LOST Behind the Curtain

Well, we learned a lot on tonight's episode. Or did we???

**Spoilers ahead. Kinda. Cuz I can't figure it all out!**

This was the LONG-awaited Ben Linus flashback episode. Hooray! Let's learn more about tv's most mysterious and bug-eyed villain!

So, what did we learn?

Flashbacks

* Ben was NOT born on the island. He was born prematurely outside of Portland (aha, that explains that reference) while his parents were on a hike. His mom died in childbirth, but they were "rescued" by a happy-looking couple who happened to be Dharma Initiative employees who bring Ben and his dad, Roger, to the Island. More on Roger in a sec.

* Ben was a very meek and scared little kid, feeling very strongly that his neglectful dad blamed him for his mother's death and always forgot his birthday. He started seeing visions of his mother on the island... and eventually met Richard Alpert, a native "hostile," out in the jungle. More on this later, too.

* By the time Ben's an adult, slogging away in his Dharma jumpsuit, he's made the decision to jump ship.... and he becomes (we think) the lone Dharmite to join the hostiles in the purge. He kills his own father! Yes, his dad was the Roger Work Man in the Dharma van. Ben joins with the hostiles, who seem to be led by Richard.

* Richard DID NOT AGE. (He looked very hot and Jesus-like back in the 70's with that long hair!) But he looks the same now as he did 30ish years ago! Huh? (I was very confused at first.... thinking maybe that was Richard's dad? Or that Richard was Jacob? Or... huh?) But I'm now thinking that true islanders don't age. Maybe it's to do with funkytime on the island, maybe it's something about the healing electromagnetic properties... who knows?

Current (2004) Storyline

* Locke is all badass again, takin' names and tellin' Ben how it is after he returns to camp with his dead dad on his back. He takes down Patchy -- while Tom and Richard sit by and let it happen? more cracks in Ben's armor? -- and forces Ben to take him to see Jacob.

* So, they trek through the jungle to a weird old shack to meet Jacob. And they find.....???? WHAT? The weirdest scene in LOST history? Was there really an unseen Jacob there? Who did Locke hear say "Help me" ?? Was Ben really speaking to some entity? Was something really getting mad and throwing stuff around, or did Ben have booby-traps that he was setting off himself? WHADAFA???? I hope they answer these questions soon, cuz I don't like being this confused!

* After bizarroland in Jacob's shack, Ben brings Locke to a mass grave (creepy) with all the bodies of the dead Dharma folks. And then Ben ups the ante on his own evil and SHOOTS LOCKE!!!!!!! Holy hell! Did not see that coming! In fact, of all the characters, I thought Locke was one of the safest!!! Ben demands that Locke tell him what he heard "Jacob" say... and Locke has to struggle to utter "Help Me..... He said.... Help Me...." Good scene. But, again, WHADAFA? Is Locke going to die? Or is Mr. Healing Man himself going to survive this one to be badass another day?

Back at the Beach

* Circumstances lead to Sayid and the gang introduce the 815ers to Naomi, who tells of her helicopter and ship just offshore... which leads to the inevitable "we can't trust Jack OR Juliet!" argument.

* Sawyer plays the incriminating tape of Juliet for the whole crowd, just to have J&J show up. Jack gets all uppity, as always protecting his beloved Juliet like the triple-conned shmuck I believe him to be, but Juliet insists Sawyer turn over the tape. He does, and plays Ben's response talking about the imminent attack on the beach when they plan to take Sun. Shock! Horror! So, is Juliet helping the LOSTies by getting them to prepare for the Others' attack? Or is she conning everyone, all the time? In this case, I think she's actually on the up and up. But Jack still sucks. (I try to find a way to work that into every post at least once. Jack sucks. Or maybe twice.)

Scenes

* Next week is a Charlie-centric ep. Desmond says that this time, he is meant to die. Bah-da-dummmmm..... or will he? LOST doesn't usually give us exactly what we expect, and trailers are often false. Will the Hobbit be safe? Stay tuned.

* The finale, in 2 weeks, is a 2-hour Jack-centric ep. Yes, again. But it should be about the war with the Others, and it does look fun. Explosions and stuff. Things will go boom! And I have a feeling characters will die.... let's all get ourselves ready. But first, we have to find out if Locke survives?!?!?