"The Life And Death of Jeremy Bentham" -- Lost

John Locke stories are the heart and soul of this show and last night's episode was a good example of this. Locke returns to the world outside of the island thinking of himself as special and on a mission to save his friends, only to be abused, ignored, ridiculed, injured, and finally murdered. Good times as always. Locke is the ultimate anti-hero for this show because, like most, of us he is frustrated, passionate, full of big ideas and dreams, and completely powerless to master his ambitions. Internally he knows he is capable of great things, but the reality is that his self-image is way out of whack with how the world really sees him.

There was also some great writing in this episode. When Locke goes to see Kate, she reveals to him how he's slipping back into his old crackpot self. It's easy for him to want to go back, she says, because he has never loved anyone and there's nothing to keep him in the world. And you see that Locke is listening to this and reevaluating his mission. He weakens a little, and in a moment of self-revelation, Locke recalls how this exact behavior had destroyed his relationship with Helen and cost him the woman he loved. It's a great character turn. And when Locke searches for a word, the writers have already telegraphed the word he's looking for, and I thought it just before he said it: obsessed.

That's the question that was at the heart of this particular episode. Are the characters heroic, or are they just obsessed? Is the island meaningful, or is it just an end in itself? Can you pursue something and succeed if you don't do it with love and compassion for others?

What was good:

• Locke and Walt, a reminder of how everything was set up in Season 1. Also a passing of the torch now that Locke has taken Walt's place in the overall narrative.
  
• Abbadon, the greatest mystery man of them all. Too bad he got shot.
• The back and forth of who is more evil? Widmore or Ben?
• Widmore describing how he remembered meeting Locke on the island in the 50s.
  
• Ben not being satisfied in letting John kill himself; manipulates John to find out what he knows, then kills him, and stages it to look like a suicide. Evil.
• Helen - the mere mention of her name and the unconvincing story of her death gave me hope that we will see her return.
• Locke telling Jack about Christian.
  

What was confusing:

• Still don't get how John can magically spring back to life on the island after the "crash" of Ajira 316.
• Was Ben permanently exiled from the island when he moved the wheel? Was he trying to fake the island out into letting him return by killing Locke and coming in his place?
• Did Ben plan to kill Locke all along, or was it the mention of Eloise Hawking that set him off?
• Where are Sun and Sayid in the post-Ajira timeline?

What was iffy:

• The new crash survivors. It's too late for new characters, haven't we already learned this?
• Flashbacks to the dysfunctional oceanic six. Just painful. Jerk Jack. Crazy Hurley. Mean Girl Kate.
  
• Sayid as a happy, healthy, habitat-for-humanity guy in the jungle. Where'd that come from?