Has Ben Always Been Good?

After last night's episode, I'm starting to wonder if Ben has always been good. I'm leaning towards yes. If you believe that keeping the island intact and functional is necessary, then he's never wavered. He might be a ass, but he's ass with a purpose (or something).

Comments

[nataliepo]

As @liz and I watched the scene where FakeLocke encourages Ben to run from Ilana to the gun 200m away, we both wondered why Smokey/Fake Locke didn't just sweep him up and take him to the other island. Ben was given a choice, and he chose Good.

[David Jacobs]

I thought this was established in the season 4 finale...

[David Jacobs]

In short, I am very disappointed in all of you.

[Matt Jacobs]

Yeah, you're right David. I think I phrased it wrong in my post. What i meant to say was "Oh Gods of Sauron, I have been sooooo wrong. If only I'd listened to David, then my baby could have been saved!" Also, Natalie: you're wrong.

[nataliepo]

Season 4 finale...season 4 finale...Alex is killed, Ben avenges her death and kills Keamy, turns the frozen donkey wheel and falls out of the sky into the desert. I always got the impression that Ben made decisions that either benefited the island or just himself. He might not be definitively Good but he's playing on their team for the time being. Might lose it later and go on a killing spree, you never know.

[Xris Ernest Hall]

Ben is the Smeagol/Gollum of the island. He will appear to choose Good, but before the end, the bad part will win out and he will try to take the ring (but in doing so will end up saving everyone.)

I'm not sure what the ring is in the context of the island, though. Maybe it's Jughead. Or the source of the island's power, which has been hinted at but never shown.

[Michael Sippey]

I don't think Ben is Smeagol / Gollum...and I don't think he's going to be the one who will save everyone. I just think Ben is a sad and confused man who has identity issues -- both on and off the island. The thing I love about his character is that it feels like Ben himself is always playing a role, and then eventually just takes it too far and has to adjust back the other way. He's not sure who he is, and so he's trying on different skins to see how they play. He's that pendulum swinging wildly, and so it's impossible for others on the island to trust anything he says or does...