There is so much to write about this week it is hard to know where to begin...but I guess I’ll start with the flash-sideways story. What a perfect way to open this part of the story. European History teacher, Dr. Linus writes “ELBA” on the chalkboard and proceeds to tell the class about Napoleon’s exile:
BEN: It was on this island that everything changed. That everything finally became clear. Elba... was where Napoleon faced his greatest test. Because exile wasn't the worst of his fate. What was truly devastating to him was the loss of his power. Sure, they allowed him to keep the title of Emperor... but without any power it was meaningless. He might just as well have been dead.
The characterization sideways-Ben uses is rather ironic, as island-Ben was both exiler (usurping Charles Widmore’s leadership of The Others) and exiled (leaving the island enabling Locke to become island leader). This loss of power was indeed Ben’s greatest test and he responded with manipulation and murder (big surprise). If Ben couldn’t return to the island, he, like Napoleon, might just as well be dead. He would do anything to regain his power....a theme we would see in both storylines.
Who put chalk in my erasers?
Following his class, Ben has lunch in the teacher’s lounge with Leslie Arzt (the same guy who was blown to bits in Season 1). After a little bitch-session, an eavesdropping John Locke suggests that Ben should become the principal (I have to wonder if a similar suggestion was made to island-Ben when he ousted Widmore from power). For sideways-Ben, this is the first time anyone has every shown belief in his potential to be a leader. Again, look at the irony here (and I’ll apologize now for the overuse of this term in this entry....because this episode was dripping with irony), Locke was the one who took away Ben’s power on the island, and here, he is promoting Ben as a leader.
In the next scene Ben is attending to his ailing father. Note the irony (can’t help it) that Ben gives Roger a fresh canister of oxygen, when on the island Ben murders his old man by unleashing a canister of poison gas. After getting his fresh supply of oxygen, Ben and Roger chat a little and make the first ever sideways-universe reference to the island by any of the characters:
ROGER: This isn't the life I wanted for you, Ben. I wanted so much more.
BEN: I know.
ROGER: That's why I signed up for that damn Dharma Initiative and took you to the island, and... they were decent people. Smarter than I'll ever be. Imagine how different our lives would have been if we'd stayed.
BEN: Yes, we'd have both lived happily ever after...
ROGER: No, I'm serious, Ben! Who knows what you would have become?
Well, we know what Ben became when he stayed on the island.....a mass murder. I guess the grass isn’t always greener on Fantasy Island. This island reference though begs the question how and when did Ben and Roger leave the island? Did they depart on the submarine before the incident or did they leave some time after this? This is really important because it goes back to the question of when did the island sink? Was this a result of the nuke detonation OR did it happen later? I am of the opinion that a hydrogen bomb can’t sink an island and that it’s detonation was not the reason we’ve seen it at the bottom of the Pacific. Now that the seal is broken on the sideways connections to the island, I hope we continue to see these references develop. As of right now, it is the only this binding the two realities together.
Remember the good old DHARMA days when I used to smack you around?
Ding-dong....oh it is my favorite student, Alex, whom I stole from her mother in another life. The Alex connection is presented in the sideways timeline to show the stakes in Ben’s gambit to take over the school. Without rehashing the entire sideways-story, Ben is given a choice....the power he seeks or the happiness of his surrogate daughter. On the island, Ben chose power and it cost Alex her life. In the sideways-universe, Ben foregoes the power he so dearly desires for the good of Alex. Sideways-Ben, of course, had it in him to seize power, but his life experiences in this world did not drive him to the Machiavellian solution. I’d like to suggest that the offer made to Ben can be loosely tied to the Temptation of Christ, in which Satan tempts Christ, but Christ refuses the offers (and I’ll come back to this again in the island-story). In this sideways-universe, it is likely that Ben’s choice saves him (as much as Alex)...for once you sell your soul, redemption is pretty hard to come by. (And by the way....I am not in anyway suggesting that Ben is a Christ figure in the story. You can make a case for Locke, Hurley, Walt, Jack, etc......but not Ben.)
Before departing the sideways-universe, I’d like to point out one more thing. Note that in Alex’s e-mail to the principal, she signs it Alexandra Rousseau. She also makes a reference to her mother working two jobs to pay the rent. So, this means that Danielle Rousseau is alive and well and living in Los Angeles. I think it is a pretty safe assumption that Rousseau’s science team never landed on the island in the sideways-timeline. This means that the island had already sank before 1988 (the year of Rousseau’s island arrival). So, if my assumption that the island didn’t sink when the nuke went off is correct, then the island sank some time between 1977 and 1988. Just something to store away for future reference.
OK, let’s get to the island. Lot’s of good stuff to talk about here, but let’s continue with the Ben Linus saga. So, the show opens with a panicky Ben running through the jungle, until he encounters Team Ilana. Ben tells them that Sayid killed Dogen and the interpretor.
ILANA: Are you sure?
BEN: He was standing over their dead bodies holding a bloody dagger, so yeah, I'm pretty sure.
Classic Ben.
Before continuing on, Ilana asks Miles to do a little ghost whispering with Jacob’s ashes. He does and says that Ben killed Jacob. Ben, liar that he is, denies this.
ILANA: Are you sure?
MILES: He was standing over Jacob's body with a bloody dagger, so... yeah, I'm pretty sure.
Classic Miles.
After thanking Miles, Ilana tells Ben that “Jacob was the closest thing I ever had to a father.” To which Miles turns to Ben and says: “Uh-oh.” Miles has really become a favorite of mine...definitely the best of the freighter-folk.
Someone's got some 'splaining to do.
Anyway, I don’t want to gloss over Ilana’s line. We really don’t know much about Ilana and this is the first piece of background we have received about her. If he was like a father to her, does this mean she has lived on the island before? She certainly seems to know her way around. But she didn’t know who Richard was. If Richard has been around such a long time (and I’ll get to him shortly), how could Ilana not have met him before? I can think of one possibility: Ilana is ageless (like Richard) and was on the island BEFORE Richard. I’m not even sure I’m buying this, but I’ll throw that out as a theory. Also, note the parallel between the Jacob-father-figure-to-Ilana relationship and the Ben-father-figure-to-Alex relationship.
Ilana is pissed, so she shackles Ben to a tree an makes him dig his own grave. Ben of course tries to weasel his way out of it by trying to bribe (or maybe dupe is the better word) Miles into freeing him. To which Miles classically replies, “Why would I need your money when there are a couple of jabonies under there named Nikki and Paulo who got buried alive with 8 million dollars in diamonds on top of them?” (love that!) While Miles is primarily used for comic relief, every once in a while he throws in a significant line....and this week’s was a doozy:
BEN: I can't believe you're just gonna stand by and watch this happen. Ilana's gonna murder me for killing Jacob, a man who didn't even care about being killed!
MILES: No, he cared.
BEN: Excuse me?
MILES: Right up until the second the knife went through his heart, he was hoping he was wrong about you. I guess he wasn't.
This is HUGELY significant. In fact, it might be the most important line in the Ben character arc. Recall Jacob’s final words to Ben: “What about you?” Ben was being tested by Jacob and he failed. But Jacob wanted to believe that there was good in Ben. And now that Ben knows this, it may open the door for Ben’s redemption. A second chance.
Oh, but of course, it isn’t that simple. As Ben continues to dig, he hears the familiar tica-tica-tica that could only mean a visit from the Smoke Monster....aka MIB....aka Flocke. After a little small talk about digging ones own grave, this exchange occurs:
LOCKE: I'm gathering a group to leave this place for good. But once we're gone, someone's going to need to be in charge of the island.
BEN: Me ?
LOCKE: I can't think of a better man for the job.
I can't quit you.
Again, the devil offers up temptation. And again, Ben likes what he hears. Note that both in the flash-sideways and here it is Locke/Flocke who dangles the carrot before Ben. Now, I don’t believe for a second that Flocke intends to live up to his end of the bargain. I think that he is telling each of his potential recruits whatever it is they need to hear to follow him:
Sawyer – I know what is like to lose someone you love; let’s leave this place.
Sayid – I can bring back the one you lost.
Claire – I can take you to Aaron.
Ben – You can be leader of the island again.
He knows each one’s greatest desire and exploits it. Now, I don’t think Smokey is Satan....but he certainly uses the same playbook. And in this case, Flocke gives Ben not only the motivation, but the tools to get the job done. He unshackles Ben and provides a rifle, 200 yards into the jungle. Of course Ben thinks for a moment and then bolts for the trees.
Ilana gives chase, but Ben makes it to the rifle fast enough to get the drop on Ilana. But something very curious happens next. He doesn’t shoot Ilana (shocker for Ben). Instead he wants to explain to her why he killed Jacob:
BEN: I watched my daughter Alex die in front of me. And it was my fault. I had a chance to save her. But I chose the island over her. All in the name of Jacob. I sacrificed everything for him. And he didn't even care. Yeah I stabbed him, I was... so angry...confused...I was terrified that I was about to lose the only thing that had ever mattered to me - my power. But the thing that really mattered...was already gone. I'm sorry that I killed Jacob. I am, and I do not expect you to forgive me because...I can never forgive myself.
And for the first time ever, I believe Ben expresses real remorse. I often like to draw parallels between LOST and the Harry Potter series. Recall, my favorite Dumbledore line: “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Even knowing what Ben could do, Jacob gave him the choice (hoping that he was wrong about Ben, as Miles told us) and Ben failed. His choice defined him and has left him beaten and desperate.
ILANA: Where will you go ?
BEN: To Locke.
ILANA: Why ?
BEN: Because he's the only one that'll have me.
ILANA: I'll have you.
Every so often a line is written and delivered perfectly on LOST and this was one of those moments. I have been somewhat indifferent towards Ilana, but this episode and specifically this line, made me a fan. Ilana could have simply let Ben leave, but it’s our choices that define us and Ilana chose to give Ben another chance. Pulling the Harry Potter thread a little bit more....Ben has always seemed to be the Severus Snape of LOST (devious, deceitful, self-serving, and vicious). Dumbledore showed tolerance of Snape and drew him in as an ally. Similarly, Ilana puts aside her disgust for Ben and shows him mercy. Clearly, she understands, like Dumbledore did, that Ben can be a powerful weapon in the upcoming war. I also have to believe that this uncommon show of kindness towards Ben will galvanize his allegiance. He may turn out to be the secret weapon of Team Jacob.
The other thing this scene brought to mind for me was one of the trailers for Season 6, which featured Willie Nelson singing “Amazing Grace”. Think about the words:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.
Ilana’s (and by extension Jacob’s) grace will lead to Ben’s salvation.
From now on, I'll only kill people when I REALLY have to.
OK, now let’s move on to the Jack/Richard/Hurley story. So Jack and Hurley are wandering through the jungle on their way to find the Temple (or at least Jack is trying to find the Temple), when they run into Richard Alpert. Richard tells them that they are going the wrong way. However, Richard was lying and leads them to the Black Rock. Richard explains what happened at the Temple. When Hurley says that Jacob had already hinted at the Temple massacre, the following transpires:
RICHARD: You spoke to Jacob?
HURLEY: Yeah.
RICHARD: Well, whatever he said... don't believe him.
Richard is losing his faith....making him a ripe potential recruit for the MIB (remember that the seeds of this doubt were, in fact, planted by Flocke, “I would never have kept you in the dark.....I would have treated you with respect.”).
Richard heads toward the ship and says that he wants to die. Inside the Black Rock, Richard examines some of the prisoner chains.
JACK: Been here before ?
RICHARD: Yes. And in all the time that I've spent on this island, today is the first time I've ever come back.
Remember that in the Season 6 premier, Flocke says to Richard, “It’s good to see you out of those chains”. It seems pretty clear to me that Richard was at some point shackled in the hull of The Black Rock. Assuming that the Black Rock was indeed a slaving ship (which we don’t actually know for sure), does this mean that Richard was a slave? This seems like the obvious solution. However, in the mid-nineteenth century nearly all slaves were black Africans. So, I can come up with three possible explanations. First, perhaps Richard was indeed an African slave when brought to the island and his sole was placed in another man’s body (similar to the MIB and Locke). Doubtful. Second, and maybe a more likely option, is that Richard was on the island before the Black Rock and was imprisoned there by the MIB. The third possibility (the one I am subscribing to) is that the Black Rock wasn’t a slaving ship at all and Richard was a prisoner on the ship in its brig. Remember that in Season 3, Locke took Sawyer to the Black Rock to kill Anthony Cooper. The name of that episode? “The Brig”. I think The Black Rock had some other purpose that has yet to be revealed....but I think it is coming. However, at the very least, all signs are pointing to it being Richard’s conveyance to the island.
So anyway, Richard grabs a stick of dynamite and says that he can’t kill himself, but he wants Jack to do it.
RICHARD: What I'm talking about Jack is that...Jacob touched me, and when Jacob touches you... well it's considered a gift... except it's not a gift at all. It's a curse.
So, you could make the simple connection that, oh, if Jacob touches you, you never age. But I don’t think that is right. I think what it means is that when Jacob touches you (and this may be a literal or figurative touch), you are chosen to play a part in his plan....it becomes your destiny....touched by the hand of God (don’t take that too literally, just as I don’t think MIB is Satan, I don’t think Jacob is God). In Richard’s case, he doesn’t age. For someone else their fate may be different....but still important.
So Jack agrees to help Richard blow himself up and lights the fuse on the dynamite. But there is a twist....Jack won’t leave. Richard may have lost his faith, but Jack, the “Man of Science”, now has enough faith for the both of them.
JACK: I just came from a lighthouse...where my name was etched in wood on a dial...that turned a mirror...that somehow reflected the image of the house I grew up in. Jacob's lighthouse. He got Hurley to bring me out there because he wanted me to see what was reflected in that mirror. For some reason he wanted me to know that he had been watching me ever since I was a kid.
RICHARD: Why?
JACK: I have no idea why. But I'm willing to bet you that if Jacob went to that trouble, that he brought me to this island for a reason, and it's not blow up sitting here with you right now.
RICHARD: That's a pretty big risk you're taking Jack.
JACK: Yes.
RICHARD: What if you're wrong?
JACK: I'm not.
Before this dynamite goes off I have to ask you....are you really wearing eyeliner?
And of course Jack was right and the fuse burned out. Jack’s journey is an amazing one. For four and a half seasons Jack fought Locke and his beliefs with every fiber of his being. Let’s go back to Season 1:
LOCKE: Do you really think all this is an accident -- that we, a group of strangers survived, many of us with just superficial injuries? Do you think we crashed on this place by coincidence -- especially, this place? We were brought here for a purpose, for a reason, all of us. Each one of us was brought here for a reason.
JACK: Brought here? And who brought us here, John?
LOCKE: The Island. The Island brought us here. This is no ordinary place, you've seen that, I know you have. But the Island chose you, too, Jack. It's destiny.
JACK: I don't believe in destiny.
LOCKE: Yes, you do. You just don't know it yet.
Locke was right. Jack is now a full-blown “Man of Faith”. He has stopped trying to control his destiny. Instead he is ready to embrace it. How can Jack NOT be Jacob’s replacement? It is gonna happen. Take it to the bank.
Jack, Hurley and Richard return to the beach (“where we started”). As they emerge from the jungle we are treated to a throw-back musical interlude reunion. When I saw it I thought that this directly mirrored another scene. As I went back to search for it, it actually is similar to two scenes. One is in Season 2, “Collision” when the tail section survivors, along with Michael, Sawyer and Jin arrive at the beach camp. The other is in Season 3 “One of Us” when Jack, Kate and Juliet return to camp. The scene in “Dr. Linus” echoes elements both of these other episodes. I love these scenes. Michael Giacchino’s (who won a well-deserved Oscar for “Up”) moving score in these sequences, pull at the emotion that the show can bring out, as I mentioned in the top of this write-up.
As we see a wide shot of this reunion (note that Ben and Richard are on the outside looking in....apart from the rest) we get a view from a periscope. Someone is coming to the island....Charles Widmore. He has found his way back. Or did someone bring him here? Jacob? The Man-in-Black? Things are really getting interesting.
Got you in my sights!
Interspersed with all the other awesomeness, are some other interesting exchanges that aren’t directly related to the three main stories I discussed above. First, lets look at the discussion that occurs when Frank tells Ben he was supposed to be the pilot of Oceanic 815, but overslept:
FRANK: Can you believe it? Imagine how different my life would be had that alarm gone off.
BEN: How different would it have been? The island still got you in the end. Didn't it?
While Frank does not appear to be a candidate, Ben is right. The island seems to want Frank there (it brought him to it twice). So far, Frank has just been along for the ride, but this exchange seems to imply that Frank still has an important role to play.
How about this exchange between Sun and Ilana:
SUN: I need to find my husband.
ILANA: Trust me, if anyone wants to find him, it's me. But I don't know where to look.
(what Ilana really meant to say is “OK!!! I got it. You’ve been saying you need to find your husband for 15 friggin’ episodes. Shut up about it already or you’ll be digging a grave next to Linus!”)
SUN: Why do you want to find Jin?
ILANA: Because your last name is Kwon. So is his. And I don't know whether I'm supposed to protect you, him, or both of you.
SUN: Protect us? What are you talking about?
ILANA: You're candidates. To replace Jacob.
SUN: Replace him? To do what?
ILANA: If you're the one selected, I imagine you'll find out.
(great line....some really good ones from Ilana this week)
SUN: Wait... you said candidates. How many are there?
ILANA: Six. There are only six left.
So, here’s what I am wondering: Were all the names on the cave wall (and maybe lighthouse) ALWAYS there? Did Jacob develop the full list before he even met everyone? I kinda like this idea that he started with hundreds of names and now all but six have been eliminated. Just something to think about.
And how about good old Hurley, asking the questions the audience wants to know:
HURLEY: So... you're not time-travelling?
RICHARD: No.
HURLEY: But... you look the same as you did thirty years ago. How's that possible?
RICHARD: It's not easy to explain.
HURLEY: Is this, like, a Terminator thing? Are you a cyborg?
RICHARD: No, I'm not a cyborg.
HURLEY: Vampire?
RICHARD: Jacob gave me a gift.
So this was kind of a fun way to put to bed the many internet theories about Richard. Gotta love when Hurley goes meta. Clearly the answers about Richard are coming. He even says it himself:
JACK: Where did you come from?
RICHARD: You wouldn't believe me if I told you.
JACK: Try me.
RICHARD: Not yet.
The “where” Jack is talking about is in minutes before he asks the question. The “where” Richard is responding to is his history.
Here are a few misc items:
- Best line of the week:
HURLEY: Do not open that, there's dynamite in there, it's mega unstable
RICHARD: I know
HURLEY: So did Dr Arzt. And I was wiping him out of my shirt two days later.
- The principal’s name is Donald Lawrence Reynolds. Reynolds was a crossed out name on the wall in the cave.
- Hurley dreams about cheese curds.
- On the cover of the “Booty Babes” magazine, that Ben finds in Sawyer’s old stash, the words “Rear View Mirrors” are shown. Recall the mirror theme of Season 6.
- Flocke is setting up camp at Hydra island. Will be nice to visit it once more.
- Did you notice Miles had one of Nikki and Paulo’s diamonds in the closing montage.
I think that does it for this week.....It’s taken me so long to write this one that I was beginning to worry, I’d miss the next episode. Anyway, thank you Ben for another tremendous episode!
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