Ah, but the real plan was just to figure out what the guards were capable of doing. I don’t think James (I mean, Sawyer) thought they could actually escape. That will come later. Then that plan will be foiled by a gun a Kate’s head. 
Y’know, the more I think about this, the more I think the Others (the ones headed by Ben Linus) aren’t any smarter or nicer or more deserving than any other group of people on the island. I believe that they get the drop on the plane crash survivors because the whole island is under audio and visual surveillance, as evidenced by the shot of Ben listening and watching Sawyer explain his beliefs to Kate. I think the Others probably might have investigated the fire that Sayid and Jin set if they hadn’t seen the video or heard Sayid’s plans.
Also, who’s to say that Ben always tells the truth? How do we know that Ben has been on the island all his life? Just because he says so. Couldn’t he be an earlier inhabitant who took advantage of the various stations and listening posts for his own advantage?
Why is he screwing with the survivors this way? Who knows? Maybe he wants to wear down their resistance so he can do the nasty with Kate and other pretty,intimidated female survivors, get slave labor to do the unpleasant labor, get children to replenish the dead Others? Until we get the backstory on Benjamin Linus, I’m not inclined to believe a word he says unless he can prove it, ala the Red Sox win. So there. :dubious:
I’m splitting hairs, I know, but if Ben has lived on the island his entire life, how would he be able to place events like Dubya’s re-election and the Red Sox winning the series in context? Knowing that there are such things as Presidential elections and the World Series, and knowing that the outcome of those two events in 2004 were, respectively, controversial and unexpected, are way different.
He was on his instant messenger with one of the off-island members of Dharma and said “ok like omg so we’ve got that jack d00d, wtf can I say to make him say ‘like OMFG’?”
If I remember correctly, there was a very short scene at the end of season duece that showed scientists or something make a comment after the magnetic device was turned off/blown up. Has this season eluded to this yet?
Nothing yet from the off islanders but in fairness I’m not expecting them until mid-season. It has been two days since the hatch went crazy and it takes time to prepare an expedition and locate a mysterious island.
As for Ben’s history there’s a lot of good explanations for it from lying to more activity on the island than we’ve been lead to believe. The only thing that we can be reasonably sure of is that the current numbers don’t add up.
I really don’t know where the writers are going with this stuff, but I think I can safely say this: hard science isn’t their strong suit. I blame the American educational system.
People with surgical plates and pins had better stay out of the Hatch. That’s why my girlfriend can’t have an MRI.
If they have access to satellite TV then they have as much knowledge of politics in the US as most Americans do.
… but he’s being honest! He said so! Why on earth shouldn’t Jack trust him, aside from the infiltration, impersonation, kidnapping, sabotage, murder, arson, piracy…
We do all remember that these Others, Ben, Zeke and all, are the same guys who blew up the raft, shot Sawyer, and kidnapped Walt, right?
I seem to recall another fictional character named BEN who liked to tell the truth…from a certain point of view.
Maybe “his entire life” began when he discovered (fill in generic Lost secret).
I’m willing to forgive them a lot just based on that last one. 
You’ve gone over my head.
-FrL-