4.06 - The Other Woman

Title’s significance: Juliet is “the other woman” in so many ways here – in a relationship with Goodwin, as Jack’s other woman, and as a member of The Others.

Recap: Juliet gets flashbacks this week detailing how Ben was kind of nuts about her. During her affair with Goodwin, Juliet learned that the island causes immune systems to attack the fetus, but all Ben really cared about was Goodwin as a rival for Juliet’s affections. Goodwin’s wife Harper wasn’t too keen on any of this, and Juliet started to worry that Ben might hurt Goodwin. Ben revealed that he sent Goodwin on what he knew was a suicide mission because he considers Juliet “mine.” On the island, Daniel and Charlotte disappear from camp, so the 815ers head out into the jungle after them, and Juliet encounters Harper, who tells Juliet that the freighter people are headed for The Tempest, a gas attack station. Daniel and Charlotte meet up with Kate in the jungle and knock her out when she learns they’re being disingenuous. Prisoner Ben (variant action figure) promises to enlighten Locke about the freighter in exchange for “some semblance of freedom.” Jack and Juliet find a roughed-up Kate as Ben shows Locke a video of Charles Widmore – the man behind the freighter. Juliet arrives at The Tempest to find Daniel fiddling with the controls, but he reveals he and Charlotte want to destroy the gas so Ben can’t use it. They succeed, and Juliet reveals she’s afraid for Jack because Ben knows how she feels about Jack. Jack’s not daunted, and as Sawyer and Hurley play horseshoes, they discover that Ben is living in his own house now.

Thoughts: Very intriguing episode, but what’s funny is that – for the first time in a long while (maybe ever) – the flashbacks are more interesting than the main plot of the episode. And, as is tradition on LOST, the Ben/Locke scenes are the best in the episode. This episode gets major brownie points for revealing that Widmore is the man behind the freighter, setting up an important plotline and throwing an element from Desmond’s backstory full force into the main conflict surrounding the island.

Favorite moment: Ben asking Locke of the rabbit he’s eating for lunch: “This didn’t have a number on it, did it?” The ensuing scene is just a masterpiece because Ben is so delightfully manipulative – “I always have a plan.”

Characters introduced (in order):

• HARPER STANHOPE, Goodwin’s wife and Other therapist

What we learned:

• The Tempest is a Dharma station doing gas research.
• “Ben is exactly where he wants to be.”
• Goodwin worked at The Tempest.
• Somehow immune systems are turning against the fetus on the island.
• Charles Widmore hired the freighter team to find the island and kill Ben.
• Charlotte suggests that Ben used The Tempest to initiate The Purge.

Questions:

• How did Harper appear seemingly at will?
• Who does Juliet “look just like”?
• Why does Widmore want to find the island?
• How does Widmore know about the island?
• How does Charlotte know about The Purge?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• Widmore vs. Ben.