Especially considering that in Ben's case it was at least meant to be creepy...

Quite. Incidentally, I found an explanation for Ben's lapse into sounding like bad fanfic with that sentence: clearly, growing up on that island with the Dharma folk and Richard H. in the woods meant he got his relationship education via the bodice ripper novels Annie lent him...

I guess Mr. Paik is both more practical and a little more clear-headed where his daughter is concerned. Additionally, Desmond is a bit too flakey to really make a good thug.

And now I want someone to write the story where Paik and Widmore meet and, err, exchange views on their daughters' significant others and how to handle them!

Of course, come to think of it, we have Ben as a third qualified party in such a conversation. If, you know, he and Widmore didn't want to kill each other. Since Ben's method of dealing with his daughter's boyfriend seems to be keeping said boyfriend in a cage and/or brainwash him with really bad music...

Florida con stuff: so I take it we were deprived of a Petrelli family scene which would have further explained why Heidi left Nathan in favour of the Telenovela in various South American states? *sigh*

Anyway, I imagine the "vest" hint makes you happy on account of a set-up being your favourite theory, right?