Michael Emerson Interview

[swarley213]

I'm not one of those people who believes actors are their characters. I've never slapped Dominic Monaghan for Charlie's attack on Sun and I wouldn't hold Harold Perrineau responsible for Michael's murderous actions. But there were a couple moments during my chat with Michael Emerson where Ben Linus came through so clearly, I experienced a chill.

Comments

[anna_salem]

His interviews are always so great. He really thinks about things.

Concerning Ben's character being resolved in "Dr. Linus," though...uh...no.

[beesknees7]

Actually, I felt that the sideways did offer some lovely resolution. Without the burden of the island and being one of Jacob's mindless followers, he could put his ambition aside and do something unselfish and thoughtful for someone he cared about. I loved that so much.

I don't think on-island Ben is resolved at all though his moment with Ilana was a good turning point for the character.

[anna_salem]

Maybe I misread, but I thought he meant Ben overall was resolved by that episode.

In that case, I completely agree with your post. Off-island Ben is a boring person with a crappy life. Not a whole lot to resolve apart from life issues.

On-island Ben, I would hope, still has some tricks up his sleeve.

[beesknees7]

In that case, I completely agree with your post.

Ha, you really don't. I love SidewaysBen. And SidewaysLocke. I loved the alt so much until it turned into shipper heaven because I was so glad that these people had a chance to live without the manipulations of Jacob and the ~island. That he has a crappy life, I don't really agree with, but it's his own doing. He's not a pawn for some dickhead mama's boy; he didn't have to watch his daughter die because of his allegiance to the aforementioned weenie; he probably wasn't abused by his father and subsequently did not murder him.

[anna_salem]

Crappy = Mundane, I suppose.

I love Dr. Linus, don't get me wrong. Love how normal he is.

But Island!Ben is why I kept watching "Lost." And Dr. Linus is not Ben.

[beesknees7]

I get it, I do. lostsailors and I have been having these discussions since the alt popped up, and I just have a completely different way of how I see this. It's just so appealing to me that these characters get a second chance untouched by island bullshit. And, I don't know why, but even before they started getting their memories, I had no problem seeing them as some kind of continuation of the characters we've been seeing since the beginning.

[lostsailors]

That's meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!