Lost clues: "The Man Behind the Curtain" ep. 20, season 3

Synopsis:

We get a look into Ben's past and our first introduction to Jacob.

In flashbacks, we see that Ben's mother died shortly after giving him birth. He wasn't born on the island, as he's said in the past, but in a forest off a highway near Portland, Ore.

Later, we see that a motorist who stopped to help Ben's parents has invited Ben's father, Roger, to the island as part of the Dharma Initiative. Under the impression he's to receive a respected position, Roger is angry to learn he's being made a "work man."

We see Ben growing and observe Roger's descent in alcoholism. Roger is cruel to Ben. He blames Ben for his wife's death. Sad and angry one night after his father has ignored his birthday, Ben runs into the jungle and sees a vision of his mother. He wants to be with her, but his mother says it's too early.

Soon after, still in the jungle, Ben encounters Richard Alpert, who evidently isn't with the Dharma Initiative, but lives among the people the Dharma settlers call "hostiles." Richard is very interested to hear that Ben has seen his dead mother. Ben tells Richard that he wants to leave the settlement and his father. Richard tells him this can happen, but it will take time.

In the present time, Locke catches up with the Others, demonstrating to Ben that he's killed his father. Ben seems shocked and disturbed. It's apparant that Locke has a hold over the rest of the Others. They know about his link with the island's powers and Ben is threatened by this.

Locke demands to be shown the secrets of the island and Ben brings him to an overgrown cabin in the jungle where Jacob--the person Ben apparently takes orders from--lives. But the cabin appears empty.

Still, Ben starts addressing an empty chair, saying he's talking to Jacob. He has a conversation with this invisible person--a bit like Norman Bates talking to his mother--and Locke gets angry. He says Ben is crazy. There's nobody there.

Suddenly, though, the cabin begins shaking wildly--there's some sort of disturbance. Heading toward the door and facing away from Ben, Locke hears a voice say "Help me. Help me." But he thinks this is Ben, playing more games.

Back in the past, we see a grownup Ben heading out on an errand with his father, still a lowly work man. They drive Roger's VW bus up to a bluff on the island and Roger opens a beer. Ben confronts Roger, saying that he, too, was sad about his mother's death and he resented the way he'd been treated. Then Ben puts on a gas mask and opens a canister of gas that kills his father.

We see Ben go back to the Dharma settlement, where everyone also has been gassed. Richard Alpert and some other hostiles are there, also in gas masks.

In the present, Lock and Ben are on their way back to the Others' camp, but Ben has led Locke astray. He brings Locke to an open pit containing the skeletal remains of the Dharma settlers. He pulls out a gun and demands to know what Jacob told Locke. Locke insists that it was Ben talking. Angry, Ben shoots Locke and Locke falls into the pit. Mortally wounded, Locke says that Jacob said "Help me." Ben seems disturbed, but says Lock is now beyond help, or helping anyone, and he walks away.

Back on the beach, Sawyer and Sayid confront Juliet and Jack with the tape recorder Juliet has been using to send messages to Ben. They out her as a spy.

However, Juliet tells Sawyer to play the other side of the tape. He does and everyone hears Ben telling Juliet that the Others plan to raid the beach camp and seize Sun and any other pregnant women. Jack says Juliet filled him in on this plan and that she's turned against Ben. Jack indicates he and Juliet have secretly been cooking up a plan to defend the camp.



Clues, observations, speculation:

* Someone could be seen sitting in Jacob's chair, very briefly. So Ben seems to be telling the truth when he insists that Jacob exists.



* What is Jacob? A ghost? Someone from the past or future who can only be observed by certain people?

* Is Jacob a future version of Locke? That figure in the pic above looks a bit like Locke, if Locke had hair.

* How did Jacob want Locke to help him, and why?



* What's up with the ring of dirt/whatever around Jacob's cabin? Is it meant to keep something in or out?

* Like numerous other people on the island--Locke, Kate, Jack, Sawyer, etc.--Ben has father issues.

* Why was Richard Alpert so interested in Ben? Did he realize that Ben has certain special abilities? Perhaps, because Ben saw his mother, Alpert figured Ben also might be able to see and communicate with Jacob.

* Alpert seems to demand Ben make a sacrifice in order to join the hostiles. He has to kill his father and betray the Dharma settlers, much as Ben insisted that Locke kill his own father.

* Who are the hostiles/Others? Ben mentions that they were the previous inhabitants of the island, before Dharma showed up. Where did they come from? Or are they a renegade group of Dharma settlers?

* What happened after Ben and the hostiles wiped out the Dharma settlement? How did whoever was observing the Dharma project from the outside react? How was Ben able to recruit people from the outside and bring them to the island? Why have the Dharma food drops continued?

* Is the gas that killed the Dharma settlers the illness that's been remarked on in past episodes? Perhaps Ben and the hostiles told the Dharma people on the Outside that a disease had wiped out most of the people. People on the outside may think Ben and his fellow hostiles are legitimate survivors of the illness and are still working for Dharma.

* Richard Alpert doesn't look like he's aged much. How come? Not enough makeup to make the actor look old in his present-day scenes, or does his youthful appearance relate to the plot of the show?



* Ben seems pretty worried when he learns a parachutist has land on the island.

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