Lost: The Life And Death Of Jeremy Bentham
I really enjoyed the tone of this episode.
The episode had doubt (the Losties that Locke visited, Locke with Widmore), death (Abadon and Helen), nostalgia (the visit with Walt, the parallels between Locke and Ben), failure (not convincing the Losties). Sayid reminded us about losing his love, Kate asked Locke about having ever loved. The whole episode was dark and emotional. I don’t see what’s so great about this island; it brings such sad things.
I caught the tail-end of last week’s episode and noticed this:
Jack: “How can you read?”
Ben: “My mother taught me.”
He really does lie all the time. I’m going to watch the next Ben-heavy episode and take the exact opposite of what he says to be true. It should be fun. He knew everything about Locke.
So we have Caesar and Elana. Caesar was snooping around for island location information. I guess he’s the plant. Elana was lied to, I guess she’s nobody. And there was a Roxanne mentioned; don’t know who she is.
Strange how open and honest Widmore was with Locke. He almost seemed soft. That’s a side the audience hasn’t seen before. He must be desperate for whatever it is he wants. Fuck it’s getting twisted. It’s very obvious Ben and Widmore are at odds, but what are they after?
Contact Widmore by dialing 23. Numbers!
Locke: “How could you possibly think that’s a choice?”
Abadon: “I’m just the driver.”
Locke’s question about death might hit hard in the coming season. The island brings death upon everyone involved. The major story arch could involve something big and death-themed.
Did Locke know too much? He mentioned Eloise Hawking and he was toast! Does the world end if Locke meets Eloise? I don’t remember how Locke found out about Eloise. What does Locke knowing Eloise prove to Ben? It may seem evil at first, but Ben must know that Locke would come back alive once on the island. Sure killing in cold blood is a terrible thing, but Ben could have some good intentions with all his knowledge. I don’t like that Ben said “I’ll miss you, John.”
So Abadon, Widmore, etc. not only helped people get back to the island, but they helped people get to the island originally. Ben wants to help get everyone back to the island too, but he didn’t help them originally get to the island. That’s a major difference but I don’t know why.
Comments
This episode was AWESOME! I need to watch it like 9 more times before I gather my brains appropriately.
Re Eloise Hawking.. Locke got his info on where to find everyone from Widmore. Ben knew that. I think he might have been extra upset because of Widmore and Hawking knowing each other in the past. There might be more relationship there than we know yet?
Definitely the best episode of the year, maybe the best ever, in my opinion. So many answers, a ton of what seems to be clarification (you really never know with this show), and quick paced action. I loved it.
Just so I’m clear, Eloise was the old woman with the pendulum and all that, right?
Also, I really hope all the people on this new plane that crashed don’t become new regulars.
This was a great, great episode for one of the reasons Paris mentioned: tone. A sad, plodding loneliness seemed to penetrate everything, a dull ache at Locke’s growing isolation and slow march towards failure that grew more and more mournful the further along we got. The world was out to break and destroy him, and it was a little sad watching that fall into place. I’ve always been fascinated by the character’s inherent slow mind and befuddled inability to just THINK about anything. I’m pretty sure Locke went into each of those arguments with the Oceanic 6 cold, with zero preparation or idea of what he was going to say. As always, Locke was a failure. He was supposed to turn the wheel, but Ben did it instead. He was going to kill himself, but Ben ended up taking care of that, too.
I like the creepy, beatific Darth Locke resurrected upon the Island (well, actually, the tinier island), enjoying the feel of the surf on his toes and fresh fruit on his lips. There’s a warmth to his acting in those scenes, the contentment of an old and very lonely man who finally feels loved by someone (in this case, a giant piece of rock and vegetation).
The new plane of castaways isn’t in half-bad shape, thanks to a runway on the Hydra island originally started by captured castaways under orders of The Others in season three. Were they aware what was going to happen?
Widmore was charming in those early scenes, but I still can’t fully trust him. That headstone in the cemetery is a prop, if anything. Abbadon isn’t there to help Locke come to terms with his past, he’s there to move him where he needs to be… and he needs to be on the Island, with all past attachments negated.
Whoa….I didn’t even catch that runway thing or make that connection. Was that actually mentioned at any point or just a really astute observation?
Justin, good ideas – I had forgotten which station the Hydra was and totally forgot about the runway until I went on Lostpedia this morning to refresh myself about the Hydra (and subsequently, the smaller island).
If the runway existed, then we can guess that Locke/Ben/Sayid/Frank/Sun and the new crash folks all likely crashed in the same timeframe that they took off. So I’m guessing they are on the island in 2007 if the Hydra station is abandoned and we assume the runway existed.
Sun will be PISSED when she finds out her husband is indeed on the island but they’re separated by 30-some years.
Actually, thinking some more about this I could be wrong about Sun and Sayid. I still think Frank, Ben, and all the random folks landed in 2007. And obviously Locke, for whatever reason. But perhaps all five of the O6 that came back where flashed off the plane.
When they said that Frank left with a woman on a canoe, I immediately assumed Sun. But it was probably just the flight attendant.
Sayid’s absence last night was telling. I would think he’d have been with Ilana at all times if he was her prisoner. So him not being around is a good indication that he and Sun may have also flashed off the plane. Hopefully we’ll find out next week.
So, Frank and Sun took one of the dingys and made haste to the other island, correct?
And yes, I guess we know that, or assume that Kate, Hurley and Jack are in the late 60s early 70s Dharma times and the rest are on the island three years after the crash?
So if the three were teleported back in time, is this an effect from not having everyone on the first crash not on the plane the second time, i.e. Aaron and to a lesser extent Walt?
Does anyone think Walt will play a bigger role later in the season or next season?
Also, does everyone think Ben killed Locke for nefarious reasons or does it have something to do with the same thing that happened with Michael not being able to kill himself?
I haven’t seen the episode yet, but it seems some SUPER GENIUS called the plane landing on that runway on the smaller island last week. Who could it have been….
ME!! I UNDERSTAND ALL OF LOST ALL THE TIME!!! THANK YOU FEVER DREAMS!
Kevin said:I doubt it, because my hunch is that it’s not about suicide so much as the person is just completely unable to die until their work for the island is finished. I don’t think anyone could’ve killed Michael until he served his purpose.Also, does everyone think Ben killed Locke for nefarious reasons or does it have something to do with the same thing that happened with Michael not being able to kill himself?
Jeff said:
ME!! I UNDERSTAND ALL OF LOST ALL THE TIME!!! THANK YOU FEVER DREAMS!
hahahahhahah! I lol’d.
Jeff said:I haven’t seen the episode yet, but it seems some SUPER GENIUS called the plane landing on that runway on the smaller island last week. Who could it have been….
ME!! I UNDERSTAND ALL OF LOST ALL THE TIME!!! THANK YOU FEVER DREAMS!
Grats on putting 2 and 2 together! And I think your idea of the new plane passengers being the forebearers of the Others is off.
There is a bigger doin’s a transpiren’s.
Jeff wins the internet!
Helen Norwood’s tombstone bore her real name and it seems significant, after Abbadon’s complaints that she may have changed her name and become difficult to find. Her name is the same, finding her was probably the easiest thing in the world. Maybe Whitmore had her killed to remove the only thing that would keep Locke on the mainland, and Abbadon’s delay in tracking her down was merely to give the corpse time to get buried. Locke’s trusting to a fault, he’s not going to question anything.
Maybe it’s just that every character tends to get dropped into a really stressful situations… but whenever they introduce new characters I usually end up thinking “What a bunch of Type-A personality ASSHOLES.”
Justin, I had the same thought about her having been killed, so I was very attentive to the ground around the tombstone. It wasn’t freshly dug. So either she’s long dead (doubtful — who dies of a brain aneurysm on TV?), alive, or just not buried there.
That episode just made me sad for Locke. He’s so lost, so trusting, and so insecure that he’s the perfect pawn for either side to use. It didn’t even occur to me that Peggy Bundy might not be dead, but yeah, that makes sense seeing as how they lie about everything. It was great seeing him back on the island in his element full of knowledge, confidence, and pure joy of nature.
I also wondered if Walt is going to play a bigger role. We didn’t get to see the full extent of whatever magical powers he has, and I’d like to see that. Especially because his douchebag dad (“I JUST NEED TO FIND MY SON!!”) is out of the picture.
I did not see Abadon getting killed, that was pretty intense. I liked how bulgy his eyeballs were.
I’m already annoyed at next week’s plot of what will happen between Kate and Sawyer. Who gives a shit? Bring back the polar bears! And Mr. Echo!
I can’t wait to see how Faraday, Ben, and Widmore all fall in place with Eloise. Is it at all possible Ben is actually Widmore’s brother?
Also, one thing…I would love it if Locke suddenly had a greater understanding in coming back from the dead and started toying with Ben. Not the beat-the-piss-out-of-you type of thing he’s done in the past, just manipulative supreme arrogance/confidence he never has when up against Ben.
I was really hoping for that of Locke, too. I mean, if port-mortem knowledge was bestowed upon Christian Shepard, why not Locke? But it doesn’t seem to be the case…?
I will say this, I can’t wait for Ben to look up and see Locke’s face. I’m crossing my fingers that it’s one of shock and fear rather than, “Oh…you again…”
AND, seriously, I’d say the amount of time Ben has had a busted face versus the amount of time he’s been fresh-faced is like 70/30. His makeup crew have a full-time job keeping him all beat to shit.
I just ran the letters that were lit in the name of the hotel where locke died through an anagram maker, and one of them was “Foretells with”…
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO….
Yeah, I know it’s probably meaningless, but hell, it’s lost.
AND THIS WEEK’S JONATHAN E. HALL BIZARRE LOST THEORY OF THE WEEK AWARD GOES TO…. Jeff!
The kid who plays Walt has grown up to be a pretty crappy actor, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him shuffled aside while some of the other “special” children kidnapped by the Others are used as a way of explaining why he was so important at one time. Plus, everything Michael did (annoying as his character could be) was to protect his son… bringing Walt into the mix would just negate his sacrifice.
I also can’t wait to see Ben’s reaction. We’ve only seen Ben drop his mask a few times, and when he does it’s usually fascinating. I still rate the emotions registering on his face when Alex gets shot as one of the greatest moments on the show.
Also, new thought: So Christian was dead and now is alive. Locke, dead and now alive. Is it possible that Richard had died? Is that why he never ages? and what about Faraday? That would explain why he never got a nosebleed.
I dunno… I still think Locke and Christian are two very separate things. Locke seems actually alive, whether that’s reincarnation or his body restoring itself to an earlier point in its existence remains to be seen. Christian seems more of an undead spirit or entity, one that speaks for something else and doesn’t seem to retain any of its old ambitions or character. Locke is Locke, he seems very much himself.
As for Alpert, the only time we’ve seen him looking dirty and disheveled was when he met a young Ben in the woods. I have a feeling there was a schism between Widmore and Alpert, Alpert got cast out, and Alpert recruited Ben to fight back. Ben did his job a little too well… tricked Widmore off the Island and took over the whole damn operation for himself.
I actually posted on my board yesterday about the possibility of Richard also being an island-resurrectee. But definitely not Faraday. He just didn’t get a nosebleed yet because he’d been on the island the least amount of time of all of them by far.
Justin said:I dunno… I still think Locke and Christian are two very separate things. Locke seems actually alive, whether that’s reincarnation or his body restoring itself to an earlier point in its existence remains to be seen. Christian seems more of an undead spirit or entity, one that speaks for something else and doesn’t seem to retain any of its old ambitions or character. Locke is Locke, he seems very much himself.
This is a very good point.