3.07 - Not in Portland

Title’s significance: Richard Alpert tells Juliet that his facility is “not quite in Portland.”

Recap: In Juliet’s flashbacks, we learn about her sister and how Juliet stole chemicals from her ex-husband to give to her sister; she was recruited by Richard Alpert to join a science team on the island and joined after her sister became pregnant and her ex-husband was hit by a bus. On the Hydra island, Kate and Sawyer make their escape, but Pickett chases them to the beach. Juliet tells Tom that Jack’s bluffing, but Jack insists that he’ll let Ben die. Alex ambushes The Others and shows Kate and Sawyer her secret hiding place. Suddenly, Ben wakes up and asks for Juliet, but he has Jack and Tom leave the room; Juliet emerges and promises to help Kate and Sawyer escape. Alex offers Kate and Sawyer their boat as long as they free Karl from Room 23 – a brainwashing room. At the boat, Pickett tries to stop Sawyer and Kate, but he’s shot by Juliet, who stops Alex from leaving with Kate, Sawyer, and Karl. Jack gets the tumor out of Ben

Thoughts: Solid episode, and no surprise – it was written by Carlton. We get a lot of answers in this episode, mostly about Juliet and what motivates her (getting off the island). What we don’t quite know is what The Others – and Richard Alpert – are after. For that, we’ll have to stay tuned.

Favorite moment: Edmund got hit by a bus!

Characters introduced (in order):

• RACHEL, Juliet’s sister
• EDMUND BURKE, Juliet’s ex-husband
• RICHARD ALPERT, recruiter for “Mittelos Bioscience”

What we learned:

• Karl is Alex’s boyfriend.
• Ben and Juliet “got history.”
• Alex is Ben’s daughter.
• Juliet’s ex-husband got hit by a bus!
• Juliet killed Pickett.
• Juliet has been on the island for a little over three years.
• Ben has promised to let Juliet go home.

Questions:

• What did the injections meant to do for Rachel?
• What’s Ben and Juliet’s “history”?
• Why is Ben claiming to be Alex’s father?
• What’s going on in Room 23?
• Was there something supernatural at play when Juliet’s husband was hit by a bus?
• Why would the purple skies prevent The Others from taking Ben to an off-island facility?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• This episode introduces Richard Alpert, and we still don’t know who he really is or what he wants.
• There’s something up with the Room 23 video. For that, I’m embedding a YouTube video of it.