Lost

Season 2 Episode 15

Maternity Leave

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Maternity Leave
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When Claire suspects Aaron might be sick, she sets out on a mission to find a vaccine, and on the way begins to unravel the mysteries of her past memories whilst kidnapped by Ethan on the Island. In the meantime, Jack and Locke are doing their best to keep their prisoner a secret from the rest of the survivors on the island.moreless
FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (103)

SUBMIT REVIEW

  • Awesome.

    9.0
    By Sarah_LOST, Oct 12, 2010
    When Aaron becomes sick, Claire, Kate and Rousseau travel to where Claire was held captive, an abandoned Dharma medical station, in the hope of finding a cure. Jack and Locke argue on how to deal with Henry. Claire's memories of Ethan holding her captive and her escape with the help of Rousseau and her daughter, who is one of the Others, return. Wow - what another awesome episode from Lost. I love the way Claire keeps remembering things fromt eh time she was taken by Ethan. Mr Eko is finally back - I love him, I love the way Eko knew about the man in the hatch before anybody told him he is so amazing and I love the scene where he is with "Henry Gal" - awesome scene. I love the way Claire, Kate and The Fench Chick go to the place where Claire was take and the Claire remembers everything what happened - cool storyline.moreless

  • We have a worried Claire, Locke and Danielle that the baby is not right, they go off to find the place where Ethan held Claire. Mr Eko confesses to the prisoner, who is trying to play head games with them after getting his head straight.moreless

    9.5
    By captainbritain, Oct 06, 2010
    Claire wakes up Locke and gets him to go and get Jack as the baby is running a fever, he promises jack that he'll stay and push the buttons and jack grabs his med kit and heads for the beach. Danielle gets there before jack and this causes Claire to freek out, Danielle says that she doesn't remember, but then she sees an image of men giving Aaron an innoculation prior to being born.



    In the morning, Claire along with Kate go to see the shrink from the new group, with regards to helping her to remember the 2 weeks that she was held captive, she wants to know as she believes they did something to hurt her baby. So she helps Claire with some hypnotherapy in order to remember that time.

    She did remember somethings, not all bad but bad enough for her wanting to find that room and track the medicine they gave her. Her and Kate are going to find Danielle to find out where she was in the jungle when they met.



    Mr Eko goes down to the hatch to discuss something with Locke, but the prisoner and Jack are in the bathroom, so even though he doesn't see him, he knows he is there because of the cot in the armoury. But then on the beach tells Jack that he wants to speak to him alone, Jack says he can't do that but Me Eko says he can if he wants it to remain a secret.



    Claire and Kate meet up with Danielle and Claire leads them to a familiar spot and then she leads them to another and then onto another bunker, this is the one that she had been taken too before, where she spent her 2 weeks of drug filled missing gap of her time on the island. They all go in, they find flashlights and claire goes to find the circuit breakers. The lights are put back on and she is in the nursery, then she heads off to get the vaccine but it has gone.



    Kate finds some lockers and in one of them there is theatrical glue and a false beard, then she gets called to where Claire is, then all 3 of them leave and at a certain point split their own ways. Never of them found what they were looking for. They head off in there own directions.



    Mr Eko goes into the armoury to talk to the prisoner, he does not question the prisoner, just tells him of his first night on the island, how he was dragged into the bush by two men, that he had to kills them by bashing their heads in with a rock, he tells him this and asks for his forgiveness, then he cuts off his little strands of a goatee, as a sign that he is on the righteous path again.



    Claire is back with the baby, Jack says that the fever is broken but he will check back in a couple of hours. Locke takes the prisoner some food, they chat and he asks why is it that the dr calls all the shots, he is playing head games with them.moreless

  • Some new information about the island --- or is it?

    7.5
    By DavidB226Morris, May 31, 2010
    The season is more than half over, and we've barely seen anything of Claire. She's been seen occasionally talking to Jack and Locke, and she was present in her problems with Charlie. This actually makes a little sense, because Claire's now become, for all intents and purposes, a s new single mom. She's been fussy, worried, nagging and somewhat hostile, and worse she has no one to turn to for guidance.. The only parent on the island is Michael (where is Michael, by the way?), and he's had no experience raising a child. So when she starts having nightmares and visions, it's no wonder that she wants to handle the problem, so she can get back to worrying about Aaron. Jack is the person to turn to, but right now, he's set up housekeeping in the hatch (we'll come back to that), and considering the last time she asked him for help regarding her visions, he told her there was nothing to worry about--- right before she was abducted.



    So when Aaron starts getting sick, and Claire wants to find out whether the memories she's been having our real she turns to another person we've seen almost nothing off --- Libby, who we know has some experience as a psychiatrist. What happens next is somewhat confusing. It's possible that the flashback that follows is really about what happening while she was in the custody of the Others, but it's also possible that these are memories from before the kidnapping. For one thing, there is no whoosh before the beginnings of these flashes, which could mean they aren't really happening. For another, a lot of the things that happen did happen, but in 'Raised by Another'--- the questions about the prenatal care, the mobile of Oceanic planes was prominent in her dream, and the song 'Catch a Falling Star' could be a memory of her subconscious. Then again, we see Mr. Friendly (without his beard) and there's no way that she could have seen him before the kidnapping. Furthermore, Ethan is taking care of her like a doctor, which we will later learn was his profession. We will also learn that his actions with Claire did mesh with his continued presence (however, that information is unreliable).



    Still, it's clear that Claire is desperate, which leads her to do something selfish, leaving her crying, sick baby with Sun (with no apparent formula either) and go out with Kate to find Rousseau, who kidnapped Aaron in the first place. Up until now, we've seen Rousseau as a partly crazy, but well meaning woman and as a deceitful enemy, but now it appears that she's been on the side of right all along. We see that Rousseau was trying to protect Claire, and that the scratches she received were defensive. We also learn the answer to the question how did Claire escape--- she didn't. One of the Others, a teenage girl apparently took her out against her will. Which leads to an important question: was this girl the Alex that was abducted from Danielle 16 years ago. In retrospect, the resemblance between the two women is striking, and they did call out for 'Alex' when the Others grabbed Kate. This mystery will wait for another day.



    The sickness is actually a MacGuffin to have Claire make her really discovery--- another Dharma hatch. Depending on which episode, it's either the Caduceus or the Staff, but whatever it is, its purpose does seem to have something to do with medical equipment. However, like the Arrow, this one seems to have been cleaned out, and the vaccine that Claire hoped to find for Aaron is nowhere to be found--- if it was there in the first place. Furthermore, Danielle doesn't find what she was looking for either--- there's no sign of anybody.



    Meanwhile, back in the hatch, Henry seems to have become a symbol of the tension between Jack and Locke. Just like he did when they found the hatch, Jack has unilaterally decided that no one else is going to learn about Henry, even though when Locke asks him if he has a plan, it's clear that he's improvising, and has no idea for long term plans. This becomes clearer when Eko comes into the hatch, sees Henry and insists on talking to him. The scene between them is really intense, and though he does all the talking, it's clear that Eko, like Sayid, is convinced that Henry is lying.



    Our first sign that Henry is more than a man in a balloon comes when near the end of the episode. Locke brings Henry food, and they have a discussion about Hemingway and Dostoeyvsky, and he starts to play on Locke's vulnerabilities involving Jack (This might not take much, but still) it's a pretty good sign that he's not who he says he is) Still, the writers play it well, and Henry's expression in the last moment remains completely neutral.



    There are certain elements of 'Maternity Leave' that make it a fine episode, mostly the fine work of Mira Furlan and Eko's monologue in the armory. Yet for some reason, this one isn't quite as strong as the last one. What we learn about Claire does seem to come in valid, and by now we all know that Henry is not to be trusted, but considering that the crisis that forms the episode is basically irrelevant (as are a lot of things that we see involving Aaron), it does seem like we're wasting a little time We still don't know what was in the vial (the Others seem to have access to a lot of drugs) or what made the water sour, or what made Claire so placid throughout her entire fabulous 'Other experience. But even in the short term, we don't seem to be making progress on some of the other stories or involving the other characters. It's understandable that episodes like this may have made viewers think that Lost was going through a sophomore slump.

    My score: 7.2'moreless

  • Firs Time a Flashback about the Island!!!

    9.0
    By Dante_Edy, Jul 07, 2009
    From the Writers/Perspective:



    This episode is more about satisfation than anything else. Season 1 was impressive, but didn´t reveal too much, this made some critics say that the producers don´t really know how to solve some of the mysteries on the Island.



    So in this Season a lot is revealed: 1 - Dharma Initiave, 2 - Polar Bear Presence Justified, 3 - There are Others in the Island, 4 - Some People from the TailPlane Survived, 5 - What Kate Did was REvealed, 6 - What Happened with Claire when she was Kidnapped is Revealed.



    So, Even if the writers would reveal what happened with Claire during the kidnapping, this doesn´t mean that we would know all the truth, but only the essential.



    Claire is the Main Character in this episode, and she wants to know what happened with her, because her son may be infected. The French Woman also play her participation here and even her daughter appears in this episode.



    So, the writers decided to reveal various details and keep some in the dark for now.



    My Point of View:



    This episode continues with good and revealing material that this season 2 is providing.



    Henry Gale is another highlight in this episode, nothing that is unexpected.



    Was Unexpected that the writers would reveal many details during Claire flashbacks, that was nice.



    Overall, this episode deserves a 9 only because is satisfatory and a important episode for this Season, and is the first time that anyone see a flashback about the ISland. This type of episode make you pay attention from the beginning of the flashbacks.moreless

  • Maquillaje

    9.0
    By napen, Sep 20, 2008
    Cuantos sucuchos hay de Dharma? Si "The Others" saben de ese sucucho, por qué no conocen los otros? O sí los conocen? Tantos son? Qué son actores? Qué corno son!!!??? Por Dios!!! Es todo una especie de Gran Hermano o Truman Show escalofriante? Están simplemente todos del tomate?

    Claire al fin toma el camino largo y se adentra en la selva. Ethan es un re buena onda, o al menos eso parece. Danielle y su hija por ahí.

    Por suerte es, creo, el primer episodio en el cual no hay flashbacks before island y todo se centra en la trama. Esa barba postiza me hizo presumir lo peor.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Mr. Eko
Cynthia Watros

Cynthia Watros

Libby
Emilie de Ravin

Emilie de Ravin

Claire Littleton
Evangeline Lilly

Evangeline Lilly

Kate Austen
Jorge Garcia

Jorge Garcia

Hugo "Hurley" Reyes
Josh Holloway

Josh Holloway

James "Sawyer" Ford
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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

M.C. Gainey

M.C. Gainey

Tom Friendly

Recurring Role

Michael Emerson

Michael Emerson

Henry Gale

Recurring Role

Tania Raymonde

Tania Raymonde

Alex Rousseau

Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (14)

    • Goof: A camera and mic can be seen in the top-right of the screen as Rousseau, Kate, and Claire walk through the jungle at around 22:17.

    • In Latin America, the translating voice of William Mapother isn't the same from season 1. In fact, it's the one from Josh Holloway in season 1.

    • When Claire is looking at the baby's crib, there's a spinning toy that has 4 airplanes hanging. 4 is one of "The Numbers".

    • Island events in this episode take place on November 19th 2004.

    • Ethan's hair is much longer in this episode than in Season 1 episodes.

    • "CR 4-81516-23 42" appears on the vials of yellow vaccine that Ethan injects Claire with - The Numbers.

    • The vaccine Desmond was injecting himself with is called Rx-1. Ethan injected Claire with a substance called Rx-1 GND.

    • It is assumed that the girl who helped Claire in the flashback happened to be Danielle's daughter, Alex. Although it is not proven, the girl who helped Claire was around the age Danielle's daughter should be around now, and they look similar.

    • The braids in Eko's beard signifies each of the two men that he had killed on the island.

    • The planes above the cradle in the blue room are replicas of the plane in which the survivors crashed.

    • Claire's search for the vaccine may have been unnecessary, as Desmond left some behind in the hatch when he left. That is, assuming that what Desmond was injecting himself with is the same vaccine.

    • When Claire had decided to give her baby up for adoption (1.10 "Raised by Another") she had one request. She asked that they sing the song "Catch a Falling Star" to her child, since that was the song her father sang to her while growing up. In this episode, the mobile in the hatch which was going to be the baby's room played "Catch a Falling Star."

    • It was revealed that one of the prominent "Others" member Mr. Friendly was in disguise with a beard and other fake facial hair and clothing when confronting the other islanders in previous episodes. When Kate was inspecting the hospital room she found glue and a beard and facial hair that belonged to Mr. Friendly that he left behind.

    • If Aaron was infected, getting the vaccine still wouldn't have done any good. Vaccines introduce a small amount of the disease into a person's body so they have time to adjust and become immune to it. On someone who is already sick, vaccines are useless.

  • QUOTES (25)

    • Claire: What if I want to see the baby?
      Ethan: Hey, nobody's going to take him from you unless that's what you want. You have a choice. We're good people, Claire. We're a good family. But if you're going to trust us with your child I want you to be sure. Okay?

    • Ethan: Claire, can I tell you a secret?
      Claire: Yeah.
      Ethan: I'm going to miss you. I wish -- I wish you didn't have to go.
      Claire: Maybe I don't have to go?
      Ethan: We've been through this Claire. There's not enough vaccine for you and the baby.
      Claire: Well, I'm not, I'm not sick.
      Ethan: Thank God. And once you've delivered you can go back to your friends and hopefully you'll stay that way.

    • Henry: So, which one are you?
      Locke: I'm sorry?
      Henry: Are you the genius, or are you the guy who always feels like he's living in the shadow of a genius?
      Locke: I was never very much into literary analysis.
      Henry: I just don't understand why you let the doctor call the shots.
      Locke: No one calls the shots. Jack and I make decisions together.
      Henry: Right, okay. My mistake.

    • Eko: You are a prisoner because they are being careful. They are being careful because they believe you are lying.
      Henry: Why would I lie? They think I'm one of these others - other what?

    • Jack: Be careful what you say to him. He's smart and curious. Just give us a shout when you're done.
      Locke: If the alarm goes off, don't tell him what it's for.
      Eko: What is it for?

    • Claire: Your baby - was it a girl?
      Danielle: Yes.
      Claire: What was her name?
      Danielle: Alex. Alexandra.
      Claire: I remember a girl - a girl with blue eyes. She helped me. She saved me, just like you did. She wasn't like the others. She was good.

    • Jack: Did Locke tell you?
      Eko: Locke did not tell me anything. Who is he? I wish to speak to him.
      Jack: Speak to him about what?
      Eko: I wish to speak to him alone. Can you arrange this?
      Jack: Why should I do that?
      Eko: Because you wish to keep this a secret.

    • (about Rousseau's research team)
      Claire: Kate, how did they die?
      Kate: She killed them.
      Claire: What? Why, why would...
      Danielle (appearing): Because they were infected. You believe me now, don't you?

    • Mr. Friendly: (about Claire) What the hell happened? You were supposed to make the list and then bring her in. Was I unclear?
      Ethan: It's not my fault. They knew I wasn't on the plane. They had a manifest.
      Mr. Friendly: What am I supposed to tell him? You know what he's going to do when he finds out. Damn it, Ethan.

    • Claire: I have amnesia. There's two weeks missing from my life.
      Libby: Claire, I don't think you have amnesia. You know, sometimes when something terrible happens to us there's a switch in your head that flicks on to protect us from having to deal with it. Maybe your memories aren't gone. Maybe you're just blocking them.
      Claire: Then I need you to unblock them because my baby's sick and they did something to him.

    • Eko: Please stop talking Henry ... the first night I spent on this island I was dragged into the jungle by two men. They never spoke a word to me, nor I to them. I killed these men, smashed in their head with a stone, felt their blood on my arms. I need you to know, how sorry I am for this. I need you to know that I am back on the righteous path now, and that I regret my actions. I ask you for your forgiveness.
      Henry Gale: Why are you telling me this?
      Mr. Eko: Because I needed to tell someone. (Takes his knife and cuts portion of his beard off his chin.)

    • Claire: (to Aaron) Look, mommy made this for you, when you were still inside her tummy, yeah. (Gives Aaron the knitted sock and begins to cry) Ya know, I wanted them to take you, but now I know, now I know that we're supposed to be together, you and me. We're supposed to take care of each other. Okay? You're mine and I love you, I love you so much. (kisses Aaron's forehead)

    • Kate: I'm going into the jungle to track down Rousseau.
      Sawyer: The French chick? What for?
      Kate: Claire thinks she knows where there might be some medicine. The baby's sick.
      Sawyer: Hell, I got medicine.
      Kate: She thinks he's really sick, as in quarantine sick.
      Sawyer: What do you think?
      Kare: I think she's a little too worried, but she's going after Rousseau with or without me.
      Sawyer: No boys allowed, huh? (Kate shakes her head) All right, what do you want, nine millimeter or rifle?

    • Sawyer: (to Kate) Check it out, I found a new pair of glasses, damn near my prescription. You like em?

    • Locke: I thought you might like something to read.
      Henry Gale: Dostoyevsky? You don't have any Stephen King?
      Locke: The library's a little out-dated.

    • Sun: A mother should not leave her child.
      Claire: I'm sorry, are you a mother?
      Sun: No, I'm not.

    • Kate: I need a gun. And you don't get to ask why.
      Sawyer: Well, Thelma, seeing as I got all the guns, I do get to ask why.
      Kate: No, you don't.
      Sawyer: Yes, I do. Watch... why?

    • Claire: So you're a shrink, right?
      Libby: I'm a clinical psychologist but 'shrink' works, too.
      Claire: Can you help people to remember things?
      Libby: I guess it depends on what you need to remember.

    • Jack: Do you have to go to the bathroom?
      Henry Gale: No.
      Jack: Well, just let us know when you do.
      Henry Gale: Yeah, I'll look forward to that.

    • Gale: Is it true what you said about Hemingway?
      Locke: You have good ears.
      Gale: You have thin doors.

    • (Locke hands him his dinner)
      Henry: No cheeseburgers, huh?

    • Mr Eko: (to Gale) You are a prisoner because they are being careful.

    • Danielle: (to Claire) I hope your baby is not infected. But, if he is, I hope you know what must be done.

    • Locke: What are we doing, Jack?
      Jack: What are we doing?
      Locke: We can't hide him down here forever. Changing shifts around is gonna get people asking questions. I wanna know what the long term plan is.
      Jack: Well, John, let me ask you this: We don't have a long-term plan for the button, but we keep pushing it, don't we?

    • Claire: Where are you going?
      Danielle: You're not the only one that didn't find what they were looking for.

  • NOTES (6)

  • ALLUSIONS (3)

    • Kate: I need a gun. And you don't get to ask why.
      Sawyer: Well, Thelma. Seeing as I got all the guns, I do get to ask why.

      Probably a reference to the Ridley Scott movie Thelma & Louise (1991), where Thelma, a housewife, and Louise, a waitress, break out of their normal life and soon are pursued by the authorities.

    • Locke gives Henry Gale a book to read - The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

      The Brothers Karamazov is about the murder of a father by his sons who all share varying degrees of involvement. On another level, it is also about the moral struggles between faith, doubt, reason and free will.

    • When Kate approaches Sawyer, requesting a gun, he is reading Lancelot by Walker Percy.

      Percy's most despairing novel, this is the story of mad Lancelot Lamar, who is so consumed by jealousy that he kills his unfaithful wife by blowing up their house - an event in which he himself is badly burned. In the hospital, he narrates this terrible story to his sympathetic friend Percival.

      In relation to the character, this may be an allusion to Kate's background as revealed in "What Kate Did." Also, author William Percy's father committed suicide, just like Sawyer's dad killed himself after murdering his wife.

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