The 'Lost' Diary -- Dr. Linus

Welcome back to another edition of The "Lost" Diary.

For all you "Lost" Diary newbies, here's how it goes: I gather with a group of friends watching "Lost," writing what happens on the show as it happens, and throwing in my two cents along the way. Let's roll ...

9:00 -- "I'm fine, thank you." -- Ben. I don't know about you, but I am ready for Ben to start acting like Ben again and not some scared little bitch.

9:01 -- "It's Dr. Linus, actually." -- Ben. I am obviously curious how Ben ended up a HS history teacher -- he seems a tad over-qualified.

9:02 -- ARZT!!!!

9:03 -- "Just sounds like you care about this place. And if the man in charge doesn't, maybe it's time for a change." -- Locke. Was he talking about the high school ... or the island?

9:04 -- Ben is still lying about killing Jacob -- looks like it will be coming back to haunt him any second now.

9:05 -- Miles is gonna find out the truth, but lie about it.

9:06 -- "Linus killed him." -- Miles. Um, or not.

9:09 -- Back at the beach, Ilana is not really in the mood for Ben, considering he just killed "the closest thing she ever had to a father."

9:10 -- Ben's dad is alive. Great.

9:11 -- Interesting ... Ben and his dad still went to the island, but left seemingly of their own free will. Doesn't sound like a bomb went off or anything like that ...

9:12 -- Ok, now Alex (and Rousseau maybe?) are off the island.

9:13 -- Ilana doesn't know whether Jin or Sun is the candidate. My money is on Sun.

9:15 -- "The island got you in the end, didn't it?" -- Ben

9:16 -- Ilana is making it look like she wants to kill Ben. If she really wanted to kill him, wouldn't she have done it by now?

9:21 -- "My mom works two jobs just to pay rent." -- Alex. What kind of jobs could Rousseau have?

9:23 -- Apparently Principal Reynolds was banging the nurse. Hmmm, I wonder if someone who wants to be principal could use that information somehow...

9:24 -- "What are you gonna do, write me a check on this banana leaf?" -- Miles

9:25 -- "Cyborg? Vampire?" -- Hurley. Apparently Jacob made it so Richard can't age.

9:27 -- "There's something I need to do ... Die." -- Richard

9:30 -- Ben in beginning to conspire against the principal. Not exactly Ben and Locke in the hatch ... but still interesting none the less.

9:31 -- "Linus, you're a real killer." -- Arzt

9:32 -- So Richard said this is the first time he has ever been back to the Black Rock -- and he sure made it seem like he came to the island in the first place on the Black Rock.

9:33 -- Richard "can't" kill himself ... so he wants Hurley and Jack to do it.

9:34 -- Really? Jack -- a doctor -- is gonna help Richard kill himself? I don't buy it.

9:35 -- "Now, let's talk." -- Jack. Ok, maybe he has a plan ...

9:40 -- "If you change you're mind, I'll be like a mile away." -- Jack

9:41 -- So Jack -- of all people -- seems to think fate is going to intervene and make it so he and Richard don't blow up. I bet Richard stops the fuse.

9:42 -- The fuse just went out ... on its own. Top 5 coolest moment on "Lost" ever? I think so.

9:43 -- "Visiting. What are you doing?" -- Not Locke

9:44 -- Not Locke is taking everyone off the island ... and wants Ben to be in charge. He's also helping Ben kill Ilana ... which I am guessing is kind of his main goal.

9:45 -- Ben's blackmail of Principal Reynolds begins now.

9:46 -- "Linus, may I read you an email?" -- Principal Reynolds. Uh oh, this can't be good.

9:47 -- Oh no -- Principal Reynolds is holding Alex's recommendation letter over Ben's head. Which will he choose? My guess is ... Alex is screwed.

9:48 -- Ben is explaining to Ilana that he chose the island over his own daughter. Yeah, I think flash-sideways Alex is headed to community college.

9:49 -- Team Ilana or Team Not Locke -- which will Ben chose?

9:54 -- Principal Reynolds wrote the letter for Alex. I think I have been wrong about almost everything tonight.

9:55 -- Is it me or did Alex lose a lot of weight?

9:56 -- And now Ben is joining Team Ilana. Up is down. Black is white.

9:57 -- Jack, Hurley and Richard should be showing up soon, right?

9:58 -- Yup, there they are.

9:59 -- WIDMORE!!!!

I always avoid commercials and promos and articles about "Lost" all week long -- but I am sucker for reading the guest stars in the opening credits. I noticed Alan Dale's name -- he plays Widmore -- so as soon as the sub showed up I knew it was him. I need to stop reading the credits.

(BTW -- I think he found the island because of the bomb going off. Kind of like how it showed up for a little bit after the Swan hatch blew up. Just a thought.)

Anyway, for me this episode was the exact opposite of the last two weeks. I had complained that the last two episodes telegraphed very early on that nothing important was going to happen until the end -- "Lighthouse" was all about getting to the lighthouse, "Sundown" was all about Not Locke showing up at the temple.

This week wasn't like that at all -- no end point was established, thus things were happening at all points throughout the show. The most memorable of which was the dynamite fuse going out on its own -- a perfect "Lost" moment if ever there was one.