Alan K. Henderson's Weblog

(Episode: The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham. Spoilers ahead.)

This was originally slated to air before last week's show, but the producers thought this change would be cooler. I don't know about that, but it does seem sensible. I think the show needed to end the back-in-civilization phase before beginning the story of the Ajira 316 survivors.

And also before throwing at us the show-s biggest plot twist - Locke's rise from the dead.

When he left the island, he arrived in Tunisia - same spot where Ben emerged last season. Locals take him to a hospital, and Charles Widmore eventually meets up with him. Widmore says he was exiled by Ben years ago, and assumes that Locke was exiled too.Locke tells him that Ben left the island first, and that Locke is on a mission to return the Oceanic Six.

Widmore is eager for this mission to succeed, saying that "the wrong side" will win an impending war if they don't return. What is Widmore's interest in Locke's mission - is it simply a convenient way to find out how to get back to the island, or is there something much deeper?

Locke went to Kate, Sayid, Jack and Hurley, and failed each time to convince them that they need to return to the island. We know from earlier episodes that Jack would have a change of mind, triggered (apparently) by the apparition of his father at the hospital.

Locke also visits Walt, and tells the boy of his father's most recent employment but not that he died. Walt had been having prophetic dreams about Locke's return to the island.

While Locke visits his old girlfriend's grave, Widmore henchman Michael Abaddon is shot (by Ben, we learn), and Locke drives away in a panic, leading to the accident that brings him to Jack's hospital.

Locke gives up on his mission and plans to hang himself with an extension cord in his motel room. Ben arrives in the nick of time. Ben learned of Locke's return when he witnessed the meeting with Walt. Ben informs Locke that Jack has already accepted that they must return to the island; Jack booked a trans-Pacific flight, and apparent desperate attempt to find the island again.

Ben learns that Jin is alive, and that Locke is searching for Eloise Hawking. At this mention Ben takes the extension cord and strangles Locke to death. Why? Is he cold-bloodedly trying to recreate the conditions of the first crash - for Locke to serve as proxy for Christian? Or is he ensuring that Locke will not lead Widmore to discover Mrs. Hawking's whereabouts? Or both?

Flight 316 landed on the satellite island where the Hydra Station is. Evidently Lapidus had managed a successful crash lading; death toll is nto stated, but it appears to be minimal. Survivors speak of seeing several passengers vanish when the strange light appeared. The Oceanic Five (where's Aaron?) got caught up in the temporal anomaly; it did not grab Locke - or Ben, who Locke sees in the gathering of injured passengers. Is it possible that the anomaly would have grabbed Locke if he had been alive - is that why he had to die?

There are two outrigger canoes nearby; a third had been appropriated by Lapidus and an unknown woman. (Were they the ones who shot at the Lostaways when they had appropriated one of those canoes?)

Who is Lapidus' female traveling companion? If it's a known character, Mrs. Hawking is the only likely candidate; otherwise she's a new character.

Will Ben be surprised or not when he sees Locke alive? I'm so looking forward to that moment.

Labels: Lost, Television