Executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse promise that every time the Smoke Monster is shown, audience members learns something new about its nature. Dead is Dead holds the most unforgettable learning experience thus far, and amazingly, even after several minutes of screen time, the Monster remains shrouded with mystery. All the same, don’t be surprised if our (potentially un)dead buddy Locke turns out to be nothing more than Smokey himself, or an apparition of some sort.
Seeing as the episode was labeled Ben-centric months ago, my expectations were high. Those expectations increased after reading the ABC press release for the episode, and again after I viewed two sneak peaks. (Here’s to a spoiler free season 6.) Needless to say, I was anticipating this to be the most fantastic mythological episode of Lost to date, and that expectation was met in full with a side of fries and a free small fudge sundae. All throughout Ben’s quest to find judgment, we’re filled in on crucial events of his past and given answers to burning questions. Not all pressing issues are resolved, but I was ecstatic to see more of Widmore’s past as leader of the Others, as well as his exhalation from the Island. Applause for the casting decision with middle-aged Widmore, too.
Lost is notorious for its unexpected twists and turns, layered stories and well-developed characters. Dead is Dead kept up with the tradition of injecting a compelling story with plenty of “holy shit” moments, and keeping in line with last week’s Whatever Happened, Happened, traditional flashbacks are the storytelling device of choice. I’m glad, too, because as big of a time travel fan as I am, paradox or not, the spacetime jumping takes more effort to follow. Dead is Dead, a classic model episode with jaw-dropping new on-Island experiences, was much easier to follow in comparison to the former half of season 5, and allowed for a lucid emotional connection with the characters, especially Mr. Linus. Damn me for saying it, but I’m getting sick of the 70s DHARMA drama. Let’s extract Daniel soon and hope that plot line is wrapped up before season 6 starts in 2010.
So what did we learn from Dead is Dead? Well, for one, I learned that life can be hard when you’re on the opposite end of Ben’s gun, but it seems to be equally as hard, if not harder, living the life Ben leads. Finally we get to see the truths behind all the stories Ben has told, or we at least get a peak at some truths. For all we know, Alex may have merely been a catalyst for Ben to manipulate Widmore out of his leadership role, thereby allowing him to contain Jacob (“Helllp meee.”) and focus on using the Island to pursue his own ends – resurrecting Annie? Hey… Where was she during this episode? That’s one thing to ask yourself, and here’s another: What lies in the shadow of the statue?
