Don't know if anyone is familiar with this book, but I was just listening to the new Stephen Malkmus album and he mentioned "richard abaddon" in the lyrics...I googled it and found this novel, named "Abaddon's Way". It involves the prince of darkness, secret government organizations and revolutionary Africa, all potentially lost-y themes. Here is the description:

Out of revolutionary Africa comes one who considers himself to be a demon-incarnate. He enters the employment of the secret government of the United States of America. As if he had traded his soul for the pleasure of killing, the evil one, Gerhardt Botha, eliminates those who his superiors consider to be dangerous to the security of the United States. Botha, convinced that he is Abaddon, Prince of Darkness, assassinates all those in the United States Government who come to realize that his hideous slaughter must stop. Douglas Jakowski, (Wolf Man), is, once again, innocently plunged into mortal conflict with a psychotic killer. This time the creature, his adversary, reeks with ruthlessness and possesses cunning far beyond the human condition.

Whoops, I mean I have to think that Hurley, with the other 5, are keeping up the story that they were the only ones to survive 815 to protect Locke and possibly others on the island.

Well, as in the other investigations, I have to think that Hurley, with the other 5, are keeping up the story that there are still 815 survivors on the island with John Locke, possibly hiding out, and this man, probably with the boat crew, want to know the truth about whether the 6 are really the only ones left on the island (for reasons unbeknownst to us).

I took Hurley's apology to Jack to mean that something really bad happened to the group they went off with, and since Hurley is a follower, not a leader, he had to make the choice to go back with Jack after the fact.

The group that this man belongs too will be part of the twist in the tale. I think it is too obvious to assume that he has something to do with the "Other Others", and he has nothing to do with Dharma / Hanso. The Other Others cannot be part of the orignal Dharma / Hanso group, as they already know where the Island is (they drop supplies off).

I still think that they have something to do with Widmore. We still do not know how Namoi got the picture of Penny & Desmond? I think that the Ocianic Attorney is part of the Widmore group, and that "Big Mike" could also be part of this group.

Has anyone thought about Hurleys apology to Jack for "going off with lock"? Does this mean that the Other others are actually good guys? and Lock is a bad guy? or that Penny lied to Charlie about it not being her boat?

Watch this space...... Widmore will be the bad guys, and Penny will be part of it.

I like the biblical reference, it reminds me of Mr. Ecko!
He had a lot to write on his stick.

no matter this man is out for answers, albeit Hanso,Widmore, Dharma or whatever they are. Is he real or another figment of Hurley's imagination.

Hurley's behvoir is suspect and he is the bread crumb they will follow. Good thing our boy, is not that far gone that he can still smell a bad fish.

If the Dharma folks are looking for the island and can not find it, then how did the supply drops make it there? There still needs to be some sort of contact from the real world.

Maybe he was not from the Dharma side, maybe teh Hanso folks?

Rescue people?

Widmore?

I would have to theorize that he is, indeed, smokie.

We've already seen smokie as the guardian of the island ("Security system") he took on the image of Cerberus.

Via Wikipedia: "Cerberus guarded the gate to Hades and ensured that spirits of the dead could enter, but none could exit"

and now we have Abbadon(sic)

Via Wikipedia: "Abaddon, in demonology, was chief of the demons of the seventh hierarchy. He was called The Destroyer and, in the Book of Revelation, St John called him the King of the locusts (Rev 9: 7-11)."

Also: Abaddon, is prophesized to torment unbelievers with armies of demons that inflict pain and suffering to any found with the mark of the beast. (Which he may be doing to Hurley with the visions for having left the island)

can smokey really manifest itself off the island?

Also, did anyone else think this guy got a little blurry, almost SMOKIE, as he walked out the door?

I think that the people on the boat are from the Hanso group, and that they have been trying to find the Mysterious Island of Mystery ever since Ben killed the Dharma members and had them shutoff the radio signal. And this guy is a representative of the Hanso group wanting to know if the survivors are still alive, because he probably needs them to get back to the island.

I was actually curious if he meant about Jack, Kate and the other three. Because what if whoever he really works for (I'm actually not sure about the whole Hanso thing myself) can't find them. I think that might be why he showed up in the Mental Hospital, he knew where Hurley would be.

Hey sledge, anything you can do about the contrast in this little "captcha" window?? I can barely make out the letters against the background, and I have been fiddling with my monitor, but that doesn't seem to help.

Yes, this is still tying in to my 'Genesis to Revelation' theory!

Nice biblical tie in! I like it!

In the show, he said his name was MATTHEW ABADDON (according to closed captioning)- Right away i knew this was a bad sign. Abaddon is the name of a death angel in the book of Revelation. REVELATION 9:11 They have as king over them, the angel of the Abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon. (NASU)
Abaddon and Apollyon both mean "destroyer." Beware!

he said his name was MATTHEW ABADDON (according to closed captioning)- Right away i knew this was a bad sign. Abaddon is the name of a death angel in the book of Revelation. REVELATION 9:11 They have as king over them, the angel of the Abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon. (NASU)
Abaddon and Apollyon both mean "destroyer." Beware!

he was creepy. sort of reminded me of Scatman Crothers from the Shining

He gave his name, and it sounded like his last name was Ecko.

This guy is from what is left of Dharma. He wants to know if anyone from the original Dharma group is still alive. Eventually the oceanic 6 will regroup with this Dharma group and return to the island.

As I have previously said in the 4x01 post The Big Secret, I believe he is a representative of the company that sent the boat to look for the island. Personally i think something happened to the people who were on the boat (left on the island/ killed) and he was inquiring about them. Later on in the episode, Jack asks if Hurley told what they did (i.e. killed those people/left them on the island) so maybe they did some baaaaad stuff to get off the island.

Damn Louis Gossett Jr, got old! Just kidding. Well I believe he was asking for the fuselage losties. He surely wants to get on that island and I think he wanted Hurley to come so they could interrogate him more in a room no viewing oceanside.