Juliet and Ben

Interesting to think now about what seems to have been conflict between Juliet and Ben in this episode, him not being at the book club and the looks between them that suggested a struggle.

Now that we know he was diagnosed with the spinal tumour just two days before this happened, and that as the only doctor the others have it was probably Juliet who told him this, and that Ben isn't a man who likes to be crossed, this seems clearer. My thoughts on this now go as follows:

Juliet had the unenviable job of telling Ben that he was sick. Very sick, so much so that he'll probably die within a few months. As the only doctor, she would have to operate to try to save his life but she knew that as it wasn't her field of expertise it was likely that he would die on the operating table or that she would be unsuccessful in some way - perhaps leaving him paralysed from the waist down if she did manage to save his life.

She also knows that plenty of their group are loyal to Ben and that if he was to die while under her care she would likely be blamed for it, and they seem to be quite brutal when they get angry.

When she told Ben he was sick and dying he probably lashed out at her which led to their frostiness that day, and as she knew but probably no one else did yet at that stage the comments about free will still existing and them not just doing what Ben wanted would have suggested that she wanted them to consider a life without him, as she knew they migth have to, and after seeing the brunt of his anger, started thinking it was not such a bad thing.

There may have been a relationship between them in the past, soem signs do point to this, and we don't know if Juliet has been on the island her whole life, or whether she was once part of Dharma, she has been very vague about that, but I thinkl this might explain her mood that day. She was upset abotu losing him ,upset that he was angry with her, worried about a future without him for the sake of the rest of them more than herself, and worried abotu what would happen to her if she was held responsible for his death.

Any thoughts?

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