Widmore, Dharma and the Swan Station

I think that, in the beginning, the original Dharma Intiative, as created by the DeGroots were able to live peacefully with the islands natives. They shared a common goal, which was to solve the Valenzetti equation and assure the future of humanity. They observed and studied the island phenomena as part of their research into changing the equation.



However soon the DI needed more funds than Hanso was able to give to it, so a third party was called in, Charles Widmore.



Charles Widmore agreed to fund the DI’s projects in exchange for the rights to any research of ‘commercial interest’ which was conducted on the island. In a nut shell Widmore had the run of all the DI facilities and the rights to any marketable discoveries made by the DI.



I think that the Swan Station housed one of these discoveries. As the producers commented once that the others ‘were not aware of the inner workings of the swan’, I am proposing that the Swan remaining intact and the button pushing continuing gave Widmore some kind of benefit, perhaps it powered some off-island project of his I’m not sure exactly what as we haven’t had the low-down on what the Swan actually was yet.



But one thing I am pretty sure of is that after Ben took control of the island, a deal was made between he and Widmore. Widmore would stay away from the island, as long as the Swan continued to function. To Ben it was the lesser of two evils, he agreed not to interfere with the Swan, as he knew that Widmore would eventually come to the island and take it back using whatever force it took.



This was why Ben manipulated Locke into not pushing the button, this way he could take out the Swan and then claim it was nothing to do with him but the work of meddling outsiders instead.



This is why I believe that the freighter arrived when it did, it wasn’t that they located it because of the magnetic anomaly, but that the discharge indicated to Widmore that the deal had been broken, perhaps this was even part of ‘the rules’ Ben mentioned and was why Widmore decided to allow Keamy to waive ‘the rules’?



Theres also another thing that supports this theory, which is Toms answer to the question of why the others did not take Ben to a hospital in the real world to be treated for his cancer. Jack asked Tom that question and Tom began to explain that they would have normally done that, ‘but since the sky turned purple…’ and then he was cut off and we then assumed that he meant they were unable to travel to the real world using the submarine anymore. Though it now looks pretty much like the submarine never was their means of travel. Could he have meant that it would be too dangerous to do that, as people would be looking for Ben?



Well I don’t know if this will play out in a future season, but there has to be a good explanation as to why the Swan was left untouched by the Purge and up to now that’s my best guess.

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a lot to think about. very good.

For me, this theory seems to overlook 'the incident', which from a Dharma perspective is crucial to the understanding of The Swan Station.

The idea that it serves a purpose off the Island is certainly one I have never heard before, though. Original. (Not saying I agree, but I gotta respect originality in a well-worn area like The Swan Station.)

I also give you extra brownie points for calling it The Swan, and not 'the hatch'.