both sides of the fence and HE IS THE ECONOMIST????

He paged Elsa 30 minutes late... 30 minutes... hmmm

How's that??? She said he was "supposed to call her at 10:30", not a half hour ago...or do we know somehow that it was 11:00 when it beeped???

I rewatched the eppy again and got a few new ideas...

First of all, didn't Naomi's bracelet look similar to Elsa's?????

IF so, did the same person give them these bracelets?

Another observation...
Elsa's boss seems to be 'old fashioned'. Who does that remind you of?

JACOB!!!

Now, the wicked theory:

Is the team working for Jacob('s people)? Are they on the island to release him?

So we might have 2 opposite powers working off the island: Jacob and Ben.

Elsa was working for Jacob to get to Ben, like the freightes
Sayid was working for Ben to get to Jacob...

Don't you find familiar all the references to people on 'lists'????

How's that??? She said he was "supposed to call her at 10:30", not a half hour ago...or do we know somehow that it was 11:00 when it beeped???

Actually she said "Du solltest mich doch um 10.30 Uhr anrufen, nicht um 10." (You're supposed to call me at 10.30, not at 10.) which means the call is 30 min too *early*.

My guess is that the Economist is....Desmond.

Why?
1) He at least makes it off the island. He wouldn't be an O6 because he wasn't on the plane but this doesn't mean that he is forced to return to the island.

2) I believe the freighties are working for Widmore. He could potentially work for Widmore if he makes it back b/c of Penny. That would put him on the side of the bracelet givers.

3) Desmond has a military background and could have a mercenary streak about him.

4) Whoever Sayid is after, his secrecy was compromised with Elsa and they know he is coming for them now. I suspect that the person "knows" Sayid and it is more than having just heard of him. This points to someone who is familiar with Sayid. Desmond would be.

5) Finally, the final future flashes are contrasted with the two losties with military background exiting the island on a helicopter. After Charlies death and the suggestion in another thread that Des saw himself flying away on a helicopter (rather than Claire), Des' character has been suspect. This would just be the final nail in the coffin.

My 2 cp.

I think it could be Widmore. I, like a lot of people, think he's the one behind Naomi and the gang's trip to the island and because of the bracelets it's obvious Naomi's boss was also Elsa's boss so I think it's Widmore.

Actually she said "Du solltest mich doch um 10.30 Uhr anrufen, nicht um 10." (You're supposed to call me at 10.30, not at 10.) which means the call is 30 min too *early*.

Hmmm well done.

The c-caps only read that he was 'supposed to call at 10:30"

What did Elsa say about her boss? Something like "he's into emerging ? I missed it was technologies, territories, investments, markets.

Help anyone?

What did Elsa say about her boss? Something like "he's into emerging ? I missed it was technologies, territories, investments, markets.

Help anyone?

"My employer is an economist. He works in emerging markets."

My guess is Widmore as well. For many reasons... but most of all because the name fits him only too well.



PS Have you considered: Christian Shepard? He could be on island, (after Missing Pieces 13... a good possibility) explaining the 30 min difference, and Elsa's really much free time.

Or rather a list of people connected through... McCutcheon's whiskey. Widmore, Paik, Shepard... maybe even Cooper.

Another reference that could mean it's someone on the Island: When Sayid first meets Elsa she states that her job is to "shop for him" and that she only meets up with him once or twice a year. Could mean that she gathers things or info for him and passes it along when she sees him. Someone on the Island would need that kind of resource.

What if Ben is playing both sides of the fence and HE IS THE ECONOMIST????


It's funny you say that. The whole time I was watching the episode last night, I kept saying, "It's the The Last Crusade!" Everything about Elsa reminded me of Dr. (Elsa!) Schneider in the third Indiana Jones installment. More importantly in the movie, we find out that Elsa is actually working for Walter Donovan, who is the man that initially sent Indiana on the Holy Grail mission....

Is Ben our Walter Donovan to Sayid's Indy?

I don't know if it necessary makes sense for Ben to be playing both sides and using Sayid to dispatch one of his own operatives.... Then again, everyone has a boss, so perhaps Ben isn't necessarily calling all the shots either. I don't really believe this scenario, but it's funny how well the two mirror each other.

In the Cobra scenario from "Expose'" the boss who has hired the three women to hunt down the Cobra is himself the Cobra, which is another clue that Ben may be the economist.

Cardie

I say Charles Widmore or Matthew Abbadon. I don't think it's Ben at all, because that would be just too convoluted and twisted that it would start getting stupid..

I voted for Windemore as the Economist. When Desmond asked Frank and Daniel about the photo if they knew Penny Windemore it looked to me as they knew of the name Windemore.

Other -- Ben's evil cloned twin! *wink* :grin:

I'm thinking it's Richard Alpert. Richard is tired of Ben and believes he made a big mistake allowing him to take charge. He has already made moves behind Ben's back with regard to the 'Cooper' situation with Locke. He also occasionally leaves the island and returns.

P.S. and potentially very 'old fashioned'

He paged Elsa 30 minutes late... 30 minutes... hmmm
That's a very interesting point! I'd be surprised if that's not significant.




It's funny you say that. The whole time I was watching the episode last night, I kept saying, "It's the The Last Crusade!" Everything about Elsa reminded me of Dr. (Elsa!) Schneider in the third Indiana Jones installment. More importantly in the movie, we find out that Elsa is actually working for Walter Donovan, who is the man that initially sent Indiana on the Holy Grail mission....

Is Ben our Walter Donovan to Sayid's Indy?

I don't know if it necessary makes sense for Ben to be playing both sides and using Sayid to dispatch one of his own operatives.... Then again, everyone has a boss, so perhaps Ben isn't necessarily calling all the shots either. I don't really believe this scenario, but it's funny how well the two mirror each other.
In the Cobra scenario from "Expose'" the boss who has hired the three women to hunt down the Cobra is himself the Cobra, which is another clue that Ben may be the economist.

Cardie
I think you two have got something there. Seems to me like exactly the kind of references and clues that Damon and Carlton love.

6) Desmond's namesake (David Hume) was not only a philosopher but an economist as well....

My guess is that the Economist is....Desmond.

Why?
1) He at least makes it off the island. He wouldn't be an O6 because he wasn't on the plane but this doesn't mean that he is forced to return to the island.

2) I believe the freighties are working for Widmore. He could potentially work for Widmore if he makes it back b/c of Penny. That would put him on the side of the bracelet givers.

3) Desmond has a military background and could have a mercenary streak about him.

4) Whoever Sayid is after, his secrecy was compromised with Elsa and they know he is coming for them now. I suspect that the person "knows" Sayid and it is more than having just heard of him. This points to someone who is familiar with Sayid. Desmond would be.

5) Finally, the final future flashes are contrasted with the two losties with military background exiting the island on a helicopter. After Charlies death and the suggestion in another thread that Des saw himself flying away on a helicopter (rather than Claire), Des' character has been suspect. This would just be the final nail in the coffin.

My 2 cp.

I voted for Hanso just becasue I think that would be the coolest way to go -- although I am most likely wrong and its probably Hurley.

j/k

I think its Jacob because there was that line about the beeper "He doesn't keep up with technology" or something to that extent. We already know Jacob does not like technology. Maybe he's getting back at Ben for keeping him stuck in his cabin on the island with the volcanic ash. Remember the "Help me" directed to Locke? If not Jacob then I'm going to say John Lennon.

I feel that The Economist is Charles Widmore or a very very close 2nd hand man, whom we have not met yet. Elsa is waiting for someone who very rarely comes and who's arrivals can be quite sudden. Sounds like someone coming from the island to me.

I think Elsa is employed by Widmore.

If I had to guess who the "Economist" is based on characters already reveled, I would say it is Charles Widmore. Honestly, I think that the "Economist" true identity hasn't been revealed yet.

Elsa used the german term "Du" instead of "Sie" to adress "the Economist".

"Du" is used among friends and relatives, "Sie" in business relations when you want to say "you".

Therefore I don`t believe it`s Widmore. It would be taken as very rude to called "Du" in this case.
Especially because Widmore is such an extreme McCutcheon-Snob.