Season 6, Episode 7: "Dr. Linus"

I think what we are seeing in the past several episodes is how each of the characters' lives in their "alternate reality" future is not that different from their current lives on the island. For example, last week we saw that Sayid - though he tried to change - in the end he was still a murderer. This week we look more closely at Ben.

Let me go back a little bit though. I have mentioned numerous times over the years on this blog that I thought that deep down, Ben really was good. He has always said that "we are the good ones" and I always said how I felt in the end we would see that he really is good. I talked about how even though he most certainly has done evil things, it was always for the greater good. I think this was solidified in this episode.

On the island, it is discovered that Ben is the one who murdered Jacob (and not the smoke monster as he had told Alana). However, after she forces him to dig his own grave which he is able to escape from with the help of fake-Locke, she runs after him into the jungle. He uses the rifle that fake-Locke told him about and points it at her, to which she gives up and says he may as well go ahead and kill her. We would assume, that Ben being such an evil guy, he would go ahead and kill her right there when given the opportunity, but he does not. He opens up to her that he knows how she feels, because he watched his daughter die in front of him, and it was his fault that he didn't save her. He CHOSE the island over his own daughter. All of this in the name of Jacob, and he didn't even care that he made those sacrifices for him. We learn that Ben does have a heart, after all. It just turns out that he was always acting in the name of Jacob, in the name of the ISLAND, but that deep down the only thing that really mattered to him was Alex, and now she is gone.

Ben says that he is going to follow fake-Locke because he is the only one who will have him. Ben has always felt like an outcast, and now he feels that he has nowhere else to go. Alana says that she will have him. At this point we know that Ben is facing a choice...to follow GOOD or to follow EVIL. Remember he has always said he was one of "the good ones" so it was no surprise to see that he followed Alana. He is trying to redeem himself. Although he doesn't show it well, I do think that Ben truly is one of the good ones. All along he was always trying to do good for the sake of Jacob and the island, he just had to make some difficult choices along the way. Now, finally, without the fears of losing his power anymore, he finally makes the right choice and goes back to the camp with Alana instead of going with fake-Locke.

On the flipside, we also see what Ben's life could be in his alternate reality. It really is not that different. As a high school history teacher, he feels like an outcast, like he doesn't really belong, nobody takes him seriously, and his "power" is underestimated. When he has the choice to blackmail the principal and take over his job (giving him the power he always wanted), he ultimately chooses against it, because it would mean hurting Alex's chances of living her dream. This contrasts the history lesson we saw him teaching to his students at the beginning of the episode. He was talking about Napoleon and how exile wasn't the worst of his fate, it was the loss of power that was truly devastating. However, in this lifetime and on the island, for Ben, exile truly WAS the worst of his fate... he always thought it was the loss of power but after that was taken away he realized that wasn't what he wanted after all, his daughter was always more important. And now he is all alone and has no one. And that is the worst punishment for Ben. He lost everything he had, but when fake-Locke offers him the chance to regain his power on the island and be the leader again, he turns him down...choosing to follow the GOOD ones instead.

Meanwhile, we did find out some more information about Richard Alpert, Jacob, and the Candidates. After running from the Temple, back on the beach, Alana informs Sun that she, too, is looking for Jin. She says she is not sure if she is supposed to be protecting just one or both of them, all she knows is the last name Kwan. But, her job is to protect the candidates. Sun asks her about this and Alana informs her there are "only six" left, and the chosen one will be the new protector of the island, taking over Jacob's job.

We also learn that Richard Alpert was given "a gift" from Jacob. This would explain why he can't die. Because Jacob touched him, he can't kill himself, but he wants Jack to do it for him. Jack lights the dynamite but then explains that Jacob won't let him die either. He brought him to the lighthouse for a reason. He WANTED Jack to see that he has been watching him his whole life. Sure enough, the dynamite never blows up. If Jack is one of the chosen ones, Jacob will not let him die. We know that the other "candidates" are Sawyer, Hurley, Jin and/or Sun. Sayid was one but I am assuming he is off the list now that he has gone to the dark side. And of course John Locke was also a candidate but he is now dead. So does this mean that the rest of them are somewhat "safe" on the island because Jacob will not let them die as long as they are a candidate?

Anyway, Richard explains to Jack that it is not a gift but it is a curse. He has devoted his entire life to Jacob, a man who promised him there was a reason for everything and that they were doing all of this for a purpose. But now that man is gone and Richard just wants to die. But he can't die.

The episode ends with Jack, Hurley and Richard all showing up at the beach where Alana, Sun, Lapidus, Miles and Ben are all starting to set up camp. Remember this is the first time that they have all seen each other in the same timezone since the 2nd plane crash. When they came back to the island, Hurley and Jack landed in the 70s and joined the Dharma Initiative while Sun, Lapidus, Ben and Alana were in the present time dealing with fake-Locke and the trek across the jungle to see Jacob. So, finally Hurley and Jack are reunited with the Others, and they all embrace as they are happy to see each other again. This while Ben just stands there watching as they all hug, and no one runs to greet him. This is the story of his life. He has always been an outsider, and according to his alternate reality, he always will be. Ben is just destined to be an outsider....someone who may appear to be evil and seeking power, but who deep down is making sacrifices in order to protect the island. I actually kind of felt bad for Ben.

Then you see a submarine watching this whole scene unfold on the beach, and it is none other than Charles Widmore. He has found the island again and now is just watching. You have to wonder whose side Widmore is on...is he good or is he evil? Remember that he lived on the island for a long time (in the 50s), but was exiled. So is he back for revenge against Jacob? Or does he truly have good intentions and wants to protect the island as he always claimed?

9 more episodes....give us some answers!!!