consider this my apology

Real time diary this week.

This week is all about Mr. Benjamin Linus. Huzzah.

more after the break.

9:01 – nice huts

9:02 – YOUNG CHARLES WIDMORE~!

9:04 – You call it the monster. (we call it maize.)

9:08 – Dangerously deranged.

9:11 – J’ACCUSE~!

9:13 – That’s a big elephant.

9:14 – “the best interests of the Island.”

9:16 – Et tu, Ben?

9:21 – Friends can be significantly more dangerous than enemies.

9:24 – Thankfully, no Solomon-like decision from Charles Widmore.

9:26 – Guess Ben’s memory really was wiped out.

9:27 – Hiddley-Ho, Lost-a-reenos.

9:33 – A batpole would be so much easier.

9:34 – So, was the water keeping it at bay?

9:35 – Lots of rule breaking going on here.

9:35 – I guess Ellie is not Penelope’s mother.

9:37 – We Have Title.

9:38 – So, it’s not Locke? Locke = Monster. Excellent.

9:38 – “It’s not a train.”

9:43 – Ben is such a great gloater.

9:45 – “how does that work? the knowing?”

9:47 – uh oh.

9:48 – Don’t mess with a man’s family.

9:54 – I guess she is not who she claims to be either.

9:56 – Jehovah starts with an “I.”

9:56 – People fall and hurt themselves a lot on this show.

9:57 – If that’s Anubis, that’s a bad sign.

9:59 – So, he passed the test?

Next week: A Miles episode?

Posted by Mark Coale

1 COMMENT

  1. I would say Michael Emerson + BKV script = good times.

    One of the all times best Lost episodes. Ben and Locke in the jungle buddy movie!

  2. It’s amazing just how an initially 2-episode guest character has become THE central point of a series, making all other plot developements orbit around Ben’s: take that, “Urkel” and “Fonzie”! Glad to have Emerson make the best of the acting opportunities given him.

    As for tonight’s episode, I enjoyed the checklist crossing off of stuff we had to see— so THAT’S: why Ben didn’t remember Sayid, how he got Alex, what happened at the pier, where the Smoke Monster came from… But did NOT enjoy the new “mystery” of Crazy Ajirans on the beach— for now will come the eventual episodes telling THEIR backstories and origins, taking up valuable final season shows…

  3. Anyone else think the smoke monster effects were horrible? Like a bad 90s syndicated sci-fi/adventure series. Really bad.

    Also, I like the new cocky Locke bossing Ben around but I can’t believe they trusted Ben walking around in his own house- I’m pretty surprised Ben didn’t pull a gun on Locke and Sun.

    Are the new plan crash survivors are Widmore folks?

  4. Ben has become the poster boy of the 21st century man. He is the epitome of people today. He is so quick to lie and yet you pity a killer. One week you want to kill him and the next you feel sorry for him. It’s amazing how they have stripped the killer out of him and you want the characters to have passion for the guy and with a blink of an eye he can kill you on the spot.

  5. Coming out of the lurk, let me just say this:
    I LOVE confident, mysterious John Locke.
    It’s a refreshing change from whiny, ‘what-do-I-do-now’ John Locke.

    I will not miss Caesar, though I was surprised by how abruptly they eliminated him.

    Oh — and I breathed a sigh of relief when Ben choked in his attempt to kill Penny.

  6. I have doubts about Caesar being dead. As we have seen on LOST, getting shot does not mean anything. DEAD IS NOT DEAD.

  7. “Unless your name is Nikki and/or Paulo.”

    but they were not shot.

    Also, the ISLAND HAD NO NEED FOR THEM. (and neither did the audience.)

  8. While I actually kind of liked Caesar, I think it’s a nice story twist if he’s actually dead. It would help establish a “Robert Kirkman”-esque sensibility that no one is safe. A very nice red herring.

    As for Ilana and the crazy Ajirans, I just hope their not some crazy cultists worshipping the creators of the Temple and the shadow monster. “Shadow of the statue”….weird but interesting stuff.

  9. DEAD IS NOT DEAD.

    According to Ben it is-Locke is an anomoly…but *shot* does not mean dead. The island could heal Ceaser before he crosses that finish line.

  10. @Brad: EXACTLY!! Black Rock = slave ship. And lets just say they did some looting of an Egyptian tomb while they were at it. Then they crash on the island, Richard comes back to life from the mummy that he was — just like Christian & Locke have — the slaves and some of the crew start worshiping him, and now they’re the Others/Hostiles…

    Don’t know where Jacob fits in, but I guess that’s what the season finale might be (where we actually see Jacob for the first time), but probably it’ll be in the final season.

  11. I’m sure the Ajira survivors will run into Rose and Bernard soon enough.
    I just hope Lapidus keeps the new (trigger happy) castaways from putting slugs into them.

  12. I said the same thing “uh, oh: that’s Anubis, isn’t it” and my wife just starred at me. She knows I’m a dork but that was a bit much for her.

    And I am with Rob Goodin: where are Rose & Bernard??? Please don’t let them be dead…

  13. Expanding on my comments a bit, things that were great about this episode:

    * Every character did something decisive and interesting.

    * New, calm in control Locke is TOTAL BADASS.

    * Frank Lapidus…just love this character plus Jeff Fahey is smokin’.

    * Mysterious silver coffin thingie and statue quiz!

    * Alex is back even if only possessed by Smokey.

    THE BAD: Awful special effects! They were BBC level at best. But hey, this is an expensive show to produce and we like it just fine, in fact I think it added to the charm. (Ben’s wigs were truly scary though.)

    Guesses: Maybe the new Ajirans are falling under the same madness that killed Rousseau’s group? Living too close to the statue and temple?

    Commentary: I’m not one of those folks (Helllo Jeff Jensen!) Who sees a lot of actual philisophical discourse in LOST. It’s a great action/adventure show with some cool ideas but basically they are just wire frames. The idea of faith vs science has indeed propelled much of the show’s character development, but in good TV fashion it’s acted upon not debated.

    However one thing I really like in Season 5 is they was we see twin reversals of character. With Ben/Locke we see the former master manipulater being supplanted by the new sheriff in town. Locke is to Ben as Ben was to Widmore — the usurper.

    We see the same thing happening with Jack/Sawyer — Sawyer has SUCCEEDED at everything Jack failed or flailed at– even romancing Juliet. Sawyer is everything Jack should have been, saving people and keeping them safe. And Jack is feeling the pain. Given certain rumors about next season’s cast it will be interesting to see if Sawyer wins back Kates heart as well.

    Note though that I classify this as character development, not theme. Who cares…it’s all good!

    LOST I AM GONNA MISS YOU!

  14. Heidi:

    You better watch yourself, you nailed my feelings about it all to the T. You don’t want folks to start saying “You and that Beau are so much alike.” Granted, it would enhance my rep, but it could hurt yours.

    Jeff Fahey has been an under rated actor for so very long. His series The Marshal was superb.

    Keep figuring it out, Heidi.

    Beau

  15. The real question moving forward after this episode is whether or not the “changes” in Ben after the temple scene will stick. My gut is telling me that’s what the producers want me to think even though I didn’t quite buy Emerson’s acting in some key moments this week (a very rare thing). But this is the time in the season and the series where things should totally be flipped around and Locke being set up to finally take his place as the One True Other or whatever would definitely break a lot of the tracks the show has built that are feeling a little rote these days.

  16. I need a little clarification on this “what lies in the shadow of the statue” zinger. Can you see the foot of the statue from Hydra island? Or have the Ajirans found something about it in Ben’s office? And that metal crate they’re pushing…was that on the plane? Or did they stumble upon it on the island? Or do we not know yet?

  17. Joe Willams Says: Are the new plan crash survivors are Widmore folks?

    I’d be willing to agree. It wouldn’t be very good storytelling to introduce a totally new band of antagonists, and Ben *did* call up Charles to let him know that he was going back to the Island. Charles was tailing all of the Losties. It wouldn’t have been too difficult to follow them onto that Ajira flight and send some of his own people aboard after them. Although Hurley buying up the extra seats might throw a wrench in that theory. Hmmm…

    But since Charles would be very familiar with the statue and what might be in the shadow of it, it would make sense. With all of the signifiers on this show, I can’t believe that the writers would throw in a totally random non sequitur at this point.

    This was a fantastic episode. Seeing John so calm and in control while Ben was wigging out was worth the price of admission alone. But the confrontation with Cesar at the boat reminds us that Ben is still as wily and deadly as ever. Linus and Locke together could be a terrible force.

  18. RE: “Silver Coffin”

    It’s a Zodiac or some other kind of inflatable motor boat, and they end up shooting at the time traveling Sawer & the gang.

    As far as the quiz, I think it’s to find out who the other members of whatever group they are, are. Frank didn’t know, so he’s not one of them.

  19. YES definitely one of the best episodes of all!

    Why in the world would the huge statue have four toes? I’ve been waiting ever since season 2 or whenever that was.

    And this episode was written by BKV and Elizabeth Sarnoff—she wrote the very best episodes of DEADWOOD. No wonder it soared!

  20. I think we’re also going to see a reversal for Sun & Jin. Sun leaves Jin because of his violent action he commits for the greater good of keeping her father happy. Now I anticipate that the new hardass Sun might commit some act of violence that will cause Jin to leave her.

  21. Matt, great point. The reversals seem to be a big theme this year. Also, how much must Jack hate Sawyer for stealing not one but TWO of ‘his’ women? I sort of except some re-reversals as the season nears an end but maybe that comes next season.

    Maija, thanks for the response. Sometimes I think my thoughts on the show are obvious until I discuss it with my co-workers and find they hadn’t thought of stuff (of course, I learn stuff from them and all you smart people every week).

    Heidi, totally right on covering themes. I think obviously faith and reason are big ones but this season is doing a great job of showing how situations can change people’s beliefs which makes the faith vs. reason theme even cooler.

    Speaking of cool reversals, who doesn’t love calm, cool collected and in charge Sawyer?

  22. Anyone else think that Locke is still dead and the islands “spirit” is controlling his body?
    Or is it just me?

  23. Since they seem to be going in a Egyptian direction, this is probably off base, but just to throw it out there, could the title “Lost” actually refer to the “Lost City of Atlantis”? It’s what came to mind when we saw the temple.