A decent but unspectacular episode. The idea that Juliet is a plant doesn't do much for me. Nor was it very believable that Sawyer and Sayid would back down when she threatened to reveal their deep dark secrets. What would they care?
Much more intriguing were the mysterious method of Juliet's arrival on the island, and the communications to the mainland as Ben promised to cure her sister. As far as I'm concerned, both were a big fakeout on the part of Ben and the Others.
Also, I don't think we actually got any clues to what Juliet meant when she said, "If I told you, you'd kill me." It has to go beyond the immediate issue of Claire's implant, and Juliet's double-cross.
The issue of the failed pregnancies on the island is an interesting one, but making it part of Ben's plot to trigger an illness in Claire just muddles it. Was there something really wrong with Claire's pregnancy or wasn't there? Can Ben cure cancer or can't he? Were the images Ben showed Juliet real or not? Did Juliet come to the island via the submarine or is the journey much more complicated?
My theory remains that the island exists at a time and place that is out-of-synch with the geography and timeline of the rest of the world. Either in the future, in which case the survivors of flight 815 are really from the past, in a timeless bubble where the past and future are both accessible, or in a separate parallel universe where time has passed differently (four-toed statues anyone?).
In which case that submarine (or whatever) must be able to travel under the sea AND between worlds, which is why Juliet had to drink the magic Alice In Wonderland/Matrix juice.
Regardless of whether any of that's true or not, I always have the sense that the Others know so much about the survivors because they have access to historical documents about them. That is, they relate to the survivors as though they are persons from the past. Birth, Schooling, Marriage, World Series winners and... Death. Whatever's happening it's not the South Pacific, and it's not 2004.
The episode tonight is a Desmond flashback I think. I didn't like the last one as much as everyone else, but I'm interested in learning more about Penny since she's our only real link to the outside world.
