Day: May 9, 1970

Flashback: A woman gives birth in the woods as her partner looks on. When the baby is finally born, the mother continues to bleed. Her partner, Roger, carries her and the baby to the highway and flags down a car for help, but before they can do anything she dies. Her last request is that Roger name the boy Benjamin.

Years later, Roger and Benjamin travel to the island to join the Dharma Initiative. Roger gets a job as a work man, but he is not happy about his work or the hazardous conditions that accompany Dharma’s conflict with the Hostiles. At some level, he also blames Ben for his partner’s death. Ben, meanwhile, has befriended a girl his own age named Annie – and he sees visions of his mother, telling him the time is not right for him to leave yet. When he can take it no longer, he sneaks out of his camp and beyond the sonic security fence – where he meets Richard Alpert, one of the Hostiles. Ben tells Richard his story, and Richard seems to believe it. So Ben says he wants to join Richard’s group – and Richard says that one day, he will have the opportunity. And when that day comes, Ben settles the conflict between Dharma and the Hostiles once and for all.

The Island: Sawyer brings the tape that Locke gave him back to Sayid, who quickly organizes the rest of the camp – except for Jack and Juliet – into a council. They are stunned to learn about Naomi and the news about Flight 815, and concerned about Juliet’s intentions. When Jack and Juliet return, Juliet tells Sawyer to play the other side of the tape – the ones with Ben’s instructions to wait for a raid on the camp. She has already told Jack about it, and Jack has a plan.

Locke arrives at the Others’ camp and demands answers. When Ben tells him about Jacob, Locke thinks he’s lying. He demands that Ben take him to Jacob, a demand he backs up by beating a returning Mikhail unconscious. Ben agrees; before they leave, Alex gives Locke a gun. They ultimately arrive at an old cottage, but when Ben brings Locke inside, all Locke sees is Ben talking to an empty chair. Locke considers this a sign of Ben’s insanity or dishonesty, but as he turns to go he hears a voice saying “Help me.” When Locke shines a flashlight in response, things start to fly across the room, but Locke still thinks it’s one of Ben’s tricks. On the way back to camp, Ben shows Locke the ditch where the members of the Dharma Initiative are laid to rest – and then shows Locke how seriously he takes both Jacob’s existence and Ben’s special relationship with him.

written by Elizabeth Sarnoff & Drew Goddard
directed by Bobby Roth
music by Michael Giacchino

Guest Cast: M.C. Gainey (Mr. Friendly/Tom), Tania Raymonde (Alex), Andrew Divoff (Mikhail), Nestor Carbonell (Richard Alpert), Marsha Thomason (Naomi), Sterling Beaumon (young Ben), Jon Gries (Roger Linus), Carrie Preston (Emily), Doug Hutchison (Horace), Samantha Mathis (Olivia), Madeline Carroll (Annie)

Note: Hurley discovered Roger Linus’s van and body in this season’s Tricia Tanaka Is Dead.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer