At least this wasn’t as mind-bending as last week’s episode, thank goodness.
Starts with Juliet, who is sitting in a room at what seems to be some kind of facility. A therapist named Harper comes in to “talk” to her. Juliet admits she doesn’t like being a celebrity, the center of attention, but Harper tells her she’s very important right now. At this point, we think it might be a flash forward but in essence, it’s a flash back because suddenly Tom pokes his head in and tells Juliet she is needed. Juliet walks out into the Barracks’ compound to find Ben, holding some flowers and showing her her new home. Juliet is overwhelmed: “I’m only going to be here for six months.” Ben pauses and smiles, “Yes, but want you to feel at home”–and, by the way, you are never going to leave. EVER.
Back to present time, Juliet is making a tent on the beach with Sun’s help, when Jack rushes over. Charlotte and Daniel seem to have split the scene, so they spread out to go find them. In the jungle, Juliet hears those odd whisperings. She turns suddenly to see Harper. “Hello Juliet, long time, no see,” she says coldly. Be careful, the island plays tricks on you.
Apparently, Harper is there to deliver a message from Ben. Charlotte and Daniel are headed to the “Tempest,” and if they find out how to deploy that gas, everyone will die. Ben wants Juliet to go kill them. He can’t do it because he has to stay exactly where he is. Jack shows up and wonders who Harper is. She says to him, “Maybe you and your gun can go to.” Then the voices start whispering again–and Harper disappears. The voices somehow whisk the people away? WTF?
The Tempest is an electrical station that powers the island. Juliet asks Jack for help but can’t tell him exactly what’s going on. Cut to Daniel and Charlotte making their way through the jungle. “What if I can’t do this?” Daniel asks. “I know you can do this,” Charlotte reassures him. Then Kate shows up, unexpectedly, on her way back from the Barracks to the beach. Charlotte pulls the gun on her. “It’s OK, it’s Kate,” Daniel says. Kate looks a little perplexed. Charlotte lies to Kate about why they are out there. Something about the phone running out of battery power, until Kate notices the phone, looking to be fully charged, in Charlotte’s bag. Kate asks to see the bag and when she starts to look at it, Charlotte hits her over the head. Jack and Juliet eventually find Kate, but Juliet takes off, pretending to get water for Kate. Now Jack and Kate must follow.
Flash back to Juliet meeting Goodwin. Remember, he’s the one Ana Lucia killed and the same guy Juliet has a fling with. But at this moment, Juliet has just lost another pregnant woman and is upset. Goodwin comes in with what looks to be a chemical burn and tells her she should talk to Harper. Juliet is pretty sure Harper hates her. Then we find out Goodwin is married to Harper. Ah, so that explains the animosity. What chemicals is Goodwin working with, by the way?
Later, as Juliet is explaining to Ben why the women are dying, Goodwin walks in with a sandwich for her. They both play it off like it’s no big deal, but Ben suspects something. Juliet is then talking to Harper in one of their “sessions,” and Harper blurts out, “When did you start sleeping with my husband?” Juliet denies it and tries to leave, but Harper says she followed them and watched them. “If you continue to have a relationship with Goodwin, there will be consequences. I don’t want him to get hurt…and I’m not talking about you, I’m talking about Ben.” Yikes.
Goodwin and Juliet are enjoying a romantic moment on the beach. He hates that they have to be so secretive; why can’t he just tell Harper? Juliet doesn’t think it’s a good idea because Ben wouldn’t like it. “Why, because Ben has a crush on you?” Guess it’s pretty obvious Ben has a thing for Juliet, following her around like a puppy. “What’s Ben going to do?” Goodwin says. Cut to Oceanic 815 breaking up in the sky over the Barracks. Ben sends Goodwin off to the Tailies–and we know what happens after that.
Juliet shows up at Ben’s place for what she thinks is a dinner party–but it’s really a dinner date for two. Ben does have a crush on her. She asks about Goodwin, when he’ll be back after being undercover for three weeks. Ben says he is making a case for Ana Lucia to join them. Says Goodwin really wants her to, almost inappropriately so. Of course, Ben is trying to get Juliet’s goat.
A while later, Ben takes Juliet to where Goodwin is lying dead, with a stake through his chest. She’s destroyed. “You sent him out here because you knew this would happen! Why?” she screams at Ben. “Why? After everything I’ve done to get you here, how can you not understand? YOU’RE MINE!” Ben shouts back–and then calmly adds, “Take as much as time as you need.” Man, this guy is really something.
Back in present time at the Barracks, Claire wants to talk to Miles. She wants to know who these people are and why they are there, but Locke says that’s not going to happen. “Don’t you want to know whose boat it is?” Claire asks. Later, Locke brings Ben a meal. “Has the revolution begun yet? You’re the leader now–it’s a hard job, I know.” Ben lays it on thick about how his “people” will turn against him when they find out Locke doesn’t have a plan. Locke shoots back, “Does your plan include raising $3.2 million?” Ben is a bit taken aback but says they have a common enemy: the man who sent the freighter. If Locke lets him go, he’ll tell him everything he wants to know. But Locke doesn’t trust him. “All right then, I guess I’ll have to show you.” Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard all this before, Ben. GIVE US SOMETHING THIS TIME!
Locke brings Ben up from the basement. In Ben’s living room, behind the picture on the wall, is a safe with a videotape in it. It shows Charles Whitmore, Penny’s dad, beating up some guy. It’s HIS boat that is offshore, and HE is the one trying to find the island–and get Ben. “What does he want?” Ben says Whitmore wants to exploit the island and possess it because of its powers. Then he hands Locke a file on Whitmore. Ben says he should have told Locke all this before, but it was his last bargaining chip. Then Locke asks the $1 million question: Who is Ben’s man on the boat? Ben must tell Locke, but unfortunately he doesn’t tell US since they cut to a commercial. I think it’s Michael, who we last saw heading out to sea with Walt on the small motorboat. Remember, Ben does tell Michael to follow the exact coordinates he gave him.
Meanwhile, Juliet makes it to the Tempest, gun drawn. She finds Daniel inside with a gas mask on, punching numbers into a computer. The warnings are going off about so many minutes to contamination, blah blah. “Hey,” Juliet points the gun at Daniel. Daniel jumps. “Juliet! What are you doing here?” Daniel swears he isn’t trying to release the gas but rather trying to make it inert, make it safe. Juliet isn’t so sure, but then Charlotte attacks her from behind. Juliet gets the better of her, however. Charlotte screams, “Tell me you don’t think Ben Linus would use this gas to kill everyone on the island. He has done it before!” Juliet doesn’t know what to believe, as the countdown gets closer to its end. Daniel is furiously trying to stop it–and does, right in the nick of time. Guess they were telling the truth.
Outside the Tempest, Jack and Kate show up. Kate wants proof that Charlotte and Daniel made the gas go away and follows them into the station. Juliet confesses to Jack that Ben told her to kill them. There is a war raging against Ben, but Ben is going to win. She warns Jack that when that happens, he shouldn’t be anywhere near him. “He thinks I’m his and he knows how she feels about you,” she says tearfully. That’s when Jack kisses her. Nice, tender moment but good thing Kate didn’t see it.
Back at the Barracks, Hurley and Sawyer are playing horseshoes when Ben walks by casually, clean clothes in hand, and goes into a house. “I’ll see you at dinner,” Ben says. Sawyer and Hurley are dumbfounded.
