Monday, March 15, 2010

S6E07 - Dr. Linus


Ok... let me just start by saying that episodes like this are what makes LOST LOST. It's all about characters. Forget the smoke monster. Forget the island. This is a show about people.

OK.... maybe you should forget I said that. True, this show is about people, but if it weren't for the mythology, not as many people would be as hooked as they are. And, frankly, none of you would even be reading this blog. But this show really wouldn't be what it is without a foundation of great characters... characters like...

Dr Benjamin Linus

When it comes to characters on the show, none is more complex than Ben Linus. He's the man we all love to hate, but in this episode, we can't help but feel sympathy for the poor guy... even though he's just as scheming off-island as he is on-island. Hey, speaking of the island...

What the hell?! Ben's dad talked about joining the Dharma Initiative and leaving the island. Clearly, the h-bomb isn't what reset the timeline. I keep going back to what I posted last week.... that the crash of Flight 815 was a part of a deal made with the Losties, and that this sideways world was actually the original timeline. Off-island, we're seeing Ben taking care of his dad, and his dad reminices on what would've been if they hadn't left the island. Imagine Ben gets approached and an offer is made-- Ben can go back in time and gets to experience life as if he never left the island. And just as the deal that Dogen made with Jacob, there must've been something that Ben (or his dad) gave in return.

Roger Gasman

It was so ironic to see Ben taking care of his dad. Here Ben is changing out his dad's oxygen tank in this off-island reality, while in the on-island life, Ben killed his dad by opening up a poison gas canister. Life given. Life Taken.

Miles the Rat

It's clear that Ilana was brought to the island to protect Jacob; and now that Jacob is dead, then it is her sole responsibility to protect the 6 candidates. She also comments about Jacob being the closest thing to a father that she's ever had. So I wasn't too surprised that when Miles revealed that Ben is the one that killed Jacob, Ilana swore to kill Ben. And it did feel a little good to watch Ben begging for his life. The best part, though, was when Ben offerred Miles $3.2 Million, but Miles refused, stating that Nikki and Paulo's bodies were buried with $8 Million in diamonds. And even better, we see Miles staring into a diamond later, suggesting that he actually dug up their bodies. And for that kind of cash, I can't say that I blame him.

Prinicipal / Island Leader

I'm noticing a strange (yet, surely intentional) similarity between (not)Locke and off-island Locke. In this episode, we saw (not)Locke inticing Ben with the idea of becoming the leader of the island. And off-island, substitute teacher Locke convinced Ben that he should try to take over as principal of the school. And while Ben did sacrifice Alex on the island, but not off-island, he appears to have chosen the "good" team in both timelines. Could this be foreshadowing of the finale, suggesting that, while the two timelines are very different, they will "merge" in the end?

Everyone in LA?

I thought it was a little strange that EVERYONE is in LA. Ben was born in Oregon (just outside of Portland), while Rousseau (and Alex) are from Europe. Sayid's from Iraq, while Jin & Sun are from Korea. Sawyer was from the south. And yet, everyone seems to STILL be in LA. I guess this is the island's way of getting everyone together.

Dy-no-mite!

The return of Richard couldn't have been better. I take that back.... it'll surely be better in a week when Richard gets his own episode! FINALLY! But in this episode, not only did we get confirmation that Richard came to the island on the Black Rock, but we also got one of LOST all-time best scenes with Jack and Richard talking about destiny, all while the fuse on a stick of dynamite quickly burns, just inches away. And when the fuse suddenly burned out, Jack proved to Richard that he was brought to the island for a reason, and that they still have a purpose, and Jack delivered a classic Jack line... "wanna try another stick?"

I'm telling you, if LOST doesn't sweep the emmies this year, there are going to be riots.

Not Penny's Submarine

...or is it? The episode ended in traditional LOST fashion, with the big shocker that Widmore made it back to the island on a sub. What?! What is he doing there?! Is he on Jacob's side, or (not)Locke's side? Maybe he wants to take over for one of them. Maybe he's trying to destroy the island. Producers have hinted that it won't take long for us to find out. (Maybe tonight?)

And I've got a strange feeling that Widmore is not alone on this sub. I've spent a lot of time thinking about Widmore's role in the big picture, and I keep going back to him and Eloise working together. And we've seen Eloise guiding Desmond in the past, making sure that he makes it to the island. Perhaps Widmore was mean to Desmond, only because he knew that it would push him to the island. But now that he's back, maybe Desmond and Widmore are working together. I'm going to go out on a line here and make a prediction that Desmond is on the sub.

The Battle

Since the beginning of LOST, there has been a lot of focus on the idea of Good vs Evil. Science vs Faith. Dark vs Light. And it wasn't until the final season that we realize that this isn't a battle between 2 entities. It's a battle within a single entity. Every man has a good side AND a bad side. Jack is BOTH a man of science AND a man of faith. Hurley is both lucky AND unlucky. And perhaps that's all this flash-sideways is demonstrating. It's the good side AND the bad side that make us who we are. I honestly have no idea where I'm going with this. I just love how they can easily do something that completely changes the way I see things. Well done, writers!

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