Writers: Drew Goddard & Christina M. Kim
Director: Eric Laneuville
Cast: Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet), Rebecca Mader (Charlotte Lewis), Jeremy Davies (Daniel Faraday), Matthew Fox (Jack), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Terry O'Quinn (Locke), Michael Emerson (Ben), Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Brett Cullen (Goodwin), M.C. Gainey (Tom), Alan Dale (Charles Widmore) & Andrea Roth (Harper Stanhope)
Jack and Juliet chase Daniel and Charlotte through the jungle, fearing they're on their way to release toxic gas across the island...
After 5 episodes that have played with the show's established format, The Other Woman is a classic episode of Lost; focusing on estranged Other Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell). The character of Juliet was a pleasure to watch last year, but this episode isn't as accomplished as those earlier appearances, and actually winds up rebranding her as just a trophy for men to beat their chests over...
We open on an amusing scene between Juliet and her therapist Harper Stanhope (Andrea Roth), unsure whether or not this scene is a flashback or flashforward, with Juliet's talk of feeling like "a celebrity". But, of course, I don't think Juliet would be considered one of the "Oceanic Six" (seeing as she was never on Flight 815), and it's revealed we've skipped back in time to Juliet's arrival on the island...
In the present, Jack (Matthew Fox) is worried when he discovers Daniel (Jeremy Davies) and Charlotte (Rebecca Mader) have slipped away into the jungle, under cover of darkness. Jack and Juliet head off in pursuit, with Juliet suddenly surrounded by those ominous whisperings... before Harper appears and gives her a message "from Ben" that Daniel and Charlotte are headed to the Tempest to release a gas that will kill everyone on the island.
Interestingly, Jack promptly arrives and sees Harper himself – further evidence that these "ghosts" aren't hallucinations in one person's mind. Harper does the inevitable vanishing act, leaving Jack and Juliet more determined than ever to stop Daniel and Charlotte and prevent genocide.
In flashback, we find Juliet alone in her laboratory, crying. Her transfer to the island is clearly not going smooth, but things look up when handsome Goodwin (Brett Cullen) arrives to have a wound on his arm treated. They have an easy rapport together, despite Juliet putting her foot in it by calling therapist Harper a "mean, spiteful person", not realizing she's Goodwin's wife!
Daniel and Charlotte are trekking through the jungle together and come across Kate (Evangeline Lilly), on her way back to the beach after being banished from Locke's Barracks. Charlotte explains that they're looking for their missing packs, but after Kate asks to look inside Daniel's pack (finding gas masks inside), Charlotte knocks her unconscious with a blow to the head.
Back to Juliet's flashback, where she's explaining her findings to Ben (Michael Emerson) about pregnant women on the island not surviving past the second trimester, when the immune system is triggered and attacks the foetus itself. Goodwin stops by with food for Juliet, but makes a hasty retreat when he realizes Ben's present, although Ben has picked up on their vibe.
In a therapy session, Harper confronts Juliet with the fact she knows about her affair with her husband. Juliet is unsettled by Harper, particularly when she mentions the consequences of their actions might lead to Goodwin getting hurt: by Ben.
Over in the present-day Barracks, Ben is still imprisoned in his own basement, trying to stir up frustrations in Locke (Terry O'Quinn) – who still doesn’t have a definite plan of action. Ben offers to help Locke and tell him everything he knows about the offshore freighter, in return for a proper bed to sleep in and kitchen utensils to eat with.
Goodwin and Juliet enjoy a romantic picnic together in flashback, with Goodwin revealing Ben has him working with chemicals that could kill everyone if he flips the wrong switch. Later, in a reprise of season 3's opening scene, the Others watch as Flight 815 plummets from the sky, with Ben ordering Goodwin to infiltrate any survivors from the tail-section. Only this time, it seems to be because Ben wants Goodwin out of the picture...
Days later, Ben takes Juliet up a hillside to see Goodwin's dead body, impaled on a pole (by Anna Lucia). Juliet is distraught, angry and confused as to why Ben would show her this horror – with Ben reflecting her anger back, incensed that she hasn't realized his feelings for her, or his selfish desire to keep her on the island for himself.
In the present, Jack and Juliet find Kate half-conscious in some foliage, but Juliet uses the distraction to press on without Jack. She finds the Tempest station (another concrete bunker-type of place), and enters inside to find Daniel typing furiously into a computer terminal wearing a hazmat suit. Juliet orders him to step aside at gunpoint, as klaxons sound everywhere – warning of imminent danger. Charlotte appears and struggles with Juliet, as the system counts down. Charlotte and Daniel try and explain that they're not releasing toxic gas, they're trying to disable it so Ben can't use it as a weapon – like he did against the DHARMA Initiative in his "purge".
With seconds to spare, Juliet allows their work to continue, and the threat is neutralized. Jack and Kate arrive and Juliet explains everything, warning Jack that the freighter people have come to wage war against Ben – but Ben will win. She then reveals the extent of Ben's feelings for her, with Jack kissing her passionately in defiance.
Meanwhile, Locke has released Ben from the basement and is shown a tape Ben has locked in a safe. It shows footage of Charles Widmore (Alan Dale) beating one of Ben's men in an alleyway, off-island. Ben explains that Widmore is the man who owns the freighter and has come to the island to exploit its regenerative abilities (exemplified by the survival rate of Flight 815 post-crash and once-crippled Locke amazing return to full mobility.) Ben then gives Locke a file with everything he knows about Widmore, but Locke also wants to know who his spy on the boat is...
The final scene has Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and Hurley (Jorge Garcia) playing horseshoes together, as Ben merrily walks by carrying bedclothes, heading to his own barrack – greeting them with a cheerful "see you at dinner!"
The Other Woman falls into the category of Lost episodes that are entertaining to watch, but on reflection didn't really offer much beyond a few nuggets of information. Most disappointingly, the storyline recasts Juliet as quite a submissive, fragile person, and part of a love quadrangle that didn't particularly excite me.
It's actually further evidence Lost finds it hard to build compelling love stories -- with only Desmond/Penny getting anywhere near the level of emotion required. Not only that, but this episode smelled like it was retconning quite a bit – as I just don't buy that Ben sent Goodwin to certain death by smuggling him in amongst the tail-section survivors? Or that he was love-struck by Juliet throughout season 3. But, whatever.
The script by Drew Goddard and Christina M. Kim also fell prey to one of Lost's more exasperating tendencies: to have its characters fail to save themselves a lot of bother, by telling the truth! Honestly, why didn't Daniel and Charlotte just tell Jack they need to get to the Tempest station to prevent Ben ever releasing a toxic gas across the island? I think they could rely on his support in that endeavour!
So, as the bigger storytelling mechanics didn't always make sense here, it's perhaps best to focus on the few revelations we were given. Chief amongst them was confirmation that Charles Widmore is the owner of the "rescue" freighter (as we suspected), and seemingly wants to turn the island into a mecca for injured and terminally-ill billionaires? Well, that makes sense, I suppose. Is it wrong that a big part of me thinks Widmore's got a point, though? That island could save the lives of millions!
Overall, this wasn't a terrible episode (or ever as boring as Eggtown), but it was unfortunately crippled by the writers avoiding realistic reactions purely to increase mystery and provide impetus for the story. It's something Lost does a lot (sometimes with very good reason), but it's not usually so obvious and distracting. Elsewhere, the flashbacks for Juliet only served to weaken her character in my eyes as a clichéd love-trophy, and shoehorned in an unlikely sexual obsession for Ben.
The Other Woman was moderately entertaining while it lasted, but only really necessary to watch for a few smaller reveals away from the main plot.
-- Who is Ben's spy on the freighter? It seems very likely it's Michael – because we know he's due to return in episode 8, unless that's just too obvious...
-- Why does Charles Widmore want to come to the island? Does he want to turn the island into a "mecca" to heal the sick, as Ben inferred to Locke?
-- If Widmore owns the freighter, where does Matthew Abaddon fit into all of this? Were the team he assembled (Daniel, Charlotte, Miles, Frank and Naomi) covertly placed aboard Widmore's crew for another reason?
-- Who was the Other captured by Widmore, and who filmed Widmore beating him in an alleyway?
-- How is Charlotte aware of island history and Ben's gas "purge" of DHARMA?
-- Who drew Daniel's map of the island? Is it perhaps from the Black Rock ledger Widmore got his hands on in 1996?
-- Who does Juliet "look like" according to Harper?
-- It seems very likely Harper appeared as a ghost in the jungle to Juliet, and lied to her about Daniel and Charlotte's true intentions with the gas. Is this firm evidence that the island's ghosts are acting in Ben's best interests, or just ones who were loyal to Ben before they died? But are we even sure they're the spirits of dead people, and not just manifestations of peoples' likenesses?
9 March 2008
Sky One, 9.00 pm
Director: Eric Laneuville
Cast: Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet), Rebecca Mader (Charlotte Lewis), Jeremy Davies (Daniel Faraday), Matthew Fox (Jack), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Terry O'Quinn (Locke), Michael Emerson (Ben), Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Brett Cullen (Goodwin), M.C. Gainey (Tom), Alan Dale (Charles Widmore) & Andrea Roth (Harper Stanhope)
Jack and Juliet chase Daniel and Charlotte through the jungle, fearing they're on their way to release toxic gas across the island..."It’s very stressful being an Other, Jack..."
-- Juliet Burke (Elizabeth Mitchell)
After 5 episodes that have played with the show's established format, The Other Woman is a classic episode of Lost; focusing on estranged Other Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell). The character of Juliet was a pleasure to watch last year, but this episode isn't as accomplished as those earlier appearances, and actually winds up rebranding her as just a trophy for men to beat their chests over...
We open on an amusing scene between Juliet and her therapist Harper Stanhope (Andrea Roth), unsure whether or not this scene is a flashback or flashforward, with Juliet's talk of feeling like "a celebrity". But, of course, I don't think Juliet would be considered one of the "Oceanic Six" (seeing as she was never on Flight 815), and it's revealed we've skipped back in time to Juliet's arrival on the island...
In the present, Jack (Matthew Fox) is worried when he discovers Daniel (Jeremy Davies) and Charlotte (Rebecca Mader) have slipped away into the jungle, under cover of darkness. Jack and Juliet head off in pursuit, with Juliet suddenly surrounded by those ominous whisperings... before Harper appears and gives her a message "from Ben" that Daniel and Charlotte are headed to the Tempest to release a gas that will kill everyone on the island.
Interestingly, Jack promptly arrives and sees Harper himself – further evidence that these "ghosts" aren't hallucinations in one person's mind. Harper does the inevitable vanishing act, leaving Jack and Juliet more determined than ever to stop Daniel and Charlotte and prevent genocide.
In flashback, we find Juliet alone in her laboratory, crying. Her transfer to the island is clearly not going smooth, but things look up when handsome Goodwin (Brett Cullen) arrives to have a wound on his arm treated. They have an easy rapport together, despite Juliet putting her foot in it by calling therapist Harper a "mean, spiteful person", not realizing she's Goodwin's wife!
Daniel and Charlotte are trekking through the jungle together and come across Kate (Evangeline Lilly), on her way back to the beach after being banished from Locke's Barracks. Charlotte explains that they're looking for their missing packs, but after Kate asks to look inside Daniel's pack (finding gas masks inside), Charlotte knocks her unconscious with a blow to the head.
Back to Juliet's flashback, where she's explaining her findings to Ben (Michael Emerson) about pregnant women on the island not surviving past the second trimester, when the immune system is triggered and attacks the foetus itself. Goodwin stops by with food for Juliet, but makes a hasty retreat when he realizes Ben's present, although Ben has picked up on their vibe.
In a therapy session, Harper confronts Juliet with the fact she knows about her affair with her husband. Juliet is unsettled by Harper, particularly when she mentions the consequences of their actions might lead to Goodwin getting hurt: by Ben.
Over in the present-day Barracks, Ben is still imprisoned in his own basement, trying to stir up frustrations in Locke (Terry O'Quinn) – who still doesn’t have a definite plan of action. Ben offers to help Locke and tell him everything he knows about the offshore freighter, in return for a proper bed to sleep in and kitchen utensils to eat with.
Goodwin and Juliet enjoy a romantic picnic together in flashback, with Goodwin revealing Ben has him working with chemicals that could kill everyone if he flips the wrong switch. Later, in a reprise of season 3's opening scene, the Others watch as Flight 815 plummets from the sky, with Ben ordering Goodwin to infiltrate any survivors from the tail-section. Only this time, it seems to be because Ben wants Goodwin out of the picture...
Days later, Ben takes Juliet up a hillside to see Goodwin's dead body, impaled on a pole (by Anna Lucia). Juliet is distraught, angry and confused as to why Ben would show her this horror – with Ben reflecting her anger back, incensed that she hasn't realized his feelings for her, or his selfish desire to keep her on the island for himself.
In the present, Jack and Juliet find Kate half-conscious in some foliage, but Juliet uses the distraction to press on without Jack. She finds the Tempest station (another concrete bunker-type of place), and enters inside to find Daniel typing furiously into a computer terminal wearing a hazmat suit. Juliet orders him to step aside at gunpoint, as klaxons sound everywhere – warning of imminent danger. Charlotte appears and struggles with Juliet, as the system counts down. Charlotte and Daniel try and explain that they're not releasing toxic gas, they're trying to disable it so Ben can't use it as a weapon – like he did against the DHARMA Initiative in his "purge".
With seconds to spare, Juliet allows their work to continue, and the threat is neutralized. Jack and Kate arrive and Juliet explains everything, warning Jack that the freighter people have come to wage war against Ben – but Ben will win. She then reveals the extent of Ben's feelings for her, with Jack kissing her passionately in defiance.
Meanwhile, Locke has released Ben from the basement and is shown a tape Ben has locked in a safe. It shows footage of Charles Widmore (Alan Dale) beating one of Ben's men in an alleyway, off-island. Ben explains that Widmore is the man who owns the freighter and has come to the island to exploit its regenerative abilities (exemplified by the survival rate of Flight 815 post-crash and once-crippled Locke amazing return to full mobility.) Ben then gives Locke a file with everything he knows about Widmore, but Locke also wants to know who his spy on the boat is...
The final scene has Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and Hurley (Jorge Garcia) playing horseshoes together, as Ben merrily walks by carrying bedclothes, heading to his own barrack – greeting them with a cheerful "see you at dinner!"
The Other Woman falls into the category of Lost episodes that are entertaining to watch, but on reflection didn't really offer much beyond a few nuggets of information. Most disappointingly, the storyline recasts Juliet as quite a submissive, fragile person, and part of a love quadrangle that didn't particularly excite me.
It's actually further evidence Lost finds it hard to build compelling love stories -- with only Desmond/Penny getting anywhere near the level of emotion required. Not only that, but this episode smelled like it was retconning quite a bit – as I just don't buy that Ben sent Goodwin to certain death by smuggling him in amongst the tail-section survivors? Or that he was love-struck by Juliet throughout season 3. But, whatever.
The script by Drew Goddard and Christina M. Kim also fell prey to one of Lost's more exasperating tendencies: to have its characters fail to save themselves a lot of bother, by telling the truth! Honestly, why didn't Daniel and Charlotte just tell Jack they need to get to the Tempest station to prevent Ben ever releasing a toxic gas across the island? I think they could rely on his support in that endeavour!
So, as the bigger storytelling mechanics didn't always make sense here, it's perhaps best to focus on the few revelations we were given. Chief amongst them was confirmation that Charles Widmore is the owner of the "rescue" freighter (as we suspected), and seemingly wants to turn the island into a mecca for injured and terminally-ill billionaires? Well, that makes sense, I suppose. Is it wrong that a big part of me thinks Widmore's got a point, though? That island could save the lives of millions!
Overall, this wasn't a terrible episode (or ever as boring as Eggtown), but it was unfortunately crippled by the writers avoiding realistic reactions purely to increase mystery and provide impetus for the story. It's something Lost does a lot (sometimes with very good reason), but it's not usually so obvious and distracting. Elsewhere, the flashbacks for Juliet only served to weaken her character in my eyes as a clichéd love-trophy, and shoehorned in an unlikely sexual obsession for Ben.
The Other Woman was moderately entertaining while it lasted, but only really necessary to watch for a few smaller reveals away from the main plot.
Burning Questions
-- Who is Ben's spy on the freighter? It seems very likely it's Michael – because we know he's due to return in episode 8, unless that's just too obvious...
-- Why does Charles Widmore want to come to the island? Does he want to turn the island into a "mecca" to heal the sick, as Ben inferred to Locke?
-- If Widmore owns the freighter, where does Matthew Abaddon fit into all of this? Were the team he assembled (Daniel, Charlotte, Miles, Frank and Naomi) covertly placed aboard Widmore's crew for another reason?
-- Who was the Other captured by Widmore, and who filmed Widmore beating him in an alleyway?
-- How is Charlotte aware of island history and Ben's gas "purge" of DHARMA?
-- Who drew Daniel's map of the island? Is it perhaps from the Black Rock ledger Widmore got his hands on in 1996?
-- Who does Juliet "look like" according to Harper?
-- It seems very likely Harper appeared as a ghost in the jungle to Juliet, and lied to her about Daniel and Charlotte's true intentions with the gas. Is this firm evidence that the island's ghosts are acting in Ben's best interests, or just ones who were loyal to Ben before they died? But are we even sure they're the spirits of dead people, and not just manifestations of peoples' likenesses?
9 March 2008
Sky One, 9.00 pm
