TVSquad

Michael Emerson owns season four of Lost. Many of the season's best scenes have featured Ben Linus. From screwing with Locke to obsessing over Juliet, Ben has become one of the show's standout characters. Emerson took the complex role to an entirely new level in last week's episode, "The Shape of Things to Come." I'll be shocked (and furious) if he doesn't get an Emmy nomination this year.

Let's take a look at some of Ben's most unforgettable moments using the mastermind's own words. If we're lucky, Ben will give us a few more to add to the list by the season's end. Spoiler alert: If you're not caught up with Lost, stop reading now.

Gallery: Lost: Michael Emerson

"I never entered the numbers. I never pressed the button." ("Dave") - Ben's manipulation of Locke began almost as soon as he became the 815ers' prisoner. He exploited the conflict between Jack and Locke, and tried to undermine Locke's faith. John questioned the purpose of the Swan station after Ben claimed that he didn't touch the button in the computer room. This ultimately led to one of the biggest moments of the season two finale, the hatch implosion. The electromagnetic event also got the attention of Penny's men at the Antarctic listening station, another significant revelation.

"We're the good guys, Michael." ("Live Together, Die Alone") - The Others kidnapped Walt and arranged for Michael to liberate Ben from the Swan station, which led to the deaths of Ana Lucia and Libby. They also abducted Hurley, Sawyer, Jack, and Kate. This scene marked the first time we saw Ben as the Others' leader, and the things he said revealed a lot about his mindset. Ben has an unwavering trust in his own wisdom and believes that all of his actions are for the greater good. He can justify anything: murder, abduction, even brainwashing.

"Hippity-hop. Hippity-hop. Hippity-hop." ("Every Man For Himself") - Poor bunny number eight. Ben gave us one of the show's most disturbing moments when he deliberately frightened a rabbit and made its heart explode. The scene, in which Ben rattled the rabbit's cage and shouted at it, seemed to go on forever. It was one of the few times that I've wanted to look away while watching Lost. Fortunately, it was all a con to prevent Sawyer from escaping from the Hydra station. Ben produced the rabbit, alive and well, before telling Sawyer that he was on a completely different island from his fellow castaways. Don't mess with a man who terrorizes innocent bunnies.

"Picture a box." ("The Man From Tallahassee") - In season three, Ben introduced the notion of the "magic box," a metaphor for the island's ability to bring you what you want. He used this capability to bring to the island the one person Locke most feared: Anthony Cooper, his father. Ben used Cooper's presence as a test. If John killed his father, he could remain with the Others and learn more about the island. Locke wasn't able to kill Cooper, but found someone who could. Fans had been waiting for a confrontation between island Sawyer and the original Sawyer, and they finally got it. Locke took credit for the murder, forcing Ben to reveal another major secret.

"That was Jacob." ("The Man Behind the Curtain") - We still don't know who or what Jacob is. Ben led Locke to an eerie cabin in the jungle to introduce John to the Others' mysterious leader. Locke didn't see Jacob, but he heard him whisper the words "Help me." Jealous of John's ability to hear Jacob, Ben lured Locke to the DHARMA grave and shot him. I'm worried for Hurley's safety now that Ben knows about Hurley's cabin sighting. Jacob's supernatural role on the island is still in play this season. Hurley, Ben, and Locke set off to visit Jacob in last week's episode. What will they find when they arrive?

"Because I have a man on their boat." ("Confirmed Dead") - Every so often Ben reminds everyone that he is always several steps ahead of them. When the freighties reached the island, he took another opportunity to show off his superior intellect. He knew exactly who the freighties were and what they wanted--him. We're usually lucky to get one big revelation per episode, but Ben's confession gave us an additional surprise. This statement also paved the way for Michael's return as Ben's spy.

"Good." ("The Economist") - Slightly more exciting than Sayid's future career as an assassin is the identity of his employer. Sayid despised Ben before the Oceanic Six were rescued; he equated trusting Ben with selling his soul in the exact same episode. The idea of them joining forces was confusing, but fascinating at the same time. We learned that revenge brought the men together in "The Shape of Things to Come." Ben was avenging Alex's death and Sayid was avenging Nadia's murder by a Widmore employee. I can't wait to see who they target next.

"How can you not possibly understand that you're mine? Take as much time as you need." ("The Other Woman") Ben and Juliet have a complicated history. Juliet's recent flashback revealed a jealous, possessive side to Ben Linus that we'd never seen before. Some men send flowers to get a woman's attention. He showed Juliet the rotting corpse of her lover, Goodwin. He responded to Juliet's grief with the tirade of an undermedicated stalker. In a few seconds, Ben went from a jealous rage to his usual creepy, calm demeanor. The transition was priceless.

"See you guys at dinner." ("The Other Woman") - You wouldn't expect Locke to trust Ben after he shot him last season, but Ben always finds away to get his attention. He's gotten out of several tough situations with the strategic disclosure of information. In this case, Ben won his freedom by telling Locke about Charles Widmore and the spy on the freighter. No prison can hold him if he can size up his captors quickly enough. At the end of "The Other Woman," Ben walked out of his basement cell and casually greeted Hurley and Sawyer. The look on his face, as though everything was going according to plan, gave us another reason to love Michael Emerson.

"So you do speak English." ("The Shape of Things to Come") - We've caught glimpses of Ben's violent actions: shooting Locke, killing his father and the DHARMA community, strangling Ana Lucia, etc. Last week's episode gave us a better idea of how deadly Mr. Linus can be. He took out two armed men in the Sahara desert with the kind of precision normally displayed by Sayid. Their shared action hero skills make them ideal partners in Ben's new revenge campaign.

"He changed the rules." ("The Shape of Things to Come") - Alex's death scene put me in the strange position of feeling sorry for Ben, a manipulator and murderer. I was already shocked that one of Ben's plans--sending Alex, Danielle, and Karl to safety--didn't work out. Things almost always work out for Ben. When Keamy shot Alex, Ben's grief was mixed with genuine surprise. The devastated father suddenly became more human and, for the first time, worthy of sympathy. This was Michael Emerson's Emmy moment.

"Sleep tight, Charles." ("The Shape of Things to Come") - Neither Ben Linus nor Charles Widmore appeared in Season One. Now all of the 815 survivors are stuck in the middle of a war between the two ruthless men. I thought that the writers would keep these characters apart for as long as possible, but Ben's first flash-forward brought him face-to-face with his daughter's killer. Ben rarely lets his friends or enemies know his true intentions. He made an exception for Widmore, however. He told Charles flat-out that he would avenge Alex by killing Widmore's daughter, Penny. I hope that this vow leads to a showdown between my two favorite Lost characters, Ben and Desmond.

Which moments would you add to the list?