End of 'the Others'

[Cihan]

I think its time to stop calling the others, 'the others'. I think the latest couple of episodes have been trying to tell us this. I mean there's an episode called 'One Of Them' in which Locke says, "To Rousseau we're all others", which should ram my point home: Far as I can tell, there's the survivors of shipwrecks/airplane crashes and there's Dharma people.

Thats it. (so far...)

I mention this because I've been listening to podcasts lately and am now getting confused everytime someone says "Henry Gale is an other!", etc. Maternity Leave should clear things up for the time being: that there are Dharma related people out there and there are people who crashed on the island like the survivors of the plane crash and Rousseau (and possibly Henry Gale too).

So I hereby request an end to the term 'Others' because its really confusing and too broad a term now, given whats been revealed in the show.

What do you think? Did I make any sense? Agree, disagree? Care for a chocolate raisin?

[Danielle]

I'm not so sure. I know that technically, we should stop calling them that, but will we? I mean, we still call the bunker "the hatch", lol. I think we'll be hearing the term "The Others" for a long long time.

[Sunan]

I disagree, but I'll gladly take your chocolate raisin.

I'll get back to this and post my full thoughts in a bit.

[Cihan]

Heh, thats a good point actually. I do prefer calling the bunker the 'hatch'. But still, thats not a confusing example. I mean when people say "Libby is an other!" I just think "Other what? Other person? Yeah, I know!".

Or something.

Anyway, people are either Dharma or they're just LOST. Thats my take and I'm sticking to it!

[Danielle]

I think that in the Lostverse "Other" means someone like Ethan, Zeke, and the rest of them. Plus, if we had to say "Libby is a DHARMA employee", it would get tiring. "Other" is easier and faster, lol.

[Cihan]

I personally say it like Jin does, "UDDER!".

I guess my main point is that people are unnesessarily confusing things by referring to everyone who wasnt on the plane an 'other' because I dont think they all fit into one category. We call the people on the plane 'survivors' or 'castaways' or 'lostaways' for a reason, to differentiate them from OTHER people who were not on the plane.

Now we can call certain people 'Dharma' employees.

And now we can call certain people 'Shipwrecked'.

I think if we keep calling people 'others' it just leads to more confusion. When people say Henry Gale is an other, what do they mean? Dharma employee, or previously shipwrecked person, or something else? This is what I get confused about.

And like I said, the latest episodes I think are a message from the writers to the fans to question what the word 'other' means and the different ways it can be used subjectively.

[Danielle]

Don't we know by now what a Lost fan means when they say someone is an Other though? We don't say "Well, duh, he's anOTHER person!" we know that they mean they're...one of the Others.

[Cihan]

buffymars said:

Don't we know by now what a Lost fan means when they say someone is an Other though? We don't say "Well, duh, he's anOTHER person!" we know that they mean they're...one of the Others.

See you're just confusing me now! I'm saying this last episode has changed what Lost fans call 'Other'. What is an Other? Is Rousseau an Other? And if not, why not? Doesnt Other = Dharma?

People are saying Libby and Henry Gale are Others and I just dont know what that means anymore because the term is thrown around so much. I mean this last episode explicately tied the ragtag bunch tiptoeing through the jungle, and also the "I want the boy!" gang, with Dharma (the fake beard and raggedy clothes, etc) so shouldnt 'Other' now mean Dharma? Rousseau is not with Dharma and she wasnt on the plane, and so now people dont call her Other anymore, so I think of her as shipwrecked.

This thread is going to keep me up at night.

[Danielle]

I don't think anyone is left now who thinks Danielle is an Other. But anyways, I think that after this episode, yeah...Other = Dharma.

[Firebert]

i dunno, it seems like there may still be something about the others, not just Dharma employies.

What's up with the Blacksmoke, and the kids walking barefoot, and that fire that was burning earlier, and what's up with that computer and walt, and who is Mr. Gale?

I think a lot of the people we've been calling others are definitely Dharma Employies, but it seems lke there's more going on the island than dharma employies. Like the whispers and the animals. Others is a nie broad term for the people we don't know enough to classify, so i think we should maybe start calling Dharma Employees Dhamies or something like that, but i'm sure 'Others' will still be around

[Jeroen]

My theory is, there are still certain different groups.

We've got the Dharma Employees, who I'm going to call that instead of Others from now on, and referring to that, you've got a good point.
We've got the bare-footed group, whom I think do not belong to the Dharma employees.
Next to those, I think Rousseau is a group of her own. At least, she does not belong to anyone.

Now, what I think of Gale can be concluded to this; He's lying. I think he did not get on the island by balloon. I think he was sent to spy on the losties or he accidentally stepped into a trap set up by Rousseau.

So, I'm sticking with Others, if I may, but for another group than most people here use it.

[jacksloststepkid]

Well,

Honestly, as long as the characters in the show refer that that mysterious group that they've had problems with as Others, it is completely legitimate to call them the same.

I think where it is getting confusing is that it is becoming clear that the others may either be one group, tied to Dharma or possible a set of groups. As we get to know more and more about this we may be able to apply more specific labels to each of these groups, but to me they are still Others.

Anyway, I agree with Jeroen. I think Ethan, Zeke, and Goodwyn are all a part of a group that is tied to Dharma and Hanso somehow.

I do think the barefoot people are probably another group. A group that is infected by the disease. I think the purpose of the disguise has nothing to do with fooling the Losties, but instead has something to do with the relationship between the barefoot folk and Dharma. Just as the Dharma/Hanso Others infiltrated the Losties by "disguising" themselves like a plan crash victim, perhaps they infiltrate the infected barefoot Others as well by dressing like them.

Some things that make me think this.

1. I don't think the sickness causes death - remember that Rousseau killed her people, not the sickness. So, assuming that the island draws people to it somehow (blackrock and other crashes there), then there are obviously sick survivors. Rousseau says herself that the Others she met were carriers of the sickness.

2. I think the Dharma people are there to study things on the island. One of which is this sickness - perhaps that is why they infiltrate the sick barefoot others and need to be disguised to look like them, while remaining immune by using the vaccine.

3. This is the best reason I can think of for the disguises. Why worry about disguises with the plane crash people and making them think they were in tatters? I've heard a bunch of ideas around this, but none have really been that satisfactory. If we assume that eventually the Losties will get sick and integrate with the other sick Others, then keeping a facade to the Losties might also make sense as well. Why let the losties know there is more than just the sick Others.

Regarding Gale - I'm not sure. The abc podcast sure seems like they are hinting that HG is what he is saying he is, and lord knows that they have been pretty open about many things. Everything I see in the show though really makes me agree with you Jeroen, he is lying about something for sure.

JLSK

[Jeroen]

I exalt you for that! ;D

I think combining the Others with the illness is a good thought. And yes, the official podcast did really point out that Gale might be telling the truth, but I still think they're fooling everyone at this point.

[lieutenantspeirs]

If we can believe the previews, Ana-Lucia says to HG, "We'd better find the balloon, or else."

Then the answer will come to us, hopefully.