Was Ben "Claimed"?

When Sayid is first “claimed” Dogen mentions that he’d watched it happen to Claire (actually he said “your sister” to Jack but it’s probably a bit late to introduce another sister or even a nun). Watching Sayids transformation in this episode and Claires behavior in the previous one gives us some insight into what this means. Creepy detachment, innapropriate smiling, bloodthirsty violence.

We also know that when Sayid shot Ben (30 years ago) that Richard took the kid to the temple where presumably he went into the pool as well. We’ve always assumed that going into the pool made him “an other” but now I’m wondering if that’s so. He is creepy with a weird smile and he can be ruthlessly violent at times but he just doesn’t seem anywhere near as weird as the other two.

So is Ben “claimed” like Sayid and Claire or is he something altogether different?

My hunch is that he was claimed in some manner, but by Jacob and not MIB. Perhaps that’s why he was permitted to kill Jacob.

As far as I can see it, only people that aren’t properly buried on the Island can be “claimed” by MIB. Jacob doen’t claim anbody, only push people where he needs to for his goals.

And as far as we know, the water was clear when Ben was taken there. It only became murky when Jacob died.

But if it was purely a healing spring in the past, why wouldn’t Ben use it to cure his cancer? Or for all the Others who’ve been shot or injured, or the mothers who’ve died in childbirth?

Sorry, it’s a bit annoying that they would introduce a magic fountain in Act 3 and try to convince us it wasn’t there for Acts 1 and 2.

am i crazy for thinking that Richard’s age is as simple as him jumping in the pool every few years???

maybe you are.:wink:

I guess we’ll find more about Richard very soon.

:smiley: “The Temple Spa: We can turn back time!”

I think it’s too soon to tell. We’re not even sure if Claire and Sayid are ‘claimed’, let alone Ben, and if they are considered ‘claimed’, what does it even mean, really?