Barracks
From Lostpedia
The Barracks is a secure residential base area on the Island comprising houses and other surface buildings with electricity and water service, plus an unknown number of underground facilities. Originally constructed by the DHARMA Initiative, the Others took control after the Purge, using the Barracks served as their home and base of operations on the Island. The Others abandoned the barracks in "Left Behind". When the survivors split in "The Beginning of the End", Locke's group resided in the Barracks until the mercenary force from the Kahana attacked in "The Shape of Things to Come". It is currently abandoned. According to Ben's radio tower map, it is south of the Pearl.
Contents |
History - The DHARMA Initiative
The DHARMA Initiative used the Barracks primarily to house the staff of the initiative on the Island.
DHARMA School
The DHARMA Initiative included a school to educate children of DHARMA workers in the barracks. Horace states that the school offers a "good education" in a conversation with Roger.
The school is equipped with a siren system that alerts the class if there is an incident involving the Hostiles. It appears that the classes have a set routine in this event, which involves the children chaining the entrance, and taking cover in a corner of the room. The teacher, Olivia, also has quick access to a rifle, and obvious familiarity with how to use it.
The walls of the schoolroom are decorated with handdrawings of the DHARMA logo, as well as a drawing of a girl swimming with a dolphin, some smaller fish, and the submarine. The picture is labeled, "Me and my fish." (Season 3 DVD)
In "The Man Behind the Curtain", the students are learning about how volcanoes work.
Main Hall
Newcomers to the Island would be welcomed in the main hall. It is here where they would undertake an induction process, beginning with the barracks video. Following this the new members would be assigned their professions, their tasks and duties. Once this had taken place they would then be members of the DHARMA Initiative. There is also a station where a Staff doctor/member gave injections to the arrivals, presumably for the sickness. It is here where Ben first met Annie.
This area was likely dismantled or destroyed, the docks were the same style in both episodes that the docks were visible, but the structure is only visible during the flashbacks.
Playground
The playground is the outside field which all the buildings in the barracks surround and was built for children members of the DHARMA Initiative. When Ben was young, he and his friend Annie used to play at the playground. This was the place where Annie gave Ben the two dolls as a birthday present. Much later, Jack is seen playing football with Tom at this place in "Par Avion". Later Sayid is held captive here in "The Man from Tallahassee", chained to a nearby swing set for 3 days, as Juliet reports in "Left Behind". Ryan Pryce guarded Sayid at the Playground. When arriving at the Barracks, Miles noted that they had a playground and sarcastically asked if they had a daycare. ("The Economist")
Harbor and wharf
The harbor is within a short walking distance of the barracks. It is notable for the wharf that sits on its shores. It is not nearly as big as the Pala Ferry pier, and only looks big enough to house one vessel at a time. The Submarine was stored here as of "The Man from Tallahassee". The body of water is shown in full light in "One of Us". There's a boathouse on the waterfront.
Transport
DHARMA workmen were able to travel quickly from the Barracks to other locations using a series of DHARMA Vans. Travel consisted primarily to stations on the Island such as the Pearl. The vans were often use to transport food and other materials in deliveries. Workmen were those who would make these deliveries.
The Purge
The DHARMA Initiative engaged in a long-running conflict with a group on the Island known as the Hostiles. The conflict ended when the hostiles, in alliance with certain staff of the Initiative including Ben Linus, released a toxic gas. The gas killed most of the DHARMA staff at the Barracks. Afterward, the Barracks was taken over by the Others, a group that consisting of the Hostiles, ex-DHARMA personnel, and people recruited in the outside world.
Currently
The survivors' discovery of the Barracks began when Sayid found a map in the Flame with the location marked on it. According to Sayid, the map showed "electrical and data cabling running from the Flame... to a place called the Barracks". He also said that the barracks were "comprised of houses and dormitories, with water and power, large enough to accommodate an entire community." He correctly surmised that this is the location of the Others' home. ("Enter 77")
The Others have since left the Barracks for the temple. Locke's group was settled at the Barracks ("The Economist"), but have now fled due to an attack by the Freighter mercenaries. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
Location
The Barracks are located on the main island at the base of some hills. In the opening scene of "A Tale of Two Cities", Ben says that Goodwin can make it to the tail crash site within an hour if he hurries, demonstrating that the location is not very far from that portion of the coastline.
The DHARMA cabling map shows that the Barracks is southwest of the Flame station. It is also known that there was road access to the Swan and the Pearl stations from the Barracks.
The orientation video for the Pearl station instructed DHARMA staff return to the Barracks via the Pala ferry at the end of their shifts. This suggests that the sea route to the Barracks from the Pearl is somehow preferable to the land route.
Ben's Radio Tower Map shows the relative locations of the beach camp, the Pearl, Radio Tower and the Barracks. And by inference, it also shows the position of the Flame. However, the map is problematical in that the relative distances between sites do not seem to match up with observed travel in the show. The map also does not properly overlay onto Rousseau's maps.
Based on the mile markers on the bottom of the DHARMA cabling map, the Barracks is roughly 1 mile across.
Layout
Using the DHARMA cabling map as a reference, along with images so far seen of the area, it appears that there are 18 yellow buildings, all built in a similar style:
- A cluster of 6 structures on the western side. One building seems to be close to the termination for the western tunnel.
- Another cluster of 6 on the southern side. The easternmost building seems to be close to the termination point for the eastern tunnel. The houses of Ben and Juliet are in this cluster.
- A cluster of 5 between these and on the northern side of the main road. The northernmost building seems to be near the termination for the northwestern tunnel. Jack's house was on the southern side of this cluster.
- A larger lone structure to the east.
These buildings are arranged in a circular pattern around a central picnic area with a lone Norfolk pine tree, and a nearby white gazebo. There are only footpaths (no roads) between the houses.
The DHARMA cabling map details of the Barracks inside the sonar fence are taken from the set design materials. The map reflects the actual layout and buildings of the YMCA camp that the production uses for filming exteriors of the Barracks.
The long distance images of the Barracks seen in "A Tale of Two Cities" were artifically generated and do not match up with the layout of the actual sets. This can best seen in examining the differences between the arrangement of the buildings around the gazebo in the close-in shots versus the layout seen in the distance shots. It can be assumed that the layout of the YMCA camp represents a portion of the Barracks, but it is unclear if there are meant to be other buildings beyond the physical layout of the camp.
The Others' society
The Others seem to have constructed a tight-knit community in the barracks. They have all of the conveniences of modern living, such as electricity, plumbing, ovens, relatively new books, and CD players. This indicates that they are able to receive goods from off the Island. They also seem to have recreational leisure activities, as people can be seen biking as well as playing football in "Par Avion". The community also has a book club. Although it is still unknown exactly how many Others were housed in the Barracks, Jack, who spent several days there, implies in "Left Behind" that he believed about fifty people to have been living there.
Juliet's house
Juliet's house is located in the barracks and is where the book club is held ("A Tale of Two Cities"). It is a yellow, one story house.
In Lost: The Official Magazine Volume 1, Issue 9, official art by Scott Cobb shows Juliet's house having wooden roof beams, a television set, a dining room table, and the area where the book club discuss. A kitchen is also seen, as well as a hallway leading into what is presumably the bedroom and bathroom. As stated by Ben when he gave Juliet the house, there are two bedrooms and two bathrooms. ("The Other Woman")
In "Eggtown", in this house Hurley was closed up in a closet.
Some of Juliet's possessions include:
- "Downtown", a song by Petula Clark, which she played before the book club meeting.
- Speaking in Tongues, an album by Talking Heads, which was placed in another CD case.
- Carrie by Stephen King, Juliet's favorite book.
Ben's house
Ben's house is located in the Barracks. Ben is seen exiting it to watch Flight 815 break apart in "A Tale of Two Cities". It has since been refitted to make access and living easier for a wheelchair-bound Ben, including a motorized bed shown in "The Man from Tallahassee". In the same episode, Locke makes note of all the modern conveniences that the Others seem to enjoy, such as electricity, running water, and "chicken in the fridge".
The house's basement is grayer and more industrial looking than the floor above it. Ben used it to hold Locke's father, Anthony Cooper, ("The Man from Tallahassee") and Locke used it to imprison Ben. ("Eggtown")
A large, heavy bookcase on the ground floor of Ben's house conceals a passage to a secret closet. The room contains bundles of cash in a variety of currencies, multiple passports for Ben Linus, and shoes and clothing suitable for the outside world. ("The Economist") The room also has a thick, heavy barrier that drops down to seal the entrance from the house. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
Behind the row of Ben's suit jackets in the secret closet lies yet another hidden door, this one made of stone with carvings and appearing to be very old. Where this door leads to is unknown, but it apparently has some connection to the Monster. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
Following the breakup of the Oceanic Flight 815 survivors into factions, Locke took Ben's house for his own. ("Eggtown")
Behind one of the paintings in his living room, Ben has a safe, in which he keeps two objects: A videotape labeled "Red Sox", which has a recording of Charles Widmore beating up a blindfolded man, and a very thin folder which Ben claims has everything he knows about Widmore.("The Other Woman")
Jack's house
Jack lived with the Others as part of their society while he looked after Ben, and saw him back to better health after his surgery. The Others allowed Jack to live in one of their houses during his stay. This house was rigged with security cameras, so that they could continuously monitor Jack. The house contains a small corridor along with a main living space that includes a piano. ("The Man from Tallahassee") It is unknown who lived here before Jack, but it was presumably one of the Others who were killed prior to his arrival, such as Ethan or the Picketts.
Claire's house
Claire lived in a home that was apparently opposite Ben's home. It was destroyed when a mercenary shot an RPG at it.
Recreation room
The recreation room appears to be a room full of recreational activities for people. Among the collection is a backgammon game, pool table, a foosball table, the board game Mouse Trap, and two arcade games. Kate is held captive in this room by the Others in "The Man from Tallahassee" and "Left Behind".
Locke's group later held Ben and Sayid captive in the room. ("The Economist")
Boat house
The boat house is a small cabin beside a harbor near the barracks. It appears to be mainly a storage room for life jackets, ropes, nets and other boat related items. Locke used it to keep Miles prisoner. ("Eggtown")
Security perimeter (sonar fence)
The Barracks are completely surrounded by a hypersonic barrier that can injure or kill anyone who passes through it. The DHARMA Initiative referred to it as a sonar fence. The intensity of the fence can be adjusted and sections can be deactivated by typing a code into a keypad on certain pylons.
The DHARMA Initiative orientation film at the Barracks stated that its purpose was to keep the abundant wildlife of the Island out. The barrier was later shown to be able to keep out the Monster.
Design and Conception
| “ |
Zack Grobler The village had no roads, no telephone or electric poles to explain how the Others could live in their little Utopian community. Initially I scouted for streets and cul-de-savs with the locations manager Jim Triplett, and then we started talking about how they would live on an island without vehicles, etc. That's when we realized we should look for camping grounds where we could create a world without all the spoils of modernization. The village of the Others was a makeover of a camp on the North Shore of Oahu. We painted the houses, added porches and details, and even an extra story to Ben's House. To make the camp look idyllic, we watered the lawn for weeks before shooting, and even painted some dry patches with environmentally friendly green dye! (Revelations) | ” |
Trivia
- According to Ben's maps, the Barracks is just south of the Pearl.
- Before the name of the location was revealed, it was given the names "Otherville", "Othersville", and "Utopiaville" by fans. Further nicknames were "Bennsylvania" and "Losteria Lane".
- The production design notes call it "Othersville" and "Ext. Suburbia" (Season 3 DVD)
- The producers' nickname for it is "New Otherton". (Season 3 DVD)
- The "New Otherton" name was finally used onscreen by Sawyer in "There's No Place Like Home, Part 1".
- The Barracks was first mentioned in "?", in the Pearl's orientation video. This was a season before the Barracks first appeared in "A Tale of Two Cities".
- Close inspection of the zoom out at the end of the opening scene of "A Tale of Two Cities" reveals a dove, flying over.
- Ethan Rom is seen underneath Juliet's house, repairing the plumbing. The plumbing that Ethan is working on is typically seen in houses with well water. ("A Tale of Two Cities")
- The pine tree is a Norfolk Island Pine, genus Araucaria heterophylla, fairly common on the Island of Oahu, where the show has many filming locations. These trees were often planted on tropical islands by early sailors to be available for ship masts, and are well adapted to tropical climates.
- There are speakers along the pathways, which are similar to or exactly the same as the Hydra Station's speakers at the cages where Sawyer, Kate and Karl were kept.
- Also lining the pathways are what appear to be solar powered garden lights.
- There are a number of posts with security cameras and floodlights.
- The filming location is at the YMCA Camp Erdman in Hawaii - (Source: Lostvirtualtour, The Economist-Enhanced transcript)
- The Lost crew painted all the houses yellow before filming.
- The crew also installed the gazebo.
- Ben lives close to Juliet.
- Ben's house has two stories, unlike the other houses. The second story is actually a false front attached to a one-story house.
- On Ben's bookshelf can be seen The Quran, Red Man's Religion and Kings of Love.
- The Barracks has no telephone or electrical poles, though it does have electricity, which indicates the presence of underground power distribution.
- In "The Beginning of the End", Locke states that he is going to the barracks, as it is the safest place on the island.
- The following interiors at the Barracks have all been shot at the YMCA Camp Eardman assembly hall. The assembly hall is reconfigured internally with different size partitions to pass for the different locations.
- DHARMA school
- Recreation room
- Fireplace building
- Main hall
Notable Visitors
All of the Others and the Dharma Initiative have lived here for a considerable amount of time so they won't be listed here.
|
| ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture | Name | Status | Reason for Visit | |||||||
 | Jack | Alive | Was the first survivor of Oceanic Flight 815 to visit the Barracks. Jack lived here with the Others for a week or so whilst he took care of Ben. | |||||||
 | Kate | Alive | Was one of the first survivors to "discover" this location on her A-Mission to save Jack. Kate then spent two days in the company of Locke#s group a few weeks later. | |||||||
 | Sayid | Alive | Was one of the first survivors to "discover" this location on his A-Mission to save Jack. | |||||||
 | Locke | Deceased in future | Was one of the first survivors to "discover" this location on his A-Mission to save Jack. A few weeks later he returned with a small group of people to live here because they knew the freighter people weren't here to rescue them. Locke lived in Ben's house until the attack by Keamy's mercenaries, he then went off with Ben and Hurley to recieve orders from Jacob. | |||||||
 | Danielle | Deceased | Was one of the first survivors to "discover" this location on her A-Mission to save Jack (and possibly her daughter). Danielle returned with the rest of Locke's group to live there, left with Karl and Alex for The Temple, was killed by mercenaries under the command of Martin Keamy. | |||||||
 | Sawyer | Alive | Was living here with the rest of Locke's group,Survived the attack by the mercenaries and deieded to go back to the Beach with Jack's group. Brought Claire,Aaron,and Miles with him. | |||||||
 | Hurley | Alive | Was living here with the rest of Locke's group until the invasion of the mercenaries, he escaped and went with Ben and Locke to recieve orders from Jacob. | |||||||
 | Claire | Alive | Was living here with the rest of Locke's group until the Barracks was attacked, was almost killed when her house was destroyed by a mercenary's RPG and went back to the beach with her baby,Sawyer,and Miles. | |||||||
 | Aaron | Alive | Was living here with the rest of Locke's group, escaped the attack on the Barracks and went back to the beach along with Claire,Sawyer,and Miles | |||||||
 | Miles | Alive | Arrived to retrieve Charlotte, a fellow member of his group, however he was captured and was held in the boathouse, escaped the attack by Keamy's mercenaries and went with Sawyer,Claire, and her baby | |||||||
 | Martin Keamy | Deceased | Arrived with his mercenary force to flush out the Barracks and capture Ben Linus, The Monster's attack killed at least one of the mercenaries, and injured another one badly. They headed towards the chopper with Frank Lapidus when last seen. | |||||||
 | Omar | Deceased | Arrived under Keamy's leadership to flush out the Barracks and capture Ben Linus. Omar survived the Monster's attack, and returned to the Kahana with the mercenaries. | |||||||
The four unnamed survivors, and Steve of Locke's group have also visited and were living at the Barracks, until the attack by the freighter mercenaries, which at least three were killed.
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
|---|
|
- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Barracks/Theories
- Why did the Others leave the Barracks?
- Why does Ben's house have a whole underground "facility" and hidden room?
- What happened to the other DHARMA vans after the Purge, considering the survivors have only found one?
- Why don't the survivors go to live in the Barracks after they are abandoned?
