Lost "Dr. Linus"

I’ve been waiting for this episode ever since I found out that Ben was in the sideways timeline, well and alive. Lost did not disappoint with this episode. It was without a doubt, the best episode of the season and contained one of the best emotional pieces of the entire series.

I’m not going to try and recap the complete episode, just go over some of the most important things. The episode was centered on Benjamin Linus. He’s traveling with Sun, Frank, Ilana, and Miles. Ilana was always weary about Jacob’s death so she gives his remains to Miles and he confirms that Ben, not Smokie, killed Jacob.

All seems to be going awkwardly well as they walk back to the beach. Then Illana ties up Ben, points a gun to him, and orders him to dig his own grave. Ben is trying to get out of it by talking to Miles and offering him the millions he asked for years ago. Miles threw in that Pablo and Nikki had diamonds buried with them, so he didn’t need Ben’s money. Then when all hope seems lost, fake Locke comes and offers Ben a chance to escape. He releases his chains, tells Ben where he can find a gun, and offers Ben the opportunity to join him. His reward will be to once again become the leader of the island once fake Locke gets what he wants.

Ben runs for it and I am seriously on the edge of my seat once he starts running through the jungle with Ilana right on his tail with a riffle in her hand. Ben is really my favorite character. If he is to die, I at least want him to survive to the very end. This episode is very nerve wracking for me. Luckily, Ben gets to his gun first and then you ask yourself is Ben going to do the right thing or is he going to save his own skin again.

Instead of killing Ilana, he explains that he knows what Ilana is feeling after losing Jacob, because he lost Alex. He acknowledges that it was his fault and how he was angry because he chose the island over Alex and Jacob didn’t seem to care about any of Ben’s sacrifices. It was truly one of the most heart felt dialogues of the show and something you might not have expected to hear Ben Linus say. If you haven’t seen the episode, you truly need to watch his performance. Top notch.

After apologizing to Ilana, he says that he plans on joining Locke. Ilana then asks why and his answer is one of the saddest, most pathetic in a “I want to feel bad for you” kind of way, things I’ve ever heard. His answer was “Because he’s the only that’ll have me.”

Ilana says, “I’ll have you.” And they both turn around and go back to the beach. Even though they had this emotional moment, I’m constantly watching the clock and waiting for her to snap and shoot Ben in the back of the head or something, but she doesn’t. Thank goodness!

In the sideways timeline, Ben is a history teacher who cares about the students, but the principal is on a power trip. Ben is encouraged by Locke to become the principal and he tries dirty politics to get in. At the last minute, Ben sacrifices his flawless plan to become principal for a student’s well being, who is Alex Rousseau. It was a pleasant twist.

Ben has done some terrible things in his past in the name of his power, but after Alex died, he realized that power wasn’t the most important thing. It seems that this revelation has somehow connected in the sideways time line, because he didn’t sacrifice Alex for his power. I’m curious of the relationship of the sideways time line and how it really will coincide and if the two worlds will ever collide or become aware of one another.

Ben wasn’t the only character who had a breakthrough. Jack is starting to become a man of faith. Richard lost his way and thought his life had no purpose because Jacob died and so he wanted to die. We’re all well aware that he can’t age, but we found out that he also cannot kill himself. He returns to the Black Rock and the popular suspicion that Richard came from the ship is confirmed. Questions are being answered!

Richard asks Jack to light a fuse on a stick of dynamite and Jack obliges the request, but sits and waits for the stick to blow up. Now this is pretty gutsy of Jack and of course we know Jack isn’t going to blow up. Jack’s reasoning is that Jacob wouldn’t want him to go through all he’s been through just to blow up. Our reasoning is that Jack has to have a showdown with evil Locke and or bitter Sawyer. Yet knowing all this, I’m still sitting on edge. I mean, if Jack blows up, a lot of people would feel cheated, but it would be completely unexpected. Jack ends up being right and the fuse burns out right before it reaches the stick.

Jack, Richard, and Hurley return to the beach and meet up with Ben and everyone else.

The big shocker though, the moment that made me scream, was when I saw a submarine in the water. I thought for sure that something was going to come up and snipe Ben. My heart was pounding. After all that emotion and anticipation, it would be terrible if he got popped the last minute of the show. Instead, there is an even bigger twist that I think no one saw coming.

Charles Widmore is back and he’s found the island!

So far, I can’t say that any episodes of Lost this season made me feel shocked or left me with that intense anticipation for the next episode until this episode aired tonight. It was bloody fantastic. Emotional, suspenseful, some questions were answered, faith reassured, and plots started coming together. This was the first time I screamed in shock the entire season and that’s why I watch Lost. I like that there’s a show brilliant enough to emotionally involve me.

I can’t wait until next week. Nine episodes left.