Daryl Tay.net

Wow so much happened this episode and what a great Ben episode – I suppose we’ll start with Ben.

Ben (off-Island)

Ben’s alternate time line is perhaps the most pointed parallel we’ve had to a character besides Jack in The Lighthouse. In essence he’s given the same situation as in Season Four with Keamy and Alex and though we see the cutthroat side of Ben when he tries to take over Principal Reynold’s job, but eventually gives up the power for Alex. Of all the characters, Ben seems to have the happiest Flash Sideways. His dad, Roger, and him have a nice relationship, he enjoys his job and doesn’t seem to have his tumor. Also, apparently he and Roger did go to the Island with the Dharma folks, but they left, leaving us with a great quote:

“Imagine how different our lives would have been if we had stayed. Who knows what you’d have become”

What irony.

The Ben and Arzt scenes? Brilliant.

One big question – what’s the significance of the Island ELBA that Ben talks about in the beginning? It has to be a reference to the Island – can’t wait to see what it is. Also, how did Alex Rousseau get to LA X? Where did Danielle and the French Team land? I wonder if we’ll ever know.

Ben (on-Island)

When we saw Ben digging his grave I was really worried he was screwed. When the Man In Black came to him and offered him and out, I inwardly yelled “Don’t be fooled, Ben!”. But although he escapes Illana, we see perhaps the best acting of Michael Emerson ever and you get the feeling Ben has redeemed himself, both in this timeline and the Alternate one. As with Sawyer, this worries me because we know what happens when characters reach the end of their stories.

Illana, Miles, Frank and Sun

Aww the beach. I think it’s great we’re seeing all these Season One sets again. I really hate what they’ve done with Sun. For almost a full season now, she’s been reduced to asking “Where’s Jin?!” over and over with no real other purpose. I really hope the producers don’t screw her character up. I wonder if there’s some significance with Frank. Ben was extremely interested to hear that he was the original pilot of Oceanic 815 instead of Seth Norris. Perhaps the point was as simple as Ben said, that eventually the Island got Frank anyway, or maybe there is a deeper meaning. Other than that, not much really happened with the rest of them although we do know Miles found Nikki and Paulo to be jabronies just like the rest of us.

Richard, Jack and Hurley

Another nice Season One set in the Black Rock and it pretty much confirms that Richard was a slave on the Black Rock. For me, this was probably tied for the best scene together with Ben explaining himself to Illana. Finally, after six seasons, we see that Jack has made the full transition to being a Man of Faith and this transformation is nothing short of amazing. The absolute certainty with which he faces Richard knowing that Jacob brought him there for a reason and not to die with Richard is finally the Jack the Island (and Team Jacob) needs to lead them. Along the way Richard plants the seeds of doubt in our minds that the “Jacob” that Hurley was facing is not “Jacob” at all, but the Man In Black.

It could be said that MIB knew that he had to get Jack and Hurley out of the way so he could use Sayid to infiltrate the Temple, but I’m not buying it for two reasons. 1 – Dead Jacob has always seemed to be straight with Hurley and his actions in the Lighthouse points to him knowing what he’s goind. 2 – When Hurley sees Jacob in the Temple, he’s in the Temple. MIB couldn’t have possibly appeared within the Temple until after Sayid caused all hell to break loose.

I loved the final scene, such a throwback to Season One with the music montage and everyone (or at least Team Jacob) reuniting on the Beach. As Jack said

“We go back to where we started”

Besides the big theme of redemption (for Ben) in this episode, I think more than any episode we see the theme of Faith. Ben has had his faith tested with Jacob over power, and on the Island he failed though Ben X passed. Richard, having devoted his whole immortal life to Jacob also loses faith that Jacob never let him in on his plans, so much so that he wants to kill himself. Illana places faith in Ben, perhaps choosing to see the good man that Jacob once saw. And of course Jack, as mentioned, cements his place as the Man of Faith and the opposite to the Man In Black. The tension building up to the meeting of Team Jacob and Team Man In Black is building, and damn it’s going to be good.

Final questions: So we find out Charles Widmore finally is on the way but is it just him? Is it too much to hope Desmond is in the submarine as well? Why does the Man In Black want someone to take care of the Island, and why does he offer that spot specifically to Ben? Is there really a need for someone to be left behind, or is it all a ploy for the Man In Black to manipulate Ben into killing Illana? Questions questions.

How the season ranks so far:

1. The Substitute
2. Sundown
3. Dr. Linus
4. LA X
5. The Lighthouse
6. What Kate Does

Very close call because I think LA X was a really good episode, but this was such a good Ben episode that really turned his character around that it edges it out just slightly. Oh and Kate’s not in the episode, that has to be a good thing!