LOST – 316 (s5e6)
Another one that will have me thinking until next Wednesday.
In this episode, we begin to learn how the Oceanic 6 are making their return to the island. I think that this will be the format of at least 5 more episodes this season as we learn what brought each person to the airplane after Jack told them “We have to go back!” (which is almost as bad and Michael yelling Walt all the time).
For starters, I love the fact that we get to see the DHARMA Lamppost station. Great work on the production team’s part and fantastic work on the writer’s getting that room just right. I love the idea that they have a scientific way to calculate something that seems so unscientific and improbable.
Moving on, I’d like to look in on our friend Ben. He had two of the most epic lines tonight, ever. The first was the one about his mom teaching him how to read and the second was the “who cares?” response to Jack. Just incredible.
Clever one-liners aside, I think there is so much more going on with Ben than anyone can even begin to fathom. I’m taking it back and returning to the idea that Ben was the one who actually crashed 815. In 316, when the Oceanic 6 are on the plane, they are sitting and waiting for something to happen. Nothing does until Ben leaves and then suddenly, it happens. Let’s remember when 815 crashed. Ben wasn’t at his usual book club. He didn’t like Carrie, right? Or was it that he had more important things to do?
Ben was inside his home, by himself. A home that we now know contains a secret cryptic room that allegedly has the power to control, or at least call, Smokey into New Otherton. So, does Ben really have this power or is it all just a matter of coincidence? The island obviously has a desire for certain people to come to the island, but we’ve seen that it uses other people to accomplish this goal. I think that Ben was told to open the window for 815 to come in. Plus, Ben has lied 98% of the time his mouth has been open. I would not be shocked to learn that he brought down 815 and lied about it since.
I really enjoyed the biblical reference in not only the title of the ep, but also in the story of Thomas that Ben told Jack. I think this is a direct correlation to Jack being the Man of Science, Man of Faith. Jack needs the proof. Jack needs the wounds of Jesus right in front of his face before he can believe. Look at what Jack has seen and gone through. The trials and tribulations, not to mention supernatural happenings on the island, yet he still doubts what he is being told to do by Ben and Hawking because it’s too unbelievable. I don’t know what it’s going to take to get it through Jack’s head, but I think it’s coming.
We now see that at least Kate, Jack and Hurley have returned to the island. When they are is another question. They find Jin, in DHARMA garb, rolling in a brand new DHARMA loaf mobile. I’m guessing that we are seeing the affects of Locke fixing the wheel and why we saw Faraday in the season premiere working on the Orchid.
That being said, I think we are going to be looking at a lot of paradoxical and circular moments in the next two seasons. We are going to see characters creating situations and events that will actually affect themselves in the future. Something that has never been resolved is Radsinski, Kelvin’s Swan partner. Is this actually going to be a Lostie who can’t take the thought of living in this station pushing the button so he kills himself? That would be a great twist. It can’t be Desmond, Kelvin would’ve recognized him, but really it could be anyone else.
My predictions for the coming eps are that we will learn a ton about Locke in the next episode. The things we will see will set the course for not only what will happen over the next season and a half, but set the course for the last 40 years of DHARMA and island happenings. Locke is going to become Jacob and fulfill the cycle and create his own destiny.
