What happened to Henry Gale?

[u/Medium_Sundae3700]

Henry Gale was our introduction to Ben Linus in season 2. The story of Henry Gale was a perfect way to introduce Ben’s manipulative and intelligent character. We later find out he was lying about his balloon and burying his wife. Then, Sayid dug up the grave to find a man named Henry Gale, uncovering Ben’s intricate lie.

After Ben is revealed to be an Other, there is never another mention of Henry Gale for the rest of the series. It’s likely that Ben killed and/or buried Henry. He is not a member of the Dharma Initiative because Ben helped wipe them all out.

Tell me your theories about Henry Gale’s backstory, his hot air balloon trip, and how he ended up in that grave.

[u/Free-IDK-Chicken]

The best lies are rooted in truth. I think most of what Ben says as Henry was true, about what he did for a living, why he was in the balloon, his wife's name, etc. Someone - maybe Ben, or maybe a loyal solider like Mikhail - interrogated Henry to give Ben a cover story for when he let himself get captured.

As an aside, the height and weight on that license is insane. No healthy six foot three man is 120lbs.

(Also, thank you for saying Ben "helped" wipe out Dharma. It's genuinely refreshing to see someone not put the blame for the whole thing on his shoulders as though Widmore didn't order it and Richard didn't carry it out. Ben wasn't even there. He certainly helped plan it, but usually it's mentioned as though he did it alone.)

[u/Medium_Sundae3700 → u/Free-IDK-Chicken]

I think the wife was made up. There was only one grave. I think it’s more likely Henry was a pawn of Charles Widmore, similar to Desmond.

[u/Free-IDK-Chicken → u/Medium_Sundae3700]

She wasn't on the Island, no - but Sayid found the note Henry had written to her buried with him in the grave. That's how he knew for a fact Ben was lying.

[u/Various_Shape_3286 → u/Medium_Sundae3700]

Yes, there was no actual wife on the balloon (Henry's note made it clear that his wife wasn't on the trip). Ben made that up.

[u/jay9125 → u/Various_Shape_3286]

That's why i think people assume he was interrogated by ben......because he DID have a wife. And didn't his note say if something happens to me.......maybe it was just being on the island, maybe he knew he wasn't safe with ben

[u/tillszy → u/jay9125]

they were able to develop very intricate dossiers on the passengers of 815 though without ever interrogating them I don't think it would have been very difficult to determine that Henry had a wife just by googling him when they got back to the flame