The Lost series finale was filled with mysteries that weren’t fully explained, including the reason why Ben Linus didn’t enter the church. Introduced in Lost season 2, episode 14, “One Of Them,” Ben Linus was one of the series’ most dynamic characters, for better or worse. He quickly grew from a supporting role to a full-fledged lead, though he was never part of the show’s main core of heroes. While the things he did were often questionable, Ben had certainly earned his spot by the finale, and yet he stayed outside the church as the rest entered.
At times, Ben Linus was an absolute villain, whether he was kidnapping Alex from Danielle or committing murder. Even so, Ben saw a strong redemption arc throughout the latter half of the series, and it was clear that he had changed significantly since his debut. Though other Lost characters weren’t at the church, Ben’s refusal to enter was one of the most glaring omissions from the show’s happy, if not divisive, finale. Many questions still abounded after Lost season 6, episodes 17 and 18, “The End,” but Ben’s refusal to enter was one detail that stopped the series from having a clean wrap-up.
Michael Emerson Believes Ben Couldn’t Enter The Church Because He Was Waiting For Someone
As the other Lost characters entered the church and “moved on,” Ben Linus sat outside and refused several invitations to enter. Going beyond the explanation that the show gave, actor Michael Emerson stated in an interview with CBS News that he believed Ben was waiting specifically for someone else. Not one of the members of the Oceanic Six, Ben was always separate from the main characters of Lost, even if he formed connections with people like Hurley. Who Ben was specifically waiting for wasn’t clear, but Emerson pointed out that every other character entered the church in a pairing, and Ben’s pairing hadn’t shown up yet.
Ben Refused To Enter The Church Because He Still Had Unfinished Business With Alex
Waiting outside the church, Ben explained to John Locke that he still had too much to do in life to move on, and though he had begun to make amends there was much more left to do. The only character Ben ever truly loved was his “daughter” Alex, though their story ended in tragedy when she was murdered. Lost‘s fascinating flash sideways was a large part of the show’s sixth season, and like the finale, it was up for interpretation. For characters like Charlie, the flash sideways was obviously a form of wish fulfillment as his rock and roll dreams came true, but it served a different purpose for Ben.
Ben’s flash sideways was seen in Lost season 6, episode 7, “Dr. Linus,” and completely recontextualized his relationship with Alex. In the parallel world, Ben was a history professor who formed a strong bond with Alex and her mother Danielle because of his commitment to her success in school. Ben got a small measure of redemption in the flash sideways when Alex even mentioned that he was like a father to her. Outside the church, Ben still needed to reconnect with Alex and Danielle before they could move on with the rest of the characters.
