Hey there dashing daredevils of dexterity, and excuse me a moment while I baste in the awesomesauce that was that episode. High fives all around because tonight, we're all winners. Last season's Ben ep was a high-point, and 'Dead is Dead' was no different. By the end of the ep Ben and Locke were joined at the hip, and I'm hoping things pan out more like The Boondock Saints than Weekend at Bernie's.There's something I need to say, right off the bat. A few people have asked how I can always find redeemable qualities in someone like Ben. I've made no secrets of my love of superhero culture and comics and I've always been fascinated by the idea of vigilantism, someone so driven by the need to uphold the law they're willing to kill those they deem bad or evil, a greater good mentality.
Imagine if Bruce Wayne grew up on Crazy Island playing mind games, but instead of Joe Chill shooting his parents, he shot the boy himself? That's how I've come to look at Ben. Batman never shows his hand, not even to Superman, and always knows how to take down both friend and foe if necessary; he has contingency plans for any situation, and that makes everyone around him pretty much think he's a &%^*. Then take the moral black and white compass of the Punisher, but substitute the judicial system for island law. That's Ben in a nutshell, at least from where I'm sitting.
Yeah, yeah, I know, the Purge… Ben's a bad guy and I'm in denial. If you've read or seen Watchmen, you'll understand why I'm crying Ozymandias. If not, disregard this reference and don't look into it any further because it'll spoil Watchmen. My Hard-To-Determine-Only Top Ten Moments
10. The little things: This episode was jammed with tiny moments for hardcore fans. The Risk board-game was laid out just as Hurley and Sawyer had left it when abandoning Otherville three years earlier. Ben pushed Alex on the swing-set post-Purge, meaning the baby must've lived with the Others when Ben was working undercover. I thought we might've seen Annie at some point, but considering we've not seen her in '77 yet, she may've already been gone.
9. New Locke is smug: Locke gave a goofy “Hey guys, I'm back!” wave to a shocked Jin and Frank. This was one of my favourite moments this season, along with Locke's disappointed “All I wanted was an apology” statement to Ben. Locke's got the power now; let's hope that's a good thing for once.
8. Ben didn't lie about Alex: In a moment that proved just as pivotal in Ben's life as it did Rousseau's, we saw that the night of Alex's abduction in fact played out closer to what Ben had previously told us. Ben stole Alex in an act of desperation and chose to spare the crazy woman he was sent to kill, earning Widmore's scorn but showing his true allegiance to the island.
7. Bye bye Caesar: Well, I sure was wrong. I was certain Caesar was going to be playing a bigger role, but truth is I'm ok with it because it made Ben even more badass. Masterfully manipulating then murdering in the name of righteous protection, Ben saved Locke's life and delivered his apology in one itchy trigger-fingered move.
6. Locke is alive: Ok, yes, this episode is called Dead is Dead. Last week was Whatever Happened Happened, and it proved to be just that, but two things have me crying foul on this episode's title: why would Ben have to kill Caesar to protect Locke if he's already dead, and why would SmokAlex warn him not to attempt to kill John if he wasn't alive?
5. Something is up with Locke: Just because he isn't dead, it doesn't mean everything is back to normal with our risen hero. Did anyone else find it more than a little creepy that, while waiting for Smokey, Locke emerged from the jungle instead, filled with knowledge? Or that Locke mysteriously disappeared for the duration of Ben's showdown with Smokey? Now, I'm not ready to jump to the conclusion that they're one and the same yet, but what if Locke were being called to speak with Jacob/The Island via Christian, leaving Ben alone for Smokey to judge?
4. Widmore was a swashbuckling douche: See him swagger like that when he rode in on his high horse? He looked like Prince Charming in Shrek. Round the campfire twelve years later, he looks like Bilbo Baggins finding out he doesn't get to come on the great adventure. Unlike the ever youthful Richard Alpert, time has not been kind to Charles Widmore. We got more fuel for the theories that he's the big bad in that most of his story to Locke was proven a lie; he was banished by sub, for coming and going from the island too much and having a “daughter with an outsider”. Was he using his knowledge of time conundrums to amass his fortune off-island, or simply selling island tech / history?
3. 80s Teen Others = Emo Hair: Seriously, what was up with teen Ben's hair? He looked like he was on his way to a Fallout Boy show. Don't think you're getting off lightly either, lil' Ethan, but I'm more interested in finding out about when you started playing Others with Ben, and how you managed to dodge the Purge with him.
2. Des buys full strength milk: While I was excited to finally see Desmond after such a long time apart, these were far from ideal conditions and I was truly fearful for Penny's life. I guess the bullet hit Desmond's shopping or just clipped his arm? Thanks to young Charlie's timing and Ben having issues with kids left without a mother, Desmond was able to stop Ben and give him a horrific beating, resulting in Ben vomiting his own blood into the water as he (presumably) swam away to safety. 1. What lies in the shadow of a conspiracy: Frank, not completely trusting a dead man and a murderer for some strange reason, opts to return to the Hydra Island. Bad move – things have turned Lord of the Flies very quickly, with Ilana and Bram taking authority with guns. Trying to open a mysterious case, Ilana confronts Franks with a riddle that could mean anything at this point, “What lies in the shadow of the statue?” Is this a coded-phrase setup for Widmore's people to identify themselves? Or is it a more literal question, possibly meaning the shattered statue itself, or even Jughead the bomb?
Namaste,
The Heroic Lost Ninja
PS – If you've not read Watchmen, do yourself a favour and pick it up. While you're there, pick up Stephen King's The Stand. We've got an eight month gap ahead, and the densest comic ever written and King's massive seminal work will both fill the void and enlighten you to two of Lost's biggest influences.
If you have read them, please let me know in the comments. I'd love to do an entire post showing the links between Desmond / Dr Manhattan, Charlie / Larry Underwood, Jack / Nite Owl and even Hurley / Tom Cullen!