Jack is trying to come up with a "reason" for being sick, and says it's food poisoning. Juliet corrects him, and basically coaches him through a different story... but why are Jack and Juliet conspiring? Yes, they're getting their story straight, but to what end?

he was just trying to mask the fact he was really sick. jack never wants to seem weak or like he needs anyone's help. Juliet was just calling him out on his denial of the situation. I wouldn't think too much on this subject. seems pretty cut and dry to me

I'm pretty sure it's a conspiracy, I just don't know why yet. It was awfully peculiar that Jack insisted on Kate being there, with a Mirror of all things.

Jack didn't want to admit how sick he was, and Juliet knew what the problem was. Jack didn't want to lose control, just like Juliet said, so he wanted to be awake through the surgery. I think it is as simple as that.

They conspired to have unnecessary surgery?

Yes, they conspired, but not for an unnecessary surgery. Just "enough" to make Kate think that Jack "really" had an appendectomy - which he didn't. The surgery was faked. Ah, okay. Jack insists that Kate be there because he needs someone to report to the others that he's just had surgery, and the whole mirror deal is used as an excuse for Kate being there... otherwise there's no reason for her to be there at all, at all. He gets all agitated so that Juliet has "reason" to make Kate leave, so she doesn't see that the surgery is a sham.

But why? Why all this subterfuge? I wish Sudsy was here.

Yes, they conspired, but not for an unnecessary surgery. Just "enough" to make Kate think that Jack "really" had an appendectomy - which he didn't. The surgery was faked. Ah, okay. Jack insists that Kate be there because he needs someone to report to the others that he's just had surgery, and the whole mirror deal is used as an excuse for Kate being there... otherwise there's no reason for her to be there at all, at all. He gets all agitated so that Juliet has "reason" to make Kate leave, so she doesn't see that the surgery is a sham.

Well, he insisted on Kate being there because he doesn't trust Juliet fully, or as much as he does Kate. Do you think he does trust her or is in cahoots with her? Why would he need Kate there just to report to the others? No, he has Kate there because he trusts her above anyone else, and he distrusts Juliet (an other) and perhaps Bernard (not sure why). Maybe they are special-ops working for competing sides?
There IS something fishy going on with the surgery, but I don't think it is completely faked, and we do see Juliet stitching him up at the end. What we don't see is what she took out/put in, and neither does Jack. Implants?



But why? Why all this subterfuge? I wish Sudsy was here.
I was starting to think Jane Eire and Dr Suds were one and the same :)

Bernard would have to be in on your conspiracy, because he was there for 99.9% of the operation. Unless Juliet and Jack did something between the time Bernard left the tent to talk to Kate, and the time Kate came in to see Jack (time when Juliette hadn't finished sewing Jack back up) he was a party to whatever happened.

he was just trying to mask the fact he was really sick. jack never wants to seem weak or like he needs anyone's help. Juliet was just calling him out on his denial of the situation. I wouldn't think too much on this subject. seems pretty cut and dry to me



My feelings about the scene, exactly.

Just "enough" to make Kate think that Jack "really" had an appendectomy - which he didn't.

So, if Jack told Kate that he had appendicitis, and Juliet and Bernard came out of the tent saying they had successfully removed Jack's appendix, Kate would have suspected that no appendectomy was performed? Everyone on the beach would be whispering about Juliet and Jack and Bernard pulling a sham on them?

You seem to subscribe to some sort of mirror\twin universe theory--How would Suds help in this? Naturally, he would probably agree there was no surgery, but would it be for the same reasons? Perhaps you could explain your mirror\twin universe theory more, and people could see where you're coming from.

I'll be more direct of my suspicions about Juliet. I think she set up the whole thing.

It there's one thing in the whole body that you really don't need - it's the appendix. It serves no purpose in the function of the intestines except to become a place where food and bacteria can collect and become a source of infection. "Incidental Appendectomies" are performed on a regular basis by general surgeons all over the world as part of OTHER surgeries - like Gallbladder removals or exploratory laparotomies.

So - she could have givin him something - made him sick - then made him believe it was his appendix because he probably thought it was also - the symptoms of Appendicitis are pretty common to the symptoms of other illnesses as well.

The Tellling Sign was her pressing the McBurney's Point.

When she asked him to lift his shirt she pressed deeply over his appendix. When she released it - he gasped. And the gasp is called - OMG!! I have to post this in a Thread!!!

Bye!

The Tellling Sign was her pressing the McBurney's Point.

When she asked him to lift his shirt she pressed deeply over his appendix. When she released it - he gasped. And the gasp is called - OMG!! I have to post this in a Thread!!!

I'm not getting this. The fact that Jack experienced rebound pain at McBurney's Point, consistent with acute appendicitis, was evidence that Juliet made him sick?

I'm not getting this. The fact that Jack experienced rebound pain at McBurney's Point, consistent with acute appendicitis, was evidence that Juliet made him sick?

Sorry - no - I was buildind a case for the possibility that she could have made him sick and then said - "Oh it's your appendix - we'll have to take it out" - because you don't really need it - he would probably live through the surgery - even under the conditions they were under - and it would set her up as "The New Dr. and Leader of the Losties Left Behind". Which is where it seems to be going.

But - she pressed upon his abdomen - he seemed have a (+) McBurney's and so seemed plausible that he really DID have appenciditis. So - maybe she didn't cause it - but it sure was a "neat coincidence".

You seem to subscribe to some sort of mirror\twin universe theory--How would Suds help in this? Naturally, he would probably agree there was no surgery, but would it be for the same reasons? Perhaps you could explain your mirror\twin universe theory more, and people could see where you're coming from.

I subscribe to more than one theory. From a mirrortwin perspective, it's easy. Jack fakes the surgery with Juliet's help to balance out a flashforward that's gone out of control, a FF brought on by being out of communion with the Island. Notice the elegant symmetry of the mirror surgery with the mirror shot in the FF - mirrors, Kate, a razor, being shaved... or perhaps, on an Island where dreams come true, Bernard's suggestion that Jack would be better off dreaming of something nice back home is exactly what subsequently happens... although it can never last, as Hurley properly attests.

For a more traditional conspiracy, though, we have to figure out the ulterior motives of the characters involved. I agree, Bernard would have to be a part of the scam - his participation seems instrumental.

I wonder if Jack is trying to get onto the boat? As someone who's been "operated on" he would have "reason" to seek whatever medical facilities might exist on the freighter. He knows that the ship's doctor is dead, so that takes care of the one person who could blow Jack's cover as a "recovering patient."

We know that Juliet was faking the surgery - she didn't even know where to shave Jack's abdomen. Maybe that's another reason why he wanted the mirror there, just to make sure that Juliet didn't do some real damage. Bernard is there to make sure they can get rid of Kate when necessary, so she doesn't see that the appendectomy removal is a sham.

Of course, this means that Kate and Jack are on opposite sides. Jack knows it, but does Kate? At the end of TTLG we see Jack luring Kate away from Aaron with his "we have to go back" speech... which means Jack is part of a long con against Kate.

Why would Juliet try to make the man she loves sick? What would be the point in doing that?

Juliet wants to leave the island. She doesn't want to stay there and be the leader of the Losties. And when you have surgery, they have to shave a big part of the body part where they are going to operate on you or does anyone believe that they are only gong to shave the part where they make the cut? The whole area needs to be clean. It's just a case of logical thinking.

Maybe I'm dense, but I don't get it

Who's conspiring? Don't you need at least 2 people to make a conspiracy? Jack & Juliet? So Jack would "fake" being sick so Juliet would "operate" on him? Why? What purpose would it serve? Jack: OK Juliet I'll fake being sick so everyone can worry about me & be on my side because they will feel sorry for me, then you cut me open, pretend to save my life then everyone will trust you, got it, ok cool, now go tell Bernard so he's in on it too. Juliet: I don't have to tell Bernard because I can really fake it & actually cut you. Jack: Yea that's the ticket cool.
The conspiracy theory doesn't work for me. Jack being a doctor would know that the appendix does indeed serve a purpose & would not conspire to have it removed for some conspiracy with Juliet. Even allowing her to cut him open in that environment for no reason would put him in danger of infection & Jack would simply know better than that.

Look at the post called The Mirror. Every picture tells a story & to me there's something odd in that "operation" Reflections in the mirror say something else was going on here, what I have no idea. Jack's skin looks oddly white, almost dead like a scene in CSI. Weird & I know even more weird than the conspiracy theory proposed here.