Lost: Season 4, Episode 9 Review: The Shape of Things To Come
The Shape of Things To Come
Original Airdate: April 24, 2008
Writer: Brian K. Vaughn and Drew Goddard
Director: Jack Bender
Since his introduction, Michael Emerson as Ben has been one of the show’s greatest assets. He has become crucial to the story as a worthy adversary of the castaways and a counter to Locke, using his skills at manipulation to get what he wants. If this episode does anything, it solidifies Ben’s status as one of the most compelling characters on TV. This episode could be called “Michael Emerson’s Emmy Reel”. In addition, this first post-strike episode brings the show back with a vengeance: creating an atmosphere of dread, intrigue and a million questions as the stage for the series’ end becomes even more complex.
Ben is an oddity among the flash forward centric characters. With only one flashback episode to date, his back story is still ripe with unknowns to explore. The biggest problem with “The Man Behind the Curtain” was the flashbacks felt incomplete and may have suffered from significant cuts. While this episode doesn’t answer any questions posed by that episode, his future is more important in terms of the season’s story.
The questions come the second his flash forward begins. The clear implication is that Ben transported from the island, likely within a few days or weeks from current island time, to October 2005. How does Ben go from the island to the Sahara desert? His story about taking “The Elizabeth” is clearly false. The evidence indicates that he was transported to Africa. The big clues are the steam evaporating off his body, his look of shock and the Dharma parka he wears. The name on it, Halliwax, recalls the Orchid training video released at last year’s ComicCon. It may be safe to assume that the station can teleport objects like a human being. The station may be cold, or Ben was preparing to be transported somewhere cold. Some have guessed that the fluid he vomits is the same drink Richard gave Juliet before she arrived on the island, which may be an element in this travel. Ben’s position when he wakes up recalls Jack after the plane crash and Locke after The Swan explosion/implosion as well.
One can assume that when things get even worse on the island, Ben retreats to this station (it will be referred to as The Orchid only if confirmed on the show) and transports off. The polar bear in “Confirmed Dead” might’ve been chasing him, explaining the arm wound and how a Dharma polar bear wound up around the same location Ben did, albeit far enough into the past to die and decompose when an archeological dig finds it.
Ben is known for his constant manipulation and strategizing. Whether he’s the top of The Others’ food chain or regularly beaten to a pulp, he’s thinking of how he can use the situation to his advantage. No sooner does he arrive in the future and hear Sayid’s name on a television does he figure out how to use Sayid to accomplish his own goals. Some suspect that Ben put the hit on Nadia to persuade Sayid to join him. The problem with that theory would be how he could orchestrate it assuming he traveled ahead in time mid-crisis.
Sayid working for Ben in the future was one of the biggest shockers of the first half of the season. This episode explains how that happened: Ben manipulated Sayid, grieving over his murdered wife and life long love Nadia. Sayid’s major flaw has always been his habit of letting his emotions get the best of him, which is why he was such a brutal torturer. It’s evident when he gunned down Bakir, emptying his gun and continuing to pull the trigger (reminiscent of Jack Bauer doing the same to Victor Drazen in the first season of “24”).
Having Nadia killed off camera might’ve been the result of strike rewriting. Nadia was one of the first elements of Sayid’s character shown: she played a crucial role in getting him out of the Republican Guard and on to the island. It would make sense that we’d see her death on camera. Whatever the reason, it’s sad to see another romance end in tragedy. Obviously, “Lost” has gone into darker territory this season and that is just symptomatic of that.
In the present, the long awaited war between the castaways and freighties begins proper with the assault on The Barracks. Of course they exploit the Sword of Damocles hanging over Claire’s head by shooting a rocket through her home, only to have her survive with a few cuts and scrapes. Is this teasing meant to be similar to Charlie’s frequent brushes with death, or perhaps a hint that she is still alive in the future?
There is a moment of unintentional humor when Sawyer is attacked. The mercenaries kill three red shirts (one of whom actually had one on) with one kill shot each, but they can’t hit Sawyer even if he was leaning on the broad side of a barn. Considering the rest of the episode, Ben’s explanation that they wanted to rattle him enough to make him want to give up Ben makes it less silly than it comes off. If that’s the case, how do they know Sawyer’s personality enough to figure he’s the one to do that? With The Others, they had access to all the characters histories, but as far as we know the freighties don’t.
One has to wonder what the mercenaries’ plan was had they not encountered Alex since getting access to Ben hinged entirely on her. Many suspected Ben sent her into that ambush knowingly under the assumption that she would not be harmed because of “the rules”. Ben has always been in control, so this episode explores the moment when he loses that.
Each week I think they’ve finished raising the stakes, but this episode goes further. Alex’s murder makes the threat of the freighties real. Ben constantly warned Jack in the finale that contacting the freighter would result in the deaths of everyone on the island, so they had to produce some bodies when they arrived. Karl and Danielle were the first to fall in the last episode and now Alex. With uncertainty hovering over Jin and Claire’s heads, more will likely follow.
Alex’s death scene is unrelentingly intense. Audiences have been conditioned to expect the stand off to end without her being harmed at the last second, making that gunshot all the more chilling. Ben denying his love for Alex, with the cracks on his face evident that he is lying, being the last thing Alex will ever hear is heartbreaking. In this episode Michael Emerson did the impossible: he made us feel sorry for Ben. Of course it comes through Alex, a sympathetic character who didn’t deserve her horrid fate, but Emerson deserves major credit for that moment.
Despite being a big part of the public perception of “Lost”, the Smoke Monster hasn’t appeared much. However, when it does there is something to be learned about it. This episode explains that Ben has some control of it, ruthlessly unleashing it to tear the mercenaries apart. The secret room inside Ben’s secret room is also worth noting. With hieroglyphics and its design, it may connect with the various ruins seen elsewhere on the island. It makes sense that Dharma would want to have one of their homes connected to this room, especially if it can activate the Monster. There is also the question of Ben’s soiled appearance when he returns, which implies that the passage is unfinished or badly dilapidated.
Ben wanting to keep Locke and Hurley safe because of their connection makes sense, and may begin to explain why Hurley’s one of the Oceanic Six. Possibly Jacob would want someone he chooses to contact off the island when whatever bad events cause the Six to leave. Locke stays to protect the island directly and Ben abandons his plan out of self preservation by escaping to Africa.
On the beach, Jack’s taking the first steps towards the downward spiral he was engulfed in in the flash forwards. Knowing that episode, the signs, like the self medication in secret, are a cause for alarm. The other element occurs when Daniel confesses that the freighter crew has no intention of rescuing the castaways. Ultimately Ben and Locke were right that those on the freighter couldn’t be trusted and Jack, who against their wishes, insisted on calling them, has to live with that fact. Neither side ended up well in this situation, since those who tried to avoid the freighter just got massacred or are trekking through the jungle looking for the next step.
With the cast on the beach relatively small, Bernard gets a moment to shine when he calls out Daniel’s lie about the message the freighter relayed. Considering his age, he might’ve used morse code in combat (his age makes him a likely candidate for a Vietnam veteran). Whatever his connection, it makes sense the castaway to suggest using morse code would know what was being sent. His character has been defined largely through Rose, who hasn’t been seen since the premiere, so this is a great way to get him into the story and flesh him out more.
With all the talk of time irregularities and travel, perhaps the people on the freighter aren’t lying about what happened to the doctor and that he is still alive in the freighter’s timeline. There have been several references to time working differently off island. Perhaps he’s killed towards the end of the season, but the body finds itself ashore now.
The final scene with Ben and Widmore raises the stakes higher while giving us some insight into their relationship. It seems that Ben and Widmore were once on friendly terms, but that changed when Ben “took” the island. This changes the context of the purge. What was once a war between the natives and an invading force is now seen as a power play: Ben’s fell swoop to take the island and cut Widmore off from it.
Some have theorized that Widmore is one of the “hostiles” or original inhabitants of the island much like Richard has been theorized to be. Perhaps Widmore was a mentor to Ben, who he betrayed to have more control over the island. The past relationship they had could be why they follow rules of engagement over the island. It may explain why Ben can’t kill Widmore, but can go after Penelope in retaliation for Alex. Some have theorized that Widmore and Ben are each others constants, which may be interesting. The history behind this relationship will likely be a major element of the series from here to the end.
It’s worth noting that Widmore doesn’t have control of the island in the future. Since the end of the finale, it’s been assumed that the freighties had control of the island and that Jack felt the need to rescue the castaways from the police state the mercenary side created. Perhaps the ordeal of this season has caused the island to wage war against the people on it. Whatever it is, it adds another level to the Oceanic Six mystery.
As if the episode didn’t raise the stakes enough, Ben closes the episode by threatening to kill Penelope out of revenge. Desmond and Penelope had enough going against them, but now we have to worry about Penelope’s survival on top of Desmond getting off the island. Many fans are hoping for a happy ending for this couple and they are certainly making sure they go through hell before they can find happiness. With several romances ending in tragedy, this one would cause a major uproar if it did the same. It does give Desmond, the other major player in this story, a huge motivation. It also may play into Sayid should Ben leave it to him to do it. Sayid bonded with Desmond over being away from a woman they loved in “The Constant”, and Ben coercing him to eliminating Penelope may be a turning point in his future timeline. There’s potential for some great showdowns and drama here!
This episode is another knock out. The momentum in the series doesn’t miss a beat despite the writers’ room being closed because of the strike or the series being off the air for over a month. The episode is a showcase for one of the strongest actors and characters in the show, solidifying his status in the series presumably through the end. The war is on and if this episode and its title are any indicator, there’s going to be some dark stuff ahead.
Ben is an oddity among the flash forward centric characters. With only one flashback episode to date, his back story is still ripe with unknowns to explore. The biggest problem with “The Man Behind the Curtain” was the flashbacks felt incomplete and may have suffered from significant cuts. While this episode doesn’t answer any questions posed by that episode, his future is more important in terms of the season’s story.
The questions come the second his flash forward begins. The clear implication is that Ben transported from the island, likely within a few days or weeks from current island time, to October 2005. How does Ben go from the island to the Sahara desert? His story about taking “The Elizabeth” is clearly false. The evidence indicates that he was transported to Africa. The big clues are the steam evaporating off his body, his look of shock and the Dharma parka he wears. The name on it, Halliwax, recalls the Orchid training video released at last year’s ComicCon. It may be safe to assume that the station can teleport objects like a human being. The station may be cold, or Ben was preparing to be transported somewhere cold. Some have guessed that the fluid he vomits is the same drink Richard gave Juliet before she arrived on the island, which may be an element in this travel. Ben’s position when he wakes up recalls Jack after the plane crash and Locke after The Swan explosion/implosion as well.
One can assume that when things get even worse on the island, Ben retreats to this station (it will be referred to as The Orchid only if confirmed on the show) and transports off. The polar bear in “Confirmed Dead” might’ve been chasing him, explaining the arm wound and how a Dharma polar bear wound up around the same location Ben did, albeit far enough into the past to die and decompose when an archeological dig finds it.
Ben is known for his constant manipulation and strategizing. Whether he’s the top of The Others’ food chain or regularly beaten to a pulp, he’s thinking of how he can use the situation to his advantage. No sooner does he arrive in the future and hear Sayid’s name on a television does he figure out how to use Sayid to accomplish his own goals. Some suspect that Ben put the hit on Nadia to persuade Sayid to join him. The problem with that theory would be how he could orchestrate it assuming he traveled ahead in time mid-crisis.
Sayid working for Ben in the future was one of the biggest shockers of the first half of the season. This episode explains how that happened: Ben manipulated Sayid, grieving over his murdered wife and life long love Nadia. Sayid’s major flaw has always been his habit of letting his emotions get the best of him, which is why he was such a brutal torturer. It’s evident when he gunned down Bakir, emptying his gun and continuing to pull the trigger (reminiscent of Jack Bauer doing the same to Victor Drazen in the first season of “24”).
Having Nadia killed off camera might’ve been the result of strike rewriting. Nadia was one of the first elements of Sayid’s character shown: she played a crucial role in getting him out of the Republican Guard and on to the island. It would make sense that we’d see her death on camera. Whatever the reason, it’s sad to see another romance end in tragedy. Obviously, “Lost” has gone into darker territory this season and that is just symptomatic of that.
In the present, the long awaited war between the castaways and freighties begins proper with the assault on The Barracks. Of course they exploit the Sword of Damocles hanging over Claire’s head by shooting a rocket through her home, only to have her survive with a few cuts and scrapes. Is this teasing meant to be similar to Charlie’s frequent brushes with death, or perhaps a hint that she is still alive in the future?
There is a moment of unintentional humor when Sawyer is attacked. The mercenaries kill three red shirts (one of whom actually had one on) with one kill shot each, but they can’t hit Sawyer even if he was leaning on the broad side of a barn. Considering the rest of the episode, Ben’s explanation that they wanted to rattle him enough to make him want to give up Ben makes it less silly than it comes off. If that’s the case, how do they know Sawyer’s personality enough to figure he’s the one to do that? With The Others, they had access to all the characters histories, but as far as we know the freighties don’t.
One has to wonder what the mercenaries’ plan was had they not encountered Alex since getting access to Ben hinged entirely on her. Many suspected Ben sent her into that ambush knowingly under the assumption that she would not be harmed because of “the rules”. Ben has always been in control, so this episode explores the moment when he loses that.
Each week I think they’ve finished raising the stakes, but this episode goes further. Alex’s murder makes the threat of the freighties real. Ben constantly warned Jack in the finale that contacting the freighter would result in the deaths of everyone on the island, so they had to produce some bodies when they arrived. Karl and Danielle were the first to fall in the last episode and now Alex. With uncertainty hovering over Jin and Claire’s heads, more will likely follow.
Alex’s death scene is unrelentingly intense. Audiences have been conditioned to expect the stand off to end without her being harmed at the last second, making that gunshot all the more chilling. Ben denying his love for Alex, with the cracks on his face evident that he is lying, being the last thing Alex will ever hear is heartbreaking. In this episode Michael Emerson did the impossible: he made us feel sorry for Ben. Of course it comes through Alex, a sympathetic character who didn’t deserve her horrid fate, but Emerson deserves major credit for that moment.
Despite being a big part of the public perception of “Lost”, the Smoke Monster hasn’t appeared much. However, when it does there is something to be learned about it. This episode explains that Ben has some control of it, ruthlessly unleashing it to tear the mercenaries apart. The secret room inside Ben’s secret room is also worth noting. With hieroglyphics and its design, it may connect with the various ruins seen elsewhere on the island. It makes sense that Dharma would want to have one of their homes connected to this room, especially if it can activate the Monster. There is also the question of Ben’s soiled appearance when he returns, which implies that the passage is unfinished or badly dilapidated.
Ben wanting to keep Locke and Hurley safe because of their connection makes sense, and may begin to explain why Hurley’s one of the Oceanic Six. Possibly Jacob would want someone he chooses to contact off the island when whatever bad events cause the Six to leave. Locke stays to protect the island directly and Ben abandons his plan out of self preservation by escaping to Africa.
On the beach, Jack’s taking the first steps towards the downward spiral he was engulfed in in the flash forwards. Knowing that episode, the signs, like the self medication in secret, are a cause for alarm. The other element occurs when Daniel confesses that the freighter crew has no intention of rescuing the castaways. Ultimately Ben and Locke were right that those on the freighter couldn’t be trusted and Jack, who against their wishes, insisted on calling them, has to live with that fact. Neither side ended up well in this situation, since those who tried to avoid the freighter just got massacred or are trekking through the jungle looking for the next step.
With the cast on the beach relatively small, Bernard gets a moment to shine when he calls out Daniel’s lie about the message the freighter relayed. Considering his age, he might’ve used morse code in combat (his age makes him a likely candidate for a Vietnam veteran). Whatever his connection, it makes sense the castaway to suggest using morse code would know what was being sent. His character has been defined largely through Rose, who hasn’t been seen since the premiere, so this is a great way to get him into the story and flesh him out more.
With all the talk of time irregularities and travel, perhaps the people on the freighter aren’t lying about what happened to the doctor and that he is still alive in the freighter’s timeline. There have been several references to time working differently off island. Perhaps he’s killed towards the end of the season, but the body finds itself ashore now.
The final scene with Ben and Widmore raises the stakes higher while giving us some insight into their relationship. It seems that Ben and Widmore were once on friendly terms, but that changed when Ben “took” the island. This changes the context of the purge. What was once a war between the natives and an invading force is now seen as a power play: Ben’s fell swoop to take the island and cut Widmore off from it.
Some have theorized that Widmore is one of the “hostiles” or original inhabitants of the island much like Richard has been theorized to be. Perhaps Widmore was a mentor to Ben, who he betrayed to have more control over the island. The past relationship they had could be why they follow rules of engagement over the island. It may explain why Ben can’t kill Widmore, but can go after Penelope in retaliation for Alex. Some have theorized that Widmore and Ben are each others constants, which may be interesting. The history behind this relationship will likely be a major element of the series from here to the end.
It’s worth noting that Widmore doesn’t have control of the island in the future. Since the end of the finale, it’s been assumed that the freighties had control of the island and that Jack felt the need to rescue the castaways from the police state the mercenary side created. Perhaps the ordeal of this season has caused the island to wage war against the people on it. Whatever it is, it adds another level to the Oceanic Six mystery.
As if the episode didn’t raise the stakes enough, Ben closes the episode by threatening to kill Penelope out of revenge. Desmond and Penelope had enough going against them, but now we have to worry about Penelope’s survival on top of Desmond getting off the island. Many fans are hoping for a happy ending for this couple and they are certainly making sure they go through hell before they can find happiness. With several romances ending in tragedy, this one would cause a major uproar if it did the same. It does give Desmond, the other major player in this story, a huge motivation. It also may play into Sayid should Ben leave it to him to do it. Sayid bonded with Desmond over being away from a woman they loved in “The Constant”, and Ben coercing him to eliminating Penelope may be a turning point in his future timeline. There’s potential for some great showdowns and drama here!
This episode is another knock out. The momentum in the series doesn’t miss a beat despite the writers’ room being closed because of the strike or the series being off the air for over a month. The episode is a showcase for one of the strongest actors and characters in the show, solidifying his status in the series presumably through the end. The war is on and if this episode and its title are any indicator, there’s going to be some dark stuff ahead.
Overall Score: 10/10
posted by Matt @ 5:55 PM
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