Lost - Dead is Dead

“Ben, what happened?” – John Locke

“It let me live.” – Ben Linus

**** / ****

Lost has a way of allowing its characters to find their reclamation. Despite some hideous, heinous, despicable acts of behavior few would ever forgive, much less forget, the island can sometimes get past it. Through five seasons of Lost, we have see back stories involving the main cast which allow us to see them at their worst…and best. But we have also seen characters go through ups and downs, making mistakes, trying to reposition after such questionable decisions, finding their inner heroes out of it all. The island serves as a location for these characters to learn of what they are capable of, both good and bad. Ben has tried to dedicate his decisions and actions based on what is best for the island. The best interests of the island had been a major motivating factor behind how he approached the Oceanic survivors and his “purge” of the Dharma Initiative. Despite this, Ben has gone above and beyond to act on his own best interests as well…especially when it came to John Locke. The times Ben would sneak behind Locke and try to kill him (even succeeding off-island) on the island proved that he felt threatened by him. Locke was seemingly the “new trophy” on the island, even perhaps preferred before him. Ben’s pride had been bruised because Locke could recover from whatever wounds were afflicted against him. In Dead is Dead, Ben admits to Sun (when finding her and Lapidus in his former home at the barracks) that he’s scared as hell because of Locke’s resurrection. He had never seen an actual reanimated person, once dead now alive before him as he woke up to Locke sitting over him (awakening from the oar pop to the back of the head). And yet Locke is alive and the island has once again made it loud and clear that Ben should just stop it. But to reinforce this sentiment, because he returned to the island when he wasn’t supposed to, Ben faces “judgment” in the main island temple, with Locke agreeing to canoe him over. Locke had all the knowledge given to him by the island to guide Ben to the judgment, not facing the smoke monster but quite a different confrontation…Alex. Locke knew that Ben wasn’t going to judgment for returning to the island but to face the punishment of Alex’s death. He did choose the island over the Alex, admitting that to Locke, out loud for the first time (although it was surely a haunting guilt he couldn’t just goad away), and his desire for revenge against Widmore for his daughter’s death led him to Penny off-island.

This episode served as a visitation to the past on-island regarding taking Alex, as a baby, from Danielle, and his recovery as a child with the Others. Widmore, as a young man not too happy about Alpert taking Ben to the temple, visiting the child in the tent, calming down when he learned it was Jacob’s will introduces us to their first meeting between these two rivals. Later when Ben “bids adieu” to Widmore, who is forced to board the sub and leave the island, these two exchange unfriendly final words. Widmore rightfully warns Ben that he’ll be in a similar situation one day and know how it feels. But Ben did return and the island had a particular order for him he knows to heed: no more thoughts or acts to kill Locke. In the form of Alex, within a chamber under the temple, Ben is told to follow Locke and no longer act against him. The form of Alex is quite convincing, and Ben appears to be totally in line. Seeing Alex within the smoke, experiences both special and horrifying, Ben gets a good lesson in how he must, going forward, behave.

When planning to kill Penny, finding her on the boat, docked, Ben shoots Desmond, eventually aiming his sights on Widmore’s daughter. When their child emerges, Ben hesitates and this allows Desmond to pummel him repeatedly, eventually dumping him in the drink. So this ties up why Ben looks so beaten when boarding the plane for the island. It explains why Ben wants Sun to apologize to Desmond for him before he enters the temple, not knowing what the judgment would be.

Desmond getting his licks in.

With Alex in hand and young Ethan by Ben's side

Widmore about to leave the island unwillingly

Younger Charles Widmore

This episode is all about Ben. No bones about it. Caesar thinks he’ll just call the shots on Hydra Island, even supposedly backing up Ben against Locke, some fraud posing as a member of their plane, only to be gunned down. Ben did appear to be immediately trying to turn on Locke *yet again* but thought better of it despite his tone with Caesar. Whatever happens with Iliana and those off the plane, asking about the shadow off the statue to a returning Lapidus is but a setup for the next episode, Dead is Dead gives its total devotion to Ben. This is his chance to finally put aside the trepidation and inconsideration towards agreeing to do as the island wants: follow Locke.