Episode Title: "The Shape of Things to Come"

Episode Number: Season 4, Episode 9 (#78 overall)

Production Number: 4.09

Air Date: 4/24/08

Flashforward: Ben


Synopsis: "Locke's camp comes under attack, and Jack tries to discover the identity of a body that has washed ashore."

"Guest starring are Ken Leung as Miles, Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday, Rebecca Mader as Charlotte, Sam Anderson as Bernard, Tania Raymonde as Alex, Alan Dale as Charles Widmore, Marc Vann as doctor, Kevin Durand as Keamy, Yetide Badaki as desk clerk, Kaveh Kardan as merchant, Faran Tahir as Ishmael Bakir and Sean Douglas Hoban as Doug.

"The Shape of Things to Come" was written by Brian K. Vaughan & Drew Goddard and directed by Jack Bender." (ABC Press Release)

At the beach, Jack enters into his tent to take some antibiotics for a stomach bug. Kate comes in, saying he does not look well. They here Vincent barking, and shouts for help. They rush out to the shore, where there is a dead body that has washed up. It is the doctor of the Kahana, Ray, whose neck is slit. Jack asks Daniel when he last saw him, to which Daniel replies "when is not relative".

Alex, who is captured by the mercenaries, is forced to turn off the sonic fence. She says that the people at the barracks have a baby. She enters the code, 16 23, the same code Juliet used to control the defense system. This triggered a warning to the Barracks, where Locke, Sawyer, and Hurley were playing Risk. The phone rings, and there is a automated message repeating "Code: 14J". Locke tells Ben about the phone call five minutes later. Ben has a very worried expression on his face, and takes out a shotgun, and gives it to Sawyer. Locke demands to know what is going on, and Ben says "They're here".


Ben tells Sawyer not to go outside, but he decides to so he can save Claire, who is still inside her house. Sawyer tells Doug, another survivor, to get back inside, but is shot, along with Jerome, and a woman. Sawyer runs to Claire's house, dodging gunfire. One of the mercenaries fires an RPG, which destroys Claire's house.

The firing stops, and Sawyer searches through the burnt rubble for Claire. He finds her, who just woke up, and mistakes Sawyer for Charlie. Sawyer yells at the other people to open the door, which is blockaded by furniture. Hurley smashes a window to allow them to enter.

The doorbell rings, and it's Miles, who is holding a walkie-talkie from the mercenaries. Ben refuses to speak with them, until he finds out that they have Alex hostage. Keamy instructs Ben to go to the window so they can see each other. Keamy says that if he comes out, no one will be hurt. Ben then starts revealing information about him, that he used to be part of the US Marine Corps, but began working for mercenary companies, including one in Uganda. Ben then gives a counterproposal, in which they turn back, and get off the Island, and forget that they ever came. Keamy tells Alex to say goodbye, tells Ben he has 10 seconds. Ben then says that Alex means nothing to him, and that she was a pawn, and nothing more. Ben decides he will not leave the house, and Keamy shoots and kills Alex.

Ben stares in shock, and says that "he has changed the rules". He enters his secret room, sealing the door behind him. He moves his hanging suits out of the way to reveal a secret door with hieroglyphics on it. He later comes out, covered in soot. He tells everyone to get ready to leave in a minute. A rumbling is heard, and the Monster appears, much larger than ever, with lightning sparking from inside. It enters the tree line, where it attacks the mercenaries. The survivors leave, but Ben spends one last moment with Alex.

Back at the beach, Daniel manages to communicate the Kahana via Morse code. He asks what happened to the doctor. Soon, a reply is heard, to which Daniel translates, saying that they did not mention anything about the doctor, and that the helicopter will return in the morning. Bernard reveals that he is lying, and that the code said "What are you talking about? The doctor is fine".

Sawyer becomes frustrated at Ben and Locke's plan to go to see Jacob. Sawyer, along with Claire and Miles wants to head back to the beach. Sawyer also says that Hurley will be going with them, but Locke strongly disagrees, saying they need Hurley to find Jacob's Cabin. Sawyer and Locke have a standoff, but Hurley says he is fine with going with Locke and Ben.


Flashforward: Ben appears in the middle of the Sahara desert, wearing a parka with a Dharma logo and the name Halliwax on it. He has a large cut on his right arm. Two Bedouins on horseback appear. One points out that there are no footprints around him, the other asks if he "fell from the sky?" Ben asks if they speak English. One of them searches him, and discovers a baton in his pocket. Ben attacks one of them, who fires his weapon, killing the other one. He then falls to the ground, saying "surrender", and then Ben acknowledges the fact he can speak English, and knocks him out, and rides away on one of their horses.

Ben checks in at a hotel in Tunisia. The desk clerk asks if it is his first time in Tunisia, and Ben replies that he has, but not for a long time. He goes under the alias of Dean Moriarty. He asks what the day is, and she says October 24. Ben asks if it is the year 2005, to which she says yes, but confused as to why he asked that question. Ben sees Sayid on the TV, where he says he wants to "bury his wife in peace".

Ben leaves an SUV, with the word "Press" on it, and enters a building, climbing the stairs to the roof. He takes out a camera from his bag, and attaches a lens to it. He takes a picture of a man watching Nadia's funeral. He then sees Sayid, and takes a picture of him. Sayid spots him, and Ben hurries down the stairs. Sayid tackles him, asking why he is following him. He then discovers it is Ben, and asks how he got here. Ben says he went through the Syrian border, and Sayid interrupts, clarifying that he meant how did he got off the Island. Ben said he sailed the Elizabeth to Fiji. He then explains that there is a man, named Ishmael Bakir, is working for Charles Widmore, and that he killed Nadia in Los Angeles. Sayid vows to kill him.

Ben is at a cafe watching Bakir, who soon leaves. He follows him to an alley. They meet, and Ben says that he wants him to deliver a message to Charles Widmore. Sayid shoots him several times, and continues shooting even when the clip was empty. Ben warns Sayid that he should not let his grief turn to anger, but Sayid asks "who's next?" Ben says that it is his world, and Sayid should not be a part of it. Sayid will not change his mind, and Ben says he will keep in touch. Ben walks away with a smile on his face.

Later, Ben travels to London. He enters a building, and tells the doorman he is here to visit Mr. and Mrs. Kendrick at room 4E. He takes the elevator, but goes to the penthouse instead. He enters a bedroom, where Charles Widmore is sleeping. Ben asks when he started having a bottle of whiskey by his bed, and Widmore says "when the nightmares started". Widmore asks if he is here to kill him, to which Ben replies that he "can't kill him". They argue over who is to blame for Alex's death. Ben then says that he will kill his daughter, Penelope Widmore, but Widmore says he will never find her. Widmore also says that he will find the Island, and that it has always been his. Ben says that he will never find the Island.



OMG Moments:

• When we see Sayid appear on the T.V. in Tunisia, he claims that his wife is dead.
• Sayid marries Nadia after getting off the island.
• Claire's house is destroyed during the attack on the Barracks by an RPG.
• Alex is killed.
• A much larger version of the Smoke Monster is seen.
• Ben meets Mr. Widmore in London and tells him that he will kill Penny.

New Clues:

• When we first see Ben in the Sahara, if you look closely, you can see that the name on the jacket reads "Halliwax". This is the same name used by the doctor sometimes known as Marvin Candle in The Orchid Station Video. The logo on Ben's jacket may also have been The Orchid logo. According to an Entertainment Weekly article (4/18/08), we will soon see this station and learn more about it.
• Ben appearing in the Sahara could be a hint as to how the Polar Bear was discovered in Tunisia.

Questions:

• How was Ben able summon the smoke monster?
• Did Ben time travel to the Sahara?
• Where did Ben get the wound on his arm?
• What are the "Rules", and how did Alex's death change them?
  
  
  

Theories: