What did you think? Rate it and then discuss the good and the bad. :)

I am speechless

Absolutely a 10. Speechless is a good word for it. I'd say this was the best of the season.

Wish the ratings went higher than 10. I am truly blown away. I didn't expect this. This is the first time I've ever felt compelled to get in touch with my Lost homies right after an episode. Geez...

Why isn't there an 11?

Wow... just... wow.

100000000/10

wow.

incredible

I was disappointed - I wanted more answers. Ageless Richard was cool - Maybe It's Maybelline - but this crap about invisible Jacob was so lame. I despise Ben now and have more good reasons to do so. What about the Dharma mission? Not much was revealed about it in a flashback that should have.

I am really shocked to find that so many people enjoyed this episode. I thought that it was terrible. No substance to it at all. An awful lot of no-brainers were confirmed, but we didn't receive any information about the Others that was interesting. I guess that I out grew ghost stories a long time ago.

The only redeeming thing about this episode were the actors performances. Terry O'Quinn in particular, is always a pleasure to watch. Hopefully the ghost of Grizzly Adams will swoop in and save Locke at the last second, so that we can continue to enjoy TOQ's performances for the remained of the series.

10/10

I thought it was absolutely brilliant. I sort of knew Ben was evil, but tonight he made "Rev. Jimmy Jones" look like a boy scout. I don't think Locke will die. I really enjoyed he and Ben's interactions tonight (I always do), however, I beleive Locke is just as manipulative as Ben is; his charcter is complicated. I think his con is to act stupid in order to acheive a more important goal. A sacrifice for "The Greater Good" perhaps? He seems to always be playing chess, a game between him and Ben would be better then watching a game of Kasparov against Fischer. I still don't trust Juliet and question Jack's motives...Did not like Sayid and Sawyers reactions to Jack when he said "still haden't decided what to do" in reaction to Juliet's confession. I would have thought they would have said something more....I LOVED the preview for next week. I can't wait!

I am really shocked to find that so many people enjoyed this episode. I thought that it was terrible. No substance to it at all. An awful lot of no-brainers were confirmed, but we didn't receive any information about the Others that was interesting. I guess that I out grew ghost stories a long time ago.

The only redeeming thing about this episode were the actors performances. Terry O'Quinn in particular, is always a pleasure to watch. Hopefully the ghost of Grizzly Adams will swoop in and save Locke at the last second, so that we can continue to enjoy TOQ's performances for the remained of the series.

I'm with you on this LISE. If this is the last we see of Locke - this was not a good way to send him off. The whole scene in Jacob's cabin - WEIRD! I'm thinking along the same lines Locke is - this guy is "nuts". (and not in the Good way!)

I was disappointed - I wanted more answers. Ageless Richard was cool - Maybe It's Maybelline - but this crap about invisible Jacob was so lame. I despise Ben now and have more good reasons to do so. What about the Dharma mission? Not much was revealed about it in a flashback that should have.

You so read my mind when you wrote your post. I'm just so sad right now, I don't know what to do. Am I the only one that found it a little weird to go hiking 7 months pregnant??? Maybe I was a lazy pregnant woman :redface:, who knows. MOST OF I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THE JACOB STORYLINE!!!!!!!!!! For some reason it feels like TPTB still won't give concrete answers/resolution to certain things, hence the invisible Jacob. I'm going to go pray, because I should not be so emotional involved in anything on Earth this much. After all, it's just a show and IMOP they proved it tonight.

I had a feeling people would love this episode but I strongly disliked it. I gave it a 4. The only reasons I didn't rate it lower were these: Michael Emerson and TOQ are good actors. Learning a bit of history of the island is interesting. The Ben's Mom=Whispers=Smokey is cool.

Other than that? Totally fell flat for me. I cannot believe that was the best they could do for a Ben FB. He's the most interesting and unknown character and we got hardly any answers. And more importantly, the information we got was boring to me. Just plain boring.

I HATED the Jacob scene. It was cheesy and too supernatural for my tastes. It was just horrible.

The mass grave upset, and the way Locke died was lame. I hated Locke so I don't care that he is gone, but it will be a drastically different show without him.

And the lack of Beachie stuff was horrid. Claire, Kate and Sun deserved more screen time reactions. Charlie and Sawyer and Jin too. They deserve to show their concern for their women. That just stunk for me.

Whispers rule, so they redeem the episode. Oh, and Richard Alpert was very cool. I forgot about him. Ok, so maybe this episode was really a 5 because I seriously want to know if he is freaking immortal or something and now why he is Ben's subordinate.

10

That episode was insane. By far the creepiest and freakiest episode. The ending was totally unexpected, but I don't think Locke is dead. Not by a longshot.

If I could rate this episode a 20, I would. Amazing.

10

Somehow, they surpassed last week's episode. Holy crap. Might be the best hour of television I've ever watched. I was glued to the set, especially during the cabin scene.

I can't write anymore because my brain is putty right now, but I applaud them for this one.

100000, seriously this episode was perfect on all levels. Amazing, loved the Jacob mystery. The best hour of tv this season so far.

Can I give this ep an 11 or a 12? WOW.

MOST OF I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THE JACOB STORYLINE!!!!!!!!!! For some reason it feels like TPTB still won't give concrete answers/resolution to certain things, hence the invisible Jacob.
Well, that Jacob is real, and that he is "invisible" is a pretty concrete answer. Unless you're looking for complete answer to Jacob, in the same episode in which we first "meet" him, which wouldn't make much sense. OTOH, we were given the complete answers as to Ben, where he came from, and what his nature is, that he truely is a liar and a killer, moreso even than most of us would have imagined. We got the complete answer to the nature of the purge. We got the answer that Mikhail was never really dead. (And we now know that three different Losties are capable of beating him up.) And we got to see Darma in action, which was very cool. And we also saw that the Others are pretty much ready to follow Locke instead of Ben. 10.

omg I am shocked. I am totally speechless. This was such a good episode. I rated it a 10 but I wish I could go higher.

And seriously there was a lot of answers for one episode so I don't know why some people are complaining so much. Lost still has

3 more seasons to go, if they gave us all the answers right away everyone would stop watching it.

This makes me wanna watch it so much more. But I hope Locke is not dead. Locke brings so much to the show.

I thought it was extremely good. I'd rather have supernatural ghost stories than time travel, but then again, I'm weird like that.

Here's what I think the deal with Alpert is: The man that found young Ben in the Jungle was Jacob, he looks like Richard because he's Richard's father. Jacob was the leader of the "hostiles", the original inhabitants of the island, who despised DHARMA and all of its technology.

After The Purge, Jacob's wife gave birth to Richard, at which point Ben realized he wasn't going to move up the ladder in his new society either; baby Richard would inherit Jacob's throne. So, Ben probably murdered Jacob and someone, somehow smuggled the baby out of the island or Ben wasn't capable of killing him and sent him away with someone he trusted (Tom? Mikhail?) to watch him like a hawk. Ben kept tabs on Richard and probably orchestrated his entire life.

He then began his power move telling everyone that baby Richard was dead and Jacob was heartbroken, didn't want to get out of his cabin, relayed instructions to him, and so on. The "hostiles" probably believed him for a while, but when people began getting too suspicious, Ben probably arranged for their demise.

Meanwhile, whatever DHARMA was doing on the island caused the increase in sperm production and death in pregnant women, so the tribe started to die out. This is when Ben decided to use DHARMA left over installations and bring outside researchers to fix the problem.

...Holy S***!

Incredible.

other than the horrible acting in the flashback (beyond subpar), it was a good episode for bringing more esoteric elements into the story (FINALLY). the house scene was a little Disney Haunted House-like.. but ill take it for now as long as the violence of 'this magic' grows. haha

10

I AM ON FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!:jump1: :jump:
This was the GREATEST episode EVER!
It raised more questions than I could talk about in a THOUSAND threads!
The shack scene was the creepiest thing I've seen in years!
I've seen the screencaps of the fleeting image of the man in the chair! I'm with those who say it's Locke with hair & a beard! Could it be a future Locke? There IS some kind of time paradox going on on that island!

And the teacher talking about the island being volcanic? I think I know now why they have to resolve the story in the next three seasons:
I believe the series finale is gonna have the island destroyed by a volcanic eruption!

I loved this one- it was very Twin Peaks. I gave it a 10 and I hardly ever do that for any of the episodes.

"The Man Behind The Curtain" - 7/10

I really don't know what it is about these Locke/Ben episodes but none of them have really captivated me ("Lockdown", "The Man From Tallehasse", "The Brig" and now "The Man Behind The Curtain"). I have felt that the current arc of Locke being integrated into the Others' society has been really self-contained and hasn't really effected the Losties in any way (other than Locke giving Sawyer the tape). Also I feel that this "Jacob" mystery storyline has been very downplayed so far and now that it has finally come to the fore I ask myself - Am I really that concerned about WHO Jacob is and WHAT his relationship is with Ben?

Either way if Locke is dead, which I highly doubt, then two episodes of this season have been wasted. If they were going to kill off Locke at the end of this mini-arc then I would have expected to have the entire catalogue of Othery secrets revealed to me.

I liked how the whispers have finally come into play in a major way, as I am now pretty certain that Jacob is "dead". But otherwise the whole of the island A plot was very slow. I think my main problem with these 2 episodes is that they have been far too Other-centric at this point so close to the finale. The reactions of the castaways to Juliet's "betrayal" was far more important to the story - at this point - than who Jacob was.

I think that my problems mainly stem from "The Brig" being self-contained when the flashback scenes from that episode could and probably should have been fitted into other episodes to explain Locke's disapearence (and build the Jacob mystery).

Anyway I loved the flashbacks! Although I'm sad that we didn't see an adult Annie at some point, are we meant to question whether she survived the purge or not?

8 only because I didn't like the ending

This is the first fully justified 10 of this season. Simply mindblowing.

I gave this one a 6, and I was that generous only because TOQ is always a pleasure to watch. Locke was interesting in this episode. Other than that:

* Found most of the episode dull. So Ben had Daddy issues - not surprising on this show. Too much time on the flash-backs in this episode.

* Ben's a lying, cold-blooded nutcase - also not surprising.

* A change of leadership seems imminent in the Others' camp - go Richard, Tom and Alex! (Love Alex!)

* A change of leadership SHOULD be imminent in the Losties' camp - Jack is even more toolish than usual. HE "didn't know what to do about it?" Heaven forbid anyone else might have some ideas... that is, IF he had bothered to tell them there was a plan to attack the camp. The people there who actually HAVE a uterus might like some say. Considering it's all about them, they have a right to know. WHY are they still following this guy? WHY am I still watching a show where the writers consider this character some sacrosanct hero, never held accountable for his arrogance? And WHY am I watching a show in which women are voiceless?

* Completely agree with comments by lostinthesoutheast, semisan and LostLaura in the Didn't Love It thread on the above, and to the effect that the beach scenes felt short-changed. Those are the people I CARE about, and I would have liked to see Sayid's or Kate's reaction upon hearing that tape for the first time. And would certainly like to have seen some confrontation of Jack over his withholding information about an imminent attack.

* Enjoyed the Sayid-Sawyer team, would like more of that.

* Also enjoyed learning the history of the van the boys had a fun day with.

* Mikhail lives? Guess the fence was set on "stun" then. :rolleyes:

* Invisible Jacob was laugh-out-loud ridiculous. He doesn't like technology? "Help me." Whatever.

* Richard not aging = most intriguing element in the episode for me. Dharma's Life Extension Project?

* Locke should heal in no time... right? If the island could fix his crippled spine, a bullet wound should be nothing. Pfft! Then Ben will go down and a new King of Krazy shall reign.

* We saw a bit of Dharma, but learned essentially nothing about "the hostiles"... so we're right back at the beginning.

* "So... don't you people want to be rescued?" Welcome Naiomi... voices of sanity are in short supply here. Too bad you're a woman though... but hey, Jack will carry your dynamite for you 'cause he's gets all paternalistic about little ladies needing protection. If you want a gun, you'd better ask Sawyer to get it for you. :rolleyes:

Bloody Hell !!! that was brilliance at it's best :biggrin: :biggrin:
and Ben the bloody phoney :mad: I really really hope he dies soon, he's a bad one through and through :mad:
Excellent ep can't find enough good words to say about it,
Amazing, fantastic , awesome, brilliant , exciting , tremendous .
I guess I liked it a lot, lol.

Great episode, a 10 in my book, I certainly was shocked, but hate the fact that Locke is shot. I cannot stand it. The episode had me on the edge of my seat and it was fantastic until the end that is. Then I hated it of course! Locke has to be okay.

*shouts in her best Carrie Ann Inaba voice*

10!!!!!

That was, without a doubt, the best episode of Lost ever (except for the pilot). Any doubts I had about the show and thoughts about no longer watching have completely disappeared. I agree with some of the comments about some of the episode dragging – mainly the first half of it for me. But once we got to adult Ben, his allegiance with the hostiles and then the shack scene....I was glued to the TV.

The scene in the shack with Jacob was the creepiest thing I have ever seen. And when Ben shot Locke….my jaw seriously hit the floor.

Erm... 10... what other number could there be for such an episode??

All the way 10. I loved this episode. I am finding that I am more interested what is going on outside the beach camp more and more. I was dying to know about the Dharma Initiative and, for the most part, my curiousity was qualmed. Ben is so cool. I know he's bad, blah blah blah, but he makes for a great villain, even though I wouldn't mind seeing him overthrown by Tom/Alex/Richard.

Speaking of Richard. It's official he is the new island hottie. Wow! I definitely hope he becomes a reguler character. And finally after 3 seasons of hating him, Jack is fast becoming one of my favorite characters. I love what they have done to him.

I rarely bestow a 10, but this episode deserves it and then some.

Thank you Insiderscoop for not giving too much away this time, because it was well worth the surprise, shock and awe.

Chelly, I agree...I have never given an episode a 10 on this site, but I believe MBtC deserves it just as much as ME deserves an emmy for this episode. For, me this episode had more WTF moments than any other episode since. Is it a bad sign for our 'lagers that my favorite episodes this season have neen 'Not in Portland', 'The Man from Tallahassee', 'One of Us', and now 'The Man Behind the Curtain'? All of them Others-centric...

BTW, was anybody else expecting to see the kid as Jacob? (Woulda explained the whole Alpert/aging issue, and be another example of an identity Ben stole.)


ME=Emmy!

I loved loved the episode BUT thought it was a cop-out to portray Jacob as an invisible man. The scene where Ben shoots Locke ......I was stunned!

B.R.I.L.L.I.A.N.T.

A total 10 from this DOLT, who sat quietly and totally dumbfounded for a good five minutes before I was able to move after this episode. Yeah, even though I saw Alex's look when she gave Locke the gun I should've been prepared... but, just like John, I trusted the Island... :( But maybe not all's lost...

Wow... if the quality of episodes is THAT high already with two more episodes to go... the finale is going to be absolutely, truly, madly mindblowingly fantastic.

All I have to say is WOW! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and my heart was pounding through most of it. I can't wait to watch it again! One of the best episodes ever!

Probably the best episode ever, I gave it a 10 and ***Mod edited***

This is episode was such a 10! My head is still spinning. Had insomnia last night thinking it all over...the last time I had insomnia over this show was early season 1.
I don't get what everyone on this thread is being critical of...good writing always takes a twist and gives the audience something UNEXPECTED. Like polar bears in the jungle or hunters in wheelchairs. That's what makes this show so addicitng. Who saw Jacob the Invisible coming? Not me. That's what is so delicious about it. Hip hip hooray to the writers!

I would have to put this episode on par, if not slightly ahead of Walkabout which was in my opinion the best episode of the show. Just stunning. Great writing, great charecter insight, great story progression. Simply stunning.

As I said before, I think this episode is excellent, just wanted to post something I someone post on aintitcoolnews, in their talkback:

Anyone who doubted this show is hanging onto some weak threads when they criticize Lost these days. I am among those who was unimpressed with the mini-season last fall, but I trusted that there was a purpose behind those episodes and the rest of season three has shown that there definitely WAS a purpose. I think if Lost had followed the schedule of 24 (like it plans to for season 4) the first 6 episodes would have not been as weak as they were on their own. Lost is easily the best show on television, and they have shown that over the last two months. I only hope that a certain new NBC show that some people are anointing as the best show of all time (of which I am a fan) will end up being on the same level as Lost. As for tonight, I was pissed when I thought that Ben was just insane, but I think there is something to Locke seeing the vision or whatever the brief view of Jacob was. It was the perfect combination of a LOT of revelations about the show and mind-:censored: ing the audience, which I still love, because it brings me back to season 1 of the show while still feeling fresh.

I couldn't agree more with this.

The empty chair scene was by far the creepiest TV moment I have ever witnessed (right up there with the beeping of the radar when the Others came for Walt in season 1).

I hated how Locke died. He was really one of the few interesting characters left, and now he's dead. This means that if Charlie dies, we're stuck with the Jack-Kate-Sawyer hour for a whole new season. Seriously, killing an A-Team member with so much more story potential just for shock value was a bad idea. Also, the whole Spooky Haunted House of Jacob was silly. I laughed out loud when Ben started talking to a chair, and the whole house shaking like a cheap Halloween house didn't make it any more believable.

On the other hand, Ben's flashback was informative and well-done. I liked finding out the fate of Dharma Initiative and how Ben got on the island.

Simply...amazing...

Wow, what an episode, acting, directing...THE SHACK SCENE.

I thought it was all fantastic, i usually hate child actors but Young Ben was decent, although i didn't think the baby delivering scene at the start of the episode was that acted out that great, although it was directed well making you think they were on the island at first.

Ben's flashbacks were decent, they helped flesh out some of his story, how he got there (sort of), that was a member of Dharma, how the purge occurred, which btw was a fantastic scene. Ben walking back in his gas mask, everyone dead, closing that mans eyes - powerful stuff there. Absolutely no filler in this episode, not sure why people seem to think the beach scenes were, they were important in setting up the next episode and the finale (Which, if it's better than this episode, and the writers seem pretty confident it's fantastic, then it will be the greatest episode of LOST ever).

Getting to the shack scene, the build up was fantastic, the dialog between Ben and Locke was - as always, wonderfully cryptic, and then Locke came across what seemed to be a salt circle, and it was so intriguing, all sorts of ideas were popping into my head then. Then they got to the shack, a really creepy eerie atmosphere, and that really weird sound in the background, the lighting. Then the hysterical scene with Ben talking to the chair, i really thought Ben was insane for a moment, OR putting on an insane act to avoid showing Jacob to Locke. BUT THEN they flashed that image of the man in the chair, and boy...that just screwed up my mind. Best creepy scene in LOST ever anyone?

Then the dialog leading up to Ben and Locke over the graves was fantastic yet again, with Ben delivering that line to Locke about him being clever enough to side with the hostiles, and avoiding death, and then he said Locke wasn't. BOOM, great scene, but i think it's slightly predictable that Locke isn't dead, well because he was breathing at the end of the episode, and the shot was below any critical organs, as well as Ben's line about Jacob saving him.

LOST just doesn't get any creepier than this, Stephen King should consider watching this episode. 10/10 from me, best episode of the season by far. A few answers, loads of more questions as usual (but i love it!).

BTW, i'm not sure if i'm crazy but in that Jacob scene, did anyone keep hearing that rattlesnake kind of sound the monster does during that scene...maybe i just watch a little too much LOST...

Excellent epi! The Lost creative team has really stepped it up a notch during the latter half of this season!

A definite 10. It has to be the best episode of the season, if not the series at this point. Edge of your seat, speechless episode.

THIS IS LOST!!! I NEEEEED MORE!

so good! keep it coming!!!!!

First of all, ME and TOQ are great actors and anytime that we get to see them on the tv screen, well, it's a good thing. I don't think that Locke is dead, now I'm a little more coherent and it's not late at night. That being said, I was initially bummed that it seemed that that was the end of Locke and TOQ on LOST. After I thought about it, I realized that would be too ridiculous for Locke to die in a pit, so I'm convinced that he will "rise above the ashes" and challenge Ben for the leadership of the Others.

I have to admit that I was disappointed that we didn't find out that much about the DI. I know that it was Ben's fb, but I expected to find out more about what he might have seen go on. Even though I don't think that killing your father is a good thing, even if he is a jerk, it seemed strange that Ben would be okay with helping kill the other DI people. I know that Richard Alpert and the Island Others killed most of the DI people and Ben wasn't directly involved in their deaths, well, I felt that something was missing from that part of the story. I missed why the two groups couldn't co-exist on the Island...

I gave it an 8 because I thought that ME and TOQ were exceptional, but if I could change it, I think that I'd lower it to a 6. I love LOST, but I felt that this episode wasn't as informative as I had hoped. I felt like there were peices missing that should have been in the episode...

My ratings go to 11. Blown away. All the haters can watch something else - I don't want to hear it.

The Locke and Ben scenes were a 9. The flashbacks were about a 7 or 8. The beach scenes were a 5. Overall a very solid 8.

This episode is getting the most 10's of any Lost episode and deservingly so

This was my favorite episode so far I hope it is indicative of the season finale because if it is we are about to see the best finale yet.

~~Tom Zarek~~ Everything that has happened before will happen again...

Drew Goddard Cuse *snerk*

I thought about it, and I just couldn't find any flaws in this episode to give it any less than a 10. I was thrilled to see the Dharma Initiative in its heyday. It'll be interesting to see where the "Hostiles" got their own weapons from. I am assuming that Ben supplied them with the gas canisters and masks himself.

All the haters can watch something else - I don't want to hear it.


This thread is the place for everyone to share their opinions. If you don't care to read anything negative, then you should probably stick to the "loved it" thread.

I for one, hated it and am floored to see that so many people liked it. But then again, I was never a fan of the X-Files either or Ghost Whisperer. I tend avoid shows that dwell on the supernatural. I believe in ghosts, but I'm not interested in seeing them glorified on T.V. I think that it boarders on occultism.

Aside from that, Ben's flashback was really boring. And the beach scenes were frustrating. I was super disappointed that we weren't allowed to see anyone's reaction to listening to tape. Why even go there if you are going to cut out the most interesting scenes? :confused: And while it is true that Ben's shooting of Locke was surprising, no one really believes that he is being killed off, so it just came off as a cheap shot for the mere sake of shock value.

I am still a fan of Lost, but suddenly, with a single episode, I feel as though I have been freed from my addiction. Hopefully, though it will just be a temporary release. ;)

In different ways, this episode and "Expose" have been the best of season 3. "Expose" had me laughing so much, my face was wet with tears, and it was filled with "mystery" clues. This episode was a little less dense in mystery clues, but it was a chiller.

Robert

A 108 out of 10. IMO the BEST eppisode of lost ever. For about five minutes after it ended i was breathing into a paper bag. I love lost.

Well, that Jacob is real, and that he is "invisible" is a pretty concrete answer. Unless you're looking for complete answer to Jacob, in the same episode in which we first "meet" him, which wouldn't make much sense. OTOH, we were given the complete answers as to Ben, where he came from, and what his nature is, that he truely is a liar and a killer, moreso even than most of us would have imagined. We got the complete answer to the nature of the purge. We got the answer that Mikhail was never really dead. (And we now know that three different Losties are capable of beating him up.) And we got to see Darma in action, which was very cool. And we also saw that the Others are pretty much ready to follow Locke instead of Ben. 10.

Bravo!!!

The folks that seem to dislike this show because it's a let down to them or they already had it all figured out should maybe stop reading spoilers and such and just let the show happen. It makes it very enjoyable for me to just let it happen. No spoilers here... I don't even know the name of the episode or who it's going to be about until it has started.

Excellent episode!!!!! More More!!! :biggrin:

7/10.

I'm sorry, but I just wasn't feeling it last night. In fact, I think it was the Jacob scene that blew it for me. Now, I will admit that it was freaky and unexpected - what I like in Lost episodes - But this was borderline ridiculous. I didn't know if I should be scared or laugh. When it cut to commercial, I looked at my brother and just said, "Okaaaay..."

I'm a huge Lost fan and will not stop watching for any reason, but some episodes are better than others, and this was one of those others.

I did, however, like the end. I've never really been a Locke fan, so it was good to see him go (if, in fact, he is "gone"). I do feel really bad for Terry, though, if that's the case. I respect and admire him as an actor. But maybe it's not the end for Locke. Maybe Jacob will save him like Ben said. IF Jacob is real. :biggrin:

Didn't there use to be a checkmark for "best hour of TV ever broadcast"?

I thought LAST week was a 10, but this was the very first LOST episode that gave me a nightmare afterwards.

I think Alpert may have been the weirdest part of the episode. And I can't wait to see what happened to the mysteriously disappearing Annie. And was Ben's mother Smokey or what? Isn't she the first dead person we've seen whose body was not on the island? Or maybe she was Jacob? Or Alpert?

And Jacob!!!!

There has never, ever been anything else like LOST. I can't believe I was starting to lose faith right around "Stranger in a Strange Land."

My thoughts after watching...

What?! Who the...? Uhhhhhh.... Wow.

Before I had a chance to be disappointed that Jacob wasn't fully revealed, I began to process all of the information from the rest of the show. One of the things that I love about LOST is that I walk away and hours later I'll think about it. I find myself pondering the many mysteries of the island as I'm falling asleep. It intrigues me as much as it frustrates me. I love it!! I'm so helplessly hooked. :biggrin:

After a second viewing of last night's episode, which this particular episode definitely required, it really was fantastic.

If you take a look at what we know about the island thus far, last night's episode was not all that outrageous. We know that the Dharma Initiative began as a think tank and facility to study the island. We know this because the Asian man in the film (sorry forgot his name) advised them on the video when Ben first arrived with his father as a young boy that there were unexplained occurrences on the island that didn't occur anywhere else in the world. Like supernatural kind of stuff? Like life-altering kind of stuff? Back from the dead type of stuff? That's what I'm thinking.

Now, we also know that the Dharma Initiative intruded upon the "Hostiles" land, ala the Native American v. U.S. calvary scenario. The Hostiles didn't like it. They didn't like the experiments, the sonar fence, the homes, etc. The big question is WHO are the Hostiles? Good or Evil? If the island is truly supernatural or other wordly, then it would seem to me that the Hostiles may be manifestations of that power. I don't think that the Richard that young Ben met was present day Richard's father. I don't know why but I believe that it's possible to not age on this island. I haven't really had a chance to absorb all that info yet.

The one thing I do know is that Ben became indoctrinated and/or brainwashed by the Hostiles into murdering all the Dharma Initiative members (I wonder if this includes Annie). I'm guessing the Hostiles can't be all good if they have no problem with mass murder and patricide. Either way, Richard was clearly the leader, with Ben as a second man to him. One thing is certain: Ben is evil. His "We are the good guys," is completely bogus.

Now, Locke is a character that fascinates and frustrates me at the same time. I don't hate him, but I don't love him either. He is really a brilliant man at times and other times he is naive and immature. He is both dangerous and cowardly. All these light and dark aspects of him is very interesting, and Terry is absolutely superb. I don't really understand why the island wanted Locke as a leader, if that is the case, since I don't consider Locke a very honorable or even heroic man. From leaving Boone to die in order to return to his hatch to his last act of the emotional torturing of Sawyer in order to murder his own father makes Locke look almost as evil as Ben, although Locke hasn't tipped towards mass murder. Maybe the island wants an evil heir, especially if mass murder is okay with it. I hope not. I don't want Locke to become as evil as Ben. I don't want Locke to become evil at all.

The Jacob scene, I think, was actually quite well done. Think about it - no one has ever seen Jacob except Ben, and who's to say that Jacob WOULDN'T be an incarnation of something supernatural. I mean, just look at the island itself. Do you think Smokey is something that can be explained with science? I think Jacob and Smokey are one in the same. A part of the same supernatural force. Just like Smokey only appears to certain people, Jacob only appeared to Ben - and now to Locke. I think that's brilliant. I think the whole set up in the cabin was great. At first, I really thought that Ben was a complete and utter loon when he was talking to the empty chair, but then when you hear those words "Help Me" in that creepy deep voice, I KNEW that there really was something in that room. Great stuff.

Ben didn't like that Jacob had revealed himself to Locke. Ben liked being the top dog, and he didn't want to share his power with anyone. This leads us to the shooting of Locke. Sorry folks, there is NO WAY that Locke is dead. If Mikhail is alive (and I don't think I believe the sonic fence wasn't turned up all the way explanation), plus all the healings, then Locke is certainly going to survive.

Finally, the beach scene: I can't believe that some thought that what we saw last night was the WHOLE conversation. There's going to be more. The writers are simply building up the drama for the last two episodes. I mean, the beach scene ended a good 20 minutes before the episode ended. Jack's comment that they have some catching up to do, imo, will happen next week. (Just my opinion; there's too much to discuss.)

As for Jack and his secrecy, sorry folks, but EVERYONE is keeping too many secrets. This isn't something that only pertains to Jack. Let's recap, shall we:

Jin, Sayid, Desmond, Charlie, and Hurley are all keeping Naomi a secret from ALL the Losties. Why have they taken it upon themselves to decide who knows what and why? Kate's right. The rest of the Losties deserve to know the truth about her and more importantly, the information she carries about a possible rescue waiting offshore.
Charlie, Jin, Hurley, and Desmond know that Mikhail is alive. You don't think that Kate and Sayid would be very interested in that information considering that they watched Locke shove him into a sonic fence and then watched him implode? I don't recall that information being shared either.
And what about that pregnancy equals death information? Did Sun ever tell her husband about her possible impending death? Did Kate tell anyone? I know Jack got blamed for not saying anything, but why didn't Sun tell her own husband? The secrets go on and on, and frankly, I think if the Losties have any chance of surviving, they need to start trusting and confiding in each other, and yes, I'm including Jack in that mix. They are all guilty of it, including Sayid; he's not innocent of it either.I gave the episode a solid 8. I think it answered a ton of questions, and it also gave us an idea of how things began on the island, what changed, how Ben came into power, and what might be occurring on the island.

I can't wait for next week!

Maxum, as always, your analysis is top notch!

Wonderful episode but if Locke is dead (and lung-punctured Naomi is healthy), so is Lost...:mad:

Oldwiz

10. Incredible.

This was a great episode, it showed Ben being a great liar and manipulator and belongs to a mass murdering group of people. I rarely give an episode a 10, this one was one of them.

I gave it a 7 It was very interesting, and kinda wierd. I like that. I hope Locke isn't dead. And I really can't see him being killed off so soon but, who knows.

9.3 This is the kind of stuff that I expect Lost to be about. Regardless of how well the characters interact with each other, the show is about the Island and that's what we are finally starting to get back into after weeks of lame Others stuff. The only critical thing I have to say is that the confrontation between Juliet/Jack and the rest was a bit ridiculous. No one would have accepted Jack's explanation after hearing that tape.

I loved it and gave it a 10. It had all the things about LOST that I love and while I know some are upset about the beach scenes, or lack thereof, other than setting up for next week, the episode could've done without them so as far as I'm concerned they served their purpose. Sayid almost looked relieved when he heard Jack say he hadn't figured out what to do about it "yet". They didn't want to believe he'd turned on them, they need him, need to depend on hte calmness he instills in people, need to believe in the "idea" they all have of Jack. I thought it played out quite well.

Gave it a 7. Acting was stellar as usual, however the Jacob "reveal" was stupid, and some one (turned out Locke obviously) being shot during that last scene was predictable.

Awesome! I gave it a 10.

There was total silence in the room when the episode ended. We were all speechless! Best hour of TV this year!

I gave it a 10 also. I gave last week's episode a 10 because I thought it was amazing, but this one is even better yet.

Locke and Ben have totally energized this show...this epi was so bizarre and creepy on so many levels...Terry and Michael should get some series Emmy buzz for their work the last few episodes.

8. The episodes have been getting better and better lately, so my expectations have been raised, and Lost still hasn't failed me yet. :) The thing that I love about Lost is that it gets me thinking, I like that it confuses me, and this episode keeps me thinking. I still have no idea who Jacob is, and it might be a while before I figure it out. I doubt that Locke will die -- it seems like everything is working in favor of him surviving, from what I've read of the boards -- but there's always a chance, there's supposed to be a shocking death this season and his could be it. Locke is pretty awesome though (despite his actions at times) so I'd hate it if he doesn't survive.

tuesdaymorning, you're supposed to spoiler font the part about shocking death in your post

OK Terry O'Quinn always amazes me. He can make the viewer empathize with what he feels ALWAYS. He is truly underrated but never unappreciated by us fans.


As for the rest I still want to haul off and belt Jack right in the mouth. SORRY I just can't stand someone who puts my safety on the line and says some smack like IT WAS FOR THE GREATER GOOD.

The epi. had SOOOO many twists I found it fascinating. Hurley's old hippie van being the one Ben killed Daddy in. Ben killing off Dharma followers. WOW what a stone cold megalomaniac he is.


I think the absolute BEST part is that apparently Ben can't HEAR Jacob like Locke could. He killed ( or tried) Locke out of jealousy because if Locke could hear the whispers that meant Locke really was part of the island and he could shut Ben out and Ben's followers would not believe the Wizard of OZ any more and see he was a man behind the curtain.

Best episode so far because they revealed so much!!!

All hail Locke and Ben and the magnificent actors that play them. What a terrific....and frankly pretty scary....episode. It was on a par with Desmond in the hatch at the start of Ep2 for me. A truly great episode.

I gave it a 9: marvellous episode!

I gave it a 9. Excellent episode, which has me re-watching bits of previous ones. Like when "ageless" Richard says to Locke that he never gets tired of the view, no matter how many times he's seen it (in The Brig). How many times *has* Richard seen it?

It makes the VW bug episode much more relevant than just a feel-good romp. It makes me want to watch Maternity Leave and Not in Portland again. It explains why Ben is so keen on Locke showing commitment by killing his father. It has spawned discussions of the timeline of Inman and Mikhail's station duty.

A great episode provides answers, ties things together, and then opens another intriguing can of worms. This did it all.

It was just wierd.

weird but intrigueing, and fufilling

Wow! Awesome episode! I just love Ben! He's so evil!!!!

An excellent episode. I was blown away literally by the ending. Ben is very evil, for the lack of a better word.

Well, that Jacob is real, and that he is "invisible" is a pretty concrete answer. Unless you're looking for complete answer to Jacob, in the same episode in which we first "meet" him, which wouldn't make much sense. OTOH, we were given the complete answers as to Ben, where he came from, and what his nature is, that he truely is a liar and a killer, moreso even than most of us would have imagined. We got the complete answer to the nature of the purge. We got the answer that Mikhail was never really dead. (And we now know that three different Losties are capable of beating him up.) And we got to see Darma in action, which was very cool. And we also saw that the Others are pretty much ready to follow Locke instead of Ben. 10.

Honestly I don't think that anyone can say what Jacob is or is not at this point, the ep did not give enough to draw a real conclusion. IMO he seemed to be a ghost or spirit :rolleyes:?? Who knows??? However if he is a ghost or something like that , my interest is extremely decreased. Just not my thing, but more power to TPTB for their vision. In respect of Ben, the episode seemed to only conform what we all have known for a while now. HE'S A LIAR AND A KILLER!!!!!!!!!!! I guess we didn't see that coming??? We did not find out the complete answer to the nature of the purge. Did Ben carryout the purge because he hated his father??? Hhmmm, just thought there could have been more on the nature of the conflict btw Dharma and the hostiles? Are we to believe that this all took place because Ben had a *** for a father? Maybe we are, however it didn't add up to me. I'm glad most people enjoyed the episode, but I'm also very sad to realize that my time with Lost is drawing to a close. Will continue to watch, but it doesn't seem to be working out btw myself and Lost. We might need to take a break...:eek2:.

Ok, so I have been a lurker for a few years around here, and feel I have to finally post this. During Jacob when they are in the house and everything gets crazy you catch a glimpse of a person in the chair. I slowed it down on my HD DVR and see what appears to be locke wearing a wig. After alot of watching you also see a close up of an eye. After much comparison the eye appears to be Richard's. Locke and Ben both have blue eyes. The close up eye is brown. I found another picture on the web of richard and the eyes and nose match. Weird huh? I feel that Jacob is Richard.

Ok, so I have been a lurker for a few years around here, and feel I have to finally post this. During Jacob when they are in the house and everything gets crazy you catch a glimpse of a person in the chair. I slowed it down on my HD DVR and see what appears to be locke wearing a wig. After alot of watching you also see a close up of an eye. After much comparison the eye appears to be Richard's. Locke and Ben both have blue eyes. The close up eye is brown. I found another picture on the web of richard and the eyes and nose match. Weird huh? I feel that Jacob is Richard.

very interesting. Those few seconds went by so fast, so I didn't bother to pause it and just assumed it was Locke...but I'll check soon.

Gave it a 10. I rarely give 10's, but this episode deserves it. Great writing, excellent acting, and lots of information. I was shocked by how good this episode, and sure that Jacob thing was kinda ... you know wtf but I did like the rest of the episode.

By the way, how many years ago do you think the hostiles killed the Dharma Initiative? I guess it had to be at LEAST 10, because Ben actually had a good head of hair. :eek2:

I actually really liked it. A LOT

A blazing masterpiece in my book, easily one of the best episodes ever. A dark, bleak, death-obsessed episode, just like I like 'em, no pathetic Hurley-related "cimedy" bits to attempt to lighten the mood for a bit. I hadn't been this excited about an episode since Man of Science, Man of Faith promised us Hatch information, the Ben-related stuff was everything I was hoping it would be. I'm going to have to change some of the quotes in my signature, though! :)

I was finally able to catch up since work has had me on the road, and Holy Cow. This epi had me jump off the sofa and turn on the lights when I heard that voice. I was like watching a really good epi of Twilight Zone and here I am sitting at home along in the dark..not good.

It was so close to perfect, I gave it a 9. I took one point off for slamming my head against the wall, at the end, when the LOST logo came up. I was expecting the ending surprise answer that they have been doing lately.

(back after a long hiatus of useless studying:undecide:)gave it a 10
i just cant handle all the answers in such a short time..they ve stuffed last two epis with all the breathtaking mindblowing cuts and answers, weve been waiting three seasons for,and its just too much for me.TMBTC was the best Lost epi so far,after Man of Science Man of Faith.Its just that im too anxious and stressed to take it all at once ,that im really left behind at times.
I JUST HOPE LOCKE IS FINE AND DANDY,OR ITS GONNA BE TOUGH TO COPE:frown:

blown away by the ending! great ep!

This is my first post here and I'm gonna give this episode a 9. The only part I found frustrating was the "invisible" Jacob part. But that will probably turn out to be a deeper plotline in the end, so that's kinda irrelevent.

IMO this was the best episode in ages.

I gave this a big 10 ! We finally got some answers.....and thats just what keeps me going back to view week after week, that and the fab acting.

Not sure if anyone else has put this in a thread anywhere, but did anyone else think that "Jacob" looked like Picket? I have a theory that Ben was just trying to fool and scare Locke with all the weird noises and lights, bit like Jacob Marley's ghost really wasnt it? - but to what ends I have no idea (as per usual!) - it was just so nice to finally get the truth about Ben and his lie about being born on the island - I found myself shouting at the TV in the hope he might hear me !!!

But please please please dont let Locke die now - surely someone will come to his rescue? Totally fab acting for Terry O'Quinn again.

I am amazed at how many people gave this one a ten. It did make me want to rethink my 9. I guess I believe that Ben is not the most compelling character on Lost...while he is a good actor, he comes across as a pompous actor at times. The entire ending was off the charts, no doubt. I missed Jacob's profile when watching initially; it was only when my girl pointed it out--she was grossed out by what she thought was a mangled face and we debated over whether that was true--that I went back and found it in the online video. Everything was awesome except I am not so sold on Ben.

Is this second half of the season incredible, or what? They are destroying the 1st half in quality!!

AMEN
IC

a first class episode all round - just goes to prove - LOST is the best!!!

IMO, the best episode episode of Lost ever..........except for the ending....surprise, Ill give it that, but ughhh im still in shock........Awesome episode

Geesh! That was excellent. This is the first episode we've given 10/10. We've watched it three times so far, and it's just as good each time.
One thing that helped make it so enjoyable was the top-notch performance by the young man. He really sold it.

Yes, the little guy did a wonderful job.

I gave it a 5 because it left me with more questions than answers, again. And the Ben fb's were not what I would have expected, more unresolved daddy issues is getting lame. :undecide: . The ending left me very depressed, as it will probably take until next season sometime to pick up where that storyline left off. Will we find out if Locke is really gone any time soon, the way it's been playing out, probably not.

Im sorry but episodes dedicated to invisable people dont amuse me. Talk about marvel comics.!

I think this is the first epi I've ever given a 10. Awesome, creepy, unbelievable. I haven't been this amazed by Lost since "Walkabout".

Best episode ever!

Really liked the eppy. Its setting it up for a great finale. 10/10

I gave it an 7. There were both good and bad:

The good:

Ben as a kid, I actually like the little fella, would like to see more about his little girlfriend. Too bad his dad was a jerk, but hey, on this island who doesn't have a dad that is/was?
Jacob - all I can say is, wow. Can't wait to see more on that, but it throws a whole new level of wtf in there doesn't it?
Locke and Patchy - Now that was just some of the best fighting on this show I've ever seen. Locke wasn't putting up with anything getting in his way, and the way he forced Ben's hand, masterful.
Dharma - I loved the whole little hippy science commune thing...dying to see more.
The Others - I might be out of the loop, but deep inside, I still kind of thought that they saw themselves as noble beings. They're killers, with a veneer of normal. That was so creepy, i loved it.

The bad:
When are we going to get a solid answer to one of the long term questions?
Locke getting shot, wasn't expecting it which is good in my eyes, but I'm just not sure how TPTB are going to get him back. Just seems a little cheap to me.
When are the Losties just going to sit down and talk things through completely? I'm so tired of them keeping their little secrets, when the things they know are so bloody important to all of them?!?
Who are the hostiles, where did they come from, and why did they take down the Dharma folks? It just keeps getting dragged out.

Over all, this was one of the best, but it didn't quite meet expectations, and for that, i can't give it highest marks.

Amazed!!

I have to give it a ten.For me, it was one of the best episodes this season.Love the scenes between Lock and Ben :thumbsup:
And the Young Ben was brilliantly cast :clapping:
I hope we have another Ben flashback next season :malelove:

definatly the best episode of the seasonJacob is not an alien, hes a question for season 4

It was a brilliant episode a 10/10 episode... its a shame i watched it at 2.30am

Absolutely....100%....my FAVORITE episode of LOST EVER. The Looking Glass ROCKED but for now....I'll love this FOREVER. I can't wait to see who you guys cast as Jacob.

I rewatched this episode last night and I gave it a 9. I really enjoyed it and I really love scenes between Locke and Ben. I hope we see more of them in the next season.
It was great to see the Dharma people on the island although I still really want to find out what they were doing there. I also thought the young actor that played Ben did a terrific job. I hope this isn't the last Ben flashback as there is still so much more I want to know! :)

give it 10/10 ....superb !!!
ben and locke in jacob's resident scared me but i like it.
anyway, want to smack Jack in the face when he told sayid the reason he didn't tell the losties is because he didn't decide to do anything yet. what a man...

Jack does alot of things that make me wanna smack 'im these days...

This is my favourite episode for season 3. I love to see a lot of Locke, and I love it when he interacts with Ben. Jacob was so spooky! It's fun to have a new mystery to think about over the summer.

10/10, Top 10 Episodes Of Lost. My Favorite Parts Were Jacob's Close Ecounter, The Purge, Ben's Flasbacks...everything.

I was slightly disapointed. The scene with Jacob was scary but wth??? he's invisible???
I expected more of the flashbacks. what did we really learn that Ben wasnt born on the island and his mother died and father is the skeleton that was in Hurley's VW...we still dont know who the Dharma people really were or more importantly what they were doing there. Ben is a scary scary dude for killing them though.
I loved the end when Ben shot Locke.

INTENSE. Really liked the stuff with childhood Ben, that kid is a good actor. Also the stuff that happened where Jacob was was pretty freaky. The Ben and Locke dynamics were really interesting. Also Juliet finally started to tell us what's up. A definite 10 for me.

Yeah, but whats the deal with Jack. I mean he has been the unofficial leader of this merry gang for 3 months. And yet he doesnt see fit to tell them about the others plans.

Awesome, 100000000000/10

This was honestly my favorite episode of Lost. I loved Ben's flashbacks, especially finding out some of the reasons why he is the way he is now. I can't wait to find out the significance of the volcano!