"God Plays With Us, M'Sabu"

Well, numerous swigs of NyQuil later, I'm up for trying to sort out some of my reactions to Dr. Linus. The heading I used comes from the movie "Out Of Africa", where Karen Blixen's personal servant is telling her a parable to help her philosophically deal with a lion attacking the cattle on their safari. He chuckles something to the effect of, "Karen does not have this ox; the wagon does not have this ox; the lion does not have this ox...God plays with us," intimating that everything is a part of the greater whole in the eyes of God and the nature of things. And that's partially the feeling that I got from this ep. Ben does not have this island, Widmore does not have this island, Dogen, etc. Hopefully all these "chosen" (see the book Ben uncovers on the beach) players are more than just hapless pawns in a higher entity's random chess game. This also reminds me a lot of "Clash Of The Titans" (the Ray Harryhausen version, please) where the humans figures are moved around on a tabletop shuffleboard on Mount Olympus by Zeus and his cronies.

Everyone raise your hands if you want to be in Dr.Linus' class! Ben is a very caring teacher in the flash sideways universe, I was impressed. He connects with people, thinks of their welfare first, and the impetus of his actions seems to be to work for the greater goals that benefit the most people. The complete opposite of Ben in the 815 universe, who has his own sort of Napoleon Complex type issues. Unfortunately like many teachers, Dr. Linus is hamstrung by an administrator who is also power hungry. And wow, who wasn't blown away by the flipped mirror version implications of FS-Ben with his father. Amazing, and bravo Powers That Be.

When Miles ratted out Ben I was actually hoping that he wouldn't do it for some reason! I also thought that it was very interesting how Miles seemed to be caressing Jacob's ashes, he obviously has retained his profound respect for the dead, as cynical as he may be with the living at this point.

And...the island still got Frank in the end, says Ben in a moment of his newly found wisdom. A bigger hint to what will come for our worker bees in God's beehives? That is, will whatever happens in the FS still somehow bring The Chosen back to the island like a converging side-path meeting once again with the main fairway after forking off temporarily?

I was amazed at how Ben retained his conniving mind up to what he thought was the very end for him. And also really wishing that Miles would let him go so that we could see Ben running to the FDW to turn it and make another escape! But lucky Miles does what we mostly felt needed to happen that had nothing to do with Ben....discovering that Nikki and Paulo were buried alive. And he found the diamonds, go Miles!

Thankfully we got to spend some time with Richard, who is feeling jilted by the one person he trusted. I'd guess that his confusion has been building since Locke and Flocke began to tell him how great they were and that Locke was the new Leader. And here is where even more I really tend to think that when the Islanders thought they were talking to Jacob, that sometimes they were talking to MIB by mistake. I could be wrong of course, but it seems like a hint here possibly.

We also got a parallel to Michael's not being able to kill himself. Was he touched by Jacob at a time that we weren't privy to? Jack seemed to have an epiphany about that and it all came together in his head full of Jackface before our eyes. Did, or will, Hurley realize it as well?

I have to hand it to Dedjezter at TLC for the best comment during the ep which went something like, "Jack has a sense of humor...never saw that coming!" And what was up with Jack saying that if they didn't help Richard, he'd just do it anyway?! RA just told Jack that he couldn't kill himself without their help. It's not like RA's standing on a corner in Manhattan and he can ask any one of a million people passing by to help him. There's no one else on the island, as far as they know. Maybe it was just Jack testing his new funny bone again.

What Ilana said to Ben about how she'll have him when no one else will blew me away, and was telling. Here could be an encapsulation of the redemption topic. The "island" judges, or the island forgives, we know this. And even despicable Ben can be a new man if he so chooses because Ilana has forgiven him for what he did. The most important point being that Ben was truly appalled at his behavior and sorry for what he did. He can have a completely new life now -- be a new man -- very much like what the Christian bible teaches that God offers mankind.

It was delicious watching Dr. Linus negotiating an off-the-cuff coup that would make Sun Tzu proud. He goes in with one plan fully intent on its success, but after it backfires he pulls an advantage switch that gains him a foothold for helping Alex, and a few little benefits on the side as well. Schwing!

I agree with everyone that it was so nice to have a happy beach scene once again, it's been a very long time! But TPTB appeared to have left us with the thought that Widmore in the sub might spoil the beach party, but I don't think so. I think that TPTB are still playing with us too.

:-)