Television Review: The Other Woman (Lost, S4X06, 2008)

The Other Woman (S0406)

Airdate: 6 March 2008

Written by: Drew Goddard & Christina M. Kim
Directed by: Eric Launeville

Running Time: 43 minutes

Long-running television series often grapple with the inherent inconsistencies that arise from the fluctuating quality of their instalments. A prime example of this phenomenon can be found in Lost, where the disparity between a standout episode and the subsequent one is stark. When a show delivers a high-concept masterpiece, the following instalment inevitably suffers in comparison, looking like a downgrade by default. This was certainly the case in Season 4, particularly when The Constant—an episode frequently cited as the finest of the series—was followed by The Other Woman. While this episode stands as a solid piece of television in its own right, it inevitably pales in comparison to the sci-fi heights of its predecessor and feels, at times, like a step back towards the underwhelming material of Season 3.

One aspect of this regression is the misleading narrative device employed at the very beginning. The episode attempts to engage the audience with a minor red herring, beginning with Juliet finding herself being interviewed by a woman named Harper Stanhope, played by Andrea Roth. Harper refers to Juliet as a "celebrity" and complains about the press, cleverly deceiving the audience into believing this is another flashforward, implying that Juliet is now part of the "Oceanic Six". However, the illusion is shattered shortly thereafter when Tom Friendly arrives, confirming that this is, in fact, a flashback chronicling the three years Juliet spent on the Island with the Others.

The flashback content reveals that Harper is not just a therapist but also the wife of Goodwin, with whom Juliet begins a passionate affair. Harper, portrayed as petulant and jealous, warns Juliet that Ben will punish Goodwin because he desires Juliet for himself. It is a classic case of Ben's jealous control. On 22 September 2004, moments after Oceanic 815 crashes, Ben sends Goodwin to spy on the survivors of the tail section. After Goodwin dies, Ben brings Juliet to see his corpse, chillingly asserting his dominance by telling her, "You're mine", before offering her time to mourn. This backstory establishes the toxicity of Ben's character.

The plot then shifts to the beach on Christmas Day, 2004. Daniel Faraday and Charlotte Staples Lewis sneak off from the camp, prompting Jack to organise a search party that Juliet joins. In the jungle, the audience briefly encounters Harper again, who cryptically warns that Daniel and Charlotte were sent to the Island with orders to kill anyone using the gas from the Purge. The situation escalates when Daniel and Charlotte encounter Kate, who has been banished from the Barracks, and knock her unconscious. As Jack tends to her wounds, Juliet ventures towards the Tempest Station, the Island's main power facility. There, she confronts Daniel and Charlotte in hazmat suits. Despite a brief fight, Daniel manages to neutralise the gas, completing his mission. Juliet later explains to Jack that the freighter team came to wage war on Ben, and she predicts that Ben will likely win. The episode concludes with a kiss between Jack and Juliet, sealing their romantic connection.

At the Barracks, Ben successfully negotiates his freedom by providing information about the freighter to John Locke. It is revealed that the freighter is owned by Charles Widmore, Penny's father, who apparently intends to exploit the Island's healing abilities. Locke sees an opportunity and asks Ben about his spy on the freighter. The episode concludes with Ben casually walking among the survivors, much to the shock of Hurley and Sawyer, marking a significant shift in the power dynamics.

Written by Drew Goddard and Christina M. Kim, The Other Woman is a serviceable episode that largely succeeds in connecting the dots in the overarching plot. It provides much-needed answers concerning the Island's history and Juliet's past, particularly illuminating her murderous intentions towards Ben on the Hydra Island. However, the flashback scenes feel slightly redundant and serve merely as an excuse to inject some soapy melodrama. By focusing on Ben's infatuation with Juliet and how his unrequited feelings lead him into dark territory, the writers sacrifice narrative tension for character backstory that could have been woven in more seamlessly.

The most problematic aspect of the episode is the introduction of Harper Stanhope. While Andrea Roth brings a certain energy to the role, the character raises more questions than she answers. Why would the Others require a therapist, and why would that therapist be so incompetent? Furthermore, Harper inexplicably appears in the jungle and even less explicably vanishes without any further explanation. Her survival following the apparent defeat of the Others remains a mystery, leaving the audience with unresolved plot threads that undermine the episode's coherence.

Ultimately, the episode is rescued by the powerhouse performance of Elizabeth Mitchell. She carries the episode through its weaker moments, guiding her character through a variety of complex emotions, from vulnerability and amorousness to vindictiveness and determination. The episode also delivers a moment of fan service in the form of a scene showing Juliet in a bikini , sharing the moment on the beach with Goodwin. However, the most memorable moment is undoubtedly the kiss that confirms the complicated love square of Juliet, Jack, Kate, and Sawyer. This kiss hinted that the relationship between Jack and Juliet—both physicians—was more mature and grounded than the volatile dynamic between Sawyer and Kate. The relationship was praised by a segment of the fanbase, who affectionately dubbed it the "Jacket". Mitchell's work in this episode was so compelling that she won a Saturn Award for her performance, a testament to her ability to elevate the material despite its flaws.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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