Lost profile: The Dharma Initiative

May 3, 3:12 PMLost ExaminerMolly Lemick

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 The first face of the Dharma Initiative became a key role in the character's lives

Ever since the second season, the Dharma Initiative has been a lingering question and as it turns out, the only way to get answers about them was to go back to their time. Season 5 has shed some light on the Dharma people in their early days before the mass murder that "purged" the island of these intruders. Here's what we know thus far:

The treaty: We know how much the Others hate having people use their land. They even kidnapped Kate to threaten the 815ers who intruded of their territory. We didn't see the first days of the Dharma, so we don't know what a battle there had been, but in 1977, there is a treaty that keeps things calm in the jungle. However, the treaty is very specific, and even the slightest misstep could create a war...maybe even the war Charles Widmore predicted and warned Locke about. Basically the treaty says they have to stay on their side of the island, and not disturb the Others in their home. But the hatch is technically being built on Other territory, so once this breach is discovered, there may be serious ramifications.

The people: Recurring characters in the Dharma Initiative include Amy, Horace, and a stick in the mud named Phil. Horace is their leader (he's their Richard!) and Amy is his wife who just had their baby boy, Ethan. Yes, the same Ethan who later joins up with the Others and kidnaps Claire. Traitor! Phil is a security guy who works with Sawyer, and he is suspicious which has since resulted in the time traveling 815ers being arrested and possibly thrown into Dharma jail. Ben and his dad are also running around, and now we have faces and names to put with the heap of dead bodies Ben wracked up and showed to Locke like a trophy. Except for the suspicious Phil and the annoying Radzinsky, who builds and kills himself in the hatch, Dharma seem to be lovely and almost cult like people. But not all is well in Dharmaville as the group voted to kill prisoner Sayid, and also because of their intrusion onto Other land. Sawyer, Juliet, and Miles have been a part of Dharma for 3 years, but that shouldn't last too long. Faraday also worked as an off-island scientist for the Initiative before his untimely death.

Pierre Chang (aka Marvin Candle, aka Dharma Video Guy) also lives among the Dharma people and was revealed to have a son...who will one day grow up to be Miles. The connection was mentioned to the Doctor, but Miles said nothing due to the future absence of his dad.

The mission: It isn't entirely clean what the main goal of the Dharma Initiative is. They came to the island because of it's unique properties that could heal the sick, and it's limitless energy that could lead to time travel. But what was the main goal when they picked the island as their base? More on this should be learned as the season progresses and hopefully all will be answered as the show ends.

The Purge: We know that sooner or later, Young Ben is going to orchestrate a mass murder of the Dharma Initiative and one day become the leader of all on the island. Not all are going to die in the Purge, like Ethan for instance. But sooner or later, they will all end up in that ditch. But will the future be changed by the 815ers, and if so, will the Dharma people ever know that a traitor is in their midst? Will they survive and conquer the Others in a twist of fate?

In the final weeks of the season, more will be learned about the Dharma Initiative, and we can also expect to see their bad side as they turn against our heroes.