LOST - Dead is dead

"Dead is dead," Ben says to Sun regarding John Locke's miraculous reanimation. "You don't get to come back from that. Even here."

But like most of what comes out of Ben's mouth, was that a lie or a fact?

As George promised, we had a lot of blanks filled in last night:

1. Ben's reason for killing John - It was the only way to bring the O6 together to come back to the island. He halted John's suicide in order to obtain critical information (Eloise Hawking, I'm guessing...). And then after getting said information, (in the best line of the night) Ben says, "Well, I just didn’t have time to talk you back into hanging yourself."

2. Alex's kidnapping - Younger Ben and young Ethan (who was much, much cuter than older Ethan) were tasked with killing Rousseau, but the discovery of baby Alex stopped Ben who kidnapped the baby and let Rousseau live. Widmore was unhappy with the outcome but Ben couldn't bring himself to kill a child--much like Kate and Sawyer couldn't let little Ben die.

3. Penny's fate - Ben was at the Marina to kill Penny as he gloated via cell phone to Charles Widmore. But Desmond sees him and demands to know what he's doing, so Ben shoot Desmond. He's about to kill Penny, but is stopped again by the appearance of a child--little Charlie. (Is this Benjamin Linus' personal Kryptonite? Little kids? And more importantly--how and WHY would Des and Pen SAIL to L.A. from London? That makes even less sense than a sentimental Ben...) As he delays in pulling the trigger, Desmond revives in time to save Penny (YAY!) beat the @#$% out of him.

That was even more satisfying than Sun whacking him in the head with an oar...

4. Penny was born to an "outsider" during an off island excursion by Charles Widmore. These dalliances were what got him kicked off the island. "You broke the rules, Charles," Ben tells him. Widmore didn't turn the donkey wheel, but left via sub--which begs the question: How did he know where John would end up exiting?

When Ben awakes to find John sitting at his bedside, he tells him that he came back to the island to be judged. "By whom?" John asks. "We don’t even have a word for it. But I believe you call it the monster," Ben replies.

Ben and John start to set off in one of the boats to go to the main island, but are stopped by Caesar who has put himself in charge. Thanks to Ben, Caesar is more than a little suspicious of John--but when he goes to draw his gun on John, Ben shoots him in the chest.

I didn't see THAT coming!

"Consider that my apology," he tells John.

When they get to the main island, they see the figure of a woman pass in the window of Ben's house. I thought it might be Alex or Claire, but it turned out to be Sun who was instructed by Christian to wait for John Locke if she wanted to see Jin again. She shows Ben the Dharma photo of the O6ers stuck in the 70s.

"You didn't know about this?" she asks the incredulous Ben. "Of course not!" insists Ben.

Lying or telling the truth? So hard to tell--although I have a tendency to believe that you know when Ben Linus is lying if his lips are moving. He certainly seemed to be playing both ends of the deck where John Locke was concerned.

Speaking of Locke, it was good to see him regain his mojo and the tables were definitely turned between him and Ben. He was totally in command in the exchanges they had with each other--which I've sorely missed. "Well, now you know what it was like to be me," Locke tells him as he takes charge and leads Ben and Sun to the Temple.

The three take a route underneath the Temple and Ben tells John, "I appreciate you showing me the way but I think I came take it from here."

Then he falls through a hole in the floor--reminiscent of John's fall down the well, or Alice's descent down the rabbit hole? John rushes off to find a way to get him out and Ben is left alone in a room filled with hieroglyphic covered tablets.

The smoke monster comes up through grates in the floor and surrounds Ben showing him flashes of his life--including Alex's death. Ben sobs and it seems like this might be his retribution--to re-witness his daughter's death--as the monster disappears. But then Alex reappears (most likely the smoke monster taking Alex's form just like Eko saw his brother...) in the "flesh."

Ben apologizes to Alex and admits that it was all his fault. Alex whales on Ben (First Desmond, then Sun and finally Alex...) and tells him, "I know you're planning to kill John Locke again." She/Smokey tells him that he'd better listen to and follow Locke from now on or "I will hunt you down and destroy you."

John returns with some rope to rescue Ben. "It let me live," a shaken Ben tells him.

Is this possibly a fate worse than death for Ben? To be forced to listen to and follow Locke?

Smokey sure has a sick sense of humor.

Back on the little island, Lapidus returns to find that Ilana and two others have guns and have taken charge. "What lies in the shadow of the statue?" Ilana demands of Frank. When he can't answer the riddle, she cold cocks him and tells her cohort, "Get everyone and tell them it's time."

Is this the "war"of which Widmore warned Locke? Sounds like Ilana was talking about the infamous four-toed statue...

Looks like next week's episode is all about Miles. That should be interesting!

Delve deeper into the episode with the recap at Lostpedia, screencaps at Dark UFO and Liz Kelly and Jen Chaney's Dueling Analyses at washingtonpost.com.