Widmore's Goal by EmilyG

I think Widmore's goal is to control---not kill---the Monster. After all, it's one thing to take power on the Island; keeping it is a whole other matter. If Widmore controls Smokey (really controls, not just summoning it a la Ben) then no one would dare oppose him. But how to leash such a creature? I think the answer lies in the double-locked room: Widmore has imprisoned Smokey's kid, Desmond Hume, and plans on using him to control his demigod Daddy.

Thematically, it makes sense for either Jacob or the MIB to have a child. We know Jacob's touch does weird things to people, so having a kid might not even be possible for him. Smokey, however, can take human form, is adamant that he was once a man, and is really, really pissed off about something. Moreover, manipulating a parent by threatening his/her child is a running theme on this show: Ben used Walt to manipulate Michael, Ben used Aaron to manipulate Surrogate Mommy Kate, Smokey used Aaron to manipulate Claire, Keamy tried to use Alex to manipulate Ben, etc., etc.

We know nothing at all about Desmond's parents or birth. We do know, however, that the ultra-violent Widmore has been strangely reluctant to raise a hand to Desmond. We also know that the Others, who had been living in the jungle for decades, for some reason decided to take advantage of the sonic fence after killing DHARMA; moreover, Jacob, who brought everyone to the Island, allowed Widmore to be banished for reasons that make very little sense (given what we know about Jacob's off-island shenanigans). I think the MIB somehow had a kid (maybe with an unwitting woman from DHARMA?) and Widmore, as Leader of the Others, had the kid spirited away from the Island. Smokey was so pissed that the Others were forced to the Barracks (as their previous keep-away methods were no longer sufficient, given Smokey's rage). Jacob allowed Widmore's banishment because Smokey blamed Widmore personally and Jacob could no longer protect Widmore from Smokey's wrath. Smokey starts preventing pregn! ant women from conceiving and giving birth on-island because his own child was taken from him (he can't affect babies conceived off-island because he himself is trapped and his power can't reach off-island). Richard knows this (and doesn't tell Ben), which is why he dismisses Ben's fertility investigations as wasteful. He knows that only the baby's return---only Desmond's return---can pacify the Monster.

Widmore manipulates Desmond back onto the Island, thinking this might pacify Smokey enough to allow him to return. But it's been decades, and Smokey doesn't recognize his kid. (Just like Claire kept thinking of Aaron as a baby, even though three years had passed.) Desmond escapes and flat-out orders Widmore to give him Eloise Hawking's address. Notice how relatively painlessly Widmore acquieses---perhaps because he must. He doesn't allow his bodyguards to even threaten Desmond because part of him is terrified of what Desmond is capable of. Widmore warns him to take Penelope and hide, in a last-ditch effort to keep Desmond from joining the others on Ajira 316 (and thereby remove himself from Widmore's grasp---no way would he have let Desmond and Penny hide again after this).

I think Charlie Hume is a key element here. We've had a running theme of mad mothers (Claire, Danielle, MIB's mother) and of women going insane because of what their boyfriends/husbands did to them (Theresa). Books, movies, etc. are filled with tales of women who give birth to the children of gods and are driven insane by the experience. (I'm reminded of the HBO series Carnivale, for example---for each generation there was a Child of Darkness and a Child of Light, and the women who gave birth to each were driven insane.) If Widmore is tied to Ben, then maybe part of his purpose in separating Desmond from Penny mirrors Ben's purpose in separating Karl from Alex---fear of pregnancy. Maybe Widmore feared that Penelope would be driven insane or even killed if she gave birth to Desmond's child. That's why the first thing Widmore did was ask if Penelope was safe---not just from Ben, but also from what Desmond himself could do to her. That might also be why Eloise did a double take! when she saw Charlie Hume, why she later seemed to taunt Widmore about going into the hospital and "saying hello" to the people inside.

Ben wounded Desmond and Widmore headed to LA, kidnapping the weakened man, drugging him, and locking him up on the sub. When Smokey inevitably heads to Hydra Island to confront Widmore, Widmore will play his trump card: either Smokey becomes his slave or he'll harm Smokey's son.