Eggtown, Part 2

OK, we talked about Kate's FF and the Aaron reveal last time, this time I want to talk about Ben and Locke and Miles.

But first, let's get a couple o' LOST fun facts out of the way! First, if you haven't already, check out this reverse audio of the bearded man who yells at Kate on her way into the courtroom. What do you think? Second, the book Sawyer is reading, The Invention of Morel, is about a fugitive who hides on a desert island, which is then visited by tourists. And the book Locke brings Ben is Valis, by Phillip K. Dick. If you really want to dive into that one, you might start here.

Alright, on to the meat.

I guess my first question is, why aren't Ben and Locke working together? Going back to "The Man Behind the Curtain", it could be concluded that Ben is a jealous guardian of his own power. Almost whining, "Richard doesn't talk to Jacob! Richard doesn't know where he is!". And of course, the scene at the end where he shoots Locke because Jacob said something to Locke that Ben couldn't hear. This is supported in "Eggtown", with Ben taunting Locke that he can't find the cabin, doesn't know what to do.

And Locke certainly has no reason to trust Ben, given the aforementioned shooting and leaving for dead. But if the safety of the island is as important to both of them as they say it is (and I believe it is), why aren't they working together for the greater good, instead of engaging in a power struggle? The enemy of my enemy is my friend? Do they get this?

And what is up with Locke? I mean Ben is doing what he always does: being cryptic and manipulative. And if Locke knew what he was doing, if he was still following Jacob, or even Walt, his behavior would be understandable.

But he is, as Ben so wonderfully put it, "more LOST than ever". So why is he being so adamant? Why is he not more open to help? And seriously, the grenade in the mouth (BTW, that grenade is known as an egg)? I mean, has Locke flipped his lid?

Yes, I have, in recent posts, defended Locke. But this episode has me stumped. I still believe the freighter people are bad news, but I no longer have the same confidence in Locke to fix it as I once did. Ben, on the other hand...

Ben seems in control, even in the scene with Miles: "Yes, I know who you are, yes, I know who you work for." And he doesn't seem fazed by Miles request: "My present situation is a little restrictive". This is understatement. How is a week better than 2 days, in his present condition? But he seems to think it is.

Plus, Ben is obviously still manipulating and controlling in the off-island future, and he clearly knows what's going on in a way Locke doesn't. So I guess Ben, for all the beatings to the face he's taken as of late, and for all the rope around his limbs, is still confident and in control. Locke is desparate.

Unfortunately, none of this explains why their common goal isn't more important than their differences. When are we gonna see a Locke flashforward (drool)?

Finally, what is up with Miles and his $3.2 million? Even Ben asks, "why not 3.3 or 3.4?" Did Miles "ghost whisper" with some entity that told him that's how much money Ben had? Or is it simply that he "knows who Ben is and what he can do"? If the latter, then why $3.2 million exactly?

Of course this episode further proves that the freighter is not just about Ben, and that they all had reason to know details about the passengers of 815, which means they had reason to believe 815 had crashed there and they would find survivors.

Well, I apologize for that ramble, but my head is spinning! I'm sure everything will be cleared up next week, right? Right?