‘Lost’: Driving Mr. Bentham

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Another week of ‘Lost,’ a whole lot more answers.

If anyone you know is still complaining that this series is nothing but a bunch of unanswered questions and weird moments, I invite you to sit them down in front of ‘The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham,’ which, in grand ‘Lost’ tradition, mixed masterful, broad canvas storytelling with intimate moments of deep emotion. Yes, it raised some questions, but it brought many more answers and confirmed some hunches.

Finally, we know exactly how John Locke ended up in the coffin (Ben killed him). We know how he got the name Jeremy Bentham (Charles Widmore gave it to him). We know that death wasn’t the end of the road for Terry O’Quinn on the series (as if we ever thought differently) and we know exactly what Locke said to Jack that sent him over the edge (yes, Jack’s daddy issues are still coming into play).

Meanwhile, we got a return visit from our favorite sinister henchman, Matthew Abaddon. Sadly, I fear this return appearance was another ‘Lost’ last-minute course correction -- like the last episode of Nikki and Paulo or the never-resolved mystery of Libby’s insanity, the real nature of Charles Widmore’s stern chauffeur (‘I help people get where they need to get to’) appeared to deepen before abruptly ending with Ben’s lethal bullets. Yes, Matthew Abaddon bit the big one by being shot, and for some funny reason, I don’t think we’ll be seeing him again.

We got confirmation that he worked for Widmore, hurrah! But even in his final moments, it seemed like there was so much more there to discover. Was this really the plan all along or just a practical way to free actor Lance Reddick up to focus on his regular duties on J.J. Abrams’ other series, ‘Fringe,’ over on Fox?

The scenes between Abaddon and Locke, as Abaddon drove Locke to visit the Oceanic Six, were a treat. They felt like a mini-play, almost a self-contained little drama in the greater framework of ‘Lost.’ Also great was the scene in a dingy hotel room between Locke and Ben as Locke, racked with despair, attempted to kill himself while Ben begged him not to do it. O’Quinn has stated in interviews that Michael Emerson is the actor he loves sharing scenes with most, and this hotel room confrontation was further evidence of that. Two great actors not afraid to go full out with emotion and many layers of meaning and intent.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Walt’s return felt awkward and tacked-on somehow. There’s definitely more to Walt’s story, but I wonder if the producers will ever find a way to satisfactorily wedge it into the rest of the series.

Meanwhile, the real fun in this episode was in the signs. They were everywhere, although I’m still scratching my head as to what they could mean. First, we had Walt’s private school in New York, the Fieldcroft School. Locke and Abaddon watched Walt while waiting outside the auction company Southfield’s (yes, the same Southfield’s where Charles Widmore bid on the journal kept by the first mate of the Black Rock). Then we finally learned the last name of the love of Locke’s life -- Norwood. And finally, the hotel in Los Angeles where Locke was killed -- Westerfield. Fields and woods, North, South and West. What’s the significance, you may ask? Nothing, I don’t think. Except that it leads you to wonder what happened to East.

Check out the watercolor Hurley was painting at his mental ward -- the Great Sphinx of Giza. The Sphinx faces east in the desert and houses a temple between its paws, and it’s speculated that it was built as a warning to dangerous forces. The small temple beneath the Sphinx reminds me quite a bit of the temple we glimpsed last week; the one the Smoke Monster lives beneath. So if the island’s temple is reminiscent of the temple at Giza, then where’s the island’s Sphinx? It should be pointed out that the Sphinx has four toes...

There were other signs to ponder in this episode as well, such as the one on the bag of cord that Locke purchased to hang himself: Angel Hardware. If Locke was indeed trying to carry out the job Richard Alpert assigned him, then the cord he was using was indeed sent by angels. That’s assuming, of course, that my latest theory that Jacob and Alpert are angels is in any way accurate.

And what was the deal with the sign in the Tunisian desert, that said ‘Noire’ with a picture of a scorpion? Was this possibly a reference to the low-budget Roger Corman cheapie flick starring Joan Severance? Hey, this is ‘Lost.’ Stranger things have happened.

-- Patrick Kevin Day

Photo: ABC