‘Lost’ never had another villain as ruthless as Benjamin Linus.
The Big Picture
-
Lost
‘s legacy is as checkered as the island itself, with a disappointing final episode and unanswered mysteries. - Benjamin Linus, played by Michael Emerson, elevated
Lost
with his complex villainy and manipulative tactics. - Despite the show’s flaws, Ben Linus remains one of
Lost
‘s most compelling characters, changing the power dynamics and adding depth.
While it is arguably one of the most popular television shows of all time and created the “watercooler effect” phenomenon at the height of its popularity, the legacy of Lost remains a checkered one. Showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse certainly had no shortage of science fiction mysteries to bait their audience with, but the overwhelmingly negative reaction to the show’s final episode, “The End,” suggested that they did not do a great job at wrapping things up. After years of being promised answers to the show’s secret messages, fans turned on Lost when its abrupt conclusion ended many recurring storylines on an ambiguous note. While perhaps not satisfying on a narrative level, Lost certainly featured many great and memorable characters. Although its rogues’ gallery rivaled that of any great genre show, Lost never had another villain as ruthless as Michael Emerson’s Benjamin Linus.
Lost
The survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together in order to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island.
Who Is Ben Linus in ‘Lost’?
While its first installment is largely regarded as its best, Lost didn’t introduce Benjamin Linus until the second season. After being captured by Danielle Rousseau (Mira Furlan) in the depths of the jungle, Linus presents himself as the hot air balloon traveler Henry Gale, who crashed on the island after leaving his home in Minnesota. Although Sayid Jarrah (Naveen Andrews) is skeptical about his notion of innocence when taking him to Swan Station, Linus’ deceits are revealed after Michael Dawson (Harold Perrineau) identifies him as a member of the Others. With the knowledge that his son, Walt (Malcolm David Kelley), has been kidnapped by the Others, Michael decides to free Linus and barter a deal. It ends up being a decision that fundamentally shifts the power dynamics in Lost, as Linus is often at his most dangerous when he is put in a position of influence.
Although Lost featured no shortage of memorable monsters and set pieces, Linus was a great villain because of his power of leadership and delusions of grandeur. After Jack Shepard (Matthew Fox), Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly), and Sawyer Ford (Josh Holloway) are taken to the Hydra station in Season 3, Linus is shown as a generous and affable community leader who is willing to make the sacrifices necessary to protect the Others from disruption. Despite frequently turning to torture and abuse as a means of fulfilling his goals, Linus claims that he is willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. It’s often villains that consider themselves heroes that are the most terrifying, and Linus’ perception of his own heroism makes him even more effective.
Despite his less-than-intimidating physical presence, Linus had the unique ability to play upon his enemies’ weaknesses. In one of the most critical storylines in the third season, Locke manages to convince John Locke (Terry O’Quinn) that the island can grant him wishes, and tempts him with an illusion of his father, Anthony Cooper (Kevin Tighe). Locke may be a character who takes a logical approach to problem-solving, but Linus’ suggestion that he may be able to satisfy one of the most traumatic memories from his past strikes a chord with him. The aftermath sets Locke up on a path towards villainy that results in his reemergence as “The Man In Black” within the subsequent seasons.
Ben Linus Was a Part of Some of ‘Lost’s Greatest Twists
Despite the malevolent lengths he goes to in order to maintain the island’s stability, Linus is revealed to have a more sympathetic backstory than Lost fans may have anticipated. Although flashbacks reveal that Charles Widmore (Alan Dale) hired him to kill Danielle when she was marooned on the island, Ben ends up rescuing her daughter Alex (Tania Raymond) and raising her as his own. While Lost ultimately fails a lot of its female characters by reverting to sexist clichés, the relationship between Linus and Alex is among the show’s most fascinating dynamics. Linus appears to have some genuine empathy for Alex, who in turn must wrestle with the monstrous personality of the man who raised her.
Although the narrative grew increasingly confusing as the show continued, Linus plays an important role in the flashforward story arc of Season 4. After discovering a grieving Jarrah at the funeral of his wife, Nadia (Andrea Gabriel), Linus is able to convince the former Special Republican Guard to take up his old profession as an assassin and help hunt down a list of targets related to Widmore. This seasonal arc was frequently saddled with heavy amounts of exposition and felt only tangentially related to the action being taken on the island itself in the present. Nonetheless, Linus made the flashforwards feel worthwhile because of his personal path towards getting revenge on Widmore; furious about the death of Alex, Linus remains intent on killing Widmore’s daughter Penelope (Sonya Walger) out of revenge.
Ben Linus Changed in the Final Season of ‘Lost’
As with many great shows, Lost completely went off the rails in its final season, as it developed a parallel storyline set in the afterlife that failed to address any of the initial mysteries presented by the pilot. While the focus on the island and its mythology was not satisfying, Linus’ storyline ended up redeeming the last season of Lost. In the parallel timeline, Linus is depicted as a shy European History teacher who is forced to choose between blackmailing the corrupt Principal Donald Reynolds (William Atherton) and helping one of his students attend her dream university. While much of the afterlife storyline felt like it lacked stakes, Linus’ moral quandary added a compelling ethical debate.
Emerson’s performance as Linus was met with critical acclaim, earning him four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, as well as a win in the category in 2009. Emerson certainly looms large within genre properties, now appearing as Siggi Wilzig in the highly anticipated adaptation of Fallout as well as reprising his role as recurring antagonist Dr. Leland Townsend in the final season of Evil. Nonetheless, Linus is certainly the character he will best be remembered for, and one that transformed Lost from an intriguing set of mysteries to an intense thriller.
Lost is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
This article was originally published on collider.com