the tindog coffeehouse

It’s that time again! Random thoughts, theories, and questions from last night’s Ben-centric Lost:

• I said last week that Ben “is a character that needs to be broken emotionally, forced to admit and repent of his sins, and be redeemed in order to rise again, just as powerful as before but now on the good guys’ side.” Boy, did Cuse and Lindelof deliver on that one! What an incredibly powerful performance from Michael Emerson. Amazing!
• I also mentioned last week about the unresolved chessmatch between Ben and Widmore and said that it had to be resolved within the larger context of the Jacob/Man In Black mythology. Looks like I’ll be getting my wish by way of that submarine. The war is coming, and it’s gonna be epic.
• Funny how Sideways Ben keeps his dad alive with gas (oxygen), when Island Ben killed his with gas.
• Oh. My. God. Sideways Roger and Ben went to island with the Dharma Initiative! (Sorry, that was the sound of my head exploding.) Roger: “Imagine how different our lives would’ve been if we’d stayed.” Um, yeah, they would’ve been underwater.
• I love the parallel between Alex having a literal gun to her head on the island (Season 4) and Sideways Alex having a proverbial gun to her head. While Island Ben chose power over love, though, Sideways Ben chose love over power. Redemption.
• Ilana: “Where will you go?” Ben: “Locke.” Ilana: “Why?” Ben: “Because he’s the only one who’ll have me.” Ilana: “I’ll have you.” Wheras Smokey only tempts people with worldly desires (power, revenge, etc.), Jacob offers something much greater: love, forgiveness, grace, acceptance.
• Was Alex studying about the Black Rock for her AP history test?
• I suppose if everyone else avoided crashing on the island in the Sideways world, so did the French researchers. Which means that while Alex is busy studying, her mother Danielle is running wild in the streets of LA setting traps for people. Which is actually completely normal for LA.
• Even up to the moment of his death, Jacob still held out hope for Ben. Just as Jesus never lost hope in Judas, even though He knew what would (have to) happen. It was all part of the bigger plan.
• Speaking of the Black Rock, I guess last night confirmed the theory that Richard was brought to the island as a slave on the ship.
• Richard: “When Jacob touches you, it’s not a gift, it’s a curse.” He touched Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, Kate, Sayid, Sun, Jin, and Locke. Locke was strangled to death (I guess that counts as cursed) and Sayid died and was reborn as Zombie Sayid. Wonder what curses await the rest.
• If Richard couldn’t kill himself, then does that mean Locke wouldn’t have been able to do the same?
• Jacob touched Kate, but she’s not a candidate. Discuss.
• Jack has moved back into the role of Man of Faith. “Jacob wouldn’t have brought me here to be blown up by a stick of dynamite.” He’s realizing his purpose: as the new leader of the Others. He’s the new Jacob.
• A Nikki and Paulo shoutout! Holla!
• One of those weird mysteries that will never get solved: How exactly is it that Miles can communicate with the dead?
• Once again, where are Sawyer and Jin?!

Previously:
Lost thoughts, Mar. 3
Lost thoughts, Feb. 24