Benjamin Linus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Benjamin "Ben" Linus | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image:Henrygale.jpg Michael Emerson as Ben | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
Benjamin Linus, better known as "Ben", is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Michael Emerson. He is the de facto leader of the group known as "The Others". During the second season he was known by the alias "Henry Gale".
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Prior to the crash
Ben Linus, one of the Others, claims to have lived on the island his entire life. He lives in a hidden, isolated community on a small island with many modern amenities. He appears to be the de facto leader of the Others, although Juliet (a woman with whom he appears to have a past) claims that the Others make their decisions as a group. He is a former member of the Others' book club, and it is noted that he dislikes Stephen King novels ("A Tale of Two Cities"), although he later specifically requests a Stephen King novel when he is a prisoner in the Swan station.
Two days before the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, Ben discovers he has a spinal tumor. After he witnesses the crash, he commands Goodwin to investigate the tail portion, and Ethan to investigate the fuselage. The revelation that a spinal surgeon, Jack Shephard, crashed on the island two days after Ben learned that he is dying reinforces his belief in God and gives him hope that his life can be saved.
[edit] After the crash
Ben first appears onscreen when he is captured by Danielle Rousseau and brought to the castaways. Danielle assures Sayid that he is one of the Others, but he claims that he is a castaway on the island and that his name is "Henry Gale". His name is later revealed to be "Ben" ("A Tale of Two Cities"). Locke and Sayid confine Ben in the armory of the Swan Station. His presence is generally kept a secret from the other castaways, although at one point Ben is visited by Mr. Eko ("Maternity Leave"); Mr. Eko asks his forgiveness for killing two of the Others who had tried to kidnap him. Sayid, believing that Ben is one of the Others, interrogates and tortures him. Ben insists that he is the wealthy former owner of a company that mined for non-metallic minerals. He also claims that he and his wife, Jennifer, are from Minnesota, and that they crashed into the northern shore of the Island while traveling by hot air balloon. According to Ben, the two hid in caves until she fell ill and died from a fever. He says that he buried her body in the jungle, and that he has forgotten the location of the burial site ("One of Them").
While imprisoned, Ben strives to exploit existing tensions among his captors. For example, noticing friction between Locke and Jack, Ben makes a comment to Locke about Jack calling all the shots, which upsets Locke and deepens the rift between Locke and Jack. After refusing to tell Jack, Locke, or Sayid the location of his wife's gravesite, he secretly tells Ana Lucia that he buried his wife near the crash site of their balloon ("The Whole Truth"), and draws her a map to that location. She keeps the map secret from Jack and Locke and quietly leaves with a search party. Ben later taunts Jack and Locke, revealing that Ana Lucia has left the camp to follow his map. He says that, if he were "one of these people you consider your enemies", he would draw a map to a secluded location where "a bunch of my people" would ambush the search party and then use them to trade for his freedom (adding that it is a good thing he is not one of them).
Later, the hatch goes into lockdown mode and Locke releases Ben so that he can help (promising Ben protection in exchange for his assistance). When Locke is pinned under a heavy security door, he tells Ben about the computer, the countdown, and the code numbers. Ben climbs through the ceiling, bypassing the security doors to get to the computer and enter the code. He returns to help the injured Locke, and reports that he successfully entered the code. Locke is grateful that Ben does not abandon him. However, moments later, Jack, Kate, Charlie, Sayid, and Ana Lucia arrive. Their search party found the balloon and the grave, just as Ben had described ("Lockdown"). However, Sayid, still skeptical of Ben's story, had investigated the gravesite further and discovered a dead man buried with a photo ID identifying himself as Henry Gale. Ben unsuccessfully attempts to explain the holes in his story ("Dave"), and panics when Sayid presses him to reveal the truth about the Others. Ben reacts with terror, saying that "He" will kill Ben if he reveals anything. Ben taunts Locke by asserting that he never entered the numbers or pushed the button while Locke was pinned under the door, and that the timer went back to 108 minutes on its own. He states that the Hatch means nothing to the Others and that the button is a "joke". Jack decides to attempt to trade Ben for Michael's son Walt ("S.O.S."), despite Ben's assertion that the Others will never give up Walt. Later, Ben refuses to speak to anyone, and stops taking food and water.
Ben soon escapes from his captors. He attacks Ana Lucia, who comes to visit him, in retaliation for the Others she had previously killed ("Two for the Road"). He is subdued by Locke, and Ana Lucia later returns to the hatch with a gun, intending to kill Ben. However, Michael, under secret instructions from the Others, convinces her to give him the gun. He then kills her and Libby, who comes upon the scene, before shooting himself in the shoulder and releasing Ben from the storage closet. Afterward, Locke and Eko are unable to track Ben; he makes a clean escape and returns to the Others ("?"). He resumes a leadership position among them ("Live Together, Die Alone") and keeps the promise that the Others had made to Michael, allowing him to escape on a boat with Walt (telling him that "we're the good guys"). He has a somewhat antagonistic relationship with Juliet, one of the Others who asserts that Ben does not have power over her.
After Jack, Sawyer, and Kate are captured, Ben monitors the prisoners at a monitoring station, where all their actions are displayed on television screens. Faced with Sawyer's generally unabated disobedience against his captors, Ben cons Sawyer into thinking that the Others have put a pacemaker into his chest that will cause his heart to explode if he reaches an active heartrate; Ben also threatens to do the same thing to Kate if Sawyer does not cooperate. He later admits the lie while showing Sawyer that the Hydra station, their current location, is actually on a second, smaller island (preventing the possibility of escape). He reveals to Jack that the Others are in contact with the outside world (showing Jack a clip of the Red Sox winning the World Series), and promises that Jack can go home, like Michael and Walt, if he cooperates. Ben is alarmed to discover that Colleen has been shot and wounded while stealing the castaways' sailboat, and urgently tells Juliet to operate on her ("Every Man for Himself"). Ben initially objects to Jack's participation in the surgery effort, but allows Jack to try. Jack subsequently discovers that Ben has a malignant tumor on his spine, a revelation that alters the power balance between the two men.
Ben's life is currently placed in the hands of Jack. After Jack begins the surgery, he deliberately cuts open Ben's kidney sac. ("I Do"). Jack explains to the Others that Ben only has an hour to live before he bleeds to death, and Jack refuses to stitch him up unless the Others let Kate go. Ben's fate is unknown.
[edit] Trivia
- Michael Emerson was originally contracted to appear in just three episodes of Lost but the producers were so impressed by him that they contracted him for a further five episodes (making eight in total). In season 3, he is a regular cast member.<ref>The Boston Globe (August 4, 2006), Back to the land of the 'Lost', boston.com</ref>
- Henry Gale is Dorothy’s Uncle Henry in the Wizard of Oz. “The Wizard" of Oz originally arrived in Oz by way of hot air balloon and was worshiped as a great wizard but in reality was a fraud. Before Oz “The Wizard" was a traveling magician.
- Ben appeared in eight episodes of season two (2.14-2.20, 2.24) known as Henry Gale. In season three he became a main cast member, and revealed that his real name was Benjamin 'Ben' Linus.
[edit] References
<references/>
| Lost | |
|---|---|
| Production: | DVD releases • Episode list • Season 1 • Season 2 • Season 3 • Soundtrack |
| Main characters: | Ana Lucia • Ben • Boone • Charlie • Claire • Desmond • Hurley • Jack • Jin • Juliet • Kate</br>Libby • Locke • Michael • Mr. Eko • Nikki • Paulo • Sawyer • Sayid • Shannon • Sun • Walt |
| Supporting characters: | Bernard • Rose • The Others |
| Organizations: | DHARMA Initiative • Hanso Foundation • Oceanic Airlines |
| Elements: | Crossovers • DHARMA Initiative stations • Flight 815 • Mythology • Thematic motifs |
| Miscellaneous: | Gary Troup • Lost Experience • Rachel Blake • In popular culture • Video game |
