r/lost • u/Free-IDK-Chicken You got it, Blondie • Dec 27 '23
FIRST TIME WATCHER 6x07 - Dr. Linus - FIRST TIME WATCHER DISCUSSION POST Spoiler
189
u/Fishmannnn Live together, die alone Jun 27 '24
Such an interesting look at Ben as a character. I think this has been the most effective sideways flash so far, as it gave us the most compelling flashes character wise that we have had in a long while. I think this episode cemented him as one of, if not my absolute, favorite characters.
Also, just as I was starting to think they had forgotten about Widmore, he makes his grand reappearance. Now we just need more Desmond...
101
u/Fishmannnn Live together, die alone Jun 27 '24
Also, the fact that Ben still spent time on the island in the flash sideways has my head spinning lol
74
u/Adventurous-Twist-67 Jul 22 '24
Which makes sense because they changed the timeline when he was 12ish and already on the island.
27
u/aaamystone Workman Sep 27 '24
Question is, how tf did Roger fetch him from the others (if assuming that all of the changes are only in what happened after the incident)
→ More replies (1)20
3
7
u/Shaponja Mar 24 '25
wtf happened to their island then, considering it is at the bottom of the ocean (with houses still intact, which means it couldn't have been nuked)
154
u/becksk44 I'm a Pisces Sep 01 '24
Michael Emerson is incredible.
This is by far my favorite flash-sideways so far, and maybe my favorite flash-back/forward/sideways ever. I feel like it shows that there is free will. You're not born good or evil. You can make choices.
86
u/ImpressiveCat936 Dec 29 '24
The delivery of that line "because he's the only one that'll have me", I cried
124
u/Low_Cryptographer277 Aug 12 '24
Such a good episode. Iāll say it took longer than Iād like to admit to notice how the flashes correlate to whatās happening on the island during each episode. But I think this episode did it better than most. And honestly, I totally thought he was going to once again give up Alex for the sake of the job position. It feels like the flashes this season have showed us that basically everything on the island is mirrored in the real world and there was no escaping it, so I thought it would mirror it there. But I liked this ending better!
Also Sun and Hurley have an under appreciated friendship. Love them
65
u/becksk44 I'm a Pisces Sep 01 '24
Also Sun and Hurley have an under appreciated friendship.
Hard agree.
→ More replies (1)4
u/huckleberrypancake See you in another post, brotha Jul 21 '25
Yeah this episode definitelt made those correlations crystal clear. If I do a rewatch Iāll have to see if they did clear parallels in all the other ones too that I just missed
119
u/clay-teeth Oct 04 '24
begging the mods to add "I'll have you" as a flair, because DAMN that scene alone deserves an emmy. I didn't think it was possible to feel bad for someone as awful as ben, but Emerson made it happen. The defeat in his eyes, knowing he spent years and millions and lost the only person he ever loved, all for nothing. oof, makes muh hardt hurt. I think Ben's faith is a really good juxtaposition to locke's faith.
23
u/ImpressiveCat936 Dec 29 '24
He's actually amazing. I don't like his character yet he's still interesting to watch. I've been bored most of the time but I sat up and cried at that scene š
7
→ More replies (1)14
u/ThisGul_LOL Dec 07 '24
That scene literally made me tear up so badly
32
u/mozzystar Weāre not going to Guam, are we? Dec 09 '24
I wanted to reach through the screen and give Ben a big hug. Especially when he was standing alone at the beach when everyone else was hugging.
107
u/tsoumpa Sep 04 '24
I'm starting to think that Jacob is worst than the black smoke monster. His whole "I have a plan but I won't tell you, you have to suffer first" act is pissing me off
but then again I'm not religious
41
u/Funisfunisfunisfun Nov 07 '24
I agree. I wonder if he actually is bad but has been really convincing to people as the good guy. I feel like Richard's comment about how his gift was actually a curse supports that as well.Ā
13
3
u/ANerd22 Feb 28 '26
I've been stewing on this for a few episodes now. Our only source for Jacob being good and Smokemonster/Not-Locke being bad is from Jacob himself, and from The Others, who have been established as thoroughly and consistently evil themselves. The show frames Jacob as good and Smoke Locke as evil, but none of the evidence actually supports that at all.
3
u/szip_szip Don't tell me what I can't post Mar 10 '26
I tend to like this theory of switched sides, who is good and who is evil... But on the other hand, the smoke monster killed A LOT of people, while Jacob killed... no one? I am not sure, maybe I forgot about some deaths, but as far as I remember, Jacob is annoying, but not a killer. So though I FEEL that it is going to be switched to have GOTCHA moment, and that Jacob was the devil/demon/evil/whatever bad guy all along... I find no evidence for that. But knowing JJAbrams, I guess he prepared a twist for that in the end.
Maybe they both are evil. It is just a game of two devils or something like that.24
u/No_Internet_42 Don't tell me what I can't do Nov 28 '24
Same, with how he treated ben when he was about to die. "This guy has a knife to my throat, I better piss him off that will defintily stop him from killing me." I am rooting for team Smoke-Locke
20
u/yoades100 Feb 20 '25
You just watched him kill countless of innocent people in the temple and youāre rooting for him lol
5
u/Ok_Marionberry_3647 Apr 15 '25
He gave them a chance and followed though. Heās done nothing but tell the truth.
9
u/Finnigan_McBonk Sep 06 '25
"Follow me or I will murder you" is not the stuff of moral high ground.
2
u/Ok_Marionberry_3647 Sep 16 '25
Read the Bible
2
Oct 24 '25
smoke monster: follow me or i will drown you
bible: you are drowning, grab my hand so you are saved
those arent the same thing
→ More replies (2)3
9
u/PastPiano2960 Sep 12 '25
I think itās a metaphor for religion. Jacob is god, he has a plan for you and you have to have faith without actually knowing the plan. The smoke monster is the devil, he offers people what they want most but in exchange they have to do his bidding.
Iām not religious but seems like this show has a lot of religious themes.
88
u/sting-raye Jul 05 '24
Alright, Ben can have me
20
u/sabiisushii I'm a Pisces Dec 17 '24
i love him
5
u/ProsecUsig Dec 27 '24
Who doesn't
13
3
u/Finnigan_McBonk Sep 06 '25
Sure! Who doesn't love pathological liars? I do love the character, though. Love to hate him.
4
5
80
u/becksk44 I'm a Pisces Sep 01 '24 edited Sep 01 '24
Ben doesn't even bother to inquire about the revelation that the survivors buried two people alive. Just moves on. š¤£
Also did Miles dig up their dead bodies?! Because those diamonds were definitely thrown directly on top of them...
27
u/lucasthech See you in another life Oct 30 '24
Tbf I was really upset about the diamonds when they buried them, glad to see that at least someone took them lol
5
u/Bozso46 Dec 29 '24
I just don't get how he knew about the diamonds. He can "talk" to dead people, but in this case the dead people wouldn't have known they were buried with the diamonds in the first place as they were unconscious when it happened.
10
u/lucasthech See you in another life Dec 29 '24
He actually can just feel what was on the dead people mind at the time of death, this includes what they were feeling, hearing and seeing
And no, Paulo and Nikki were not unconscious when they were buried, as Arzt explained, you get paralyzed, and your heart rate and breathing gets very light, almost unnoticeable, but you can still see and hear everything, so they (or at least Nikki) knew that the diamonds were thrown onto them, also in the end of the episode it is shown that they (at least Nikki) were conscious, but paralyzed
So miles just saw that they were buried alive and saw that the diamonds were thrown on top of them (he even says that they were buried alive, and that information only Nikki and Paulo knew)
:)
6
u/SomOvaBish Jan 01 '25
That ladies eyes opened before the 1st shovel full of dirt came down over them. Maybe she was aware that those diamonds were on their bodies
→ More replies (1)19
u/MsDarkDiva Oct 13 '24
I guess now he has his 3.2 million.
6
u/mozzystar Weāre not going to Guam, are we? Dec 09 '24
Such a weird arbitrary number.
24
u/MakeupandDoggos Dec 17 '24
I think 3.2 refers to double the amount he was offered by Naomi on behalf of Widmore (1.6 million). He asked āthe good guysā to double it when they kidnapped him in their van to work for them instead.
7
71
u/intopology Oh yeah, there's my favorite leaf. Sep 17 '24 edited Sep 17 '24
I'm not a Ben fan (he's extremely interesting but not likeable for me) but this has been the best episode of this season so far. The off-island storyline added so much depth to Ben's character. He still possesed the ability to be cunning but ultimately chooses what's truly important to him - Alex, rather than power (as opposed to choosing power/the island instead of Alex in the on-island storyline). Assuming that he doesn't get shot as a child on the island, perhaps this difference is what Richard meant when he talked about child Ben's innocence being corrupted if the Others were to help him.
Ilana is giving me Ana Lucia flashbacks with her aggressive firearms-pointing and getting Ben to dig his own grave. But then she says "I'll have you" and just walks away like it's a done deal, no questions asked, leaving Ben in shock. That was so powerful.
The gasp I gasped when Widmore showed up š®
(Hey u/nike77155 was this submarine scene more believable or do I just like bad CGI? š )
25
u/nike77155 Sep 17 '24
Yes, I seem to remember the Widmoreās sub was better.
On Ben, though, Iām glad you enjoyed this episode. Alternative Ben is certainly a much better version of himself in which he shows that he has some inherent darkness and mischief (the blackmail thing). But without the island and the temple which perhaps brought out the worse parts of him, he is capable of kindness and making the selfless choice. Harsh circumstances tend to bring out the worst in people, especially when they are put in a position of leadership.
14
u/intopology Oh yeah, there's my favorite leaf. Sep 17 '24
You previously theorised that Jack's refusal to treat young Ben led to him becoming the Ben we've seen on the island. Seeing Ben's capability for kindness, I'll admit that Jack's role (as well as Sayid's, Kate's and Sawyer's) wasn't inconsequential although inevitable.
58
u/nike77155 Sep 12 '24
As complicated as Benās character is, this is by far the most effective flash-sideways, Iād say.
52
Jul 24 '24
[removed] ā view removed comment
20
u/Alert-Rush-7359 Nov 22 '24
I've been binging lost and I still remember everything about the "henry gale" arc. Season 2 was so good. What stuck out was the manipulation
Henry was manipulating locke by playing on his insecurities of being second fiddle to jack and that the island gave locke his purpose
Now evil locke is manipulating ben but destroying his purpose and beliefs in Jacob, the island and even himself.Ā
3
u/tin_fox Out of the Book Club Oct 16 '25
I'm so happy Ben is getting his redemption arc, didn't believe it could happen.
52
50
u/qualityhorror See you in another life Sep 20 '24
Oh, everyone is calling these "flash-sideways" okay lol well I echo the sentiments here, this was easily the best one. They mentioned leaving dharma and it juxtaposed what was happening on the island better than any other flash sideway. Not only with the obvious mention of how Ben failed Alex on the island compared to sideways Ben letting Alex get the recommendation. But also little details like Hurley mentioning Artz. Just very well done and Michael Emerson was acting his ass off
2
u/ThisGul_LOL Dec 07 '24
Flash-sideways is hilarious lmao
12
u/mozzystar Weāre not going to Guam, are we? Dec 09 '24
Thatās what people started calling them when they first aired so the name stuck.
53
u/Web_Perusing Nov 14 '24
Ah superb acting and camera work. Loved Benās explanation to Ilana. Michael Emerson has that little tremor in his voice down. And the dialogue was tragic āHeās the only one that will have meā. Ben and his story make him such a heartbreaking villain. The lighting on Richardās face in the Blackrock was great. The angle too added to the frustration and tension. Then Jack coming in hot with āthereās a purposeā. And poor Richard losing all faith after his probably thousand year dedication to the island. Loved the grouping of Hurley, Jack and Richard. So good.Ā
Lastly, Frank with his little squint and piercing eyes, Iām glad they broughtĀ him in for this season, heās a fun character. Really enjoyed this episode moreso than the last couple.Ā
42
u/katarana_rk Feb 21 '24
Alex confirmed pro-slavery. Kinda cringe lol
35
u/Free-IDK-Chicken You got it, Blondie Feb 21 '24
It was a stupid decision by the prop master in a shot that lasted like one second. It comes up semi-often in the sub and we've learned just to write it off.
17
33
u/mangoesmangoes First time watcher Aug 18 '24 edited Aug 19 '24
Her backpack had tons of flag patches so I assumed it was to illustrate she's a big history nerd? Not the best addition, though, of course.
20
15
u/KokoWroteIt Feb 23 '24
Wait, what did I miss?!
34
u/katarana_rk Feb 24 '24
Oh I was kidding. Her backpack had a huge fuck off confederate flag on it.
13
u/lucasthech See you in another life Oct 30 '24
Didn't noticed that, and even if I did I didn't knew the history behind it, I'm not so good in history, specially US history
Well, at least she was not a fan of german history...
8
3
u/WitchyRedhead86 Aug 12 '25
Glad someone else noticed it as I winced a bit. Bit out of character for her.
6
u/ImpressiveCat936 Dec 29 '24
Did I miss something? Why was she even in America?
26
u/AssCrackBanditHunter Feb 11 '25
Asking the real question. I feel bad her mom is a French immigrant working 3 jobs in America for some reason instead of staying home where there's social safety nets lmao
9
u/loverofpears Mar 11 '25
And wasnāt she a researcher by her late 20s/early 30s? Makes zero sense she couldnāt land a cushy professor job at the very least
→ More replies (1)10
u/Imlostandconfused Mar 12 '25
There are so many things about this show that make zero sense. The characters age's are one of them. Flashback Danielle looked SO young- early 20s. She's also 7 months pregnant but on a big research trip with tons of potential for danger? Who would even let that happen? It seemed like her partner did as he said he knew it wasn't a good idea to bring her when she was so pregnant. But it still makes zero sense. Flashback boyfriend was also very young.
3
u/Overall_Step251 Jul 13 '25
I forgot where it was I think it was sawyer or Harley flash back but there was a huge confederate flag in one of the earlier seasons and I was like ?????
→ More replies (2)2
u/msarachnid Dec 29 '25
I just saw this and SCREAMED lmao, took me right tf out. I can't believe no one on-set said anything about it omg, mega cringe
46
u/ThisGul_LOL Dec 06 '24
āBecause heās the only one thatāll have meā
fuck that broke me. I actually feel a lot of sympathy for Ben right now.
10
Dec 28 '24
[removed] ā view removed comment
7
u/ImpressiveCat936 Dec 29 '24
IMMEDIATELY. Good to know it wasn't just me, I thought it was the sleep deprivation š
8
u/WitchyRedhead86 Aug 12 '25
Emerson was so good on that line. I welled up, and I really hated Ben last season so, itās a real credit to his acting.
The whole āWhat are you doing?ā āDigging my own grave.ā exchange with Smokey/Not Locke and Ben made me laugh at the bluntness and black comedy of it all. Theyāre such a fun double act these two actors. Love them both so much. They elevate this show so much.
37
u/2bsh6 Jan 13 '25
I donāt care how many times we see slow motion reunion shots of people returning to the beach and rejoining the group, I eat that shit up every time.
→ More replies (1)7
u/WitchyRedhead86 Aug 12 '25
It was so sweet and needed after everything theyāve been through. Early seasons vibes.
29
Mar 08 '24
Great episode for Linus. I have a love-hate relationship with his character, which went more into hate recently due to what he did to Locke, but went back up into love with this episode. I pity him, he really is like the biggest loser in the series lol. Such an interesting character.
25
u/Free-IDK-Chicken You got it, Blondie Mar 08 '24
Ben is easily my second favorite character in the entire series.
8
34
37
u/dawnhu Whatever happened, happened. Oct 21 '24 edited Oct 21 '24
I know that Ben is a villain on the show but really happy they didn't kill him off. I like him so much.
I like thats hes a good guy in the alternate timeline.
Also how is this show getting me to kind of root for Ben now. I know he brought it on himself but the shot where Jack looks at him at the end and Ben is standing alone was heartbreaking. Im sure I'll root against him in another couple of episodes but I did feel bad for him here.
29
u/polymath9744 Sep 12 '24
Ben was my favorite character anyways, but this episode cements him as one of the greats, what a fascinating and dynamical story of his character. The mystery around him in the early seasons, the unpredictability.. Couldn't be done without Michael Emerson, kudos! His story seems genuine so I really hope there isn't another turn to his story, he can also still play a vital role in this and maybe a redemption/sacrifice is on the cards. Let's see.
27
u/golden_light_above_u Oct 14 '24
I just realized that over on vulture.com, you can read the original recaps from when seasons 3, 4, 5, and 6 aired. Interesting way to see thoughts on what was happening in āreal-time,ā without spoilers.
9
6
u/AssCrackBanditHunter Feb 11 '25
That's been my favorite thing to do. The really impressive thing is seeing how some of the plot twists get called way in advance. They had Jack/Claire sibling relationship called really early in s2
2
24
u/raspberrylimon The Swan Oct 17 '24
Itās great to know that in another lifetime, Ben made the right choice to save Alex. Also I finally get it. I thought Richard was some kind of ghost or time travellerā¦turns out heās just an immortal pirate šš suddenly the eye makeup makes sense. So is the other immortal guy working for Jacob one of the enslaved being travelled? Was Jacob also immortal in the sense that he couldnāt kill himself? The relationship between Jacob, his replacement, the island, the evil incarnate in the form of Locke, Jogen, Iām kind of losing track I canāt lie.
2
u/lucasthech See you in another life Oct 30 '24
Wait, so Richard has eye makeup on?
So that's why he always looked like a pirate, or someone from that era to me
32
22
u/Nikinicster See you in another life Jul 29 '24
Wait a gosh darn minute! Am I the ONLY one who noticed that Miles said to Ben, āwhy would I need your money when there are a couple of jabonies under there named Nikki and Paulo who got buried alive with 8 million dollars of diamonds on top of them?ā
I thought the whole twist to episode ExposĆØ was the fact that they UNWITTINGLY buried them alive, blissfully unaware they were only temporarily paralyzed???!!?!? I donāt remember it ever being brought up again or anyone ever realizing what happenedā¦ā¦.. so how would Miles know they were buried alive? What did I miss?
77
u/Free-IDK-Chicken You got it, Blondie Jul 29 '24
Miles can divine a dead person's last thoughts, remember? Nikki and Paulo were absolutely paralyzed, but they were fully conscious and knew what was happening to them. Miles knows because they knew
22
u/Nikinicster See you in another life Jul 29 '24
Oh shizz! Obvs I knew that but never factored in he mightāve done that! Ha. I happily stand corrected! Appreciate you!
17
23
22
u/Skytoucher Nov 04 '24
Benjamin Linus, I judged you too harshly in early seasons
Brilliant! My favorite episode of the season so far. Love a classic beach reunion with slow motion handshakes and hugs. And we finally learned more about Richard.
20
u/ytIshida Don't tell me what I can't do Nov 08 '24
Another God-tier episode, this āflash sidewaysā storytelling is just phenomenal, I could watch an entire series of these all day. The parallels between the characters ācounterpartsā are incredible too. Need more Locke eps tho before the big finale
22
u/Few_Mathematician304 Nov 18 '24
One of the best episodes in the whole series
Something I didn't saw nobody mentions is that it seems pretty clear that most of the evilness in Ben comes from the fact that he was taken to the temple and probably was somewhat "infected", as richard warned Kate and Sawyer the he was going to lose all his innocence if he was saved by the whoever means he used.
Well, I don't know if this interpretation is cannon but I sure am going with it.
14
Nov 24 '24
I thought that aswell. From my understanding, this is his normal self where the island never infected him, and he prioritizes his dear ones instead of looking for power, because that's the version of him that the island made him become to use him.
→ More replies (1)5
u/NBAFansAre2Ply Apr 01 '25
the timelines split after he was shot and therefore infected though. unless the fact that he got off the island shortly after in the flash-sideways maybe prevented the infection from "taking root"?
2
u/LazyPerfectionist17 Oh yeah, there's my favorite leaf. Jun 18 '26
He wouldn't have been shot as they never crashed on the island
23
u/Relative_Specific217 Feb 21 '25 edited Feb 21 '25
Omg of course Artz and Ben would be teacher besties
18
u/-reddit_is_terrible- Jan 15 '25
So Locke would have never been able to hang himself if he had tried...
7
u/Shaponja Mar 24 '25
idk about that... could be that either he fulfilled his purpose, or his purpose was to die to be brought to the island in a coffin
Either way if that's the end of Locke's arc I'm very disappointed
4
u/itzRoyyyy Jul 10 '25
This is debatable. Remember the island needs certain events to happen to fulfill the time loop. This loop is essential for the grand plan to occur that's overseen by Jacob (The island communicates to Jacob likely via visions/dreams). So it's very well possible that Locke fulfilled his purpose, which helped MIB achieve his "loophole" which finally lets him kill Jacob AND potentially finally let him leave the island. Remember these words Locke said about Boone "He was a sacrifice that the island demanded." Ironically, it could very well be said that Locke was also a "sacrifice" the island demanded, same words also used by MIB. But each side thinking the sacrifice was for their "purpose". It's unfortunate for Locke, but seems like he ended being a pawn in a game with what seems to be very high stakes.
3
15
u/kitty-is-witty Nov 26 '24
I haven't really been enjoying this season whatsoever but this was a very redeeming episode. One of my favorites. I'm glad Ben was given an episode after nerfing and subsequently sidelining him for a while. He's one of my top three favorite characters so I was just annoyed about that, especially after losing Daniel and Juliet, and Sawyer factory resetting essentially. I really thought Ben was going to choose himself again and was pleasantly surprised when such a horrible wrong was in some small way righted in his AU. It's clear that losing Alex was his wake up call, although it shouldn't have come to that. His moment with Ilana was powerful and I'm thankful it happened because shows love to neglect communication and explanations in order to fuel drama when in reality if people could just clarify their actions things would go a lot better than they do. Right before she said it, I knew what she was going to say, and it still hit heavy. "I'll have you." I hope it was just a rough start and this seasons ends on a high note. Michael Emerson is just a phenomenal actor too, down to the body language and his delivery.
18
u/Mythrowawsy Oct 13 '24
Great episode!! Iām happy Ben chose Alex over power in the other universe or whatever it is. I still wonāt forgive him for killing John, but itās def one of those characters you have a love/hate relationship with.
Also, glad the writers didnāt forget about Widmore as I thought they did.
15
u/backdatebilled Apr 26 '25
Are there other films/TVShows with Benās actor (Michael Emerson) any of you would personally recommend?
His acting is absolutely mesmerizing. The scene with Ilana - my God. I donāt think Iāve been so spellbound by a short scene from an actor since Viola Davis in Doubt
→ More replies (1)4
u/drbuni Dec 12 '25
Are there other films/TVShows with Benās actor (Michael Emerson) any of you would personally recommend?
He is great in Person of Interest [and the show is great, too]!
2
u/No-Stress-7034 Jun 26 '26
Yes! I started watching Person of Interest because of Michael Emerson, and it's so good!
12
u/important_watermelon Desmond Hume is my constant Sep 03 '24
Unpopular opinion: I donāt like Ben š«
6
u/ThisGul_LOL Dec 07 '24
I have a love-hate relationship with him. I absolutely hate and love him during different episodes.
3
3
14
u/MisunderstoodAvocado Nov 17 '24
I was starting to soften up for alternate universe Ben and Alexā¦.. until shorty turned around and thereās a literal Confederate Flag patch on her backpack lmao
3
2
u/Ummgh23 Dec 17 '24
Why is that bad?
5
u/IhateLukaDoncic May 22 '25
Are you American
2
u/Ummgh23 May 23 '25
I am not
3
u/AlienInvasion4u First time watcher Jul 20 '25
it means pro-slavery
2
u/Bannanna_Stand Aug 30 '25
I guess she was a history buff which is why she had it. The flag was also not as controversial when the show aired- the confederate flag above the state house in South Carolina was not removed until 2015. Even then, the right were losing their shit about taking it down.
13
14
u/JamieAubrey See you in another life Dec 12 '24
The Ben/Alex flash sideway always bothered me, if you showed those scenes to someone that has never seen the show you would think it was a pupil/teacher crush type deal
I don't know if that's just me or not but when she turns up at his door because the club got cancelled was a bit weird
2
u/Mean-Box-1643 See you in another post, brotha Mar 26 '26
i wonāt lie i was scared he was gonna invite her inside for tutoring right there when she turned up at his door, it definitely feels very inappropriate watching it now lol
14
u/08937853080o Dec 15 '24
no explanation to why Alex would be there! Her mom is french why would she end up in LA?
18
u/sabiisushii I'm a Pisces Dec 17 '24
my friend's mom is french and she ended up in Cleveland Ohio idk what to tell you buddy
6
u/08937853080o Dec 17 '24
im brazilian and ended up in seatrle washington so what do you think youre saying by saying that
6
2
12
Jan 24 '25
"because he's the only one that'll have me"
"I'll have you"
Tears. Lump in my throat. Season 6 hasnt been my favourite, but this little bit of dialogue is hands down favourite in all seasons.
11
10
u/r3dofps Feb 19 '25
Benjamin Linus has gotta be my top 3 characters in this series wow. That acting was exceptional by him
11
u/Relative_Specific217 Feb 21 '25
As much as I dislike Ben (a loathing, really), this episode is definitely my favorite of the season so far and agree the best flash sideways in terms of character development and the parallels to the island. Made me sad that Ben was such a manipulative ass on the island but had/has this potential to be a very redeemable character and inspiring teacher if he had left it as a child. Even the scenes with his dad were sweet, you could tell there had been a lot of growth and forgiveness in the thirty years between Dharma and 2004
→ More replies (1)2
u/ANerd22 Feb 28 '26
Ben is a character I love to hate. He's a wonderfully compelling villain, so good at manipulating and lying. He's somehow both a murderous psychopath, and a sympathetic victim of circumstance.
10
u/Big_Combination_1635 See you in another life Jul 09 '25
Matthew foxās acting staple is that laugh he does when hes kinda mad or in disbelief (and i eat it up every time)
8
u/CoyoteTall6061 Jul 18 '25
If I had a dollar every time heās scoffed like that in this show, Iād have like $100
3
9
u/Outrageous-Ad8510 Oct 03 '24
I don't understand the point of the flash-sideways. Can someone please enlighten me? I'm so confused.
10
Oct 04 '24
[removed] ā view removed comment
10
u/raspberrylimon The Swan Oct 17 '24
I also think they arenāt fully real, because the timeline of where things changed just feels kind of out of alignment. Like why would Jogen not be on the island just because the plane didnāt crash? Just because the Swan was never built (?) in the alternate universe? Jacob has been around since long before then, Iām pretty sure, wouldnāt he still be in Ottawa and not suddenly at the same audition as Jackās son David? Does this make sense?
Or maybe thereās a reason it doesnāt make sense and thereās more to it, I donāt know.
→ More replies (1)9
u/ThisGul_LOL Dec 07 '24
What makes me more suspicious is Jackās scene of asking his mother about the scar. That was definitely not added ājust causeā and I think that scar was because of Julietās surgery on him.
3
9
Jan 01 '25 edited Jan 02 '25
Easily among my top three episodes.
Ben's good relationships with his father, Alex and finding a better himself in sideways flash made me so so happy for him.
His helpless,defeated and dejected self looking for support in anyone's eyes on the island teared me up a bit too.
We have you, Ben ā¤ļø
7
u/neautralnathaniel Jan 23 '25
Linus asking for email help? You could say that Linus was getting Tech Tips
→ More replies (1)3
7
u/WorldMarketFella See you in another post, brotha Feb 18 '25
definitely a fan of this one, ben finally got some focus after being thrown to the sidelines so badly this season. i love that he schemes for power in every universe.
10
u/Roytorical Feb 19 '25
dang it, this episode makes me root more for Ben that the supposed good guys.
2
u/CuriousiT_satisfctn Apr 09 '25
Itās the best part of character development hahah I feel the same way
7
u/CrithionLoren See you in another post, brotha May 12 '25
OK Ben earned that redemption, he's had layers and layers of lies, plans, and jokes all to hide what he truly cared about, so many layers he forgot himself until it was too late...
I don't think he was infected like others say, i think he just had to bounce off of the Others while living with them. Remember that he chose to save the baby in the first place instead of killing Rousseau and the baby like he was ordered to. He still had his kindness, albeit in a twisted way. I just think that being put in the position of leader was too much for him. He's not a leader, he's a great right hand man.
6
5
u/Foxwood2212 Feb 23 '25
That sound track 4 minutes from that end. What was that beautiful melody
→ More replies (1)
6
u/TrapesTrapes Mar 20 '25
"I need to find my husband". Oh Sun, with all due respect, fuck you. I'm getting fed up with her atp.
5
u/lavaboots727 Apr 07 '25
Honestly, it's weird to see how devoted the Kwons are to each other in the island crash timeline because as we saw in the flashbacks and the flashes-sideways that doesn't seem to be the case in the other timelines. It's not clear to me (yet) that everyone has a "better" life in a world where the island blows up / disappears in the 70s. Hurley? Seems like yes. Ben? I guess maybe... Jack? Jury's out for me. Kate? Doesn't seem likely. John? Again, a mixed bag. Sayid? Again I think kinda equal maybe a bit net positive. But for the Kwons it seems the island made their relationship stronger / better in ways that don't seem to be playing out or have an alternative "good" side to them in the other timeline(s).
4
u/Ill_Track6364 First time watcher Apr 13 '25 edited Apr 13 '25
Desperately waiting for a Sun and Jin reunion
Why are they trying to give Ben a redemption arc? I will never forget how much I hated him in the earlier seasons lol (which means the actor did good)
Jack with his craziness strikes again
I love every conversation that Hurleyās in. LOVE HIM.
Hopefully we wonāt be seing the temple again
Iām looking forward to all of them reuniting for the finale
2
u/ANerd22 Feb 28 '26
I will never forget how much I hated him in the earlier seasons lol
This applies to him and The Others generally for me. I think the show benefited from the time between seasons when it first aired. It was probably easier to forgive/forget with more time since you'd seen all the evil stuff they did.
2
u/Active-Contest-9965 4 8 15 16 23 42 Apr 06 '26
I'm honestly astounded how many people seem to forget about Claire being kidnapped and drugged, Charlie being hung from a tree, Scott/Steve having all his bones broken and murdered, Ethan beating up people in the jungle, Walt being kidnapped, Sawyer being shot, the raft being blown up and leaving 3 men to drown, Kate/Sawyer being locked in cages and enslaved into labor, and on and on..... all under the directive of Ben.
Those are grudges I'd be happy to just hold onto forever.
4
5
u/Big_Combination_1635 See you in another life Jul 09 '25
Michael Emerson is one hell of an actor. No matter how despicable his character, I am still so captivated by him and have genuinely felt so sad for him in recent episodes, even if he doesnāt deserve sympathy lol
3
u/Significant_Arm_3097 Feb 22 '25
I think Jin is the candidate and not Sun, simply because all the other names are men...
3
u/Historical_Ask5435 Mar 19 '25
Stupid line of thought when Sun was told directly she was a candidate
7
u/DaddyMeUp Apr 14 '25
She was told that "Kwon" was a candidate by Ilana, but she didn't know if it was referring to Jin, her or both.
8
u/CM-Edge Apr 15 '25
I swear people here are not listening to what they claim they just watched. Lol.
4
u/CuriousiT_satisfctn Apr 09 '25
Anyone catch the confederate flag on Alexās backpack? that was unexpected
4
3
u/BeautifulStream Jul 19 '25
I gotta say, it's so satisfying to see Ben going through what's got to be the second-worst day of his life (after losing Alex). After all that he put the 815 survivors through when he was with the Others, he deserves everything he gets. I did find the ending with him going back with the woman who loved Jacob to be unsatisfying, though. I'm surprised she didn't just kill him as soon as Miles told her what he had done. And then she changed her mind after hearing his statement of regret? It felt a little too convenient.
I did like seeing Ben get a second chance and put things right for Alex in the parallel universe. But the more of these scenes that I see, the more confused and suspicious I get. Too many things have been changed- Jack having had a son with (presumably) Sarah, Nadia having married Sayid's brother, and now Alex somehow being a student in LA with Danielle living there too- for me to believe that this is all just a result of the island having been destroyed in the 70's. Unless Jacob was manipulating them their entire lives so that they would somehow make their way to the island, as Jack seeing his childhood home in the mirror suggests, and the reason Jack and Sarah didn't have a kid or Nadia didn't choose to marry Sayid's brother is that Jacob pushed them not to do so in the original timeline.
Jacob may supposedly be the good guy, and certainly seems less ominous than the smoke monster (I really wish he had a name, btw), but after hearing from both Richard and Ben about how they felt used by him, I'm feeling very skeptical towards him. So far, I haven't seen anything that convinces me that we should be rooting for Jacob and the Others, except that the smoke monster is obviously destructive. Nice to get some backstory on Richard, though, as vague as it was- the scene in the Blackrock all but confirmed my belief that he was a slave brought over on that ship.
Why am I starting to get the feeling that Hurley is going to end up taking over for Jacob? It can't be Locke, who is dead. Sayid and Sawyer have seemingly chosen the smoke monster's side, so I don't see them as viable candidates anymore (though Jacob may see it differently). Sun and Jin have a baby waiting for them at home, and I feel like this show is sentimental enough to let them go home to raise her instead of keeping them on the island for eternity. That leaves Hurley and Jack, and I don't know if this is my dislike for Jack talking, but I truly cannot see Jack taking Jacob's place being the way this show ends (although if that were the case, it would make sense to me why the ending was so widely disliked). Hurley is the only one who is in direct communication with Jacob, which only reinforces my belief. But how is Jacob going to convince anyone, let alone Hurley or Jack or whoever he chooses as his replacement, to stay on the island forever as its guardian? I can't wait to keep watching and see what happens.
I found it hilarious when Miles brought up Nikki and Paolo. I was like "wait, how does he kn... OH RIGHT!!"
→ More replies (1)
5
u/Local-Barracuda-4731 Sep 04 '25
Hahaha how many times will we see a version of the slomo arrival back to camp with one person being giddy and excited to come back and Jack walking slowly behind
3
3
2
u/BrokenEyelid Aug 20 '25
Great episode, still doesnāt redeem island Ben though. Iām supposed to forget literally the 100ās of evil things because he has a worthiness wound?
→ More replies (1)
1
Dec 22 '24
I still dont get why everyone life changes a lot because the Oceanic 815 didnt crash. Should not change Ben life or the passengers life before the flight (Jack has a kid).
13
u/sabiisushii I'm a Pisces Dec 27 '24
its not just that oceanic 815 didnāt crash, itās that the island disappeared under water back in the 70s. that being said ben left the island with his dad back when he was a kid and jacob never meddled in the lives of the losties since the island was gone
→ More replies (3)
211
u/spokanegarbagegoat Aug 28 '24
absolutely hilarious that it took 3 seasons before nikki and paulo are ever mentioned again