They're bonding...

He saved her from execution, and put aloe on her "mark". And they exchanged some meaningful looks.

Not that we're surprised...

What I'm really surprised by, is that I've not seen anyone mention what seemed to me like a pretty obvious parallel.

When Ben (prone, vulnerable and injured) was telling Jack (the caregiver, trying to keep him from dying) not to trust Juliet (the woman flip flopping between wanting him dead and not wanting him to suffer) ... is was like watching a rerun of the scene when the Marshall was telling Jack not to trust Kate. (copy and paste the same descriptions)

The aloe scene was lovely. Especially when the camera held for just a second on her hand almost touching his on her hip. Very well done scene. (even though I think the eppy was simply awful, overall)

Yes, I like the chemistry between them.

Juliet (the woman flip flopping between wanting him dead and not wanting him to suffer)

Wait a sec... am I forgetting something? When did Juliet ever want Jack dead?

Anyway, I loved their interaction. Really, really beautiful, compelling stuff. I'm so interested to see where their relationship goes.

Kind of makes me feel queasy, and a little sick! To me, she is very obviously a stone cold witch and he appears to be the same sucker he has always been. Is he really that gullible? Is a real leader so easily swayed by a pretty face? Maybe the tattoo was wrong! :confused:

Wait a sec... am I forgetting something? When did Juliet ever want Jack dead?

:confused: The parallel was Juliet changing between wanting Ben dead, then cared for ... and Kate wanting the Marshall dead, then cared for.

In other words ... you could take the season one scene between Jack and the Marshall ... substitute the Marshall with Ben ... and substitute Jack being warned about trusting Kate with Jack being warned about trusting Juliet ... and they are the same scene. Even the physical positioning of the principals is strikingly similar.

Oh they are absolutely bonding, I really wanted Jack to stick up for Juliet and he did. I actually thought there would be more tension and drama around Juliet's possible execution, but I'm fine with what happened

What about the cheese end with the music and her smiling at him?

I hope that he's not just using her to get away ("we'll do it together") and not just rebounding because of Skate. Which reminds me...how creepy that they put him in Sawyer's cage, and Jack was laying up against the cage right where Skate cuddled.

I'm still so confused about Juliet... Don't get me wrong, I like her as a character and find her very interesting, but I just can't decide if she's good or bad or something in between. As Benry told Jack, she is undoubtedly an Other. It makes me wonder if her kindness to Jack is all an act. Or if it's an act to get him to trust her, but she also does care about him or what. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if she turned out to be evil in the end.... I find her very hard to read. I mean, yes, they're obviously playing up the Jack and Juliet bond, for sure, I'm just still not sure about Juliet's motives.

Which is kind of cool. It's neat to have a character who is so gray.

I too like the chemistry I see with the two of them, but I get the impression Jack is playing whatever cards he can. He may have an attraction to her, but I think he's trying to gain allies, first and foremost. I don't sense that he's going to be a sucker. Very interested to see where the story takes them from here...
100%
I'm still so confused about Juliet... Don't get me wrong, I like her as a character and find her very interesting, but I just can't decide if she's good or bad or something in between. As Benry told Jack, she is undoubtedly an Other. It makes me wonder if her kindness to Jack is all an act. Or if it's an act to get him to trust her, but she also does care about him or what. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if she turned out to be evil in the end.... I find her very hard to read. I mean, yes, they're obviously playing up the Jack and Juliet bond, for sure, I'm just still not sure about Juliet's motives.

Which is kind of cool. It's neat to have a character who is so gray.
I agree, she's a great character, and magnificently acted by Elizabeth Mitchell. I don't think she's 100% on board with the others, though, as we know from her flashback that she is also a prisoner there. My sense is that her one and only ultimate objective is to get back home to her sister, everyone else be damned. And I sure don't trust her.

I really like the interactions between Jack and Juliet and I'm a Jater! They do have great chemistry and I thought the scene where he was mendidng her wound was quite sweet.. and a bit hot ;)

Yes, Juliet's greyness does make their relationship all the more interesting to me. I found the shot of his hand on her hip way hotter than his whole flashback sex scenes.

Anyway, while she may be manipulating him now, I think she will eventually fall for him for real. We know from Not in Portland that she was once vulnerable - I think she can gain that back, in the good sense of the word.

The thing I love that with Juliet is that you can't tell if she's still manipulating him or if she's actually falling for him. Hopefully she's falling for him... Jack and Kate just seemed so forced without much chemistry, but Jack and Juliet the chemistry is like whoa. But if she is still manipulating him, I can't see Jack falling for it.

The similarities between Kate and Juliet discussed in this thread are very interesting! Juliet does come off as a cold individual to a degree, but so do almost all the women in the "Others" camp--Colleen, Isabel, even Alex somewhat. They seem to be lacking in the interpersonal relationship department (this could come from all the scientific experiments and lack of Brady Bunch viewing).

We saw another side of Juliet in "Not in Portland" that was almost hyper-emotional. She is very different from that now, as if she need to be cold to be strong and get through her captivity. We see this in the very first episode when she starts to cry for a moment, then collects herself and moves on.

When Juilet views the relationships formed between Jack and the other Losties, I think she realizes how she misses having that kind of bond with someone. There may be a component of manipulation in her dealings with Jack, but somewhere in there I think she is developing a genuine caring for him. And we know Jack is a sucker for someone who needs his help. I think we will see their relationship mature into something very interesting as the season continues!

I found the shot of his hand on her hip way hotter than his whole flashback sex scenes.

Yes!

I think it's a relief for Juliet to have someone she can actually trust. She KNOWS that Jack is an "outsider." Finally, someone she can actually identify with as far as feeling like a prisoner. I used to think she was shady, but what went on in this episode coupled with her f/b has made me come to believe she's a victim of all their scams. I'm actually starting to like her, now that I'm starting to trust that she's who she says she is. It's kind of sad that this show makes you so wary of all the characters. It's like you're in total survival mode, being totally hypervigilant, and you're just watching a tv show!

I don't care what anyone else says...I still don't trust Juliet. :)

I think they're both using each other because both want to get away from the Others. I think Jack's making himself useful to Ben for protection and taking Juliet with him as thanks for helping Kate & Sawyer escape. But if it came down to it, I think Jack would put his needs before Juliet's, even if there is some chemistry between them.

But if it came down to it, I think Jack would put his needs before Juliet's, even if there is some chemistry between them.


I dunno about that. I don't think Jack's the kind of person to put his needs above anyone else's. He's supposed to be the great leader, maybe he's Ben's replacement.

Well, I'll agree with everyone else. There was nothing even remotely hot about the flashback, whereas the aloe scene was so tender and meaningful. It's a shame that writers don't realize that the subtlety of a well-acted romance scene with only implied emotions and gestures can be soo much more impactful than just straight up sex with creepy Thai girl with fake mega-boobs.

I dunno about that. I don't think Jack's the kind of person to put his needs above anyone else's. He's supposed to be the great leader, maybe he's Ben's replacement.

I agree, he seems to be really driven by his sense of morality, and it was he who suggested to her that they get out "together." I highly doubt he'd go back on that pact. (The way that scene played out it kind of seemed pact-y to me).

Also, Randingo, I think you have a great speculation. Maybe there's going to be a major shift in the power structure when they get "home."

Kind of makes me feel queasy, and a little sick! To me, she is very obviously a stone cold witch and he appears to be the same sucker he has always been. Is he really that gullible? Is a real leader so easily swayed by a pretty face? Maybe the tattoo was wrong! :confused:

I totally agree.