The Shape of Things to Come
"He changed the rules."
Well, I don't know what the rules were before, but apparently, they did not include murder. And apparently, all bets are off on that account.
For anyone who was still wondering who the bad guys are, some of them certainly became a little more obvious tonight, while the moral code of other folks is still very much a gray area. Though I was never a huge fan of Alex (or her boyfriend or crazy mother), I thought her cruel, meaningless death was made even more heart-breaking by the fact that the last words she heard were those of the man she knew as her father completely disavowing her. Yes, Ben was doing what little he could to try and save her, but it was also clear that he was unwilling to sacrifice his ultimate mission, even for her. (And after she so kindly set off the Code 14J warning/telephone call!) If
Michael Emerson is overlooked during Emmy season this year, something is terribly amiss. I have rarely seen an actor convey so much emotion with just a slight curl of his lip or change in his intonation. This episode was truly a showcase to what a central player he has become to this mystery.
Speaking of mysteries, a few big ones were cleared up tonight while another was set in motion. We now understand how future Sayid came to be in the employ of future Ben. Sadly, it seems that Sayid's long-awaited post-island reunion with Nadia was short-lived and avenging her murder became the impetus for his career as Ben's hired gun. Apparently, their business relationship commenced in October, 2005 when Ben seemingly time-tripped (?) to Tunisia and spotted Sayid on Iraqi television mourning his wife. (By the way, the name Ben used to check into the hotel was Dean Moriarty- click
here for some interesting info about this particular alias.) In addition, we learned that Ben does have the power to summon the smoke monster from his man-of-mystery room, though what it actually is or how it operates remains unknown. And while we are on the topic of that room, does it serve as some sort of time portal or is it simply where Ben stores his time travel necessities?
Meanwhile, the body of the freighter's doctor washed up complete with a slit throat and more questions for the freighter refugees. Was the plan ever to rescue the Oceanic survivors? That's a big no. Why did Daniel lie about the contents of the coded message? And what the heck do they mean that the doctor is fine. What exactly is the deal with these people? Are they in cahoots with cold-blooded killer Keamy and his fellow mercenaries?
Truthfully, it felt like there was so much story happening tonight it was tough to keep track of everything I wanted to comment on. I loved the first scene with Hurley, Sawyer and Locke. After weeks of hearing, "We're all going to die," it was funny to see that Hurley's expressionless murmuring was instigated by a game of Risk. (Did anyone else catch that Hurley said, "Australia is the key to the whole game?")
My other favorite moments tonight:
- Ben's transition from peaceful pianist to Rambo-like warrior, complete with a piano-bench munitions stash.
- Ben telling Sayid, "That should do it," after Sayid put multiple bullets into the man who murdered his wife.
- Hurley caring for Claire's baby so diligiently while Sawyer played hero for Claire.
- Sawyer's threat to Locke that hurting even one hair on Hurley's "curly head" would have dire consequences. (I swear, I'm starting to hope that the big kiss we are all waiting for is those two. I am just loving this friendship!)
- Getting to see Smoky in action as he pulled that soldier into the jungle by his ankles.
Even more questions remain. What is happening to Jack? Why did Ben imply that he cannot kill Widmore? Why did Widmore refer to Ben as "boy?" It seems as if these two have a long history. Did the island pass into Ben's protection during his tragic youth? Widmore said, "That island is mine, Benjamin. It always was. It will be again." And yet, he seems powerless to get back. And how will Penny factor into all of this, especially now that Ben has shown his cards in terms of his plans to exact revenge for Alex's death. I don't know about you, but I love the pace and the story progression this season and that trend seems to be continuing. I'll be on the edge of my seat until next week, but until then, as Ben would say, "Sleep tight."
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