BEN’S TUNISIA VACATION
A reader of LOST TIDBITS – who is oddly named Ben – writes and asks about Ben’s travel to the Tunisia.
He writes that after arriving in town, we see Benjamin Linus go straight to a hotel where he’s already registered as a “preferred customer”. This name is not his real name, but he has a license handy with that name.
Q. Did he know he was going to Tunisia?
A. Excellent question because we do see evidence of pre-planning. I think the answer is clearly “Yes” because he was prepared.
He may have time-jumped to this place before-hand because someone obviously arranged the pre-registration. And his face didn’t seem to surprise the desk clerk which seems important to me for some reason.
**
Q. Or was he already in Tunisia, registered at the hotel and then got named and eventually thrown in the desert where we see him last?
A. The order suggested is discredited because he was wearing the parka when he was in the desert. So unless his muggers put his jacket on him and then moved him to die in the sand, he likely hadn’t made it to town yet. And recall that his arm was bleeding which we saw happen just prior to turning the wheel. Drats, those slippery ladder rungs!
When he registered under the name Dean Moriarty he asked for the date which strongly suggests he had just arrived after disposing of a couple of guys in the desert.
He does tell the clerk that this is not his first visit to this paradise of a place but that it had been awhile. We can’t tell if this was within a normal life timeline or from a previous jump.
**
Q. Did Ben know his transport spot would be Tunisia due to the polar bear clue?
A. I believe he knew he was going there. The parka sort of misleads us a bit. Let us assume the jacket was for the cold room with the Dharma Wheel only. This would kill off any theories about Ben aiming for the South Pole. I think the polar bear transport tells us the island has moved things here before. How long before is the question and Ben may not have had (or needed) knowledge of the polar bear’s location to prepare. After all, Ben did not get transported to a dig site which Charlotte was recently at.
On the other hand, Ben tried to discuss the weather with the desert guys on horses in English, then Arabic, and finally Turkish. This says that Ben wasn’t sure exactly where he was. We might conclude that teleportation is not an exact science…a fact well worth keeping in mind should such opportunity present itself to you.
**
Now for questions that came to mind as I researched this line of questioning.
Q. Is Dean Moriarty a famous name?
A. Yes, he is the central character in a book called “On the Road”.
Q. How did the two Bedouins on horses find him…luck?
A. When the two arrived they commented that there were no footprints leading to Ben’s body. One asked the other, “Did he fall from the sky?” You can take his question two ways: figuratively or as a reference to some prior knowledge. I prefer the first and this indicates Ben was a total surprise to them. That then leads us to Fate as the invisible hand that led the Arab men to Ben.
Let’s also note that they carried AK-47’s, knew the basic caution first approach evidenced by the one patting him down like a professional, and that they hid their knowledge of English. This would leave the door open a crack to say that they might have been expecting him.
Q. What about that orange stuff that Ben up-chucked?
A. It looked a lot like some of beverages we have seen on the show before. Most notably, it resembles the stuff they gave Juliet to drink before your submarine ride.
Q. Is Ben filthy rich?
A. Yes, it sure seems so. This has made some viewers offer the theory that Ben and Widmore used the time-jumping to get rich. Jump ahead and get the winner of the World Series and then jump back again and make a bet a few days later. Some then carry this theory to suggest Widmore needs the island to jump back to the present and Ben needs it to jump forward. Or was it the other way around?
I digress…yes, Ben is rich and Miles seems to know how much is in his bank account. Ok, I don’t think Ben has just $3.2 million, so that number must represent something else to Miles. Maybe Ben jumped into Miles timeline and stole the money knowing Miles is somewhat of a criminal himself and couldn’t call police and tell them, “Hey, some guy from 2 years into the future just teleported into my room and took the money I’ve taken from vulnerable people.”
If you enjoy this post, please click on an ad in the upper-right hand corner on your way out. This also helps me steer content in the direction of those type of posts you like. Thanks so much and keep reading!
Enjoy,
KC
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4 comments:
Hey, loved this week's post! Liked your comments, and your thorough investigation of my Q's. I didn't even think to wonder what those Arabs were saying, so maybe they were put there to expect him...a surprise party by widmore.
I'm not too sure about the foreseeing the future thing, so far the only one who sees the future is Desmond.
We know Ben is rich, but he could be rich just by being a terrific con-man, like what he did to James, and his able skills of lying and gaining intel.
Comments on your next post... wow, the flashforward book has too many coincidences...maybe this author is a ghost writer for the show.
btw, did you read the book yourself, or just got the comments from someone else?
I'm not sure what you mean under the title flashf-the possibilities ...Jack mentions his father is still alive in a drunken state, but later sees his ghost. Kate still has to go through the trial. etc.
Keep it up, touched an ad for you;)
-Ben
It crossed my mine as well if they weren't expecting him, but the dialog suggests not.
THE POSSIBILITIES
You are on the right track with my thoughts in that we both notice two realities - Jack's dad dead or not?
The lack of clarity in my comments has to do with the the word "this" as in "Perhaps this was their two minutes into the future..." Let me try again: The time on the island was the future jump where they realize their dreams (John, Rose, Desmond) and others see their future nightmares (Jack, Charlie, Sawyer). Leaving the island "improperly" then sent them back to the time line they left...a time when Jack's dad is still Chief Surgeon and Kate's father is still drinking...I guess that would be a little BEFORE they left then, wouldn't it?
But what if the time they returned to was the time they boarded Flight 815? Based on changes that are happening around them, when they return, Christian is still alive when he get back. He is like, "Son, I flew home a day before you got to Australia."
In my younger days I used to dream about going back 10, 15, 20 years knowing what I know now. But now I, after watching LOST, I don't think so. Imagining knowing the hurt you lived once was coming again? I'll pass.
Yeah, my concept is rough around the edges, but it was what was on my mind at the time...hey, it is hard coming up with material twice a week when the show isn't running!
Keep reading,
KC
lol, yeah, I guess I have to give you some credit for trying...but I think you ought to just forget it...how does it explain their receipt as the Oceanic 6?
Also, I really hope you're going somewhere with this stopwatch theory, cuz it just seems to be a bunch of rambling about being anal about the time.
TC,
B
B,
I need a critic like you! It pushes me to try harder. HA!
Let me know if you think the Stopwatch Theory meets your expectations.
KC
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