Lost: The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham

News flash – I actually followed along with an episode of LOST with out getting, well, lost. Someone quick…give me a gold star.

If you were watching along with me in my living room last night (or rather at 4am this morning), you would have heard a lot of “oh”, “ahs” and “oh I see” – it was the kind of episode that filled in a lot of blanks.  Being that its LOST it certainly threw out a bunch of questions, but it was the answers that satisfied me.

The episode focused on John Locke’s journey from the time he left the island up until his death at the hands of Ben.  During that time he traveled the world as Jeremy Bentham.  Mr. Betham was on a mission – to get everyone that left the island back.  Not an easy task of course, but he was determined.

Locke’s adventures began when he left the island and landed in the Tunsian desert.  A spy cam alerted others to his arrival and he was quickly whisked away.  After his broken leg was tended to, Locke woke up in the hospital only to be greeted by Charles Widmore. Charles hadn’t seen Locke since 1957 when the two met at the Others camp.  For John that encounter felt like it was only four days ago.  Widmore questioned why Locke left the island since he was destined to be there.  Locke said he was off to bring the others back.  Widmore suggested he get his giddy up on because there was a war brewing back on the island and John was needed back there to lead.  What war are you talking about, Chuck?

Soon John was off on his crazy adventures accompanied by Matthew Abbadon.  Matthew reminded John that the two of them once met while John was recovering in the hospital after his daddy pushed him out of the window.  It was Abbadon that encouraged Locke to take the Australian walkabout which ultimately led him to the island.  Knowing what we know about Dharma and how they find the island, it was interesting to learn that Widmore had, for the most part, hand picked who was going to be on that plane.  Who and why we don’t know, but at least I understand it all a little more.

Locke met up with Sayid in the Dominican Republic.  But Sayid had no interest in returning. Why would he?  It’s not like Locke provided a very compelling argument.  Kate wasn’t having it either. Hurley was a tad bit interested but freaked when he saw Abbadon. Now that we know that Widmore had been watching the Oceanicers, Matthew’s presence throughout the story is starting to make a bit more sense.

In NYC Locke went to visit a now grown up Walt.  Come to find out Walt had been having dreams about Locke…and not good ones.  Walt asked about his father and presumed he was still alive on the island.  John didn’t tell him that Michael was most likely killed in the freighter explosion.  Who knows.  We thought Jin had died too.  Locke left without attempting convince Walt to return to the island stating that the kid has been through enough already.

After talking with Kate about love lost, Locke sought out Helen (formerly played by Katey Segal) only to find out she had passed away. Abbadon told Locke that she would have died even if he had never gone to the island so he really shouldn’t stress too much about it (ok he wasn’t that callus, but still – point taken).

As Locke and Matthew left the cemetery, Matthew was killed.  John rushed away from the scene only to end up in a horrific car accident that landed him in the hospital.  Jack’s hospital.

Locke tried to convince Jack to come back to the island with him. Jack wasn’t on board with any of it until Locke passed on a simple ‘hello’ from Jack’s father.  A bewildered and half in the bag Jack didn’t want to believe what he was hearing and refused John.  But behind his eyes you could tell that Jack started questioning things, including his father’s presence on the island.  It’s not like Jack hadn’t seen Christian Shephard himself.

Having been refused by the Oceanic 6, Locke returned to his hotel room, wrote Jack the note we saw last week and they hung a noose around his neck.  How else was he going to get back to the island?  It’s not like Richard didn’t warn him.  With nothing else left John decided to take Richard for his word – he was going to have to die.  But at the last possible moment, Ben came busting through the door and convinced John there was work to do.  He helped him remove the noose.  But when Locke mentioned the name Eloise Hawking, something inside of Ben snapped and he strangled John to death.  He made it look like a suicide before leaving. Ben murdered Locke.  But why?  What is the deal with Eloise Hawking?  Why is it so terrible that Locke knew about her?

A little fast forward (or should I saw flash forward) and Locke is once again on the island.  It’s after the “crash” of flight 316 and he’s with Caesar (the guy that Hurley told to buckle his seat belt) and the chick that was accompanying Sayid.  (Sorry I can’t remember her name and I’m too lazy to look it up). Locke tells Caesar that although there is stuff he doesn’t remember, he had lived on the island before, he left, he died and now he’s back. Locke and the guy head off to sick bay to check in on some of the other 316 survivors.  Among them?  Ben Linus.

So where in time is Locke? What will he do with Ben now that he’s found him?  Where is Lapidus and the “woman? Why did Ben kill Locke? What war was Widmore talking about?  And who should we trust…Ben Linus or Charles Widmore?

Some of those questions will hopefully be answered next week, and perhaps there will be a few worthwhile reunions to check out.

Did you like following the nutty adventures of John Locke and Jeremy Bentham? Was it a good episode for you? More questions than answers or were you happy with the information we did find out?

Sorry if this post sucks.  I wasn’t able to watch LOST last night and I had a busy at the “real job”.  I got up at 4am to watch and was writing the above nonsense at 5am.  No one should be writing at 5am.  Hence the drabble above. -K