Line of the night – “A 12 year old Ben Linus brought me a chicken salad sandwich, how do you think I’m doing?” – Sayid
To the episode: So when the show ended, what was the first word that sprang to your mind? Paradox. I was dumb-founded and more confused than I have ever been in my entire LOST tenure. Buuuuuut, I thought about it and what the writers showed us in flashbacks during the episode, and there is more than meets the eye with this one. I’ll give my 2 cent theory on it at the end of the recap. Let’s just say, I don’t think we’ve seen the end of 12 year old Ben Linus.
So we start the first scene with an 8 year old Ben Linus meeting Richard Alpert in the jungle for the first time. He wants to go with Richard. Richards response, “If that’s what you really want, if that’s what you want you’re gonna have to think about that, you’re going to have to be very VERY patient.” There is always a method to the madness when it comes to LOST, so I took note of this scene.
We view a few other Sayid flashbacks and then start the episode in Tikrit, Iraq. A little Iraqi boy is afraid to kill a chicken. A younger, more badass Iraqi boy has a plan. He brings a handful of grain into the pen, he gets the chicken’s attention with the grain, and then snaps it’s’ neck like a twig….Hmmmm that little boy must be Sayid…..Right on.
WHOOSH and we are in 1977. Ben gives Sayid a sandwich and a book entitled, “A Separate Reality.” Irony? Ben explains that he met Richard in the jungle 4 years ago and that he has been patient. He goes on to say, “and if you are patient, I think I can help you.”
WHOOSH to Sayid chasing down a Russian man. The Russian guy attempts to bribe him, and Sayid just pulls the trigger. Why can’t Sayid take him out like Jason Bourne and do some bad-ass breakdance fighting? I miss that. Ben’s waiting for Sayid and informs him that they are all done. All of Widmore’s organization that posed a threat to his friends have been eliminated. “Mission Accomplished!” Sayid doesn’t know what to do next.
WHOOSH back to Dharmaville and Horace confronts Sayid in his cell. Our Iraqi Torturer ain’t talking. Transition to a frightened Juliet. “It’s over isn’t it, this, us playing house, all of it!” Interesting that she specifically said “playing house”. Sawyer tried to get Kate to “play house” with him last season and stay on the island. Horace comes into Sawyer’s house and wants Oldham to do his thing on him. Now at this point I am guessing that Horace is referencing Daniel Farraday, just a hunch.
Sawyer visits Sayid, gives him a headbutt, and tries to plant the fake story that Sayid wanted to defect and live with the Dharma Initiative. Sayid would rather stay in the cell, and ‘be on his own’.
Back from commercial and Hurley’s the cook for the mess hall. “They live together…like not as roommates…I thought it was so obvious.” I guess Kate didn’t catch on right away that Sawyer and Juliet were an item (like her and Jack used to be). Let the love quadrangle…….BEGIN.
Back to Sayid’s cell and Roger Linus is mopping the floor. He says, “I thought you hostiles were kings of the jungle, and you get caught by these idiots.” Sayid’s response, “and yet you’re the one that mops up after them.” Well done Sayid well done. Enter a wanna-be hostile 12 year old Ben with a sandwich and he exits quickly after his dad opens up a can of whoop-ass on him.
WHOOSH – Sayid is in the Dominican Republic working on a house (looks like a habitat for humanity program). Ben’s back and informs Sayid that John Locke is dead. He tries to persuade Sayid to come back with him so that he can kill the guy staked out at Hurley’s mental hospital, because after all, “you’re a killer Sayid!” A little more irony based on the outcome of the episode, don’t ya think?
WHOOSH – we are back in Dharmaville and Sayid is taken to a tee-pee hut playing 1920’s jazz style music. Oldham comes out and he’s not Daniel. I have to say that I am a little disappointed. Sayid asks Sawyer who this man is? His response, “He’s Our You!” Hence we determine the thought behind the title of the episode. Sayid’s strapped to a tree and given a truth syrum. I wonder if they strapped him to the same tree that Ana Lucia did after she took Sayid into custody in Season II (after she shot Shannon).
Back from commercial and we are back to the Dock Scene from earlier this year. Sayid leaves and we find out that he went to a bar for a glass of Widmore’s favorite scotch, MacCutheon. Jordin Sparks enters the room, sings “You’re still a part of everything I do…Sayid you’re on my heart just like a Tattoo”, and joins him for a drink.
WHOOSH – Sayid starts spilling the beans. He admits that he is not a hostile, and he IS a bad man. He explains that he has been to the island before and gives descriptions of the Flame, the Pearl, and the Swan stations. “You are all going to die, you know. You are going to be killed.” Wow! Pretty crazy to hear Sayid saying all this, but after he heard Radzinsky’s name, didn’t you think that he was going to tell Radzinsky that he was the one that blew his brains out in the Swan station. Anyway, the Dharma villagers have a little pow-wow at Horace’s house and vote to have Sayid killed. Poor Sayid.
WHOOSH – back to the future and Jordin Sparks aka Illana and Sayid are getting a little frisky in her hotel room (I guess this is her place considering Sayid’s apartment is covered in blood and a dead assassin is lying on the knives in the dishwasher). She nails him in the face and gives a little scissor kick Gracie Jiu-Jitsu move. Turns out Jordin is a bounty hunter there to collect him for the family of Peter Avalino. They are going on a little airplane ride to Guam. So THAT’s how he got on the plane.
WHOOSH – Sawyer makes one final attempt to free Sayid, but Sayid is at peace, he didn’t feel he had a purpose once he realized he was back on the island, but now he knows why he is there. Sawyer leaves Sayid to face the music. Out of no-where a burning Mystery Machine crashes into building 15. I sense a diversion tactic and I think I know who did it. Everyone joins in to put out the fire.
Back to the cell and I spy with my little eye 12 year old Ben Linus in his favorite Dark Lord of the Sith cloak. “If I let you out, will you take me with you to your people?” “Yes, Ben I will, that’s why I am here!” Uh oh…Sayid and Ben make it out into the jungle. Jin makes a quick appearance and gets taken out by Sayid. “You were right about me, I am a killer!” Sayid fires a round into little Benry’s chest and down goes Ben. BAMMM END CREDITS.
WTF just happened?!? So at first I was thinking that this is a catastrophic paradox because if Sayid kills Ben, then Ben can’t help Richard with the purge, he won’t become the leader of the ‘others’, yada yada yada, he won’t send Sayid to kill Peter Avalino on the golf course, hence Illana will never hunt him down and force Sayid onto the Ajira Airways Flight to Guam….
Then I thought to what Daniel Faraday had said before. Whatever happened…happened. Here’s my theory and help me out on this one. They showed the exchange between Richard and 8 year old Ben for a reason. So maybe Ben will be saved by the island (like John Locke was after he got shot in the chest), and maybe Ben will even have a vision of someone…his mom perhaps…to motivate him to get up because, “he’s got work to do.” Maybe, just like John Locke, Ben will be healed by the island, prove his worth to the ‘others/hostiles’ and begin his reign as their leader???
What do you think? Are we done with Ben?
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