This is not a review, nor a summary. This is my reaction. Please comment with your own reactions.

Writer’s block is a pain in the ass. Especially when you’re the dominant member of a website that provides written content. I watched the episode, and I loved it, but I just couldn’t think of the proper words to convey this love. So I did what every great writer will do in that situation: get liquored up and take a nap…Okay, maybe that’s just my solution. The point is that it worked. While I’m hesitant to say that this was the best episode of the series, it’s definitely the best of the season so far. Most of my favorite characters were present, the flash sideways didn’t suck, and we actually got some answers for once.

The flash sideways was the highlight. It focused on Ben as an oppressed high school history teacher. I found it interesting because he had a doctorate in his field, but that’s probably more common than I think. For someone who has enough trouble remembering names, I can’t be expected to know all my teachers academic backgrounds as well.

What made it better than the other flash sideways was how different the character’s life turned out. Ben was no longer a manipulative, uncaring bastard in this reality. Instead he was almost pathetic. In fact, there was one part where he tried to concoct a plan to gain more power and it blew up in his face. It was also interesting to see that Alex was one of his students, and that the relationship with his father was healthy. Speaking of which, his father mentioned the island in the flash sideways. I originally thought this was an alternate world where the island didn’t exist, but that is apparently not the cast. I trust they’ll explain why Ben and his father left the island in a future episode.

They also gave a glimpse into Richard’s story. He has been at the top of my list of Lost mysteries for a few seasons now, and while all they did was confirm some fan theories, it was better than nothing. One thing is for certain, the scene with the dynamite was fucking intense. Lost has been a solid show so far, but I can’t remember the last time they had me on the edge of my seat like tonight.

My only complaint is how Ilana acted towards Ben. I know that he killed Jacob, and she’s super sad about that, but her emotions were too random for my taste. At first she seemed mildly upset, but ten minutes later she had the anger of the gods in her eyes. I know they couldn’t just have her shoot him on the spot, but the sudden jump in composure was a bit much. One thing that could have made that scene better would be if Ilana aimed to shoot Ben and somehow shot and killed Kate instead. Wait, did I say something similar last column? Imagine that.

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