Lost 6x07: "Dr. Linus"

[Hunter X]

The appearance of the creepy kid a few episodes ago also confirms that there's a force apart from Jacob and the Man in Black. I'd imagine that it's the Island itself. All three worked together through most of the series: the Island as the source of power, Jacob as the protector and human ruler (Hades), Man in Black as the guard dog or security system (Cerberus). But the Man in Black always wanted to be free (in the cabin it's him saying "help me"), and was working against the Island and Jacob the whole time. He's finally found his loophole, killing Jacob, and now the Island is pissed.

 

[Jenee]

I'm still not convinced MIB is "bad". - or that Jacob is "good" for that matter.

 

[RoJoHen]

I'm still not convinced MIB is "bad". - or that Jacob is "good" for that matter.

My brother and I decided that it's not a question of "good" or "evil," but rather "douchey" and "douchey, but upfront about it."

 

[Mr Awe]

I'm still not convinced MIB is "bad". - or that Jacob is "good" for that matter.

No, it's a question of manipulators and the manipulated.

It tends to split so that a manipulator and his followers are grouped together against the other manipulators and their followers. In reality, the manipulators have more in common with other manipulators and the followers have more in common with the other groups of followers.

The manipulators have their own interests and the followers are foolish to think that adopting them is a good idea. What's in the manipulator's best interest is not in their followers best interest. This becomes more and more clear with each passing episode.

So, no, no good vs bad. Just manipulator vs manipulee!

Mr Awe

 

[Checkmate]

Again, Jacob's never gone on a killing spree. Smokey most definitely has. While you can't necessarily say Jacob is a good guy for that reason alone, you can definitely say that Smokey is a bad guy because of it.

 

[Yeoman Randi]

I liked Ben's mini redemption.

 

[TK421]

Awesome episode.

I don't know about anyone else, but this final season is easily may favorite after the 1st season.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I wonder if we'll see Christian again this season? If his deal in all this is never explained that will remain the biggest WTF for me. Unless every time we saw him earlier he was Smokey, but that doesn't quite jive I don't think. Does it? Hmmm.

Christian is Smokey. Just look at the evidence.

He recruited Claire in the forth season.

He sent Locke back off-island to get the others and told him he was going to sacrifice himself.

He appears to Sun and Frank (right after some Smoke Monster noises, if I recall correctly), tells them to wait for John Locke. Immediately after that, Locke appears to the Ajira survivors and Christian is never seen again.

Claire knows they are two different entities. She told Jin that "her father" ... visited? her, then "her friend". Then when notLocke walked in, and Jin called him Locke, Claire said "that's not Locke, that's my friend."

I'd argue that the MiB knew he was going to be stuck as Locke and started setting it up that he wouldn't be Christian. He figured it was better to tell Claire that he wasn't Locke because he knew things that Locke clearly wouldn't and when people returned, they'd tell Claire that Locke was dead.

 

[Mallet]

So is Widmore and good guy or bad guy?

I think it will turn out that both Widmore and Ben are "good guys" (or at least on Jacob's side), they just had a falling out over how best to "serve" Jacob and what was best for the island. Like when two religious groups have a falling out, even through they still believe in the same God.

Eventually Widmore will join up with the "resistance" and help fight against NotLocke and his followers.

 

[Jenee]

Again, Jacob's never gone on a killing spree. Smokey most definitely has. While you can't necessarily say Jacob is a good guy for that reason alone, you can definitely say that Smokey is a bad guy because of it.

How do we know Jacob hasn't gone on a killing spree?

Besides, what's worse? Dying now. or dying slowly over 150 +/- years through boredom?

or, being fucked with till you die.

or, being manipulated into killing others?

need I go on?

 

[RoJoHen]

Smokey is a killer, but at least he admits to it.

Jacob is a manipulator who pretends to be your friend.

Which is worse?

 

[Checkmate]

I'm pretty sure being a killer is worse. And considering that Smokey pretends to be people's friends while manipulating the Hell out of them, I really don't see your point there.

How do we know Jacob hasn't gone on a killing spree?

We don't. But as I was trying to point out, we do know that Smokey is. Without any doubt whatsoever. Sorry, but if you try to paint him as anything but a force of evil, you're either deluded or have some truly sick personal issues you need to work out.

Besides, what's worse? Dying now. or dying slowly over 150 +/- years through boredom?

First, my grandmother used to always say "only boring people get bored." Second, I'm pretty sure that I'd rather live for over 150 years and have the opportunity to do/see whatever I decided to do/see with my life rather than be killed off right this second.

or, being fucked with till you die.

As opposed to? Do we even know that Jacob's manipulations were unnecessary? The Island has made it clear that the Island gets what the Island wants no matter what. Jacob seems to be doing what he can to make the best out of bad situations that are out of his control. Case in point, rescuing Jack and Hurley from Smokey's murderous rampage. I'm sure he would have tried to save others if he knew that doing so wouldn't have been pointless (since Smokey could have hunted them all down anyway). Since, you know, Smokey is the psychotic murder with control issues. But I guess saving two people's lives, who in turn can/will doubtlessly save untold others, is an evil act?

or, being manipulated into killing others?

When has Jacob done that, other than "manipulating" Ben into killing himself? Which, incidently, is something we know he was actually hoping wouldn't work, thanks to Miles.

Manipulating people into killing others is more Smokey's M.O. from what I've gathered. Claire and Sayid being the most notable examples recently.

need I go on?

Apparently you do.

 

[RoJoHen]

Eh, I think I'd rather be murdered than be dicked around my whole life for some unspoken agenda.

 

[Mallet]

... dicked around my whole life for some unspoken agenda.

That's pretty much everyone living in The U.S.A., heck, that's pretty much everyone anywhere on Earth.

 

[zengoth]

above average - (only because i wish the sideways flashes would take up less airtime than the on island stories.)

Altho' he's on the road to redemption, Ben will need to do something really big (giving his life for others probably) in order to be truly redeemed. But with the promise of a huge body count in the near future, I thought Ilana's time was up (she was starting to channel Anna Lucia with that whole dig-your-own-grave thing)


Great shout out to Nikki + Paulo (RIP) Somewhere in the sideways universe, they are happily fleecing and murdering millionaires together.

 

[Plomeek Broth]

I don't know if I was distracted by life stress or something, but I gave it an average and I love bug-eyed Ben. The Flash Sideways felt like a Lifetime Movie of the Week. Although I dig Alex big time. Am I the only one that had zero tension during the Richard-Jack dyno-Rock scene? I mean, c'mon, you knew they weren't going to die. I know I'm in the minority because most folks loved this one. I liked Sundown and The Substitute and even LA X better. Oh, I forgot. Didn't the Widmore sub special effect look kind of cheesy? As the melodramatic reunion scene takes place on the beach, the sub cruises along about fifteen feet off the shoreline and zooms in the periscope.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

So is Widmore and good guy or bad guy?

I think it will turn out that both Widmore and Ben are "good guys" (or at least on Jacob's side), they just had a falling out over how best to "serve" Jacob and what was best for the island. Like when two religious groups have a falling out, even through they still believe in the same God.

Eventually Widmore will join up with the "resistance" and help fight against NotLocke and his followers.

That seems to be my thought. Then again, Jacob could have told Ben to remove Widmore, hard to tell.

BTW, if you go with the theory that the flash sideways are the world without Jacob, it seems pretty good so far. That's the only argument I can think of for why Jacob would be bad.

 

[TheGodBen]

I enjoyed this one very much, although I must admit that I was a little upset by Locke's very limited screen-time in Ben's flash-sideways. On the plus side, no Kate! What made this episode for me was Ben's speech, that was fantastic and brilliantly acted by Emerson. "Because [Locke]'s the only one that will have me" That line pierced me in the chest and made me feel so bad for him. Who would have guessed back at the start of season 3 that Ben would end up like this?

Frankly, he makes a brilliant point about Jacob; Ben sacrificed his daughter for the island, and when Ben went to see Jacob, Jacob acted like Ben was just this little, unimportant man. Jacob's a bastard, go team Cerberus!

 

[Frodo Lives]

How do we know Jacob hasn't gone on a killing spree?

We don't.

The Dharma Initiative might disagreed with ya there.

But I'm guessing we should lay the blame for that squarely at Ben's feet. Still, the rest of Jacob's people seemed to go along with it fairly okay.

 

[Mr Light]

Jacob acted like a jerk to Ben because he wanted Ben to kill him. He wanted to die in order to get his own loophole going on Cerebus.