Lost Episode 7: Dr. Linus

Have I ever said how much I love Benjamin Linus/ Michael Emerson? Because I really do. The man is half of the reason I watch the show. This past episode was definitely my favorite of the season so far (although I did love the Locke one too). It’s the first episode where something positive has happened on the island since the Oceanic six returned last season. Island Benjamin Linus has actually shown a little bit of goodness and decency inside that character of manipulation and deceit. And seeing the characters joined together in the end gave me that feeling that, yay, everything isn’t hopeless on this island with crazy Mr. Smoke Monster ruining everything. The good guys are building their own army that’s going to beat him down!


Onto the episode—the parallel between what was happening in the alternate world and what was happening on the island and the Napoleon connection while hit-you-over-the-head-with-it obvious, just worked so well that you couldn’t help but love how all the pieces connected together. This is a man who always has and always will have that desire for power and to be in control. On the island and off. A man who is convinced that he can do a better job than anyone else at being a leader. We saw that in the past with the way he took power from Charles Widmore or with the way he refused to allow Locke (the real Locke) to become the leader of the others and did whatever he could to try to sabotage his efforts. He wanted to be the one who talked to Jacob; he wanted to be the one who turned the wheel; he wanted to be the one who brought the Oceanic Six back to the island.

In alternate universe, it’s ironically Locke who plants the idea that he can be a leader, and you see Ben’s old “Machiavellian” Island self seeping into this kind history teacher. I loved getting to see glimpses of the old Ben. Do you see the way he talked, what his eyes looked like when he was trying to blackmail the principal? It was that special creepy look that Ben had in the second through fifth seasons when he still had power. But in the end this Ben chooses compassion over power, giving life instead of taking it away. Ben will always have dreams of being the emperor as Napoleon was; but it’s about the choices you make. While he destroyed Alex’s future with Karl, and then obviously watched as she was killed on the Island, he is able to give Alex a better future in this life. In alternate world he makes the moral choice not the selfish one.

I loved the last scene of him which is of this ordinary guy just making his way down the path. Looks like nothing special. But it is. If you know what had just transpired, it very much is. It reminded me of quote from somewhere (maybe Harry Potter, maybe Life of Pi, maybe Mere Christianity, maybe all three) about how the real battle of good and evil is not on the outside between people and forces, but on the inside of each person, in their heart. And that’s what we’re seeing in this season. We are seeing the outside battle of good and evil, but also the more important battle of good and evil within every individual character. For Ben walking out of that office, the battle had just taken place, and good won.

One other scene off the island that I loved was the scene with his father. Whereas we all know how Benjamin killed his dad on the island, this alternate Ben is working to preserve his dad’s life. He had killed his father by making it impossible for his father to breathe with that can of whatever chemical he released. Here he is keeping his father breathing by having him hooked up to the oxygen tank. Plus I love the fact that they actually did join the Dharma Initiative way back when—which also makes me ask: why did they leave? Did they have to leave because the bomb exploded? What happened in their timeline? Will Ben now remember Juliet, Kate, Sayid? They were part of his past on the island. Interesting…

However not only has Alternate Reality Ben redeemed himself, but in this episode Island Ben has to, or at least started to. The episode begins with the Ben we all know—lying about killing Jacob, then still denying it when everyone knows the truth. When Ilana chains him and has him start digging his own grave, he tries to bribe Miles into getting him out. However whereas old Ben was always confident in his manipulative dealings, this Ben isn’t. He’s frantic and scared. What caused this change? Killing Jacob. Seeing how freaky Locke has become. Knowing that everything that was once important to him seems to be collapsing down around him.

Like our other characters, he is then tempted by Crazy Locke and takes up the offer, runs all the way to the clearing, picks up the gun….and then he almost made me cry. I know he’s a bad man, I know he’s killed and manipulated and hurt a lot of people, but inside there is the littlest bit of caring in him. I feel like we understand him now. He isn’t “motiveless” anymore. And while he’s made all the evil choices in the past, he makes the right choice now. It’s like the Grinch, who does all those bad things and then in one moment his heart grows bigger (maybe not 3 sizes, but at least a half). Another battle between good and evil has been fought, and good wins out again—both for Ilana and Ben. Why does Ben choose Jacob over Locke? I think it had something to do with what Miles said to him about Jacob’s death. That the last thing Jacob was thinking before he died was, “He hoped he was wrong about you.” I think Ben wants to believe that too.

Other than the Ben drama, I was also struck with how much of a Jesus connection there was in this episode. I always knew Jacob was a kind of Christ figure, but it’s interesting to see how that plays out with his “disciples.” After Jesus gave up his life, his disciples scattered and were scared and confused. They didn’t understand how their great, charismatic leader could have died so easily. He had told them to drop everything and follow Him, and they had. They had given up everything. He said that He was going to one day rule over a great kingdom. He said that they each had a purpose. He had made miracles happen. And now He was dead. All of the disciples went through a crisis of faith, even Peter his closest disciple. They hid themselves in a room and wouldn’t come out. They didn’t know what their purpose was anymore without their leader. In the same way, we see that happening with Ilana, with Ben and especially with Richard this episode. He’s lost, wants to give up, doesn’t understand his purpose anymore. He feels like he gave up everything for nothing. Jack is able to save him in the end, remind them that Jacob has been watching them, that he does have a purpose for them, and then they receive that sign. The dynamite doesn’t go off (btw, how great is Hurley, he still cracks me up). And so Richard decides that he will hold onto his faith a little bit longer. I can’t wait to find out more about Richard’s backstory.

Other notes:
• Alex and Dr. Linus are reading about the East India Trading Company...any connection to the Black Rock?
•I loved the Nikki and Paolo reference and Miles finding their diamonds. What a great way to bring back old characters.
• In the end we see Charles Widmore coming to the island on a submarine. From the way he was portrayed, along with the haunting music, I think it’s pretty clear that he’s on Smokey’s side. That would also make sense when Widmore had that conversation with Locke that he had to be back on the Island. But I wonder how Widmore built up his connection with Smokey.
• I wonder if he’s the one Jacob thought was coming, or is it someone else. I’m still thinking it’s probably Desmond.