‘Lost’s’ Juliet is not like the rest of the Others

Since her first appearance on Lost as a member of the Others’ camp, Juliet Burke (Elizabeth Mitchell) has quickly become one of my favorite characters. The recent episode, “One of Us,” gave us a little more insight into Juliet’s background, but in true Lost fashion left us with even more questions.  But based on the tidbits they did throw us, I have a few theories on Juliet and Lost in general.

Is Juliet playing Ben?
In Juliet’s first flashback, we see that she is trapped by her own timidness and an overbearing ex-husband.  When she’s freed from him (if that’s what you want to call getting hit by a bus), she finally gets a chance to do what she wants and is willing to take risks (i.e. drink the kool-aid, actually I think it was orange juice).

In her second flashback, we see that in spite of her medical failures, she seems to be coming into her own and learning to live her own life.  But then Ben, another overbearing man, manipulates her.  At first she’s beaten, but by the time Flight 815 crashes, she’s resolved. 

And when Ben shows her that her sister and nephew are alive and well, Juliet becomes determined to leave the island — at any cost.  From this point on, Juliet is biding her time until she could come up with and execute a plan to get off the island.  We saw her try to have Ben killed by Jack.

Of course we know it didn’t work.  But I believe she is just biding her time again.  And while she waits, she’s going to let Ben think he’s still in charge.

Juliet has transformed from this timid little lady who was ruled by everyone else to a self-assured woman with one goal — to get off the island.

Does Juliet  want vengeance for Goodwin?
No, I don’t think Juliet will seek vegenance against the plane survivors for Goodwin’s murder.  While it’s obvious that Juliet was having sex with Goodwin, I don’t believe that she was in love with him.  She doesn’t seem to give him a second thought when she asks to go home.  You never see her discuss her desire to go home or how Ben manipulated her with Goodwin.  She might share a bed with him, but she doesn’t seem to share her confidence with him.

I think that the newly empowered Juliet was using Goodwin just for sex (and I’m guessing it was probably mutual on Goodwin’s part).  While I sure she was sorry to see him go, I think that she doesn’t blame the Flight 815 survivors for defending themselves especially since she knows what the others have done/will do to them.

Is Juliet playing Jack?
I believe that Juliet has legitimate feelings for Jack.  We’ve seen her confide in him.  She’s seen him risk his neck for her and stand up to Ben.  Apparently, the kind of thing few men have be willing to do for her.

In this last episode on their hike back to the beach, Juliet talked to Jack about how she dragged Kate out to the woods and handcuffed herself to her.  I believe that Juliet plans to betray Ben and that she’s let Jack in on at least some of the plan.

Will Juliet betray Jack in the end?  Unfortunately, I think for the opportunity to get off the island, yes Juliet would be willing to betray Jack.  But ultimately she’ll feel bad about it.  Her desire to get off the island will trump her feelings for Jack.

Did Ben cure cancer?
My first instinct is to say that Ben conned Juliet about her sister’s cancer.  But on retrospect, I’m not so sure.  So far of what we’ve seen, Ben hasn’t lied to anyone.  He manipulates the situation to get the answer he wants, but he doesn’t lie.  He could have just told Jack that Kate and Sawyer were an item, but instead he set up the situation to allow the pair to have their little affair while secretly taping it and then allowing Jack to find the cameras.

We already know that something on the island cured Rose’s cancer.  So maybe Ben somehow packaged that and used it to cure Juliet’s sister’s cancer.

So why can’t Ben cure his own?  He was born on the island so that must be why the island’s powers can’t help him.  He’s immune.

Is Juliet’s Story about Ethan and Claire true?
Yes, I think so.  We saw from Juliet’s flashbacks that women have trouble carrying babies to term.  I believe that the Others intent wasn’t as much to help Claire as to use her for a test case.  And yes, I think the decision to kidnap Claire came after Ethan’s identity was discovered.  Did he act on his own?  My guess is yes because during Claire’s flashback of her time at the medical station we heard Tom tell Ethan the “he” (Ben) was angry with him for kidnapping her.

And yes, I think Juliet’s serum helped to save Claire and Aaron.

I think the chip was inserted when Claire was kidnapped as a precaution.  Ben seems to always be thinking ahead.

Can Juliet help Sun?
Yes, I think that Juliet will be willing to help Sun.  And ultimately, that storyline will reveal the real father of her baby.

The question I have not been able to figure out is:  if no one has been able to bring a baby full term on the island until Claire, how was Ben born on the island?

What are the Others doing on the island?
As we’ve already seen, many of the others seem to be medically inclined and I’m guessing the rest are scientists.  My guess is someone, prior to Ben’s existence — maybe his parents, maybe someone his parents worked for — figured out that the island had healing powers and has recruited this team, one by one as needed, to figure out how to harness this power.

Just a guess, but maybe someone from Dharma betrayed Dharma when they discovered the real power of the island and partnered with whoever is backing the Others to take over operations on the island and thus, eliminating the Dharma representatives.  Think about it, whoever had the power to make the paralyzed walk or to heal cancer would be very, very powerful people.

How do the Others know so much about everyone?
I think its clear that the Others (or at least Ben and a few of his elite) have contact with the outside world.  Someone is financing this operation.  My guess is whoever that is has a great deal of money and a great deal of power.  And with that power, the connections to find out whatever they need.

Well I think that’s about all the theories I can spout for know.  So let me know if you think any of these are plausible.  Do you have a theory of your own? Please share.

(Photos courtesy of lost.about.com)