The Shape of Things To Come

I feel completely inadequate summing up last night’s episode. Echos of “We’re Not Worthy” from Wayne’s World drifts through my mind. How great was almost every single frame of that episode! I loved it! Welcome back everyone. Let’s get to it.

Summary

I am loving myself some Hurley and Sawyer. Hurley throwing that ottoman through the window. I love it when he’s badass. Sawyer having a gun drawn on him, “Have you lost your mind?” He’s badass. Ben pulling that gun out of the piano bench. HE is badass. Loved it! The killing of Alex was one of the most shocking moments on the show. Ben was in mid-manipulation when the gun went out. How terrible that he couldn’t trick his way out of it and that his last words to his daughter that he didn’t care about her. A lot of people think Ben is a monster because of it. And they are right. He feels he has no choice to make the decisions that he does. But there is always a choice. He always chooses the island, no matter what the cost.

The other big thing that happened was the time travel. Now Ben arrived in the Sahara in a parka (the translation of what the men on the horse say is, “He doesn’t have a trail. Where did he come from? Down from the sky?”). His disorientation and nausea are also clues The parka had the name Halliwax on it. During Comic-con last summer, Exec Producers Damon and Carlton (now known as Darlton), showed the Orchid Station video. Halliwax is an alias for Dr. Marvin Candle. That station is believed to be used for teleportation. I believe Ben traveled to the Antarctic (hence the parka) and then to the Sahara. Once at the hotel where he had been before and had a standing room, he saw Sayid on tv. I believe that is when he concocted the plan to get Sayid to be his killing machine. I don’t believe Widmore had his man kill Nadiya. I believe he was sent there to watch Sayid, Abbadon was sent to watch Hurley and perhaps someone else watching Sun at the hospital. I think they are sent to learn about the island but not to harm. I think Ben manipulated Sayid into thinking her death was a murder and that Widmore was responsible.

Time travel came into play again because of the morse code (I want to learn that. Never know when I will need it!), stating that on the boat the doc is alive but on the island the doc is dead. What happens to the freighter and how do they get off the island? We know they don’t get off the island with their help because it was not their mission and because Ben asking Sayid if he remembered Charles Widmore. If Widmore was responsible for their rescue, Ben would not have had to ask Sayid if her remembered him. It was only a year and a month ago.

Three words: the smoke monster. That was awesome! The way it moved and struck. I don’t believe Ben controls it but he definitely summoned it. I think it didn’t touch them because it had already scanned them before. I guess at the moment, they all were seen as the good guys.

Connections

The numbers were on the license plate of the car Ben was driven in to meet Widmore. Alex punched in 1623 for the electronic fence. The Black Rock ship was in a painting in Widmore’s bedroom. He was also drinking MacCutcheon whiskey as before. They were playing the game of Risk and there were several references to game playing: “Changing the rules”and “She’s just a pawn.” When Ben was in Widmore’s bedroom, his face was shown half shadowed. The same with Widmore eluding to dark and light or good and evil. Claire’s legs were sticking out from the rubble of the house basically falling her just like the Wizard of Oz. Also factor in the season finale is called “There’s No Place Like Home”. Ben is playing Sergei Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C Sharp Minor on the piano. It is also referred to as “The Day of Judgment”. The name of the episode, The Shape of Things to Come, is also the name of a book by H.G. Wells which is written in the form of a history book from the future.

Questions

I mentioned a few already. How do they get off the island? What happens to some of the key Losties? Where are the Others? All things we won’t find out anytime soon. The biggest this episode is the connection between Ben and Widmore. I feel as though their relationship is much like on X-Men with Professor Xavier and Magneto. They share a common bond, the island (X-men its being mutants). They will fight to the death to protect it from the outside as well as from each other. I am not sure how Jacob figures into all of this. If Jacob is a manifestation of the island and Ben has been doing its bidding. How was Widmore connected to the island? Was it just part of his family history? Could he be a Hanso? It would make sense since Ben purged them all from the island. Widmore could be trying to reclaim what belongs to the family. It will be interesting to see how Desmond figures into Ben’s quest to kill Penelope. Ben can’t kill Widmore because of his importance or connection to the island or the time space continuum. But he can hurt those around him. There’s more but I am tired! J This was a great episode but it definitely stretched my mind.

Conclusion

Great, great episode. We have 4 more episodes left. I want to state now that I have moved to North Park and would love to host the season finale party at my new pad. I know it’s on late but what are you 50?!? You can stay up late 1 night that week. So I will just pencil you all in now.

Looking forward to next week. The way this show is going, it just might be one of the greats of all time. Oh how far we have come since the first season! Remember when Jack was the man? Then Sawyer? Then Locke? Now its Ben, Ben, Ben. I truly hope that they fix what’s wrong with Locke. He seems so weak and pointless now. Walt said he was still needed. I hope they start to show us that. Well, until next week, C-ya!