There’s No Place Like Home – Parts 2 and 3

We’re spent. It may just be the shock of the final reveal (and the exploding and disappearing and everything else), but I’m putting this season’s finale as the best yet. Oh, there was a big giant Pandora’s box or two opened, and the requisite handful of new nagging questions, but in terms of delivering a dramatic punch, a full sprint of plot and action, and major pointers as to the mythological direction of “LOST,” we couldn’t have asked for more. Every strength of the show was serviced tonight, and the only downside to this high is the inevitable crash tomorrow. We’ll have to wait more than seven months to pick up where we left off.

And I do think we will move forward, now, from the near present. Perhaps even the true present. (No issues with Walt’s age, now.) Mr. Bentham’s ominous tale of how things went south on the island after the Oceanic Six escaped perfectly sets up the island as flashback territory… the clever inverse of the first three seasons. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Ben turned the wheel and moved the island, a mind-boggling action that also comes with another rule: whoever invokes the measure of last resort “can’t” return. We also know from his arm injury that he goes straight from the deep Earth chamber to the desert of Tunisia. We see how the Oceanic Six come together and get off the island, and also the setup for their return. We see Sawyer sacrifice himself after a smooch that no doubt gave shippers a thrill, but we also see Desmond and Penny reunited — the kiss of the whole show, bar none. And we finally learn who was in the coffin.

Jen is immensely relieved to learn who was in the coffin. She demanded to know, out loud, every ten minutes during the last hour of the finale. Considering that Season 1 left us looking down a mysterious hatch, even I was convinced until the very last moment that they just might go there… the just might leave us hanging. And we both wouldn’t have guessed who Mr. Bentham turned out to be.

Jen’s also convinced that Jin is dead. I have to admit, it looks pretty dire. He does have a couple of things going for him, though. One, Sun is convinced enough of his possible survival that she’s going to engage in some pretty big corporate shenanigans with Charles Widmore. Two, just like the three gunshots that were supposed to have robbed us of Jin, Sayid and Bernard on the beach, I don’t think any “off-screen deaths” have really stuck. Hell, on-screen deaths don’t stick. (At least Keamy’s sudden reappearance got a token explanation.) With Locke apparently going back as carry-on luggage, after all, his story is obviously not done. Look at what happened with the last person Jack transported in a coffin.

For all the big details, though, it’s the little things that made tonight’s episode so satisfying. The way the episode opened at the exact moment Season 3 ended (tires screeching with the quick fade to black). Hurley’s awkward greeting for Jack, and real gratitude to Sawyer for coming back for him. Locke’s confidence with Jack (“Just watch what I’m about to do”) but befuddlement with anthuriums. The way Michael released Jin to be a father, and the way the island finally released him. The way Ben… did everything, from referencing time-traveling bunnies to the utterly cold way he reacted to dooming the freighter. Miles’ scolding from Rose, and cryptic message for Charlotte, who almost instantly becomes the new character whose story we’re desperate to hear.

Too many great moments to mention. With our minds spinning, we’re simply reduced to bullet points.

Notes and Notions:

  • The conversation between Jack and Locke goes to the very heart of the overall “LOST” story arc. If you haven’t recently revisited the conversation mentioned tonight, from the episode “White Rabbit,” you should read it again. And remember, that was Season 1, Episode 5.
  • What is Sun up to? Helping Mr. Widmore, or duping him? The why, at least, seems pretty clear. But she’s right, the Oceanic Six weren’t the only ones that got off the island. And joining Ben in the bonus set are Frank and Desmond.
  • Locke’s pseudonym off island was Jeremy Bentham. Philosopher, yes. Also a guy who willed his body to be put on display. It’s still in a glass case at University College London.
  • Hurley’s mention of Mr. Eko was a nice touch, because I do sometimes get the sense that there are parts of the show’s past that they’d rather we just forget.
  • The moment you heard Sayid’s voice at the car window, you knew that guy was toast. And of course his time of death was 8:15.
  • More Sawyer nicknames, from “Sundance” for Jack to “Kenny Rogers” for Frank. And… shirtless on a beach with a pretty lady and a bottle of rum? It’s fanfic time.
  • What happened to Daniel and his boatload of socks (or redshirts or background)? Are they stranded? Or, since “Alcatraz” apparently went with the main island, could they have gone along for the ride as well?
  • Jack officially has a musical motif (along with Kate’s Patsy Cline). His last drive to the funeral parlor showed us his appreciation for “Nirvana.” Tonight, he rocked his way out to the big reveal with “The Pixies.”
  • Yeah, so that was the “Frozen Donkey Wheel.” Ha ha. How literal and clever! Can we go back to metaphors for the next big twist?

A year ago, when we were similarly left stunned by the Season 3 finale, I wrote: “Suddenly I’m willing to entertain even the most ridiculous, crack-pot theories. Because I have no idea where ‘LOST’ will take us next.” I am still happily along for the ride.

And Jen wrote: “Season 3 of Lost, to me, is one of the best seasons of television ever.” And Season 4 tops that.

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140 Responses to There’s No Place Like Home – Parts 2 and 3

  1. Tim R says:

    The doctor washing up on the shore ‘before’ he actually dies blows the show wide open more than anything else that happened this season. Adam and Eve could well be Jack and Kate, returning to the island at the wrong bearing and turning up pre-Dharma, even. I’m sure that’s a hackneyed theory but what isn’t?

  2. paintergirl1 says:

    @Tim R – I’ve had the same thoughts exactly. I remember reading a quote from the writers about fans looking back at Adam and Eve and being impressed that they had the ending planned clear back in season one. I’m not sure it is Jack and Kate, but I think we know Adam and Eve, somehow.

    Something else to consider in regards to time issues: Ben’s arrival in Tunisia. When he goes riding off in the desert on a horse with no name to the hotel and checks in as Dean Moriarty, we see Sayid mourning the loss of his wife Nadia. He seemed not all that surprised that the date was October 24, 2005, even though he put on his parka in the Orchid on December 30, 2004.

    This puts into question how long Locke really was a leader on the island before he returned to the O6. Time works so strangely, we really can’t say anything definitive. We just have to enjoy the ride :).

  3. Keith says:

    A couple of things jump to mind after viewing the finale:

    1) The Orchid video that Locke watched wasn’t the one I was expecting to see. Where was the one from Comic-Con with the time-traveling bunny that upset Hallowax so much? Any explanations as to why we didn’t see this video, and how (if we ever get to) it’ll fit into the story?

    2) On the island, there are the Others (now led by Locke) and the Planeys, who were formerly Locke’s companions (although we don’t really know how many of them are left). Will there continue to be a rift between the two camps, or will Locke find a way to unite them?

    3) Now that we know who’s in the coffin, the next big reveal needs to be the background behind that 4-toed statue!

  4. Seth says:

    Hi Ryan and Jen,

    I’ve had an idea for what you could do with The Transmission over the super-hiatus. How about recording an audio commentary each week, starting with the Pilot and working your way through? You could probably only get through a season and a half at that rate, but it’d be a really fun way of going back to the first season and staying Lost until February rolls around.

    I’d love to hear you guys reflect on how different the show is given what we all know about the island, its inhabitants, the show’s mythology and what’s to come. Maybe you could even have guest commentators with you for some episodes. It sounds like something Jorge Garcia might be into.

    It’s just an idea, but I’d love it if you guys could do something like that. And now I’m off to rewatch the season four finalé!

  5. Wednesday says:

    I saw Vincent in the distant background being petted by somebody and it is when Daniel and Juliet are talking about her waiting until everyone was rescued. Look at the people on the beach.

  6. echobase77 says:

    How is Kate supposed to get back to the island when legally she’s not supposed to leave California? (I think I’m remembering that right from Eggtown.)

    Maybe Ben has to bring a “sacrifice” to the island in order to return. In his half-truthfulness, he could have easily left out details like, “Whoever moves the island can never return…UNLESS they bring a dead body; bring back the next leader, dead; etc… Or maybe if he brings back Locke’s body, the moment he arrives on the island with it, Ben will die, but his consciousness will inhabit and animate Locke’s body…?

    Sun blames Jack for Jin’s death. Jack says so when he’s talking to Ben in the funeral home. “Sun blames me for…” although he does trail off.

    I don’t think Jin is dead. I think he was able to jump off. I also don’t think Dan and the zodiac went with the island. The helicopter should have been faster than the zodiac to get back to the island, right? So if the helicopter didn’t get snatched out of the air and taken along, the zodaic shouldn’t have been close enough either. They didn’t really look around for the zodiac after the island disappeared, and then they were too busy crashing to think about anything but themselves. However, as to where they went or why they haven’t shown up within three years…

  7. echobase77 says:

    p.s. maybe vincent is jacob…they’ve said he has been seen but hasn’t had a speaking part, right? so that leaves vincent, smokey, trees/rocks/plants, polar bears…

  8. Mr. Z says:

    Anybody else but me find it strange that Jacob is missing? Why has Christian all of a sudden taken the responsibility of protecting the island? And if Jacob is suppose to be the embodiment of the island, why wasn’t he present when the island jumped time and space?

    This string of questions are for the most part missed, because we are wrapped up by the intriguing storyline but highly important! Been a great season, guys, and much appreciated for the stimulating conversations and insight into ONE of TV’s most entertaining show. The Transmission, thus is the most entertaining podcast of one of TV’s most entertaining show. Ryan and Jen, have a happy vacation and I hope you keep up the good hard work!
    -Mr. Z

  9. Qstorm says:

    My theory now is that there is an E.T. thing going on here. i think the Others are extra-terrestrials and the island is their ship (perhaps now disguised as an island) that folds space (and time) to travel long distances. They crashed on Earth and the vessel was damaged to the point that it can no longer travel through space, but can be moved within the confines of Earth. The Others have no understanding of our world, which is why they always seek out a leader, like Ben and now Locke, who can guide them as they travel on and off the island. I think they were building landing strips/runways back in Season 2 (?) when Kate, Jack and Sawyer were captured for the purpose of bring other (smaller?) ships to rescue them and return to their planet or perhaps as an invasion. The big giant gear that Ben was turning to move the island, what with the glowing and the humming, sure seemed like something out of a space ship, or really sci-fi. This would also explain the alien heiroglyphs on the door in Ben’s secret chamber and on the countdown display in the original hatch. We know that the Lost writers have a love of Star Wars and other fantasy creations, so I’m betting this is the deal.

    Love your show. Ryan, I’m just now getting used to your voice and I love it!

  10. Lydia says:

    Great podcast, Ryan and Jen, and great comments here on the blog! So many interesting points by so many intelligent people!

    nerico is not so sure about doubles of people and calls that idea “cheesy”, but I’d like to discuss this a bit. Maybe the reason Ben can’t come back to the island is because there is another Ben on the island, just like Bunny #15 is not supposed to see Bunny #15 in the Orchid video. Ben can’t go back because he is already there, and if he encounters himself, something terrible will happen. Maybe also “Jeremy Bentham” is a double of John Locke who is still on the island. (What happens if one of the doubles is killed? Did Dharma ever try that experiment with the bunnies?) And is it possible that these doubles have slightly different personalities? The Ben (a.k.a. Dean Moriarty) in the final scene with Jack in the funeral parlor seemed like a much kindler, gentler Ben than the island Ben. But perhaps that comes from just time away from the island, time to heal the loss of Alex, and no longer having the pressure of being the boss. Having a double might also explain how Ben could have been back on the mainland before without being missing from the island — if his double was on the mainland while original Ben was on the island.

  11. Lydia says:

    Whoa — OK — just had a further thought, not quite fully formed. We saw Desmond’s consciousness fly back and forth between the UK and the freighter…I wonder if this somehow related to what I just wrote about doubles.

  12. Vince says:

    Wow. Great finale. I can’t add much that hasn’t already been said, as all of you seemed to have picked up most of what I was thinking.

    We are left with 5 separate groups (maybe 6) who know about the island.

    1. Those left on the beach with Sawyer and Julliet, Rose and Bernard, Charlotte and Miles, and a few others.

    2. Those with Locke and Albert. What goes wrong here? Do they stay separate from those on the beach?

    3. Penny’s boat including Desmond, Kenny Rodgers. Penny was only looking for Desmond so I don’t think she’ll continue searching for the Island. These are such strong characters that I think we’ll see more of them since she is Widmores daughter.

    4. Daniel (and the Red Shirts). Maybe he rescues Jin, since he was on his way to the freighter. He has the knowledge to find the island again, he found it for Widmore. We were left hanging as to whether he went with the island when it disappeared. I thought there was a brief flash to his zodiac to show he saw it disappear as well. Maybe I’m mistaken. I believe he will be a key character since he has so much motivation. He’s obviously a genius and knows much about the island, and he has a love interest that still is alive on the island. There’s more to his back-story that we don’t know about, like why did he have a breakdown when he saw the video of Oceanic 815?

    5. The O6 which now includes Ben. They all have various reasons for wanting to go back, but only Jack seems to be falling apart because of it. Hurley is plagued by visitations from “dead people” and I can’t think of a reason going back would help him. Kate probably wants Sawyer after seeing Jack turn into such a mess. Sayid wants revenge on Widmore, but going back won’t get him that. Sun must think Jin is alive, or at least wants revenge.

    7. Widmore. I like the idea that Sun is attempting to coerce him somehow in order to get back to find Jin. The idea that Widmore was the previous leader of the island is very interesting. Banished via the frozen donkey wheel as Ben was…

    My brain is numb from all the reveals and new questions in this awesome episode. Best season ever.

    I have a few minor nit-picks that bugged me while I watched. Why does Hollywood always make Helicopter crashes so unrealistic?? Helicopters don’t fall out of the sky if they run out of gas. The rotor blades don’t stop turning or slow down. They Autorotate. A helicopter would simply descend (under control) to the surface of the water and flare and then settle gently. This always bugs me when I see it portrayed as a crash. In almost every case you would simply swim free as soon as the rotors stopped when they strike the water. Few people have ever died from running out of gas in a helicopter.

    My other complaint is with the heart rate monitor device. How the hell did it work so far under the earth? That was a huge stretch for me. Nothing could transmit that far. And Why didn’t Locke slide it on to his own arm?

    Minor annoyances. Overall a great finale for one of the best seasons ever. I’ll be in a Lost Withdrawal Clinic if you need me…..

  13. Seth says:

    Hi guys, I made this suggestion in the finalé comments page, but you might not have seen it since there were so many comments to get through!

    How about recording an audio commentary each week, starting with the Pilot and working your way through? Or just covering your favourite episodes. Or maybe having a vote each week as to which episode you do next. It’d be a really fun way of revisiting old episodes, storylines and characters, and seeing how you feel about them now given what you have learned from season 4, and staying Lost until February rolls around. Maybe you could even have guest commentators with you for some episodes. It sounds like something Jorge Garcia might be into.

    Anyway, it’s just an idea, but I bet it would be a lot of fun.

  14. Tori says:

    What great theories folks have come up with! This podcast is getting better and better (kinda like the show!).

    Qstorm: In the event your theory re the island as space ship is correct, it would certainly encapsulate the title of the show, eh? “Lost… Space Ship!”

    Nerico: Great thoughts about Jack possibly ending up as the true leader… and about Christian S.’s ghost as one way to woo him.

    Re Sawyer’s transformation: Am I the only one who feels it’s a bit lacking in credibility or at least enough segue? I was convinced he was heading straight to H for a while there, during his dark choice to kill Cooper, for example. Something to take up in more detail if we end up doing the character analysis during the (sob!) hiatus.

    Also, am I the only one who would feel blown away if Locke is dead? For some reason that scene didn’t seem to invoke any emotional resonance from anyone– including me, but I think it’s because I don’t really believe he’s dead (and I’m usually not one to willy nilly think dead folks aren’t dead). Of course we haven’t seen what leads up to his “death,” so that could explain everything in the depthful, semi-heartbreaking way Lost is so good at. Perhaps the island would end up resurrecting him, though? To me he is such a touching character given everything he’s been through, and in his real efforts to do good– I’d be seriously bummed if he’s a permanent goner.

    Questions: Does anyone know how Locke acquired the name “Jeremy Bentham?” Did he himself use it to conceal his identity on the mainland?

    – Speaking of name variation, why does the Dharma Foundation video guy keep changing his name? He started out as “Marvin Candle,” n’est pas?

    With current developments it’s feeling to me like Sawyer and Kate could end up together, and so could Jack and Juliet… probably better pairings in the sense of true compatability (never thought I’d hear myself saying that!).

    Besides all the other things I love about this show, I love the humor. Despite Ben’s wily and cold-blooded ways, he really is hilarious. Loved it when he said something to the effect of, “I hope you’re happy, Jacob!” while he was turning the donkey wheel. And the donkey wheel itself… too hilarious.

    I fear I’ll never wanna watch TV again after this show!

    One thought: We should all meet in Hawaii somewhere near or after the final episode.

  15. Julie says:

    So now that Desmond and Penny have found each other, and Ben has sworn to murder Widmore’s daughter, do you think this will lead to a Desmond/Ben faceoff? Or perhaps will Widmore use Desmond to protect Penny from Ben? In any case, I’m kinda excited that Ben’s vendetta against Widmore will probably keep Desmond and Penny in the storyline.

  16. Tori says:

    Good point, Julie, I hadn’t considered that!

  17. camille says:

    My crackpot theory is that Jacob is some sort of experiment gone wrong. I remember reading that Damon is a HUGE fan of The Watchmen (I am a big fan too) and Jon Osterman/Dr. Manhattan was an experiment gone wrong such that he bacame this sort of menacing extremely powerful nuclear phenomenon housed in a body. Perhaps when the Jacob experiment first went wrong they put him into seclusion in that cabin but as time went along everyone realized that they were at his mercy. I am not sure how the others became his devotees but I think if I were living somewhere and all of a sudden this massive menacing unseen force took over I’d probably bow down and do what he said too! I also think some people might be beholden to him out of some sense of guilt but still annoyed with him, I felt that way when Ben said “I hope you’re happy now.”

    Also wanted to mention that the frozen donkey wheel reminded me of something from The Watchmen but I can’t remember what. I will have to go back and re-skim.

    So anyway that’s my two cents. I would love to get some feedback.

  18. Dave says:

    Tori — re: the name game in the Dharma videos, we now have Marvin Candle, Mark (?) Wickman, and Edgar Halliwax. Clearly candle/flame themes. The Flame was the station where Mikhail was based; I don’t know whether there is any connection. My thought is that the same guy assumes a different alias based on this theme in each video, but maybe he has a double/replica like Locke and Ben ;). Interesting that we now have Ben, Locke, and Marvin Candle who all assume aliases (Ben = Dean Moriarty + others?, Locke = Jeremy Bentham).

  19. Dave says:

    Ryan & Jen — I’m about 1/2 way through your podcast. Excellent work again. One nitpick — you mention that maybe instead of the island shifting in location (which I assumed based on the talk about “moving the island,” which most would assume refers to in space, since we conceive of time as linear, and the Nigerian plane and Ben and a polar bear in Tunisia… except Ben took several months to move, but I digress), maybe it was shifted forward or backward in time. The gripe I have is that the reason they moved the island is that they didn’t want Widmore to find it. So if they moved it forward in time, he could still find it as long as they didn’t move it so far ahead that Widmore was dead. If they moved it back in time you’d have two objects occupying the same space at the same time, which would be bad news.

    Hence, I think we can conclude they moved it in space.

    How are Ben and the Losties going to find the Island now in 3 years if it took Widmore 12+ years to find it?

  20. Tori says:

    Dave– Thanks for “illuminating” the issue re Marvin Candle (et al)!

    And maybe the island moved in space AND time– and maybe screwed up a whole bunch of things in the process. Daniel is certainly concerned about the time issue vis a vis the island–Desmond nearly went crazy because of it– and Ben was extremely worried about the potential effects of the “move.” And time, and playing with time, is a huge theme throughout– but time will tell! 🙂

  21. Dave says:

    Agreed — nice point. But they presumably wouldn’t benefit by simply moving it in time.

    WIDMORE: “Drat, the island disappeared. How ever will I find it?”

    [Waits five minutes.]

    WIDMORE: “Oh, THERE it is!”

    😉

  22. Lindsay says:

    @ Julie re: Desmond/Ben faceoff

    I think you’re right about that. Desmond and Penny are so tied in to the storyline now, it’s inevitable that we’ll see them later on.

    I’m worried that Ben will send Sayid to do his bidding with Des/Penny…but that being said he was pretty keen to go after Keamy to avenge Alex’s death…hmmm…

  23. Bart says:

    I like the theory that some people have mentioned that the “him” Claire refers to is not Aaron, but is Locke. This could also tie into Hurley’s comment to Jack that “You’re not supposed to raise him.” That could mean “raising” Locke from the dead, similar to what happened to Christian.

    The only reason I don’t think that would happen is that would be a dark turn on Locke’s character. The island and other people not wanting Locke to come back would mean that things were pretty awful during his leadership. While I think that would be bold storytelling, I don’t think the viewers would be happy with that.

  24. Ritchie UK says:

    My first post here but I always check out the podcast thanks guys!!

    Anyway after watching the ep a second time I just wondered whether there is any significance to what Ben says to Locke during his farewell handshake in the Orchid. He says something like ‘sorry for making your life so miserable’.
    Did he mean his life on the island or his whole life? If the latter, then has Ben had some control over Locke’s destiny his whole life?

    Also I don’t think Jin is dead because Christian only appeared to Michael after he had sent Jin away thus completing his penance by saving Jin’s life.

  25. Tori says:

    Yeh, Dave, I agree that time isn’t the only way the island (space ship?!) moves!

  26. Cher says:

    I LOVED this finale and can’t wait for next season! Am I crazy or do I recall a flashback once when Kate was on the run and she befriended a woman not knowing that she was Sawyer’s old flame, and, Clementine’s Mom. I think that when Sawyer whispered to Kate, he asked her to find Clementine and let her know he loves her. She will. And Kate and Sawyer will end up together when she returns to the island. Sawyer is a real man and there is nothing sexier than a bad guy gone good! …. Also, the space ship theory is intriging! Great thought!

  27. Tori says:

    Cher– You’re right about the flashback! And I’m with you that Kate and Sawyer may well end up together (as I think Jack and Juliet might).

  28. BMT-hiker says:

    Hey! Did no one else see the fake (Dharma) commercial. I came here to check and see if there was any new info about it and no one appears to have even noticed it. I don’t have the link in front of me right now but will look it up later at home…something like Global Resources xxxx.com. It looked like a recruitment site and you could enter your email address for further contact. I did, but have not received anything yet.

    Go back and watch this episode again and tell me I’m not losing my mind!!

  29. BMT-hiker says:

    OK, someone over on J&J’s forum posted the link:
    http://octagonglobalrecruiting.com/

  30. Tori says:

    P.S. I wonder when ol’ Alvar Hanso is going to show up?

  31. Ian says:

    I don’t know if this has been mentioned yet.

    I’m listening to your podcast about the finale and you mention the usage of “him” when referring to Aaron and how that may cross reference to Locke. I think you’re on a good track but I want to introduce a larger idea.

    In the first few seasons “him” refers to Jacob, which I believe is who Aaron is. I think that would explain a lot of things.

    Just something to chew on.

  32. Cher says:

    When Claire says don’t bring “him” back, she might well mean Locke. Maybe “he” is Jacob. Perhaps Jacob needs these bodies in order to take human form. Christian’s dead body was transported back, and then Jacob spoke thru him. When Locke’s is returned, Jacob can speak thru Locke… But why would Claire not want “him” back? Is Jacob evil?

  33. Tori says:

    OK, really crazy thought here, but… could the kid with Kate be hers and Sawyer’s child, rather than (or in addition to) Aaron? As I say… crazy! (this is what obsession’ll do to you!) :-). They did have that steamy scene in the cage!

  34. Ken says:

    There are 2 of everything. This is why Hurley is constantly visited by “dead people.” They aren’t really dead, but on a few hundredths of a second in the future, but Hurley has no trouble seeing them, for some reason. So no one really dies, unless you kill both their A and B versions.

  35. Dave says:

    Ken — interesting theory. I don’t totally buy into it, but it might explain why so many people who get “killed” don’t die… at least not right away.

  36. Dave says:

    A few other thoughts after finally finishing the mammoth podcast.

    I respectfully disagree, Ryan and Jen, with your thoughts on the “dead man’s trigger.” A normal heart rate in a conditioned person such as Keamy could easily go a second between beats, so to trigger the explosive it would presumably need to go 2-3 seconds without a heartbeat to trigger. Locke or Ben could have gone arm-to-arm and chest-to-chest with him and made a transition within 2-3 seconds. Keamy went into Bond-Villain-Dr-Evil mode when he revealed the Dead Man’s Trigger… to make something like that effective he’d need to keep his gob shut.

    I think we’ll see a lot of Locke and the island and the Others next season. Recall that Ben really ascended to leadership after killing his father, and it was that cold-blooded decision-making that kept him such an effective leader. It was when he lost it after Alex died that he really felt as though he might have to exile himself. Maybe it is a code of decorum/conduct and since he knew he’d have to leave anyway, he moved the island.

    It could also be that the Others cannot allow their leader to directly kill anyone after he kills his father. Ben didn’t kill other people so much as he allowed them to die. Yet Keamy clearly died at his hands, and the people on the boat less directly so. Thus, Ben had to leave and Locke ascends to his throne. However, when they learn that locke lied about killing Cooper maybe the poo hits the fan. And maybe Locke’s son — who the obituary mentioned he left behind — kills him… ? 😉 Clearly we have not seen Locke show the ability to remove emotion from his decision-making, though, and I suspect this will be his downfall. (Jack and Sayid are two others who allow emotion to compromise their decision making.)

    Maybe Sawyer’s selfless act will attract the attention of the Others looking for a new leader?

  37. I think when it comes to the bomb on the boat and the heart trigger, we just have to suspend our disbelief and go with it. There’s just no other way to do it because the whole thing is a tad silly. Bombs in movies/TV are all that way… who in their right mind is going to make a bomb that will go off no matter what and has a thousand things to trick the would-be diffuser… it just doesn’t work that way. And at any rate, if you can cool the battery to keep the bomb from going off then you certainly can disconnect the battery to achieve the same thing, sorry but that’s just reality.

    Anyway it seems the Mythbuster who shares my name would agree:
    http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4266333.html?series=6

    But just remember that it’s all in good fun and the drama comes before being realistic almost every time.

    🙂

  38. NuckinFuts says:

    Hey Dave –

    I got to thinking about what the Others would do when they learned Locke didn’t kill his dad…but then I remembered that Richard already knows this…he gave Locke Sawyer’s profile and told him that he could do it….something doesn’t fit and now I’m even more confused.

  39. Tori says:

    In case people haven’t seen this You Tube item on Benry— it is hilarious. Enjoy!

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=6_zbEIQ9Fi0&feature=related

  40. nels says:

    Okay, I’m late to the game but just wanted to throw something out (perhaps already mentioned so sorry if it’s a repeat). What if the problems on the island that Locke told Jack happened was caused because some of the Oceanic 6 left the island without the island’s permission? We know that Ben gave Kate and Sayid permission to leave the island via the helicopter but he never did give Jack, Hurley, Aaron, or Sun explicit permission to leave.

    We know he also gave Michael and Walt permission to leave which may have been the reason why when they left things didn’t go to hell in a hand-basket on the island (though one could argue that perhaps it did).

    If we are to believe Ben is exhiled by Jacob and cannot go back to the island, then perhaps the rules in reverse could also be true – the island doesn’t let you off unless you have permission.

    So, maybe that’s why Ben was so willing to tell Jack that he’ll work on Kate because he knows that Kate and Sayid don’t actually have to get back to the island since they were granted permission to leave.

    Of course, on the otherhand, perhaps Ben is just manipulating them all with this story about them all needing to go back to the island merely as a means of keeping the cover of the island hidden.

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