Television Review: One of Us (Lost, S3X16, 2007)

One of Us (S03E16)

Airdate: 11 April 2007

Written by: Carlton Cuse & Drew Goddard
Directed by: Jack Bender

Running Time: 43 minutes

In the labyrinthine narrative of Lost, the latter half of Season 3 las a peculiar monument to narrative stalling. During this period, the creators appeared less motivated by a desire to entertain their audience and more intent on decelerating the plot as much as possible. It seemed a calculated manoeuvre, born of the knowledge that the eventual resolution of the island’s mysteries would undoubtedly result in fans’ disappointment, should they arrive too soon. To achieve this frustrating tempo, the writers generally employed one of two distinct strategies: either focusing on the obscure traits or pasts of characters who were, by that time, already overexploited, or adding a clever twist that would create a new, immediate, yet complicated subplot, mandating at least a couple of episodes to be properly resolved. One of Us, the sixteenth episode of the season, firmly takes the latter route. In doing so, it succeeds in making narrative sense of its much inferior predecessor, Left Behind, transforming a standalone tale of survival into a crucial chess move in the larger war between the survivors and the Others.

The plot of the episode centres on the arrival of Juliet Burke to the beach camp, following her decision to join Jack. Her return is met with immediate disapproval from Sayid and Kate, who view her presence with deep suspicion after their trek from the abandoned "Barracks". This tension provides the backbone for the episode’s on-island drama, forcing the camp to confront the reality of living amongst their former enemies.

To understand Juliet’s presence, the episode utilises its flashback structure to demonstrate that her motivations were far more complex than the simple binary logic of loyalty might suggest. The flashback begins with a tearful farewell between Juliet and her sister, Rachael, whom she has promised they will reunite after six months. We then witness Juliet’s arrival on the Island via submarine. Six months later, we see her deeply involved with the Others, engaging in futile attempts to preserve the lives of pregnant women. Something on the Island is causing every pregnancy to end in the death of the mother, a tragic mystery that fuels Juliet’s scientific obsession. As her failures mount, Juliet becomes increasingly frustrated and disillusioned, desperate to return home. It is here that Ben Linus plays his masterstroke; he informs Juliet that Rachael’s cancer is returning and that only the Others’ technology—or whatever unique power permeates the Island—can save her. This guarantee of her sister’s survival ensures Juliet’s complacency.

Two and a half years later, however, Juliet feels even more miserable and cynical. Her disillusionment peaks when she learns that Ben, despite all his alleged rhetoric regarding the healing powers of the Island, has been struck with a spinal tumour. The hypocrisy shakes her faith in the leadership and the mythology she has been serving. Then, on 22 September 2004, Oceanic Flight 815 falls from the sky, changing everything. Sensing Juliet’s wavering faith and potential disloyalty, Ben brings her to the Flame Station. There, he forces her to watch television coverage of the crash. Even more manipulatively, he shows her recent footage of Rachael with her two-and-a-half-year-old son, her cancer having gone into complete remission. This revelation gives Juliet enough hope to persevere in her work, yet paradoxically, it also reignites her desire to leave the Island, now that her sister is safe.

In the present-day narrative, on the beach, Claire begins to fall mysteriously ill. Shortly thereafter, Jack, Kate, and Sayid return from the Barracks, with Juliet in tow. She is greeted with palpable suspicion and hostility, a reaction entirely understandable given the survivors' traumatic experiences with Ethan Rom and his abduction of Claire. Upon learning of Claire’s condition, Juliet volunteers to help, admitting that the illness is the aftermath of an experiment in which she took part. She asserts that the only way to save Claire’s life is to obtain a serum that had been hidden by Ethan in the jungle. Jack, seeing no alternative and trusting her medical judgement, agrees to the plan. Juliet retrieves the serum, administers it, and Claire is miraculously healed. This success wins just enough trust for some at the beach—chiefly Jack—to admit her as "one of us", integrating her into the community.

However, the epilogue delivers a devastating truth that recontextualises the entire episode. It is revealed that her arrival at the beach, including the inexplicable handcuffing jungle adventure with Kate, was part of a plan hatched and rehearsed with Ben. Claire’s sudden sickness was not a lingering illness but the result of a chip implant, activated remotely to coincide specifically with Juliet’s arrival. While Jack might be right when he states that she wants to get off the Island as much as anyone else, the end result is undeniable: in the grand scheme, she is still one of the Others, a mole embedded deep within the camp.

Directed by Jack Bender, One of Us is one of the visually more impressive episodes of the season. The cinematography elevates the otherwise banal and already overused scenery of the Island, making the familiar jungle and beaches look appealing and fresh. Furthermore, the flashback scene in which Juliet is revealed to have had an affair with Goodwin—sitting nude on the bed and eating ice cream after sex—serves as one of the more blatant examples of fan service at this stage of Lost. Nevertheless, it remains a visually appealing and humanising moment for a character who needed to be seen as vulnerable.

Finally, the success of the episode rests largely on the shoulders of Elizabeth Mitchell. While she is arguably one of the more attractive cast members, she also strives and succeeds in demonstrating her considerable acting ability. An excellent example of this duality occurs when she goes to gather the serum, only to be confronted by Sayid and Sawyer. They distrust her and imply they might not let her live. She confidently and coolly reminds them of their own morally questionable pasts, disarming them with logic. Yet, the moment she walks away, the camera captures the utter fear and panic in her character's eyes. It is a brilliant example in understated performance, perfectly encapsulating the complex, duplicitous nature of life on the Island.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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