4.09 - The Shape of Things to Come

Title’s significance: At first I thought it was another “LOST being metafictionally clever” moment since the rules have apparently changed and the incident with Keamy and Alex represents the way things are going to be. But it’s apparently a reference to an H.G. Wells novel written as a history book from the future.

Recap: The freighter’s doctor washes up murdered on shore just as Keamy forces Alex to deactivate the sonic fence. Ben barricades himself in his house after learning that the mercenaries are coming, and a rocket blows up Claire’s house just as Sawyer goes to rescue her. Fortunately, Claire’s okay, but Ben says that Jacob is the only person who can save them – and only Hurley knows how to get to him. Miles appears, bringing Ben a walkie from the mercenaries, who demand Ben’s surrender. Ben reconsiders when he learns that Alex is the hostage, but when he claims that Alex means nothing to him, Keamy calls his bluff and kills Alex. Ben retreats to his closet office and summons the smoke monster, which kills most of Keamy’s team. Daniel sends a Morse code message to the freighter asking after the doctor, but a reply says that the doctor is fine. Sawyer, Claire, and Miles abandon Locke’s team. In his flashforwards, Ben somehow appears in the Sahara and, after dispatching a few Bedouins, rents a hotel room. Ben visits Sayid during Nadia’s funeral, claiming he can find the man who murdered Nadia. Sayid agrees to help Ben in punishing Widmore. Ben breaks into Widmore’s penthouse and promises to kill Penny as revenge for Alex; the two also argue about who should possess the island.

Thoughts: Really just a knockout episode, and I wonder why Ben doesn’t get more centric episodes. Again, I’m surprised this episode wasn’t written by Damon and Carlton, since there’s so much of mythological significance in this episode – particularly the face-to-face between Ben and Widmore, which confirms a long-standing suspicion that the two are interconnected in some profound way. Michael Emerson is really an outstanding actor, and he shines in every one of his scenes, each of which is more emotionally wrought than the last. (Of sidebar but peculiar interest: Ben notes that Jacob knows the truth about the smoke monster – could it be his nemesis?)

Favorite moment: The standoff between Ben and Keamy, the alarming outcome, and Michael Emerson’s absolutely fabulous reaction. That, or the final showdown between Ben and Widmore.
Characters introduced (in order):

• ISHMAEL BAKIR, apparently Nadia’s killer

What we learned:

• Ben arrived in Tunisia in 2005.
• Nadia is dead.
• Sayid is working for Ben to avenge Nadia.
• Keamy’s team killed Karl and Rousseau, and Keamy personally killed Alex.
• Widmore “changed the rules.”
• Daniel reveals that he was never going to take anyone off the island.
• Jacob knows about the smoke monster.
• Widmore claims that everything Ben has, he took from Widmore.

Questions:

• How did Ben get all the way to the Sahara?
• What happened to Ben between December 2004 and October 2005?
• How did Nadia die?
• What’s this business about rules?
• How can the doctor be fine if his body just washed up?
• Just how far back do Ben and Widmore go?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Hurley says, “Australia’s the key to the whole game.” Is there some significance to the fact that the plane took off specifically from Sydney?
• I didn’t notice it the first time, but Claire suffers some head trauma in this episode. Could this be the reason she ends up seeing Christian later on in the season?
• Ben mentions “rules.” What are the rules, who made them, and what are the consequences for breaking them?
• After this episode, I’m dying to see some kind of final epic battle between Ben and Widmore – and either way, the survivors of Flight 815 come out the losers.