It’s All a Big Game
+8 10 Votes
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By Lostie8176
- It’s All a Big Game
- Created: Apr 27, 2008
- Last updated: Aug 14, 2008
- After episode: 4.9: The Shape of Things to Come
- Status: Current
- Flag this theory:
The entire Lost show is actually a giant chess match between Ben and Charles Widmore, with the Island serving as the game board.
— Lostie8176
The episode “The Shape of Things to Come,” revealed many things, including the strong possibility of Time Travel, and exactly how Sayid came to work for Benjamin, but the biggest reveal I thought was all the clues and hints dropped about the fact that the enitre Lost show is essentially a big board game, with Benjamin Linus and Charles Widmore being the two people playing against each other. Rather than use little plastic pieces to play the game, these two rather wealthy men use people, and the Island as their game components.
There were a number of clues dropped in last week’s show that all seemed to center around a board game theme, a la Risk. The biggest line that caught me was how after Alex was shot and killed by Keamy, all Ben could utter was, “He changed the rules!” After mentioning it to Widmore again near the end of the episode and witnessing the whole back and forth between the two men, it struck me that they both want ownership of the Island, or to “win” the game.
Another thing that I think adds to my theory is how the Island won’t let a person die. It brings me back to the old movie “Jumanji,” where Robin Williams character started playing a game at 10 years old, and didn’t finish it until he was in his fifties, simply because the game wasn’t over. I think Lost works the same way in that Michael can’t off himself until the “Island Game” allows for it. Much like Alex wasn’t killed when Rousseau and Karl were, because it wasn’t her time in the game.
Another big hint I picked up on that I think supports my theory is how when Keamy had the gun to Alex’s head, and Ben yelled out, “She’s only a pawn!”, I felt like the whole Chess reference alludes to this giant chess match going on between Widmore and Linus.
Also, each player (Widmore and Linus) each has different strategies they can use throughout the “game,” like Ben using the Smoke Monster, and Widmore using the Freighter and its crew.
I’m a first-time poster, so please, be kind…..what do you all think?
Key characters
| Short Name | Full Name | Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben | Benjamin Linus | 3.20, 4.9, & 3” href=”/episodes/theres-no-place-home-parts-2-3/”>4.13 | 1714 |
| Charles | Charles Widmore | 406 |
Key episodes
| # | Title | Aired | Central character | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.9 | The Shape of Things to Come | 4-24-2008 | Ben | 256 |
| 4.8 | Meet Kevin Johnson | 3-20-2008 | Michael | 85 |
Key events
| Theme | Relevant Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|
| Michael captured | 2.22 | 114 |
| Michael returns | 2.19 | 160 |
| Oceanic Flight 815 crashes | 1.1 | 582 |
dude i never thought of that way. i think ya mite be getting somewhere. its like a game of batteling for territory.
That’s not bad for a first time post. While I can’t find any definite holes in your theory, the idea of two grown men playing a game with each other and killing innocent people along the way just seems like it is too much of a stretch to be the truth. +1 anyway.
Hmm you might be on to something this is good for your first post (mine wasnt). So do you also think that the game of risk was important, so that maye a major part of their ‘game’ will be played in austrailia.
Ok im gonna try and give you a plus one but sometimes mine doesnt work. Sorry.
Why would Ben yell to Keamy that she is just a pawn, it wouldn’t make any sense to me unless Keamy knows they are playing a game together, but I would highly doubt that.
You make some good points. Good first post! =)
My main problem however, is that I think the chess/game references are simply a metaphor. A game is played with the primary motive of fun. The metaphor breaks down when you look at the fact that Charles and Ben are playing for a reason other than fun and the stakes are life-and-death real.
The show does have a lot of elements of a game though, strategies and rules, etc. So you do make a good point. =)
At first, I thought Lost was a giant social experiment put on by a still-functioning DHARMA Initiative. Drop a bunch of strangers on an island, make things happen to them, and see how they respond.
However, now the game option seems much more like where the writers are headed. A similar mentality is set—who can control the pawns to win the game? That is, who will eventually win control of the island and all of its mysterious powers and whatnot. However, instead of the DI, it’s between Ben and Widmore. Unless, of course, Widmore is somehow connected to the DI (which is also seeming more and more plausible).
Anyway, sorry for the tangent. +1
I dont think that it is accurate to say that it is all a game, but I think ben simply plays games, that is ben applies game theory. I wrote a theory titled “pawn sacrifice” on friday that uses the chess analogy. see here http://lost-theories.com/theories/2008/apr/25/pawn-sacrifice; for discussion re ben’s game playing see comments here http://lost-theories.com/theories/2008/apr/25/pawn-sacrifice
To add something….Ben said to Windmore: that he can’t kill him. In chess the only piece that can’t kill the King is the other King, so that would give another twist to the meaning of that line, rather than Ben refering to Windmore being his constant, like many people have said.
Other Chess References in “The Shape of Things to Come”;
Continuing the notion of Ben being a king: Ben requests that Locke stays close to him (like a bishop - man of faith).
14J - Is the code given when a director declares a draw in a game of chess.
Nice, I’m not a great chess player, I only know about the kings because many of my games ended up in ties, you know, king vs king.
Is it even possible for a chess game to end in a tie, king vs. king?
If you are as bad a player as I am, yeah, of course you need another rookie to be in front of you, first the important pieces are sacrificed, queens/bishops/knights/rooks……..then when all that are left are pawns (just a few) you start taking them out with your king whenever you are able to. But then again, to achieve this you need 2 players that suck at the same level.
Wow, that’s cool “frozen,” I didn’t know that.
Lostie, yes, I think it IS a game. Even if “the game” is only a metaphor for those trying to gain control of the island.
A more interesting question may be, what role do our survivors and Desmond play in “the game?” And who was responsible for introducing the survivors and why? Actually, I may have answered my own question on a couple of points.
For example, Widmore introduced Desmond to the game, via the sailing race, in hopes it would help him locate the island. It failed.
Ben then used Desmond as his pawn in the Swan.
Excellent first post. +1
Hmmm. It may be a game, but there’s a lot more to the Island than just a game board. A tremendous amount of physical and psychic phenomena that remain to be explained.
Also, I posited a similar theory some time ago, albeit somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that the LOST experience was really a big computer game - with the various players using avatars - the characters that we see in the TV show. It was one of my worst rated theories, at that. But the game aspect occured to me as soon as I saw the drawer full of Ben’s phony passports and foreign currency - it was a visual shot right out of a video game. I half expected a mouse cursor to move over the stack of passports and reveal additional “clues”… lol…
It’s a great point. I think what your saying makes complete sense. however, their seems to be a lot of things on the island that are not in bens or mr. widmores control. and maybe their is a 3rd player in the game… maybe jacob?
There are also game themes from earlier seasons: Locke playing Backgammon, Jack and Ben playing chess together, Patchy playing computer chess