There was a lot of hype surrounding "Ab Aeterno" before its TV premiere, partly because it would be the first Richard-centric episode of the series, and partly because it would be a (refreshing, to be honest) break from the frustrating flash-sideways of the rest of season 6. Does it live up to the hype? Largely, YES. There is some awkward dialogue at the start, particularly between Jack and Ilana, and Ben's "If it's any consolation he's not exactly Locke", but as soon as we embark (no pun intended) on the extended flashback (ala "The Other 48 Days", "Flashes Before Your Eyes" and "The Life And Death Of Jeremy Bentham") of Richard's life, "Ab Aeterno" gets on the right track. Sure, there are parts of his story that had already been made pretty clear (he arrived on the island as a slave on the Black Rock), but it's nice to have some closure on such questions as how old he really is (by my estimations, around 170!), when Jacob granted him his immortality, how the Statue was destroyed, etc. Of course we get new info (mostly about his wife, beautifully played by Mirelly Taylor), and new questions as well (are there more than one smoke monsters on the island? Because, at one point, Richard's dead wife appears to him and you think the only reasonable explanation is that MIB is impersonating her; but then the smoke monster is (clearly) heard and (not so clearly) seen in another place!). The Jacob-MIB conflict has never been more intriguing since "The Incident"; both show little regard for human life, but I must admit that Jacob's hypocritical self-righteousess, deliberate obscurity, and lack of rewards (even Richard's immortality is given to him mostly to keep him as his "slave" for eternity) make me side more with MIB right now. Nestor Carbonell gives by far his best performance on the series so far, Tucker Gates' direction is very cinematic (just like it was in "The Substitute" - is he taking Jack Bender's crown this season?), and Michael Giacchino proves his genius once again with a powerful new music theme for Richard. ***1/2 out of 4.
Review of Ab Aeterno
