The Man Behind the Curtain (Lost)
- For other uses see Man Behind the Curtain (disambiguation)
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"The Man Behind the Curtain"[1][2] is the twentieth episode of the third season of Lost. It was aired on May 9, 2007, making it the 67th episode of the series. The episode featured flashbacks centered on Ben Linus.
Plot summary
Template:Spoilers The episode begins with a woman giving birth outdoors in what, at first, looks like the island. In fact the couple are in the woods, 32 miles away from Portland. The baby is born, but the woman, Emily, is in pain and bleeding heavily. Her husband, Roger, carries her and the baby to the roadside past the trees where a car soon stops to help them. Emily tells Roger to name the baby Benjamin and dies on the side of the road.
At the Others' new camp, they appear somewhat shocked that Locke arrives carrying his father's body on his back. He meets with Ben, who tells him that the true leader of the Others is named Jacob. Locke demands that they go to Jacob, but Ben tells him that is impossible. Soon after, Mikhail stumbles into the camp and tells Ben about Naomi, claiming the sonic defense system's power was not set strong enough at the time to kill him. Locke says Ben can't take care of that problem right now, because they are on their way to meet Jacob. Ben is forced to take Locke after he beats Mikhail unconscious while several of the onlooking Others do nothing to intervene.
In flashbacks, a young Ben and his father arrive at the Island as part of the Dharma Initiative. He is educated with other children in the Initiative. During a lesson on volcanos, the "hostiles," also known as "natives" of the Island, attack the barracks. Later in the flashback, Ben sees a vision of his dead mother on the island, which prompts him to sneak into the forest in search of her. While Ben is in the forest calling for his mother, he encounters Richard Alpert, one of the supposed "hostiles". Richard tells Ben to not be afraid and asks him if he is lost. The young Ben says that he is looking for his mother, later explaining that she had died when he was a baby, and tells Richard that he does not like the Dharma Initiative; he wants Richard to take him to their camp. Richard tells Ben that if he truly wants this, that he must be patient, and wait for his time to come. Ben listens to Richard, and returns to the Dharma Initiative.
At the survivors' camp, Sawyer plays Juliet's tape for Sayid. They visit Juliet's tent only to find she and Jack are both missing. Kate shows up and begins to defend Jack; Sayid tells Sawyer to play her the tape. Later that night, the survivors are introduced to Naomi and the tape is played for all to hear. Just then, Jack and Juliet return to the camp. Juliet tells Sawyer to play the other side of the tape, which is Ben's plan to kidnap Sun and the other women. Jack reveals that he knew of this all along and that he had kept it secret because they did not know what to do about it yet.
Ben and Locke arrive at Jacob's "house". They enter, but Locke cannot see anyone inside. Ben tells him that Jacob is sitting in the chair beside him. Locke, growing frustrated and angry, tells Ben that the chair is empty, and that he is crazy and pathetic. Just as Locke is about to exit the house, an odd and deep voice says "Help me". Locke pulls out a flashlight, which Ben had warned him not to do (saying that Jacob "dislikes technology"). Suddenly, objects in the room begin to violently fly about and windows shatter, Ben is flung against a wall. Briefly, the outline of a strange man sitting in the chair is seen. Locke runs out of the house and Ben exits soon after. Locke still doesn't believe Jacob is real, thinking that Ben was only "putting on a show" for him. Disgruntled, Locke begins to head back to the camp with Ben.
In a flashback we see an older Ben, now a young man, at the barracks on his birthday. He helps his father load a blue van. His father has forgotten his birthday yet again, but once Ben reminds him, he tells him that they will go do "father and son things" once they're finished their work for the day. They drive the van up to a hill, park, and begin to relax. Ben asks his father if he blames him for the death of his mother. Roger refuses to answer him, and Ben, fed up after years of neglect and abuse, pulls out a gas mask and tells his father goodbye before filling the van with a gas that kills his father (the same van & skeleton that Hurley, Jin and Sawyer discovered in the episode "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead"). Ben returns to the barracks where all the Dharma workers have died from the same gas used on Roger. Alpert and his men emerge wearing masks, and it's clear they have been working with Ben; presumably Ben allowed them to pass the security fence.
On the island, Locke notices that Ben is leading him along a different path. Ben admits that he was not born on the island and that he wants to show him where he came from. They arrive at a pit full of skeletons clothed in Dharma uniforms, and Ben tells him that he helped kill his own people when it became clear that the Dharma workers and the natives couldn't cohabit. Ben shoots Locke, who falls into the pit, and then demands to know what Jacob said to Locke. Locke says, "Help me," briefly frustrating Ben before clarifying: "He said...Help me!" Ben replies, "Well I certainly hope he helps you, John!" Ben departs, leaving Locke for dead.
Key Points of Interest
- Carrie Preston, who plays Ben's mother Emily, is in real life the wife of actor Michael Emerson, who portrays Ben.
- The van that Ben is in when he kills his father and the rest of the Dharma Initiative is the same van that is discovered by Charlie and Hurley earlier in the season. Ben's father's skeleton is still in the van when they discovered it. When Charlie and Hurley jumpstart the van, the song that is playing, "Shambala" by Three Dog Night, is the same song that is playing when Ben's father, Roger, parks the van.
- Ben was determined to be born just outside Portland. Earlier in the season, Juliet had a flashback episode that was entitled Not in Portland.
- As Locke enters Jacob's house, there is a painting of a dog, very similar to Vincent.
- As Locke and Ben climb to Jacobs quarters; Locke notices peculiarities in the mud and examines it. Later in the room Ben seems to control the situation with Jacob and Jacob asks for Locke's help. Circles of mud are used in magick to prevent someone from entering or exiting.
- When Ben, with his mother and father, escape the woods after Ben's birth, a sign indicates that Portland is 32 miles away. Beacon Rock State Park is that distance from Portland.
References
