r/lost 1d ago

Character Question Who among the Others have the privilege to get off the island

Was watching the episode "Meet Kevin Johnson" where in response to Michael surprise that The Others could go back and forth between the island and outside world at will, Tom Friendly mentioned that only "some of them" could do that.

So which members of The Others exactly? It is obviously a major privilege reserved to the inner circle only so that people like Juliet don't escape and not come back. Ben even has the looking glass station secretly jamming signals so clearly he doesn't want most members of the Others to have any contact with the outside world.

We have seen that Richard Ben Ethan (and previously Widmore) would leave the island on a quite regular basis. Tom occasionally. So who else? I imagine Beatrice and Prickett as well as they were part of the others leadership as well. What about Goodwin? He seemed eager to prove his worth including in dangerous infiltration mission that ended up getting him killed. Mikhail perhaps? Anyone from the Temple lol not like they would ever want to leave the island anyway.

19 Upvotes

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u/Verystrange129 Whatever happened, happened. 1d ago

Do you know who I feel sorry for in the Others? Those two young women down in the Looking Glass underwater station. They were probably just stuck there all the time, not getting to go anywhere, much less off the island, just guarding the signal blocking device and not seeing a single other human. What a crap life, they were like the Others version of Desmond.

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u/LawFrequent1353 1d ago edited 1d ago

Mikhail was kind like that as well at least he wasn't stuck underwater and had the cows keep him company haha. They were probably true believers much like Mikhail so didn't mind, unlike Desmond. And maybe they'd get relieved and take turn with other members

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u/Verystrange129 Whatever happened, happened. 1d ago

I would say Mikhail was the solitary type anyway and maybe the two in the underwater station (was one called Bonnie?) were too. I think it’s because they’re quite young, I feel for them. Wonder if they would get put on trial and killed by the Others if they went MIA and abandoned their post?

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u/LawFrequent1353 1d ago edited 17h ago

They look like there are in the late 20s. Wonder how were they recruited and how long they been doing this. Definitely one of the most grueling/worst jobs among The Others haha.  

Richard OTH definitely has the best and most exciting job. He gets to travel off island and all over the planet all the time as he manages Metelos Biotech business, recruit new members and check on future recruits and also candidates like Locke over the decades. Despite being born in a different era and being on the island the longest among survivors, he will have no difficulty whatsoever rejoining society, and living comfortably off Metelos money too. Jacob really set his OG disciple up nicely haha. 

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u/Verystrange129 Whatever happened, happened. 1d ago

I really think the Others off-island could have been a fascinating spin off by itself!

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u/kevinmattress 4 8 15 16 23 42 1d ago

Bonnie and Greta

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u/_big_fern_ 1d ago

True believers in what though? What was the mission of the others and why did they have it?

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u/TommyLost2004 1d ago

One of them survived. she got sucked into a portal that sent her to an ancient land where she becomes an evil queen...lol

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u/Verystrange129 Whatever happened, happened. 1d ago

Once Upon a time?

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u/LawFrequent1353 1d ago

Emilie de ravin got to play belle on that show after getting to know the creators of OUAT when they were writing for lost. Good thing that she has way more too do on that show than on lost

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u/Verystrange129 Whatever happened, happened. 1d ago

Glad to hear that, Claire is a very underwritten character.

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u/LawFrequent1353 1d ago

What an upgrade! From a bit part on lost to the main antagonist on OUAT, created by two writers who worked on lost. Networking ftw

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u/TheScorpCorp_ 22h ago

Conspiracy theory time: maybe Ben knew that keeping two attractive young women around on an island where getting pregnant is almost certainly a death sentence was a bad idea. Grim, but not absurd

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u/GuidanceMindless6352 Workman 15h ago

Holy shit I just realized that's why ben didn't want Alex involved with a guy. 

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u/jandeer14 Oh yeah, there's my favorite leaf. 5h ago

oh 100% i don’t think ben had any issues with karl outside of this!!

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u/Verystrange129 Whatever happened, happened. 21h ago

Ah that’s dark…but not implausible.

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u/TARSrobot 1d ago

In my headcannon, they were lovers who enjoyed their privacy.

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u/Verystrange129 Whatever happened, happened. 1d ago

Funny I did think maybe they were a couple!

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u/LawFrequent1353 1d ago

That explains why Greta is so violent towards Charlie lol. The angry lesbian trope 

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u/90s_kid_24 8h ago

Its implied they hadn't been there forever though, its referred to by Mikhail that The Others thought the two of them were in Canada on assignment.

Ben only started blocking communications using the Looking Glass when he found out Charles Widmore had found the island which wasnt until some time after the Swan implosion as he presumably found out whete the island was via the same means as his dsughter, which was the listening station in Antarctica or wherever it was

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u/LawFrequent1353 8h ago

Yes. And it shows that these two ladies have been Ben's trusted loyalists as well who had undertaken missions off island before. That's why they are tasked with this ultra secretive project in the first place. 

And it makes it silly when Ben ordered Mikhail to kill them, in front of Alex no less, when they are every bit as loyal to the cause as Mikhail. The writers just did this to show how psychotic Ben is and to further drive a wedge between him and Alex. And also to get rid of some characters as the cast was getting too bloated especially with the incoming addition of the kahana crew. 

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u/Verystrange129 Whatever happened, happened. 6h ago

Just another sacrifice that the island (or the showrunners) demanded…

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u/LawFrequent1353 1d ago edited 7h ago

Just re watched their part lol and Mikhail literally said "I thought you two were on assignment in Canada"! So they definitely have not been doing this the whole time, and used to get off the island too. 

On that note, it's totally BS that Ben ordered Mikhail to kill them. They are die hard loyalists much like Mikhail. Makes no sense other than making Ben look psycho and to further drive a wedge between him and Alex. And also to get rid of some characters as the cast was getting too bloated especially with the incoming addition of the kahana crew. 

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u/kevinmattress 4 8 15 16 23 42 1d ago

They easily could have never left the Island. “On assignment in Canada” was just the cover for the Looking Glass Station, but there’s no way to know whether they had actually left on any “assignments” prior to being assigned to the LGS

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u/Verystrange129 Whatever happened, happened. 1d ago

Could have been a cover story. Mikhail didn’t even know about the signal blocking from memory so Ben was keeping everything on a need to know basis.

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u/LawFrequent1353 1d ago

Yes. And this circles back to my question of who among the others are allowed off island. It must be a very small group of people as Ben doesn't want them to be able to communicate with outside world at all

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u/Verystrange129 Whatever happened, happened. 1d ago

Yes totally agree with that. Let the wrong people leave who aren’t devoted followers or in leadership roles who get a good deal out of staying on the island, and I can see the numbers of the Others dwindle considerably,

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u/BriarRose147 DHARMA '77 Recruit 1d ago

Any and all Others as long as they get Ben’s permission first, like, half of them are genuine hired employees, they take vacations and shit

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u/LawFrequent1353 1d ago edited 1d ago

That begs the question of who is on Ben's good vs naughty list. Because Ben for sure ain't letting Juliet off the island no matter what. Plus as mentioned above, Tom said only some of them could do that so definitely not half

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u/BriarRose147 DHARMA '77 Recruit 1d ago

Well I think that’s because he knows she’d rather on him and never come back plus he had a crush and doesn’t know how to express love. I think Ben would be too analytical to have a naughty or nice list, I think it’s more a factor of “how much do I need them here right now” and “what will happen if I let them leave” I guess that second question only really leaves a few people left

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u/Ok_Stock3721 Razzle Dazzle! 18h ago

During the Oceanic 6 storyline we learn of Jill at the butcher shop. I’ve always assumed some of if not all of the others (no pun intended) trying to capture Sayid, watching Hurley at Santa Rosa, etc. were Ben’s operatives even if it’s claimed that they are Widmore’s people.

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u/90s_kid_24 8h ago

Just Bens most trusted people I would guess. Richard and Ethan are obviously trusted because they go back with Ben since before the Purge. Tom also gets to go off island and we know hes very trusted by Ben and possibly was a DHARMA defector if you subscribe to that theory. Mikhails a possibility since Ben describes him as long time loyalist, maybe Mrs Klugh also. But thats about it I would say

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u/Amazing_Discount_149 We’re not going to Guam, are we? 23h ago

I'm not sure if it was mistyped or intentional, but I love that you said "Prickett" instead of "Pickett" cause he really was a prick lol

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u/LawFrequent1353 17h ago

Pickett is the Keamy of the Others lol