Ben can't go back?

Ben said in the finale that he can never go back to the island. But just what does he mean by that?
There are several possibilties:

1. He actually cannot go back...In other words, Jacob/island will not ALLOW him to physically return to the island. It would seem this is some kind of punishment

2. Maybe it is some result of leaving the island in the manner shown. Pehaps the time traveling/paper mache' wheel changes someone physically which prevents them from going back.

3. Maybe he can't return because he simply has no idea where the island is.

I'd like to believe #3 but I think #1 is more likely. I think #2 is least likely.

#1 because: Mostly because he tells Locke that he can never return after he moves the island and because he was seen fighting back tears of despair just before he finishes turning the wheel. While Ben can never truely be counted on to tell us what is actually going on, his moment of tearful despair just before he did the deed (I thought that was the best moment of the finale-hokey set notwithstanding) has to be seen as genuine as he was alone at the time and had no reason to act heartbroken about leaving the island.

#2. Eh, maybe. Lost may give us some pseudo-scientific answer but it would be really unsatisfying.

#3. This the answer I personally prefer because I WANT to see Ben get back to the island and I think we will eventually see that happen. The only evidence that this is the case would be his telling Widmore (in his London flat) that the hunt was on for both of them. Not just him finding Penny and Widmore finding the island but BOTH of them finding the island instead? Also, he told Jack that he "had a few ideas"...could he mean plans about getting all of them back to the island, including him?

There is, of course, another possibility in regards to why Ben said he could never return...He's lying.

I agree I think it #3! I think Ben will manipulate Jack into getting everyone back by the end of next season and Ben will somehow hitch a ride with them.

Yeah. Maybe he has an idea of how to get back and where it might be, but he needs the other "accepted" people to get back and he'll squeeze on in

Yeah, I really can't imagine the show without Ben getting back to the island with the rest of them.

Perhaps getting the Losties back to the island will redeem Ben in the eyes of Jacob/island and allow him to go back.

but if ben goes back he will have nothing left. the others are like dogs following their leader, john wont give up that authority but i suppose its where ben belongs.

Moefy, does Ben's status on the island change if Locke really is dead?

I vote for option 4 "let's just say I wasn't being entirely truthful".

If Richard can travel too and from the island than why couldn't he just go to Ben and tell him where the island is? Even if the island moved forward 8 months, couldn't, in 8 months when Ben's time caught up with the island's Richard just tell him? Do other people travel back and forth that we know of? Even with Locke now heading up the others surely Ben has some use. What am I missing?

LLY: I thinkt that is a really good point: either a) Alpert's agenda is separate from Ben's, and their falling out separates Ben from the island (this would explain why Alpert doesn't go and meet Ben)or b) Alpert and Ben are playing some deeper game and Ben while not estranged is using his estrangement to persuade the 6 to go back [maybe the show fills in this blank with a flashback with Ben and Richard discussing plans for the island]. I go with option a because it would make no sense to let the 6 off the island, only to have to bring them back (unless they are required to want to be on the island).

Didn't Richard help Ben in the Season Finale? I didn't know they had a falling out....I think whatever happened on the island after they left is the reason the 06 have to go back. Locke obviously screwed up and I really think Jack ends up being the true leader on the island. I don't think Ben new that when he let them leave...I think he thought it was locke. But that still doesn't answer the question.

Sorry LLY: Im assuming that their must be a reason why Alpert lets him go. Remember that last season (season 3) Alpert was pushing John against Ben (for example giving Locke Sawyer's file). Ben knew his time was up. I dont think that this assumption is unreasonable.

Ben is using the 06 to get back to the island.

I think Ben knew that he would need the 06 off the island in the future. I dont think it is an accident that they got off the island. I wrote my rationale for why I think so in the post "Why Ben works so fast ...." But that is my only evidence.

If the island moved to the future, Ben would need 1.21 gigawatts of electricity to propel a Delorian to his destination and the only power source capable of generating that level of energy is a bolt of lightening.

This is the gospel according to Doc Brown.

Sorry. No lightening bolts to spare, as they are all busy powering the panopticon.

I think option #1 is the most likely. That the act of turning the wheel has the physical purpose of moving the Island, but it also serves a symbolic purpose of casting out the Island Chief to make permanent way for the 'new order'.

If it was something as 'simple' as not knowing where the Island is going to move on to I doubt Ben would weep so bitterly as he did. He'd just devote his life to finding the Island again (and his remark to Widmore, not long after leaving the Island, suggested to me that he knew where the Island had moved to).

AngeloComet wrote:I think option #1 is the most likely. That the act of turning the wheel has the physical purpose of moving the Island, but it also serves a symbolic purpose of casting out the Island Chief to make permanent way for the 'new order'.

If it was something as 'simple' as not knowing where the Island is going to move on to I doubt Ben would weep so bitterly as he did. He'd just devote his life to finding the Island again (and his remark to Widmore, not long after leaving the Island, suggested to me that he knew where the Island had moved to).

I knew I went with option 1, but until reading this I wasn't sure why. I think your spot on with the island casting out the island chief to make way for a new order. So he can go back, if the island allows it. Perhaps in bringing the 06 back Ben will earn a nice retirement on the island.