So it seems like Roger and Ben were on the island for quite a while as a not so happy family. Long enough for Ben to grow up, even though Roger definitely wanted off. What made him/them stay? Come to think of it, the only one we've ever seen leave the island is Richard...

 

I'm also wondering what became of Annie. Ben still carries the doll, but he didn't seem concerned for her during the purge. Was she a fertility fatality? Is that why he's so obsessed with finding a cure?

 

There was also no sign of the DeGroots. They may have been running the show from stateside. Perhaps we’ll see them later if it’s true that a Dharma contingency is on the way.

 

Ben and Richard are PURE evil. Jacob also, if he had a hand in planning the purge. I kind of like Doc Jensen’s theory that Jacob could be a manifestation of Ben’s warped mind. The island does seem to “bring to life” whatever it picks up from the inhabitants minds. I’m more inclined to think that Jacob and Richard have been there a long time, and saw something in Ben that they could exploit. Using him as their mouthpiece, so to speak.

 

Ben did a stellar job conning Locke again. Although I don't think it was all a con. If the shaking hand was real it was probably from his fear of Jacob, or fear of losing the affection of Jacob. I think he's worried about Locke and was playing him because of it.

The reason I think the shooting was premeditated is because he gave in so easily when Locke started throwing his weight around at their camp. Letting him beat Patchy to a pulp (that was pretty cool, he’s such a pill) and taking orders from him. Why? That's not the Ben we've come to love. We’ve seen that Ben can be vicious when provoked and he was pretty quick with the cane last week. Smelled like a plan to me. The perfect excuse to go for a private stroll in the jungle with his main competitor. I don't think he would want his "people" to see him execute Locke.

 

By the way, loved Ben's bunny. Seems like Ben's got a thing for wabbits. Do I see a bit of Lennie Smalls there? He seems to know the story well... Speaking of bunnies,

since the producers comments to Doc Jensen about Mrs. Hawking's possible time travel, and their previous contradictory statements, I've been trying to reconcile all this in my mind. One thought that keeps coming back to me is Bunny #8.

In Stephen King's "On Writing", he uses Bunny #8 to illustrate how a writer describes an image for someone who can't see it. He takes it a step further and suggests that what a writer does is part telpathy and part time travel. Here I am in the year 2000, whispering in your ear in 2005, sending a perfect image of Bunny #8 directly into your mind.

Time travel, and yet not time travel. I can't help but think that the writers used that image for more than just an homage to Mr. King. Now another bunny in The Man Behind The Curtain…

 

Okay, back on topic. Richard at least had a hand in the purge. If Jacob is real it’s a good bet Richard was carrying out his orders. I still think Richard could be Jacob, or at least one of his minions. He's the island original, not Ben. There's some good shots of Jacob on the screen cap pages. Kind of looked like Kris Kristofferson or Dennis Hopper. It could be the actual Richard, perhaps in his real form he shows his age... And what was up with the trail of ashes? Jacob didn't wipe his feet on his way back from Hell? Or is he Smokie?

 

I don't know if we've seen the last of John. If I was Ben I would have been a bit more thorough. If Locke is healed, I think it will be by the island or God. If Jacob has a hand in his reincarnation it can’t be good. What all knowing and benevolent god or being would orchestrate a mass murder? I’m still convinced that Locke’s “powers” were bestowed upon him to put an end to what’s going on there. I think he slipped a little when he took part in Coopers trial and execution, and this is his wakeup call.

 

So much happened in this episode that it’s almost impossible to touch on all of it. Here’s a quick rundown of some other things we learned.

 

The island has a volcano.

 

Dharma had quite the slick facility. The fleet of vdubs indicate that there was a road system.

 

Dharma feared and skirmished with “hostiles” and we heard heavy thuds reminiscent of Smokie intermingled with gunfire when they attacked the compound.

 

Roger Linus was a drunken asshole.

 

It doesn’t appear that Naomi is with the Others, Mikhail and Ben’s conversation about her seemed real.

 

Ben’s birthday is in December and he’s apparently never had a Hallmark moment.

 

The Losties have an uneasy truce between factions and are preparing for a confrontation.

 

We saw another Candle video. The guy spent a lot of time in front of the camera.

 

Whoa, this episode was a mind bender. If they jam this much into the last couple I may get brainpan overload, but I love it.