Research Team Chosen "for a reason" - their connection

[Ladybug]

Actually, about Charlotte, I recall now that at the start of season 4, when Ben "outs" Charlotte, he tells us her parents names - David and Jeanette.  Despite Ben's penchant for being loose with the truth, certainly this seems to be what Charlotte thinks are her parents names - she doesn't refute Ben at that point.  Of course, it doesn't mean that Charlotte's parents aren't really some of the people that have been speculated on here and she knows them with different names, or perhaps she was raised by adoptive parents, but its food for thought.

since ben is so all knowing, does that mean that he knew/knows that charlotte grew up on the island?

[MachThree]

Actually, about Charlotte, I recall now that at the start of season 4, when Ben "outs" Charlotte, he tells us her parents names - David and Jeanette.  Despite Ben's penchant for being loose with the truth, certainly this seems to be what Charlotte thinks are her parents names - she doesn't refute Ben at that point.  Of course, it doesn't mean that Charlotte's parents aren't really some of the people that have been speculated on here and she knows them with different names, or perhaps she was raised by adoptive parents, but its food for thought.

since ben is so all knowing, does that mean that he knew/knows that charlotte grew up on the island?

Well, I always attributed this to Ben having some really good PI's at his disposal back in the real world.  Either through Mithilos labs or some other way.  In other words, Be gets a list of the 815 survivors, and soon enough knows everything about them (via Mikhail's communications with the real world at the farm/satellite station).  Same, somehow, for the freighter folk - he gets their names from Michael and then boom, knows everything about them - though the later is interesting because, I think, by that point, Mikhail's Dharma station had been blown up by Locke.

[Ladybug]

Actually, about Charlotte, I recall now that at the start of season 4, when Ben "outs" Charlotte, he tells us her parents names - David and Jeanette.  Despite Ben's penchant for being loose with the truth, certainly this seems to be what Charlotte thinks are her parents names - she doesn't refute Ben at that point.  Of course, it doesn't mean that Charlotte's parents aren't really some of the people that have been speculated on here and she knows them with different names, or perhaps she was raised by adoptive parents, but its food for thought.

since ben is so all knowing, does that mean that he knew/knows that charlotte grew up on the island?

Well, I always attributed this to Ben having some really good PI's at his disposal back in the real world.  Either through Mithilos labs or some other way.  In other words, Be gets a list of the 815 survivors, and soon enough knows everything about them (via Mikhail's communications with the real world at the farm/satellite station).  Same, somehow, for the freighter folk - he gets their names from Michael and then boom, knows everything about them - though the later is interesting because, I think, by that point, Mikhail's Dharma station had been blown up by Locke.

oh, i agree, he's not really all knowing, i think ben just has a lot of connections. 

but, my question remains, does anyone think ben knew/knows that charlotte grew up on the island?

[Mrs Alpert]

I don't know if Ben knew that Charlotte grew up on the island, but he at least knew the history that Charlotte believed: that she was born in England to Jeannette and David. Charlotte believes this is her history, and that's how Ben rattles her when he ticks off her biography.

[RM]

oh, i agree, he's not really all knowing, i think ben just has a lot of connections. 

but, my question remains, does anyone think ben knew/knows that charlotte grew up on the island?

Well, it appears he didn't know that Eloise is Daniel's mother, so he could have had a cv profile of Charlotte but not known she was really connected to Dharma.  His info on the freighter people seems to have come from Michael providing their names and going from there.

[Thomas]

I can go with Miles as Chang's son, that's easy enough, and he got the nosebleeds at the right time.   That would mean Charolette is older than Miles.   Maybe a few years, but not much.   

I can go with Elle being Eloise, and being Daniels mother.   

I don't think Widmore is Daniel's father, but he could be his Uncle.   I would also imagine that both Widmore and Elle left the island before Charlolette came to the island and that Daniel was born off the island.  He has not been there before (execpt for timetraveling to earlier times) which is why he didn't get nosebleeds. 

Getting chosen for the team seems like a combination of some relative Island knowege (Through experience, relatives, etc) or some skill required, ie Military (All bad guys need mercenaries).    The non military folks were most likely being watched because of their relationship to the island or because they were asking questions about things that Widmore wanted to keep within the family.   

[Creflo]

"Facts"

- According to information provided by Ben, Charlotte Staples Lewis was born on July 2, 1979 in Essex, England to parents David and Jeannette
- Ben Linus was born on December 19th in the early 1960s...Annie is presumably of similar age
- Annie would've given birth to C.S. Lewis while in her teens for this to work.
- The Purge was in 1992, so C.S. Lewis was 13 at the time.
- She stated she left The Island with her mother while she was "still quite young"

"Facts" is in quotes because they're not really facts.  Ben could've lied.

There is a spoilerish comment on the S3 DVD.  read it here: http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Annie



Back to the original topic...Why were these people chosen for the team, and by whom?

Sure, Abbadon was the creepy figure who assembled the team, but under who's orders?  After all, it seemed that he was recruiting Locke from the hospital with his suggestion of the Walkabout.  Is Abbadon really working for Widmore, who funded the Kahana, and was the mission of the science team really just to disable The Tempest station?

It was never their mission to rescue the Losties.  They went to The tempest to turn OFF the weapon that Ben could've used to destroy all humans.  Why would an anthropologist and a physicist be sent for such a mission.

I think their past history on The Island is the reason they were chosen, and I wonder if Widmore knew about it.

As for Miles, I think the only reason he was put on the freighter in the first place was so he could talk to Locke (and other not-yet-revealed dead people) when he returns.

[BobBX542]

I can go with Miles as Chang's son, that's easy enough, and he got the nosebleeds at the right time.   That would mean Charolette is older than Miles.   Maybe a few years, but not much.  

He has not been there before (execpt for timetraveling to earlier times) which is why he didn't get nosebleeds. 

Keep in mind we still don't know for a fact if the exposure to the island is what's causing the nosebleeds. Daniel only makes a guess about the amount of exposure to the island as to why they are getting the nose bleeds. But ultiamtely he doesn't know.

[MachThree]

oh, i agree, he's not really all knowing, i think ben just has a lot of connections. 

but, my question remains, does anyone think ben knew/knows that charlotte grew up on the island?

Well, it appears he didn't know that Eloise is Daniel's mother, so he could have had a cv profile of Charlotte but not known she was really connected to Dharma.  His info on the freighter people seems to have come from Michael providing their names and going from there.

Is Ben surprised that Eloise is Daniel's mother?  Or does he look surprised because he didn't think that Desmond knew that or would be able to find that out?

[zeekloveslost]

oh, i agree, he's not really all knowing, i think ben just has a lot of connections. 

but, my question remains, does anyone think ben knew/knows that charlotte grew up on the island?

Well, it appears he didn't know that Eloise is Daniel's mother, so he could have had a cv profile of Charlotte but not known she was really connected to Dharma.  His info on the freighter people seems to have come from Michael providing their names and going from there.

Is Ben surprised that Eloise is Daniel's mother?  Or does he look surprised because he didn't think that Desmond knew that or would be able to find that out?

Really good point!  If Daniel didn't get travel through time and get this info to Desmond, and then Desmond remembered in the present and acted on it... there is NO WAY that Desmond would know that!

[gjohnson]

I am open to the possibility (probability when I look back on things) that Ben is in-the-know not simply because he has an extensive research network at his disposal but because he has lived these events, possibly many times, before.

[MachThree]

But then why when 815 crashes doesn't he instruct Mikhail to communicate with the mainland to find out everything about everyone who was on the plane?  Doesn't he do the same thing with the freighter? (i.e. he has Michael send him the crew manifest).

[Thomas]

As for Miles, I think the only reason he was put on the freighter in the first place was so he could talk to Locke (and other not-yet-revealed dead people) when he returns.

I like the idea about Miles, Locke's after death translator.

[My Sideways Self]

And I don't think there is a incestual relationship going on with Dan and Charlotte. thats just, ew.

Think Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.  And she even kissed him!!!

Daniel and Charlotte haven't done anything romantically, so it's not an incestuous relationship.  The fact that she die before there was any real romance between them leads me to believe that the writers could intent to reveal them to be related sometime in the future...

[lostfromthestart]

As for Miles, I think the only reason he was put on the freighter in the first place was so he could talk to Locke (and other not-yet-revealed dead people) when he returns.

I like the idea about Miles, Locke's after death translator.

Since Miles doesn't go back to the mainland, this means they bring Locke's body to the island and Miles talks to him there.  Still, Locke's presumably doesn't know how to reanimate himself, so how can he tell Miles.  Now if Miles were to talk to Christian/Jacob.......