Lost episode recap – “The Other Woman” (S4E6) airdate 03/06/08

Flashback: It’s Juliet’s first week with the Others on the Island. She’s still wearing makeup and her hair is big. She has a required session with the resident shrink, Harper Stanhope, who is wearing stiletto heels. Also, her eyebrows are super-arched and she's pretty cold for a therapist. They are interrupted by Tom who says that Ben wants to see the new doc. Ben is waiting on the porch of a cute little cottage: Juliet’s new home.

Now: Sun helps Juliet with her cute little lean-to on the beach. Jack runs up, saying that Daniel and Charlotte are missing. Jin says he saw them going into the jungle and Jack is unhappy – why didn’t Jin say anything? Because Jack told them that Daniel and Charlotte were friends, is the answer. Well, Jack wants them found and he, Sun, Jin and Juliet grab torches. As they leave the beach, it starts to rain – never a good sign on this Island, as we all know. The search party separates to cover more ground. Out in a clearing in the jungle , Juliet starts to hear the creepy whispering all around her. She whirls and it’s the Others’ shrink, Harper. “Long time no see, Juliet,” says Harper.

Harper is there to deliver a message from Ben: Daniel and Charlotte are headed to the Tempest and if Juliet doesn’t stop them from releasing the gas (I know – it will all be explained later), everyone on Island will die. How is Juliet supposed to stop them? With her gun. Juliet wants to know how Ben can be giving any orders when he’s a prisoner. Harper replies that Ben is exactly where he wants to be. Just then, Jack runs up, waving his own gun. Harper is not impressed and pretty much disappears before their very eyes as the whispering starts again. Neat trick.

Flashback: Big-haired Juliet is sobbing in her lab. She is interrupted by Goodwin. He’s looking for gauze because he’s got a burn on his arm, which she takes a look at. He knows who she is – the new baby doc - and he heard that they lost Henrietta this morning. Juliet tears up again, but he’s not blaming her. He asks if she needs someone to talk to, maybe Harper. Juliet says that she thinks Harper is a mean and spiteful person, that Harper hates her and only talks with Juliet because it’s her job. Ahem, says Goodwin, Harper is my wife. Oops. He doesn’t seem to take it personally, however, probably because Harper sure does seem mean.

Now: Juliet tells Jack that Daniel and Charlotte are headed for the Tempest Station, which is the Island’s power station. She asks for Jack’s help, without all his questions. He doesn’t like it but plays along. In the morning, Daniel and Charlotte consult their map. He’s worried that he can’t do “it.” Charlotte reassures him that he’ll be able to. They hear something and Charlotte pulls a gun (where’d she get a gun?). It’s Kate, barging out of the underbrush with no stealth whatsoever. She and Charlotte share glares.

Oh right, Kate is just on her way back from the Others’ compound and she just happened to run into Daniel and Charlotte. She explains that Miles is Locke's prisoner but unharmed, while the other two bring her up to speed on the boat situation. Charlotte spins a story that they’re out looking for the packs they tossed from the chopper in order to get more phone batteries. Kate – whose hair is RIDICULOUSLY BIG – figures that she's lying and wonders what bag Daniel is carrying if he’s looking for his pack. She takes a look inside Daniel's bag: gas masks. Charlotte comes up behind Kate and hits her over the head, knocking her out. “What?” grunts Charlotte to Daniel’s questioning look. I’m liking Charlotte more and more! Meanwhile, Juliet and Jack are still walking through the jungle and Jack is still pestering her with questions. He asks who Harper was and when she tells him, he asks why she was in therapy. Best line of the episode: “It’s very stressful being an Other, Jack.” And shut up, by the way, you annoying man.

Flashback: Juliet is explaining to Ben how the Island mothers’ immune systems seem to attack the fetuses in the second trimester. Ben is more interested in staring at Juliet when she’s not looking, however. Goodwin pops in with an egg salad sandwich for Juliet and Ben looks JEALOUS. A little later, in her therapy session, an extra-hostile Harper accuses Juliet of sleeping with Goodwin. And apparently it’s true – I guess “egg salad sandwich” is a euphemism! Harper says that if the relationship continues, “there will be consequences.” Harper doesn’t want her husband to get hurt: not by Juliet - she doesn’t want Ben to harm Goodwin!

Now: Locke is skinning a rabbit and getting blood all over himself. Claire questions Locke as to what’s going on with Miles. She wants to talk with him herself, thinking that she might have some success where Locke the big bully hasn’t. Locke doesn’t want her to but it looks like he might give in. Some time later, Locke brings Ben his dinner (the rabbit). Ben’s bruises are fading. He asks Locke if the revolution [against Locke's leadership] has begun yet. He notes that Locke’s people will be pretty ticked off when they find out Locke still doesn’t have a plan – Ben, he always has a plan. Man, he can play Locke like a Stradivarius. But Locke stands up to him a little so Ben tries a different tack, saying that if Locke will allow him a semblance of freedom (a bed to sleep in, utensils with which to eat), he’ll help. Locke says he doesn’t trust Ben but Ben pushes on, saying that the man the people on the boat work for is a common enemy for both him and Locke.

Flashback: Juliet and Goodwin are having a picnic on a secluded bit of beach. Don’t you think this is just asking for trouble – didn’t they just get warned? Goodwin wants to come out about their relationship but Juliet thinks that’s a bad idea because Ben wouldn’t like it. Goodwin scoffs: everyone knows Ben has a crush on Juliet. “What’s Ben gonna do?” Well, he’s going to send Goodwin out to impersonate a plane crash survivor that will ultimately get him killed. That’s what he’s going to do.

Now: Juliet and Jack find Kate in the bushes, hurt and whimpering. Juliet says she’ll go get some water for her. Kate tells Jack that Charlotte hit her and that they had gas masks. Jack, recalling that Daniel and Charlotte were heading for the power station, calls for Juliet to tell her about the gas masks. But Juliet has gone on through the jungle, leaving Jack and Kate behind. I would have done that too – they’re annoying.

In the compound, Locke has brought Ben aboveground. Ben gives Locke the combination to a safe hidden behind a picture. Inside is a VCR tape marked “Red Sox.” “I taped over the game,” says Ben. Heh – don’t tell Jack. They play the tape: Penny’s dad, Charles Whidmore, is on it, viciously beating a blindfolded man, one of Ben’s people. Widmore is the one who owns the boat, who’s been trying to find the Island. Locke asks how Widmore even found out about the Island but Ben has no idea. He says that Widmore wants to exploit the Island and will do everything he possibly can to possess it and its powers. Ben then pulls out a file he’s compiled on Widmore and gives it to Locke, apologizing for not handing it over sooner but it was the only bargaining chip he had. One more thing, however - Locke wants to know who Ben’s man on the boat is. “Okay,” says Ben, “but you might want to sit down.”

Kate and Jack track Juliet. Jack pesters her about why she left the compound. She tells him that the people on the boat know she’s a fugitive. Because it’s always all about Kate. They stare meaningfully at each other. Bleh. Meanwhile, ahead of them, Juliet has found the Tempest station. She opens it up and goes in, gun drawn.

Flashback: Ben has invited Juliet over for dinner. He’s all giddy and acting like it’s a date; she thought it was going to be an actual dinner party and has brought a couple dozen rolls. He thanks her for taking care of the two kids who were on Jacob's List that the Others took from the Tailies. She says that since they’ve gotten all the Listed people from the tail section, couldn’t Goodwin come home from his undercover assignment? Ben is resistant, insinuating that Goodwin has become involved with Ana Lucia, but says he’ll be back soon enough. Yeah, in a body bag, if I remember correctly.

Now: Juliet gets to the control room where Daniel, in full Hazmat regalia and gas mask, is trying to override the power station’s computer. She gets in his face with the gun and he is very surprised to see her. Daniel seems surprised a LOT. She stares him down and I get nervous that Charlotte will sneak up behind her and hit her over the head like Kate. I do have a little more confidence in Juliet, however. Daniel says he’s trying to render the gas inert and for a moment she believes him … and then, sure enough, Charlotte sneaks up behind Juliet and whacks her with a pipe. There’s an AWESOME chick fight, redhead vs. blonde, with Juliet possibly getting the worst of it until she finally grabs the gun. Charlotte insists that Daniel is trying to decommission the apparatus so that Ben cannot use the gas against the people on the Island. “He did that once before, remember?” Juliet comes pretty close to pulling the trigger but Daniel shuts down the machine in time. Everyone looks exhausted and relieved. Juliet also looks like she doesn’t know what side she’s on.

Flashback: Juliet is in her lab when Ben comes in. She’s reading Jack’s file – she thinks he can help Ben with his spinal tumor. Ben is somber, however, and tells her to come with him. He leads her out into the hillside to Goodwin’s dead and impaled body. I forget who killed him – was it Ana Lucia? “Why did you bring me out here?” she asks. “You mean instead of his wife?” he sneers. Juliet starts screaming at Ben that he did this on purpose because of her relationship with Goodwin. Ben gets angrily intense as only he can and snarls at her: “How can you possibly not understand? You’re mine!” Then, quite calmly, he tells her to take as much time as she needs, and walks back to the compound.

Now: Juliet and Charlotte come out of the power station. Kate and Jack run up, Kate waving her gun around angrily. Juliet vouches for Charlotte; Charlotte takes Kate inside to see how Daniel has secured the facility. Alone at last, Juliet tells Jack that Ben sent her here to kill Daniel and Charlotte. She tells him that the boat people are here to wage war against Ben and that Ben will win. And when Ben wins, Jack is not going to want to be anywhere near Juliet: “Because he thinks that I’m his. And he knows how I feel about you.” Jack gawks at her and then makes his move. Ooh: smoochies! I hope Kate sees this because that would be hilarious. You know, Matthew Fox just doesn’t have any chemistry with anyone.

Back at the compound, Hurley and Sawyer are playing horseshoes. Hurley’s good at it. The boys look up to see Ben, in clean clothes and carrying bed linen, going into his old cottage. “See you at dinner,” smirks Ben.

Next time on Lost. Previously on Lost.