Jeremy BENtham...

"Am I talking to a guy in a wheelchair?" --Hurley

WOW.

I know I usually start my post with an ode to Lost... so let's not break with tradition!

Man, oh man -- I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this show.

The Paul Perspective:
Paul had a few choice quotes last night (my husband, not some character on Lost) -- "I hate the very beginning and the very end -- because I know once it starts I'll only have an hour to enjoy it, and then at the end because I know I have a FULL WEEK until it comes on again."

Make this show longer! 2 hours MINIMUM!

My sentiments...EXACTLY. I say, screw the 6th season and just give us a 2-hour a show each week! One hour is just NOT ENOUGH! The first week back (with the back-to-back episodes) felt so right, that the one-hour speedfest just feels too short!

I was PUMPED for this week - like waiting for this episode since the show came back pumped. Was I disappointed? Heck No! Did I love the outcomes? No - but only because it made me question my undying love for Mr. Benjamin Linus, as he further displayed his tendencies towards the psychopathic serial killer he is. Ah... And still I defend him -- I can't decide if Ben's truly evil, or if Michael Emerson is just such a brilliant actor that I can't tell. Probably both - but eee!

Episode Recap Madness!

What an episode! We got tons of Locke drama, the life and death of Mr. Abbadon, WAAAAAALT, the Widmore and Locke tet-a-tet, Locke's acceptance of his death -- and then the dramatic twist of Locke's actual death (darn you Ben! What the hell? I mean, really? Did you have to do him like that) that twisted even more when Locke winds up with BEN back on the island... only now he's ALIVE. (Insert Scooby-Doo confused noise here - Roooogh?)

In the words of Bill and Ted, "Woah!"

This episode flew - it had a narrative arc to it that made it easier to follow then your typical Lost - but was literally LITTERED with rewards for ardent viewers, like myself.

Like last week's episode, this one started with a flash that brought us back to a scene we've seen before (only with a twist) -- a startled man wakes up, with a shock in the desert of Tunisia, he is injured, but rolls over and throws up (like one would do after exiting an extremely perilous roller coaster) -- only this time the man isn't Benjamin Linus, it's John Locke.

Ben vs. John - Their Off-Island Exits

When Ben is approached by some mean-looking desert-dwellers, he deftly shows them his baton, kills them with their own guns, and steals their horse. John is seen on video survelliance, picked up, thrown into a truck (broken leg and all), and rushed to a hospital where is he overseen by the enigmatic Mr. Matthew Abbadon and the extremely talkative Charles Widmore! Woah!!! Wait a minute!

The Mysterious Mr. Widmore

According to Widmore, Ben is the baddest dude on the block -- that he's tried to kill John, so that should ruin his street cred, that he's exiled Widmore himself off the island (via some coup de ta that we're not privvy to at this moment -- can't wait for that to come out!), and that John HAS to be back on the island for the upcoming "war." He also remembers John, vividly, from him showing up at the camp during "Jughead" -- trippy...

Something tells me that he's not telling the truth. It's just too easy! Lost doesn't just sit you down and give you straight stories like that -- we've gotta have a Widmore flashback and learn if he's telling the truth. This island is full of liars! And liars who want to get back! I like it!

Now, Paul is veering towards "Team Widmore -- mainly based on the notion that Widmore hasn't tried to kill John (whereas Ben did shoot him in his missing kidney hole and left him for dead -- but that pesky Locke, just won't die!). Nooooooooo! What team are you on? I'm totally on Team Linus. Or Team Ben -- it has a craftier ring! TEAM BEN! TEAM BEN! He always has a plan!

I know I may be clouded by my love for Ben, but even though he did some SICK shit in last night's episode, still LOVE, LOVE, LOVE me some Benjamin Linus - How can you not love a guy with a clear agenda?

Ben's "To Do" List:

1. Kill anyone who gets in the way of the island being okay.

2. Convince the Oceanic 6 to return... BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY (hear that Kate? Sun? Jack? John? Sayid? But not you - Aaron or Walt, you guys don't count...?)

Does that include choking anyone with an extension cord lately? Check. Shooting Abbadon in cold blood? Check, did that too. Possibly murdering Penny and being covered in her blood? Hmmm.... jury's still out on that one.

The Giant Chess Game of Lost

(Or Backgammon, but I really don't know how to play that one...)

So, this episode really brought the concept of chess or backgammon into my mind -- it seemed that Widmore and Ben were just manipulating their pieces in order to protect the king. Except they both had the same king... so who's telling the truth?

The Family That Plays Together...

My theory is that Ben is working for Eloise Hawking - that she's the yin to his yang in this equation. That she's the real mastermind of Ben's side... because I still think she's Charles Widmore's sister. And wants back on that island just as badly as he does -- by any means necessary! I wonder if the lady with the bag over her head is really her? The younger version of her? THAT would be cool! I say this, because did you see the look on Ben's face when Locke mentioned Eloise - he gets SO jealous when the island favors Locke over him. It's like Cain and Abel... or something of biblical proportions. Either way it's Eloise vs. Charles - at least, I hope. For Ben's sake.

My Frustration With John Locke...to love him, is to hate him!

Paul loves John Locke - he loves his "can do" spirit. I have moments of TOTALLY being on the John Locke-train... but then, I get kind of cranky with him (John Locke, not Paul) -- like why does he always have to have someone tell him what to do? It's like he only acts when people either tell him what he should do, what he's supposed to do, or what he can't do -- when does he ever have an original thought?!? It makes me think of Desmond's cryptic words to Jack -- "They're just using us, brotha!" And, all this "destiny" and "you're special" hoopla for John might be JUST be the manipulation of people who know that Johnny boy misses his Daddy -- and is willing to take advice from anyone who bears a resemblence from the white-haired con-artist from Tallahassee.

But why does John have to be on the island for the "war" -- what war?!? And why doesn't he ever ask the questions that matter? I like how Abbadon totally called him out on that -- right before Ben busted a cap in his ass -- but he was so right! Why was John playing the "I don't know you" card with him? They clearly knew each other from sight, who is John trying to fool?

Episode Switch!

Originally, this episode was supposed to air first, with last week's "3:16" being the follow-up. Now, I heart the writers with all my heart, but I honestly think that the story MIGHT have worked better if they'd left it as is. But then again, I did scream out loud (ABOUT FIVE TIMES) -- "Yay!" I'm literally cheering for this show as the story unfolds - they've got me! And, they were probably right to screen the shows in the order they did.

But, just for fun... let's examine how things would be different, and possibly more jarring, for viewers --

We would have learned all that stuff about Jack's "granddad" (err... it's totally Jack, I watched that scene about four times -- and the ambiguity of their line readings, coupled with Jack's starring at that 1954 picture like he'd seen it before, equal SAME GUY! I hope...), seen them return, seen Jin's awesome little half-smile of recognition. We would have seen Jack SCREAMING Locke down BEFORE we knew that he'd already bit the bullet and joined Team Island... Oooh! It was neat to see how angry Jack was, it made us understand Jack's guilt a bit more, when remembering "3:16." Had we known this info prior to seeing Jack's wah wah meltdown on the plane, where Ben had to "give him some privacy" (but we never did see Ben sit down, did we? Nor did we see him during the flashies and crashies... Just sayin'...) we would have better understood the source of Jack's guilt -- John tried to reach out to him, and he was shunned. Like Jesus. Or Prince Caspian. Or some other literary character from Dr. Jensen's litany of allusions.

We would have known why Ben's statement about not knowing that John hung himself was so loaded...! We would have known that Frank Lapidus managed to land the plane safely -- on the HYDRA Island (NOT the original!). We would have met the Aijra plane people BEFORE we met them in the airport (which would have been cool) - P.S. Ceasar and Ilana, the new Nicki and Paulo? Or the new Ben and Juliet? You make the call!

Argh... so many questions... let's dive in!

TARA'S BIG LIST OF LOST QUESTIONS --

EPISODE: "THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JEREMY BENTHAM"

1. How did Charles Widmore discover the exit site?
2. Were those guys who Ben killed (3 years earlier), when he showed up in the desert, working for Widmore?
3. Did Widmore know about John THIS WHOLE TIME, or just since the episode "Jughead"?
4. Will John Locke's quest for a father figure ever stop?
5. Will it ever lead him in the right direction?
6. Does ANYONE, truly, have John Locke's best interest (as a person) in mind?
7. IS John really someone or something special? Or is this the biggest load of bull-roar ever shoveled?
8. Widmore couldn't afford a better medical facility? The hell?!?
9. Who or WHAT is Matthew Abbadon? Really? Because I used to think he was the smoke monster... but after last night, I'm sorry, Smokey's not going down like that!
10. Why and how did Abbadon come to work for Widmore?
11. Who's the good guy -- Charles Widmore, Benjamin Linus, or none of the above?
12. Who is involved in the "war" that's coming? The Old Losties vs. The Aijra Plane Crashies? The Others vs. The Aijira Plane Crashies? The Others vs. Dharma? Widmore vs. Ben? The four-toed statue people? WHO!?!
13. When Widmore and Abbadon presented John with his wheelchair, did you think he was going to cry? I almost did... for him.
14. Are Ceasar and Ilana the new Paulo and Nicki? Razzle Dazzle! [Side note: Paul's favorite expression, lately, has been "You the man, Ceasar!" - delivered in a thick accent -- so we both started laughing hysterically when the character introduced himself -- hee! That guy really is the man, Caesar!]
15. Did you guys catch that the Aijra plane didn't crash on the main island?!? What's the significance of that? And is the fact that the Aijra's (my new name for them - typing out "Aijra Plane Crashies" is getting old) have access to the Hydra station cause for alarm?
16. Who put Caesar and Ilana in charge, anyway!?
17. Caesar's getting awfully comfortable in the Hydra station -- breaking into file cabinets, being all leader-y -- what's his deal? Do you think he's been on the island before? Or knows where he is? He seemed a little too in control, if you know what I mean...
18. Did you notice that when they panned to Locke's folded clothes, Christian Shepard's shoes were sitting peacefully on the beach with his other items?
19. Is Locke physically incapable of keeping his cards close to the vest? Or does he just choose to not share information when I REALLY want him to! I mean -- is he crazy! The first thing you do when you get resurrected from the dead, is probably not tell everyone the details of what had just happened -- at least not until you, yourself, had figured it out, right? And when he was in the car with Abbadon, it was probably the only time he DIDN'T just spill his guts... at least not until Abbadon called him out as knowing him from the hospital John was in after his paralyzing accident (Abbadon was the one who told him to go on the Walk-about in the first place -- he "gets people where they need to go" -- how cryptic and awesome! Yet, he died... I hope we see him again, in live form.
20. Is Penny dead?!? I know we didn't see any Desmond story tonight, but we all know when Ben has a plan, it generally tends to happen. And killing Penny was totally his plan!
21. How many other conversations with random dead people is Hurley having in the mental hospital? I mean, we saw Charlie slap him and tell him to go back. Seriously, he seemed so unfazed by the initial image of Locke, WTF? And if all these "dead people" are telling you to go back... GO BACK!
22. Did you happen to catch what Hurley was painting? It was a picture of the desert... Like where John reappeared... Just not in Egypt.

23. Are you telling me that John is really going to abandon hope of getting Sun and Walt on the plane? Since when do Jin and Michael take precendence over the island? I mean, Locke's willing to KILL HIMSELF to save the island, but doesn't Walt to shed any man-tears over his dead Daddy? The heck?
24. How OLD is Walt? When he said "Hi John," I felt like his voice had dropped MANY octaves.
25. When's Walt coming back to the island? They can't just leave him in New York! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALT!
26. Is Ben REALLY REALLY good or REALLY REALLY bad? He's definately one of the two... I just can't tell! Darn you! Awesome acting by Michael Emerson is making it impossible to figure Ben out! Ambiguity is killing me!
27. Do you think Helen is really dead? Or do you think Widmore cooked up a fake tombstone to make John feel completely isolated (and thus, ready to return to the island)?
28. Do you think Ben already knew he was going to kill John when he helped him down, or was John saying the name "Eloise Hawking" the trigger?
29. Why would Ben bother to talk John down off the ledge (when John had already committed to killing himself) and then kill him? Is it because the island wouldn't let John kill himself? Is it because the island used to talk to Ben and now talk to John? Or is Ben lying about that, too? Maybe the island is telling Ben what to do also -- but telling him not to tell John... that could be cool! Notice, I'm grasping at any straws available to prove to myself that Benjamin Linus isn't the scumbag many people feel he is -- Team Ben, now and forever! He'd better not die! And they'd better not kill him off! I'd be lost! (Pun intented)
30. Why an extension chord? Why hanging? Aren't there easier -- less poetic, less messy ways?
31. How did Ben and Mrs. Hawking hook up?
32. Is Ben secretly in love with Mrs. Hawking? He's really jealous of anyone who gets to spend time with her! Very Harold and Maude...
33. John's trying to get everyone to go back, but can't tell them why or give them a good reason for doing so -- how in the hell does he expect to woo the Oceanic 6 with his "We have to go back!" sales pitch? He needs to change it up, like with his death!
34. What's with all the biblical references in Lost? I mean, Locke is totally Jesus! Who's his Judas? Ben or Widmore? Or will it be Jack?
35. Who is Kate going to choose - Jack or Sawyer - or does she even get a choice?
36. Who's that lady in the promo with the bag over head? I'm intrigued!
37. How hot is Sawyer with glasses? I'm just saying...!
38. Where does Jacob factor into the Widmore/Ben thang?
39. Is Hurley more important then we suspect?
40. And again, just how PISSED is Jin going to be when he sees Sun? Oooooh!
41. Why didn't Ben flash to the Dharma time? Was he not supposed to be there?
42. What's John going to do with Ben, now that he knows Ben killed him? And why's he sharing that news with the people?!
43. What TIME are John and Ben in, as opposed to the Dharma people (1970s)?
44. Are the Aijra's the ones who were shooting at Locke earlier? How would that be possible if Locke crashed on their plane?
45. If Locke's alive, does that mean, conclusively that Christian Shepard came back to life when Oceanic 815 crashed the first time?
46. Where are Miles, Juliet, and Daniel? I miss them!
47. And finally, Don't EVER ask Kate about Aaron... but what happened to the kid? And (thank you Mr. Reich) - is Kate preggers!?! Her and Jack did do the nasty before she got on the plane...!

Until next week -- I can't wait!!!!

Namaste!