This third installment of our end-of-week Lost discussion marks the end of the third week since this blog started.
Before getting to Lost, let me review the blog’s performance to date. Since the first post on April 19 and the first public announcement of its creation on April 21, this blog has been viewed more than 9,200 times. That works out to more than 480 times per day, including weekends, since the announcement.
At least 39 other blogs have linked to this one. There have been a total of 39 posts, excluding this one, and a total of 171 comments.
Thanks to Larry Bernstein, Greg Forster, Matthew Ladner, Dan Lips, Reid Lyon, and Ryan Marsh for their posts. Greg and Matt are regular contributors and have done a remarkable job of providing informative and provocative material. Reid Lyon has agreed to join the group of regular contributors, with his posts appearing on Tuesdays. Greg normally appears (at a minimum) on Wednesdays and Matt on Fridays. Thanks to all of these posters as well as the contributors of the 171 comments and the numerous links. I really meant the “with help from some friends” subtitle.
And now back to our show — Lost. I retract almost everything I said last week (who says that I never change my position?). If the plot has strayed into the supernatural from the merely paranormal or sci-fi, I don’t mind. The plot twists and mysteries are only getting better.
The most interesting development in the most recent episode (to my mind) was the idea of people being “chosen” by the island to protect it. Clearly Ben was once special, receiving communications in the form of dreams, visiting with Jacob, being immune from illness, having control over events, etc… But now Locke is the chosen one. And we see that there is a process involving Richard and Abaddon to identify, recruit, and perhaps manipulate these chosen future leaders. It’s not clear if Richard, Abaddon, Dharma, and Widmore are all on the same team, were once together but have since split, or have always been working against each other. At least we now know that Richard does not age.
My guess is that Widmore was once the one chosen by the island but Ben succeeded him, which is why Widmore says Ben stole everything. And I would further guess that Aaron is the next chosen one. It seems that the chosen one has to be raised apart from his parents, as was the case for Ben and Locke. Perhaps this is why Claire has been separated from Aaron — to prepare him for his role. And perhaps the psychic warned Claire that she had to raise the baby herself to prevent Aaron from assuming his chosen role.
Jay P. Greene's Blog 
Sorry I’m late to the party; I only just watched the episode.
Good thinking about Widmore being a former chosen one. It tracks. And it probably sheds some light on “the rules.” Maybe that has something to do with their service to the island – the rules that chosen ones are supposed to follow?
But I don’t think you’re right about Ben having been raised apart from his parents. Unless I’m misremembering, Ben was raised by his father, who worked for the Dharma Initiative.
If chosen ones really are raised apart from their parents, Alex is looking like another candidate.
Wikipedia says that Matthew Abbadon (who told John to go on a walkabout and said “when we meet again, you’ll owe me one” ) works for Widmore; I don’t remember where that was established. But it’s interesting that he and Richard Alpert (who tested the young John and found him wanting) work for opposing teams. Were they always opposed? Did the Others change their minds about John, or did Widmore see promise where the Others didn’t? Which team (if they were opposite teams at the time) tried to recruit the teenage John to science camp? And how (if at all) has Richard’s assessment of John changed? Remember it was Richard who egged John on to challenge Ben for the leadership of the Others.
I’ll be interested to see if it’s ever established how one loses one’s chosenness. Is it simply arbitrary, or did Ben (and potentially Widmore before him) forfeit the position by betraying the true faith?