"The Story of Juliet" [Part 1/2]
Part 1: Mind Games || Part 2: Matters of the Heart
10 picspams in total, w/ commentary.
For the Big Bang challenge @ lost_land
Part 1 - Mind Games
"It's very stressful being an Other."
Juliet: Hi, Jack. I'm Juliet.
*****
Juliet: You don't have to answer any questions. You don't have to do anything but sit with your back up against the far wall. Let me open that door, put the plate down and leave. I know it feels like you're giving up, like you're losing, if you do anything that I ask you to. But you're not. You need to eat. What do you say?
(Jack slowly moves to the far wall and sits)
Juliet: Thank you, Jack.
*****
Jack: I swear to god, I will kill her.
Ben: Okay. Have her open the door and she dies anyway. We all do.
*****
Juliet: Jack. Jack. What would you like to find out?
Jack: Is she -- is she happy?
Juliet: Yes, Jack, she's very happy. Now, I'd like to bring you some food and water. But this time I need to know that you'll behave. Can I trust you, Jack? Put your back against the wall, please.
(Jack moves to the far wall and sits down. Juliet exits without giving Jack any food. We see Ben waiting for her)
Ben: Good work, Juliet.
Juliet: Thank you, Ben.
As I was deciding how to organize this little project, I thought of how much of a role the mystery of the character of Juliet Burke played in our intrigue of her. As much as you thought you could read the woman or form any opinions about her, you quickly realized that you really didn't know a thing. You could never pin her down. And I absolutely loved that. I loved that she was a bit of a walking paradox - seemingly honest & open, while simultaneously guarded and wary all at once. If I'm being truthful, I fell in love with her simply because of the challenge that it was to figuring her out.
The season 3 premiere - what an introduction of a character! The concept of "The Others" put aside, I did for the most part believe Juliet had Jack's best interests at heart. She was rational, she was kind, she was patient - even getting a small smile out of him with a little word jousting about the whole "repo man / repo woman" set up. With all our preconceived ideas about "The Others" thus far in the series, Juliet certainly did not fit that mold. At all. In fact, in the very moment that Jack took her hostage, he seemed to be the more ruthless one. And then there was Ben - willing to sacrifice even one of his own.
Offering Jack some closure with regards to ex-wife, and seeing the look on her face as she watched him fall apart in front of her (of all people...), a rather large part of me believed that she would eventually be the answer to his escape. Man oh man, was I ever surprised as she exited that room to come face to face with Ben. After her earlier reaction, let alone his willingness to let her die, to see these two working together to break Jack damn well messed with my head.
And thus was the start to the mind games of Juliet Burke~
Juliet: (on the tape) Ignore everything I'm saying. Ben is a liar. And he is very dangerous. Some of us want a change. But it has to look like an accident. And that's up to you, Jack. It's a complicated surgery. No one would ever know. And I would protect you. Now tell me to turn off the movie.
Jack: Turn the movie off.
Juliet: Jack...
Jack: Turn it off! Now.
Juliet: Alright. It's off. Think about what I said. Please
*****
Tom: Then what the hell do you suggest we do?
Juliet: (to Ivan, an Other in the room) Go get Danny, then find Austen and Ford and bring them back.
Jack: No, you do that and Ben dies.
Juliet: Go.
Jack: You think I'm lying?! You think this is a bluff?! I will let him die!
Juliet: No, Jack, you won't. (to Ivan) Go, get them back. If you have to, kill them.
This... I almost have no words for this scene. It is definitely up there with my Top 3 Juliet Burke moments - it was pure genius. After all that we had been told -- that she had been chosen to deal with Jack because of her resemblance to his ex-wife, that Jack was only here to operate on Ben -- to have her "say" all of this completely blew my mind, in the best way possible. She was a rebel - she wanted Ben dead. And not only that - the entire way she went about this was so damn intelligent. It was a plan, so well thought out & brilliantly executed. And yet as much as I wanted to cheer, there was still that element of mystery - for whom was she doing this for? For Jack? Revenge against Ben? Did she want control of the Others? So many darn questions.
And then Jack did it. Just when I thought he would allow the operation to go smoothly in his attempt to get off the island, he actually went through with Juliet's suggestion. And all the looks she had been giving him throughout the procedure - you were almost certain that she was waiting, even possibly willing him to go through with it.
Then just as quickly as you thought everyone was home-free, the least likely person threatened to ruin everything - Juliet. WHAT?! MIND BLOWN. AGAIN. I can't even imagine what my face must've looked like - Juliet Burke of all people. Seriously, nobody could get into this woman's headspace and figure her out. For all the sneaking around, the genius of the video - it was all for nothing as she sent Danny and his men after Kate & Sawyer. Even after Jack attempts to rat her out, she still manipulates and denies. I can't even.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Watching the scene back in retrospect, I wonder just how much Elizabeth knew about her character's intentions. I'm sure the writers must've told her that she was ultimately one of the survivors - for she played this scene so brilliantly and subtlety - you'd only notice it in retrospect. The way the camera pans to her in "Not in Portland", the moment Jack tells Kate to run for it, you literally see it in her eyes - "this isn't going to work." Knowing what we all know now - it's so darn CLEAR that her brain is working, working as fast as it can. And she comes up with this brilliant plan - how much of Kate & Sawyer's successful escape was according to her orchestration, I do not know. With Juliet, I can never figure out just how many steps ahead she is of everyone else - could she have predicted how Ben would react and possibly send her to help Kate & Sawyer back to the main island? Knowing her, it's not out of the realm of her capabilities.
Juliet: What the hell am I doing here?
Kate: Why don't you tell me.
Juliet: I dunno.
Kate: Well I dunno either, so why don't you let go of my wrist. So what the hell happened?
Juliet: I was making a cup of tea. Canister came in through the window. You're wasting your time. The knife is too big, you need something smaller, a safety pin or..
Kate:We're going back.
Juliet: What? They did this to us, why would we go back?
Kate: You say they like you didn't lock me in a cage and watch me break rocks all day. We're going back to your village because, my friends were probably gassed just like us. And your people are gone anyway. I saw them all pack up and leave.
Juliet: What?
Kate: Locke came in and said goodbye. They were taking off, going somewhere else.
Juliet: Going, going where?
Kate: He didn't, exactly tell me. (Pauses) Welcome to the wonderful world of not knowing what the hell's going on.
*****
Kate: You had a key.
Juliet: They left me behind too, they gassed me! I know that you don't care, but the people I spent the last three years of my life with, they just left me! I thought that maybe, maybe if I could make you think that we were in it together. Maybe I wouldn't get left behind again.
Oh, "Left Behind" - forever a classic favourite. I always wished Juliet & Kate had more scenes together; I loved the snark, yet underlying sense of an unstable camaraderie. The fact that the Others had left Juliet behind - to me, I thought it was only a matter of time. Ben of all people would not take a chance of having a "Judas" in his midst.
But when she took out that key. Oh my word, WHAAAT? Even after watching Kate pick at the lock, she had a freakin' key. At that point in time, I don't even know why I never questioned HOW or WHY she had a key - all I know is that I felt incredibly sympathetic towards her. Just as maddening as I found not knowing her true intentions, it was even more sad and lonely for her to be caught in the middle, with nobody to truly count on. To be on your own... on this island of all places... I couldn't even imagine.
Jack: Got a tarp. A couple of blankets. Some airline pillows. Its not much but, it'll get you started. Claire's awake. There's a, a lean-to that we've been using for shade. And, everyone says that it'll be alright if you set up camp there. For now.
Juliet: Thank you.
Jack: They're good people. They're willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. But, eventually they're gonna need some answers.
Juliet: Why don't you? You keep talking about them. Why don't I ever have to explain myself to you?
Jack: You were there. You were standing right next to me when that submarine exploded. In that moment, I saw it in your eyes. You wanna get off this island more than anything else in the world. That makes you one of us.
*****
Ben: Let's go over it again. Just to be sure.
Juliet: I drag Austen out into the jungle, handcuff myself to her, then tell her I was gassed, just like she was.
Ben: And if she catches you in the lie?
Juliet: I'll admit to it. Tell her it was the only way to earn her trust.
Ben: Good. What then?
Juliet: They'll take me back to the beach. I know you want me to go there, but after everything we've done to them, its going to be a problem.
Ben: We've activated the implant in Claire, she should be symptomatic within the next 48 hours. By the time you get to that camp, you'll have a nice big crisis to solve.
Juliet: I'll need supplies.
Ben: Pryce is already on his way. He'll hide the case at Ethan's old drop-point. Tell Jack, that you can save her. He trusts you... are you alright?
Juliet: I'm fine.
Ben: See you in a week.
One of my all time favourite moments of LOST. This is so classically LOST. I really think that if I had to save one episode from being forever destroyed and lost to the world, it just might be this one. From the moment she arrived at the camp, unwelcomed by all and only having Jack as a friend -- my heart was with her. And knowing all we did about her past, and who she was at heart, I so desperately wanted her to be accepted by the survivors. And even in the pursuit of doing good, she was still faced with obstacles in the form of Sawyer & Sayid. My gosh, the way she handled that situation - her ability to manipulate and hurt you where it matters most - it was unnerving. And yet though she was an outsider and very much on her own, she was willing to do everything she could to save Claire's life. To atone for her past wrongs and the harm she had both directly and indirectly caused them. How could you not love Juliet Burke?
And I was SO SURE - so sure that this time she was with the survivors for good. That finally Juliet Burke would no longer be a mystery, and I could cheer for her as she tried to find her way back home and to her sister. But then the last minute of the show happened. Just when I thought I had seen it all with her, THIS BLOODY BEAUTIFUL TWIST OF A PLOT CAME ALONG. The dialogue, intertwined with the flashbacks and present time - the fact that it was a plan ALL ALONG, that Kate was a plan, that Claire's illness was a plan! OH. MY. GOD. I was shocked, confused, infuriated, and freakin' nervous all at once. I had trusted her just as much as Jack did - and oh gosh, I was so afraid for him. Afraid for all of them. The tying of the knot - chills down my body.
Sun: Why are you doing this?
Juliet: What?
Sun: Helping me.
Juliet: (Pauses) Once upon a time, I told women that they were pregnant and their faces, it was the best news they ever got in their entire life. Then I came here. I've lost, nine, patients in the last three years. I'm helping you because I want to tell you that you and your husband got pregnant before you came here. I'm helping you because I wanna give good news again.
*****
Juliet: I'm gonna go back inside and make sure that I didn't miss anything, I don't wanna take the chance that we didn't cover our tracks. Do you wanna wait out here?
Sun: All right. (Juliet walks towards the station entrance) Juliet. Thank you.
Juliet: Ben, its six AM on Saturday morning. Kwon is pregnant, the fetus is healthy and was conceived on-Island with husband, he was sterile before they got here. I'm still working on getting samples from the other women, I should have Austen's soon. I'll report back when I know more.
[She turns off the recorder.]
Juliet: (Pauses) I hate you.
This entire episode had me a state of conflict & inner turmoil. What was I suppose to think? Juliet seemed so sincere in helping Sun - being a fertility doctor, your love and wonder for new life doesn't just disappear... and that smile on her face, as she gave Sun that ultrasound. It melted my heart~ But there were so many questions unanswered - could she be the new "Ethan"? Would she go that far? I really hoped she wouldn't - even though we had witnessed her shooting Danny in cold blood, I didn't like to think she could take a life so willingly. Again, she was a fertility doctor for goodness sake... and what she had said to Sun, about her wish to give good news again - that sort of sincerity, you honestly couldn't fake.
But with Juliet, I could never ever sure. So when she turned to go back into the station, I knew it couldn't be good news. It really shouldn't have surprised me anymore - and it didn't really. But her last words... "I hate you." After she turned the recorder off. Freakin' chills all over again. Even after all these twists and turns, those heart-warming smiles and chilling stares - we all still couldn't figure Juliet Burke out. My heart did ache a little bit for her... she seemed so trapped :( Just as much as I loved how she played with my emotions, even moreso the mind games and power struggle of Ben vs. Juliet. ~
~ Please remind me to never do an entire Big Bang challenge in 8 hours ever again. ~
It was a ton of a fun, but phew - it was like running a marathon!