"Lost": All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues
By Sarah Carlson
March 22, 2007
Michael Emerson (right) scares the crap out of me. I was distracted by what his character, Henry/Ben, was saying on last night's episode of "Lost" because I just couldn't stop staring at his face. At one point in a close-up, his eyes looked like glass. Seriously -- he's an odd-looking man, which only makes Ben all the creepier, and Ben is one of the redeeming qualities of a show that, until recently, had continually lost momentum after its stellar first season. Ben is a great villain because he can pass for that guy who works in the IT department who no one really notices -- that is, until he's tried to kill you. Ben could kill your best friend in front of you, turn around and successfully convince you that it was a good idea.
While me being terrified of Emerson is a digression, it's the kind of manipulation that Ben worked on Locke in last night's episode, "The Man From Tallahassee," that's really worth noting. The episode is an example of how "Lost" can be great when it tries to be -- provide an engaging backstory that actually progresses the plot and couple it with compelling action sprinkled with a touch of mystery and even more answers. Locke's backstory is the best developed out of all of the characters, and Terry O'Quinn is arguably the best actor of the lot (aside from Emerson).
Daddy issues were the name of the game: Locke was coming to terms with the fact that his con-man father, Anthony Cooper, is the reason he was in a wheelchair for four years prior to the crash, and we saw a glimpse of Ben's rocky relationship with his daughter, Alex, who is also Rousseau's daughter. Is he her biological father? I'm guessing not, mainly because Alex doesn't look like a cross between a possum and a Muppet like Dad does (sorry, guy). But what's really linking Locke and Ben is their connection to the island. Ben was born there; Locke is able to walk there. But Ben is still stuck in a wheelchair after his surgery, which Jack performed in exchange for a one-way ticket off the island via a submarine. If Locke was healed by the island, why hasn't Ben been healed?
As Kate and Sayid attempted to rescue Jack from the Others' care in their surreal summer camp digs (didn't work, he was being watched), Locke went a different direction. Jack gave Kate a cold shoulder for her attempts to save him, and it was hard to tell if he was playing a game for the watchful Others or if he'd really had a change of heart about the people who at one time kidnapped Claire and left Charlie for dead.
While his friends were being captured, Locke had gone straight for Ben's quarters. He learned from Crazy Eye-Patch Guy in the previous episode that the Others have a submarine, so his intentions became clear when he was pointing a gun at Ben, demanding to know where the sub is located. That C-4 he snagged from the Others' communication center would do the trick -- anything to make it harder to leave the island. That's the one thing the two can agree on: No one can leave. There's too much at stake and too much left to discover. After a few mind games and discussions about how much they each like chicken, Ben let Locke have his way: Locke successfully destroyed the only way to get off the island just as Jack and Juliet were about to hightail it out of there.
After Jack gave Locke the look of death for destroying his ride, Locke was back in Ben's custody. But Ben had a surprise up his sleeve: Locke's dad! For some reason, Cooper is being held captive by the Others, bound and gagged, and he looked just as surprised to see the son he pushed out of an eight-stories-high window as the son was to see the dad who only brought ruin to his life now on his island. How did Ben not only know about Locke's background, but have Cooper in custody as well? What kind of powers is this man wielding? Is the room Cooper is in that magic box thing Ben was talking about? Let's hope not.
"The Man From Tallahassee" only furthered my belief that Locke is one of the most important characters, and he and Ben will likely come together over their desire to learn more about the island, harness its power and, most importantly, stay there. But Locke has likely gone too far in his desire to learn more about the island that healed him, separating himself from the castaways by making impulsive judgments and forever being fooled. But after this episode, where is the line between the Others and everyone else? Ben can easily manipulate Locke -- he wanted Locke to destroy the submarine, which at least Locke realized. But can he win everyone else over?
"Lost's" creators realize they've got to start explaining things about the Others and the Dharma Initiative to maintain its fan base, but it's a shame so many have bailed on what is still an entertaining show. Even on its bad days it's better than a lot of what TV has to offer. ABC picked it up for a fourth season, and if it keeps going at the pace it regained after its hiatus, it should hopefully be a season worth watching. Especially if Michael and Walt decide to show back up.
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