"Dead Is Dead"

Great episode. What struck me was that I finally feel like I understand now why Ben said Alex was, "just a pawn and means nothing to me," when Keamy was about to kill her. Because that's exactly what she was. Just a pawn. At least at first.

It seemed to me that the scene where Ben challenges Widmore to kill baby-Alex mirrored the scene in season 3 where Ben challenged Locke to kill his own father (the Man from Tallahassee). Richard later explains to Locke that Ben did this in order to embarrass him in front of the Others because Ben perceived Locke as a threat to his leadership. When Locke refuses, he loses face with the Others and is soon cast out. At least until Sawyer does the job for him.

So I would argue that Ben is doing the same thing here with Widmore, and what's more, he originally stole Alex, not because Danielle was insane, or because he was emotionally moved by the baby, but purely to use the baby as a pawn against Widmore, knowing that Widmore would be forced to either murder the baby himself or lose face in front of the Others. As with Locke, Widmore loses face, and before long gets cast out likewise.

Yet despite all of this, Ben still grew to love Alex as his own daughter over time, perhaps without even realizing it himself until she was dead. I suppose that's what makes Ben kind of a tragic character. He's grown so adept at using people as pawns he doesn't even know his own heart anymore.