Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cthulhudrew" data-source="post: 3333046" data-attributes="member: 4090">Between their presence there, the fact that they knew about Juliet and the notion that Ben was going to let her go, seems to imply that there is a way off the island and that Ben can make it happen. We know that they had at least one boat of their own (though just a small one), and now they have two (with Desmond's). IIRC, didn't Ben say that he'd never been off the island himself? If so, and if he wasn't lying, that implies that the Others have connections off island as well. Plus, Juliet's files on Jack from episode 1 of this season also seem to indicate that they have connections on the mainland.All in all, then, I'd say it's safe to assume that at least some of the Others are going back and forth.As to Ben's methods of coercion? Well, he could hold the threat of violence against loved ones as a means (like he does with Juliet), although that probably wouldn't be possible to do against everyone (after all, he needs someone to enforce those threats). Whatever hold he had over people like Ethan, then, is likely something else. Maybe he's just a very charismatic cult-like figure like seemed to be the case prior to this episode?</blockquote>