Well, Ben came armed with disinfectants, so he was at least prepared for that eventuality. But I don't think he was already determined, either. I even think that his shock at the sight of Locke attempting suicide and intensity at persuading him to live was 90% not faked.
However: Locke mentioning Eloise - whom he couldn't know about in normal ways - proved to Ben yet again that Locke was chosen by Jacob/the island in a way he was not. (After all, nobody mentioned anything about BEN going/needing to go back, and he knows very well Widmore never managed to once he was banished. (Little could he know...) And suddenly there's that old "did I go through everything just so that JOHN ends up as the chosen one after all?!?" feeling. Add the timing factor and Sun, and he gives in to his worse self.
Also: I haven't rewatched for a while, but isn't Ben aware that flight 815 had Christian Shephard's body on board and could that if they recreate (some) circumstances for the return, they need a dead body with an emotional connection to at least one of the passengers?
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Date: 2010-12-10 03:05 pm (UTC)However: Locke mentioning Eloise - whom he couldn't know about in normal ways - proved to Ben yet again that Locke was chosen by Jacob/the island in a way he was not. (After all, nobody mentioned anything about BEN going/needing to go back, and he knows very well Widmore never managed to once he was banished. (Little could he know...) And suddenly there's that old "did I go through everything just so that JOHN ends up as the chosen one after all?!?" feeling. Add the timing factor and Sun, and he gives in to his worse self.
Also: I haven't rewatched for a while, but isn't Ben aware that flight 815 had Christian Shephard's body on board and could that if they recreate (some) circumstances for the return, they need a dead body with an emotional connection to at least one of the passengers?