Not in Portland

"Not in Portland"
Lost episode
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 7
Directed by	Stephen Williams
Written by	Carlton Cuse & Jeff Pinkner
Production code	307
Original air date	February 7, 2007 (ABC)
Guest stars
Željko Ivanek as Edmund Burke M. C. Gainey as Tom Friendly Michael Bowen as Danny Pickett Blake Bashoff as Karl Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert William Mapother as Ethan Rom Tania Raymonde as Alex Robin Weigert as Rachel Carlson Rob McElhenney as Aldo Kimberly Estrada as Sherry Ariston Green as Jason Steve Labrash as Morgue employee Teddy Wells as Ivan
Episode chronology
← Previous "I Do" Next → "Flashes Before Your Eyes"
Lost (season 3) List of Lost episodes

"Not in Portland" is the 7th episode of the third season of Lost and the 56th episode overall. It first aired on February 7, 2007 on ABC. The episode was written by Carlton Cuse and Jeff Pinkner and was directed by Stephen Williams. The character of Juliet Burke (Elizabeth Mitchell) is featured in the episode’s flashbacks.

Plot

Flashbacks

The episode begins with a flashback featuring Juliet Burke in Miami, Florida, caring for her ill sister, Rachel Carlson. She is seen walking along a corridor, when she passes Ethan Rom (William Mapother) leaving the room she is about to enter, her sister's room. She injects a drug into her sister's stomach. Later, she goes to the hospital where she works to steal more of the drug, and is soon discovered by her boss and ex-husband Edmund Burke, who is with another woman.

In a second flashback, Edmund confronts Juliet regarding the research she has been conducting on her sister, asking to be involved in the project. Juliet, however, does not give him an answer.

In the next flashback, Juliet is interviewed by Richard Alpert (Nestor Carbonell) from a genetics company called Mittelos Bioscience, asking her to join a firm in Portland, Oregon. Juliet turns down the offer, however, saying Edmund would never allow it. When Alpert asks what it would take for her ex-husband to allow it, Juliet says "Only if he were hit by a bus" after which she immediately apologizes and says "Sorry, that was totally inappropriate."

In the final flashback, Juliet is crying and Ethan appears and hands her some tissues. Alpert introduces him as his colleague. Juliet mentions that she said "Only if he were hit by a bus" and then he was hit by a bus. Juliet agrees to join Mittelos’s team, and asks if her sister may come. Alpert says there won't be treatment for her sister there. She states "it's Portland, of course they will have the treatments." Then she is informed that their research site is in another, different location (that is, "not quite in Portland").

On the Island

On the island, Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) holds Ben Linus (Michael Emerson) hostage in the operating room as Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly) and James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway) escape. Jack learns that the three have been on a second island. Meanwhile, Kate and Sawyer flee into the jungle to escape from the Others.

While running from the Others, Kate and Sawyer discover Alex Rousseau (Tania Raymonde), who reveals that she has a boat they may use to escape to the main island. In return, she asks them to help her rescue her boyfriend, Karl (Blake Bashoff). On the island, Alex, Kate, and Sawyer free Karl from a room where he appears to be undergoing Ludovico technique brainwashing. Karl is watching a film wearing strange glasses connected to his head with several distorted images.

On the island, Jack works to save Ben, but Ben awakens during the surgery and demands to speak to Juliet. Later, Juliet leaves and then assists Karl, Kate and Sawyer in escaping the island, but in the process kills Danny Pickett (Michael Bowen) and tells Alex that she must remain. In the present, Juliet informs Jack that Ben told her that she would be allowed to leave the island and go home if she let Ben live and helped Jack (by ensuring that Kate and Sawyer escaped).

Production

This was the first episode to air after a thirteen-week hiatus. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Mr. Eko) is no longer credited with the starring cast.

Nestor Carbonell was originally contracted to guest star in "Not in Portland", with the possibility of the role becoming recurring.^[1] After the producers enjoyed his performance,^[2] his contract was extended to five further appearances in season three.^[1] Rob McElhenney made a guest appearance as "Aldo" because he was friends with Damon Lindelof who was also a fan of the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia which McElhenney created and stars.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that "Mittelos" is an anagram for "lost time,".

Reception

14.49 million American viewers tuned into this episode.^[3] IGN's Chris Carabott wrote that "if 'Not in Portland' didn't get you back on the Lost hype train then for goodness' sake the equally outstanding 'Flashes Before Your Eyes' hopefully grabbed your attention." ^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Topel, Fred (January 29, 2009). "What's up with Lost's Nestor Carbonell not aging? And the 'guyliner'?". Sci Fi Wire. http://scifiwire.com/2009/01/whats-up-with-losts-nestor-carbonell-not-aging-and-the-guyliner.php. Retrieved January 30, 2009. 
2. ^ Lindelof, Damon & Cuse, Carlton, (September 21, 2008) "Official Lost Audio Podcast", ABC. Retrieved on January 30, 2009.
3. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. February 13, 2007. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=021307_05. Retrieved 2008-07-23. 
4. ^ Carabott, Chris (2007-02-15). "Lost: Flashes Before Your Eyes Review". IGN. http://tv.ign.com/articles/764/764966p1.html. Retrieved 2008-07-23. 

External links

• Not in Portland at the Internet Movie Database