Juliet and Sawyer were really happy together. Then Kate came back. Sawyer wants Kate and Kate wants Sawyer. But Kate had been in a very serious relationship with Jack back on they still have unresolved issues together (or at least he does with her.) Jack, though, had once been very close with Juliet. No, I’m not talking about an episode of Days of Our Lives. I’m talking about Lost.
Fans regularly analyze Lost as though it were a literature assignment, drawing out themes, subtext and foreshadowing to reveal that the show is really about and what’s really going on. But even the geekiest of Lost scholars must have an opinion about the world’s oldest, most basic questions. Is Juliet right for Sawyer? Are Kate and Jack meant to be together, or are Kate and Sawyer? Wasn’t Jack better off with Juliet?
With the earnestness of a mock trial attorney I’ll argue all four cases. You, however, will be the judge.
Why Sawyer and Juliet Should Be Together
This one’s easy because Sawyer should be with Juliet.
Sawyer had never enjoyed a day of stability or family in his life until he got together with Juliet. James’ mother was conned into cheating on his father with a criminal, who then took their life savings. When his father found out killed his mother and himself while Sawyer was in the room. That’s a rough starter set for an eight year old to build their life on. Obviously, Sawyer did not adjust well since he’s spent most of his life swindling the people he’s closest with as a base form of income.
For Sawyer, She – the woman in the red dress, Jean Harlow with freckles, Kate – was an easy excuse to continue his exciting but unhappy life. As soon as She was gone Sawyer found a decent job, a comfortable home, a social circle and a stable relationship. Coincidence? No way. She was holding him back.
Sawyer has realized a dream most people idealize but find very difficult to stick to. He’s let go of his psychological addiction to drama and learned how to just be happy. To use a trite analogy being stranded with the DHARMA Initiative was like rehab for Sawyer, or fat camp. He didn’t have exciting and destructive choices readily at his fingertips anymore. He had to go cold turkey and he eventually detoxed. Juliet would only be the boring choice if he were bored. Since he seems to really like his life she’s an exciting choice.
One could point out that Sawyer needs Juliet more than she needs him. She’s relationship material. He’s not. If anything, he’s feeding one of her unhealthy addictions. As a doctor she lives to ‘fix’ people. Certainly if Sawyer runs off with Kate that’s a problem she should not be fixing. That’s beneath her.
But here’s why it does work for her. The thing that makes Juliet less sexy than Kate is that she’s clinical. She’s too responsible. I don’t assume that she wouldn’t be up for a little cage action if the situation presented itself but the idea would never occur to her. It would occur to Sawyer. If he can control himself he’s perfect for her because he draws her out.
Maybe it’s not the answer that steams up fans’ living room windows. But you do want them to be happy, don’t you? I mean, you would never want them to be unhappy just so you could enjoy more Sawyer and Kate monkey love, would you? Really?
Why Jack and Juliet Should Be Together
Jack and Juliet are people of action. They forged their relationship from the perspective of professionals working long hours together. They’re both doctors but, more than that, they’re both people who want to see change. In the old days that change usually meant stopping Ben but it could be anything. They’re the kind of people who would spend a year in Africa together helping the sick because they just wouldn’t be satisfied sitting at home together.
Compare that to rivals Kate and Sawyer. Kate was a fugitive. Sawyer was a con man. Neither one of them is used to planning ahead. It shows. They’re impulsive, emotional and always seem to be at the root of other people’s unhappiness. They deserve each other and that’s no compliment.
Jack and Juliet are at a different point in their lives. They’re ready to get serious. They’re capable of a commitment. If Kate and Sawyer will ever be ready to settle down they’re not there yet. At a certain point Jack and Juliet have got to get over the grade school notion that the kids who are the center of all the drama are more exciting and interesting then people who are capable of forming stable relationships and getting good grades.
Jack and Juliet could actually be brilliantly happy together. The first days of a relationship with Kate or Sawyer might be far more exciting – even the first months. But in the long run they’ll have more exciting adventures together. What’s so boring about a year in Africa helping the sick, anyway?
Why Sawyer and Kate Should Be Together
Because it would be hot.
Okay, no. I want you to imagine that you’re Sawyer. It’s 1977. You’re standing on a dirt path in between two DHARMA bungalows. Inside one Juliet is pouring over a medical book. Inside the other Kate is bored. If you had to choose whose door to knock on instantaneously perhaps you would dart over to Juliet’s. You would chicken out, in other words. Go with the safe thing. But if you had just a little more time to think about it wouldn’t you feel a more and more irresistible impulse to knock on Kate’s door?
Repeat the same scenario as Kate with Sawyer’s bungalow on one side and Jack’s on the other. Again, Jack is the easy choice. He’s comfortable. He’s trustworthy. Sawyer is a little bit more intimidating. But the overpowering urge is the same. Maybe Sawyer is happy with Juliet but Kate is the one he really wants. Being around her is torture for him. No matter how much he tries to control himself that overpowering urge just gets stronger and stronger. It’s almost the same for her because deep down they’re a lot alike.
Physical attraction can make it easy to forget about other responsibilities and make someone a priority. It can lead people to overcome some of their interpersonal issues and forgive each other’s mistakes more easily because there’s something else compelling them to be there. Does that have to be read as clouding their judgment? Or would it be fair to say that Kate and Sawyer have explored their intimate personalities with each other on a really positive level and found a commitment to each other that will bind them over time?
Kate and Sawyer may have been driven to get to know each other because he wanted to kiss her and that led him to challenge and aggressively pursue her. But the fact is that now they know each other and really care about each other. How they got there is immaterial. Sawyer could watch Juliet study or he could get personal with Kate. I can’t blame him for preferring the latter.
Besides, come on. It was over as soon as Kate returned to the island. Three years was down the drain with one look at her dimples. Debating what should happen is academic. At the point that choosing which bungalow to turn to becomes less a choice between two women but a referendum on one – “Do I allow myself to go to Kate or not?” – hasn’t the decision already been made, whether Sawyer feels too guilty to admit it or not?
Besides, come on. It was over as soon as Kate returned to the island. Three years was down the drain with one look at her dimples. Debating what should happen is academic. At the point that choosing which bungalow to turn to becomes less a choice between two women but a referendum on one – “Do I allow myself to go to Kate or not?” – hasn’t the decision already been made, whether Sawyer feels too guilty to admit it or not?
Why Jack Should Be With Kate
They were the original couple – the natural couple. ‘Jackate’ were designed to be separate, then get together, then break up only to increase demand for them to get together again. That’s the way television works. Heck, presumably their names were chosen to sound good together. The formula is tried and true for a reason. It’s hard to shake that overriding feeling that they are destined to be together, and since when does destiny not have a reassuring appeal?
As long as Kate and Sawyer are together they’ll both have moments of overwhelming joy but neither of them will be truly happy. Kate and Sawyer are almost too close to see the big picture clearly. Jack and Kate can live together, work together and plan together because they’re calm enough together to do things the right way rather than the chaotic way. It’s not like their sex life seemed passionless when they lived together, with him peaking at her when she was in the shower and her leaping into his arms in her underwear. But that was only one part of their relationship and always has been, allowing them to have fuller and happier lives together.
If they’re going to eventually get off the island Jack can provide a good life for Kate. She’s got ten years probation and confinement to the state of California. To make matters worse she’s not in the state of California. She got on a plane and left. That could land her in big trouble when she goes back. That’s to say nothing about whatever repercussions come from Aaron’s disappearance. For most women pursuing a career is a very real possibility. Kate may have limited options. As crass as it sounds the fact that Jack has money and wants to support her might be something to consider while she figures out what she can do.
If they’re not going to get off the island together Jack is still a more stable, serious option than Sawyer. The only way Kate could get back together with Sawyer is if he betrays Juliet after three years. But if he does that then he will have proven once more and for all time that he’s not trustworthy. She can’t rest easy with him. He may never get his act together. Nobody needs that in their life. Jack is still the one who’s going to build a life with her. If she enjoys being with him as much as she sometimes seems to then she’s lucky and she shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
As for Jack, well, it’s Kate or a stack of medical books and a bottle of hooch. She may be reckless with his emotions sometimes but being alone and a mess isn’t going to make him feel like a million dollars either. She’s easily his better choice.
Who do you believe should be together? Comment below and we’ll feature the best responses in an upcoming article.
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