For the first time – it felt that way, at least – Lost gave us a hint that not everything is predetermined and there just might be the chance to decide your own fate.
In fact, that’s what “Dr. Linus” was all about.
On the Island, Ben spent the hour first trying not to admit he killed Jacob, trying to weasel out of his punishment for killing Jacob and then, finally, explaining why he did. Telling the truth, for once.
And his telling the truth saved his life. Ilana knew he was speaking the truth. Knew that Ben had given his life to serve Jacob, serve the Island, sacrificing perhaps the only person he’d ever cared about for … what? For an island that Jacob, whom he’d never seen, had asked him to protect.
And Ben may actually be redeemable. He chose to stay with Ilana and the others because they’d have him, rather than going with Flocke, who gave him a gun and freed him. And told him to kill Ilana. (What’s he gonna do when he finds Ben isn’t coming to the Hydra station?)
The fact that Ben chose not to kill her, even though he knew she would kill him in a second, showed there are third acts in life.
