Jack’s always been the character I identify with the most.No, I’m not a spinal surgeon, and no, my dad isn’t an alcoholic who taunts me by saying that I’ll never reach my full potential.
However, there are other aspects of the character I connect with. Like Jack, I’m sort of a fixer and I get very angry very quickly when I can’t handle a situation by myself. Also, when feel as if I’ve let others down, I’m WAY too hard on myself. Most (normal) people who encounter a circumstance that’s beyond their control say, “What can I do? It’s out of my hands.” I (and Jack) go the other way and get even more pissed off that there’s nothing I can do.
Maybe I need to find a nice ocean to contemplate.
Now, as I’ve mentioned in this column, 2007 Castaway Jack has become considerably more self-aware this season (admitting that he didn’t trust himself to Dogen). In “Lighthouse”, Castaway Jack acted more like Vintage Angry Jack, while Sideways Jack appeared to have a major breakthrough. A lot of fans probably found Castaway Jack’s borderline bratty behavior frustrating, but I’ve decided to take a Jacob-esque approach and believe that it was absolutely necessary for Jack to get that tantrum out of his system before he could do whatever the hell it is he needs to do. (Perhaps take over Jacob’s job.)
But before we get to that, let’s back up and talk about the rest of the episode. Following the all-you-can-eat buffet of mythology that was “The Substitute”, “Lighthouse” may have seen lightweight at first. However, upon closer inspection, the show illuminated certain Island mysteries (introducing a cool new setting), while continuing to set the stage for this season (who is it that’s coming to the Island, according to Jacob?)
Still no matter how cool the Island stuff was (and no matter how hilarious Hurley continues to be after all these years), the star of the episode was the Sideways Jack storyline, which was nicely underplayed by Matthew Fox. Turns out this Jack has an appendix scar he can’t quit remember (Castaway Jack had his removed by Juliet in season 4) and a son named David.
At first, I was rolling my eyes because David appeared to be the typical young punk who kept his ear buds on all the time and wanted nothing to do with his father, and Sideways Jack appeared to be every bit as depressing as Castaway Jack (but with a much trendier apartment). Still, after helping (but not really) his mom find Christian’s will (turns out he’s Claire’s dad in Sideways world too) Jack realized that his relationship with David was much closer to his own relationship with Christian than he realized.
Unfortunately, David had slipped out of Jack’s apartment, which led Jack to (I’m guessing) his former house where he found the key under a white rabbit (this episode had MANY callbacks to season 1’s “White Rabbit”) and let himself in. What he found was a window into who his son really was – a classical music lover and a kid who really did love his dad.
He tracked David down to an audition (where they were accepting “candidates”) and got to beam at his son’s skills along with proud papa Dogen (I was delighted to see he’s not a super old being like Richard, and that he and Jack are contemporaries since they sort of bonded at the temple.) Hey, maybe a certain piano-playing physicist is the school’s music teacher.
I’m not going to lie – the final scene between Jack and his song got me. David had kept his affinity for classical piano secret because his dad had taken a strong interest in it and David didn’t want his dad to see him fail. Jack, simultaneously incredulous and completely understanding given his own relationship with his dad, assured him that, “In my eyes, you can never fail.” (I may or may not have teared up at this part – a little.)
I’m not saying Jack and David are now going to Sideways Fenway Park to catch a baseball game together, but it was the sort of breakthrough Castaway Jack was denied, which is particularly painful since Jack blames himself for his father’s death since he’s the one who drove Christian back to the bottle.
Still, I’m not giving up on Jack getting his redemption because it appears that Jacob still has high hopes for our favorite tortured doc.
The main Island storyline found Jacob appearing to Hurley and insisting he recruit Jack to accompany him on a secret “old school” mission to a place “they don’t quite understand.” Hurley was able to convince Jack by relaying Jacob’s (really Christian’s) message that Jack DID have what it takes. Still, the highlight of the early Temple scene was Hurley standing up to Dogen after Dogen discovered him hovering near a secret passageway. (“Why don’t YOU go back to the courtyard?”)
Thank goodness for Hurley. As the show gets trippier with its time travel plots and flash-sideways, Hurley’s role as the voice of the audience has become even more essential to take the piss out of the overly-serious proceedings. I only wish partner-in-snark Miles were a bit more involved this season (especially since that tic-tac-toe game kinda looked like fun). When Jack and Hurley ran into Kate on their way to the Lighthouse, Hurley apologized to Jack for ruining his “game.” Me? I was actually perfectly ok with just a dash of Kate last night.
After a brief stop at the caves, the two arrived at the Lighthouse, the top of which featured several mirrors and a contraption that mirrored the names and numbers in the cave Anti-Locke showed Sawyer last week. Jack saw something strange in the mirror and insisted Hurley move the needle to his name, which revealed Jack’s childhood home. Jack, already enraged that Jacob (or his father) was not present, smashed the mirrors seemingly out of anger that Jacob had been watching him (and perhaps predetermining his fate) from a very early age. My guess it that Jacob is giving Jack chance to realize that there is a (VERY IMPORTANT) reason whey he’s been watching Jack (and his friends) all this time. I'm also guessing Jack is wrong and he's NOT stupid at all to think the Island can fix him.
There was also another reason he wanted to get Hurley and Jack (two of the non-crossed out “candidates”) out of the Temple – it seems like Claire is headed there with her “friend.”
As soon, as Claire mentioned her “friend” it was pretty obvious she was referring to Anti-Locke and the show was doing the thing where it intentionally (and annoyingly) withholds a person’s identity. (Like when the Oceanic 6 insisted on referring to Locke as “Bentham” before the big casket reveal.)
Still, I found the scenes with Claire, and her squirrel wig jungle makeover, pretty enjoyable and intriguing. I’ve always liked Emilie de Ravin, but let’s be honest – Claire was never the most compelling character in the world.
Most importantly, I’m looking forward to finding out what actually happened to Claire. It’s widely assumed she died when Keamy and the freighter mercenaries attacked the Others’ village, and yesterday we learned that she definitely underwent (and failed) the same test Dogen gave Sayid. Still, she was last seen hanging out with Christian Shephard after ditching baby Aaron to follow him in the jungle. Now, she’s hanging out with Anti-Locke (did she ditch Christian or are Anti-Locke and Christian one in the same?) and she’s got a Rosseau-like obsession with getting her baby back.
I mean, she gave unfortunate Other Justin the Scatman Crothers-in-“The Shining” treatment, and she gave Jin the crazy eye when Jin told her Kate had “taken” Aaron. (I know English is still his second language, but that’s just an unfortunate choice of words.) He quickly changed his story and said Aaron was being held at the Temple, where it appears she, Jin and Anti-Locke are now headed.
So what’d you think of this episode? Who’s Jack’s baby mama? (Sarah, Kate, Juliet?) Who’s on his (or her) way to the Island? (Desmond? Charles Widmore again?) Finally, do you think the show will reveal to us the identity of the Adam & Eve skeletons from the caves? (I’m actually one of the people who couldn’t care less about this “mystery.” I’m more interested in the creepy skeleton in Claire’s crib.)
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