this theory is a bit out there, and I'm not sure I want to believe in it, but it's worth considering :

what if all these people don't actually have to go back to the island, and it's just a scam by ben (and the others) to get where/what they want ?

Possible. Personally, I think they do have to go back though, because Charlie tells Hugo this as well as Ana implying the same. I dont think they are working for/with Ben, but are rather tied more directly to the island. I do agree though that Ben probably has a multi-layered reason why they have to go back, ie the island wants them to go back but so does he, just not necessarily for the same reasons.

Some key factors:

* Ben and Alpert are hardly trustworthy

* Locke's a naive rube

* Ben is on the outs with Jacob

* Jacob is clearly out of sorts, lacking a body and probably imprisoned

In the end, I think the O6+ returning to the Island together is important in the big scheme of things, but is also fueling Ben's personal agenda, an agenda that includes returning the very Island he was exiled from. I still think Locke's body's the key here. An "offering" so to speak to a disembodied Jacob.

Some key factors:

* Ben and Alpert are hardly trustworthy

* Locke's a naive rube

* Ben is on the outs with Jacob

* Jacob is clearly out of sorts, lacking a body and probably imprisoned

In the end, I think the O6+ returning to the Island together is important in the big scheme of things, but is also fueling Ben's personal agenda, an agenda that includes returning the very Island he was exiled from. I still think Locke's body's the key here. An "offering" so to speak to a disembodied Jacob.

wow ! instant reaction thought : what if lockes body becomes jacob. in season 6, there will be no locke. but there will be jacob in lockes body. same actor though ;) could happen as early as mid-season 5.

wow ! instant reaction thought : what if lockes body becomes jacob. in season 6, there will be no locke. but there will be jacob in lockes body. same actor though ;) could happen as early as mid-season 5.
perfect way not to kill off Terry's character.Who is already dead by the way:biggrin:

perfect way not to kill off Terry's character.Who is already dead by the way:biggrin:

it would be almost like they did to Ali Larter's character on Heroes.
that said, heroes was such a dissapointment, year after year.

wow ! instant reaction thought : what if lockes body becomes jacob. in season 6, there will be no locke. but there will be jacob in lockes body. same actor though ;) could happen as early as mid-season 5.

Bingo.