From Scratchpad

The Man Behind the Curtain

Season

Episode

3

20

Aired

May 9, 2007

Flashback

Ben Linus

Flashforward

{{{flashforward}}}

Written by

Elizabeth Sarnoff and Drew Goddard

Directed by

Bobby Roth

Guest starring

M.C. Gainey as Tom
Tania Raymonde as Alexandra Rousseau
Andrew Divoff as Mikhail Bakunin
Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert
Marsha Thomason as Naomi Dorrit
Sterling Beaumon as young Ben
Jon Gries as Roger Linus
Carrie Preston as Emily Linus
Doug Hutchison as Horace Goodspeed
Samantha Mathis as Olivia Goodspeed
Madeline Carroll as Annie

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The Man Behind the Curtain is the 20th episode of season 3 of Lost. Ben Linus is in the episode's flashbacks, which show island events.

[edit] ABC press release

Ben begrudgingly begins to introduce Locke to the secrets of the island, beginning with the mysterious Jacob. Meanwhile, Juliet's secret goes public.

[edit] Former spoilers and rumors

• Damon Lindelof (Co-creator, writer): "Locke will hear two words tonight. Those words, and the fact that he hears them, will change his course on the island forever."
  • TRUE, the words are "Help me."
• Damon Lindelof (Co-creator, writer): Jacob will appear for the first time. He is as important to Lost as Emperor Palpatine was to Star Wars.
  • TRUE
• Damon Lindelof (Co-creator, writer), Carlton Cuse (Writer, producer): Mikhail's survival will be explained before the end of the season.
  • TRUE
• Various spoiler sources: In a flashback, Ben's mother gives birth to him in the forest. His father tries to flag down a passing car.
  • TRUE
• DarkUFO (Spoiler source): A picture was released showing Ben and young Ben standing together (obviously not a real picture from the show). Ben was wearing a DHARMA jumpsuit labeled "Ben Work Man".
  • TRUE
• Francois Chau (Marvin Candle): Marvin Candle is in fact in the episode, despite not being credited. Therefore, he probably does not have a speaking part.
  • TRUE, although he does speak.
• Various spoiler sources: After Locke's escape from the Others, Ben must face the wrath of Jacob.
  • TRUE, although Locke didn't escape.
• Various spoiler sources: We will see Ben and the Others in DHARMA jumpsuits and Marvin Candle's arm loss will be explained-"graphically."
  • TRUE, although Candle's arm loss was not explained.
• Damon Lindelof (Co-creator, writer): We will see how the Others learned to repel the Monster with the sonic fence.
  • FALSE
• Kristin Veitch (E! Online correspondant): We will meet Ben's parents in this episode. They may be the DeGroots, although how that makes Ben's last name "Linus" is unknown.
  • TRUE, they are Emily and Roger Linus.
• DarkUFO (Spoiler source): This episode includes a person no one would expect to see wearing a DHARMA jumpsuit, an epic, shocking scene, more DHARMA vans, and more workmen besides Roger.
  • TRUE, the person is Ben.
• Various spoiler sources: A young Ben is being cast for a late May episode.
  • TRUE
• Various spoiler sources: Ben will be the focus of this episode's flashbacks.
  • TRUE
• DarkUFO (Spoiler source): A picture was released showing a clean DHARMA van, confirming that Roger will appear.
  • TRUE
• Damon Lindelof (Co-creator, writer), Carlton Cuse (Writer, producer): We will learn more about the DeGroots soon.
  • FALSE
• Various spoiler sources: Some uncredited sources claim the episode's flashbacks belong to Gerald and Karen DeGroot, founders of the DHARMA Initiative.
  • FALSE
• Kristin Veitch (E! Online columnist): Casting is going on for a Roger, who has son issues and is in a situation he cannot comprehend. This is most likely Roger the DHARMA van driver, whose body Hurley found in "Tricia Tanaka is Dead."
  • TRUE
• Secretagentman (Spoiler source): This episode features two 1970's hippies, meaning that the focus character of the flashbacks must be in their 40's or 50's. Although their names were initially revealed to be Horace and Olivia, Secretagentman later stated that this was to cover up their real names-possibly Gerald and Karen DeGroot.
  • TRUE, although their names are Horace and Olivia.
• Michael Emerson (Ben): There will be a power vacuum in the Others' hierarchy (he later specified this begins in "The Man from Tallahassee").
  • TRUE
• Carlton Cuse (Writer, producer): The mysterious, unseen "Him" is the same person as the equally mysterious and unseen Jacob.
  • TRUE