SPOILERS There aren't many Lost fans who dislike the character of Ben (Michael Emerson), so any episode that focuses on him is destined to be a massive highlight. "Dead Is Dead" was certainly full of answers, developments and memorable moments, that all helped overcome a slightly patchwork feel...The spine of the story finds Ben awakening on the Hydra Island to find the resurrected Locke (Terry O'Quinn) by his bedside, clearly astonished to see him alive but claiming that he only murdered him to facilitate their return to the island. Locke may not believe him, but he's intrigued by Ben's desire to return to the island to be "judged" for "breaking the rules" by "the monster", so decides to help Ben in this quest. It's not long before both men are taking an outrigger, heading to the main island, after Ben shoots Caesar (Said Taghmaoui) for attempting to stop them. Hopefully this isn't the last we've seen of Caesar, as Taghmaoui was doing good work with scant material, although I'm not sure the island's healing powers extend to its ancillary isle.
"Dead Is Dead" essentially shows us a role reversal in Locke and Ben's relationship, as Locke appears to be far more confident and has formed a true kinship with the island (he can even navigate his way to places he's never been before now.) Ben isn't used to being the one in the dark, without all the answers, so it was quite an intriguing switch.
After finding Sun (Yunjin Kim) and Frank (Jeff Fahey) at the Barracks, Ben seems genuinely surprised to be shown photographic evidence that Jack's group have travelled back in time to '77 and were hence always part of the DHARMA Initiative. Considering the fact we know Young Ben (Sterling Beaumon) was living alongside them, why doesn't he have those memories? Or perhaps he does, but has never noticed the photo Sun found? As ever with Ben, you're never really sure what he's thinking, or what his real thoughts and motivations are, which can make him a little frustrating as a character at times. But still, his ambiguities are part of his charm.
Pushed by Locke, Ben attempts to summon the Monster in his secret room (by draining a pool of muddy water, bizarrely), but it fails to arrive. Locke decides to travel to the Others' Temple, where he believes the monster resides. Before leaving, Ben has a moment alone with Sun where he reveals that Locke's return from beyond the grave has left him genuinely shaken. "Dead is dead", he insists. Again, we can't be certain Ben's never seen a resurrection on the island, but something in Ben's eyes tell me he hasn't. Or has he suckered me, too?
Ben, Locke and Sun depart for the Temple, while Frank leaves to return to the Hydra Island, where he discovers Ilana (Zuleikha Robinson) and a passenger called Bram (Brad William Henke) have assumed control of the survivors' camp and clearly have business to take care of on the main island involving a mysterious crate. We've suspected Ilana knows more about this island than it seemed since she was introduced, and this is proven when she asks Frank "what lies in the shadow of the statue?" -- likely a reference to the four-toed statue, so would the Orchid Station be in its shadow? -- before taking Frank with them.
The episode's big tent pole moment arrives when Ben and Locke venture beneath the foundations of The Temple, leaving Sun to wait on the surface outside. It all goes very Indiana Jones as they crawl through ancient underground caverns, until Ben falls through the floor into a secret chamber. Locke leaves to get help, but Ben realizes he's accidentally stumbled into the Smoke Monster's abode -- a room full of Egyptian hieroglyphics etched into stone pillars (one of which depicts the jackal-headed Anubis sitting before "the monster".) Ben approaches a stone grate that emanates the smoke monster, which swirls around him, enveloping him in its cloud, before projecting flickering images that reveal his torment over his treatment of daughter Alex and her tragic death. Ben survives this "judgement" and the monster leaves, before apparently reappearing in the guide of Alex who warns her father to stop plotting to kill Locke again, and instead follow his every command, or else be "destroyed". Ben has no choice but to agree, and signals to Locke that the monster has let him live.I guess we're not going to get a scientific answer for ol' smokey, do you? We've been told it's not nanobots for years now, and this feels like a mystery the writers are going to keep genuinely supernatural and loosely tied to Egyptian myth. And I think we can assume that the Ancient Egyptians somehow managed to travel to the island millennia ago (is there a Tunisian-like doorway there?), given the fact the island's history features so many elements from Egyptian culture.
As usual, the episode is full of flashbacks. These are very broad and far-reaching, held together by Ben's affinity with children -- we see he forms a close bond with Ethan as a young man, in a scene where he sneaks up on the young Rousseau and steals her baby Alex. I guess Ben allowed Ethan to survive his DHARMA purge. We're also shown how Charles Widmore (Alan Dale) was "exiled" from the island by Ben; kicked out on a submarine for the crime of leaving the island and getting involved with a woman (Penny's mother -- will it be anyone we know?) This actually felt a bit disappointing to me, as I expected a far more dramatic reason for Widmore leaving the island. And then there's the predicted flashback to more recent events, with Ben visiting a marina to kill Penny (Sonya Walger) as a means to avenge Widmore's men killing his own daughter -- only to waver when he realizes Penny's a mother, before Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) beats him to a bloody pulp and throws him off a jetty into the water.Overall, "Dead Is Dead" was a very strong episode thanks to Emerson, O'Quinn, a smattering of revelatory flashbacks and one of Lost's occasional "big moments of mytharc" concerning the smoke monster. It was a bit disjointed at times, and a few of the flashbacks felt a bit limp (stealing baby Alex, Widmore meeting Ben as a youngster), but the pace was great, there was some excellent direction from Stephen Williams, and the simple idea of subverting the relationship between Locke and Ben has great potential. Will Ben heed the warning of Alex/smokey, or does he want Locke dead so he can assume leadership of the Others again too badly? And just how much does Locke know about the island and its mysteries now he's been "reborn?" He's acting far more confidently and messiah-like now, so does he have a plan to unite with Jack's group in '77?
Questions!
- How did Ethan become a member of the Others?
- Why didn't the monster come when Ben summoned it?
- How does Locke know where the monster is? Or is his way to the Temple?
- What is Ben's true understanding of resurrection on the Island?
- What is the answer to Ilana's question/coded-phrase "what lies in the shadow of the statue"? Who is she working for? Where does she intend to go, and do what when she gets there? And what's in her crate?
- Why do the Others want to keep outsiders away from The Temple?
- Why does the monster demand that Ben follow John Locke?
12 April 2009
Sky1, 9pm
Writers: Elizabeth Sarnoff &; Brian K. Vaughan
Director: Stephen Williams
Cast: Terry O'Quinn (Locke), Michael Emerson (Ben), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), Jeff Fahey (Frank), Zuleikha Robinson (Ilana), Said Taghmaoui (Caesar), Sterling Beaumon (Young Ben), Brad William Henke (Bram), Sonya Walger (Penny), Alan Dale (Widmore), Nestor Carbonell (Alpert), Tania Raymonde (Alex), David S. Lee (Middle-Aged Widmore), Melissa Farman (Young Rousseau) & Matt Hoffman (Jed)
