LOST Recap and Discussion: Dead is Dead

I have had a pretty crappy week. If you follow me on Twitter, you already know that yesterday I rear-ended someone on the way to work and today when I got home I had a flat tire. And that's only about a third of it.

So I was really looking forward to LOST tonight. Seriously, when you've had a bad day, there's no therapy quite like LOST. Because really, no matter what's going on in my world? At least I'm not stuck on a crazy time hopping island being chased by wisps of black smoke.



SPOILERS BELOW

Tonight's episode centered around Ben and his guilt for the death of Alex. When the episode opens, we see Ben at the camp with the others, meeting Charles Widmore for the first time. Richard Alpert reminds Charles that the island chooses who it chooses and throws the name Jacob around for the ooooh, ahhh effect. :) Then Ben is back in the present seeing Locke who is relatively calm. (resurrection does this to people, I think) Ben announces he's come back to be judged.

Ben goes about trying to plant seeds of doubt about John amongst the new islanders who are all very suspicious if you ask me. (what kind of answer is some stuff we need to get moved? why do they need to move anything?)

So...we see Ben and Ethan snatch Alex from Danielle. He mentions whispers!!!!!!!! We also learn later on that he was supposed to kill them both and couldn't...does this mean Ben has a soft spot after all? Maybe not, as Caesar meets an untimely death. (this ticked me off--he would have called me my friend Amy...I'm sure of it!)

I just realized I'm way too tired to fully recap this, so let's hit the highlights.

Ben banished Widmore for breaking island rules including having a daughter with an outsider. Hmmm. I thought it would be much more dramatic. Also, since Widmore was already leaving regularly what is the true meaning behind "leaving the island" It obviously doesn't actually mean leaving the island

Sun was told to wait for John Locke. She is rather disbelieving at first (it's easier to believe he hid out in a casket than was resurrected)

Penny is alive and well!!!! And Desmond is alive, though maybe not well. Ben faltered when he saw little Charlie which gave Desmond enough time to beat the living daylights out of him....as every LOSTie has longed to do since they learned who he really is!

John Locke is the first to be resurrected. It scares Ben. But why? Because he knows he's lost his power?

Smokey has a soft spot for Ben. Smokey, who comes from holes in the ground underneath a picture of an Egyptian goddess you can probably find on Lostpedia, examines Ben, manifests as Alex and informs him that he must follow every word John Locke says!!!

Now let's talk about those suspicious folks back on the smaller island who ask Lapidus "What lies in the shadow of the statue?"
WHAT?!?!? Who are these people???????

Personally, I'm really looking forward to the Miles centric episode next week. I just hope he doesn't die. I've been dying to learn more about him and his gift.

Tell me your thoughts on the episode below!