# Lost 6.7 "Dr. Linus" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 9, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891 "2010-03-09T19:02:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/141 "2010-03-11T20:11:24Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > But it’s not. They already showed the date on Claire’s sonogram that said it was 2004. Right, but the theory is that the alternate reality is in the characters’ future. That is, something happens on the island in 2007 to send all the characters from there into the alternate timeline in 2004 (or some other time). ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/142 "2010-03-11T21:07:18Z")
Just finished watching it on Hulu. Damn, I just love Ben. Not in a pervy way, but in the just love to watch him way. I love watching Richard, too, but I would totally do pervy things with him. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/143 "2010-03-11T21:09:23Z")
> [@borschevsky](#): > > Right, but the theory is that the alternate reality is in the characters’ future. That is, something happens on the island in 2007 to send all the characters from there into the alternate timeline in 2004 (or some other time). Ah, got it. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/144 "2010-03-11T21:42:13Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > … > And if Little Turniphead and Big Old Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaalt are there too, we could get a lot of resolution on a bunch of issues. (The “Raised By Another” thing from the psychic is a MAJOR unresolved issue as are Waaaaaaaaalt’s super-powers.) Maybe the whole “raised by another” thing meant that Claire needed to be with Aaron and not the other way around or bad things would happen for Claire. > [@Indistinguishable](#): > > Even if you don’t know how school politics work, though, how was it that Ben had enough leverage to ostensibly force the principal to resign yet not enough to tack onto it a demand that he write a positive recommendation for Alex as well? That didn’t seem sensical. > [@middleman](#): > > I agree. He wasn’t saying it was Dickless’s hire to make, but rather he was so respected that if he said “no one can take over and run things the way I run them but Ben Linus” Ben felt certain it would happen. > > Seems reasonable to me as well. > > As for Dickless’s counter threat, I am sure that Ben could have included the recommendation in his threat as some have suggested; but that was not the point. > > I think instead the Ben of ATL realized that he was not the type of person who played games like that. I think part of his acquiescence to Dickless was an acknowledgement that the more he raised the stakes, the bigger the risk he posed to Alex’s well being. It was a less lethal version of his standoff with Keamy, but it was also a nice parallel, as all these ATLs are, to the island events of this episode. Agreed, I think Ben’s backing down was more of a realization that he really didn’t have it in him to be that ruthless. He could have demanded a recommendation for Alex but what would really stop the Principal from torching her later on his own? He chose not to risk Alex. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/145 "2010-03-11T21:59:59Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > What did you think of the story that Dr Linus was telling about Napoleon’s exile on Elba? He said something about how Napoleon was still emperor, but because he was stuck on the island, he was effectively powerless. It seemed to be a fairly clear metaphor for Esau. I thought so too until someone pointed out that it might just as easily, and more directly, be taken as a metaphor for Ben himself. After all, he was once the leader, and then lost all his power. Calling the island a prison certainly seems more like Smokie’s story, but in some ways, it might do dual duty, as so many of the themes on lost do. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/146 "2010-03-12T00:35:06Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Can those who say “the school stuff is all wrong!” explain it to those of us who didn’t see anything wrong with it? Because I’m genuinely curious. Yes, please explain! Y’all had me slightly swayed at first but then I watched the episode again and realized you were watching some other show. > [@Drum\_God](#): > > Principals don’t step down and name their successors like that. It was never said that they do. What was said was that that particular principal was held in such high esteem that his recommendation would hold a lot of sway with those that do the choosing. > [@Indistinguishable](#): > > how was it that Ben had enough leverage to ostensibly force the principal to resign yet not enough to tack onto it a demand that he write a positive recommendation for Alex as well? Because only the principal was able to write the recommendation (and was willing to write a bad recommendation), because he was an alumni, and Ben was not. That was his ace up his sleeve. Basically, “if you take me down, I’m going to take Alex down with me”. If he didn’t have Alex, then he’d have no leverage with with to bargain with Ben. I’m not sure what problem people had with the AP class. They are hard classes, so it’s understandable that Alex was worried about getting good grades on the tests so as to not hurt her GPA. Were people confused by her saying “AP test”? I thought it was pretty clear she was referring to a regular test in her AP class, and not the actual end of year AP organization test. The only two question I have are: 1. Does Yale really require a recommendation from an alumni? 2. Alex would be 16 at this point. Is she graduating a year or two early? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/147 "2010-03-12T01:52:56Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > He’s also famous for his [lack of penis](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-b-CfHbPGQ&feature=related). It’s true. This man [is a rodent]\ ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/148 "2010-03-12T03:10:09Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > 1. Alex would be 16 at this point. Is she graduating a year or two early? Depending upon on the public school cutoff age in California, it’s very likely she’s 16 and a junior. Perfect college application time. ---
**Author:** ![ekweizn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7c8e57/32.png) [@ekweizn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekweizn)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/149 "2010-03-12T06:50:18Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > 1. Does Yale really require a recommendation from an alumni? No–not even from an alumus or an alumna. Also I’m pretty sure it’s unusual for students to see the recommendation letter written for them (Alex comments on the contents of hers at the end of the episode). ---
**Author:** ![ekweizn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7c8e57/32.png) [@ekweizn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekweizn)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/150 "2010-03-12T07:14:02Z")
[About Sayid killing Dogen and Lennon] ILANA: Are you sure? BEN: He was standing over their dead bodies holding a bloody dagger, so yeah, I’m pretty sure. [About Ben killing Jacob] ILANA: Are you sure? MILES: Well he was standing over Jacob’s body with a bloody dagger, so yeah, I’m pretty sure. Miles is awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/151 "2010-03-12T07:45:44Z")
> [@ekweizn](#): > > Miles is awesome. Damn, I didn’t even catch that parallel in lines when watching the episode. That rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/152 "2010-03-12T08:25:51Z")
Do principals or teachers actually write letters of _non_-recommendation anyway? I would think any instructor who was asked to write a letter of rec for someone and proceeded to basically sabotage their future would have a lawyer on their ass lickety split. In normal cases of course the instructor could simply decline the request to write the letter for the student but if Alex is as good a student as she’s depicted the other teachers plus a lawsuit would easily show that the letter was invalid. In other news, the actress who plays Alex is beautiful. I know that Linus and Alex were depicted as father/daughter previously but they didn’t seem to be in the ATL and I was fully expecting it to be really awkward from a sexual tension standpoint during the tutelage session. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/153 "2010-03-12T10:17:06Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > Question. Do all West Coast schools look like that, or was that the same school where they filmed the Mark Harmon film, _Summer School_? I believe all of LOST’s filming occurs in Hawai’i. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/154 "2010-03-12T12:31:26Z")
From the prior episode, and you may have covered it, but… What do you make of the significance that Dogan and Translator Dude were killed in the pool that did the Pet Semetery thing to Sayid? ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/155 "2010-03-12T13:42:08Z")
So the question is, why could Ben kill Jacob but Sayid couldn’t kill Flocke? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/156 "2010-03-12T14:16:10Z")
Sayid was told that he had to stab Flocke before he said anything at all. But he didn’t do that. Flocke said something (I think “Hello Sayid”). ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/157 "2010-03-12T15:56:10Z")
I think you guys are reading too much into it. Flocke, being made of smoky particles, is not killable by stabbing, and Dogen knew this. Dogen was just hoping Flocke would lash out in anger and kill Sayid. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/158 "2010-03-12T15:59:06Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > Question. Do all West Coast schools look like that, or was that the same school where they filmed the Mark Harmon film, _Summer School_? That was fairly typical “California” looking school, but I imagine as stated above, is probably a school in Hawaii. If the climate is mild, why enclose what you don’t need to enclose? 🙂 My high school in Wisconsin had two campus buildings and we had to walk across the parking lot to cross between them. Uphill, both ways! ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/159 "2010-03-12T16:02:04Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > I think you guys are reading too much into it. Flocke, being made of smoky particles, is not killable by stabbing, and Dogen knew this. Dogen was just hoping Flocke would lash out in anger and kill Sayid. That scene sort of irritated me. Sayid (and by proxy, the viewers) were told that it was of paramount importance to stab Smokey before he said _anything_. If he said anything at all, it would be too late. Well, he did say something, but then Sayid stabbed him anyway, so the viewers are left to wonder: Was it significant that Smokey said a couple of words prior to being stabbed, or did the writers just forget that he was supposed to be stabbed before saying anything at all, or was it done intentionally to try to confuse the viewer? Again, didn’t ruin the episode for me, but was mildly annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891/160 "2010-03-12T16:12:54Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > That scene sort of irritated me. Sayid (and by proxy, the viewers) were told that it was of paramount importance to stab Smokey before he said _anything_. If he said anything at all, it would be too late. Well, he did say something, but then Sayid stabbed him anyway, so the viewers are left to wonder: Was it significant that Smokey said a couple of words prior to being stabbed, or did the writers just forget that he was supposed to be stabbed before saying anything at all, or was it done intentionally to try to confuse the viewer? I think Dogen just told him that because he wanted to make sure Sayid would stab Flocke and bring his wrath down upon him immediately, instead of giving him a chance to talk which might allow him to turn Sayid to the Dark Side (which, of course, happened anyway.) Plus, it was done to confuse the viewer, like everything on Lost. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-6-7-dr-linus/531891.md?page=9)