The Man On The Boat

[David3]

I'm guessing that we will find out tonight who Ben's man on the boat is. Everyone is fairly certain that Michael is that man. Since the who is not going to be the surprise, I hope it's the how.

Here's my guess: Michael was sent on a path that took him into the past. In the past, Ben, or someone else from the island, contacted met up with him off island, explained what was going on, and began working for Ben. Maybe he even filmed the Widmore video last week.

This would give an explanation for an older Walt as well as give Walt a way of not being on the freighter.

[Claude]

I'm guessing that we will find out tonight who Ben's man on the boat is. Everyone is fairly certain that Michael is that man. Since the who is not going to be the surprise, I hope it's the how.

Here's my guess: Michael was sent on a path that took him into the past. In the past, Ben, or someone else from the island, contacted met up with him off island, explained what was going on, and began working for Ben. Maybe he even filmed the Widmore video last week.

This would give an explanation for an older Walt as well as give Walt a way of not being on the freighter.

WHAT?!

Michael and Walt went to the past? That's crazy. Do you mean their minds went to the past? That's still crazy.

I don't think Mike and Wally will be affected by the time barrier. I think that just muddles things, and it's already pretty muddled to pieces. They haven't (really) been exposed to radiation, and they presumably have the right bearing. (After all, if Ben wants to use Mike on the boat, he needs to make sure Mike gets through without pulling a Minkowski.) I think we will find that either Ben set Mike up to be a spy before Mike left the island, or soon after (via my walkie idea). I could also see Mike not knowing about the freighter, then trying to contact help and getting Ben. (maybe he connects to the Looking Glass). I think Ben would have the most power over Mike if Mike finds himself in a jackpot and doesn't know how to get out.

I don't see Mike doing a lot of extraneous work for Ben. I think if he's the man on the boat, then that's all he's doing. How could Mike have been on the freighter, then left to film Widmore, then return?

And as for time traveling and an older Walt, he needs to be from the future, doesn't he? Otherwise you have him and Mike in the past doing who knows for for quite a significant period of time. If he's from the future, it could at least explain why he knows what Locke has to do (if that's the real Walt). Though, again, I don't think time travel will come into play with the Dawson boys.

[Stephen]

I think Ben communicated utilising Walt's powers like a walkie talkie. Maybe Karl was the receiver when he was in Room 23 he was receiving a message from Walt. Walt was programmed to send messages to the right person and such in Room 23 as well, as he was there as we learned in the mobisode.

[David3]

My thought was that, unlike Desmond, Michael and Walt were physically sent to the past and have re-lived some amount of time (thus producing an older Walt in the current time). There's a lot of problems with that, but I also have problems with Michael and Walt being able to show up to the freighter on a little boat in the middle of the ocean, assume new identities, and become the freighter janitors, so I don't know where they're going with this.

[muttonboy]

HA! A janitor...LOST at least found some way to add a twist (the entire show I was thinking, HOW CAN MICHAEL HIDE ON THAT BOAT????). So it's clear that Ben's man is Michael - we'll probably get some sort of flashback explaining the time between his shipping-off and his mopping-duties. I think the real question that must be asked is: what happened to WALT?? I imagine he got off the island. I think they'll take the easy way out with Walt - despite his POWERS - and simply use the character in flash forwards that incorporate his age.

[kalista861]

I was disappointed about the reveal. He's hiding in the shadows mopping and all of a sudden he comes up. Not interesting! I don't know how they could have made it better, considering the fact that everyone knew he was coming back, but I somehow expected there to be more drama involved in the reveal.

Where's Walt? I don't think he's on the freighter. I think when they left that Ben had another boat follow them. They stole Walt again and told Michael that Ben needed another favor. They told him about Widmore's boat and told him they needed an insider. They agreed to give Walt back if he did what they asked. Who knows maybe they put a little implant thingy in Walt and he got sick. Ben walkies in and says" if you wanna save your boy's life here's what you gotta do". Either way I think the others are using Walt as leverage.

[You-Know-Who]

Ugh, if Michael is doing Ben's bidding because he wants to get his son back, I'll feel like my consciences just time traveled. Not that again!
I think Walt IS on the boat and that he's older because time goes faster off the island. And I think Michael is doing Ben's bidding because he feels guilty about betraying the Losties and Ben is telling him that by spying on Widmore, who wants to harm the island, he's helping the survivors out.

[Claude]

Ugh, if Michael is doing Ben's bidding because he wants to get his son back, I'll feel like my consciences just time traveled. Not that again!

LOL

I agree. I want to stake my honor as a podcaster on the fact that whatever Michael is doing, it's not because he wants Walt back. At least not in any way that we've seen before.