Lost 5.12: "Dead is Dead"

Thursday, 09 April 2009

By John Keegan Visit Critical Myth for an archive of John's TV Review archives, with more than 1100 entries.   This episode was all about Ben Linus and John Locke, and as such, it was practically destined to be one of the best episodes of the season. The dynamic between Locke and Ben has been evolving beautifully since the second season, and this is the logical direction for the story to take. If Ben was the unanticipated replacement for Locke, then sooner or later, the island was going to correct that situation. While the story is relatively straightforward, matters are complicated by Ben's penchant for deception. Was Ben anticipating Locke's resurrection or not? Looking back on his reaction in the teaser, it's fairly clear that he wasn't expecting Locke to return from the dead, and he only claims to have expected it to maintain a sense of control. He can feel his power over Locke slipping away moment to moment, and he does not react well to the realization. (Note the scene in which Ben says he has no control over what is about to come out of the jungle, and it turns out to be John Locke!) Ben's little gambit with Caesar is designed to convince Locke that he's still the one calling the shots. It's remarkably transparent, and one gets the sense that Locke is well aware of what's happening. From that point on, it's very hard to tell when Ben is being honest and what he's trying to retain what little control he still possesses. For example, why does he react so strongly to the notion that Christian is running around the island? And is he really so shocked to see those members of the Oceanic Tribe in the picture from 1977? It's not necessary for Ben to have known about the connection between the Oceanic Tribe and the Dharma Initiative. His decision to imprison and manipulate Jack, Kate, and Sawyer already made sense within the context of the situation at the beginning of the third season. The Dharma connection would only add a new layer to the story. But if Ben remembers being taken to the Temple to be saved, as he claims, then why wouldn't he remember the Oceanic Tribe? Especially when some of them were around for at least three years? Ben's slow but steady fatalism is so pronounced that it's hard not to believe that he will be found wanting. It's already been seen, many time over, what happens when someone fails to pass judgment. As in previous situations, there seems to be a redemptive element to the judgment. Those who are willing to change or repent are spared; those unwilling to do so are killed. In this case, it feels more like Ben has received a temporary stay of execution, based on whether or not he follows John Locke without question. It's clear that Ben, right up until the end, is considering how to take back power from Locke. This once again seems to indicate that there is a connection of sorts between Jacob and the Cerberus smoke monster. Richard, Ben, Widmore, and Locke all talk about the will of the island, and in context, they seem to allude to Jacob. This ties into the rather old theory that there is a non-corporeal consciousness on the island that takes on apparitional and even physical form from time to time. This is exactly what Cerberus appears to do. One might wonder if they are two sides of the same coin. Was "Alex" the monster, or was it Jacob? The nature of the Cerberus monster (an apt name, given that it seems to guard the "underworld" of the island) is more mysterious than ever. The hieroglyphics seem to show Cerberus as subservient to a representation of Anubis. The statue seen earlier in the season also seemed to be of Anubis. Anubis was the Egyptian god of the dead, charged with the protection of souls on the way to the afterlife. Anubis was also connected in some ways to rebirth, though not as strongly as Osiris. The somewhat devilish face associated with the Cerberus monster suggests that it serves in a trickster-style capacity, which would seem to fit into the theory that Cerberus sometimes takes on human form. This might also connect with the Egyptian myth of Ammit, a creature that devours those found unworthy. If one considers the possibility that Jacob is, or has become, something akin to Anubis, then perhaps that explains why Cerberus acts like Ammit. (Alternatively, Jacob may represent Osiris, and Richard may represent Anubis.) Why Cerberus would be called a "security system", or give off mechanical noises, is still not clear. It's interesting to note that Alex was actually a part of the reason why Ben chose to oppose Charles Widmore and drive him off the island. At least, that is the implication. If Richard's careful inspection of the argument between Ben and Widmore over Alex is any indication, there was already tension between them. Widmore probably knew that Ben was a potential threat to take over as leader of the Others. Alex's right to live becomes the focal point in their contest to see who understands or receives the will of the island/Jacob more powerfully or sincerely. The fact that Widmore is ultimately proven right is an interesting observation: Ben was forced to make a choice between the island and Alex. Does that mean that the island did not originally want Widmore ousted? Or was it that the island wanted Ben to take temporary control, but ensured that Ben's replacement by Locke was preordained by Ben's own decision to save Alex? It seems that everything was thrown off course by Locke's lack of self-confidence. Considering all the hints to the contrary, it's surprising that Ben didn't kill Penny and/or Charlie. It seems he felt a connection between his decision not to kill Danielle and Alex and Penny and Charlie. The metaphor wasn't necessarily perfect, but it was enough to explain why Ben was musing over his past with Alex and his emotions over being responsible for her death. It provides emotional context to Ben's decision to return to the island without his vengeance. Because he realizes that he shares responsibility for Alex's death, he no longer deems it necessary to kill Penny. (That's unlikely to stop Desmond from coming after Ben, of course.) As notable as this episode was for Ben, it was equally notable for John Locke. Ever since the beginning of the series, Locke has tried to convince himself and everyone else that he had a destiny, and that there was a reason he had come to the island. That turned out to be true, but he had to die and come back to life for his sense of destiny and purpose to be realized. Now he doesn't doubt himself at all, and it's both wonderful and terrifying. It should be very interesting if and when Jack and Locke are reunited. Seemingly unrelated to the rest of the events, Ilana's apparent true purpose is taking shape. It has always felt like Ilana's presence was a sign of something more, and given Widmore's ongoing attempts to find the island, one would assume that is her employer. After all, it has already been hinted that Widmore was behind the crash of Oceanic 815 (at least, ensuring the plane was off-course in the anticipated vicinity of the island), so it's hardly a stretch to think that the Ajira 316 crash wasn't also his doing. (One might assume, from "Jughead", that the bomb is the object lying in the shadow of the statue.)

 

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