Lost season three - right around the corner

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

He thought he was facing living without food or shelter. He would have at least TRIED to turn on the con-man charm. I don't buy for an instant that, as good a con man as he was, that he had no clue how to make a woman with a baby smile. I'd buy the episode if he tried that for a while until people saw through it. But to make it out that he is completely incapable of getting people to like him turns him into a thin caricature instead of a believable character.

I think the difference is that the castaways KNOW he's an ass. It's probably harder to turn on the charm, and be believable, if you're aware that people already know what you're capable of.

I imagine pre-island, if he was trying to scam Claire, pretending to love a baby might not have been so hard. But pretending to care about a baby when he's already been heard talking about how he could give a fig about them? Well...I didn't find some of that part of the episode too hard to swallow.

That people would turn to him as a leader? That I find hard to swallow.

I enjoyed the episode because I do like the actress who plays Juliet (have since I saw her in Gia) and I do like her character. Not sure she's trustworthy in general, but I understand why Jack trusts and cares for her.

But like you I can't stand that the characters don't ask questions. They don't, I guess, because the producers aren't willing to answer them. But it makes their characters look really, really stupid.

And though I get that Kate would want to beat Juliet up because she lied to her, beating her up earlier in the episode because she's *jealous* of her connection to Jack was just stupid and nasty. Not necessarily out of character, I guess.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Eliza Hodgkins 1812

I imagine pre-island, if he was trying to scam Claire, pretending to love a baby might not have been so hard. But pretending to care about a baby when he's already been heard talking about how he could give a fig about them? Well...I didn't find some of that part of the episode too hard to swallow.

But he seemed utterly confused when Hurley told him that Claire would like it if he gave her a blanket. Not, "She won't buy me being nice," but, "Huh? Why would I give her a blanket?" For me, when they are going at great lengths to drive home the implication that everything on the island is happening, that everyone person who is there is there, because of who they are and what their character is, I don't think I'm that off base in expecting some logical character progression. The show is all about character. It just felt incongruous, exaggerated and thrown in for comic effect. Much the same way I felt about the exaggerated, "They're so focused on the diamonds that they are completely flippant about finding another freaking hatch!" from the Paolo/Nikki episode. I felt they sacrificed character for a gag.

[Stan4dSteph]

Originally Posted by Eliza Hodgkins 1812

I enjoyed the episode because I do like the actress who plays Juliet (have since I saw her in Gia) and I do like her character. Not sure she's trustworthy in general, but I understand why Jack trusts and cares for her.

She is interesting. I'm not sure what I think of her at this point. I still think she might be an Other plant. I also think she might just be out for herself at this point, so she may still betray the Losties for her own self-serving interests.