Changing the Chosen One
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By Irocz28
- Changing the Chosen One
- Created: May 9, 2008
- Last updated: Aug 14, 2008
- After episode: 4.11: Cabin Fever
- Status: Current
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I could go on for days, but I am gonna try to keep this short and sweet. Right off the bat let me start with some similarities between Locke and Ben:
1) Both were born prematurely. Locke was born 6 months premature. Ben was born 7 months premature. Babies do not survive often when this is the case. They are special. Even the nurse in the hospital said that babies born this premature usually don’t survive.
2) Both had mothers named Emily.
3) Both had characters from the island present at or close to their birth. Richard was with Locke and Horace was with Ben. We know Richard is a prominent character and it is starting to look like there may be more to Horace than we originally thought.
Could it be that because of these similarities both Ben and Locke were candidates to be brought to the island as the chosen one right from birth? We saw Locke get his “test” when he was just a young boy. It looked like he failed this test according to Richard’s reaction when he picked the knife.
Maybe Ben had a similar test when he was a child. But, Ben passed his test and was deemed “the chosen one”. We see Richard approach Ben in the jungle as a young child. This conversation leads to Ben eventually becoming their leader.
But these few lines from Ben from Cabin Fever indicate that he is willing to relinquish the role of “the chosen one” to Locke:
1) “I was told a lot of things, too—that I was chosen, that I was special. I ended up with a tumor on my spine and my daughter’s blood all over my hands.”
2) “I’m not going in there with you. The island wanted me to get sick and it wanted you to get well. My time is over, John. It’s yours now.”
Ben is acting like he now has more important things on his agenda, like avenging his daughter’s death. John wasn’t originally chosen for this role, but it appears he is the one now destined for it. Maybe the fact that he survived an 8-story fall made him a candidate again. When Locke survived that fall it was almost indicating that he couldn’t die, or that the island wouldn’t let him die.
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 | 1717 |
Key episodes
| # | Title | Aired | Central character | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.11 | Cabin Fever | 5-8-2008 | John | 215 |
Nice ideas, n well put together +1 from moi.
I do like the character of Ben, but I cant help but feel he wouldnt give up his role as leader so easily. Yes he has a daughter to avenge, but Ben has never lost control, and I think he may be concocting a plan, if he hasnt already, to take Locke out of the picture.
As you said, Ben is acting like he has more important things on his agenda. I think the key word there is that he is ACTING - using his wonderful skills of manipulation to keep in control, as always. Good ol’ Ben.
I think you might be right… So far this theory looks flawless +1
Good post. +1
I like where you are going with this. But now I wonder about the following: In last weeks episode - Rose was worried because Jack had to go through the surgery. When her husband tried to console her, she stated “no one gets sick on the island” So my question is:
Why did Jack get sick?
You have the premature numbers backwards. John was 3 months premature (not 6) and Ben was 2 (not 7). Outside of that, not bad. Remember Abbadon went to visit John in rehab and told him he needed to go on the walkabout, which ultimately led him to the island.
Two things are bothering me about this. One - Christian isn’t Jacob and maybe doesn’t even speak for him as he claims. Two - the reminder about how Ben gets people to do things. He told Locke he’d done a good job getting Hurley to believe it was his idea to stay. So - Ben might still be spinning.
I wonder if Ben did something to upset the island or if Locke did something to impress the island or both. Why the need to change chosen ones? And why the need to almost kill Ben? And why would the island give Ben cancer and drop a plane with a spinal surgery out of the sky?
That last question really bothers me. Two opposing forces at play?
Fun post — +1 :)
Good post but i have to question what you said about Locke not passing his “test”. I think Locke DID pass his test but obviously Richard was lying to Lockes foster mother about there being a special school for him so he had to react the way he did (because theres obviously no school). Richard just reacted the way he did to cover up his suspecious actions about interacting with Locke.
It is evident by now that the Oceanic plane crash was no accident and that pretty much all the people on it have some tie with eachother and some significance as to why they would be on the island. Thus leading us to question weather or not this has been planned and pre-determined that THESE people were the people to be on the flight and survive.
That being said it is very likley that Locke passed the test as a child and has been under close watch by those (such as Richard) who were going to make sure (or perhaps forsee) that Locke would eventually end up on the island, but only when the time was right.
Where’s the Prophecy?
Ben = Neville Longbottom Locke = Harry Potter
ru2inept, I am not sure of your “why is Jack sick” question. That might be better suited for another post.
abstractartz, you are absolutely right. I did have the number backwards. I meant to imply that Ben was born after 7 months of pregnancy and Locke was born after 6 months. Good catch.
smokey, good post. I think Locke was still being observed even after he failed the test. It wasn’t until after he survived an 8 story fall where he was thought to be even more special.
Rimland….. Neville Longbottom? I don’t follow you. Please be more specific.
I see what Rimland is saying… Basically, Neville Longbottom was a person that fit the template of ‘the chosen one’ that Harry Potter also suited, and fulfilled. Thus Neville was an also-ran, a nearly-was, a could-have-been. He matched the template almost perfectly, but just wasn’t quite right.
I think this applies to Ben in comparison to Locke.
great theory. +1. Too bad it turned into a Harry Potter rant. I think the archetype of the hero and the “also-ran/ could’ve been a contender” existed long before Harry Potter made his way into the lexicon of mildly intelligent posters on Lost-Theories.
Thanks for the explanation AC.
Sorry Rimland, I never got into the whole Harry Potter thing.
my only question is… why is having a mom named Emily helpful to be the chosen one? :)
But yeah, I don’t think Locke failed (I posted a whole theory about it), I think he chose to follow a different path than Ben & co. But now that their goals are the same, he’s replacing Ben.
+1!