EVERYBODY LOVES HUGO

Yet another mysterious boy appears on the island. This one is bigger, possibly older and has dark hair. The smile is ominous. Who could he be? And why is Smocke suddenly ignoring the boys? What's Desmond in "What if" time up to and why did he run over wheelchair bound John Locke? Does Desmond have a consciousness connection between the two times? And how about Hurley asserting himself with Richard. I have never seen Richard so "panicky" before and I have a bad feeling about it. But, let's start with my thoughts on the "What If" time, shall we?

2004 "What If"

Hugo Reyes is a saint. Check it out! ^ That's Nunu, Jorge Garcia's real dog making a cameo appearance up there! Okay, back to Hugo. Unlike his previous 2004 self, Hugo can't seem to do anything wrong. His Mr. Cluck's Chicken franchises are growing in leaps and bounds and going places very few other American fast food restaurants get to go. His philanthropy is massive and demonstrates what we all knew from that very first we met him.....Hurley's got the most generous heart on the planet and he genuinely loves to help others less fortunate than he.

But there is one thing that "What If" Hugo has in common with our original lovable Hurley and it's soon to be rectified when Libby approaches poor stood up Hugo at Spanish Johnny's and tells him about being so connected, like "soulmates". Unfortunately, the good Dr. Brooks comes along and bursts Hugo's bubble by taking Libby back to the Santa Rosa Mental Hospital van!

You know, after being stood up by Rosalita (Grandpa Tito's neighbour's daughter) and then meeting a cracked nut like Libby, you'd think Hugo would give up, but we all deal with depression in our own way. Some people drink themselves into oblivion. Others bury their heads in denial. And still others eat. And eat. And eat. Hugo falls into that category and meets Desmond (not accidental, by the way) at one of his Mr. Cluck's locations and if found eating a family size bucket of chicken. He's depressed. The woman of his dreams is "full on nuts" and insists that the know each other.

Tangent!

Is it just me, or does Desmond remind you of John Locke aka Jeremy Bentham, trying to get the Oceanic Six to agree to return to the island? All Desmond has to do, it would appear, is find a way to make the Oceanic Six "remember" their other world and wait for things to happen.

Back to Hugo's "What If" life.

Something Desmond convinces Hugo to give Libby a chance and so Hugo buys his way in to see Libby at the mental hospital. Hugo and Libby chat, and make a date. Libby checked herself in to the hospital, so she can leave any time she wants. They have a date on the beach (this time Hugo remembered the blanket), they talk about Libby's bizarro alternate universe. They kiss and...WHOOSH...Hugo sees flashes and remembers as well.

From a distance Desmond watches, smiles and drives away. He has other passengers to deal with and John Locke is next on his "to do" list. And man does he "take care of" Locke! I'm wondering if Desmond has a "special" connection to the other "time" because the timing of him running down Locke coincided with Smocke tossing him down the well in 2007. I couldn't help but think "tit for tat" on that one. My daughter, however, has decided that running over a man in a wheelchair (even one who in another time has allowed himself to become a "zombie" of his former self) is just plain wrong and appears to have lost any and all respect for Desmond.

The reason why I feel that "What If" Desmond has a special consciousness connection to his other self is simple. As far as he knows, John Locke is dead in the other time and, logic thinking tells me that there is no way that he would know about MIB taking John Locke's form. There really is no reason for "What If" Desmond to want to harm John Locke.....unless he knew something that no one else did. He has to know that, in the other world, John Locke's machinations lead to disaster for all of them.

2007 "Original" Time

Hurley talks with Libby in this time line as well. My heart was breaking for him as he knelt by her grave, put a fresh flower against her cross and told her how he wished she would come to him the same way as other "dead" people have so they could talk. I have often wondered, aside from the actress not being available *wink wink*, why Libby's essence has never visited Hurley like Charlie, Ana Lucia and other dead people have. I can only assume that she was able to "move on," unlike Michael, Charlie and Ana Lucia. I think she always was a "good" person who had done no harm to anyone (and she did give Desmond the boat so he could regain his honour, right?). That's gotta account for a lot, I think.

Michael's spirit shows up and tells Hurley that blowing up the plane is the wrong thing to do. A whole lot of people will get killed and it will be Hurley's fault because people are listening to him now. I don't think that really was Michael's spirit and I believe that was Smocke using Michael's "appearance" to direct Hurley. I'll get to why later.

Ilana and Richard's plan to blow up the plane on Hydra island is moving ahead, and Ilana visits the Black Rock to get her supplies. I'm sorry, but Richard is a useless twit and SHOULD have insisted on going to collect the glycerin sticks. After all, HE CAN'T KILL HIMSELF SO THE DYNAMITE WILL NOT GO BOOM! I was not expecting her to blast herself into bits and pieces. Am I a sick person for waiting for Hurley to say "Dude, you've got some Ilana on you"? And, am I a sick person for being disappointed when I did not hear it?

I know, I AM a sick person in a twisted sort of way.

While everyone commiserates about what to do now, Hurley looks at Ilana's things and opens the bag containing Jacob's ashes. There has been debate about exactly what was in that bag. Some say it was the diamonds, others think it was something else. I really think it was Jacob's ashes, and seeing the ashes reminds Hurley of Michael's words. He doesn't want to be the one who causes even more people to be killed (do you think he's feeling guilty about the deaths at the temple?). He makes a decision.

Richard decides they need to get more dynamite and takes everyone to the Black Rock and, surprisingly, Hurley backs him up. They all trek to the Black Rock and suddenly Richard decides that he's the only one who can handle the dynamite. A little late on that one, aren't you guyliner dude? Sheesh, he waits for Ilana to self destruct before he realizes he can't kill himself and should be the only one to handle the "temperamental" boom boom sticks? Ha! Just how did Hurley beat them all to the Black Rock? How did the group not notice he wasn't with them? Nice work keeping track of everyone, Richard. I'm blaming Richard because he was leading that particular expedition and protecting the "candidates" would now fall onto his shoulder as a "prophet of Jacob".

I didn't expect Hurley to totally destroy the ship. Really! I just didn't think about what he would do to stop Richard from blowing up that Ajira Airlines plane. I half expected that when Hurley suddenly conceded that they needed to get more dynamite, he was told by Jacob's ashes that they needed to follow this line of attack. Either that or, like a Genie in a bottle, Hurley caught Jacob taking a bubble bath in the bottom of that little grey sack. Which leads me to my earlier thought about Michael.

Let me explain. In my mind, I can only think of one character on that island who absolutely needs that airplane intact, who's very freedom depends upon the plane not being destroyed. Everyone else on the island either wants to live there or already has a way to get back home. Think about this. The Oceanic Six returned to the island fully aware that it was highly probable that they would never leave. Ben DID tell Jack as much. Rose and Bernard happily retired to their secluded cabin with Vincent as their loyal pet.

Now I being you to another reason why I think the spirit of Michael wasn't really him. Smocke told Kate and Sawyer that they were "waiting" for the arrival of Jack, Hurley, and Sun. He KNEW they were coming because he orchestrated it using Michael's spirit. And before you call me mental, I just ask that you think about this for a moment. A lot of it makes sense. MIB needs every one of the Oceanic Six to be on that plane together in much the same way they returned to the island. Something tells me that once the plane is airborne and out of the Island's influence, and he doesn't need them any longer, their lives will end. He did hint at something like that to Claire in Sundown. I'll wait while you go look.

Do you see where I'm going with this? The only person who desperately does not want that plane destroyed is Smocke/MIB/Fake Locke. I could be so wrong on this (and probably am) but the more I think about this one point the more I am convinced.

Once Hurley blows the Black Rock, the beach group divides again. Hurley asserts himself a little stronger this time when Richard "tests" him. Jacob has never directly told anyone what to do, allowing them to make their own choices (and we see where that is getting them, don't we?). Richard, Ben and Miles decide to take their quest for explosives to the Barracks where Ben assures them that there's a cache still there. I wondered how Ben would know that after being gone from the island for three years, but whatever. Ben probably has the guns and grenades well and truly hidden under the floorboards like Sawyer hid his show box.

Which leaves us with Hurley, Jack, Sun and Frank trekking off to find Locke's camp and talk to him. Exactly what they are going to say, I haven't a clue, but I'm sure Hurley will think of something. I really liked Jack's explanation to Hurley why he agreed to follow him into the camp of the enemy. Jack is allowing his faith in Hurley, and Jacob, to point them in the right direction and, in a major way, help him to atone for Juliet's death. He doesn't realize that exploding Jughead has caused a reset.

But before we get to that meeting in the dark between Smocke and Hurley, let's talk about poor Desmond. One of the reasons I think Desmond has a link to the other time is the fact that he calmly allowed Smocke to lead him into the depths of the jungle and toss him into the well. The Desmond we know would not have permitted that, and he would have tried to escape no matter what. Sure, he told Smocke that he thought he was talking to John Locke. Sure he can tell him that there's no where to run. But the fact remains. The Desmond we know and love was done with the island and would have been the first one on that plane waiting for Frank to power up the engines to get them all out of there.

Why would Desmond let these things happen to him? Because he knows that, in the other life, everyone he cares about from the island will survive and be happy. Does this mean that the resolution of the island problems will leave them in the other time? I'm not sure...yet. The convergence has begun and will continue until each of the Oceanic Six in the "What If" time are in possession of the "memories." Then, and only then, will we see which time will be left to carry on, if any.

So, Hurley walks out of the jungle into Smocke's camp. Surprise! Okay, the only one not surprised by the emergence of this group was Smocke. Again, he knew they were coming because he pointed the way. Hurley says they need to talk, but the others with him are worried that Smocke will hurt them and needs a promise that that will not happen. I am skeptical that Smocke will not hurt them, yet positive they are safe until the plane takes off.

Am I the only one who thinks Hurley has a plan and that he will out maneuver Smocke? Or maybe I'm just hopeful.

Speaking of hopeful, many viewers have jumped to the conclusion that the island is purgatory as a result of the revelation that the whispers were those who have dies but are unable to move on. Here is what a friend has said about that. I admit to agreeing with her.

"My inital thought was that Michael was another manifestation of Smokey. But then the whole thing about the whispers. I had thought from long ago that the whispers were the collective consciousness of those that had died on the island. I didn't think of it in terms of Purgatory. Rather that - when we die .. the energy of our bodies (electric) has to go somewhere. Some would call it a soul. Others would say it is just energy. That energy leaves our body (recently been scientifically proven) .. some believe the energy goes to Heaven/hell- all religions have their own twist on death .. I say it has to go somewhere - personally I think we return to our Higher Power. On Lost perhaps .. those who have died on or within the perimeter of the island are contained similar to the containment of the Electromagnetic Energy. I dont think they are being judged .. but yes they are 'trapped' there .. until the energy is released.

I also think there are clues .. in the conversation between Locke and Jack in Alternate U .. when Locke says .. you don't really lose people .they are always with you. And the fact that the Others burned the bodies of the their deceased and floated them out to sea. It kind of reminded me of Hinduism .. but I think it was significant.

To which someone asked: How can it be explained that Sawyer heard the whispers of the man he killed in Australia repeating "It will come back around"

My only thoughts on that would be that the collective consciousness that exists on the island and really anywhere in the universe allows one to hear those things .. particularly things from our past that 'haunt' us. A statement like "It'll come back around" could have multiple meanings to multiple people .. Kind of like "What comes around goes around" .. I've heard that many times in all kinds of context throughout my life. If I were to hear that phrase it would jar certain, specific memories though where I have placed the most meaning to the phrase. perhaps that is what Sawyer experienced. We (the viewers) were allowed to hear it so we could relate it to a specific memory and know that it was coming from a specific incident from a person deemed deceased. I do think that the energy that encapsulates one's body merges with the energy of those around you .. Hippy terms .. You give off a good vice or a bad vibe .. your aura .. Our energies are intertwined once we meet. That's all I got for now. May have to rewatch."

May have to rewatch? MAY?

Just teasing. I agree with my friend about the whispers and the collective consciousness. What to you think?

DID YOU NOTICE?

Of course I'm so far behind everyone else, you've probably already noticed all of the following:

Jorge Garcia's famous dog Nunu made a cameo appearance.

The mysterious boy was older and had dark hair, this time smiling ominously and running away after Smocke ignored him.

Jin did not appear in this episode.

Hurley's mother is still trying to find a girl for him.

Desmond's order number was the number 42 and speaking of the number 4, Ilana blew herself to bits using 4 sticks of dynamite.

On the island, Smocke's eyes are two different colours. One is blue and the other is green.

The book that belonged to Ilana was called Notes From The Underground and was written by Fyddor Dostoyevsky (I think I spelled that right).

It's ironic that Smocke pushed Desmond into the well and Desmond runs over John Locke shortly after. Also ironic that Ben strangled John in the original time but tries to save him in the "what if" time.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

Hurley, to his mother after she tells him about his blind date: "What's she like?"

Carmen: "Willing to meet you.."

Hurley: "Ma!"

Ilana: "With that plane gone that thing won't be able to leave the island."

Hurley: "yeah....well neither will we and the we'll be stuck here with it and it will be angry at us!"

Locke, explaining to Kate why they aren't doing anything: "You were only able to come back to this island because you all did it together. If we're gonna get onthat plane and leave, it has to happen the same way. We're waiting for your friends to get here, Kate. Hugo, Sun, Jack. That's the only way we're ever getting off this Godforsaken rock"

Kate:" I don't see that happening."

Desmond's response to Hurley's assertion that his dream girl is crazy: "Well, all women are a little bit crazy, brother."

LIBBY: I wanna be with you because I like you.

HURLEY: Yeah but, you like me because...well...you're...delusional.

HURLEY: I don't know who you are, dude, or what you want, but we have to talk to you.

LOCKE: We?

HURLEY: There are other people with me. The thing is...you got weapons and we got weapons, and I don't want anyone to get hurt...or killed. So, we're not gonna do anything. I want your word that you're not gonna do anything either.

[Locke hands Hurley his knife.]

The following picture was taken by my daughter outside Chapter's Bookestore. I swear I saw a Dharma logo on the front and thought that Dmarma had a new model for their new island adventures.

I hope you enjoyed the read. On Tuesday we have The Last Recruit. Who could it be? Jack? Sun? Hurley? Frank? of Kate? Notice, she has yet to actually commit to Smocke's cause.

Dr. Linus

WOW. That is all.Talk to you next week.

Okay, just joking. Dr. Linus was the first episode to feature a character in the side time other than the survivors of Oceanic 815. May I admit that the writers did NOT disappoint on any level? I'm sorry for the tardiness of this post as well. Life has been a bit hectic of late, but better late than never, right?

We've already seen Ben off the island in the side flashes, notably in The Substitute, and you gotta admit that you were just as intrigued as I was. Were you wondering if he was a power hungry megalomaniac? Were you wondering if he'd ever been to the island? If so, how and when did they leave? I'm sure we'll never get the answer to those questions. Onward, we go!

"What was truly devastating to him was the loss of power. Sure, they allowed him to keep the title of Emperor...... but without any power it was meaningless. He might as well have been dead" ~ Dr. Linus talking to his high school history class about another megalomaniac who went by the name of Napoleon Bonaparte. And all I could think about for about 10 minutes was poor beaten Ben on the island. Ben in side time may have a doctorate in European History, but he lives a sparse life employed as a teacher and supporting his father.

But things aren't good for Ben on the teaching front. He gets little respect from his superiors and is forced to drop his history club to "step up amidst cut backs" to supervise detention. Okay, how cool is it that Dr. Leslie Arzt is friends with Dr. Benjamin Linus in side time? Who in their left, right or drunken mind would have ever thought that could be a possibility? Nope, I didn't see that one coming. I was half expecting Arzt to befriend Locke, but I see he sat separate from the regular teachers. Yet, I found it ironic that John Locke indicated that he would follow Ben Linus as a principal.

ALEX!!!!! We got to see Alex again as one of Dr. Linus' star students who lives with her mother (who works four jobs to make ends meet). She loves history and wants to go to Yale. She needs help in the form of a very good reference letter and the only person who can give it to her is the Principal. But the principal is playing a game with the school nurse, so Ben uses the knowledge to blackmail him into "retiring".

I found the fact that Ben failed at his blackmail attempt very interesting. Again, it's all about power and though Ben wanted that power to improve the academic faculty and better provide for the students, he wasn't meant to be an administrator. Blame the island. Blame fate. Blame Alex for sending an e-mail to the principal requesting a letter of recommendation on her behalf.

I held my breath when Ben was forced to chose. Take down the principal or ensure Alex got her letter. I wondered how he would choose. I tell you, my ears were popping and my eyes were bulging until he chose Alex's future over his own desire for power. FINALLY! I thought.

Even in side time, Ben is gassing his father. Only this time he's providing life giving oxygen. One thing is perfectly clear in the side flash, Ben and Roger have a much more traditional father son relationship than even we could have imagined. We learn that they were indeed part of the Dharma Initiative in their pasts, and they left the island. What we don't know is why they left, but I'll hazard a guess that it was some sort of accident that had put his son in danger. I am assuming that since there was no mention of Emily, Ben's mother, that she still died on the day Ben was born (or possibly shortly after). The major difference here is that Ben's issues with his father were not evident.

In original time, Miles spills the beans and tells Ilana that it was not Smocke that killed Jacob, but Ben. Ben denies the deed, but the jig is up and there's much to be done. The rag tag group are heading back to the beach camp where the territory is familiar and the ocean is at their backs. Once there, Ilana creates an island version of the ankle monitor and ties Ben to a tree (how many times has Be been tied to a tree?), telling him to start digging his own grave. She's really ticked at him and Ben sees that he has no way out of this bind (literally and figuratively). Ever trying to escape paying the consequences of his actions, he even tried to bribe Miles with that 3.2 million buckaroos and, once again is foiled when Miles tells him about the diamonds buried with Team Razzle Dazzle (Nikki and Paolo for those of you who haven't heard me refer to them as such). Poor Ben. I actually felt sorry for him. And, to make matters even worse, the clicking starts and along comes Smocke to make him an offer he can't refuse. Or can he?

Here's the thing. Ben's been learning a few things upon his return to the island and I think he is a changed man. He knows a few things now that he didn't know before he left (and if you think of it, he left of his own volition so he was never really banished). Smocke comes along, uses his "magic" to free Ben from the tether and gives him an out. Ben makes a run for it but Ilana catches up to him and they have a face off, each pointing a gun at the other. But here's the kicker. When Ben explains what happened inside the Four Toed Foot and admits that he doesn't really want to go to Smocke's camp but feels it necessary because no one wants him, Ilana shocks us all and as much as forgives him! Wow, did not see that coming. Nope, not at all. And the fact that Ben decides to try his luck with the crew he is already with tells us that his aspirations of being a great leader are gone.

Elsewhere on the island, Jack and Hurley are trying to make their way back to the temple. Hurley is stalling as much as he possibly can, knowing what Jacob told him about the bad person and the temple. They can't figure out which way to turn when they meet Richard Alpert, in a rush to get as far away from the temple as he can. He's seen the carnage there and, without Jacob to guide him, is lost and without purpose. He says he'll take Jack and Hurley back to the temple, but instead leads them to the Black Rock. Interestingly, this is the first appearance of the "slave" ship since season three. Seems so long ago.

Anyway, Richard, without purpose and no longer the confident honey we all know and love, does what any lost soul does when faced with adversity. He's going to commit suicide by way of having someone kill him. Apparently, when Jacob touches you he takes away your ability to kill yourself. Gee, what a guy. Jack follows Richard into the ship, lights the stick of TNT and sits down facing Richard. At first I thought Jack was going to take the easy way out and be a casualty of Richard's suicide by murder, then I realized that Jack's new found faith, if not his purpose, was protecting him. He knew that he would not die. He was willing to take the risk and put his fate in the hands of the island to make his point. The look on Richard's face when the fuse went out just before reaching the TNT was one of incredulity and renewed faith.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I can see a Jack and Richard friendship through the ages. I'm not sure if they are peers, but each of them have something that compliments the other. Jack tells Richard they have to go back to where it all began. The beach. Imagine that, huh?

Right now we are seeing our people getting into place. Jack, Ilana, Hurley, Sun, Ben, and Richard are all on the beach.

Sawyer, Claire, Jin, Kate, Not-The-Same-Sayid, and Smocke out in the jungle.

We can definitely see the alignment of sides happening.

And then there's the new arrivals. As Jack, Hurley and Richard arrive at the survivor's camp we see another faction arrive as a submarine surfaces. I knew it would be Chuckie on board that Submarine. I had only one question. Was that the Galaga, or did Chuckie Widmore have another sub made?

DID YOU NOTICE?

Dr. Linus is the first episode to focus a side time on someone other than an 815 survivor.

The actor who plays Roger Linus has portrayed him as a young man (at Ben's birth) to an old man. The longest interval of any other character!

Ben just keeps gassing his father! In the Purge it was to kill him, but in the side time it was to keep him alive with oxygen.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:

Ilana: Where's Jarrah?

Ben: I'm fine, that you.

Ilana: Where is he?

Ben: Considering that he just killed Dogen, I don't think he's going to be joining us.

Ilana: Are you sure?

Ben: He was standing over their dead bodies holding a bloody dagger, so yeah, I'm pretty sure.....

Ilana to Miles after he read Jacob's ashes: Are you sure?

Miles: Considering he was standing over his dead body with a bloody dagger in his hand, yeah, I'm pretty sure.

Hurley: Hmmm, cheese curds.....

BEN: I watched my daughter Alex die in front of me. And it was my fault. I had a chance to save her. But I chose the island over her. All in the name of Jacob. I sacrificed everything for him. And he didn't even care. Yeah I stabbed him, I was... so angry...confused...I was terrified that I was about to lose the only thing that had ever mattered to me - my power. But the thing that really mattered was already gone. I'm sorry that I killed Jacob. I am, and I do not expect you to forgive me because...I can never forgive myself.

ILANA: Where will you go?

BEN: To Locke.

ILANA: Why?

BEN: Because he's the only one who'll have me.

ILANA: I'll have you. [She leaves, he follows]

JACK: Wanna try another stick?

RICHARD: All right Jack. You seem to have all the answers. Now what?

JACK: We go back to where we started.

And, my all time favourite?

HURLEY: So did Dr Arzt. And I was wiping him out of my shirt two days later.

I included this because Sun's smile says it all!

QUESTIONS:

Why and when did Ben and Roger leave Dharma and the island?

Does Jacob's touch mean that no one can kill themselves?

How did Danielle and Alex end up living in LA? Does this mean that Alex wasn't born on the island?

How did Widmore find the island again? Did Eloise help him? Or does the island have two or three pre-determined locations that it keeps moving to?

So, what did you think of Dr. Linus? Did you enjoy seeing Ben ripped to pieces and then, upon forgiveness, being rebuilt into a decent man?

Did you enjoy seeing Dr. Arzt again? Was he still annoying?

All screen caps from Lostpedia and LostMedia.

My Enemy's Enemy Is My Friend?

It's an ancient proverb which means that because two parties have a common enemy, they are friends. Often described as an Arabic proverb, there is also an identical Chinese proverb which may be an extension of another Chinese proverb that says, "It is good to strike the serpent's head with your enemy's hand." A historical example of this policy occurred when the Greeks were attacked by the Persians at Thermopylae; the Greek city-states put aside their differences and fought the common enemy.

Could this be the case for Ben? Will he choose to align himself with Fake John because he now views Jacob and his own people as his enemies.

It is conceivable. We saw John remind Ben of practically every failure he suffered as a leader of the Others. He reminded him of all that he apparently was forced to sacrifice in his service to Jacob. And for what? Absolutely nothing. Not even a "good luck in your future endeavours" when John arrived to take over as leader. No gold watch. No shares in the company's stock. No "happy retirement" party.

But serving Jacob is not like working for the company for 35 years, putting in your time and looking forward to drawing from your retirement fund. But, like the faithful who go to church every week and drop all they can into the collection box, all they can hope for at the end is forgiveness for their sins and entry to the place they call heaven.

But did Jacob ever promise Ben a reward? Sure, he made Richard ageless, but we have yet to learn the circumstances of that event. I hope we get to see this next season. If there are any other Others with special qualities, please let me know. And I don't mean Ethan and his super strength.

I was wondering if it really was Jacob who saved young Ben's life back in 1977. I've decided that he did, but only because he knew Ben's fate was not to die then and there, Ben wasn't finished just yet.

Was Ben ever destined to become leader of the Others? I don't think so. I think Ben, like his father, believed he was more than what others assessed him to be. Remember when we saw the flashback of Ben and his father arriving on the island? Remember how angry Roger Linus was to find that he'd been assigned janitorial duties according to his aptitude tests? And we see a grown up Ben also working as a workman, which I'm sure it more than what he aspired to be.

I have a little theory on how Ben became leader of the Others. I could be no where near the ball park on this one, but it's all I can come up with right now.

Other than the promise of a great relief from the restrictive society that Ben finds himself living in, the Hostiles promise an escape from the apparent anger and hatred of his father. Life with Roger Linus had been illustrated as dark, depressing and a serious blow to the kid's self esteem. I don't blame young Ben for wanting to escape such a miserable existence and the promise that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence is too tempting for young Ben to resist. Above all else, Ben believed, like his father, that he was greater than the sum of his parts.

But here's the kicker. Ben was only ever considered to be a member of the flock. Nothing more. Nothing less. He was expected to do what he was asked and not to take the initiative. His reward was acceptance within a society that accepted him for whatever he was. The realization that his position within the Hostiles was equal to his position with Dharma must have been one hell of a shock. So, he manipulated and contrived and insinuated himself into a higher position, eventually taking control in a bloodless coup. He exiled the island's true leader and took what he thought was his rightful place at the top of the pyramid.

Then along came cancer. Whether Jacob could have allowed it to occur, I really can't say either way at this point. Then came Oceanic 815 and a whole host of problems. Remember that Richard and the Hostiles were told in 1954 that a man named John Locke was going to arrive via a plane crash and he would be their leader.

It would have been a long awaited and anticipated arrival of the messiah. Talked about often and how a great leader would come. The current, or interim leader, Ben, must have felt inferior and not very appreciated. He had never seen nor spoken to Jacob, didn't have a communion with the island and really, his instructions arrived by messenger Richard.

Ben did all that he could to sabotage John Locke and maintain his tenuous leadership position. He lied to him and lead him into situations of great danger. On several occasions he tried to kill him or have him killed and ultimately managed to strangle him to death. He manipulated the Oceanic 6, the survivors of the crash who were rescued, into returning to the island, insisting they take the body of John Locke with them.

I believe Ben was taking the body of John Locke back to the island as proof that the Others were without a leader and attempt to reclaim the job. There didn't seem to be any other candidates in the wings. Ben's shock and utter frustration must have been disheartening, to say the least. Only this time, Ben doesn't have a back up plan. He never counted on John Locke's resurrection.

He was used as he had used John. He was manipulated as he had done to John. All, it would appear, by John Locke himself. And yet, despite his loathing of John Locke and all that he seemed to be taking away from him, Ben made a choice. Only time will tell if it was the right one for him to make.

Using a common enemy as the basis for an allegiance is dubious, likely because there are probably very few other areas for mutual agreement. Remove the common enemy and the friends are apt turn on each other.

They're Coming

I have a half mowed front lawn right now. As I was riding around my half acre of heaven, cutting the grass, I had a thought and had to get it out there. This is going to be a long hiatus for me. I can't stop thinking LOST!

Just before Evil John, which is what I am now referring to him as, kicked Jacob into the pit of fire, Jacob uttered: "They're coming"

Once I managed to get over my initial shock, and my grief over the jeep, I began to wonder who "They" were. Once again I am about to put two and two together to equal eleventeen, but I see two options.

1. Could it be Illana and her people, since Evil John had mentioned about dealing with them? He had face to face contact with both Illana and Cesar, and possibly subconsciously impelled Ben to shoot Cesar, could he have read their thoughts, thus knowing that they could be a detriment to his ultimate goal to control the island? Worth a thought.
2. Could Jacob have meant the group from 1977? Jack, Sawyer, Kate, Hurley, Miles? Which leads me to another question: Did Jacob put them in 1977 not just because of what they needed to do there (detonate the bomb), but also for safe keeping until they were needed in 2007? And I use safe keeping very loosely here, by the way.

I'm kind of leaning toward the second option and here's why.

Although some of them had a role to play in 1977, they also have a job to complete in 2007. Jacob needed them in both times, but not at the same time. When Lost premiers next January, I'm hoping the first thing we see is that white flash and hear that high pitched whirr.

I can't believe that our 1977 survivors have executed all that the island needs them to. Let's face it, Hurley's destiny is NOT to introduce garlic mayo to the world! There's something inside that guitar case that will help them fight Evil John and restore the islands balance.

And Miles wasn't meant to talk to dead Alverez to learn about some hot chic and fillings being pulled out through the brain, nor was he to meant to enjoy a great relationship with his father. I think he will talk to dead John Locke and find a new loophole that could help to defeat Evil John and, possibly, give Jacob a new, stronger presence on the island. Irony moment! What if Dead John's body becomes the vessel by which Jacob continues?

Just a thought. Now I have to finish mowing the lawn then I need to fix up the pool and, hopefully fill it for the season. But, as I seem to keep having random thoughts and ideas, I'll be back.