Follow along! The episode guide for “One of Us” is in Finding Lost — Season 3, pp. 124-130.Another great Juliet flashback (I know she has her share of detractors, but with the exception of Season 4’s “The Other Woman,” I’ve never seen a Juliet flashback I didn’t like). And I just need to give some extra props to Robin Wiegert, who plays her sister Rachel. I LOVE HER. Deadwood fans out there will remember her as Calamity Jane, a role she played superbly.
Fun things I noticed:
• So… I started writing up something that I thought was an inconsistency in the show, and while I was writing it I realized, no, it wasn’t actually an inconsistency at all, but another example of how perfectly written this show often is. So I’m going to keep it in just to show you what I realized. Juliet says that Ethan was administering the injections and was going to give the serum to Claire that way, but then Hurley found out he wasn’t on the manifest and so Ethan had to improvise, and that’s what changed his plans. But back in season 1, when Hurley runs into the caves to say Ethan wasn’t on the manifest, Ethan was already out in the woods kidnapping Claire and Charlie. He wasn’t improvising because he’d been caught, because he had no idea he’d been caught. BUT… as I was typing that part, I realized that he caught on when Hurley was asking him all of the questions to create his own manifest that he was probably going to find the REAL manifest, and so that’s when he improvised. Hurley didn’t have the real manifest at that point, but Ethan’s a really smart guy and would have figured it was only a matter of time before Hurley would find it.
• If Juliet didn’t have a serum by September 22, how did she have one 10 days later? What part of her story is true? Was Ethan really injecting Claire with a serum, or was he putting the implant in her that Ben could later activate?
• That scene of Juliet looking at Rachel pushing Julian on the swing makes me cry every time.
Things that have new meaning:
• Sawyer confronting Juliet and her reminding him what a convict he really is. WOW how far they’ve come. It’s so weird seeing Juliet in these earlier episodes and comparing them to the woman she would later become.
• This was that episode that made many a fan gasp at the end of it, where we suddenly didn’t know if she could be trusted (and many fans still feel that way, thinking she has her own agenda and is basically a sinister individual). But her flashbacks showing the relationship with her sister are what make me refuse to think of her as evil. Yes, she was probably acting as a double agent, but isn’t everyone pretty much looking to help themselves at this point?
25 comments:
There was a moment when Sayid was talking to Juliet when he spoke for everyone in the audience: “I want to know everything.” Yes! Tell us all about this wacky island, and don’t omit a single detail!
Claire started feeling sickish well before Juliet arrived at the beach camp. And later on we got the explanation for that when Ben said, “We’ve activated the implant in Claire…” I’m very curious about how this lines up with real-world science. It sounds like they implanted a tiny gizmo to which they could send a radio signal, so it would release a pathogen into her system. Among all the weird and far-out things that we just accept about this show, this seems to be one of the weirdest. Any doctors/scientists out there want to weigh in on this?
Nikki, the highlight that you picked for this episode is also one of my favorite moments, when Ben calls out to Mikhail, “We’re approaching the house!” and quietly adds, “Don’t shoot us."
When I finished watching Juliet's first flashback episode a short while ago, I thought, "But wait, what about the sub?" I forgot there were two separate flashbacks for her character so close together; they work well as Part 1 and Part 2.
I think Juliet is my favorite female character on the show. I love how the actress plays her, such as how she delivers the sly reply to Hurley in this episode, "It was my day off."
It was sadder for me to watch this episode this time around, knowing how much she wants to be back with her sister and also knowing what the future holds. Or the past. Something like that.
Anyway, just like previous seasons, Lost is building momentum here as it approaches the season finale, and I have to stop myself from sitting on the couch all day watching episode after episode.
HAHA "I'M WITH JULIET! WE'RE APPROACHING THE HOUSE, don't shoot us."
One of the Top 10 funniest lines in the whole show!
@Nikki: Juliet watching the live footage of her sister & nephew is really sad, but I found it even more heartbreaking when Richard cuts the feed, and then Jules (in a desperate attempt to see more) reaches for the controls, only to have Mikhail coldly push her hand away. That was a weep-worthy moment if I ever saw one.
Juliet is starting to remind me of Professor Snape from the Harry Potter books; it seems like she's playing both sides of the field with equal gusto, and her true loyalty is probably known only to her.
And mad props to the superb Michael Giacchino! That really creepy strings number he does at the very end of this ep is fantastic! It's so spine-tinglingly scary! I think it's actually a reprise from "Live Together, Die Alone".
Oh, and Teebore:
I was reading your comment on the "Expose" page. The fact that who know who Nien Nunb is and what his species is called is AWESOME! I wish everybody spoke Star Wars!
Oh, and I love how Lando has NO problem understanding that guy, either. It's like, "Heyyyawwaahhawwahwawa."
"I know, I know..."
A true Michael/Jin moment if there ever was one!
I usually take notes when I watch the episodes because my memory is so bad I would forget everything by the time the blog comes up. Lately I've been noting down some great Ben quotes to comment on, but everyone is beating me to them! We should make a list of the all-time great Ben lines, only it would probably run several pages.
Did Ben, like Desmond, acquire the ability to see into the future? He knew he'd need "the man from Tallahassee" and, apparently, had him within shouting distance, and he knew he'd need to put an implant in Claire.
Riiiiiiiiight.
How could Ben have possibly known, way back when Ethan kidnapped Claire (and then, presumably, implanted her) about the myriad of events that would lead up to the necessity of making Juliet trusted by the Losties?
And yet! He was surprised (and gratified) when Locke showed up to destroy the submarine.
@ Susan - Great idea about Ben's lines. For no. 1 would either be 'destiny, John, is a fickle bitch' or 'I'm Pisces'.
@ Marebabe - It's been an ongoing annoyance and why I'm not totally convinced by Juliet as why she has never told everything she knows about the Others. Even in S5 she was still only revealing little titbits only absolutely necessary.
How does Juliet know about James killing someone? (think that bit of storytelling was a stretch).
What DOES the mark mean?
What was Godwin doing in surgery?
Did Rachel’s cancer really come back or was that a Ben lie? And if he was lying...How old IS Rachel's child? Could he be 3 or do you think he's 2? Ben said she gave birth 2 years ago.
Further how come Jacob can cure cancer but not the pregnant women situation?
Juliet is SUCH a good liar!
Would Ben have EVER let Juliet go?
How did the Others afford the 'Earhart' airport? So they fly to the sub?
I love Richard :)
How? HOW? did Ben save Rachel? What is his real relationship with Jacob? We've been led to believe that they've never actually talked, but then what on earth is going on here?!?
Did anyone else think - ah! Time Jump sickness! when Claire started bleeding from the nose, or was that just me? I couldn't help but wonder if she did any consciousness jumping.
Juliet: "I can fix this." Exactly what Jack, good old Mr. Fix-it needs to hear.
Okay, so Jack obviously doesn't trust Kate, won't allow Sawyer to go to his stash alone, but sure, Juliet can go running off into the jungle alone because she said so? Wait, what?!
Did you notice!? Juliet says that Karl developed the x-rays. Karl? Like Alex's Karl? Hmmmmm....
Juliet giving Ben the smackdown. hahahahahaha!
Sawyer: "We've got all the time in the world" ::snort::
Richard must be able to get on and off the Island more easily because of ... what... he is.
Ben: "I'm not a liar, Juliet." hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Personally I don't think Rachel's cancer came back, I think it was just another manipulative lie by Ben.
I finally figured out what it is with Juliette. I think she is in a depression-monotone, doesn't show emotion except when she is about to cry. Her "spark of life" that was apparent in this episode's flashback is not there on the island.
That is so not Portland!
Tranquilizer on the sub-are they time traveling? (time moves different on the island) wormhole?
What is it about the ride that is so "intense" as Ethan puts it.
Ah, Ethan. I gotta say, that guy creeps me out. Always. Doesn't matter if he's putting on his nice guy persona or not, there's something about his eyes that make me think he's got what, animal instincts? Like he's gonna pounce!
When they show up back at the beach, and you see Kate come around the shrub, you can see Sayid behind her walking and then stopping, like the director said, "Naveen, wait, let her be all the way out first before you go!" Can you tell I take notes?lol
Ben says to Juliette that Jacob will take care of Rachel's cancer "himself". Does that mean that Rachel has been "touched" by Jacob, but not Juliette? What does it mean!
@ SonshineMusic
I love Richard more :)
My favorite Ben lines, just because of what we know
- I am not a liar
- I'm done lying
- You have my word
- [It is] Done
His best lies are about whether or not he is lying. Priceless!
I have to say Elizabeth Mitchell is excellent here. The eye acting, the feelings barely registering on her face, and of course the pain - emotional when seeing her sister and physical with the shoulder. I really believed her wails of pain.
Every kid who has been to camp for 3 weeks and knows what it feels like to want to go home and not be able to. Three years can make a person do anything to go home. Like John and Ben, she has her own higher purpose, and the ends justify the means. Learning to lie well is one of those. Juliet's particular lying style is to tell just enough truth, which, it seems, she has been coached on by Ben, the master (see previous post).
As Ben said in S4, he always has a plan, so having Anthony Cooper just in case, implanting Claire, and all the other things he seems prescient on are careful planning on his part. I think he has contingencies for contingencies, plans for things that may come in handy, reads people really well to understand their vulnerabilities. As he says, he finds out what emotional weapons he can wield and gets to work.
Did he know John would blow up the sub? No, but he knew it was probable, since John has a “relationship” with the island, and the Flame has been blown up (kind of hard to miss). And he probably had a good feeling Kate et al would come back for Jack, and if John could get to Ben, he would try to. Ben doesn’t have to plan everything, he just has to know enough, and plan enough, and be opportunistic when situations present them selves. He is a manipulative genius.
Did you notice!? Juliet says that Karl developed the x-rays. Karl? Like Alex's Karl? Hmmmmm....
I didn't notice, or at least never put it together. Interesting. "Hmmm" indeed...
@QuestionMark: Of all my various nerd-fus, Star Wars is one of my strongest. Glad you enjoyed it. :)
@Sonshine & Teebore: regarding Karl developing x-rays, I think maybe you're surprised at this because Karl is so young? (Can't tell for sure.) But in case that's it, and you're thinking that a Radiologist with degrees and framed certificates on the wall is the only sort of person who could do that, let me just say that you would need a medical doctor-type person to READ and interpret the x-rays, but actually taking the pictures is pretty simple. I used to work in a chiropractor's office, and I got on-the-job training on actually taking the x-rays, developing them, and maintenance of the developing equipment. It was all very step-by-step stuff, not particularly hard. The person doing it just needs to pay attention and follow the procedures, that's all. So I think a young guy like Karl could certainly have been given a responsibility like that.
Sonshine: I TOTALLY thought of the time-jumping nosebleeds when Claire started bleeding!! :) My mind started racing, wondering if this was the beginning of Bizarro Claire who somehow survives a house explosion and ultimately ends up in a cabin with Christian.
Re: Karl and the X-rays, yes, I caught that and sort of thought the way Marebabe does: I'm assuming on the island the "schooling" is a little different:
Physics
Math
Physics
X-Ray Developing
How to Tell Convincing Lies
Physics
Literature (NO STEPHEN KING ALLOWED)
Physics
Phys Ed (race through the sonic pylons before we turn the fence back on!)
Physics
Probably not like a normal curriculum. ;)
@Marebabe: nah, I wasn't surprised because Karl is so young, but because Karl is KARL. He just seems like kind of a yutz to me, and not the type of person the Others (esp. Ben) would have taking/developing X-Rays for them.
Then again, we (the audience) know Karl best as a fugitive Other so that may be coloring my perspective. After all, there's nothing to suggest that Karl wasn't a model Other before he started getting "interested" in Alex and Ben had to pull the overly "overly protective father" bit on him.
Oh, I forgot to mention it, but I love Ben's line, "I'm not a liar, Juliet." For some reason, I never get tired of watching Ben try to convince others he's an honest guy. It's always funny.
My comment about Karl didn't have to do, necessarily, with his age so much as the fact that he didn't really strike me as the kind of person to be put in that kind of position. Ben obviously doesn't like him and will soon have him strapped in bizarro-room, so I just found it odd that he was busy developing x-rays before the plane crashed. If it was him at all
@SonshineMusic-maybe Ben figures as long as Karl is doing something constructive, he wont have time to make Alex preggers!
@SonshineMusic-oh yeah, and thanks for the welcome!
@Sonshine: Gotcha! I found your final thought very intriguing - "If it was him at all." How many Karls are there in the world? On Lost Island? I've never been quick to assume that a character is who we think he is, just because he has a recognizable first name. Right now I'm thinking of baby Ethan. Remember all the debate over the apparent discrepancy on Ethan's age? Maybe Amy's baby Ethan is not the same as scary, grown-up Ethan Rom. Maybe the Karl who developed the X-rays is different from Alex's boyfriend. And of course we now know absolutely for sure that the blond toddler Aaron in Kate's off-island life is indeed Claire's Aaron. But when we first saw him at the end of "Eggtown", when Kate hugged him and said, "Hi, Aaron", I did not immediately jump on the bandwagon, claiming that this was Claire's Aaron. I waited to see his identity proven in the episodes that followed.
By far, BY FAR my favorite Lost episode of all time.
I love the way they revealed the baby storyline and Claire's kidnapping, and I especially loved Juliet's story along with Elizabeth Mitchell's performance. AMAZING!
Nikki: I'm assuming on the island the "schooling" is a little different:
Very funny! Stuff like this is just one reason why I sincerely hope you're able to publish a definitive omnibus of FL covering all six seasons with new material gleaned from the Rewatch. You forgot Latin, though, which according to Juliet is part of Others 101. 8^)
Did you notice? "Downtown" was playing on Juliet's car radio when she and Rachel arrived at the Mittelos gate.
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