Another good episode, probably not as good as I was hoping for. I liked it, but there were certain parts — the Walt scene in particular — that I just couldn’t buy. I’m happy if we just call it quits with Walt. I’d like to know what makes him special, why the Others took him, what happened to him at the Hydra, etc, but every time he makes an appearance, it just doesn’t work. Call it done with Walt, Cuse & Lindelof. Please.
It seems that Ajira Flight 316 landed on the “other” island (the one Jack, Kate, & Sawyer were taken to at the beginning of Season 3). The episode begins with Cesar rummaging through an office of some kind. The LIFE magazine he picks up dates to 1954, 50 years before the crash of Flight 815. We know Jack, Kate, & Hurley are in the Dharma days circa 1970s; is it safe to assume that these castaways are “stuck” in the same time period? At any rate, the scene ends with the reveal of a hoodie-wearing John Locke brought back to life. In another bit of helpful info, we’re told that Lapidus was able to land the plane and he and another lady (Sun, perhaps?) have decided to take a boat to the Main Island. I’m wondering what to make of Cesar and Ilana. Walt’s “dream” has Locke on the Island, wearing a suit, with people around him that want to hurt him. We’ll see if that comes true.
The rest of the episode is a flashback to Locke’s off-Island escapades. Somehow Widmore is now aware that the Tunisian location is an exit point off the Island. (He apparently did not have this information in October, 2005 when Ben turned the wheel. Widmore confirms that Locke has appeared in Tunisia 3 years after the crash of 815. The Locke / Widmore dialogue was perhaps my favorite part of the episode. Widmore tells Locke that he rose to the position of Island leader only to be duped by Ben into abdicating his throne and leaving the Island. (The Jacob / Esau connection is simply too rich for me to pass up. Wonder if a bowl of stew was involved?) As Jeff Jensen points out, now we understand Widmore’s comment to Ben in The Shape of Things to Come: “Everything you have you took from me.” Widmore wants Locke to return to the Island because “war is coming”. Who knows what this means? And we still don’t know which side is “good” or “bad” in this war.
Off the Island, Locke strikes out in his attempts to get someone, anyone, to join him in his odyssey. Sayid is content to build houses in the Dominican; Walt is in school; Hurley is still nuts; Kate has Aaron; and Jack…oh, Jack. Locke thinks he has failed to convince Jack as well, but it’s the Christian name-drop that finally does the trick. Believing he’s failed, Locke decides to end it all…when who should come knocking on his door but Benjamin Linus. I love it when these two guys share screen time together and this scene didn’t disappoint either. Ben talks Locke down from the ledge, only to off him when baldie mentions Eloise Hawking. Why? As Ben was leaving the room, I think we had an honest confession from him: “I’m going to miss you, John.” We all knew Locke had to die, but what was Ben’s motivation to keep Locke from committing suicide only to turn around and murder him? The episode closes with the big reveal: Ben is among the severely injured (wasn’t he already injured when he got on the plane?!), prompting Locke to quip, “That’s the man who killed me.”
already & not yet 
I just watched this episode online, and then I saw your post link on Jamey’s blog. I just had to comment. After this episode, I’m positive that Benjamin Linus is pure evil. Definitely the bad side. I have no clue what he’s up to though.
I’ve been going back and forth for years now whether Ben is evil or not. Now, we’re beginning to wonder if Widmore is possibly good.I think they’re both evil and Locke/Losties have gotten caught up in the middle of their war.Good episode, not great. The Ben/Locke suicide/murder scene was one of the most dramatic in the show’s history. It was worth the price of admission right there.
Kara, thanks for stopping by. Ben certainly seems to be looking out solely for himself. As Sayid is convinced, he’s on his own side, nobody else’s. I don’t buy the whole Widmore being the good guy thing though. When it comes to Ben and Widmore, I think we’re talking about shades of grey. I have a hunch that Dylan’s right; in the end, we’ll realize that both of these guys are motivated by their own selfishness. I think Locke will turn out to be the kind of leader the Island “deserves”, with Richard Alpert as his ageless, timeless consigliere.
Ben wanted some information. As soon as he got Eloise’s name, he decided to kill John.I think both, Ben and Widmore, are on their own sides; making what is necessary to win such as manipulating Locke. Ben is evil, more since his daughter’s death. Widmore is still to be confirmed. If Ben killed Penny as he assured Widmore he will, then war will begin.But one thing is true. John Locke rose from the dead.
Thanks for stopping by, Zizou. Please feel free to drop in anytime.Here’s one thing I’ve been thinking about: Widmore tells Locke he’s deeply invested in what happens on the Island. He even goes so far as to bankroll John’s “let’s get the band back together” tour, offering up loads of cash and Abbadon as Locke’s personal driver. He says that if Locke’s not back on the Island when the “war” breaks out, then the wrong side will end up winning. But I don’t know if he’s referring to some kind of war between himself and Ben Linus. It seems that Ben is also determined to get Locke back to the Island, albeit in a coffin. Now maybe Widmore and Ben simply want to be in control of “how” Locke returns to the Island (and maybe that’s a bigger deal than we realize), but otherwise, it seems to me that the “coming war” Widmore speaks of might refer to something else. If Locke being back on the Island would be advantageous to either Widmore or Ben individually, you’d fully expect the other party to be committed to keeping Locke from making it back to the Island. Since both of them want the same thing, perhaps the war will be between Hanso and whoever happens to be back on the Island.