Here's the problem with watching Lost before you get dinner-- this show makes you hungry. Not because they're all running around in the rain and living off coconuts or whatever, but because every single woman on this show looks like she needs about 10 cheeseburgers. Juliette is especially rib-stick-outy, which is what made tonight's episode such a problem; as excited as I was to find out who was Ben's man on the boat and who sent the boat in the first place, I was really excited to get myself some supper.
Yes, tonight was a Juliette-centric episode, and we kick off with Juliette in a therapy session, in what those sneaky writers want you to think is a flash-forward. She tells the therapist “I don't like being treated like a celebrity,” which instantly makes us all think “Oceanic Six.” But then our old friend Mr. Friendly/Zeke/Tom sticks his head in the door. Man it's good to see that guy! And so here we are-- it's Juliette's first days as the latest transplant to New Otherton.
Throughout her flashback we see her start a flirtation with Goodwin-- remember, that guy who Anna Lucia ran through with a stick?--who, it turns out, is married to her therapist Harper. Ben, for his part, spends the entire time running around like a goofball, and Juliette figures out in short order that he has a crush on her. Oh, but in New Otherton, it's never that simple. Ben sends Goodwin on assignment to the Tail section, of course, and when he mysteriously doesn't come back even after all the names on “the list” have been kidnapped, Juliette gets lonely. And suspicious. Finally Ben takes her out to a lovely field, tells her he has a surprise-- and shows her Goodwin's decaying body. She accuses him of sending Goodwin there to die, and Ben says, basically, “Uh, duh.” Why did he get so mad about her sleeping with Goodwin? “How can you possibly not understand? You're mine!” OK, I'm someone who has adored Ben for basically forever, and even I know that's creepy.
Back in the present, Juliette is still kickin' it on the beach with Jack and company, when they realize Charlotte and Faraday have slipped off into the jungle. Jin saw them go, and Jack yells at him asking why he let them go; “I though they were friends,” Jin reasonably replies. See what happens when you don't share information, Jack? Hunting down the Boaties in the jungle, Juliette is soon approached by none other than Harper, who looks just as happy to see Juliette as she did in her flashbacks. Harper has orders from Ben-- who, mind you, is still trapped in Locke's basement-- that Juliette needs to kill Charlotte and Faraday. Juliette wonders how Harper is taking orders from a prisoner, and she replies, “Ben is exactly where he wants to be.” And those of you who ever doubt Ben's omniscience and super powers can shut up...now.
Charlotte and Faraday, for their part, are taking care of each other on their walk to what Harper calls The Tempest-- another Dharma station-- when nosy Kate pokes her head around the corner. The Boaties lie to Kate about the satellite phone being broken; when Kate sees with her own eyes that it, in fact, works, she stupidly turns her back on Charlotte and gets herself knocked out by the butt of a gun. Serves 'er right. Jack and Juliette come across Kate later on, and while Jack is tending to Kate and pseudo-flirting with her again, Juliette sneaks away. And she's off!
Before we get to those crazy kids at the Tempest station, lets check in on Locke in New Otherton. He's still serving meals to Ben in the basement, who still takes pleasure in tormenting Locke over the fact that the guy has no idea what he's doing. I mean, Ben's right. For the gazillionth time, Ben talks his way out of lockdown by promising Locke information, and for the gazillionth time, Locke trusts him. But this time, Ben is actually telling the truth!
In the meantime, Claire wants Locke to let her negotiate with Miles. Locke won't let her. Miles, we assume, is still gnawing on that grenade. Poor guy.
So Ben, by way of explaining what he knows about the freighter, has Locke pull out a video tape from a locked safe-- the tape, hilariously enough, is labeled “Red Sox.” On it, though, is the man Ben says sent the freighter, who Ben says has been doing everything he can to find the island and exploit it for its healing powers. Oh, do you really wonder who the Man Behind the Curtain is? Charles Widmore. Penny's dad. He sent the Boaties, and as Ben sees it, he wants to destroy the island.
Wow, so much information! Look how much Ben told us! And then Locke even asks one more, logical question: “Who is your man on the boat?” And lo and behold, Ben agrees to tell him, “but you might want to sit down first.” And that is the last we see of those two in this episode. That's right-- they don't tell us. Damn you, Lost!
Instead we check in on the Tempest Hatch, where Daniel is in a Haz-Mat suit and frantically typing numbers on a computer while a giant alarm goes off. Juliette tries to go in and stop him-- turns out that the hatch is connected to a bunch of chemicals that will kill everyone on the island if released. You know, like that time Ben killed the entire Dharma initiative. Daniel tries to convince Juliette he's helping, but Charlotte comes by in the meantime and gets in a knock down drag out with Juliette. Seriously, this is the best fight between women we've ever seen on the show, and it rules. Of course, Daniel saves the day, everyone on the island lives, and the Boaties are revealed to be good guys... for now. Oh, and then Juliette and Jack make out. Gross.
We end on, of all people, Sawyer and Hurley playing horseshoes. It's kind of nice, actually-- we've seen virtually every main character in this episode, at least the ones who are on the island and not unstuck in time. Sawyer and Hurley are awestruck, though, to see Ben stroll out of Locke's house, carrying clean laundry. “See you guys at dinner!” So Locke has accepted whatever Ben told him, and for once, Ben is using his freedom not to undermine anyone, but do some laundry! Well, for now at least. No promises for next week.
Speaking of next week, the promos promise us “You will discover the last of the oceanic six, and a face you never expected to see again.” OK, given that Harold Perrineau (a.k.a. Michael) has been in the opening credits all season, is definitely coming back at some point and has every reason in the world to be Ben's man on the boat, is there anyone left who doesn't think it's him? Do the writers really have to make us wait another week for that?
Otherwise, though, nice episode! Lots of answers, some good one-liners and some classic crazy Ben. And now that I've eaten dinner, the thought of Juliette's ribcage is no longer making me ravenous. Everyone wins!
