3.16 - One of Us

Title’s significance: Though Jack declares emphatically that Juliet is “one of us” because The Others abandoned her, we learn that Juliet is still very much “one of them.”

Recap: Juliet’s flashbacks reveal how she came to the island – via the submarine, with Richard Alpert – under secretive conditions. Juliet learns that women who conceive on the island never carry the pregnancy to term but can’t figure out why; when she asks to return home, Ben won’t allow it, revealing that Rachel’s cancer is back but that Jacob can cure her. Three years later, Juliet discovers Ben’s tumor and visits Mikhail, whose station was operational when Flight 815 crashed. Back on the beach camp, Claire’s feeling under the weather, and Jack returns with the rest of the group in tow. Though the beach camp aren’t happy about Juliet being in town, Hurley reaches out to her, and Jack sticks up for her. Juliet takes responsibility for Claire’s illness, blaming a medication she developed to keep Claire alive during her pregnancy; she procures Ethan’s stash and saves Claire. We then learn that Juliet is a spy for Ben and that Claire’s illness was faked.

Thoughts: It’s another Carlton episode, so you know it’s good – mythology-laden with enough answers that it feels fulfilling and worthwhile on rewatch. Michael Emerson is at his oily best in this episode, and though the episode stalls a bit with getting Juliet into the camp’s good graces, the end of the episode (and the flashbacks, too) drives the season forward to what’s going to be a bang-up conclusion.

Favorite moment: It’s either Juliet shotgunning the OJ/tranquilizer cocktail or Sawyer referring to Charlie, Hurley, and Aaron as “Three men and a baby – I counted Hugo twice.”

Characters introduced (in order):

• SABINE, dead pregnant Other

What we learned:

• Juliet has a “gift.”
• Women can’t have babies on the island, but it seems to have something to do with on-island conception since Claire’s baby was born a-okay.
• Ben claims that Jacob has cured Rachel’s cancer.
• Ethan was taking blood samples from Claire to test the pregnancy problem.
• Ethan’s abduction of Claire was “never the plan.”
• Juliet was having an affair with Goodwin.
• Mikhail has been gathering information about the 815ers for The Others.
• Ben claims he’s not a liar.
• Juliet is now spying for Ben.

Questions:

• Why can’t women give birth after conceiving on the island?
• Why doesn’t Ben want anyone leaving the island?
• How can Jacob cure cancer?
• Why is Ben so hooked on Juliet?
• What happened with Sayid in Basra?
• Why is Ben spying on the survivors, and what’s going to happen in a week?

Things that are going to be important in Season Six:

• This episode vocalizes one of the underlying mysteries the show’s touched on previously – the mystery of on-island pregnancy. We still haven’t gotten a final word on it, but I’m betting it’ll come up in Season Six – and perhaps have something to do with the divide between “real” Others and Ben’s “Pharisee” Others, as highlighted by Locke.