“Jughead” was a great episode. In fact, all three episodes this season have been great. Let’s hope Lost can keep up the amazing pace they’ve set for themselves this season.
My favorite moment in “Jughead” was when John Locke and Charles Widmore crossed paths on the island, back in 1954. It was a perfect Lost moment. Locke’s look of surprise followed by a wry, knowing smile was a small thing, but it was years in the making. It was also a huge reveal, with many long-ranging implications.
I don’t think I’ve been alone in wondering what exactly the back story was with Charles Widmore. How did he know about the island? What was his past with Ben? Why did he want to get back to the island so badly?
At least we know the answer to one of those questions. Turns out a young Charlie Widmore was an Other back in the ’50s. Yes, there are still many unanswered questions, but I think we can theorize about some things. Here are my thoughts:
My guess is that Widmore was on the island for quite some time after Locke encountered him. Earlier in the season, it was estimated that Widmore was searching for the island for 20 years before sending out the freighter. If we make the assumption that this means Widmore was booted from the island around 20 years ago, that would put his exit in the mid to late ’80s. The ’80s represented the tail end of the Dharma Initiative’s activity (the copyright date on the Swan station orientation video was 1980). As a further time marker, the purge of the Dharma Initiative and Ben’s rise to leadership of the Others occurred in 1992 (according to Lostpedia).
I would propose that Widmore was most likely ousted from the island before Ben rose to power. I find this very interesting, as I would have guessed that Ben and Widmore had some sort of confrontation on the island that led to Widmore’s exile. Now, with all this information, I am rethinking that thought. Is it possible that Widmore was the leader of the Others at one point? Perhaps in order to save his people he was forced to heroically sacrifice himself for the island and his people, just like Ben did? I don’t quite believe that myself.
In the flashback to the ’50s in “Jughead” we saw that Widmore was a brash and impulsive young man, eager to make his opinion known, even if it went against Richard Alpert’s stance. I theorize that Widmore became more and more of a nuisance on the island. Perhaps he went so far to create a divide amongst the Others. Alternately, maybe he was looking to use the properties of the island to further selfish goals.
We can’t know for sure, and time will certainly reveal all the mysteries, but it certainly is fun to theorize. What are your thoughts on Widmore?
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Feb 02, 2009 @ 15:00 EST5EDT
I think Widmore was the leader of the others, but was usurped when Ben made a deal with Richard (who everybody knows is the real “leader” of the island) to purge Dharma. Hence Widmore’s “everything you have belongs to me” line. Widmore left, but he took several others with him (including a pregnant Ellie).
I think the answers are going to all be less complicated than most folks make them. The X factor will be John Locke and Faraday, who will dance around through time, playing a science vs faith chess match while trying to align the dominoes so time will roll a strike. (love mixed metaphors)
It’s just fun to watch. There are still far too many possibilities to know the endgame.
Agreed, Locke’s little “I know all about you moment” was quite a pleasant change from never having the upper hand.
Okay… new thought. how about this. Penny was never Whidmore’s daughter. Instead, she has always been, his mother…
Penny, Dez, and little Charlie all go to the island, just in time for a time flash that puts them in the 30’s. They live in a cave by the beach for awhile until the sickness takes Dez and Penny, or Adam and Eve as they’ll be called later. Little Charlie (not named Hume for plotting reasons), runs off and finds the others. He’s a child and Richard grooms him to be the leader of the others. When he gets off the island (see previous post), he figures out what happened, and he finds/steals his mother from her real parents, and raises her as his own.
That’s why he’s so calm all the time- he knows how this will play out.
mjp… I think that’s a bit of a reach.
My bit of speculation had Ben (and Elle, Mrs. Hawking) as Desmond’s father is something I really really like, until I put together the ages of Ben and Elle.
*POST AUTHOR*
Bit of a reach?!? All the best theories are! ;-)
Seriously, you can’t discount any options with this show. Part of the reason I love it so much.
mjp’s theory went in a direction I never thought of, much like a Lost episode, loved it, top marks for imagination! (I had completely forgotten about Adam & Eve)