Some people sing better than they talk. Others can figure skate better than they walk. Benjamin Linus is a brilliant liar. We have seen him lie more times than we have seen him eat, drink, laugh, cry or do anything else. The man is a lying machine! And in the latest episode "Dead is Dead" he gave his best lying crescendo so far! Here is a list of all the lies that i think that he said during this episode and furthermore, the lies that i believe the producers have been feeding the viewers by using false statements as episode titles for this season.
1.
BEN: I knew it. I knew that this would happen.
LOCKE: Then why are you so surprised to see me?
BEN: [Normal voice] Because it's one thing to believe it, John. It's another thing to see it.
-Please! In "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham", Ben strangled John and then carefully arranged everything so that it would seem like a suicide. Upon living the room, he looked at John and said:"i'll miss you, John. I really will." This doesn't sound like a man who was expecting John Locke to rise from the dead.
2.
LOCKE: Then why were you trying to run away to the main Island?
BEN: I broke the rules, John. I came back to the Island. I was going to answer for what I'd done. I was going back... to be judged.
-Nope. As we see further into this episode he has no intention of taking a chance to confront Smokey. He just wants to get back to the only home he has known and to the Others so that he can assume leadership of the group.
3.
BEN: Well, J-John, we don't even have a word for it, but I believe you call it the Monster.
-What Ben wants us to believe is that the losties while having been on the island for about 3-4 months had come up with a name for the black smoke but the others who have been on the island for ages and dwell in the temple underneath which Smokey resides, don't have a name for it because hey, it's not like it is a part of their everyday life, no? Please Ben, you are no rookie.
4.
BEN: I killed him? Really? 'Cause he looks fine to me.
-No comment needed. Well, actually the joke is on Ben if you think about it. He has left Locke for dead twice now(Dharma pit and strangulation)...
Later on in the same episode Ben tells Locke:"i assume you're referring to the fact that I killed you."
Afterward, he double crosses Caesar and shoots him without hesitating for a moment.
5.
BEN: What if... he was already here, before we crashed? If he thinks I killed him, then he's insane. We may be dealing with a man who's dangerously deranged.
-*sigh*Oh Ben... You evil nutso genius...
6.
BEN: You had critical information that would've died with you. And once you'd given it to me... well, I just didn't have time to talk you back into hanging yourself. So I took a shortcut. And look at you, John. I was right. You're here. You're back. So are the rest of them. I don't know where yet exactly, but they came. It worked. And that's why I did it, because it was in the best interests of the Island.
-Obviously the lie is not the first part about the information. That Ben did need. But he didn't know for sure that Ben would rise from the dead, so he wasn't right about that(in Lie 1. he even admits to not knowing). As for not knowing why the rest came back, he is the man who brought got them in touch with Eloise and even used lawyers, assassinations and Jin's wedding ring to get them back! Best interest of the island, yeah sure... We are talking about the island with the healing powers where Ben got a tumor, right? Where everyone from Jacob to Richard favor Locke as replacement of Ben, right?
7.
BEN: The man was unarmed because I'd stolen his gun--the gun he was going to use to kill you. I couldn't let that happen.
-Of course not. It's not like Ben wants Locke killed because he understands that Locke is the leader the island wants...
8.
BEN: You don't have the first idea what this Island wants.
-I consider this phrase to be a lie since clearly smart Ben knows what Locke means to the island and has seen the man survive under dire circumstances. That was a bitter lie Ben said to humble Locke.
9.
BEN: Are you trying to tell me that your friends were in the DHARMA Initiative?
SUN: You don't know about this?
BEN: Of course not. Where did you get this? Who gave this to you?
LAPIDUS: We met some crazy old man outside. He said his name was Christian. He told us to come in here and wait.
BEN: Wait for what?
-If Ben really didn't know about the losties being part of the Dharma initiative, then why would he have brainwashed Sayid to hate him that much so that he would shoot his younger version which would result in Ben becoming an Other. And how come Ben knew so much about the losties when they first crashed with 815? We have seen that he had files with their info and these files must have come from Dharma Initiative. Plus, later in this episode he mentions that the temple is the place where he was taken as a kid("it's the same place they brought me as a child... it's where the Island healed me") . So, what he didn't remember as Richard mentioned, was how the healing occurred. All his other memories have stayed intact. This also proved by the way he talks to Widmore for the first time, telling him that he doesn't want to go back to Dharmaville. He clearly remembers what it was like there for him. He knew. By the way, i don't see him all that surprised upon hearing about Christian! either. No questions asked or anything...
10.
BEN: About a half mile from here. We built this wall to keep people like the two of you from ever seeing it.
LOCKE: We're not going into your Temple, Ben. We're going under it.
-Check out how Ben lies without even talking about the thing he lies! He's trying to lead Locke the wrong way, into the temple from the main entrance, thus avoiding Smokey. But Locke knows where Smokey dwells.
11.
Dead is Dead
BEN: Sun, I had no idea it would happen. I've seen this Island do miraculous things. I've seen it heal the sick, but never once has it done anything like this. Dead is dead. You don't come back from that, not even here. So the fact that John Locke is walking around this Island... scares the living hell out of me.
In the real world, dead seems to be dead. Religious beliefs aside, once a person dies, they die and that is it. So, Ben's statement seems to be a rational one. The problem is that if put within island context, the statement is false. On the island though,
-dead can be dead
e.g. the pilot of 815 killed by Smokey never to be seen again.
-dead can be island ghost
e.g. Christian whom some have seen, no one has touched and who seems to appear out of thin air
-dead can be off-island ghost
e.g. Ana Lucia who has appeared in front of Hurley off island
-dead can be possessed spectra
e.g. Yemi who stated to Eko that he was not his brother
-dead can be alive
e.g. the Nikki and Paolo incident who were buried alive
-dead can be (semi?) immortal
e.g. Richard Alpert whether immortal or not, he certainly has conquered the aging process which leads to death
-dead can be resurrected
e.g. John Locke who is walking, eating, talking all while having come out of his own coffin
The point is that whether Ben tells Sun that "dead is dead" because he believes it or in order to seem ignorant and get her to feel more comfortable around him, he is lying. Actually, this is quite funny if you think about it, the man is lying even if he doesn't intend it. Talk about the ironic state of a pathological liar! What he says, is simply not true on the island. To top it off, he probably was saved from the dead himself while in the temple when he was a boy! So, dead is definitely NOT dead.
I would like to make another key point here. This biggest of the lies uttered in this episode is also the episode's title. An ironic cold jab, a smirk from the producers to Lost fans. Just because it is the title, that doesn't mean it's necessarily gospel truth. Now take a moment to think about past titles this season:
- Because you Left
BEN: It happened because you left, Jack. Now let's get started, shall we?
How about it all happened because Ben turned the frozen donkey wheel instead of Locke whom Jacob had asked for in the first place? After all, the Oceanic 6 were obviously always supposed to have left, so that they would return with Lapidus landing the 316 on the runway, Sayid having time traveled back to the 70s to shoot Ben and thus lead to Kate coming to his rescue and resulting into making him an Other. Plus, because of the overall journey that the Oceanic 6 went through during the last 3 years, Jack has finally found his faith. So, they were always meant to leave. The problem was the state of the island after they left, and that was caused by Ben solely.
-The Lie
HURLEY: We lied, Ma!
Self-explanatory. The title itself brings forth how lying is shaping this season to be what it is.
-Jughead
Not the name of a nonchalant Archie character. Try an H-bomb which is nerve-wrecking to have around, especially since there is a crack on its side. Again, a title messing with the viewers' heads.
-The Little Prince
Not Aaron or any other male character but a reference to the boat aboard which Danielle Rousseau came to the island. The boat's name is Bésixdouze which translates from French into B-612, the name of the asteroid where Little Prince lives(The Little Prince", book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry). Yet again, a misleading title.
-This Place is Death
CHARLOTTE: [To Jin, in English] Don't let them bring her back. No matter what--don't let them bring her back! This place is death!
It would seem that the Island where there are countless references of Anubis the Egyptian God of the Underworld, where a Smoke Monster dwells and where people get killed all the time must be the island of death. But is it really or is calling it that a simplistic if not desperate act of rationalizing? This place is not death. This is the place where young Ben got shot and yet lived. This is the place where Rose's cancer subsided. This is the place where Jin was able to be a father. This is the place where Locke got to rise on his feet when paralyzed, overcome being shot and ultimately rise from the dead. This is the place where people like Richard and Christian roam seemingly untouched by time or death. This place is the opposite of death. Like John Locke has so eloquently put it, this is the land of the living.
-316
ELOISE: Jack... the binder in your hands shows all the air routes that fly over the coordinates where I believe the Island will be in little more than a day from now. There's a commercial airliner flying from L.A. to Guam. It's going to go right through our window. Ajira Airways, Flight 316. If you have any hope of the Island bringing you back, it must be that plane. You all need to be on it. It must be that flight. [Sighs] If you... want to return, you need to recreate as best you can the circumstances that brought you there in the first place. That means as many of the same people as you are able to bring with you.
316 is not even a flight, is it? Seems like any other plane flying to a destination. Only this plane is a proxy to 815. And it is not flying to its designated destination, Guam, it will go as afar as the island. The passengers on board are for the vast majority not regular travelers but time travelers and people being there as substitutes for other people. 316 exists only in a typical fashion. In reality, this flight is 815 version 2.0 .
-The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham
LOCKE: "Jeremy Bentham"?
WIDMORE: He was a British philosopher. Your parents had a sense of humor when they named you, so why can't I?
Jeremy Bentham is a British philosopher who lived and dies circa the 18th century. I am sure there are many people around the world who share this name. Given all the above, this is an ok title. But when put in Lost context, this is a false statement. Jeremy Bentham is a false name that Widmore gave to John Locke. He never lived nor did he die. He simply does not exist because John Locke is not Jeremy Bentham. He was "born" in a way when Widmore gave John the fake ID. He "died" in a way when Ben strangled Locke. Of course John Locke wasn't killed. This title is yet again, a misleading one.
-LaFleur
MILES: "Mr. LaFleur"?
SAWYER: It's Creole. Improvised.
"LaFleur" has nothing to do with Danielle speaking French about a flower. But LaFleur isn't a person either. Much like in the previous episode to this one, LaFleur is a fake identity that Sawyer assumes, LaFleur does not really exist, he is a lie.
-Namaste
DR. CHANG: Your file. Could they be any more disorganized on the other side? Sorry. Namaste. I'm Pierre Chang. Welcome to the DHARMA Initiative. How was your ride in?
What ride? There was no ride, no submarine. Jack and co time traveled to the 70s and Sawyer cooked up a lie for them to appear as Dharma newbies. No need for welcoming "namaste" and such. They don't belong with the rest of the people who got a welcoming for arriving to their new place of work.
-He's Our You
SAYID: [To Sawyer] (lowered voice) Who is that man?
SAWYER: (lowered voice) He's our you.
Not really... Sayid is a soldier of the Iraqi Republican Guard. He is a torturer and a master of martial arts. Oldham on the other hand is an old man leaving alone in the jungle, obviously apt with pharmaceutical products but not nearly as lethal as Sayid. Even he isn't that certain of the effect that his potions have, proved by the fact that he second-guesses himself after hearing what Sayid has to say.
-Whatever Happened, Happened
MILES: Yeah. It doesn't work like that. You can't change anything. You're maniac Iraqi buddy shot Linus. That is what always happened. It's just...we never experienced how it all turns out.
So far the past has been shown to us as something that cannot be altered. Details may be changed but they will lead to the same result as if they hadn't been changed. Nevertheless, people keep referring to Desmond as special and Faraday in particular who was the first to introduce us to the mantra of "whatever happened, happened", has mentioned that the rules don't apply to Desmond. On top of that, people like Faraday and Desmond try to bend the rule of determinism by challenging fate again and again. If whatever happened, happened, why bother? Lastly, Miles himself gets lost into this theory when constantly challenged to stand up for it by Hurley.Theory by helisabeta
1.
BEN: I knew it. I knew that this would happen.
LOCKE: Then why are you so surprised to see me?
BEN: [Normal voice] Because it's one thing to believe it, John. It's another thing to see it.
-Please! In "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham", Ben strangled John and then carefully arranged everything so that it would seem like a suicide. Upon living the room, he looked at John and said:"i'll miss you, John. I really will." This doesn't sound like a man who was expecting John Locke to rise from the dead.
2.
LOCKE: Then why were you trying to run away to the main Island?
BEN: I broke the rules, John. I came back to the Island. I was going to answer for what I'd done. I was going back... to be judged.
-Nope. As we see further into this episode he has no intention of taking a chance to confront Smokey. He just wants to get back to the only home he has known and to the Others so that he can assume leadership of the group.
3.
BEN: Well, J-John, we don't even have a word for it, but I believe you call it the Monster.
-What Ben wants us to believe is that the losties while having been on the island for about 3-4 months had come up with a name for the black smoke but the others who have been on the island for ages and dwell in the temple underneath which Smokey resides, don't have a name for it because hey, it's not like it is a part of their everyday life, no? Please Ben, you are no rookie.
4.
BEN: I killed him? Really? 'Cause he looks fine to me.
-No comment needed. Well, actually the joke is on Ben if you think about it. He has left Locke for dead twice now(Dharma pit and strangulation)...
Later on in the same episode Ben tells Locke:"i assume you're referring to the fact that I killed you."
Afterward, he double crosses Caesar and shoots him without hesitating for a moment.
5.
BEN: What if... he was already here, before we crashed? If he thinks I killed him, then he's insane. We may be dealing with a man who's dangerously deranged.
-*sigh*Oh Ben... You evil nutso genius...
6.
BEN: You had critical information that would've died with you. And once you'd given it to me... well, I just didn't have time to talk you back into hanging yourself. So I took a shortcut. And look at you, John. I was right. You're here. You're back. So are the rest of them. I don't know where yet exactly, but they came. It worked. And that's why I did it, because it was in the best interests of the Island.
-Obviously the lie is not the first part about the information. That Ben did need. But he didn't know for sure that Ben would rise from the dead, so he wasn't right about that(in Lie 1. he even admits to not knowing). As for not knowing why the rest came back, he is the man who brought got them in touch with Eloise and even used lawyers, assassinations and Jin's wedding ring to get them back! Best interest of the island, yeah sure... We are talking about the island with the healing powers where Ben got a tumor, right? Where everyone from Jacob to Richard favor Locke as replacement of Ben, right?
7.
BEN: The man was unarmed because I'd stolen his gun--the gun he was going to use to kill you. I couldn't let that happen.
-Of course not. It's not like Ben wants Locke killed because he understands that Locke is the leader the island wants...
8.
BEN: You don't have the first idea what this Island wants.
-I consider this phrase to be a lie since clearly smart Ben knows what Locke means to the island and has seen the man survive under dire circumstances. That was a bitter lie Ben said to humble Locke.
9.
BEN: Are you trying to tell me that your friends were in the DHARMA Initiative?
SUN: You don't know about this?
BEN: Of course not. Where did you get this? Who gave this to you?
LAPIDUS: We met some crazy old man outside. He said his name was Christian. He told us to come in here and wait.
BEN: Wait for what?
-If Ben really didn't know about the losties being part of the Dharma initiative, then why would he have brainwashed Sayid to hate him that much so that he would shoot his younger version which would result in Ben becoming an Other. And how come Ben knew so much about the losties when they first crashed with 815? We have seen that he had files with their info and these files must have come from Dharma Initiative. Plus, later in this episode he mentions that the temple is the place where he was taken as a kid("it's the same place they brought me as a child... it's where the Island healed me") . So, what he didn't remember as Richard mentioned, was how the healing occurred. All his other memories have stayed intact. This also proved by the way he talks to Widmore for the first time, telling him that he doesn't want to go back to Dharmaville. He clearly remembers what it was like there for him. He knew. By the way, i don't see him all that surprised upon hearing about Christian! either. No questions asked or anything...
10.
BEN: About a half mile from here. We built this wall to keep people like the two of you from ever seeing it.
LOCKE: We're not going into your Temple, Ben. We're going under it.
-Check out how Ben lies without even talking about the thing he lies! He's trying to lead Locke the wrong way, into the temple from the main entrance, thus avoiding Smokey. But Locke knows where Smokey dwells.
11.
Dead is Dead
BEN: Sun, I had no idea it would happen. I've seen this Island do miraculous things. I've seen it heal the sick, but never once has it done anything like this. Dead is dead. You don't come back from that, not even here. So the fact that John Locke is walking around this Island... scares the living hell out of me.
In the real world, dead seems to be dead. Religious beliefs aside, once a person dies, they die and that is it. So, Ben's statement seems to be a rational one. The problem is that if put within island context, the statement is false. On the island though,
-dead can be dead
e.g. the pilot of 815 killed by Smokey never to be seen again.
-dead can be island ghost
e.g. Christian whom some have seen, no one has touched and who seems to appear out of thin air
-dead can be off-island ghost
e.g. Ana Lucia who has appeared in front of Hurley off island
-dead can be possessed spectra
e.g. Yemi who stated to Eko that he was not his brother
-dead can be alive
e.g. the Nikki and Paolo incident who were buried alive
-dead can be (semi?) immortal
e.g. Richard Alpert whether immortal or not, he certainly has conquered the aging process which leads to death
-dead can be resurrected
e.g. John Locke who is walking, eating, talking all while having come out of his own coffin
The point is that whether Ben tells Sun that "dead is dead" because he believes it or in order to seem ignorant and get her to feel more comfortable around him, he is lying. Actually, this is quite funny if you think about it, the man is lying even if he doesn't intend it. Talk about the ironic state of a pathological liar! What he says, is simply not true on the island. To top it off, he probably was saved from the dead himself while in the temple when he was a boy! So, dead is definitely NOT dead.
I would like to make another key point here. This biggest of the lies uttered in this episode is also the episode's title. An ironic cold jab, a smirk from the producers to Lost fans. Just because it is the title, that doesn't mean it's necessarily gospel truth. Now take a moment to think about past titles this season:
- Because you Left
BEN: It happened because you left, Jack. Now let's get started, shall we?
How about it all happened because Ben turned the frozen donkey wheel instead of Locke whom Jacob had asked for in the first place? After all, the Oceanic 6 were obviously always supposed to have left, so that they would return with Lapidus landing the 316 on the runway, Sayid having time traveled back to the 70s to shoot Ben and thus lead to Kate coming to his rescue and resulting into making him an Other. Plus, because of the overall journey that the Oceanic 6 went through during the last 3 years, Jack has finally found his faith. So, they were always meant to leave. The problem was the state of the island after they left, and that was caused by Ben solely.
-The Lie
HURLEY: We lied, Ma!
Self-explanatory. The title itself brings forth how lying is shaping this season to be what it is.
-Jughead
Not the name of a nonchalant Archie character. Try an H-bomb which is nerve-wrecking to have around, especially since there is a crack on its side. Again, a title messing with the viewers' heads.
-The Little Prince
Not Aaron or any other male character but a reference to the boat aboard which Danielle Rousseau came to the island. The boat's name is Bésixdouze which translates from French into B-612, the name of the asteroid where Little Prince lives(The Little Prince", book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry). Yet again, a misleading title.
-This Place is Death
CHARLOTTE: [To Jin, in English] Don't let them bring her back. No matter what--don't let them bring her back! This place is death!
It would seem that the Island where there are countless references of Anubis the Egyptian God of the Underworld, where a Smoke Monster dwells and where people get killed all the time must be the island of death. But is it really or is calling it that a simplistic if not desperate act of rationalizing? This place is not death. This is the place where young Ben got shot and yet lived. This is the place where Rose's cancer subsided. This is the place where Jin was able to be a father. This is the place where Locke got to rise on his feet when paralyzed, overcome being shot and ultimately rise from the dead. This is the place where people like Richard and Christian roam seemingly untouched by time or death. This place is the opposite of death. Like John Locke has so eloquently put it, this is the land of the living.
-316
ELOISE: Jack... the binder in your hands shows all the air routes that fly over the coordinates where I believe the Island will be in little more than a day from now. There's a commercial airliner flying from L.A. to Guam. It's going to go right through our window. Ajira Airways, Flight 316. If you have any hope of the Island bringing you back, it must be that plane. You all need to be on it. It must be that flight. [Sighs] If you... want to return, you need to recreate as best you can the circumstances that brought you there in the first place. That means as many of the same people as you are able to bring with you.
316 is not even a flight, is it? Seems like any other plane flying to a destination. Only this plane is a proxy to 815. And it is not flying to its designated destination, Guam, it will go as afar as the island. The passengers on board are for the vast majority not regular travelers but time travelers and people being there as substitutes for other people. 316 exists only in a typical fashion. In reality, this flight is 815 version 2.0 .
-The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham
LOCKE: "Jeremy Bentham"?
WIDMORE: He was a British philosopher. Your parents had a sense of humor when they named you, so why can't I?
Jeremy Bentham is a British philosopher who lived and dies circa the 18th century. I am sure there are many people around the world who share this name. Given all the above, this is an ok title. But when put in Lost context, this is a false statement. Jeremy Bentham is a false name that Widmore gave to John Locke. He never lived nor did he die. He simply does not exist because John Locke is not Jeremy Bentham. He was "born" in a way when Widmore gave John the fake ID. He "died" in a way when Ben strangled Locke. Of course John Locke wasn't killed. This title is yet again, a misleading one.
-LaFleur
MILES: "Mr. LaFleur"?
SAWYER: It's Creole. Improvised.
"LaFleur" has nothing to do with Danielle speaking French about a flower. But LaFleur isn't a person either. Much like in the previous episode to this one, LaFleur is a fake identity that Sawyer assumes, LaFleur does not really exist, he is a lie.
-Namaste
DR. CHANG: Your file. Could they be any more disorganized on the other side? Sorry. Namaste. I'm Pierre Chang. Welcome to the DHARMA Initiative. How was your ride in?
What ride? There was no ride, no submarine. Jack and co time traveled to the 70s and Sawyer cooked up a lie for them to appear as Dharma newbies. No need for welcoming "namaste" and such. They don't belong with the rest of the people who got a welcoming for arriving to their new place of work.
-He's Our You
SAYID: [To Sawyer] (lowered voice) Who is that man?
SAWYER: (lowered voice) He's our you.
Not really... Sayid is a soldier of the Iraqi Republican Guard. He is a torturer and a master of martial arts. Oldham on the other hand is an old man leaving alone in the jungle, obviously apt with pharmaceutical products but not nearly as lethal as Sayid. Even he isn't that certain of the effect that his potions have, proved by the fact that he second-guesses himself after hearing what Sayid has to say.
-Whatever Happened, Happened
MILES: Yeah. It doesn't work like that. You can't change anything. You're maniac Iraqi buddy shot Linus. That is what always happened. It's just...we never experienced how it all turns out.
So far the past has been shown to us as something that cannot be altered. Details may be changed but they will lead to the same result as if they hadn't been changed. Nevertheless, people keep referring to Desmond as special and Faraday in particular who was the first to introduce us to the mantra of "whatever happened, happened", has mentioned that the rules don't apply to Desmond. On top of that, people like Faraday and Desmond try to bend the rule of determinism by challenging fate again and again. If whatever happened, happened, why bother? Lastly, Miles himself gets lost into this theory when constantly challenged to stand up for it by Hurley.Theory by helisabeta
