The "Lost" theories of L.P. -- week six
Friday, March 14, 2008, 18:24 EST
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Butler has been snubbed twice this decade by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament selection committee. The first snub occurred in 2002 when Butler was left out of the NCAA Tournament. The second snub occurred this year when Butler was awarded a seventh seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
If there’s one thing the 90s taught me, it’s to trust no one (thanks, “X Files”). That advice is exactly how I’m approaching “Lost” at this point. As my hero Tony Montana said, “Who do I trust? Me!”
It’s not that I’m a cynic. It’s just that I kind of have to cherry pick alleged truths from less than reputable sources on “Lost” -- Ben or the freighter people. End world hunger! Save Darfur! Stop global warming! One can imagine a picket line with people chanting and waving colorful signs or a street filled with people marching side-by-side holding banners up high when any number of these subjects are brought to his attention.
Everyone wants to make the world a better place in which to live but after all, I am just one person… I can’t change the world. Then stop trying. Set your sights at a local level and save your community before you save the world.
I’ll use Indianapolis, our community, as a model. I’m well aware that National Lampoon's Animal House and the Dean’s List do not go hand-in-hand. However, I’m sick of the bad reputation Greek life possesses when it comes to academics.
Those of us who are affiliated are not a bunch of half-wits majoring in toga parties. Yes I admit, with all the things going on in college, sometimes we can forget why we’re here. Greek life alone is a huge commitment, and at times it can seem like a world of its own. But if the whole “getting an education thing” in college is cramping your style, don’t blame it on your fraternity. Butler’s spring break is fast approaching, and the common questions on campus seems to be “what are you doing,” “where are going” and maybe perhaps “what reading assignment will you be attempting to do?” The recess, commonly referred by universities as “reading break,” truly is a great opportunity to catch up or work ahead in school work; however, many take the opportunity to travel home or abroad.
I’ve come up with a concrete top 10 things to do.
Most of the episode was spent in flashbacks that tell the tale of Juliet’s relationship with Goodwin (the guy Ben sent out to pretend he was one of the Oceanic survivors when he saw the plane crash). Who cares? The only moral one can get from that story is that Ben is creepily in love with Juliet and will kill any man that gets in his way. Can somebody say “restraining order”? I guess maybe we’re supposed to be afraid that Ben will try to get at Jack, but we already know he gets off the island. Besides, I wouldn’t be too torn up if Jack was put in his place.
Ladies and gentleman, I literally just now got an idea. We know from previous episodes that Ben does indeed have a role in the show once people get off the island. What if he has some sort of upper-hand on Jack that prevents Jack from being with Juliet? Ben is no stranger to having cards up his sleeve. What if one of the people on Sayid’s hit list is Jack? I’m sure Sayid wouldn’t go through with that, but it would make for some damn good TV.
Another main point we learn from this week’s show is that Charles Widmore (Penny’s father) plays a much bigger role than we thought. At least that’s what Ben says. In a previous episode, Charles buys a secret naval diary, this week we see undercover footage of him beating up someone who allegedly worked for Ben. Benny says that it’s ol’ Chuck who sent the freighter out to the island because he wants to exploit the island for all its powers.
That all makes sense, but it also seems like a way Ben could sidetrack Locke. As we all know, Locke will do anything to protect the island, and it’s his life’s mission to unlock its secrets. So, doesn’t this seem like the perfect way to shift Locke’s attention away from Ben, so Ben can be all diabolical like he always is? It would be like telling the emo kids that a major commercial record company wants to sign their favorite band, The Sad-All-The-Times (or whatever the kids call their bands these days), so that you can steal all their skinny jeans. It’s all about distractions, people.
The main thrust of the episode: you don’t know who you can trust. Ben is so good at lying and distractions that it makes him hard to believe, but you also can’t believe strangers who show up with gas masks. I like Ben, so I’ll go with what he says for now.
Is Ben telling the truth? I’ll stay tuned and find out.
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