Lost: Dr. Linus

What Lost fan does not love Benjamin Linus? He’s unpredictable, you never know what’s going on in his mind.  He is out to save himself, and has one of the most mesmerizing flashback stories. In this week’s episode, “Dr. Linus,” we get to witness Ben as a schoolteacher in the flash-sideways and the aftereffects of what happens when everyone finds out he was the one who killed Jacob.

In the flash-sideways we see Dr. Linus living his life as an under-appreciated high school history teacher. Fed up with budget cuts and lack of respect, Dr. Linus decides to blackmail the principal, who has been doing the naughty on campus with the school nurse. Locke tells Ben if he isn’t happy with who’s running the place that he should do something about it. Oh flash-sideways Locke, you and ironic statements. Speaking of irony, Ben, who lives with his ailing father, changes the gas tanks to help his father breather easier. For those that don’t remember, Ben killed his father on the Island during the purge using poisonous gas tanks. I love the ironies the writers implemented this season with the flash-sideways. It always makes me laugh.

Going back to the evil blackmail plan. Dr. Linus with the help of science professor Arzt, hack the faculties’ emails and get a chain of emails going back and forth between the principal and the nurse. With the evidence to incriminate the principal, Ben visits the principal who threatens Ben in return. The principal tells Ben that he would put a bad word in for Alex, Ben’s favorite and best student, who has been looking for a way in to Yale. Ben decides to let the blackmail go allowing Alex to get the better outcome.

On the island two storylines are taking place. Jack and Hurley bump into Richard who takes them to the Black Rock. He informs them everyone at the temple is dead. Richard, with no reason to live, decides to blow himself up with the dynamite on board the ship. However, Richard asks Jack to light the fuse since those touched by Jacob can’t kill themselves. Jack becomes a complete badass as he sits alongside Richard saying that the dynamite won’t go off since they still have a role to play. Short story, the dynamite doesn’t go off and Matthew Fox is fun to watch as crazy Jack.

Over on the beach side, Ilana has Miles talk to Jacob’s ashes to find out how he was killed. This leads to Ilana tying up Ben to a tree like a dog and having him dig his own grave. Locke, Flocke, MiB, Evil Incarnate, or whatever you are calling him these days, shows up and sets Ben free. He informs Ben that there is a gun 200 feet into the jungle and that he can get the jump on Ilana. He then can meet him at the Hydra station on the other island for the island escape party. Ben rushes off, and as Locke said, he gets the jump on Ilana. Instead of killing her he explains why he killed Jacob. Ilana forgives him and they both return to the beach. At the beach Jack, Hurley, and Richard appear and hugs are shared. The scene then goes deep off into the ocean where we see Charles Widmore riding to the coast in a submarine.

DUN DUN DUN

Great episode this week. I still have no idea where this show is going, but I don’t really care as long as I’m enjoying it.

I came across this over the internet a few days ago. Any Lost fan should appreciate it.

Season 6 Episode 7: Dr. Linus (Originally Aired March 9, 2010)

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Tuesdays, 9/8c on ABC

Photographs courtesy of ABC and Mario Perez.