‘Dr. Linus’, like the previous episode ‘Sundown’, is an example of how an actor can take good material and elevate it to something superb.  Michael Emerson has been of the best actors we’ve seen in ‘Lost’; his interpretation of Ben Linus is one of the most complex and nuanced in the series.

With the unique storytelling device that is the flash sideways, Emerson gives us two sides of Ben that at first appear to be diametrically opposed, but which begin to gravitate towards the core.

‘Dr. Linus’ is, in some ways, the ultimate Ben story.  In the main timeline, it appears that an hour of judgment has arrived for Ben. He has been exposed for murdering Jacob, and the way that he wrestles with that decision and his conflict of faith is heart wrenching, climaxing at his conversation with Ilana where Ben has never been more open and honest, and Emerson’s performance is stellar.  It is the culmination of his character arc since Ben’s daughter was murdered (or, in his mind, sacrificed for the island). The payoff is well worth it.

The flash sideways Ben is a different sort of creature; he lives a quiet life, taking care of his elderly father and teaches at the same school Locke is substituting at, and one where Alex is one of his students.  Here, Ben is not the coniving mastermind he is in the regular timeline; however, those tendencies are there, as he is presented with a situation to make a power play at the school he teaches out, until given the choice of sacrificing Alex’s future to ensure his own ambitions.

The way Ben maneuvers through the situation, and how he manages the test of character is sublime, but only due to our attachment to the character and the contrast of this life with the history we know for the ‘regular’ Ben. Emerson’s acting is the cornerstone here; otherwise, this was a story basically about a teacher making a difficult choice, and could have had no more impact than an afterschool television special.  This is where Emerson takes the material and makes it better.

The subject of faith is a clear theme in this episode, and Jack and Richard share a moment of crisis (for the latter) and affirmation (for both) in a tense scene at the Black Rock.  Richard is one of those characters whose appeal comes from the mystery surrounding him and the purpose with which he is played. The ‘C-story’ here works great in the short time it is given, and looks to have a major impact down the road.

In all, ‘Dr. Linus’ is a winner. It manages to keep a lot of balls in the air while moving the story forward and not missing a beat. The writing and direction were spot on, and if this is the last episode to focus on Ben, then you could not have asked for better.