The "loss of innocence" statement by Richard kind of makes me think he is the devil and the price to save Ben's life is his soul. Is it possible that the Others are damned and that everyone else is in purgatory? If that is the case what would Heaven be? Getting off the island?

thats an interesting theory but i feel like there are a few problems with it

A) In season 2 (i think) Goodwin says that Nathan wasnt "on the list" because he wasnt a good person. The Others seem to take people who ARE innocent/good people (i,e, the children from the tail section)
B) I feel like the concept of "The Island is Purgatory" has already been dismissed by the writers early on in the series (i feel like i read that somewhere)

However, the loss of innocence line from Richard does arouse even more curiosity about who/what Richard really is.

thats an interesting theory but i feel like there are a few problems with it

A) In season 2 (i think) Goodwin says that Nathan wasnt "on the list" because he wasnt a good person. The Others seem to take people who ARE innocent/good people (i,e, the children from the tail section)
B) I feel like the concept of "The Island is Purgatory" has already been dismissed by the writers early on in the series (i feel like i read that somewhere)

However, the loss of innocence line from Richard does arouse even more curiosity about who/what Richard really is.

I know the writers/creators said the island is not Purgatory, but they also said no time travel. I think all options are on the table with this bunch.

just because they look for good people (the list), doesn't mean that they aren't trying to make them bad.

A) In season 2 (i think) Goodwin says that Nathan wasnt "on the list" because he wasnt a good person. The Others seem to take people who ARE innocent/good people (i,e, the children from the tail section)


Perhaps they only deal with taking/recruiting "good" people, because they need the "goodness" for some weird machination or process. For example, whatever is going to happen to Tween-Ben will see his "goodness" (soul, innocence, what have you) taken from him to be used to... I don't know... fuel the Island? As a result, those who have had their "goodness" taken from them are made into what we have come to understand the Others as... pretty much cold, unrelentingly devoted sentries/cronies/etc.

My "goodness" who knows. This episode was really really good though. Although I really liked He's Our You... Whatever Happened, Happened blew it out of the water. Sadly, I think HOY is my least favorite of the season so far.

I think all options are on the table with this bunch.

touche

very true... I guess i just hope that its not that simple. purgatory was one of the 1st theories ever discussed and i would hate to think the writers dismissed it only to keep us guessing up until the end.