Why were the others building a runway on alcatraz? were they planning to start flying between islands?

I LOL'ed when Juliet sarcastically said "for the aliens." Kind of a nod to all the conspiracy theorists on this board! haha

Yeah, but I got no idea why they would be building a runway. I don't think they have their own plane on the island, so that would mean it's a runway for recieving incoming planes. But who the hell would fly to the island for the Others?

That was mt guess. Maybe they don't want to travel by sub anymore and want to change to planes?

One of the best jabs at the fans I've seen.

I loved it. Reminded me of the person who asked the question on the Official Podcast (about Jacob being an Alien).

They were probably building a runway for planes back and forth. But still up in the air.

So the others were building a landing strip. Any thoughts on that?

My jaw did drop for a split second when she said aliens. I was thinking about that religious group that believes in them, etc...

I thought Juliet was joking around, but if she was serious, it was probably designed to be another ruse put forth by Ben to trick his people into believing there were differant ways to get off the Island, a ruse that he admitted was important to perpetuate.

I am under the impression she was joking about the aliens AND the landing strip. She said to Sawyer something to the effect of, "Do you think they told me everything?"

In he season 2 finale Sawyer said he thought maybe the Others were aliens so I think this was a call back to that.

Oh, stop! You're killing me. She was oozing with sarcasm!

I thought Juliet was joking around, but if she was serious, it was probably designed to be another ruse put forth by Ben to trick his people into believing there were differant ways to get off the Island, a ruse that he admitted was important to perpetuate.

Yup, my thoughts exactly.

I am under the impression she was joking about the aliens AND the landing strip. She said to Sawyer something to the effect of, "Do you think they told me everything?"I'm under that impression too.

Jesting about alien landing strip. Heck everyone knows aliens don't use landing strips they climb over a fence.

Agreed. No landing strip. But at least we know that the construction project will be addressed in the future.

So, Sawyer & Kate were busting rocks for a runway?
Runway for what?
A plane, I would think... but maybe there is more to the alien "joke" made by Juliet.
Doesn't mean there has to be aliens, only that they "believe" there are.
Or then again, ET's could explain a lot of things.

i think that comment was a poke at people who think the people behind the island are aliens(just like the past few epsiodes they made pokes at the pugeratory theory).

That being said i notice they haven't made any inside references to the Hitler/Nazi theory

ive often wondered if aliens would pop up on this show. I mean everything has crashed into this island (planes, boats, helos, parachutists) why not a UFO. Would be kinda cool if deep in the jungle someone came across an alien crash site...

once again, there's another thread on this already, with the same exact title in fact...
just try to look first people
I'm pretty sure it would make the board a lot less sluggish

Sorry if this has been asked, the search function is not working.

Anyone have any ideas where this runway might be at. Also how do you hide something that big?

I imagine they were building it to make trips to the island easier.

Runway = joke. That was pretty apparent. Bad joke, but joke none-the-less

Rofl my wife and i thought she was serious......but what would they be doing out there breaking rocks for?

Yep, dripping with sarcasm. But what accounts for that 4-toed statue?

So, it seems like with all the flash forward stuff and Charlie dying, people forgot about this little tidbit. The Others were building a landing strip. Why?

That means some was/is coming that the Others WANTED to come. Who?

I don't think this was a throw away. I think this will be important.

not landing strip...runway.

isnt that what she said?

not landing strip...runway.

isnt that what she said?

I don't remember the exact wording, but is there a colossal difference between a "runway" and a "landing strip"?

I remember it as a joke re a landing strip for aliens. Juliet was not giving him a real answer. Later on in the same conversation she told him she did not know what was being built and that the Others did not tell her everything.

I don't remember the exact wording, but is there a colossal difference between a "runway" and a "landing strip"? Main differances are the spelling and pronunciation.;)

She was being sarcastic! She doesn't know what they needed the rocks for, if anything.

I think she was joking. She wasn't told why they were clearing rocks, why would they, she's a fertility doctor not a laborer.

In any case - I thought it went with the joke. As in, "It's a runway. Y'know, for the aliens." I took it as her being sarcastic, especially since she said immediately afterwards that she had no idea what they were building.

I think she was serious about it being a runway, but the aliens part was the joke. It's not uncommon for a subordinate to be given a task but not have it explained to them what it's for. And I'm not convinced about her "they didn't tell me everything" line, because she knew about The Looking Glass station jamming the signals when only Ben, Greta, and Bonnie were the others to know.

If she was serious about the landing strip, it wouldn't be suitable for a jet or large aircraft, as they need long, smooth surfaces to take off and land from under ideal circumstances.

I'm pretty sure the runway part wasn't a joke, the alien part was a joke.

I think Juliet avoided answering the question by saying aliens, but I was convinced that it really is a runway.

It was either a joke or a lie--either way, she didn't want to tell him what they really were building. I think she knows.

Why does it have to be a joke or a lie? We've seen that Juliet has truly turned on Ben, what does she have to hide.

I believe she was telling the truth about the runway. What it was going to be used for, who knows.

I just still have a lot of trouble trusting her.

It's a runway, but she doesn't know what for. As has been proven so many times in the past that it's blinding, "They don't tell me [Juliet] everything".

I still wonder if they were really building anything, or if they were just trying to break Sawyer and Kate. I saw other Others working too, but that could have just been for show. But, yeah, the runway thing was a joke.

I still wonder if they were really building anything, or if they were just trying to break Sawyer and Kate. I saw other Others working too, but that could have just been for show. But, yeah, the runway thing was a joke.I agree that they were just trying to break Sawyer and Kate, while giving them busy work. Juliet's statement to Sawyer was, I think, purely sarcasm.

I'll have to re-check the episode (if I could remember which one it was), but I think they really were building a runway. I seem to recall, back when we had no idea who Jacob was (as if we do now!) that Ben mentioned Jacob was coming and they'd need the runway complete by then.

I'm a little late to this conversation, but I wanted to weigh in. Juliet was being sarcastic about the aliens, but I think she was serious when she said that they were building a runway. I think she would know. I've wondered for a while where exactly Juliet ranked in the Others' hierarchy, and I think she was pretty high up, though probably unofficially. I think Ben told her more than most of the group, but not everything. Possibly even more than she realized he was telling her if she wasn't particularly interested in the information. He possibly even considered her his 'second' (her betrayal took him by complete surprise even after the Others believed she tried to kill him- he obviously trusted her a lot). But I'm digressing- when Juliet told Sawyer that they were building a runway I think she knew what she was talking about. In the Glass Ballerina, Juliet was at the dig site multiple times, appearing to be monitoring their progress (while Pickett was clearly in charge of the prisoners, Juliet was giving Pickett orders a couple of times in those first seven episodes). In one scene in TGB she and Pickett are reviewing what looks like some kind of plans or blueprints. I think the runway was Ben's project and only he knows what it was truly intended for, but Juliet was overseeing the building progress for him and knows what was going on there. I think the more the Losties talk to Juliet, the more they and possibly she will realize that she knows (like the info about the Looking Glass) that could be helpful to them.

Darkufo has a screencap of Bens diary.He writes that the others are getting low on supplies and missed the chance of getting them "was missed narrowly" or something in that vein.
Maybe no airdrops of supplys could get through since purple sky or since they were on Alcatraz?? Hence the hurried landing strip was for the airdrop?

I LOL'ed when Juliet sarcastically said "for the aliens." Kind of a nod to all the conspiracy theorists on this board! haha

The funniest part is that the aliens is Sawyer's theory (remember season 2 finale! lol :biggrin: )

Yeah, but I got no idea why they would be building a runway.

I don't believe her i think she was sarcastic too...because the losties crashed on the island!
She just doesn't wanna give information to Sawyer.

(her betrayal took him by complete surprise even after the Others believed she tried to kill him- he obviously trusted her a lot).

yes, because to me she didn't try to kill him...it was part of the first con to make jack trust her.

i agree that she seemed to be serious about the runway but clearly joking about the aliens.

they did seem to be levelling amd compacting the ground which would be consistant with this

if hydra island is twice the size of alkatrz, thats gonna be some short runway isnt it ?

There are a lot of places where the aliens could land, there is no need of a landing strip. So I think its a runway.

The funniest part is that the aliens is Sawyer's theory (remember season 2 finale! lol :biggrin: )

I thought the funniest part was that Sawyer looked like he believed her -- until she smiled.

I agree that they were just trying to break Sawyer and Kate, while giving them busy work. Juliet's statement to Sawyer was, I think, purely sarcasm.

Then why were there other people breaking rocks? To 'fake break' the others?

It seems like an awful elaborate ruse to make a bunch of your people perform back-breaking labor just to play head games with a couple of captives.

Darkufo has a screencap of Bens diary.He writes that the others are getting low on supplies and missed the chance of getting them "was missed narrowly" or something in that vein.
Maybe no airdrops of supplys could get through since purple sky or since they were on Alcatraz?? Hence the hurried landing strip was for the airdrop?

You don't need a landing strip for an air drop. The US Military does it all the time, in the same fashion we saw the DHARMA drops for the SWAN last season.

Then why were there other people breaking rocks? To 'fake break' the others?

It seems like an awful elaborate ruse to make a bunch of your people perform back-breaking labor just to play head games with a couple of captives.

I agree that it more than just playing mind games or giving Sawyer and Kate "busy work." There were other Others involved in the labor, not to mention plans or schematics of some kind that Juliet and the brass were looking over. Some kind of legit construction activity was taking place.

Then why were there other people breaking rocks? To 'fake break' the others?

It seems like an awful elaborate ruse to make a bunch of your people perform back-breaking labor just to play head games with a couple of captives.

I think the Others like Juliet were supposed to believe that they were really building something, they just didn't know what.
If they were really building something, then why did they all leave the island after Ben's surgery?

Simple so the next time flight 815 comes by they can land the thing instead of having it crash. Or maybe it really is for the aliens....

I loved it. For that brief moment, I liked Juliet.