Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A+ | 8136 USERS: C YOU GRADE IT L'chaim!
By Cindy McLennan | Season 5 | Episode 12 | Aired on 2009.04.08
Craphole; 2007: Locke and Ben are underneath the temple. Sun must have wisely stayed outside. Locke lights their torches and they set out on their way through the underground as Ben confesses that Locke was right that Ben needs to be judged for Alex's death, because he could have just gone with Widmore's men. "So you were right, John. I did kill Alex. And now I have to answer for that. I appreciate you showing me the way, but I think I can take it from here." Locke says, "You've got it," and stands behind as Ben goes it alone. He only makes it a few steps though, before the ground beneath him opens up and swallows him whole. Ben falls to yet a lower level beneath the temple. And just as Sawyer looked down the well for Locke, Locke looks down into the hole, for Ben. The difference is, there's been no time flash, so Ben's still there. He assures Locke that he's all right and Locke goes off to find "something to get [him] out of there." Ben tries to tell him to wait, but Locke's gone. Ben rises to his feet and looks around at the chamber into which he's fallen. There are hieroglyphs all over the walls and pillars. He approaches what might be an altar and we see a picture of Anubis (not Horus), on his knees. He seems to be summoning Smokey. There's a rattling sound and Ben looks down to see a stone filled with little holes -- holes that might be perfect to vent smoke. I'm just sayin'... With a puff, his torch goes out. The rattling gets louder and black smoke pours from the holes in the stone. It surrounds Ben like the Angel of Death-smoke surrounds the first born Egyptians in The Ten Commandments. The smoke envelops Ben as he stands there, burnt out torch still in hand.
The feel of The Ten Commandments disappears in all the smoke. Now, Ben, who first told us he was Henry Gale, seems to be playing Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. He hears and sees past scenes of his life as Smokey surrounds him. Twenty-four year old Ben tells Widmore that he didn't tell him Rousseau had a child and asks what he was supposed to do. We see Widmore's face as he says, "Kill it!" Ben's voice echoes that she's not an it but a child. Next, we see Ben push little-girl Alex on the swing. Next, the face of teenaged Alex appears and she tells Ben she hates him and wishes he were dead. She's replaced by a calmer Alex who says, "These people, you said they were dangerous. More dangerous than you?" She evaporates and it's time for the grand finale. Keamy holds Alex hostage and she pleads for her life. "Dad, they're serious. They killed Karl, and my mother. Please, Dad, help me." Ben cries as he hears his past self say, "She's not my daughter. She means nothing to me. So if you want to kill her, go ahead and..." A shot rings out and Alex falls to her death. Smokey rattles and ticks and the smoke clears as he returns to the stone from whence he came.