You're right, with Ethan gone, and Jack not on board, the only doc on "his side" is Juliet - and she's a fertility doc. The "let her die in the Hydra" thing was probably just another head game, and I fell for it like Jack and Juliet.

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`Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle!'

-- Alice, from “Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland”

totally a head game... Just like how juliet said kill him on notecards on video. Was all to get jack and her to somehow connect, but jack is aware...

Seriously, do you guys just think EVERYTHING is a headgame?? I think pretty much the opposite, Ben has pretty much no control over what's going on.

I think Ben needs Locke now just as much as Locke thinks he needs Ben. Ben knows Locke was healed by the island and wants to know how to do it. So clearly Ben needs Locke pretty badly so u are right Integrated, he has lost some control.

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Because all we really need to survive is one person who truly loves us. And you have her.

I think there are definitely viewers giving Ben more credit than he deserves on manipulating certain events on the island. However, I do believe Ben is a puppet master and at least attempts to maintain a certain level of control over everyone on the island. I don't think he is infallible, but he seems to be quite capable of reacting quickly to changes and makes adjustments to his overall plan as events unfold around him. He also seems very able to seize opportunities as they arise. Such as Locke showing up to destroy the sub. Allowing him to keep his word with Jack and still keep him from leaving the island

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Doctor playing golf. Woo, boy howdy, now I've heard everything. What's next, cop eating a donut?

So Ben, you think the impregnating problem is because of in-breeding. Inbreeding can cause retardation, but not death of every single female and offspring.
But i do believe everything is a mindgame, Integrated. I mean look at it this way, Ben was way to quick to send Goodwyn and Ethan off to the plane wrecks, he had an idea, what, seconds after the crash. He knew it was coming or he dealt with the situation before(or it's coming back around). Almost everything Ben says is almost the exact opposite of it's literal translation. I think the Others are basically going about it in the same way, and you have to glean bits of truth from their stories.

Oh come ON, Ben had absolutely no idea the plane was about to crash. There's really very little evidence that he's a "puppet master". He's just good at improvising situations as they come up.Did he PLAN both Goodwin and Ethan getting killed? Did he PLAN Jack escaping and almost drowning him and Juliet? Did he PLAN Jack cutting open his kidney sack? Did he PLAN Kate and Sawyer escaping? Did he PLAN Locke arriving and taking his adopted daughter and him hostage?

He's no bad leader, don't get me wrong, but you're giving him A LOT more credit than he deserves.

I thought the definition of a puppetmaster was someone who is good at improvising situations (juggling the strings of others) as they come up? (But maybe I've just watched The GodFather too many times)

__________________

`Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle!'

-- Alice, from “Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland”

I don't think that Ben is "in control" of everything that happens, or that he can be called a puppet master. What you can call him is a manipulative little snake. He is really good at reading people's motives and desires and using those emotions against them. Even with a cold fish like Juliet, he's been able to find a way to manipulate her as well.

I sometimes wonder if those "lists" he asked for were of people that were easily indoctrinated or unquestioning. I.E. people like Kate and Sawyer are far too questioning and rebellious to work as a part of Ben's facsist colony.

OOOHHHH! Interesting Zougla that you would use the term "snake" in your definition because we know the writers of lost always give a code name to their big season finale - and in the past it was always the name of a Jewish bread - but THIS year they are calling the season finale's big surprise "The Snake In The Mailbox." Hmmmm... It just has me thinking.... *ouch*

__________________

`Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle!'

-- Alice, from “Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland”