Dead is Dead

From LOST

Real World article
(written from a Production point of view)

Dead is Dead

Season	5

Episode	12

Air Date	April 8, 2009

Writer(s)	Brian K. Vaughan Elizabeth Sarnoff

Director	Stephen Williams

Flashback	Benjamin Linus


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Prev: Whatever Happened, Happened Next: Some Like It Hoth

After "breaking the rules" by returning to the island, Ben must atone for his past and present sins by summoning and facing the Monster for judgment. Aiding him on this bizarre quest is John Locke, the man Ben supposedly killed as a catalyst to return to the island.

[edit] Summary

Following the final scene of the previous episode, "Whatever Happened, Happened", Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson) wakes up after being knocked unconscious by Sun-Hwa Kwon (Yunjin Kim) in the episode "Namaste". He is greeted by John Locke (Terry O'Quinn), whom Ben previously murdered prior to their arrival on the smaller island adjacent to the main island on Ajira Flight 316. Ben tells Locke that he has broken "the rules" by returning to the island, after he left it in the episode "There's No Place Like Home" and that he must be judged by the the Monster. Locke agrees to accompany him to the main island. Before leaving, Ben retrieves a picture of his adopted daughter Alexandra Rousseau (Tania Raymonde) from his old office at the the Hydra Station. Ben also tricks one of the other survivors from Flight 316, Caesar (Saïd Taghmaoui), and steals his shotgun. When Ben and Locke try to leave the smaller island on a canoe, they are halted by Caesar, whom Ben suddenly shoots in the chest.

In flashbacks, Ben's relationship with Alex is shown. First, in 1988, he kidnaps Alex as a baby from her mother Danielle Rousseau (Melissa Farman), whose life he spares. He returns to the Others' camp with the baby, which disappoints their leader Charles Widmore (Alan Dale), who wanted Ben to kill both mother and daughter. Sometime later, Charles is banished from the island. Before he leaves the island by submarine, Charles tells Ben that Ben will ultimately be banished as well because he was unable to sacrifice Alex's life. Following Alex's death and his leaving the island, Ben confronts Penny Widmore (Sonya Walger), Charles's daughter, and shoots Desmond Hume, her husband. Ben is about to shoot Penny when he is distracted by her son Charlie, allowing Desmond to get the jump on Ben and severely beat him.

Upon arriving on the main island, Ben and Locke travel to the DHARMA Initiative's barracks, where they find Sun and Flight 316 pilot Frank Lapidus (Jeff Fahey). Sun shows him the photograph of Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox), Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly) and Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia), who have traveled back in time to 1977 and joined the DHARMA Initiative. Sun also tells Ben that Christian Shephard (John Terry) instructed her to wait for Locke because together they will be able rescue the others from the past. Frank decides to return to the smaller island, where he is taken hostage by Ilana (Zuleikha Robinson) and the other 316 survivors. Meanwhile, Ben, Locke and Sun travel to a temple belonging to the island's native population. After traveling beneath the temple, Ben is separated from Locke and confronted by the Monster, which replays several of Ben's memories of Alex. The smoke dissipates and Alex appears to Ben, telling him to follow Locke's lead without question. Ben agrees and his life is spared.

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"I'll be seeing you... Boy."

- Charles Widmore (to Ben)

"What is it I was supposed to do?"
"Kill it!"

- Ben and Charles Widmore

"How did you get this number?"

- Charles Widmore

[edit] Background Information

[edit] Dramatis Personae

[edit] Guest Starring

[edit] Co-Starring

[edit] Uncredited

Kevin Durand as Martin Keamy (archive footage)