OK, here's what i'm thinking...

[Losty]

...Widmore is Alvar Hanso.

Don't be asking me for any hard evidence, but when that video started out and he got out of the car, doesn't anyone think the lighting and the shaky/fuzzy quality of it was exactly like the short Dharma clip of Hanso? And Widmore would be the right age, thirty odd years...

AND it would be a good reason to hate Ben. Dharma vs. Hostiles.

Shoot me down if you want, but it's what I think

[firebreathingfishies]

y'know, i thought that to, until before this episode. If he was Alvar Hanso, then he would already know how to find the island because he would have sent all the Dharamites out there in the first place. I think there is a major link between him and Alvar Hanso, but I don't think they're the same person.

And I was totally expecting Charles Widmore to be some big ass - back alley beat up kind of guy. i'm surprised he didn't do it to Desmond.

[D-Roc]

Hmm, it's an interesting suggestion and I have considered it before, but i'm not sure - I think they're two seperate people

Although good spot with the video quality of both - perhaps further anaylsis of this is needed in light of that?

I think that Widmore and Hanso are connected, but by Dharma and the island

Still you never know..and it's also interesting to consider the power struggle between Widders and Ben - I loved that whole angle and can't wait to find out more!

[Murgatroyd]

What's confusing me is where Ben gets his 'everyone on this island is going to die' theory if he doesn't really know how Widmore knows about the island or what his real plans are. I don't doubt that Widmore does mean harm and clearly the flashforwards show that something awful happened, but Ben doesn't actually seem to have much evidence to support his claims at this stage. He must know something that he's failing to divulge though - he knows that Widmore wants him.

[Reed]

Originally Posted by Murg

What's confusing me is where Ben gets his 'everyone on this island is going to die' theory if he doesn't really know how Widmore knows about the island or what his real plans are. I don't doubt that Widmore does mean harm and clearly the flashforwards show that something awful happened, but Ben doesn't actually seem to have much evidence to support his claims at this stage. He must know something that he's failing to divulge though - he knows that Widmore wants him.

I got the impression that Ben's whole rant in S3 was actually in reference to him killing everyone, as we saw in this episode. As usual I am confused by this episode. I need to rewatch it as I have already forgotten much of the dialogue from the Ben-Locke-Widmore scene.

Ben seemed to know about Widmore and what he intends to do with the Island but as usual the "Master Manipulator" is probably withholding important information about the whole situation.

Re: Widmore, I am relieved that we were give one MAJOR answer in this episode because everything seems a little clearer now.

Back to the thread discussion, we saw Alvar Hanso in the first Orientation video and it was definitely not Widmore.