TV Watch: Lost, The Shape Of Things To Come

This season does still manage to impress me. This was a well plotted, tense and interesting episode - starting off with showing many of us that we shouldn't have assumed Ben had actually laid a trap for CFL and company, but rather that it's Widmore's men who take them.

And Alex's death seems to be a watershed moment for the show. Somehow, whatever game of lists Ben and Widmore are playing, Alex wasn't supposed to be on that particular one. This even helps explain Ben's tactic in dealing with her capture. He didn't think that the men would be allowed, in one way or another, to actually kill her. When they do, it would seem that he takes a war footing rather seriously.

Even the characters seem to have behaved more realistically here - with Locke bugging Ben about the monster and Jack pushing for answers about the boat. And ho were the scenes with the monster worth the price of admission. The real question is whether Ben just had to release the hounds or if it's more complicated. Would he not normally have killed them or had the "rules" changed so it was OK for him?

And why exactly can't he kill Widmore? Or apparently the other way around.

There's some buzz that the DHARMA parka Ben had on in the Sahara is related to a new base that allows space/time travel. The logo is new and, well, let's face it - it's a bit that it's a parka. Maybe the base is a bit of a hike from the island. Considering that I think there was a polar bear carcass in the desert a few episodes back, makes you wonder quite where the door in the wardrobe might reside.

And anyone else think it odd that Widmore can't find the island anymore? That thing must really get around.