WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE LATEST EPISODE OF LOST.
After the jump: Mini-recap, questions, theories, and predictions!
On this week’s Lost, in Sideways World, we get the impression that Dr. Benjamin Linus is a lonely guy who takes care of his elderly father (ROGER!!!) and despite being a smartypants, he is forced to neglect his precious History Club to cover detention because his boss, Principal Butthead, doesn’t like him very much. So Ben decides maybe HE should be principal instead! And it turns out that Alex is conveniently one of his students! And she is in this now defunct History Club! And she wants to go to Yale! And she tells Ben that Principal Butthead is having relations with the school nurse! Something that the always-manipulative-no-matter-the-dimension Ben uses to try and blackmail the guy out of his job! But when confronted with this blackmail, the principal says if Ben goes through with it, he’s not going to write Alex’s letter of recommendation to Yale! So of course, since this is the Sideways World, Alex > Ben’s own happiness, and she gets her recommendation and all’s well that ends well, except Ben is right back where he started.
On the island, Miles tells Ilana that Ben’s the one that killed Jacob, and it turns out that Ilana thought of Jacob as a father, so BIG SURPRISE there are more daddy issues! So then she ties Ben up, tells him to dig his own grave, and is ready to shoot him! But then Smokey shows up and tells Ben that he’s about to roll, but he’ll let Ben have the island if he can beat Ilana to some tree somewhere! So Ben bolts in a comedic fashion, and he gets there first with Ilana at his heels, and the two of them have a heart to heart in which Ben basically tells her how shitty his whole life has been, and how it’s all Jacob’s fault, etc etc and Ilana forgives him and they go and have a nice little musical montage with the rest of the Losties. We also found out that Richard can’t kill himself (thanks to Jacob) and he tried to get Jack to kill him as a favor! But when Jack lit the TNT’s fuse, nothing happened! Because he’s all special and stuff. Which he knows thanks to that whole Lighthouse fiasco. Then he cried and breathed heavily through his nose.
Questions:
1. Richard said that once Jacob touches you, you can’t kill yourself. So now we know why Michael and Locke had such a hard time of it! But Richard also implied that he hasn’t AGED because Jacob touched him as well – does this mean the 6 Candidates are also not going to age? But Sawyer and Kate were touched as kids, so they’ve obviously aged – maybe Jacob gives each person a different “gift?”
2. Who else thinks Widmore is going to join Team Smokey??
3. In the Sideways World, Roger told us that they had gone to the island! What was that all about!??!!? How long did they stay, and why did they leave?
4. Who ever thought that Jack would really become the ultimate Man of Faith and attempt to blow himself up? (Although if Jacob’s touch means they can’t kill themselves, that fuse went out because technically Jack was trying to kill himself, right?) And of course we got some Jears. ;_;
5. Ilana said Jacob was the closest thing to a father she had – more daddy issues! I only wish I was surprised! What was her relationship to him?? Was it a big shock that she actually forgave Ben for killing Jacob?
6. Now that we’ve seen the kind of havoc Jacob has caused in people’s lives, can we really think of him as a “good” guy? Isn’t it interesting that for a show that’s always had this strong theme of black and white that now that we’re finally getting to the ultimate battle royale that both sides are a little…gray? Jacob’s more evil than we figured and Smokey has some really good points!
Of course at this point it’s pretty clear that Jacob is a God figure and Smokey is the Satan figure – Smokey being held prisoner by Jacob’s wrath and all that. Jacob setting people down a path and Smokey tempting them with the fru-its of the dev-eel and whatnot. If we weren’t so close to the end of the series I’d be theorizing the hell (no pun intended) out of all of this, but at this point I’m happy to just let it roll. I think I’ll wait until it’s all over and done before I write my gigantic “This Is What Lost Means” thesis.
7. Last season when Ben was revived in the temple, Richard said he’d never be the same again, he’d be “changed.” Is the selflessness we saw in Sideways Ben (with Alex and his father) what little Ben lost in that temple?
8. Ilana said there were six candidates left. According to the cave, the 6 names listed were Jarrah, Shephard, Ford, Kwon, Reyes, and Locke. Does this mean that both Sun AND Jin are candidates? And even if you count them separately (and discount Sayid) that still only leaves you with five, right?
9. Smokey asked Ben to take over, and yet he’s the one who said the island doesn’t need protecting. What’s up with that?
Thoughts:
– Alex!!! So good to see her! Who knew she’d be so nerdy?
– And Arzt, hating everyone and everything! As per usual!
– Was that the Black Rock in the History text book Ben was helping Alex study with?
– I loved the thing about Nikki and Paulo and Miles with the diamonds. Awesome.
– Every episode should end with Hurley Hugs and musical montages. Just saying.
Such a great episode. So many funny lines. Cyborg? Vampire? Sweater vest? Banana leaf checks? LOL!
(For the record I want to see Vampire!Richard show up on True Blood this year. Guh.)
I’m sure I’ll be adding more tomorrow once I’ve read all your very astute comments :D
I am so so so hoping that Ben is actually going to be “The Chosen,” a la the Chaim Potok book shown. Maybe by turning down Smokey’s offer he showed his true quality? I don’t know, I just think Ben should rule the Island forever and ever, basically. With Richard by his side. Also, am I the only one who was hoping that the two of them would share a little hug at the end. I mean seriously, I ship nothing, but bloodied quasi-suicidal outcasts have to stick together and that.
Michael Emerson is actually really hoping to have a part in an episode of True Blood next season. That would be great if his wife could pull some strings.
Slightly more sober now. I just wanted to say how much Alex and the history team reminded me of my Fine Arts Academic Team in high school. Go Nerds!!!
I think Richard was the captain on the Black Rock!
As for the Candidates, I’m guessing either Ilana only knows that there were six and not that a few of them have already defected to the Smokey side, or that there are more than we realize to start with. I mean, Kate must’ve been one at some point since Jacob touched her as a child, right?
Or it’s just another one of those retcon things. Like the numbering discrepancy in the 12 Cylon models.
Ben tossing the shovel was great! Then Ilana chunking the mango and a going full-force b!tch mode was the icing on the cake. haha
@Kimmerz – the folks who went back to 1974 (Sawyer, Miles, Juliet, etc.) were on the island 3 years. The folks on the Ajira flight (Jack, Kate Hurley, etc.) have only been on the island a few days, maybe a couple of weeks, including going to 1977 and coming back to 2007. Completely straightforward and simple. HA!
Also, Cheese Curds.
@Dharma Scientist
“Show me exactly on the doll where Jacob touched you, Richard.”
Pure Gold!
Ok, so Ben HAS interacted with the temple folk before, he knew who Dogen and Lennon were.
Ben teaching about Napolean. Lol. “With the loss of his power, he might as well have been dead.” I love this show.
Locke the teacher says, “You seem to really care about this place. If the man in charge doesn’t care about it, maybe it’s time for a change.” Hello, subtext.
When Ilana first said, “Jacob was the closest thing I ever had to a father,” I was expecting Ben to say, “Me too.”
Alex is back, and hotter than ever. I actually like how weird her nose is. I think it makes the rest of her even prettier. Wait, how old is she really?
Alright, so Richard definitely came to the island on the Black Rock. “In all the years since I’ve been on this island, the is the first time I’ve come back.”
Widmore. Awesome. I guess he’s either on Jacob’s side, or important to his plan.
Gramercy say, “I thought it was a great episode. But the one part that really confused me was the “conversation” with Jack and Richard. Before the commercial break Jack says “let’s talk” and then Jack just tells Richard about the lighthouse. I expected Richard to say more about his history on the island, but I guess there really isn’t anything else to know that is essential.”
I believe there is a Richard-centric ep coming up.
Riggins says, “Arzt and his mothafuckin’ formaldehyde stains. Dude can’t ever catch a break.”
Dude is also a whiny, self-important little bitch.
Kratos says, “Anyone else notice that Linus runs like Peewee Herman?”
It’s Dr. Linus, actually.
Marjorine says, “I’m still reeling from the fact that we got an explanation for Richard’s “gift” – that it was Jacob’s touch that gives him eternal youth. Does this imply that now all those people Jacob touched back in “The Incident” – the remaining candidates (+ Kate) are now blessed with agelessness as well? Isn’t that a HUGE deal? Because those are the dots that Jack seemed to connect, and it worked out for him.”
It just remains to be seen if it was a normal touch, or a “show me on the doll” touch that he meant, but yes. It seems people he touched can be killed, but can’t end it themselves (i.e. Emo-Jack on the bridge in L.A.).
Was I the only one to (albeit briefly) think Widmore was going to torpedo Ben right off the frakin’ beach. What a great episode and another excellent recap. Thanks Ack, well done. Just a question? How do we know the island actually blew up in 1977? Is it possible the group time traveled with the bomb to another date before the explosion?
Whoa! Don’t forget last season when the Sawyer group time travellers were pursued and fired on by a mysterious bunch in one of those canoes. Someone was shot by Juliet, I’ll wager a member of the “new” beach group was the victim. It doesn’t look good for the folks on the second island, the other plane crash survivors, remember them?
Mario Van Peebles directed the episode. Badaaaaassssss. :)
As well as Ben throwing the bamboo shovel, the dirt flying out of the hole in the longshot of him digging at the start of the scene was wicked funny.
Miles digging up the diamonds, yeah!
And just so many great lines – this episode is going to be viewed many times over.
1. I had a fleeting moment when I thought that Hurley would be the next Richard. That with Hurley being able to see Jacob, this was something only Richard could do, now passed to Hurley. I’m still not totally unconvinced.
6. I think we saw more of his dark side in the ‘touching’ episode. When he touched Sayid, he pretty much let Nadia get hit by the bus. They were crossing the street, he held Sayid back, and Nadia gets hit. I’ve had misgivings on Jacob since seeing that.
About the whole “not being able to kill yourself” once you’ve been Touched by Jacob (a new line of men’s and women’s fragrances will be released soon)… Does this also apply to Michael? During “Meet Kevin Johnson” he tried to kill himself a few times and failed… didn’t Tom say something about how the Island wouldn’t let him (Michael) die? Was Michael also “touched”?
Ack, I don’t think we can definitively say which side Widmore will come down on…
Widmore has been consistently shown as very Hostile (get it?), whether when he was a young buck gallivanting around the Island like he owned the place because he was being groomed to be the leader (wanting to cut off Juliet’s hand, being arrogant and trigger happy about shooting Locke in the back), or when he was old and ornery (ordering Rousseau be killed, sending the Freighter team to nab Ben and “torch†the rest of the Island with a whole lotta mercs and a crap ton of C-4).
However, we saw that he invoked the name of Jacob when telling people to do many of those unsettling things (like w/ Rousseau and saying Jacob wanted her dead), and if Smokey has been posing as Jacob in the Cabin for a while (or even claiming to speak for him in the guise of someone like Christian), I can totally see Widmore thinking he’s following Jacob’s orders and doing his best to carry them out to the letter, or even possibly Richard being fooled and giving Widmore some pretty sketchy lists that only serve to further the agenda of Jacob’s Nemesis.
Further doubt comes to mind in light of the off-Island dealings Locke had with Widmore in S5 (as seen in Life & Death of Jeremy Bentham). It was WIDMORE who warned Locke that a war was coming, and it was WIDMORE who said that Locke needed to get back ALIVE, otherwise the wrong side would win. I stress the alive part b/c Widmore expressed serious doubt as to why Richard would tell John that he had to die.
And knowing what we know now (we’re dealing with a MIB in Locke clothing), what we saw in Follow the Leader was that Richard got this bit of info from Smokey, who was planting the seeds of his very own revolution across time, and not even Richard believed his own advice (since he truly thought that was a never-having-died Locke, proving that he can be fooled like the rest of us).
It’s very possible that some of the dynamic between Widmore and Ben was motivated by Widmore having learned that he was being manipulated by Smokey while he was leader, and wanting to eliminate Ben because Smokey was exerting the same kind of control.
However, with all the downright nasty stuff we’ve seen Widmore willing to do to accomplish his goals, and in light of the fact that we’ve seen he literally thinks he owns the place because he was once the leader of the Others, I don’t exactly feel confident in calling him a good guy, either. He hired Keamy the Merciless Mercenary who shot Alex in the back of the head, thus (self-)fulfilling his prophecy that she’d die if the Island wanted her to. And he knowingly sent his own son to his time travely, Mother Other of an un-time-ly death (get it?) when he invited Faraday to the Island…
Perhaps with all this talk of being “claimed†and “infected†by the darkness in What Kate Does, Widmore has this same problem. It certainly seems that Ben does to a large extent (hence the whole thing about losing his innocence). But then, I don’t wanna muddy the (Spring) waters here… ;)
OK, without having read the rest of the other comments, first:
I HOPE BENRY KEPT TWO COPIES TO USE ON REYNOLDS NEXT TIME.
Also, AWW BENRY JUST WANTED TO BE LOVED :-)
I needed to get that out in all caps :-)
2. TOTALLY. You know he’s going to be angling to be in charge of the island once Mocke leaves.
3. I’m guessing Ben and Roger were hustled into the evacuation somehow. Glad to see they sort of became closer afterward though. Maybe Otherville drives a man to drink.
4. I know the Jack hate is strong here :-) but I actually don’t mind Jack myself. I was a little worried that he was going to act like a complete ass again though, demanding to be taken back to the Temple and such, so I’m glad Richard wandered by to put the smackdown on that. It was also nice to see crazy Action Jack back doing something stupid. I sort of missed that about him :-)
5. Yes it was a nice touch. I didn’t particularly have any strong feelings about Ilana before, but I was really happy to see that. HEARTWARMING EPISODE!
6. Just on a meta-level, I didn’t really believe Jacob was completely good. At this point the writers have set Jacob up too much as “Good” not to want to bring him crashing down at some point, so…just on a basic storytelling level, I wasn’t surprised to see some cracks show in Jacob’s facade.
7. Actually I think both come from the side of Ben that just really wants to be loved and accepted and generally ok with himself.
8. Wallace?
BEST EPISODE SO FAR THIS SEASON. I love Ben Linus!
Also, something interesting: If Danielle has to work two jobs to pay their rent, does that mean she’s not a scientist anymore? Because the last time I checked, scientific researchers didn’t get paid minimum wage. And is Alex’s dad still around? Is he also working around the clock to keep them housed and fed? Or is this a single mom operation?
Ok, last comment tonight I PROMISE:
– LOL @LostTeaParty: Miles: Look at your candidate, now look at me; the beach is now Diamonds!
– And the rectangular grave thing, I noticed that too!
– @Rowan: I agree. I bet Richard was on the crew, they crashed, and Jacob gave him a chance to “redeem” himself.
– Holy crap! Mario van Peebles directed this episode! I didn’t even know!
– Plus, I really loved how the alternate timelines for Ben intersected, I thought it was the smoothest convergence so far, really giving you an idea of what exactly Ben would do differently if faced with almost exactly the same kinds of choices.
– Oh yeah: Miles = Win, always.
ack… I am not looking forward to the end of lost or this blog…however I am definately looking forward to your thesis “what lost means” haha ……
Some observations…
1. LOVED the irony about Sideways Ben gassing Roger Work Man in this life too, only with oxygen instead of Dharma Purge formula.
2. I don’t see Ben’s actions as “selfless.” I see them as Ben understanding which he values more: power or love. He’s decided, as it were, to live together, to maintain connections with others, not to die alone.
3. LOVED the connection to Napoleon. Like Napoleon, Ben was at risk of being isolated (“isola” being the Latin for “island,” don’tcha know?) and left with little more than a title — the title of “principal” in the case of Sideways Ben — and finally, not even the power he sought.
3.
I just loved this episode it was a Benry Knows Best strip come to life. I even liked Jack and that’s really saying something.
As for #9 – I think Smokey offers you what you want most regardless of whether it’s doable or not. Just Smokey misjudged Ben this time.
I will say I’m a little bit upset that Ben gets salvation but Sayid doesn’t. It frankly would have run more true to both characters if Sayid had gotten salvation and Ben hadn’t.
I think six candidates includes Kate. Maybe Smokey didn’t show Sawyer her name because he thought Sawyer wouldn’t want to “compete” with her?
We found out why LaPenis didn’t pilot flight 815. We also found out that Jacob had a lot of doubts about Ben, and that was why he never appeared to him.
FWIW, I never belived Jacob was completely good. He’s caused too much ruin and suffering to be all good. Definite shades of gray there.
Also, I taught I was a high school for years. Those over-educated teachers are always a bit bitter. LOL
Sorry, I meant to write that I taught in a high school for years.
I don’t think Jacob = God and Smokey = Satan. That’s too simplistic. Too… black and white. :-)
My thought:
Jacob = belief in predestination/fate/destiny
Smokey = free will
When he touched them, Jacob took away the free will of those he touched. Their lives were manipulated to his ends. They thought they were making choices of their own accord, but they weren’t. They really, truly were fated/predestined to do what they did, to come to the island and be tied up with it. While there, they were led to believe their lives had meaning beyond the meaning they created for themselves. (Take Richard, for example. He has bought into the destiny thing wholeheartedly. He believed that Jacob would reveal the meaning of his life. But without Jacob, Richard is broken. He has lost the ability to make his own meaning independent of the supreme being he believes in. That’s why he wants to die.)
Smokey offers his followers choice and the chance to reestablish their free will. I think that what he offered Sayid was the ability to jump into the Sideways Universe, where he had free will all along. He will offer each character that same chance.
So it’s not good vs. evil at all. For a show that has dangled the black vs. white motif at us for five seasons, things are getting very gray indeed. I am loving it.
Laura
I actually really liked the shot at the end, from the water, to the beach, which showed that Ben was sort of standing away from everyone else. As everyone came back and everyone was hugging and all that, it highlights that he’s not really one of them, not really their buddy.
If christian appeared and told Michael that he could indeed die now on the boat does that mean the Christian was always on Jacobs side and not just a tool for Smokey to manipulate people???
Theory about aging and Jacob’s touch… you still age if you are OFF the Island but stop aging once ON the Island. This could explain the young losties growing up (ie Kate and Sawyer) but why Richard doesn’t age… he wasn’t touched until the Black Rock crashed on the Island and is now “stuck” at 40-something.
Also, I think Richard was being held as a prisoner or a slave on the Black Rock as per MIB-in-Locke-clothing saying, “nice to see you out of those chains, Richard.” I noticed Richard was touching the chains when Jack found him in the cargo hold of the Black Rock. I think he was remembering when he was chained there.
@AmyEss; “AND, I think Locke was DEAD when Jacob touched him and THAT WAS THE LOOPHOLE that MIB was looking for. I think he broke the rules.”
I think you’re on something there. Anyone else here a Pushing Daisies fan? “First touch life. Second touch, dead, again…forever.” Maybe when Locke died a second time MIB was able to steal his appearance and because he was a candidate before he died that gave MIB some special power.
Have we ever seen the MIB look like someone who is still alive? I wonder if we will find that the other apperations of MIB died twice (ie Yemi, Christian, Kate’s horse, etc)
Why does Dr. Linus not just wait 6 months or so — until Alex is safely ensconced at Yale — and THEN play the emails from the nurse against the principal again? Or did I miss something here?
8. Ilana said there were six candidates left. According to the cave, the 6 names listed were Jarrah, Shephard, Ford, Kwon, Reyes, and Locke.
Smokey/FLocke crossed Locke’s name off in the cave. I don’t think he is a candidate anymore or Kate. so we have Jarrah, Shephard, Ford, Kwon, (Kwon II, maybe), Reyes. Either 5 or 6 depending on who you count. Maybe not Jirrah, maybe not Ford anymore either. haven’t seen him in 2 episodes (GAH!) so I don’t know if he has been eliminated by virtue of alignment with FLocke or not.
also loved that last scene with Benry standing outside of the group. It was interesting to see him ‘give up’ control but I don’t know if he is ‘cured’ completely.
No idea who side Widmore will be on. I’m thinking he is a wild card and Jacob knows it. But I’m thinking he brought ‘Wallace’ with him.
I’m not a fan of Jack, but he did have the best line to Richard “Do you want to try another stick?”
What?! you mean you’re not a fan breathing heavily through the nose haha
> 3. In the Sideways World, Roger told us that they had gone to the island! What was that all about!??!!? How long did they stay, and why did they leave?
Sawyer got Ben and his dad and everyone from Dharma on the sub to leave the island in the 70s, before he, Juliet, and Kate left the sub and detonated the nuke.
#3, I have to agree with Signature One Punch Knockout. Roger and Ben did go to the island, did spend several years there, but when Jack and Kate and them showed up out of the blue and decided to blow it to hell with the bomb, there were a small group of people that were evacuated on the sub. They evacuated when Faraday told Chang about the Incident that was going to happen..
Remember, Sawyer, Kate, and Juliet being put on the sub, and then forcing the captain to let them off in a raft..
http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Sub
I bet Roger and Ben *did* get on the sub, were evacuated, and lived to tell the tale, as the island blew up and then life happened as it should.
It was 1977 or whatever, Lil’ Jack & Lil’ Kate & Lil’ Sawyer grew up to be the people that got on the plane in 2004 that landed in LA, Locke also landed in LA and ended up at Ben’s school and so on and so forth.
I’m calling this the best episode of the season so far. It was so brilliant and beautiful and made me cry. Kudos Darlton. Kudos.
Also: When the island was being evacuated, Ben was with the Others still.
Does anyone else think the alternate timeline is how the characters lives would have turned out had Jacob not interfered? Just normal lives, without any time travel? Roger wouldn’t be having nostalgia and telling Ben they shouldn’t have left if they had escaped a nuclear explosion on a submarine. It seems like they left for other, normal reasons. I can’t explain Jack’s appendix, but it’s pretty obvious the alternate timeline doesn’t involve anyone on the island who was only there because of Jacob’s “push”.
First I would say this: the way Richard was talking about Jacob, it was as if he were a religious man who had dedicated his life to serving God only to find out that God doesn’t exist.
I loved Jack’s super-pimp move with the dynomite. He finally is catching on to what’s going on.
Richard’s delivery of, “No i am not a cyborg” was priceless.
As for Locke, I agree that Jacob brought him back to life when he fell out the window, and MiB’s loophole is that he can only “claim” someone that was killed off the island (or who didn’t kill themself)? And all those years the only dead people around had died on the island, and therefore could only be claimed/reincarnated by Jacob. That’s why the MiB couldn’t claim Christian, he wasn’t killed off the island, he died naturally (killed himself with alcohol).
Widmore is definitely joining team Smokey, because what he said to Locke in Tunisia was, “If you don’t come back, the wrong side will win.” And he knows Ben would be aligned with team Jacob.
I still think Desmond is coming to save the day.
And we haven’t seen the last of Faraday, Charlotte and Eloise.
Great Episode! Even if I thought Illana was(is) still going to Kill Ben afer his hearfelt catharsis. I’m still not convinced Ben is totally good he has burned us to many times before. Yet whatever Hydra station showdown that is certainly coming pitting team MIB/UnLocke troupes verses team New Jack (In reference to Mario V. Peeples directing the Movie New Jack City) taking on Jacobs leader man of faith role in a fight for the soul of the island and/or Maybe Man’s Free Will/Faith vs Destiny/science struggle off the island?
@ACK: pretty sure Kate is the 6th candidate even though she wasn’t show in MIB cave. She was on the lighthouse wheel which begs the question does Unlocke know/not know Kate is a Candidate and why did he give her the long and strange look as she escaped from the temple last week?
@ROWAN: I think Richard was a slave on the blackrock ship. You remember Unlocke saying to Richard (before knocking Richard out and carrying him in the jungle) that has been a long time since Unlocke has seen Richard out of his Chains?
@KEEPING PACE: Insteresting points particularly if MIB was manipulating Richard and Widmore was Keen on Making sure Real Locke got back to the Island Alive. I did not remember this exchange.
@SASSAFRASS: Yep Agree Totally!!! If Illana gave Ben Redemption, I thought a shot through the Heart from Widmores Sub would have been Shocking yet Totally Believable!
@HHENRY GALE: I was wondering why Mario Van Peebles shot the scene where Ben was changing his dads gas tanks. I totally forgot Ben Gassed his dad to death in previous on-island Dharmaville. Great Catch!
@LAURA You make good points on Jacob = destiney and Smokey = Free Will, yet I still disAgree. I think Lost is showing us that Black and White, even on the show, aren’t as black and white or Good vs Evil as our preconcieved notions of the concepts as viewers are.
Jacob apparently choses and manipulates people to the island which I agree has a pre-destination element to it. He also forces Dogen to pick between saving his sons life and never being able to see him to become some guru temple master and yet slave in a world Dogen does not understand. If Jacob were Good/White, this is a pretty slimy and sucky move. Your childs life for Your Servitude. Loved it when Richard said probably in anger don’t believe whatever Jacobs spirit tells you.
Unlocke seemingly offers Free will. As he tells Richard I would never keep you in the dark like Jacob did (though Richard seems to see through MIB’s not only new body appearance but his Free Will I Offer the Truth B.S.).
And if we did not know anything else about Unlocke we might believe his Offering of Truth and free will. However, we know that UNLOCKE manipulates and lies too. He tells each person what he thinks they want to hear, versus whatever the truth really is on this island.
He tells Claire (or lets her believe) the temple others have her baby to befriend her. He tells Sawyer he will reveal the one truth that Sawyers really wants to know “…Why Sawyer is On this Island”. He convinces Ben that indeed Ben should be the one to Kill Jacob because of what Jacob has made Ben endure (mostly letting Alex get killed) with no answers. Yet, MIB has total none of them the full story or truth. As any great Serpent (lol) offering dish from the tree of knowledge, a lie is much better served with bits of the Truth. It becomes difficult to know what is true and what is not. Yet, who believes that Life Long Con Man Sawyer believes a word that Unlocke says and is Not just looking for Sawyers way out of this craziness?
The reason I disagree with your Jacob = Destiny and MIB = Free Will is because I think the larger purpose of the Island is to determine whether Man Has/Gets Free Will or we are Destined to follow our more base instincts, kill each other and die.
Jacobs selection of the candidates and Manipulations of people, I believe, are just the Necessary elements to put our Candidates in the right place for the Candidates (read Man) to Make or NOT Make the Right FREE WILL Choices that determine events both on Island and effect off Island.
MIB/Unlocke has probably seen this game played over and over perhaps for 1000’s of years and just wants out. MIB only gives whoever he is trying to manipulate the Illusion of Free Will as MIB’s End Game is to get out of this LOOPHOLE.
Remember near the end of Season 5 when MIB told Jacob as they were on the beach looking at what appeared to be the blackrock ship coming toward the island, that Jacob keeps bring them (People/Man/Candidates) over here and the same thing happens over and over. They kill each other and nothing changes.
To which Jacob replied, “It only takes one time to set things RIGHT…anything before that is just progress”
MIB wants off the Island and out of this recurring Loophole and will Manipulate anyway he can to make that happen.
Jacob wants to set things right (whatever right means) and will manipulate anyway he can to get what he believes are the right players in the right places to make their own FREE Will Choices.
One of the things I found strange before Ben Killed Jacob was Jacob telling Ben “…you don’t have to do this, it is YOUR CHOICE…”.
I always thought Jacob probably knew MIB was coming back and Jacob could have prevented himself from being killed by Ben, but Jacob dying is probably something that had to happen to put the larger picture in play.
Ok, I have rambled on far to much here and not sure any of these last paragraphs made sense.
Just a thought rolling around my LostnLost Head…
Lapidus is a candidate, remember. That’s the answer she gave the other guy on her team when he asked why they were carrying him around.
Little randomness but was anyone else really moved about Richard’s speech about why he wanted to die? I was so sad when I watched that a second time (great acting by Nestor as well). But nothing made me sadder than Ben’s speech to Illana, Michael Emerson is so amazing!
2. I think Widmore’s going to totally join Team Smokey. I’m still not sure whose side I’m on yet, this episode kind of made me hate Jacob.
3. I think Ben and his dad left either prior to, or after the Incident. Maybe since a lot of people died Roger realized it was to dangerous for his son? It’s a strech but oh well.
Maybe Illana realized that Jacob wasn’t the great person she had set him up to be. She most likely knows he’s a powerful and unforgiving man so maybe she understood Ben’s agression.
I really hope somebody makes a gif of Ben comically tossing the shovel ): C
MIB and Jacob both follow a bit of fate and free will if you really think about it. Maybe it’s more about their different opinions about human nature? Jacob believes humans are naturally good and capable of making the right decisions, while MIB believes humans will always resort back to what they’re best at, killing one another. This explains why the results of people coming to the island “always ends the same”.
I too always thought that it seemed like Jacob wanted to die to Ben, but Miles confirmed that Jacob didn’t. Jacob was hoping Ben’s human nature would be naturally good, but he was wrong and Ben went along the path of revenge. Ben redeemed himself when he hesitated to shoot Illana, and has now proven his nature can be good. It’s possible Jacob’s team is only trying to get members whose human nature is naturally good, while MIB is taking everyone else.
Methinks! You were using exclamation points in your recap! Sarcastically!
So I was just thinking about lost, at a random point in my day (that’s normal right?? hahaha)… And what I considered a good question came to mind…
“WHEN” is Windmore coming from??… we know Windmore got to the island via sub, don’t know what for or who he’ll join… but when is he coming from? The original 2007 timeline? or from the sideways timeline??Â
This poses an interesting situation… if he is coming from sideways, is this the point of convergence?? how did he figure he was in sideways?? did Desmond have a play in it? or Faraday? did he go through some kind of blackwhole-type-thing to go from one timeline to the other??? If any of this is a possibility, he would be the one to bring to the forefront the existance of sideways for the losties, and maybe this is how both times get to merge into one…
What do you think???
And also… great ep!! awsome recap, funny funny man u r Ack!!! And lastly: how can I go back to work and concentrate with a set of questions like that in my head????? any sugestions???
@CE I NEVER USE EXCLAMATION POINTS SARCASTICALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!ONE!
@rachel (woo for Rachels!) Ilana said Lapidus MIGHT be a candidate for all she knew – at the time she wasn’t sure. I wonder if he’s the one I’m missing!
@John Does anyone else think the alternate timeline is how the characters lives would have turned out had Jacob not interfered?
That’s exactly what I think!
@cat Also: When the island was being evacuated, Ben was with the Others still.
Yes thank you I meant to reply with this yesterday and totally forgot haha.
@SDH : Someone’s already made a GIF of that scene, actually.
http://i42.tinypic.com/rwrjif.jpg