Lost 5.7: The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham

We didn’t get to see the rest of our Losties on the Island. We still don’t know where Rose and Bernard are. Yes, it’s been two weeks since a peek at Sawyer’s shirtless self. But oh, my goodness did I love last night’s episode! I’ve always been on Team Locke and I loved seeing every minute of Locke’s Jeremy Bentham story. There are two things I need to say first off—1)LOCKE IS ALIVE 2)Lost tricked us.

Yes, Lost tricked us. When we first heard about “Jeremy Bentham” they made it seem like our Oceanic Six had many dealings with him. That Jeremy Bentham was a name they spoke many times. And now I realize they did not. They had not. I guess that’s why I’ve been so surprised at how quickly they are back on The Island. I assumed “Jeremy Bentham” would have been off The Island for a longer period of time. Oh well, I guess it’s neither here nor there now. Enough of MY Jeremy Bentham story. Let’s get to the real Jeremy Bentham story!

ON THE ISLAND

This first scene was so typical Lost…my mind was completely bent. I had no idea when or where we were. We began with Caesar (our polite friend from the airport) searching an office. Then suddenly US Marshall Part 2 (Sayid’s guard) arrives. She tells him that they’ve found another man—in a suit.

Whaaaa?

Caesar exits to a scene we’ve seen before. Or have we? A crashed plane on a beach. People scattered around the beach. A man under a blanket. Caesar asks the blanketed man who he is. The man pulls back his hood and says, “JOHN LOCKE.” (wheee!)

Next we see Locke standing on the beach looking out at The Island.  US Marshall Part 2 (her name is Ilana) approaches and brings Locke a mango. She tells him the pilot and another woman ran off in an outrigger. (Hmmm…an outrigger?!) She then asks how he got here and why he’s dressed so nicely. He tells her he’s not sure how he got here. He remembers one thing–dying.

Flashback/Time Travel music begins and…

Locke wakes up in Tunisia, the same place Ben arrived after turning the frozen donkey wheel. His leg is still broken. But he sees a security camera aimed at him. He motions to it and finally a truck arrives with several people inside. They take him to a makeshift hospital where they reset his very broken leg. OUCH.

Locke then wakes to see CHARLES WIDMORE sitting at his bedside. This begins maybe the most interesting conversation of the episode. Here are the high points:

1. He set the security camera up because that area is the entry point from The Island. He assumed Ben would trick Locke into leaving The Island, too. (Ben tricked Widmore off The Island?!)

2. Widmore is almost giddy meeting Locke because the last time he saw Locke…was when Widmore was 17 and Locke barged into their camp. He says they peacefully protected The Island for three decades. (Hmmm…was Penny born there?)

3. Widmore explains it’s been three years since the Oceanic Six arrived home. Locke is surprised.

4. He explains that he will help Locke find them all. And why? Because he is deeply invested in The Island and “there is a war coming…if you’re not back on the island when that happens, the wrong side is going to win.” (A war?! Like a WAR?!)

Widmore then gives Locke money, a passport, info on the Oceanic Six and a driver—-Matthew Abadon. (Oh, how I’ve missed him and his deep voice! He’s just not the same on The Fringe!) John recognizes him as the orderly who encouraged him to go on the walkabout in Australia. But doesn’t mention it.

Abadon then delivers Locke to our Oceanic Six, plus some. First stop?

Santo Dominigo, Dominican Republic

Sayid is working with a relief organization, building homes. He is told he has a visitor. He looks down and sees Locke. In a wheelchair. John talks to him about returning to The Island. But he refuses. Sayid says he was manipulated by Ben for two years, he isn’t going to be manipulated anymore. And that’s it. No further conversation.

New York, New York

Abadon and Locke are talking in the car. Locke asks him to look up Helen Norwood. Then they see Walt getting out of school. And Walt sees Locke. He looks genuinely happy to see Locke. He says he’s been dreaming of Locke lately—of Locke wearing a suit on The Island and people all around him wanting to hurt him. And that’s it. No further conversation.

Only this time, Ben is watching from a distance.

Santa Rosa, CA

Hurley is sitting outside of his mental institution. Locke wheels up and Hurley is not surprised. He assumes Locke died on The Island and his “ghost” is there to speak to him. But when he realizes Locke is real, he is freaked. Locke tells him everyone needs to come back to The Island. Then when Hurley sees Abadon standing outside Locke’s car, he puts his hands over his ears and says, “I’m not listening to you!” And that’s it. No further conversation.

Los Angeles, CA

Locke is in Kate’s house. Kate insists there is no way she’ll go back to The Island. They begin to have a weird conversation about love. Kate claims Locke never loved anyone. Locke tells her he loved Helen Norwood and it didn’t work out because he was angry and obsessed. Kate delivers the rudest comment of the night and says, “Look how far you’ve come.” And that’s it. No further conversation.

Santa Monica, CA

Locke and Abadon are staring at the grave of Helen Norwood. She died of a brain aneurysm. Abadon begins to talk about destiny and fate. He explains that Helen’s path led here. John’s path leads to The Island. He then asks the weirdest question of the night, “Richard Alpert said that you were going to die. So tell me, John, is that inevitable or is it a choice?”

And as they get back into the car, Abadon is shot multiple times and falls to the ground while Locke jumps in the front seat (yes, with his broken leg) and drives away. He is hit by another car and we see him unconscious in the car. And that’s it.

Until…he wakes up in the hospital. With Dr. Jack at his bedside. Oh ho! The rest of this conversation is awesome—Locke is ecstatic because he feels The Island brought them together. Jack is on the verge of tears the whole time because…he’s a freakin’ man of science and needs to get a life.

Jack calls Locke a “lonely old man” and is about to walk out the door when Locke says, “Your father says hello.” He explains that Christian (he calls him by name…) told him to move The Island and to bring the Oceanic Six back. Jack screams blah blah blah my dad is dead. Locke is sure that if Jack will come the rest will follow. But Jack storms out of the room.

Westerfield Hotel

Locke is in his hotel room writing his suicide note to Jack. He is about to hang himself when…Ben knocks on the door. *sigh* Seriously, how does Ben do it?! Ben storms in and tells Locke Jack has booked a flight to Australia and back. He convinces Locke that he is special and that he needs to get back to The Island—alive.

During their conversation, Ben learns that Jin is alive and that Locke knows of Eloise Hawking. And suddenly Ben has turned the tide and chokes Locke to death. But that’s not really it, is it?!

Because back on The Island…

Caesar and Locke are in the Dharma office. Caesar seems to be very interested in all the paperwork and is looking through several folders. Locke explains about the Dharma logo and who Dharma is/was. He tells Caesar that he lived on The Island for 1oo days.

Caesar asks Locke to answer a question. He explains that when the plane really started shaking, there was a flash of light and “the really big guy with curly hair” just disappeared–along with some other passengers. Locke wants to know if everyone else is accounted for. Caesar says yes, except for the ones that were hurt. Locke looks confused by this (or alarmed, maybe?). Caesar takes him to another part of the station and under some blinking lights, they see several bandaged (and unconscious/sleeping) people. One of which is a very busted up looking Ben.

Locke then delivers the best line of the night, “He’s the man who killed me.”

THE END.

Stuff to Talk About.

1. The NEW Losties. We have a new plane crash on The Island. The crash that Ben and the Oceanic Six initiated. Last week with Jin’s arrival in the Dharma van, we realized their time was the 70’s/80’s of Dharma. But Caesar mentions a bright light before the crash and Hurley and the others disappearing. So, maybe the NEW Losties didn’t get in on the time travel—they literally just crashed on The Island in present day. If so, I’m thinking Locke and Ben are going to have to team up to get everyone back in the same time period.

1b. Also, our NEW Losties are on the “other” Island…remember where Kate and Sawyer were being held in the polar bear cages? The Hydra station? Just an interesting fact.

1c. Are our NEW Losties going to have their own adventures? Caesar is looking like his own King of the Island a la Jack.

1d. Did you see the papers Caesar was reading? It had some cool time travel-y stuff on them. If I find a screenshot I’ll link to it in the comments.

2. Matthew Abadon. He mentions that his job is to help people get where they need to go. We saw him do this with Locke originally and with the freighter folks last season. I wanted to know more about him. Is his story over now that he’s dead?

3. Sayid. What is his deal? How did he go from Ben’s crony to humanitarian and back to the badtothebone assassin that breaks Hurley out of the mental institution? And speaking of which, why did he break Hurley out? I want his story next.

4. Walt. He has to come back to The Island. For him to be so special and integral to The Island and then just stay in the “real world” would be a joke. I want more Walt.

5. Kate. *snore*

My biggest question:

Who’s the real baddie? Widmore or Ben? Are Locke, Ben and Widmore all vying for the role as leader of The Others? Are Widmore and Ben both manipulating any and everyone to be in charge? When will we see Widmore on The Island? How did Ben exile him? Did Ben kill Locke so he could be the one to bring back the Oceanic Six? (OK, so it was more than one question but wow…)

Conclusion
I was kinda freaked by that episode. The first scene just answered TOO many questions. I know. Can you believe I just said that? I feel like every single word that was spoken was so important…Widmore’s, Locke’s Abadon’s and Ben’s.

And poor Locke. He really was going to kill himself. I think he just was waffling between the 2 options—either he’s a lonely old man or he’s really special. Either way suicide will stop the craziness. I’m still on Team Locke.

So what was your favorite part? What do you want to see next? Let’s talk—I’ll try to respond in the comments to keep the conversation going!

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