The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham

[colette h]

This episode seems to be a very important episode. Its title seems to give away a little too much. I suppose it is as deceiving as a good title should be. We already know quite a few things about the central character of this epi. Please, Lost writers, surprise me.
Colette
http://miceandchips.com/bluemood

[mtj]

We know the "whats" not the "whys".
We know Locke/Bentham visits each of the 06 and Walt.
But not what he tells them about the "why" of them returning to the island.
Except for Sun, it's not clear how Locke convinced the rest of them that they must return.
I don't think we will get all of the answers in this episode.
Just some of them.

[Thor Twain]

I saw some preview clips that surprised me. I think it'll surprise everyone else, too.

[colette h]

I certainly was surprised. I love ghost stories.
Colette
http://miceandchips.com/bluemood

[annsensei]

I thought it was interesting that widmore was the one that named john and gave him help / money. I like that they brought abbadon, who told john to fo on the walk-about, back to guide him again. I'm glad that john didn't REALLY commit suicide, even though he was about to try.

those cops that investigated should be fired!!!

[robinsnest]

Just a few confusing items... ok there are more but... Locke was still bruised and all from the car crash, I can understand "Mortuary Makeup" hiding those wounds for a bit, but back at the island all facial wounds are gone, why?
And then there is the broken leg, he broke it while on the island, it was set in a cast, which was removed at the Mortuary, then back at the island the broken bone is fixed?

[Thor Twain]

It was funny he named him Jeremy Bentham. He was the exact opposite of John Locke in real life. He believed in the ends justify the means, for example, if you hurt one person, but it results in the good for a great number of people, then it was ethical and moral.



Also, the real Jeremy Bentham, well, I'll just copy and paste this from Wikipedia:

As requested in his will (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_(law)), his body was preserved and stored in a wooden cabinet, termed his "Auto-icon". Originally kept by his disciple Dr. Southwood Smith (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Southwood_Smith),[13] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham#cite_note-12) it was acquired by University College London (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_College_London) in 1850. The Auto-icon is kept on public display at the end of the South Cloisters in the main building of the College. For the 100th and 150th anniversaries of the college, the Auto-icon was brought to the meeting of the College Council, where he was listed as "present but not voting".[14] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham#cite_note-13) According to the university, it is a myth that the Auto-icon casts the deciding vote in meetings in the event of a tie.

The Auto-icon has always had a wax (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wax) head, as Bentham's head was badly damaged in the preservation process. The real head was displayed in the same case for many years, but became the target of repeated student pranks including being stolen on more than one occasion. It is now locked away securely. [15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham#cite_note-14)


Gross, huh? But it does sound a bit like John Locke, being carried around while dead.

[colette h]

The real Bentham story seems to have inspired the LOST writers! And they are prankish too.

[colette h]

In this episode Ben is even worse than I thought he was.
Col
http://miceandchips.com/bluemood

[mtj]

Re-watching this show once again, I noticed several things.
I think the most key thing is that Christian told Locke that he had to bring back EVERYONE who left.
And Locke didn't.
That being the case, the results become "unstable" as E. Hawking said.
If Cesar isn't working for Widmore, I will eat my hat.
There is a scene when he is going through the Dharma office where he looks at a Life Magazine, circa 1950's, and the cover is about the hydrogen bomb.
I'm starting to wonder if old Jughead blew after all, and that is "the incident" and that is why women cannot carry to term on the island.
I wish I could figure out what time frame Marvin Candle figures in.
Because "the incident" happened before/during his time.
Cesar was also looking at space/time maps.
Widmore was 17 when he met Ben in 1954.
That puts him at age 67 in 2004.
Widmore told Locke that he was "their leader for decades".
Even if he only meant two decades, that is twenty years.
That puts him at 37 in in 1974.
So I'm guessing that Sawyer, Juliet and Jin "landed" in the part of 1974 that Widmore was not in.
In other words, Widmore left the island right before the time those three traveled back to.
Richard, Widmore and Ben all seem to want the O6 back.
That makes me wonder if they are all working against some force that we don't know about yet.
Locke says to Abaddon, "Your job is to get people to where they need to get to? Well I need to get to her. (Helen)"
I think that Helen's death was totally faked.
I think that Widmore was concerned that if Locke and Helen got back together, Locke would not want to fulfill his destiny.
I see a Locke/Helen reunion somewhere down the line.
And ahem, notice that right after Abaddon lies to Locke about Helen's death, he gets killed.
Naughty, naughty, Mr. Abaddon.
And then Locke gets into an accident that leads him to Jack at the hospital.
It seems that both Ben and Widmore have been watching the O6'ers, so it is hard to tell which one of them is behind which event.
Locke's suicide attempt was a result of his feeling as though he had failed.
And that is a recurring negative thought in Locke's life.
It's almost like it was set up that way.
My big question is, why was the mention of Eloise Hawking's name the impetus for Ben to strangle Locke?
And interesting exchange was the one between Locke and Jack where Jack says "None of us were ever important. Maybe you aren't important either. Maybe you are just a lonely old man."
What changes Jack's mind?
Another interesting exchange is Sayid to Locke, "Why do you REALLY want to go back? Because you have nowhere else to go?"
Interesting the order in which Locke asked to see people.
Sayid first, Walt second, Hurley third, Kate fourth, Helen fifth and he ends up with Jack last.
Finally, I found it significant that Locke threw away the cell phone Widmore gave him right before he climbed up to hang himself.
Ah well, on to "Namaste".