The Heat is On

Kate starts stripping on the beach…well kinda. She looks over at Jack and waves. He goes to his "medicine cabinet" aka suitcase. He grabs some pills. Kate asks if he has a prescription for that. And she thinks he looks terrible. She wants to know what they are. He says antibiotics. He has a stomach bug. She suggests they eat crackers.

Kate wants to know why Desmond and Sayid aren’t back from the boat yet. Jack gives her a positive speech about the engines being down and they’ll be back soon. They stop their conversation when they hear Bernard screaming for help.

Outside a body washes on shore. Vincent keeps barking. The body doesn’t look familiar to me but then again, there is something about him. Oh wait. Faraday and Charlotte know him. He was on their boat. He’s the doctor. And he wore glasses, right? Funny how accessories can make the man.

In one of the compound houses, Hurley says they are all going to die. Sawyer says to calm down. Locke says it’s Sawyer’s choice to make. Ha ha…they are playing Risk. Things on that side of the island seem a little more "good times."

Meanwhile, Alex is blindfolded and being led through the woods by some gunmen. They ask her to turn the security fence off. She says they need to be careful. There is a baby with her group. She punches in a code.

Locke’s phone rings. Sawyer and Hurley look at each other. When Locke answers the phone the operator says Code 14J. He says that he thinks the phone is for Ben.

Ben is playing piano in his place. Locke, Sawyer and Hurley bust into the place. Locke asks what Code 14J means. Ben grabs a gun and tells them to go to the other house for shelter. Then he says, "They’re here." Who’s here? Hmmm…not Ben’s friends. Speaking of, where is Richard and company?

Attack!!

Flashback/Flashforward. Ben wakes up in the middle of the Sahara desert with a Dharma Initiative jacket on. Hmmm…he begins choking and he has a cut on his arm. Some guys ride up on horses with guns. They are speaking another language.

Ben asks if they speak English. One guy gets off the horse. He has been take off the jacket and pats him down. He finds something…Ben acts as if it’s innocent. Then he uses it to take their guns and kick their arses. He uses their turban to bandage his arm (just plain rude…give those men some dignity to die by). Then he steals a horse…and he’s off in the sunset. A weirdo John Wayne.

Sawyer wants to know what this system means. Ben tells them exactly what happened. Alex didn’t unlock the fence – she unlocked it and tripped the alarm. Ben wants to know how long from the phone call until they found him. 5 minutes. So they have less time to prepare. Sawyer asks questions but then runs off to find Claire. Meanwhile Ben says Locke needs to survive this. And to do that Locke needs to stay close to Ben. The people coming are after Ben. He also reveals to Locke and company that he sent Rosseau, Alex and Carl away the day before.

On the beach, Jack examines the body of the doctor. His throat was slit. He wants to know everything Faraday and Charlotte know about it. He asks when the last time they saw the doctor was. Faraday says that depends on their version of time.

Juliet asks if there was any luck fixing the satellite phone. Faraday says no. But he can use it as a telegraph with some supplies. Bernard helps solve the problem by pitching some ideas and Kate says she’ll take Faraday to the plane for parts. Jack asks if Bernard has a second to talk. Hmmm…mysterious. Cryptic. Very Lost-like.

At the house, Ben is barricading Locke and himself inside. Locke asks if Ben is scared of these people and he says yes. Hurley is holding the baby in the house and asking what’s going on. Locke yells at him to get away from the window.

Sawyer is running through the compound. Shooting. Some of the random Losties are dying when Sawyer tells them to seek shelter. You know…those random extras. The ones we don’t’ care about. They are more like scenery. Sawyer is getting shot at and he takes cover by a picnic table. He calls for Claire. He keeps barricading himself with objects. As he’s about to reach Claire’s house, it’s blown up.

Under Seige

Flashback/Flasforward. Ben walks over to some outdoor cafÈ/hotel in Africa. He asks for a room. The hostess asks if he’s ever been to Tunisia. And he says it’s been a while. And he’s actually a preferred guest in this hotel. His name is Dean Moriarity. He gives her his passport. She looks something up, and she looks back at him strangely. Then she says right this way. She seems frightened. He asks the date and year. He’s in 2005. So we’re in a flashforward…flashback? When did the plane crash? 2004. Ben gives her a creepy smile and takes his keys upstairs. The TV is on and Sayid is walking away from the news camera. Ben stares at the TV very angrily.

On the island, Aaron is crying. Locke asks what Ben is worried about. They are trying to frighten him into surrendering. Locke tells Hurley to get the baby away from the window. Ben explains why Locke needs to survive. The only person who can help them is Jacob. And Locke says he doesn’t know where the cabin is. But Ben says Hurley knows. So it seems they are saving only those necessary to find Jacob. Hmmm….

Meanwhile, Sawyer goes into the wreckage of the blown up home. He sees a body and it’s Claire. She’s still alive!!! She says something about Charlie. Then asks about Aaron. Sawyer picks her up and carries her. He calls for them to open the door at their shelter. Ben and Locke tell Hurley not to help. But it’s Hurley man. So he throws an ottoman at the window. Sawyer hands Claire over and crawls in through the window.

Sawyer says these people just started shooting – no warning. He doesn’t understand what they are doing. Ben explains that they’ve come for him. Sawyer is about to kick Ben’s butt, but the doorbell rings. Sawyer starts opening the door and Miles enters into the room. Guns are all on him. Miles has a walkie talking saying people are calling and they want to talk. Ben refuses until he finds out that their hostage is Alex.

Another One Bites the Dust

Flashforward. In Iraq, people are carrying a coffin. A photo of the woman is displayed. Sayid’s love? Ben gets out of a car and goes up the stairs of a building. Man, Ben is a world traveler. He’s been to way more places than me. For a crazy, he certainly gets around.

At the top of the building he takes in the view and photographs it. Some bald guy is drinking coffee and watching the funeral. The guy looks familiar. Meanwhile, Sayid is carrying the coffin. Ben gets a picture of him. Sayid spots Ben. Ben goes down the stairs to escape. He goes into an alley. And Sayid tackles him. He wants to know why Ben is following him.

Ben says he wants to find the man who murdered Sayid’s wife. Sayid wants to know how Ben got off the island. He took Desmond’s boat to FIJI and chartered a plane to Syria. Hmmm…. questionable as to why Sayid got off the island and doesn’t understand how Ben could.

Ben asks if Sayid remember Charles Widmore. He doesn’t understand what that has to do him and his dead love. There was a man at her procession. One of Widmore’s men. The bald man. Ishmael. That’s who recruited Naomi and team, I think. AHA! He says the man was speeding away in LA from where Sayid’s wife was killed. He wants to know why these people would want to murder her. Sayid takes the picture Ben has from a traffic light. His taste for revenge has been tempted.

On the island, Miles is asked how many shooters there are. These people who gave Miles the walkie-talkie. The people who have Alex are the ones they called "security" on the boat. They want Ben to come with them. They have Alex as their hostage. Ben goes towards the phone…he starts talking to them. Martin Keeny is an employee of Charles Widmore. He’s on the phone. He wants to talk to Ben face-to-face. He goes to the window so they can see each other.

Martin gives him instructions. Ben doesn’t care. He knows all Martin’s background information. Ben Linus = Encyclopedia Britannica of People. He doesn’t trust him. He thinks once they have Ben they will kill everyone else. Martin has killed before…he’s an assassin.

Martin whistles and a crying Alex is brought forward. He puts her on her knees and a gun to her head. Martin threatens Ben by saying he’ll kill his daughter.

Sawyer and Locke guard the windows on both sides. Ben presents a counter proposal. He proposes they leave the island. End of story. Alex is crying into the walkie-talkie. Ben says he has it under control. Everything will be okay. Martin gives Ben 10 seconds. Ben says that she’s not his daughter. He stole her from an insane woman. He gives Martin permission to killer her and he does. Cold blood. Ben looks so shocked he may cry. The whole household is shocked.

Up in Smoke

Sawyer says he doesn’t see Martin. They just left her body there. Ben sits there shocked and unmoved. Locke and Sawyer discuss their plans. Ben is still shocked. He says they changed the rules. Then Ben escapes through a secret room….the closet has another escape. Some kind of door…it leads to ....?!? what the heck. We just don’t get to see that now do we? Mysteries.

In Iraq, Ben grabs a drink at some bar. He watches Ishmael, Charles Widmore’s assassin man. He almost loses him, but he starts following him in the street. Ishmael puts a gun to Ben’s back. He wants to know why Ben is following him. Ben reveals who he is and says he needs Ben to take a message to Mr. Widmore for him. Ooops…can’t do that now. Sayid just shot him dead. Well, well…Ben’s plan all along.

Sayid asks where Ben thinks he’s going. Sayid says he has no life. Ben doesn’t want Sayid to breed anger. It won’t go away. This is Ben’s war. Sayid says it is his war now. He just lost the woman he loves after 8 years of searching for her. Sayid wants to help. Ben says they’ll be in touch.

In the house, Ben comes out of the secret room after Sawyer has been banging on the door. He says when he gives the order they should all run away. They are all confused, he says to run towards the trees. Then the house shakes…and the black smoke goes to the woods. Ben says outside now….he leads them towards the woods. Where the guys with guns try to fight the smoke…but it kills them all. Or it seems like its killing them.

Everyone heads for the trees but Ben and Locke. Ben says he’ll catch up. He has to say goodbye to his daughter. Ben walks over to kneel over her. He cries…so he kinda has a soul. But only for a moment. We all know that isn’t the case.

Lies

Faraday has been playing with his new contraption. He asks what happened to the doctor through morse code. Faraday says an answer came from the boat saying that a helicopter is bringing their friends in the morning. Bernard says Faraday is lying. Bernard says they actually said, "What are you talking about? The doctor is fine." Faraday seems sideswiped. Jack wants to know why Faraday is lying to them. Jack grabs Faraday by the collar and asks if they are ever going to take them off this island. Faraday says he doesn’t know.

Jack’s stomach starts to bother him. He walks away in serious pain. Ulcer issues? Liver damage? Too much island rum drinking? Sorry bad joke.

At the compound, Sawyer starts a fire in the woods and says Miles can go to his friends if he wants to catch up. Miles decides to stay with them. Ben walks up and everyone looks at him for answers. Locke says sorry about Alex. That being said Locke wants to know why Ben lied to him about the smoke monster. Ben says Jacob will explain everything. Sawyer wants to know who Jacob is. Sawyer says they are all going to Jack’s camp….and he starts to walk away with Claire, Hurley, Aaron and Miles. Locke points his gun on Sawyer when Sawyer has his back to him. Hurley must stay. Sawyer turns around and puts his gun on Locke. They argue over where Hurley will go. Hurley says he’ll go with Locke. He’ll catch up to them. Sawyer threatens Locke harm if anything happens to Hurley. Ben, Hurley and Locke set out to find Jacob.

Flashforward. A car in London pulls up outside an apartment building. Ben is dressed to the nines. The doorman questions Ben about him visiting 4E. Ben starts to pull out a gun, but the man decides it’s not a big deal. He busts into the penthouse by using some key mechanism. He’s here to see Charles. He tells Charles to wake up. Charles says he was wondering when Ben would show up. He notices Ben got some sun. Ben reveals his journeys and Charles says he has been drinking since the nightmares started. He wants to know if Ben will kill him. Ben says he wants to discuss Charles murdering Alex. Charles says its Ben’s fault. Apparently everything Ben has, he took from Charles. He asks again, why Charles is here. Ben says he will now kill Penelope – Charles’ daughter. Now Charles will understand how Ben feels that Charles changed the rules. Charles says he’ll never find Penelope. And Ben says Charles will never find the island.

Final Thoughts

Great episode. So glad to see the gang back in top form. I think the writers strike really did the whole writing crew well. The episode was concise, action packed and had some great answers. I like watching Ben’s journeys around the world. Finding out how Sayid became his assassin.

Plus learning more about Charles Widmore is great. The black smoke thing was shocking, and now I need a much bigger explanation. Any thoughts on Faraday and Charlotte’s knowledge or lack of knowledge? I missed Sayid and Desmond but I am guessing they’ll be back next week.