Lost: The Two Ben Linuses

Ben fights for redemption in two realities in "Dr. Linus"

Tonight’s Ben-centric episode didn’t see a lot in terms of revelations or answers, and what few we got were fairly subtle. But after the way the Man in Black’s been stomping all over the good guys since the season started, it was a nice change to see the heroes regroup and start to pick up the pieces. So without further ado, here’s what we saw:

• Running through the jungle, Ben stumbles upon Ilana’s group and convinces them to return to the Flight 815 survivor’s beach camp.
• In the flash-sideways universe, Ben is teaching his high school class about Napoleon at Elba. After class, Principal Reynolds cancels Ben’s History Club and assigns him to run detention.
• Ben eats lunch in the teacher’s lounge with Leslie Artz (Yes, the same Flight 815 survivor who accidentally blew himself up with dynamite taken from the Black Rock in the Island universe). Substitute teacher Locke, seated a few tables away, suggests to Ben that he should be principal if he cares so much. Ben begins to consider it.
• Ilana confronts Ben about Jacob’s death. She hands Jacob’s ashes to Miles. Using his power, Miles figures out that Ben killed Jacob. Ilana takes the ashes back and tells Ben, “Jacob was the closest thing I ever had to a father.” The group continues toward the beach camp.
• Ilana’s group returns to what remains of the beach camp. Ilana gives orders to find food and tools. She refuses to speak to Ben.
• Flash-sideways Ben is microwaving a frozen diner. He takes the hot tray into the dining room where his father Roger Linus is seated. Ben tells his father about being assigned to detention, and that he feels like a loser despite his doctorate. Roger says he wanted more for Ben, that’s why he signed up for the Dharma Initiative and took him to the island. The doorbell rings, it’s Alex (Ben’s adopted daughter in the Island universe). In the flash-sideways universe she’s one of Ben’s history students and wonders why History Club didn’t meet. Ben agrees to tutor her early in the morning if she brings coffee.
• Sun confronts Ilana at the beach camp and says she needs to find her husband Jin. Ilana says she wants to find Jin too because both Sun and Jin are candidates to become the new Jacob.
• At their camp in the jungle, Jack wakes up Hurley and tells him they can get back to the temple by nightfall. Hurley tries to stall him, but Jack heads off. Hurley tries to lead Jack the wrong direction, but Richard appears. He tells them he knows where the temple is. Jack and Hurley follow Richard.
• At beach camp, Ben is rooting through Sawyer’s tent. He finds a porno mag and a book by Benjamin Disraeli. Another shot shows the novel The Chosen by Chaim Potok. Lapidus approaches, mentioning to Ben that he was supposed to fly 815. Ben laughs that the island still got him in the end. Just then Ilana points her rifle at Ben’s head and marches him away. At Boone Hill where the other post-815 casualties are buried, Ilana makes Ben lay on the ground and she ties a cable to his leg (possible reference to his appearance in Saw?). She tells Ben to pick up a bamboo tube shovel and start digging his own grave.
• Flash-sideways Ben’s history book is open to Chapter 19 about the East India Trading Company. He and Alex are in the library, and he is quizzing her on history. Alex is worried about getting into college and says her mom is working two jobs just to make ends meet. Alex says she needs someone with Yale contacts to get in, and “pervy” Principal Reynolds is the only one around who has them. Ben asks her if the principal’s done anything inappropriate. She explains that she went to the nurse for a stomach ache and that the principal was having sex with the nurse in the next room. Ben promises not to say anything to anyone. (Cute transition, how Ben says “Shall we return to the high seas?” and then the next shot shows him back at the beach.)
• Ben is digging his own grave while Ilana patrols. Miles brings him some green beans and bananas. Ben refuses the food but offers Miles the $3.2 million dollars he asked for during the Season 4 episode “Eggtown” if only Miles will cut him loose. But using his ability, Miles knows about Nikki and Paolo being buried nearby with $8 million dollars worth of diamonds, as seen in the Season 3 episode “Exposé”. Miles explains Jacob’s last thoughts to Ben, that Jacob was still hoping that Ben wouldn’t kill him, right up until the moment he did.
• Trekking through jungle, Hurley is asking Richard why he looks the same as he did in the 70′s. Richard explains it’s because Jacob gave him a gift. He leads Jack and Hurley to the Black Rock cargo ship (the slave vessel which came to the Island in 1845) and explains that he lied about going to the Temple because everyone there is already dead. When asked, Richard doesn’t know the status of any of their friends. Hurley reveals that he was warned away from the Temple by Jacob. Richard tells Hurley that if he’s seen Jacob not to believe anything he says, then heads for the Black Rock. Jack asks Richard what he’s doing, and Richard explains that he needs to die.
• In the flash-sideways universe Artz is marking tests with failing grades and cursing to himself. Ben enters and asks Artz if he would access the nurse’s email account. Ben doesn’t want to tell him why, but because Artz threatens to not help Ben must explain that he’s going after Reynolds’ job. Artz agrees to help if as Principal, Ben will give him a better parking spot and new lab equipment. When Ben agrees, Artz laughs and says Linus is a “real killer.”
• Inside the Black Rock, Richard is looking at a pair of slave manacles. Jack enters and Richard explains that this is the first time since he’s been on the island that he’s ever come back. Richard finds the dynamite, looking somewhat surprised at its appearance inside the ancient vessel. Richard explains to Hurley and Jack that he can’t kill himself because Jacob touched him, and that Jacob’s touch is a curse. Richard wants to end his life because Jacob is gone without having ever explained his “plan,” and so Richard thinks his life no longer has purpose. He can’t light the fuse himself, so he wants Jack to do it. Jack lights the nearby gas lamp and uses it to light a long fuse attached to a dynamite stick. After the fuse is burning, Jack sits down and says, “Now… let’s talk.”
• Hurley is freaking out about the burning fuse, so he leaves Jack with Richard. Jack tells Richard he doesn’t believe either one of them is going to die, citing what he found at the lighthouse as evidence. Jack bets that because Jacob was watching him all his life, nothing will happen. And he’s right; the fuse dies just an inch short of the dynamite. Richard asks Jack what they should do now, and Jack says he wants to go back to where it all started.
• At Boone Hill, Ben is almost finished digging his own grave when he hears the familiar sounds of the smoke monster. The Man in Black appears to Ben as Locke and explains that he’s gathering a group to leave the Island for good. But he needs someone to take charge of the Island, and he wants it to be Ben. Ben’s shackle magically falls off, but he is hesitant to go with the Man in Black. The Man in Black explains that his group will be on Hydra Island, and that he’s left a rifle by a tree near the clearing. The Man in Black walks off, with Ilana having seen none of this. Ben bolts into the jungle and Ilana chases him.
• In the flash-sideways universe, Dr. Linus enters the Principal’s office and confronts Reynolds with the nurse’s emails. He tells Reynolds to resign and recommend Linus as his replacement. Then Reynolds reads an email from Alex asking him to write a letter of recommendation to Yale. He says that if Linus makes him resign, he will torch Alex’s future.
• Ilana chases Ben to the rifle. He picks it up and makes her drop her gun. But he hesitates to kill her. He wants to explain that he knows what she’s feeling and talks about Alex’s death. He chose Jacob over Alex, and Jacob didn’t care. He doesn’t expect her forgiveness because he can’t forgive himself. He says he’s going to the Man in Black because he’s the only one that will have him. Ilana says “I’ll have you,” and takes her gun and walks off. Ben is shocked.
• Flash-sideways Ben enters the principal’s office and looks at the nameplate. Alex enters and says she wants to thank Reynolds for the recommendation for Yale. Linus has his history club back, but he obviously didn’t sacrifice Alex to burn Principal Reynolds. Artz confronts Ben about his parking space and Ben says that Artz can have his. He watches Alex leave Reynolds office, hopeful and happy, and he is happy for her.
• Ilana and Ben return to the Beach Camp. Everyone is surprised to see Ben. He approaches Sun and offers to help her rig up a shelter. A season one style montage occurs. Ilana cries for Jacob. Miles holds up a diamond he excavated from Nikki and Paolo’s grave. Jack, Hurley and Richard enter the beach camp. Everyone hugs like they used to do in season one. Jack sees Ben looking kinda pathetic.
• In the water a submarine periscope surfaces, watching the people on the beach. The sub’s commander is Charles Widmore.

Analysis after the jump >>

Tags: Lost