Lost - 4.9 The Shape of Things to Come
Wherein we learn Ben is actually human. Maybe. Spoilers behind the cut.
The great:
The opening with a game of Risk. “Australia is the key to the whole game!” Wonder if that’s a clue, or if it’s one of those infuriating throw away lines meant to look like a clue.
Ben apparently teleporting into Tunisia. Ben shows that he’s actually kind of a badass. And then not being certain of the year. Couple that with the other time wonkiness we’ve seen this season and another piece of the puzzle starts falling into place.
The execution scene. The music. The fact that Michael Emerson finally gets to do some great acting beyond “look creepy.” And Ben’s reaction afterwards.
Seeing Ben trick Sayid into working for him. See that smile as Ben walks away after Sayid kills the guy? Brilliant. Sayid probably thinks it was his idea to work for Ben, when Ben is just manipulating him as always.
Ben unleashing the Monster on the attackers. Holy crap.
The final scene with Ben vs Widmore. The show is becoming more and more an almost theological conflict between these two entities. Which one is Good and which one is Evil? Is Ben Satan (a master manipulator and temptor) to Widmore’s God? Or are neither truly good or evil?
Why can’t Ben just kill Widmore? The more you look at it, the more it seems that neither of these characters are entirely mortal. Widmore has evidently “had” the island before - perhaps he was the one to send out the initial Dharma expedition? Is he Hanso?
I can almost see Widmore’s point about Ben having killed Alex. Perhaps Widmore didn’t change the rules at all. Ben himself told the truth (imagine that!) by saying he stole Alex when she was a baby from Rousseau. Therefore any protection against killing family was lifted then. If this was the only reason Alex got killed it would be deliciously ironic, as this seems to be one of the very few times Ben has ever told the truth.
The good:
Bernard is much more involved and indeed critical to the beach plot.
Jack finally get a straight answer from Faraday. And when it’s not the answer he wants to hear, it practically destroys him.
After being Hurley’s primary tormentor for 3 season, Sawyer has become his primary protector. Things kind of changed late last season, but I think Charlie’s death is what made the change complete.
The not-so-good:
Three red shirts that we’ve never seen, who have been living in Locke’s camp, get killed rather quickly and almost comically.
The Jack-gets-sick thing is feeling contrived.
Other than his final scene, the stuff with Sayid in the future isn’t all that compelling.
No Desmond.
There’s a whole week until the next episode.
The show is going a thousand miles a minute now and I’m loving it. A solid A episode.