Alex's Grave (The Minstrel of Cranberry Lane, Michael and Judy Callahan)

"It's Alex... It's your daughter... After you left, I buried her."
- Richard, What They Died For


One of my favorite parts of What They Died For was the small scene in which Richard tells Ben that he buried Alex. It was such a testament to his decency and his long friendship with Ben. Additionally, I've been thinking a lot about Jacob as an Obi-Wan figure and his brother as akin to Anakin, and I've decided that Richard is like Yoda: old, wise, spending most of his life as an adviser. He's certainly acted as a mentor to Ben, and here I see him using this as one last teaching moment as he differentiates between violence for the sake of vengeance and for the sake of eradicating evil. Here's Richard, to the tune of the Irish Rovers' The Minstrel of Cranberry Lane.

Alex’s Grave

I have a confession to make.
I hope it helps ease your ache.
See, our friend here has found
Where I laid her in the ground.
We’re standing on Alex’s grave.

I heard the news, and I grieved
To think of your being bereaved
And remembered her wings
When she soared on these swings.
We’re standing on Alex’s grave.

Though I have felt the weight of grief
And the wrath that enticed me to kill,
It’s best to restrain every urge to cause pain,
To exert our virtue and will.

Ben, I know that has never been easy for you.
I’ve been trying to teach you for years.
Yes, I’ve told you that hate is a deadly drug
That only will lead to more tears.

But foiling the Devil could free us from Hell,
So let’s collect some C-4.
Although violence is wrong, it is time for the end.
It’s time we concluded the war.

We’ve gone through our ups and our downs,
With our laughs less abundant than frowns.
But you always will be important to me.
We’re standing on Alex’s grave.

Yes, you always will be important to me.
We’re standing on Alex’s grave.

The Minstrel of Cranberry Lane

DHARMA Submarine (Yellow Submarine, Paul McCartney / John Lennon)

Ben: You know, John, you're not wrong. Some of the things I've told you - some of the things I've told everybody - are simply not true.
John: Like what?
Ben: Well, for starters, I wasn't born on this island.
- The Man Behind the Curtain

In The Man Behind the Curtain, Ben confesses to John that he wasn't actually born on the Island. I imagine him going into greater detail here, to the tune of the Beatles' Yellow Submarine.

DHARMA Submarine

Ben: Though I said that I was born
On the Island, that isn’t true.
I recall the fateful time
When we dove into the blue.

First I drank a little juice,
And my sleep was so serene
That I dozed until we came
To the isle by submarine.

I arrived on a DHARMA submarine,
DHARMA submarine, DHARMA submarine.
I arrived on a DHARMA submarine,
DHARMA submarine, DHARMA submarine.

I was shy, and I was bored,
So I moped around once we moored,
But I made two friends that day.

I arrived on a DHARMA submarine,
DHARMA submarine, DHARMA submarine.
I arrived on a DHARMA submarine,
DHARMA submarine, DHARMA submarine.

[Spoken]
Horace: Hey, welcome to the Island, man! Namaste!
Annie: Hey, you’re new, huh? I’m Annie. Want one? [hands Ben a candy bar]

Ben: Horace made me feel at ease.
Wish I’d had the guts (wish I‘d had the guts).
To save Goodspeed (to save Goodspeed).
Annie split (Annie split) the Island scene (Island scene)
On the DHARMA (on the DHARMA) submarine (submarine).

I arrived on a DHARMA submarine,
DHARMA submarine, DHARMA submarine.
I arrived on a DHARMA submarine,
DHARMA submarine, DHARMA submarine.
I arrived on a DHARMA submarine,
DHARMA submarine, DHARMA submarine.
I arrived on a DHARMA submarine,
DHARMA submarine, DHARMA submarine.

You're the Best (Be Our Guest, Alan Menken / Howard Ashman)

"You're the best, Dr. Linus!"
- Alex, Dr. Linus

The relationship between Ben and his adopted daughter Alex has been full of angst and complications, but in season six, we got to see the two of them relating to each other with much greater ease and warmth. Here's a celebration of Sideways Ben and Alex, to the tune of Be Our Guest, from Beauty and the Beast.

You’re the Best

Alex: You’re the best, you’re the best.
Dr. Linus, you’re the best.
Without you, what would I do?
I’d have no clue! I’d flunk the test!
Though you say I’ll be fine,
My whole future’s on the line.
I don’t trust my comprehension.
When I heard you had detention,
I was bummed. I was scared
I would never be prepared.
But you’ve rescued me, and boy, am I impressed!
Though Reynolds may ignore you,
I’m so thankful for you.
You’re the best, you’re the best, you’re the best.

Ben: I was down and distressed.
Bless this unexpected guest!
Teens like her make teaching worth it,
Despite aspects I detest:
Reynolds’ rude attitude,
Students’ base ingratitude.
Let’s dispense with all this whining
And get back to our fine dining.
Look, my life’s not so bad,
So let’s keep our chins up, Dad.
Don’t feel guilty; just enjoy your turkey breast.
I’ve done a few things right.
She helped me see the light
‘Cause she’s the best.
I feel blessed
To acknowledge her request.
She’s the best, she’s the best, she’s the best.

Who‘s to say that leaving
Is a choice we should be grieving?
If we’d stayed, we might have made a big mistake.
Even though I left my truest friend there,
I’ve become a mentor for her sake.
These students... They need me,
And when we came back, you freed me
To deny myself and seek the greater good.
Turns out I’m a teacher, not a doctor.
Dad, who was I fooling,
Getting all that extra schooling?

[Next Day]
Alex: I am stressed, I am stressed,
‘Cause if I don’t pass this test,
Then I’ll fail to go to Yale.
I will be stuck here in the west.
Gotta work up the nerve
To go ask Reynolds the perv
For a nice recommendation -

Ben: Wait, did he abuse his station?
I’ve been wanting a change.
Would it really be so strange
If I used this little tidbit to protest?
I‘d love to stage a coup,
But I will not hurt you,
So I’ll stay dressed in this vest
And arrest this whole quest.

[Later]
Alex: You’re the best, you’re the best,
And though you have not confessed,
Reynold’s letter was much better
Than I ever would have guessed,
So I think what occurred
Is you put in a good word.
Yes, if my appeal advances,
It’s because you helped my chances.
Off to college I’ll go
With the knowledge you bestow,
And if anybody asks, I will attest
That if you want the finest,
Go with Dr. Linus;
He’s the best.
You’re the best, you’re the best.
Yes, you’re the best!

Ben's Song (Annie's Song, John Denver)

"It's us. That's you and that's me. Now we never have to be away from each other. Happy birthday, Ben."
 - Annie, The Man Behind the Curtain

Last night, I watched a video that filled me with more happiness than any video rightly should. Entitled Old Spice Fills Up My Senses, this video ingeniously takes the text of the iconic new Old Spice commercial (with which I am currently obsessed) and marries it to the melody of John Denver's Annie's Song. As the main singer, Emily, explains, "There's a video that's making the rounds on the Internet, and I think it's the most romantic thing that I've ever seen... and we thought it might be fun to set the words to the video to the tune of the most romantic song ever written."

Well, I was elated and inspired, and I watched it half a dozen times, and when I woke up this morning, I watched it again. And then I had a thought: "I need this song." Every time I've heard Annie's Song in the past three years, I've briefly wanted to toy with the idea of turning it into a way of exploring Annie, who ties for my favorite flashback character on LOST. But I always shot myself down because I have a strict rule of never using the same song twice, and I made short work of Annie's Song back in 2006 shortly after my filking began in earnest.

This time, I decided to throw out the rules, especially since that was one of the dumbest songs I ever wrote, and hardly worthy of John Denver's beautiful melody. I shunned my first attempt, freeing me to say everything I've been longing to say about Annie, or rather to have her say. It was a strange revelation to me when I finished that everything we really know about Annie is contained in this one brief song. She appeared in one episode, and then she was never mentioned again.

I have a few theories about what happened to her. My most outlandish speculates that she was either Jacob or Smokey (akin to the theory that Vincent is Jacob or Smokey). Intriguing thought, but I don't give it a lot of credence. My most prominent theories are as follows:

1. Annie left the Island with her parents shortly after she presented the dolls to Ben. The very nature of the gift suggests that she knew they would be separated soon, and this would explain why she seemed to be out of the picture when Jack and his buddies arrived.

2. At some point in the mid-to-late 1980s, Ben impregnated Annie, who subsequently died in childbirth. That explains why he was so deeply moved by the presence of the infant Alexandra and protective of her mother, even as he stole the baby to claim as his own. It also gives more reason for the fervor with which he tried to keep Karl away from Alex and attempted to find a solution to the Island's fertility problems, which Richard (the man who barely remembers what birthdays are) clearly found inconsequential.

Whatever Annie's story is, I feel certain that we will get it this season and that it will prove an important piece of the puzzle that is LOST. Until then, we're left with three short but incredibly sweet scenes.

Ben’s Song

I guess that you’re new here.
Nice to meet you; I’m Annie.
Won’t you have an Apollo?
They’re amazingly good.
Take a taste of this candy.
We will never run out here.
You want to be friends, Ben?
I think that we should.

Come to the corner!
It’s a Hostile invasion.
It’s a little bit scary,
But don’t be afraid, Ben.
Take my hand, and I’ll guide you.
I am right here beside you.
Soon they will leave us.
You’ll be okay then.

I am right here beside you.
Someday I’ll leave you,
But I can’t say when.

I know it’s your birthday,
Though your dad has forgotten.
Here’s a gift that I made you,
And it comes from the heart.
Take the doll, for it’s me, Ben;
This one’s you, and I’ll keep it.
As long as we have them,
We’re never apart.

Well, I Certainly Hope You Help Him (Heaven on Their Minds, Andrew Lloyd Webber / Tim Rice)

"Well, I certainly hope he helps you, John!"
- Ben, The Man Behind the Curtain

LOST has been inviting plenty of comparisons between Ben Linus and Judas Iscariot, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before I busted out the weathered copy of 1973's Jesus Christ Superstar. Here's a rant from Ben on what was probably the most miserable birthday of his life - and that's really saying something - to the tune of Heaven on Their Minds.

Well, I Certainly Hope You Help Him

He heard you clearly there.
“Help me,”
You implored
As I stared
At that old
Rocking chair.
I’m the leader here,
But I
Didn’t hear
As I stared
At that old
Rocking chair.

Jacob!
You wanna fire me?
Come tell me so yourself,
And not by sending things
Cascading from the shelf!

For one time in your life,
Why can’t you just be frank?
After all I’ve done for you,
Here’s how you say thanks?

Listen, Jacob,
Who needs him anyway?
Way to drop this bomb on my own birthday!
Way to tell me
My years of servitude were a waste.
You know, I have questions too,
But I would not barge in on you.
I don’t get why you’d reward his haste.

I remember when I first saw your face -
Wait, no, I don’t, since that never took place!
You appoint me
But never let me look you in the eye.
I always believed that you exist
Though you’re as murky as the mist.
I had faith in you, and now I fry.

Did you see his hissy fit?
Let me clue you in a bit.
Threw a tantrum like a tot.
Who would’ve thought?
Can you tell that makes me mad?
Bet he didn’t kill his dad.
Bet he fobbed it off on James.
Him and his games!

Listen, Jacob, is it too much to hope
That you’ll stop treating me like a dope?
I have lived for you,
But I have no idea who you are!
Say a word or two to me.
Just show me that one courtesy.
I’ve been patient and sincere so far.
Oh, but just so far!

Listen, Jacob, you know I’m on your team.
I’m exhausted, though, and just want to scream.
Can you blame me if I want to see to it his life goes dim?
Though he’s still consumed by doubt,
You ask him to help you out.
Well, I certainly hope you help him.
Yes, I hope you help him.
Oh… Oh…

Listen, Jacob, you know I’m on your team.
All your secrecy with me makes me scream.
So come on, come on… you won’t listen to me now.
Ah… Ah…
Come on, listen, listen to me.
Come on, listen to me now.
Ah…
Come on, listen to me.
Listen, listen to me.
Oh… Oh…
Come on, listen to me. Listen to me...

Eulogy... (I'm Sorry, John Denver)

In The Substitute, LOST provided one of my absolute favorite scenes of the series, one that was simultaneously among the saddest, most touching and funniest scenes thus far. I'm talking about John Locke's funeral, and Ben's heartfelt, albeit slightly petulant, eulogy (and Frank's subsequent assessment that probably echoed the thoughts of many viewers). I think that spending a couple of days with Fake Locke made him appreciate Real Locke much more deeply, and realize that Jacob was right all along about his being special. The eulogy takes on an even sweeter edge when you consider the Sideways storyline, especially if you believe as I do that the Flash Sideways are actually Flash Forwards. Here's my take on that tender moment, to the tune of John Denver's I'm Sorry.

Eulogy (by Ben for John at the Weirdest Funeral Frank’s Ever Been To)

Ben: It’s strange to feel this pity,
This sorrow and remorse.
Maybe I will recover from this in due course.
Knowing that you were chosen,
Knowing that I was not,
Knowing that I reacted like a sulky snot.

I’m sorry I was not a true believer.
I’m sorry I manipulated you.
I’m sorry, now that you’re gone,
I was so petty, John.
You were a victim too.

I’m just so lost without you;
I guess I need a foil.
It feels like I’m the one who’s lying steeped in soil.
I dreamed of you dying;
Now the moment’s come.
It seems more like a nightmare, and I’m nearly numb.

I’m sorry I shot you in the jungle.
I’m sorry that I choked you with a cord.
I’m sorry, now that you’re gone,
I was so petty, John.
I wish your life could be restored.

Frank: This is the weirdest funeral I've been to in all my life.
This is the weirdest funeral, I swear.

Ben: I’m sorry, for you were a kindred spirit.
I’m sorry that I brought about your end.
I’m sorry, now that you’re gone,
I was so petty, John.
I should have been your friend.

Just Because He's John (Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Richard & Robert Sherman)

As of the season five finale of LOST, Ben Linus appears to be a very broken man. While I hated Ben's ultimate actions in his last scene of The Incident, his frustration seems understandable. Here's his little rant to Jacob to the tune of the Sherman Brothers' Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Just Because He’s John

So, just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses.
Following you hasn’t really been a bed of roses.
What about me, Jacob? Can’t you see why I oppose this?
Just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!

I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.

I longed to be your lackey when I was a lonely lad.
My final test of loyalty was killing my own dad.
I shivered as he shuddered and the blood poured out his nose,
But, sure that you would love me more, said, “That’s the way it goes.”

But just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses.
Following you hasn’t really been a bed of roses.
What about me, Jacob? Can’t you see why I oppose this?
Just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!

I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.

Those lists and the instructions Richard handed down to me...
I did what I was told to and I waited patiently.
Though John was in a wheelchair, he came here, and he was fine;
My service was rewarded with a tumor on my spine.

For just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses.
Following you hasn’t really been a bed of roses.
What about me, Jacob? Can’t you see why I oppose this?
Just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!

I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.
I’m just a pitiful, unloved little guy.

[Spoken] Jacob: Benjamin... whatever he's told you, I want you to understand one thing. You have a choice.
Ben: What “choice”?

For more than 30 years, I went along with all your plans.
You banished me and left my daughter’s murder on my hands.
It’s clear now that you’ve never cared for me in all my life.

[Spoken] Well, here goes, then.

You couldn’t just apologize, so now you get the knife!

[Spoken] I would fight back if I were you...

Oh, just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!
Just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!
Just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!
Just because he’s John, you let him march in here like Moses!

In the D. I. (Under the Sea, Alan Menken / Howard Ashman)

Ben Linus comes by his grousing honestly; his father Roger did a lot of complaining back in DHARMA days. Here's a song to the tune of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's Under the Sea set during season three's The Man Behind the Curtain. Here, Horace, the hippie-ish DHARMA Initiative honcho (and one of my favorite minor characters) tries to convince a surly Roger to stick around.

In the D. I.

I get it. You’ve got the jitters
Because of today’s attack.
You’re lonely, depressed and bitter;
You’re thinking of going back.
Remember the day I met you?
Well, you were a mess back then.
Be glad I did not forget you.
I care about you and Ben.

In the D. I., in the D. I.
Though you may scoff here,
You’re better off here.
I’ll tell you why.
Even a Work Man has his place
Helping to heal the human race.
This job’s a gift, since
You’ll make a diff’rence
In the D. I.

The natives are acting funny,
But we’ll keep them all in line.
We’re not in this thing for money,
So don’t let me hear you whine.
You left nothing back in Portland
But unpleasant memories.
I’m here if you need support, man,
But spare me the snarling, please.

In the D. I., in the D. I.
Nice, cozy housing.
Beer for carousing.
Tasty fish fries.
All the Apollos you can eat.
Luaus Hawaii couldn’t beat!
Welcoming neighbors.
Purposeful labor
In the D. I.
In the D. I.
Quality schooling.
Ben is no fool;
In fact, he’s just shy.
I knew he’d find himself a pal;
Annie’s a kind and clever gal.
Don’t separate them.
Wonders await them
In the D. I.

The air is so rare
And clear over here.
It‘s green and pristine,
A thrilling frontier.
We smile on this isle,
And life’s free from strife;
It’s calm almost all the time, man.
We say “Namaste”
And croon DHARMA tunes.
We dance and romance
On warm afternoons.
There’s peace and release
And fun in the sun.
The climate is sublime!

In the D. I., in the D. I.
Here where we stack
Geronimo Jackson
Albums sky-high.
Why would you ever want to leave?
We have utopia up our sleeves.
Hanso’s a genius!
Minimize meanness
In the D. I.
Half-hidden hatches.
Debonair patches
In the D. I.
Stop getting hammered.
Many have clamored
For a position
In our great mission.
You should be thanking
Me for your ranking
In the D. I.

Why Did You Shoot Me? (Why Don't You Write Me?, Paul Simon)

I'd say John has a pretty good reason to be ticked off with Ben. Here's a little rant to the tune of Why Don't You Write Me?

Why Did You Shoot Me?

Why did you shoot me
Way deep in the jungle
Because I could hear him?
Why did you think that your power would shrink
With me near him?
Ben Linus,
Why did you shoot?

Ben, what went wrong?
Once I thought I was your buddy.
You double-crossed me, and now I am lost
And all bloody.

Tell me why! (Why, why?)
Tell me why! (Why, why?)

Why did you shoot me?
You tried to recruit me,
And I would have joined you.
Now there's no way
Since you're spurning fair play.
I'm annoyed by you,
Ben Linus...

Do you feel remorse for what you've done?
Sending your guys to kidnap Kate and Sun.
Making Michael kill those girls.
Taking Cooper for a ride
So I'd be a party to patricide.
Ben, you ought to be
Investing in some major psychotherapy.
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?
Why did you shoot me?

Jacob (Tears in Heaven, Eric Clapton)

Last week, my dad and I were in the car when Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven came on the radio. He suggested writing something to that tune from Ben's perspective addressed to John on the subject of the elusive Jacob. I'm not sure what prompted the connection but hopefully this is in the ballpark...

Jacob

Would he call your name
If I took you to Jacob?
Would he back your claim
If I took you to Jacob?
You don't belong.
You think you're strong,
But I'll prove that you are wrong.
Let's see Jacob.

Would he be your fan
If I took you to Jacob?
Would you rule our clan
If I took you to Jacob?
We must delay.
I have to stay,
But I swear some other day,
We'll see Jacob.

John, would you calm down?
John, you're acting three.
John, if you are smart
Then you won't cross me.
Don't cross me...

I was secure.
Not anymore.
You knocked Mikhail to the floor.
Let's see Jacob.

Would he call your name
If I took you to Jacob?
Would he back your claim
If I took you to Jacob?
You don't belong.
You think you're strong,
But I'll prove that you are wrong.
Let's see Jacob.

"Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain..."

So we finally got to see Ben's flashback. The Man Behind the Curtain still left a lot of questions, but it offered a fascinating glimpse into Ben's past. First big revelation: He wasn't born on the island. (He was born right near Portland, where Dharma seems to have a foothold.) Hmm. So maybe people never could have babies on the island. We saw several kids, but they all were brought there as far as we know. But where did the Hostiles come from? I was really looking forward to this episode because there's so much to learn about Ben. One interesting thing about it was how much time we spent in his childhood. We've never spent more than a few minutes before on a character being portrayed by a different actor than usual. We saw little Jack, Sawyer, Sun and Hurley... Oh, and mini-Walt. But to have more than half of the flashback scenes showing a main character as a child was pretty interesting.
Sterling Beaumon (which strikes me as a very pretentious-sounding name, but I don't suppose he can help that) is a real cutie. Probably too cute to play Ben; the two actors really don't look anything alike to me, but the kid does a great job. He doesn't strike me as an especially disturbed child, just very quiet, which he's probably learned to be by the time he arrives on the island because he knows his father would rather pretend he doesn't exist. He did not have a good childhood. I couldn't help but think a little of Harry Potter, with his ever-present round glasses and the picture that he kept by his bedside so he could gaze wistfully at the pair of loving parents he never knew. His dad is not a Dursley-sized monster, but losing Emily fundamentally altered him, so Ben never had direct experience with that happy man in the photograph. He misses the man his father used to be. But mostly, he misses his mother, with such a ferocity that he begins to see her, and we again wonder whether the jungle is like the planet in the Star Trek episode Shore Leave, where whatever you're thinking about springs to life. (Speaking of white rabbits, Ben had one, and it looked exactly like the one he faked Sawyer out with, except for the lack of a number on its back.) Jack saw his father, who always undermined his sense of self-worth; Kate saw the horse, a symbol of her restless spirit; Hurley saw Dave, whose presence cause him to question his sanity... Was Ben's mother really there? Did he imagine her, or did something else assume her form? Jacob, perhaps, about whom the Smoke Monster theory seems especially plausible now?
It's interesting that John and Ben both have a mother named Emily. Perhaps it's not a coincidence, since the two have pretty parallel lives. Both grew up feeling unloved, yearning for parental affection; both long for a deep sense of connection with the island; both lie incessantly; both are manipulative; both have really creepy smiles. They seem in control, but they really aren't. I feel sorry for them.
Roger was a piece of work. Something seemed slightly off about his character; he seemed a little less real to me somehow than most of the characters, his reactions a bit hokey, like his utter disgust when he got his uniform (at which point I realized with an excited jolt that he was skeletal Roger from Hurley's van, which meant that episode contained a pretty juicy bit of foreshadowing) and his inaction when Ben pulled on a gas mask and whipped out an ominous spray can. He didn't quite gel with me, but in any case, Roger was a pretty crummy dad, though you could tell he felt at least a little badly about it, and the poor guy did lose the love of his life, after all. Still, actually telling Ben it was his fault that she died? That's cold, man...
Poor Ben probably never had a good birthday in his life. His father forgot it every single year, and he was such an introspective kid that nobody else paid much attention to him besides Annie. Horace, maybe, who came across as kind of an affable goofball who nonetheless must have known a lot more than he was telling. And maybe Richard and the gang, once Ben got in with them, though probably not, since the conversation Ben had with him in the present day seemed to indicate birthdays are sort of a foreign subject to most of the community. This year was certainly no exception to the bad birthday rule. John shows up demanding massive insight; Ben's people refuse to restrain John when he goes after Mikhail; his own daughter arms John and, seeing Ben's hurt face, shoots him a snarling, "Happy birthday, Dad." Yes, John is the man of the hour, apparently everything that Ben has never been. He seems almost poised to take over, though I doubt that's really what he wants. He just wants some answers. But Ben doesn't want to enlighten John when he himself is still in the dark.
A word about Annie. What a sweet girl. Her relationship with Ben was so tender, probably the only truly meaningful one of his life. She remembered and acknowledged his birthday. She made him feel welcome and loved. But we don't know what happened to her. She could have been killed in the purge, but while we saw Ben respectfully close Horace's eyes - a nice indication of humanity, I thought - the camera didn't linger on any women, and he didn't seem to be looking for her. He stared at the doll she made him and tucked it into his pocket before he went off for his afternoon of father-son bonding and patricide; the air was heavy with emotion, and it seemed to me that whatever had happened, Annie was already gone. Did she leave on the submarine? Run away into the jungle? Get killed by Hostiles? They left it so open-ended that I'm pretty sure they'll revisit this question later. We never saw her as an adult so we don't know what she looked like. Maybe she died in childbirth like Ben's mom, and Alex was abducted as a replacement for the child who never made it into the world. But if Mikhail's timeline is at all credible, the purge must have happened within the past 11 years, so where was Alex during this time? Were the Hostiles taking care of her?
I definitely got a late 60s vibe from the opening scene of the episode, which would put Ben in his mid- to late 30s. He seems older than that; Michael Emerson is in his early 50s, after all. He couldn't just tell us what birthday it was. That would be too simple... But I really don't think Ben can be much older than 40. How did he get to be the apparent leader of the Hostiles when he wasn't one of them to begin with? Did he spend a lot of time with them over the years or only have a couple more brief meetings? Why was it necessary for the Hostiles to kill the members of the Dharma Initiative? The barrier was there; why did they even have to interact with each other? And did the Dharma folks realize the island was inhabited? If so, why didn't they find some other island? Or was it part of their experiment to see if they could get along with the natives?
Richard most definitely didn't look a day younger in the flashbacks, which leads me to think the Hostiles have some sort of Tuck Everlasting kind of deal with the island that leaves them immortal. Which means they could've been there for who knows how long? Though if it had been such a very long time, you wouldn't think they'd sound like a bunch of modern midwestern Americans. Why is Richard taking orders from Ben when Richard is the one who's been on the island for years, who presumably had a big hand in sparing him from the purging? I didn't recognize any of the other folks in gas masks, I don't think. It was a very sad scene, with the elegiac music and the slow panning across the ground littered with bodies, and nobody seemed to be cheering for their victory. It seemed as though they saw it as a necessary evil; I think Richard really felt sorry for Ben when he asked if he wanted to give his father a proper burial. And that would explain why Ben was so obsessed with Locke killing his dad, since the Hostiles made him kill his. It was something part of him had always wanted to do, yet part of him would always resist because he, like Locke, kept seeking his father's love. His eyes were tearing up behind his mask as his father succumbed to the poison gas, but he didn't hesitate. He killed his father in cold blood, so if there was any doubt before, it's time to welcome Ben into the murderers' club. Sigh. And yet, for the most part, the flashback did reinforce my feelings of sympathy toward Ben.
I assume that Mikhail was in his communications base and Kelvin and Radzinsky were busy doing their thing at the time of the purge. Evidently nobody ever got around to smoking them out. Ben claims most of the Others are people he brought to the island; I guess he's been pretty busy in the last few years. For all we know, everybody except Richard is new, but then what happened to the rest of the Hostiles? If they're immortal they certainly shouldn't have up and died. Probably it's a mix, and maybe there are still a lot of Hostiles living deep in the jungle.
So Mikhail is still with Team Other after all. I didn't really think he'd go back to Ben. They certainly don't seem to like each other very much, though Ben did try to intervene on his behalf when John started beating him to a bloody pulp. John really has it in for Mikhail. It's not enough to kill him once; let's do it twice! He's just unnecessarily ferocious, like when he knocked Charlie around after the baptism attempt. It displeases me to see him acting so bloodthirsty. He was kind of like a whiny little kid in this episode, begging his mom for some treat in the store and raising a temper tantrum because he wasn't getting what he wanted right at that moment. Of course, he had been waiting a long time for the revelations he thought he was about to receive, and he had his father killed so he could get them. So he feels like he deserves it. Even if it's just going to lead to yet another crisis of faith.
What was up with Tom? When we actually did see him, infrequently, he was just standing there looking dumbfounded, first when John showed up, then during the fistfight when his lack of action spoke volumes. Mutiny was heavy in the air in that scene, and I was frankly rather shocked to see Tom going along with it. Okay, so everyone else may decide to turn their backs on Ben, but Tom? Tom, Tom, why have you abandoned him? You're all Ben has! He needs you, even if he doesn't realize it! Fight for his honor, doggone it!
I really thought we would meet Jacob in Ben's flashbacks. Silly me. His appearance was scarcely an appearance at all. What do we know about him? That he's not a normal person, that's for sure. That we're not even positive he exists. But what was all that chaos in the cabin about? And was there a figure in the shadows or just some invisible force? I think some of what Ben said and did was an act, but I don't know how much. Can he hear Jacob? When Jacob talks to someone, can he only be heard by that person? If he really was talking to Jacob, they don't have a very good relationship. If he wasn't and Jacob doesn't exist, he was just trying to pull one over on John, but if he thinks Jacob is real and just hasn't had the pleasure of conversing with him, what was he playing at? I think he does believe that Jacob is real but perhaps he has never actually communicated with him because he is unworthy, and he resents the fact that John is worthy. But how can John help Jacob, especially when he's such a formless being? Maybe Jacob really is the Smoke Monster. But John already "looked into the eye of this island"; shouldn't he have had a spark of recognition if that was the case?
We're not done with Jacob, or Ben, or John. (I love the fact that Ben told John that Jacob "feels the same way about technology that you do." It broke the tension, and it once again emphasized John's connectedness.) No way in the world that John is dead. Now, I suppose it's possible he could die in the next two episodes, but I certainly hope not, since he's such a core character and so intriguingly linked to the island. A bullet to the belly can't undo Locke, though, especially at the rate he's healing. Speaking of which, Ben barely seemed to need his cane throughout the trek. Seems to be healing quite nicely. It's interesting that the last two episodes focused on a journey of two people, one of whom was Locke, to a secret location where a strange man was waiting. Last week, Locke led the way; this week, it was Ben calling the shots, though only just. He may have been out in front, but this seemed like a trip he didn't want to make. I think he is genuinely afraid of Jacob, who I'm convinced is real.
I'm still not sure if Ben knew beforehand that the attack on his village was going to happen. He knew he had to kill his father at that designated time in order to win the acceptance of the Hostiles, but I'm not sure if he was fully aware of their grand scheme. I think he was a little shell-shocked when he came back and saw everyone dead. He seemed traumatized to me, though Ben usually hides his emotions well. The puffy eyes, the way time seemed to stand still... Whether or not he knew beforehand, I think it affected him at some deep level, even if he didn't feel any real sense of closeness to anyone in the community. If he was in on it, though, that speaks much more strongly for the possibility of him being an evil psychopath, even if he was merely acting out of self-preservation. Still. I'm not ready to give up on Ben yet.
Oh, and then there was the beach. Just barely. I wouldn't have been surprised if we hadn't seen it at all, but we got just enough of a hint of it to ease the segue into the final episode. Well, and next week too, but I don't think the Juliet stuff is going to come into play that strongly next week. It's set-up for the season finale. It would appear that Jack and Juliet are trustworthy after all, which I had hoped was the case, but you never can tell. It was nice of John to give Sawyer that tape so they had a bit of fair warning. But I guess they didn't really need it if Jack really is on their side and is cooking up a plan.
The beach scenes were very minimal, though. First time through, I caught several very brief glances of Desmond looking thoughtful and didn't see Hurley and Charlie at all. Second time around, I noticed Charlie hanging around with Claire, and I know I caught wisps of a conversation between Hurley and Desmond regarding haggis, but I couldn't make out most of the words, which is a shame...
Next week's episode may well be the most emotionally gripping of the season for me. They've been building up to it since Flashes Before Your Eyes, and something major is going to happen. Desmond says his number's up: "I'm sorry, brother, but this time, this time, you have to die." Yup. Charlie's definitely going to go for that: "Oh, well, if you say so, Des, better get on with it then, shall we?" Riiiiight. Charlie will not go gentle into that good night. But with all this extreme buildup, something spectacular is going to have to happen if we are expected to believe that Charlie is in no greater immediate danger than the other castaways. TV Guide said this episode would answer the question once and for all. So if he doesn't die, I have a feeling someone else will, and that someone will probably be Desmond, since their lifelines are so intimately connected now. If both of them make it out of Greatest Hits alive, you will see one supremely relieved Erin.