Saturday, March 8, 2008

Episode Recap - "The Other Woman"

Juliet waits in an office, playing with a miniature Japanese rock garden, when a woman rushes in and apologizes for being late. She introduces herself as Harper Stanhope and explains that today is simply a meet-and-greet. Their actual sessions start tomorrow. Juliet says she doesn't need therapy, but Harper suggests they call it "talking" rather than "therapy." Juliet has been there a week now, and Harpers asks about her least favorite part. Juliet answers being treated like a celebrity. Harper reminds her that it may feel like all eyes are on her but she's not a celebrity. They are interrupted by a knock on the door. It's Tom Friendly. He apologizes but says Ben wants to see Juliet. Harper ends their session by saying, "Welcome to the island."

Now we realize it's a flashback, and Juliet has just arrived. She meets Ben, who indicates a house in the barracks and says it's her new home. Juliet says they didn't have to go to all that trouble since she's only staying for six months. Ben pauses and simply says they wanted her to feel at home.

WHOOSH to the beach camp. Jack asks if anyone has seen Faraday or Charlotte. Jin says he saw them go into the jungle. Jack wants to know why he didn't say anything. Jin says they're friends, aren't they?

They split up and begin looking for a trail. As Juliet moves through the jungle, she hears whispers. She spins around and comes face-to-face with Harper. Long time no see. She's there to deliver a message from Ben. Faraday and Charlotte are heading for the Tempest. If they figure out how to deploy the gas, then everyone on the island dies. Ben wants Juliet to stop them. Juliet asks how Ben could know where they're going since he's a prisoner. Harper says Ben is exactly where he wants to be. He wants Juliet to kill Faraday and Charlotte. Jack comes out of the jungle with his gun aimed at Harper. Jack asks who she is. Harper says she's an old friend, and maybe Jack and his gun can help Juliet. Then they hear the whispers. Jack spins around, looking for who else is there, and when he turns back Harper is gone.

WHOOSH to a lab where Juliet sits on the floor crying. She hears something fall and break next door. She investigates and meets Goodwin. He lies and says he works at the power station and burned his arm on a transformer. Juliet tells him to take a seat, and she grabs some ointment and bandages. Goodwin notices her tears and says he heard they lost Henrietta. It's not Juliet's fault. Juliet says she's the one who's supposed to figure out why pregnant women are dying, so whose fault is it? Goodwin suggests talking to Harper, but Juliet says Harper hates her. She only talks to Harper because she has to. Plus, she gets the feeling Harper is a mean, spiteful person. Goodwin says Harper is his wife. Embarrassed, Juliet apologizes. Goodwin says don't worry about it. If she needs someone to talk to, he's around. If he promises not to tell Harper what she said, Juliet promises she won't tell anyone he lied about the chemical burn. Goodwin realizes he's busted and smiles.

WHOOSH to the jungle as Juliet and Jack trek towards the Tempest station. Juliet lies and tells Jack it's an electrical station that powers the island. Juliet asks for Jack's help to stop Faraday and Charlotte, and he agrees.

Faraday and Charlotte trek through the jungle using a hand-drawn map. Faraday asks Charlotte what happens if he can't do it. Charlotte says she knows he can do it. She's counting on him. They hear rustling in the jungle brush and draw their guns right as out pops Kate. She asks them what they're doing out in the jungle. Charlotte lies and says they're looking for their packs. Kate doesn't buy it. She searches Faraday's pack and finds gas masks inside. But Charlotte cold-cocks her from behind with the butt of her gun and knocks Kate unconscious.

WHOOSH to Juliet's lab. She explains to Ben that the problems occur sometime during the second trimester once the mother's immune system is triggered. The white cell count plummets, and it's like the immune system attacks the fetus itself. It only happens to women who conceive on the island. Goodwin interrupts them and is surprised to find Ben there. He covers and says since Ethan called in sick he had an extra lunch. Do either of them want it? Juliet already ate, plus she has an appointment with his wife in ten minutes. Ben picks up on their mutual interest.

In therapy, Harper asks Juliet about Ben. Juliet says he's smart and intense. Challenging. He's been good to her. Harper says of course, she looks just like her. But before Juliet has a chance to ask what that means, Harper asks when Juliet started sleeping with Goodwin. Juliet is caught off guard, but Harper tells her not to treat her like an idiot. She followed them. She watched them. Juliet apologizes, but Harper tells her to listen. If Juliet continues the relationship with Goodwin, there will be consequences. Harper doesn't want to see Goodwin get hurt. Juliet says she would never hurt him, but Harper isn't talking about her. She's talking about Ben.

WHOOSH to Locke bringing Ben some food. Ben asks if the revolution started yet. He says it'll start innocently enough, a question here, a comment there, but if Locke's not careful he'll have an insurrection on his hands. Especially once they realize that Locke doesn't have a plan. Ben offers to help Locke. They have the same interests, or at least a common enemy. Locke wants to know his price. Ben asks to sleep in a bed and eat with utensils, then he'll tell Locke everything he knows about the person who sent the freighter.

WHOOSH to a romantic moment between Juliet and Goodwin on a secluded beach. Goodwin tells Juliet not to worry about Ben. Ben has Goodwin working with chemicals that could kill everyone on the island if he flips the wrong switch. He tells Juliet that Ben has other things on his mind besides them. But when Ben sends Goodwin to the crash site of the tail section of flight 815, Juliet feels like Ben is doing it on purpose to get rid of him.

Later, Ben takes Juliet to see Goodwin's body. He's been impaled by a spear. They don't know what happened since there were no witnesses. Juliet accuses Ben of knowing this would happen, that he wanted it to happen. Ben tells her that after everything he's done to bring her to the island, after everything he's done to keep her there, how could she not understand that she is his.

WHOOSH to Juliet arriving at the Tempest station. She goes inside and finds Faraday at the station's control center working at the computer. Juliet holds her gun on him and orders him to get away from the computer. He says he can't do that. Faraday says he's trying not to release the gas he's trying to make it safe. Suddenly, Charlotte attacks Juliet from behind. They fight, but Juliet grabs her gun and holds it on both them. She orders Faraday to stop, but Charlotte says they're trying to disable it before Ben can use it against them. The countdown continues. Faraday frantically works to stop it. Then, with only seconds to spare, he's able to stop the process and disables the gas.

Jack and Kate catch up with Juliet and Charlotte as they're leaving the Tempest station. Charlotte takes Kate inside to explain how she and Faraday just saved everyone's life. Juliet tells Jack that the freighter people came to wage a war against Ben but Ben is going to win, and she warns Jack that he doesn't want to be near her when he does. Ben feels that Juliet is his, and he knows how she feels about Jack. Jack leans in and kisses her. Passionately. Defiantly. He tells Juliet that Ben knows where to find him.

At the barracks, Locke takes Ben upstairs to the living room, and Ben gets a tape out of a safe. It's footage of Charles Widmore beating some guy to a pulp. Ben tells Locke that Charles Widmore is the man trying to find the island and it's him who sent the freighter. Widmore wants to exploit the island, and he'll do everything in his power to posses it. The man beaten is someone working for Ben whom Widmore caught. Ben gives Locke a file containing everything he has on Widmore. In return, Locke lets Ben have his freedom, and no one is happy about it.

7 comments:

Benny said...

Not sure what to make of this one.. it's hard to follow last week.

Questions raised by this episode:

Who is Ben's man on the boat?
I think it's Sayid (from the future).. Soon, we'll find out that there are two Sayid's on the boat... ala, "Back to the Future."

Why does Ben want to kill everyone on the island again?
If we believe everything the "other others" say, he wants to release the gas again and kill everyone... Why is there a gas like that on the island anyway? Was it developed as a last resort to protect the island from potential exploiters like Charles Whitmore?

One question from last week was answered though, Charles Whitmore does have a bigger role to play.

Anonymous said...

Other man on the boat: I have two guesses and I am gonna guess 95% of that to be Michael. We havent seen him in over a year and for the previews for next week it said something to the effect of "someone we didnt expect to see again" or that will surprise us. The remaining 5% I will copy your idea on the back to the future and 2 character idea except in that it being Ben himself and not Sayid. Maybe thats how he knows everything that is going on, because he is the man on the boat.

Leah said...

Knowing what I know about the Island, time travel & all that other stuff, I would guess that Ben doesn't view death as a permanent state; which is why he's willing to "kill" everyone to protect the island.

My questions:

1. Who was Harper referring to when she told Juliette that it was no surprise that Ben was attracted to her because she was the spitting image of her.

2. Why did Juliet still trust and even take orders from Ben via Harper? Didn't she ask Jack to kill him when he was performing surgery on him? I thought she didn't trust him & wanted him to die...

3. Ben sent Ethan & Goodwin out to make lists when the plane first crashed. He later told Juliette that it is not his place to question the people (children) on the list. WHO is he talking about? Jacob?

I 99% think the person on the boat is Michael. But, who knows with this show, it could be anyone.
Since they said its someone you never thought you'd see again, I also think it could be someone who died: Christian Shephard, Boone or Ecko come to mind. I don't know why I think it's a man, I just do.

runner52 said...

Well Hello little chickadees!

I absolutely think it is Michael. If not I like the Ben theory. Tony thinks it is Sayid too. The rest of the show I just didn't get. Ben obviously thinks Juliet looks like his late wife. She died when she was pregnant, didn't she?

Leah, I do not remember the list thing. Was that in this weeks episode?

Leah said...

"Well Hello little chickadees!"

WTH?

Anonymous said...

As far as we know, Ben has never been married. That was his mother that died shortly after giving birth to him on the side of the road.

runner52 said...

I thought Ben's wife died during childbirth and that is why he took Alex? Are you sure? I would like to go back and watch all the episodes from the beginning now. I'll bet they have an entirely different meaning. Kinda like the show- go back in time to figure out what is going on -or is it go into the future- I still can't figure it out.