Lost ReWatch: Stranger in a Strange Land
Season 3, Episode 9
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Hero of the episode: Jack, Alex Zero of the episode: Ben, Isabel, Achara’s family
Quote(s) of the episode: “If you’re gonna kill me, please, at least show me the respect of not calling it ‘moving.’”—Jack | “I’m not going to help him. And I’m not gonna help you.”—Jack to Juliet | “He walks amongst us. But he is not one of us.”—translation of Jack’s tattoos
Music vibes: one note, each building as Jack meets Achara on the beach, peaceful notes as she helps him fly a kite
Little things: Achara showing Jack how to fly a kite; Karl telling Kate and Sawyer they have backyards; Karl not knowing about The Brady Bunch; Kate feeling guilty for sleeping with Sawyer; Sawyer punching Karl for crying
Episode notebook:
Sawyer is singing on the boat as they row toward the island. Kate wants to go back for Jack, but Sawyer refuses.
Jack reminds Tom of the kind of people he associates with. They snatch children off the beach, kidnap Claire, and hang Charlie from a tree.
Juliet is in trouble for killing Pickett.
Flashbacks to Jack’s time in Thailand. Was he trying to find himself after his divorce from Sara?
Tom doesn’t understand why Jack isn’t mad at Kate and Sawyer for leaving him behind.
Juliet needs Jack’s help with Ben, again.
Jack and Achara have a fling. She claims to have a gift. A gift people give her money for. The show implies she’s a hooker, which was just in poor taste especially when it turns out not to be true.
Isabel, the island prosecutor, questions Jack and Juliet.
Jack spots Cindy, the flight attendant on Flight 815. Wonders why she’s with them. One of the kids asks about Ana-Lucia. An angry Jack tells them to get lost.
Jack discovers Achara’s gift, but it comes at a price. Her brother takes out his frustrations on Jack, beating him up.
Jack makes a deal.
Sawyer lets Karl go because he is a walking target for the Others. Kate and Sawyer return to the beach.
Episode recap: Jack saved Ben’s life, so now what? Juliet killed Pickett to help Kate, Sawyer, and Karl escape, so now what? How does life go on? For Jack, he’s certain he’s about to be killed when he’s removed from his glass cage. But when Juliet takes his place, Jack realizes something more sinister is unfolding.
While Kate and Sawyer make their way back to their island, Jack finds himself even more isolated. It’s a feeling he knows all too well. After his divorce—though the flashback timeline is unclear—Jack ventured to Thailand, perhaps in search of his former self or maybe just in the throes of a mid-life crisis. Despite not knowing the language, he seems at peace, waking up on the beach, where his biggest dilemma is how to fly a kite. He fumbles trying to fly his kite, until a mysterious woman, Achara, offers some help. Finally, some smiles from the good doctor after several drama-filled flashbacks.
In the present day, there are no smiles to be had. Jack takes up residence in Sawyer’s old cage, while Juliet faces a barrage of questions about her actions. She gets a brief respite when she is let out to examine Ben, who now has an infection. Once again, Juliet asks Jack for his help. But the good doctor is in no mood to help Ben or Juliet—for now. When Jack is questioned by Isabel, who seems to be the resident island prosecutor, about Juliet his guard instantly goes up. Rather than admit Juliet wanted Ben dead, Jack says he lied to create chaos. Why lie to help Juliet? While Jack might be angry with her, he wants no part in whatever punishment Juliet is facing.
Off the island, Jack was finally starting to have fun again, living in a small shack on the beach and having late-night rendezvous with Achara. But any time he tries to get personal, to learn about her, Achara shuts down. She alludes to having a special gift but refuses to share it with Jack, until he forces her hand. She can see people for what they are and marks it on them with a tattoo. Hmmm? This subplot felt weaker than most, as the flashbacks usually connect to the broader narrative, but this one seemed disconnected (at least in my opinion). Achara was just another person who recognized that Jack was a reluctant, lonely, and stubborn leader, there were plenty of episodes prior showing this. Achara’s role seemed more about explaining how Jack got the tattoos on his arm than adding depth to his character or storyline.
Back on the island paradise, Alex is back stirring the pot, questioning why Jack saved her father. Alex is unaware she was taken from Danielle, but she does want answers from Jack. He’ll play along if she tells him what’s happening with Juliet. The Others believe in an eye for an eye, and Juliet is set to be executed. No matter that she killed to save another life, rules are rules and Juliet broke them. The only person who can save her is Ben. Jack saved Ben’s life because he made a promise, and now the doc will have to make a deal with the devil, again.
Jack will play reluctant nursemaid to Ben, treating his infection but Juliet lives in exchange. Try as he might to avoid the role of leader, Jack continues to wear the crown. He continues to put the needs and lives of others above his own, even for an enemy like Ben or Juliet. With her life spared, Juliet is back to making grilled cheeses for Jack, but things will never be the same. The rest of the group knows Juliet wants out, how long before she betrays them again? Please keep reading, my recap for episode ten is posted.
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