This article is about the TV Series character. You may be looking for her novel counterpart. |
Julia Shumway | |
---|---|
First seen | "Pilot" |
Last seen | "The Enemy Within" |
Series lifespan | "Pilot" to "The Enemy Within" |
Appeared in | 39 episodes, (see below) |
Portrayed by | Rachelle Lefevre |
Gender | Female |
Hair | Red |
Age | Early 30's |
Occupation | Journalist |
Family | Peter Shumway - Husband † Mary Shumway - Sister-in-law Dale Barbara - Fiancée |
Killed Victims | 0 |
Status | Alive |
Julia Shumway Gallery |
- "I know we've screwed up over and over again. But, even with everything that's happened, I still choose to believe you're trying to protect us. I think that when you stopped moving, that was your way of giving us all another chance, so I need to ask you for one more thing: Please help Melanie. She deserves to live - everyone in here does! You said that I was chosen. Well if I was, then that has to be for something, so if someone has to die then let it be me; just please don't take any more of them."
- —Julia telling the Dome to kill her if someone has to die -- not Melanie.[src]
Julia Shumway is a main character in CBS' Under the Dome. She is a disgraced journalist who recently moved to Chester's Mill from Chicago to rebuild her career. Where she became trapped when the Dome came down. Soon after Julia's husband went missing, she developed a relationship with Barbie, the man responsible for his disappearance. Later she was selected by the Dome as the "Monarch", it's protector.
Before The Dome[]
Julia was a journalist in Chicago, with her husband, Peter, who was a doctor. Julia was covering a mayoral election, and was leaked documents that would incriminate one of the candidates. Julia suspected the evidence was forged, but moved forward with the story anyways. Her story was discredited, her reputation was ruined, and she lost her job.
Six months before the Dome came down, Julia and her husband move to Chester's Mill, her husband's hometown, to start over. She started working in the small town's local newspaper, as the editor, the journalist and the photographer.
Unlike everyone else who lived and grew up together, Julia hasn't lived in Chester’s Mill for long and feels like an outsider trapped there without her husband, who, unbeknownst to Julia, developed a gambling addiction and thus lost their savings, placing their house under threat of foreclosure, and became distant. As a result, Julia simply suspected him having an affair.
Under The Dome[]
Season 1[]
On the day that the Dome came down, Julia was investigating mysterious Dick's deliveries to Chester's Mill. After the plane crashed into the Dome, Julia arrived at the site, where she took interest in Barbie, who saved the life of teenager Joe McAlister. Her car was requisitioned by the Sheriff's Department, leaving Julia to explore the site on foot with Barbie. Later in the day, she arrives at the local hospital, where her husband works, only to discover he wasn't there and had been lying to her about his work schedule for weeks.
Later, Julia lets Barbie spend the night in her house. Julia tells Barbie she knows it seems like her husband is cheating on her, because he hadn't been home for a few days, but she remained hopeful he would turn up.
Barbie eventually tells Julia about his past as a debt collector, leaving out the fact that he killed her husband after her husband pulled a gun on Barbie while he was attempting to collect debts. (It is later revealed that the gun was empty, and the husband had no intention of shooting Barbie.) After a brief period of being angry and kicking him out for a night, they fall in love after the MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast, nicknamed Mother Of All Bombs) explodes over the Dome and leaves them unharmed.
Eventually, Barbie admits to Julia he was the one who killed her husband, but she had been doing some investigating and acted as if she had already known. She tells Barbie to show her her husband's grave, because she wants closure -- she does not want break up with Barbie -- and explains that if her relationship with Barbie is to progress, she needs to see her husband's grave.
Barbie is upstairs getting dressed to take Julia to the grave of her husband when she answers the door. Maxine Seagrave is there, and she walks up and shoots Julia in the chest. When Barbie comes downstairs and sees, he rushes over to he and spots Joe walking past Julia's house. He calls for him and they both rush Julia to the hospital, Joe driving and Barbie keeping pressure on her wound so she will not die. At the hospital, the nurse is busy and has to go to another patient, so Barbie does an emergency procedure, sucking the pressure out of Julia's chest. Her heart stops for a few moments, but soon becomes stable once again. Barbie says he has some important business he has to take care of, and although he regrets being unable to stay with Julia, he asks the nurse to stay with her and watch over her.
After Big Jim kills Maxine Seagrave and Otto so that they cannot reveal his secrets, he tells everybody, framing Barbie as the one who killed Maxine (saying the Maxine and Otto were innocent businesspeople) and attempted to murder him and Julia after gaining their trust. Linda and all the general people believe Big Jim's lies, and they all begin to hate Barbie. They eventually capture him and throw him into prison, where Big Jim wishes to make a deal with Barbie. If Barbie falsely admits that he was guilty of the murders and attempted murders, then Big Jim will not hurt Julia, Joe, or Norrie. Barbie agrees, but asks Big Jim how he knows he will follow his word. Big Jim says that he doesn't. Barbie is unsure about the deal, and in front of the crowd, after a while of thinking, he pleads not guilty.
He is placed into jail again after Big Jim threatens him, but when the dome goes black Julia and Angie go to rescue Barbie. The injured Julia states that she doesn't know how she is even able to walk, and believes that the dome must want her to survive. She kisses Barbie through the cell bars, and Angie unlocks the door for Barbie to get out. Barbie is still in chains, however, probably because they could not find the keys to unlock them or didn't have enough time during their escape.
Julia, Barbie, and Angie meet Joe, Norrie, and Junior at the cement plant, where the egg and its dome is. When the egg seems as if it is going to explode and the building is about to fall on everybody crushing them, Julia takes a few moments and stares at the egg, then picks it up. She is not zapped like Dodee or Linda were, but instead the Monarch butterfly from inside the (now gone) mini dome lands on the egg as Julia holds it, showing that she was the Monarch after all. She is told by the "ghost Alice" (which is a mysterious being taking the form of Alice to communicate with them) that they must protect the egg.
Julia realizes that she cannot both save the egg (which will save the entire town) and save Barbie from being killed by Big Jim at the same time, so it seems she chooses to protect the egg. She takes a boat into the middle of the lake and drops the egg into the water, and she is visibly sad at being unable to save Barbie.
Season 2[]
"Heads Will Roll"[]
Julia sees a young girl struggling in the water and saves her. She meets someone named Sam, who stitches up her wound and gives Melanie a place to rest. Julia returns to town and is reunited with Barbie. The town has been rendered unconscious by the dome's magnetic field. Julia sees Big Jim is ready to hang himself and asks Julia to pull the lever. He believes the dome wants him dead. Julia says she can't do it, so Jim stamps his foot hard enough that the door opens. Julia cute the rope, and says the dome wants them to stop the killing. The dome demagnetizes and the entire town awakens.
"Infestation"[]
Julia and Barbie have a discussion at the diner and then witness Junior walking in, stating that Angie's dead. Julia and Barbie later have a conversation about the Dome's good side and bad side. At Sam's cabin, she learns that Sam is Big Jim's brother-in-law. Julia is later seen at the church attending Angie's funeral.
"Force Majeure"[]
Julia walks into the diner with Barbie at her side where she then asks Andrea where the food is all coming from. She finds Rebecca annoying and bossy and later witnesses the town rain blood. Julia, Barbie, and Sam rescue Big Jim from the acid rain and at the diner, Phil asks what happened to him. Jim tells them that Lyle did it. Julia and Barbie search for Lyle at his barber shop and find a photo of Lyle, Sam, and Pauline from 1988. Junior walks in and then Julia walkies Sam who tells them that Lyle and Pauline were dating back then. Junior states that the photo was taken at the cement factory and they go there in search for Lyle. They find him and Rebecca there and soon, Julia tries to talk Lyle out of killing Rebecca but is interrupted when Rebecca throws the acid bowl to Lyle's face. Julia, Barbie, Jim, and Rebecca talk about an extermination plan which causes Julia to get angry and goes back home without Barbie.
"Revelation"[]
Julia arrives at Sam's cabin and tells him that Big Jim and Rebecca want to decide who lives and who doesn't. She then states that Barbie is on there side and then, they both go visit Rebecca but find lots of pig blood samples so then go visit several farms in town. They arrive at the Tilden farm and Tom Tilden tells them both that Rebecca was checking his pigs and they both quickly realize that Rebecca wants to release a deadly virus to the town. They later arrive at the diner and stop Big Jim, who's about to release the virus. Phil Bushey tries to stop Sam but Julia blocks his way. Sam realizes that Jim doesn't have the virus so Julia suggest that Rebecca has it. Julia finds Rebecca and takes away the virus and then, with the help of Sam, take Big Jim and Julia to jail. That night, Julia lets Sam into her house where he tries to kiss her. She lets him stay and tells Barbie to go away.
"Reconciliation"[]
Julia and Barbie arrange a court and choose Carolyn to be Big Jim's lawyer. At the diner, Wendell tells Julia that Big Jim is guilty. At the court session, chaos starts and Wendell is about to shoot Big Jim until Barbie disarms him and then Phil Bushey quickly shoots Wendell in the chest, killing him. Julia, Barbie, and Carolyn help out at the fire station and organize boxes of food until the whole building explodes. Barbie saves Julia and then the town's people watch in sadness at their food is torched up. Phil tells the town that it was Julia's fault for not checking the wires and that Big Jim would have never made that mistake. Julia tells Barbie in private that they're screwed and that it's her fault but Barbie suggests Jim did it. Julia then sees Andrea giving out water bottles to the town's people and later arrives at Andrea's house. She asks her where the food is coming from and Andrea show Julia that her house is all filled with food to last for several months. They both organize a party at the diner and later, Julia helps the town forgive Big Jim and Rebecca. Julia then makes Barbie the new sheriff of Chester's Mill after firing Phil.
"In the Dark"[]
Julia and Big Jim have a discussion about the town's people and the town itself. Julia then arrives at the school and finds out that Sam and Barbie are trapped under the tunnels down through the school locker. Julia and Rebecca come up with a plan to rescue them and use explosives to blow up the blocked passage way. Julia then finds Barbie and hugs them, then looking down at the cliff where Sam jumped off at.
"Going Home"[]
Julia, Barbie, and Rebecca try to recover Sam's body after Junior denied that his uncle Sam killed Angie but Barbie is pulled by some force and falls off the cliff, causing Julia to scream in horror. Julia, Joe, Norrie, and Melanie try to find out what's at the bottom of the cliff and Joe finds an image of a playground. Later that night, Julia, Joe, Norrie, Melanie, and Junior see a pink image of Zenith, realizing that Barbie may still be alive in Zenith.
"Awakening"[]
Julia talks with Melanie at the diner until Joe and Norrie interrupt them to state that Barbie send Julia an email. Julia says that he doesn't say anything to prove that it's him. Julia, Joe, Norrie, and Melanie then go to the school for another signal but with no luck, they suggest Julia sends Barbie a note. They later get another email from Barbie and Julia realizes it's truly him and that he's alive. Julia meets Barbie near the Dome wall at Joe's destroyed house. Barbie tells Julia, not to jump off the cliff before being taken away by men in black. Julia bangs on the Dome to the men, wanting them to let Barbie go as Big Jim sees this all from above.
"The Fall"[]
Julia and Rebecca talk about the climate change when they both see Barbie walking towards them. Julia quickly runs towards him and hugs them. Inside Julia's house, Barbie tells them both how he got inside the Dome. At the diner, Julia and Rebecca, with the help of Barbie, try to convince Tom and Andrea about jumping off the cliff. Tom agrees but Andrea says that she isn't doing anything until she knew where Big Jim stood on the plan to evacuate the town. Julia, Barbie, and Jim have discuss that evacuation plan and later, Julia and Barbie follow Melanie towards the egg. After an earthquake hits, Melanie faints and both Julia and Barbie take her to Sam's cabin to Sam and Junior. Julia and Barbie then find Joe, Norrie, and Hunter at the school, where Julia spots Phil Bushey go through the locker. Julia and Barbie run after him through the tunnels but look down the cliff and find out the passage is closed and find Phil's dead body, impaled by a stalagmite.
"Black Ice"[]
Julia and Barbie drive towards the diner in an ambulance to collect some food but the vehicle slips through the ice and tilts over, causing a sharp object to impale into Julia's leg. Barbie later takes Julia to the diner on foot where he saves her life. They both then hear the Dome's screech after it starts to shrink.
"Turn"[]
Julia and Barbie collect items from her house before it's destroyed. At the school, Julia and Barbie talk to Rebecca about the shrinking Dome and throughout the day, she watches as Melanie is suffering. Julia follows everyone else to the woods to heal Melanie. Julia then witnesses Melanie sink into the hole in the ground.
"Go Now"[]
Julia and Barbie hear Tom yelling for help and quickly run towards his farm. They both rescue Aidan Tilden but Tom is electrocuted by a lighting strike. Julia heals Aidan's wounds at the school and Barbie tells her about the new exit. At the woods, Julia is walkied by Andrea and heads to her house where she finds Big Jim holding a gun towards Andrea's head. Sam walkies Julia and lets her know that Pauline is dead and that Jim killed Rebecca. Jim then shoots Andrea in the head, killing her, and later attempts to kill Julia. He chases her through the woods where Sam and Junior rescue her. Barbie tries to help Julia cross through a crack on the ground down at the tunnels but Julia gets trapped in the town along with Junior at her side. She tells him that Barbie will come back for them.
Season 3[]
"Move On" & "But I'm Not"[]
Julia and Junior head back to the school for a ladder. There, Big Jim talks to them and tells them that if he sees them again, he would kill them. Jim then shoots Junior as pay back and both Julia and Junior head back to the tunnels. While crossing, butterflies fly everywhere and Julia can't find Junior anymore. Julia finds Melanie and Melanie sends Don Barbara a message to bring the egg. Julia and Melanie wait near the lake and Julia soon falls asleep. When she wakes up, Big Jim tells her who was the dead man and she told him it was Barbie's father, Don. Julia finds Melanie back in the tunnels and Melanie starts to strangle Julia to death until Big Jim destroys the egg, freeing the town from the cocoons.
"Redux"[]
Julia and Barbie talk about what happened during the alternative reality. Barbie tells Julia she was dead and Julia tells Barbie that Melanie killed Don Barbara. At the town hall, Big Jim tells the town that he will take control but Roger Lopez disagrees with him along with Barbie, Julia, and several more people. Big Jim is about to get shot by Barbie until Eva and Christine walk inside. Julia realizes that Eva was Barbie's girlfriend in the alternative life. Julia quickly starts to get suspicious about both Eva and Christine.
"Alaska"[]
Julia and Big Jim walk around the woods with Indy. At the town hall, Julia gets a hold of Christine's crystal until she is caught by Christine herself. At Bird Island, Dr. Marston shows Julia and Big Jim a video of the egg found in Alaska. Julia takes Christine back to Bird Island where Aktaion mercenary take her to Marston.
"Caged"[]
Julia arrives back at the town hall and sees the town whistling and once she walks closer, they all looks back at her and then continue whistling. Julia asks Audrey what they were doing and she states that they're waiting for Christine's orders. Julia tells Audrey that if she found Christine, she'd tell her and then walks upstairs. Outside, Julia witnesses Junior and the town forcing Joe to work on the Kinship. Julia stops Junior but before she can walk away with Joe, Junior hits Julia in the head. Julia is tied up but Junior and later rescued by Joe and Norrie by taking down the guard. Julia explains to them both that she isn't infected and that they are but they're still not active in the infection. In the woods, Julia finds Barbie, Junior, and Christine and Barbie slowly walks up to Julia. They talk for a while and Barbie ends up getting pissed off and tells Julia to stay in the woods alone. Big Jim finds Julia and they both walk together in search for his dog, Indy.
"Ejecta"[]
Julia and Big Jim get drunk at the Aktaion house and talk about random things. Julia, Jim, and Indy witness the outside world burst into flames by the sun. Later, Joe, Norrie, and Hunter walk into the Aktaion house and join the Resistance, Julia and Big Jim.
"Breaking Point"[]
Julia drives Joe and Norrie around town as they soon realize that the outside world in flames was just an illusion. Julia drops off Joe and Norrie at the town hall and she and Jim get a package sent by Lily Walters from the outside world. Eva finds Julia in the woods and meet face to face with gun point. Eva starts shooting Julia but luckily, she escapes. Julia and Jim rescue Joe and Norrie from the Kinship and they both tell them that Carolyn is dead. Julia and Jim feel guilty and take Joe and Norrie back home to Bird Island.
"Plan B"[]
Julia and Big Jim capture Barbie and take him to Peter's cabin where they both interrogate him. Jim leaves and Barbie tells Julia he never loved her. Julia runs away into the woods and Barbie runs after her to kill her. Near the Dome wall, Julia is about to get strangled to death by Barbie until she brings him back from the Kinship and into the Resistance. They soon romantically kiss each other.
"Legacy"[]
Barbie tells Julia to forgive him for everything he said and that he never meant any of it. They continue talking about the Kinship and Barbie goes to find Joe. Julia is caught by Aktaion and Big Jim tells them that she's a part of the Resistance. Barbie later tells Julia that he needs to find Eva. Julia finds a grave full of dead young women and Harriet finds her. They argue for a little while until Norrie shoots Harriet through the head, killing her. Julia and Norrie then witness Barbie and Eva kiss and hold hands.
"Love is a Battlefield"[]
Julia tells Lily that her father is alive, leading both Lily and Hektor to get in a small argument. Julia then arrives at a hotel where she and Barbie help Eva give birth. Julia tells Barbie that the baby belongs to the Kinship and they both then flee the scene.
"Incandescence"[]
Barbie and Julia drive back towards the Resistance as they talk. They fight over Barbie's daughter, Dawn, being a creature or an actual daughter. They both head back to the hotel and find Eva's dead body, realizing that she was suffocated by Christine. At the cement factory, they find Christine and move her away from the cocoon Dawn is in. Dawn then comes running out in a flash and before Barbie can shoot her, she runs off at a high speed. They both then realize that Christine is no longer a part of the Kinship. She takes them to the lake and find both Sam and Junior sacrificing little kids. She stops them and before Junior can strangle her to death, Barbie and Julia stop him. They both head back to the Resistance for the cure to save Dawn but Lily Walters tells them that Dava Bloom is dead.
"The Enemy Within"[]
Julia and Barbie talk about Dawn in the woods and are quickly caught by the Kinship and locked up in jail with the rest of the Resistance. Dawn takes Barbie away and both Julia and Big Jim are left alone. Big Jim calls Kyle stupid and asks for his dog, Indy. Once Kyle brings Indy inside the cell, Jim starts faking thirst. Julia tells Kyle to go bring some water for Big Jim and once he leaves, Jim pulls out an extra key from Indy's collar and they escape. At the bomb shelter, Kyle finds them and Jim soon kills him with a trophy. Back at the woods, Jim is about to snipe Dawn with a sniper but then Junior gets in a fight with him, leading Julia to chase down Dawn once the Dome came down. Julia finds both Barbie and Dawn fighting and once Dawn falls into a giant hole, Julia helps Barbie back up. They are then caught by the army and taken away from the aftermath of the Dome.
One year later, Barbie and Julia decide to get married after a year of travelling on the road together, Barbie surprises her with a engagement ring and before he asks if her if you'll marry me, cars appear before them. One of the cars pulls up in front of them and Big Jim steps out he says "nice rock" (referring to Julia's ring) and then says "missed me". He then takes them to his office near the White House, Jim says not bad for a first year congressmen huh. Julia says she heard it was a landslide, Jim says well everyone loves a hero. Jim then says think you know my chief of staff (referring to Lily), she then says Julia, Barbie good to see you. Hunter then says, How was the Grand Canyon?
Jim says I got Mr May here a cushing little job at the NSA, Julia speaks up and says "so you were spying on us". She then speaks again and says "has anyone heard from Norrie", Hunter says, not since she enlisted, Barbie then talks and says so what's this all about Jim, why are we here?
Jim says Family Matters, he then gets Lilly to bring over a computer to show what the matter is. Lily brings the computer over and then she plays a video, it shows a woman walking into a shop, Barbie realises it's Dawn (his daughter), Julia then says "no that's not possible" she died in Chester's Mill, Lily then says that's what we thought.
Barbie asks Hunter where was the video taken, Hunter says Omaha, about a month ago, he did a facial recognition program which was strictly off the books, hence the delay in catching it though.
Big Jim then says for the final time "you know what this means right"
Barbie says his final line "she could be anywhere"
.....
Appearances[]
Season 1 appearances | ||||
"Pilot" | "The Fire" | "Manhunt" | "Outbreak" | "Blue on Blue" |
"The Endless Thirst" | "Imperfect Circles" | "Thicker Than Water" | "The Fourth Hand" | "Let the Games Begin" |
"Speak of the Devil" | "Exigent Circumstances" | "Curtains" |
Season 2 appearances | ||||
"Heads Will Roll" | "Infestation" | "Force Majeure" | "Revelation" | "Reconciliation" |
"In the Dark" | "Going Home" | "Awakening" | "The Red Door" | "The Fall" |
"Black Ice" | "Turn" | "Go Now" |
Season 3 appearances | ||||
"Move On" | "But I'm Not" | "Redux" | "The Kinship" | "Alaska" |
"Caged" | "Ejecta" | "Breaking Point" | "Plan B" | "Legacy" |
"Love is a Battlefield" | "Incandescence" | "The Enemy Within" |
Trivia[]
- Julia was the only person to not to be one of the "Four Hands" to touch the Mini-Dome without being shocked.
- Julia and Don Barbara were the only ones to touch the egg without being shocked.
- In the novel Julia is a resident of Chester's Mill, who has been divorced for ten years. Whereas in the show, she is married, and has recently moved in.
- In the series, Julia is the only main character to have never been infected or joined the kinship at any point or time, Big Jim shares the same status as well seeing how he's never been manipulated.
- Julia is one of the 6 main characters to appear in all 39 episodes of the entire series. Barbie, Big Jim, Joe, Junior and Norrie are the only ones that share the same status as well, even though Junior dies in the last episode.