It doesnt matter who we were, it only matters who we are.

[lostinmytranslation]

While in the Hydra, Jack asks Juliet about the facilities, he askes about "whats ever left over," Juliet replys, "well that was a long time ago." "It doesn't matter who we were, it only matters who we are."

This to me raises 2 questions,

She says "a long time ago". The time period between the Others taking Claire and performing experiments on her in the Dharma facilities and the present time is not that long, to have said "a long time ago", to have abandoned certain stations....are they still a part of the Dharma Initive (were they ever a part of it, did something happen?)... any theories?...Maybe time is not what it is on the island or to the Others....

Secondly, the way she talks about "who we were..." as in maybe they were a "different" people, maybe something happened and they did a complete 180 or something happened, or leadership roles changed. Any ideas?

Just a few things at the back of my mind

[Lockerox]

It sounded to me like she didn't approve of what they "were" but now feels like they are better. Maybe she wasn't in on the whole Claire thing and doesn't know everything that Ben does. That would kind of feed into the theory that there is a rift between them and it's going to come down to a rebellion of some sort with Juliet taking the lead against Ben.

[Jeffer1965]

That was my favorite line of the whole eppy. Sawyer's Chachi line was good too.

[i_heart_hurley]

i wonder how long is "a long time ago"

[nuno2]

well if it was a long time ago, then wouldnt it mean that she was a lil kid or teen, i duno how old jack is, but matt in real life is 40. so lets say juliet is in her late 30s even , dharma started in the 70s n was on the island in the 80s...so yea she would have had to be a lil kid at the time no? is this what the producers meant by they gona play around with time again.

[LordoftheFiles]

Originally Posted by lostinmytranslation

While in the Hydra, Jack asks Juliet about the facilities, he askes about "whats ever left over," Juliet replys, "well that was a long time ago." "It doesn't matter who we were, it only matters who we are."

This reminded me of what Jack said to Kate in Season 1 when they were sitting on the beach and Kate asked if Jack wanted to know what terrible things she'd done before the crash. And Jack said, "I don't want to know. It doesn't matter, Kate, who we were - what we did before this, before the crash. It doesn't really -- 3 days ago we all died. We should all be able to start over."

[shootfire]

Originally Posted by LordoftheFiles

This reminded me of what Jack said to Kate in Season 1 when they were sitting on the beach and Kate asked if Jack wanted to know what terrible things she'd done before the crash. And Jack said, "I don't want to know. It doesn't matter, Kate, who we were - what we did before this, before the crash. It doesn't really -- 3 days ago we all died. We should all be able to start over."

Yes, and also what Locke told Shannon. Everybody gets a new life on the island.

The thing that is puzzling me though, is what Sarah said to Jack in the flashback. She said that it didn't matter who the man was that she was with now. "It only matters who you're not." I think that moment really hurt Jack deeply, so when Juliet said that "it only matters who we are," that had to hit him where he lived. I'm going to have to watch the epi again now that I have digested some of this and see how things hit me in hindsight.

[Lost_In_Louisiana]

Originally Posted by LordoftheFiles

This reminded me of what Jack said to Kate in Season 1 when they were sitting on the beach and Kate asked if Jack wanted to know what terrible things she'd done before the crash. And Jack said, "I don't want to know. It doesn't matter, Kate, who we were - what we did before this, before the crash. It doesn't really -- 3 days ago we all died. We should all be able to start over."

Hey, LordoftheFlies, I don't have a comment on your post but just had to give a shout-out to your siggie: Illegitimus non carborundum

That was my Dad's favorite phrase ever and so every time I see it, I think of him and it makes me smile.

[fourthpoliceman]

Originally Posted by shootfire

Yes, and also what Locke told Shannon. Everybody gets a new life on the island.

I still believe, philosophically atleast, that who we were determines who we are and more importantly understanding who we might become. So, it would matter.

That said, I've already taken a liking to Juliet and trust her because of the very opening scene when it looks like she might just not be okay with what they've been doing, and what she's become. And if that look on her face when Ben left her to drown and her insincere comment to Ben at the end doesn't earn her some trust, I don't know what will.

[Mona Murray]

Juliet replys, "well that was a long time ago." "It doesn't matter who we were, it only matters who we are.

are they still a part of the Dharma Initive (were they ever a part of it, did something happen?)...

"who we were..." as in maybe they were a "different" people, maybe something happened and they did a complete 180 or something happened, or leadership roles changed.

The thing that is puzzling me though, is what Sarah said to Jack in the flashback. She said that it didn't matter who the man was that she was with now. "It only matters who you're not."

What took these lines to mean is
1. that the original "Dharma" Project is done but the project itself is ongoing - someone or something has taken over some of the work that Dharma was doing. (Maybe this has something to do with the"incident"?) The zoo is empty and the bears are free. The aquarium is empty and the sharks are free. Yet, the psychological experiements still go on and the people are trapped.
2. that Juliette left another life behind, much like Jack. (Maybe she was a kidnapped child like Alex or a survivor of an earlier plane crash?) Like Alex, she seems dedicated enough to the cause but stops short of taking any means to accomplish their goal - unlike Ben or Ethan.
3. I didn't read anything into Sarah's comment. Sarah basically left Jack because he abandoned her by working all the time. In other words, he was not the husband, companion, lover, she expected him to be. She left because of who he was not. She didn't leave because of who she loved more. I think she was just trying to tell him that he had failed on his own, he had not been bested by somebody else.