“truth be told I miss you, and truth be told I’m lying”

Today’s Topic:  The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham

Mood Music:  Hope It Gives You Hell by All-American Rejects

Well…..let me just start off this week by saying….maybe every episode won’t be better than the last this season, but I’ve got a feeling they’re gonna all be pretty solid either way.  This episode is no exception….although, as far as all-time Locke centric episodes (and for those of you that don’t know…centric means “centered around that character” — i.e. the flashback is about Jeremy Bentham aka Locke) this one is not the best Locke episode ever, but it was ok.  I’m thinking we’ll call this episode, “is there ever gonna be anyone on this effin’ show that we can trust?”  Why don’t we just dive right in….Season 5, Episode 7………The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham:

ON-ISLAND

Unknown Time Period

Opens with Caesar going through an office in the Hydra Station.

*for those of you that have no clue about 1) Caesar and 2) the Hydra Station…..here’s a brief refresher:

1) Caesar was on the Ajira Flight 316.  He was the man that spoke to Jack while he was in line at the airport and offered him condolences.  He is a new character.

2) the Hydra Station was a Dharma Station that was “stationed” on the small island beside the larger island that we are familiar with…..it’s where Kate and Sawyer were kept in cages and Jack operated on Ben….it’s also where the Others were building a runway….Hi-Yo!!!

In the Hydra Station, Caesar sees a 1954 Time magazine with a cover story on the Hydrogen bomb.  Then he opens a folder and thumbs through the papers inside. 

*by the way….these aren’t just any old papers….they are:

1) one of Rousseau’s island maps (see a picture of the original on my LOST DISCUSSION tab)

2) a COPY of a page from Daniel Faraday’s journal (see a picture of the original on my LOST DISCUSSION tab)

and…

3) the Island map to the Tempest that Daniel was carrying last season (see a picture of the original on my LOST DISCUSSION tab)…with a few new hieroglyphs tossed in

*so somehow those maps/pages got into the hands of some Dharma folks and are just rotting away in a folder in the Hydra Station….seems like such a waste

Caesar grabs a sawed-off shotgun from under the desk and Ilana walks in as he’s putting it in his bag. 

*Ilana is also a new character and she’s the Marshal that was escorting Sayid on Flight 316

She asks him if he’s found anything and he says no.  After she presses him about what he put in the bag, he pulls out a flashlite and tosses it to her.  She tells him that there’s a man on the beach in a suit that was not on the plane.

*was it just me, or were you all thinking that the man was Christian Shephard…not sure why I wasn’t thinking about Locke?

They walk on a gravel path by the plane…which is angled off from the path/runway, but intact…

*ha.  I knew ole’ Lapidus would come through….think he remembered the bearing?  Think Ben told him about the runway?

and when they reach the beach there’s a man wrapped in an Ajira Airways blanket.  The man stands up and removes the blanket….he says that his name is John Locke.

A following day, Locke stands on the beach staring out at the main island.  Christian Shephard’s shoes are lying with his coat and tie on the sand beside him.  Ilana introduces herself and gives him a mango.  As he peels it, he asks about the outriggers.  She tells him that they were already there.  She says there were 3 of them but the pilot and “some” woman took one of them in the middle of the night. 

*who’s the “woman”?  Sun…maybe.  A flight attendant…maybe.  Claire…now wouldn’t that be interesting.

Locke asks for a passenger list and she tells him that he will have to talk to Caesar.  Locke takes a massive bite of the mango and says it’s the best mango he’s ever eaten.

*kinda reminds you of the creepy scene in the first season where John’s eating the orange and then smiles at Claire with the rind over his teeth

Ilana says that no one remembers him on the plane.  He says that he doesn’t remember being on it either.  She asks him why he’s dressed up so nice and he says that it was the suit he was to be buried in.  He then tells her that he remembers dying.  She looks at him strangely and walks away.

Later, Locke visits Caesar in the Hydra Station.  He tells Caesar about the Dharma Initiative and that he was on the island before for over 100 days.  Caesar is confused but asks Locke about what he saw on the plane.  A heavyset man with curly hair disappeared.  He said that other passengers saw people disappear too.  Locke realizes from the description that he’s talking about Hurley and says he has a better idea of what happened to him.  Locke asks if all of the people besides those that disappeared are accounted for.  Caesar says that everyone is except for those that were injured.  He takes Locke to the makeshift infirmary, and there, lying down asleep…last but not least…is Benjamin Linus….yowsa.

FLASHBACK

The Wheel Chamber

The scene is replayed where Locke realigns the wheel in the cave.  Again, Christian Shephard tells him to say hello to his son…and as Locke is asking who his son is….

FLASH

and…

OFF-ISLAND

Tunisia

Locke wakes up similar to the way Ben woke up in last season’s episode, “The Shape of Things to Come”.  He’s in the desert and pukes.  It’s 3 years after the Oceanic 6 left the island and he’s facing a security camera.  He calls for help to no avail.  At night, a truck pulls up…

*ok, pulls is waaaaaay too light a description of the way that thing pulled up….I felt like Bentham’s story was going to be cut substantially shorter with the way they stopped that piece of crap. 

He is taken by the men to a field hospital where Matthew Abbadon watches as they roughly set his fractured leg.  He is asked to bite down on a stick as we see the “doc” smash that thing back together.  Locke passes out from the pain.  Ouch. 

He is awakened by Charles Widmore who tells him that he flew in a specialist to help fix his leg.  He tells Locke how he was 17 when he saw Locke on the island last.  He asks Locke how long it’s been since he walked into the camp and asked to speak to Richard and Locke says “4 days”.  Widmore is blown away as it’s been roughly 50 years for him.  Locke asks about the camera in the desert and Widmore tells him that he put it there because that’s “the exit”.  He explains to Locke that he was the leader of the Others before being exiled by Ben, just like him.  Locke straightens him out by telling him that he chose to leave the island on his own to try and bring his friends back.  Ben had already left.  Widmore tells him that he wants to help them get back to the island and Locke isn’t sure why he would do that.  Widmore tells him that a war’s coming and if Locke isn’t back, the wrong side is going to win.

Later in the day, they sit outside and Widmore tells him that he’ll help him find the O6.  He provides John dossiers on all of his friends, a Canadian passport (under the name, Jeremy Bentham), some money, a phone (with which he can get in touch with Widmore by dialing 23), a wheelchair, and a driver (the always creepy…but great…..Matthew Abbadon).  Locke is skeptical but heads out for Santo Domingo…

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Sayid is helping to build a school for a charity called, “Build Our World”.  Locke approaches and asks him to return but Sayid declines.  He says that he was manipulated by Ben for 2 years to protect the rest of the O6.  He tells him that by leaving the island he was able to marry Nadia and live with her for 9 months, before she died.  He wonders if Locke’s only returning because he has nowhere else to go.  Locke tells him that if he changes his mind, he’ll be staying at the Westerfield Hotel in LA.  Sayid tells him to come back if he wants to do some real good.

New York, NY   

 In New York, it’s Walt.  In the car, John asks Abbadon to find Helen Norwood for him.  As the school bell rings, Locke is helped out of the car and sees Walt crossing the street.  Walt comes over and Locke wonders why he’s not surprised to see him.  Walt tells him that he’s been having dreams about Locke, in a suit, being surrounded by people that want to hurt him.  Locke tells him that it’s a good thing it’s just a dream.  Walt asks about his father, Michael, and Locke tells him that the last he heard he was on a freighter off the island.  After Walt leaves, Abbadon asks why he didn’t try to convince Walt to return and Locke says that he has been through enough and that he only has to convince one person for them all to come back.  As they go to leave, it is revealed that Ben is watching the exchange.

Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute

Hurley is outside Santa Rosa painting a picture of a Sphinx.  He doesn’t seemed shocked at all as Locke approaches and he asks him why he’s in a wheelchair.  Locke replies that he fell.  Hurley wants to know if that’s how he died.  Locke isn’t dead and Hurley asks the nurse if there’s a man in a wheelchair there and when she says yes, he freaks out.  He asks him how he got off the island and Locke tries to persuade him to come back.  Hurley sees Abbadon standing at the car and  insists that he is evil after remembering that he visited him before posing as an Oceanic employee. 

After this failed attempt to convince an O6 member to return (attempt #2) he asks Abbadon what he does for Widmore.  Abbadon tells him that he helps people get to where they need to get to.  Locke admits to remembering him as an orderly that convinced him to go on the Walkabout.

Los Angeles, CA

Locke is at Kate’s house.  Despite his attempts to persuade her to go back to the island, based on her feelings for “some” people still on it, Kate refuses to return (failed attempt #3).  She dumps on Locke after that…saying that he only wants to go back because he’s never loved anyone before.  He disagrees and mentions his relationship with Helen.  He tells Kate that she loved him but that it didn’t work out because he was angry and obsessed.  She replies, “look how far you’ve come”.  Whoa. 

*by the way….I’m thinking that the timing of this might be somewhere right around the time of her falling out with Jack because, is it just me, or is she acting like a ridonkulous beeotch in this scene?  Not to mention…Jack was a little “angry and obsessed” eh?

Locke leaves and asks Abaddon about Helen.  He hasn’t found her and Locke presses even harder. 

Santa Monica, CA

Locke and Abaddon are in a cemetary before a stone memorializing Helen.

Abaddon tells him that she died of a brain aneurysm.  John laments that if he had stayed, they would’ve been together.  Abaddon tells him that it wouldn’t change anything…she’d still be dead.  Locke questions whether or not everything is predetermined or if he might have a choice.  Abaddon asks if Alpert’s prediction that Locke must die is predetermined or a choice.  Locke wonders why anyone would choose to die.  Abaddon is loading Locke’s wheelchair into the car and is shot 3 times.  Locke jumps into the car and escapes.  He seems to have gotten away when he eventually crashes into 2 oncoming cars and is knocked unconcious. 

He wakes up in a hospital bed and Jack is sitting in the room looking well on his way to grizzly bearded psycho druggy Jack.  He tells Locke that he was in a car accident and brought to his hospital.  He refuses to see it as anything more than a coincidence.  

*not a coincidence Jack?  Remember Locke’s Mom was hit by a car before giving birth; Claire and her Mom were in a car crash that brought about the first meeting between Claire and Christian; Micheal was hit by a car and later crashed his car trying to kill himself; Juliet’s ex-husband was killed by a bus; Jack’s wife Sarah was saved by Jack after a horrible car crash; Jack also saved the people from the crash on the bridge as he was about to jump off and Locke’s father mentions a car crash as the last thing he remembered before showing up on the island….interesting (if I’ve left any out, please post them below)

Jack refuses to accept that it’s their destiny to return and thinks that Locke should question whether or not he’s truly as “special” as he believes.  He goes to leave and Locke (in a desperate ploy) tells him that his father says “hi”.  By process of elimination, he figured out that Christian was talking about Jack.  Jack tells him that his father died 3 years ago in Australia.  Locke implores him to come back because he’s the only one the others will follow.  Jack tells him to leave him and the other survivors alone and that they were never important.  Wow.

Later, (a month according to Jack in the Season 3 Episode, There’s No Place Like Home Part 2) Locke sits in his room at the Westerfield Hotel writing his suicide note.  Addressed to Jack, he places it in his pocket.  He is about to hang himself with an extension cord when there’s a knock at the door.  He tries to ignore it, but after a few more knocks and yells, Ben breaks into the room.  He begs John to stop and admits to killing Abaddon.  He tells him that he was a dangerous employee of Widmore and that he would’ve killed Locke if he hadn’t killed him first.  Ben tells him that Widmore was using him to get back to the island and that he was the reason that they moved the island in the first place.  Ben drops to his knees.

*Judas….anyone?

He unties the cord and tells Locke he’s important.  Locke is convinced that he’s a failure.  He’s incapable of being a leader.  Ben then lets him know that Jack booked a return flight from LA to Sydney….proving that Locke changed Jack’s attitude.

*a brief shot of Locke’s foot shows him 1) wearing sandals…..Jesus reference….and 2) with only 4 visible toes….hmmmmmm….

As he helps him down, Ben tells Locke he has much work to do…including contacting Sun.  Locke tells him that he promised Jin he wouldn’t contact her and shows Ben the ring.  Ben is surprised that Jin’s alive. 

*this announcement seemed to really shake Ben up and I’m thinking that what followed might have been because he needed to use the ring to convince Sun to go back

Locke then tells him that he must contact Eloise Hawking, a woman that lives in LA.  Ben is seemingly shocked at this name.  Locke asks if he knows her and Ben quietly confirms their acquintance.  Suddenly, Ben strangles Locke with the cord, eventually killing him.

*Wow.  I don’t really know that I saw that coming….what an effin’ MEAN SOB….I feel pretty certain now that they won’t try and push the “good” guy thing on Ben anymore….but…..

He hangs Locke to stage a suicide and cleans up his fingerprints, placing one of Locke’s crutches to help set the scene.  He picks up Jin’s ring and as he leaves he tells Locke that he’ll miss him, he really will (liar)….apparently, he’s unaware of the suicide note in John’s pocket……

Tidbits and Questions

- Locke’s Dad was strangled to death by Sawyer

- Helen’s birthday…June 30th, 1957…was roughly 3 years after the H-bomb stuff……it’s exactly 1 year and 2 months after Locke’s birthday as well.  Also, she died on April 8, 2006….that’s 4/8/2006….which makes her……48……just a few more numbers 

- do you think we’ll get any more of Walt’s story?  or any more of Walt in the show?  sure seemed like they were trying to send a message that this was closure on the “Walt” chapter of Lost

- Locke got the power cord from “Angel’s Hardware”

- The added heiroglyphs at the bottom left on Daniel’s map read, “northward travel, and time of kings/ancients”

- the word Sphinx derives from Greek and translates as “strangler”…hmmmm

- so, how does Hawking get the suicide note?

- is it Abbadon or Abaddon?

- finally, not exactly related to this episode…but kinda….here’s a little religious nugget from Lostpedia related to ”the wheel” that will have your mind racin’….by the way….look up the word Dharmacakra and see what you find….

Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma – Whenever the Dharma (i.e., a Buddha’s teaching or a code of ethics) is lost or forgotten, a new Buddha comes to “turn the wheel”. Depending on the exact Buddhist tradition, some believe the wheel to have turned up to three times. Whenever the wheel is turned, it signifies a milestone in Buddhist history, such as the first teachings of the Four Noble Truths. On Lost, Locke has assumed status as the Others new leader and the Island has moved.

Quotes

“you asked what I remembered…..I remember dying” – John to Ilana

That’s all for today folks.  Can’t wait for tonight’s episode.  We’ll get a 1 week break next week and then on to the final 9 or so shows.  Should be kickace!!!

I’ll talk at you all again later.

“when you see my face hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell!”

***that quote’s pertaining to Locke waiting for Ben to wake up…or does it refer to the stache’?  Like whether Widmore’s good or bad…..I’ll let you decide for yourself.