was the real reason widmore sent the freighter to the island to possibly plant the 'scientists' and 'ghostbuster' in an effort to start up the DI again? Did he (widmore) know that the island wouldnt let the freighters carry out the 'obvious' mission but to have a alternative reason would possibly slip under the cracks. and all in time figure out how to get widmore control of the island again-
is locke part of this and not even know it?

Don't know. But I think Widmore wants the island at ANY cost. Killing off some people that he hates and considers enemies and some others that have already been declared dead would be something I think he would do and not lose any sleep over. Killing Desmond would probably just be an extra added bonus.

10 bonus bucks for a dead desmond...

was the real reason widmore sent the freighter to the island to possibly plant the 'scientists' and 'ghostbuster' in an effort to start up the DI again? Did he (widmore) know that the island wouldnt let the freighters carry out the 'obvious' mission but to have a alternative reason would possibly slip under the cracks. and all in time figure out how to get widmore control of the island again-
is locke part of this and not even know it?

I think Widmore is trying to get some information from the island. He sent Miles to communicate with the dead DHARMA folk to see if they can provide the info, while Faraday's special knowledge about the time travel effect, and his unstuckness, might provide some clues as well. Charlotte's role was to communicate with the Losties and to decipher any strange foot-statues or hieroglyphic doors they might come across.

He wants the island if he can get it, but if he can get the information and then torch the island, that's okay too.

-AJF

That's what makes me think that Widmore was the leader of the Others/Hostiles before Ben. Ben said that he wasn't the leader when the Dharmites were killed off.


D/


Don't know. But I think Widmore wants the island at ANY cost. Killing off some people that he hates and considers enemies and some others that have already been declared dead would be something I think he would do and not lose any sleep over. Killing Desmond would probably just be an extra added bonus.

That's what makes me think that Widmore was the leader of the Others/Hostiles before Ben. Ben said that he wasn't the leader when the Dharmites were killed off. D/

I wondered about that too. I thought maybe "chosen ones" couldn't kill one another which is why Ben wasn't able to kill Locke. But I don't think the years add up. Ben's predecessor must have passed his leadership onto Ben just after the Purge -that would be in 1992. Didn't Des meet Penny just a few years after that so she would have been old enough to remember being on the island. We know Widmore was looking for the island in 1996. Ben had seen Widmore's bedroom so they must have lived at the same location at some point.

Maybe Widmore funded Dharma after Hanso backed out in 1987. Ben was the new leader after Widmore was purged. I bet they moved the island back then too which is how Widmore lost it! But why can't they kill one another? Why didn't Widmore attempt to grab Ben when he had him in his apartment? He didn't seem that interested.

In the episode "the shape of things to come", Charles Widmore claims that the island is his and that he will take it back from Ben one day.
I think he's a partner of the Hanso Foundation, and he hired Miles to communicate with the dead Dharma Initiative workers to find out how they died, hired Daniel Faraday because he knew ben would probably move the island so he'd need Faraday to calculate the movement of the island. also, he would've hired Lapidus because he's a good pilot and Charlotte because she's a good anthropologist and so she could find ways manipulate the creatures of the island

why didn't Ben kill Widmore and likewise why didn't Widmore kill Ben? They both have had the opportunity. Ben could have killed Widmore in his apartment. Keamy could have killed Ben before or after killing Alex. They have the arsenal available to them. Why capture him? Why not just kill him? They know where the island is now, so what does Widmore need from Ben? I think many people here think that Ben is losing power, but I'm not sure. He obviously has more knowledge of the island than anyone else we have seen. There is something still to be revealed. Ben's power is not speaking to Jacob, because Locke can do that. Richard can get off the island too, so it is not about leaving the island. So what else does Ben have that Widmore wants/needs? And what does Widmore have that Ben needs? Why not just kill him and return to the island never to be seen again?