There are slightish spoilers in this discussion of tonight’s episode of Lost. But then again, they aren’t that spoilery if you’ve watched any past episodes featuring Jack.
All the ads in all the magazines say that this is the final season of Lost. We’ve been promised answers to the myriad questions posed by the last five years of this, and while I’ve seen more than a few answers I think more and more that my largest question will never be concluded satisfactorily.
Why do the writers have such an attachment to the most boring and tedious characters, namely Jack and Kate?
Watching hours of Lost which center around its narcissitic and vacuous Prom King and Homefleeing Queen makes me think that this must be what it would be like to read the Harry Potter series–if multiple chapters focused on Padma Patil and Terry Boot. All the action and sympathetic characters are elsewhere doing riveting things. And yet we are forced to divert our attention to watching these two contemplate their navels.
I am a person afflicted with an overabundance of natural curiousity. I have to know the answers and will stay up late at night to finish a book when I know the solution to all the riddles awaits after a just-a-few-more…pages. When I meet a new person I often pepper them with questions, dying to know as much as I can about their life experiences.
It seems that Jack is the anti-me. Because whenever he is faced with an excellent opportunity to get some answers to even the most basic and pressing question he goes into Hulk Smash mode and throws a temper fit worthy of the most spoiled toddler. And that’s why watching him makes me feel like I may vomit. Or drive to the writers’ houses and pelt them with old sausages.
Tonight was quite possibly the worst example of Jackholery I’ve ever witnessed and it was so bad that I just left the room in disgust. Here he is, after traipsing around the globe for YEARS. Finally he is in front of a device that just may hold some answers. And you know, even if it DOESN’T have one answer to give Jack, you’d think that it’s utter coolness, it’s “Holy cow, this is a live-action Myst game!” gadgetry would make any person with an IQ higher than lightbulb wattage want to examine it more closely.
I am speaking of the ancient lighthouse. The one with the names (and those infamous numbers!) of various Losties and others etched around its circumference. The one that showed the image of Jack’s childhood home reflected in its mirrors when it was dialed to ‘Shephard’.
If I were in front of that thing I sure would spin it to as many names that I recognised as possible. I’d say to Hurley, who was with me and also on the wheel, “You wanna see what your number has?!?” I’d examine the sucker. I’d spend time with it, studying its engineering and craftsmanship. I’d look at all the names to see if there were others that rang a bell. (How cool would it be if there was an etching for ‘Earhart’?!)
Jack? The man we’ve been told has enough brains to be a world-class spinal surgeon. Jack smashes the mirrors. All the while screaming about how “He’s watching me!!!”
What a self-centered, thoughtless, biological smear of a man! Now no one else can get answers. And, by the way, good of you to notice the other multitude of names on there. You aren’t the only one being watched, Dr. McSelfish!
And so the writers think we’ll be moved by the sight of post-smashal Jack sitting on a cliff staring out to sea. All I want to do is push him in and go back to Locke’s storyline.
Just Another Pretty Farce 
OK, I know it only reinforces your point, but who is Terry Boot?
Some random character who is in another house.
Oh. I don’t watch Lost, but isn’t Jack a teensy bit more central to the plot than that?
So are you arguing just for the sake of argument?!
My point is that it is a MISTAKE to make Jack so central to the plot.
His character was initially supposed to die in the pilot. That is something I wish I could go back in time to change.
I’m not arguing for the sake of argument. Not that I wouldn’t (as you know), but in this case I’m not. It’s just that I thought you are a great fan of the show, and I know that Jack’s important in it (likable or not), so I figured you were OK with — maybe not with him as a character, but with his place in the world of Lost, I guess I would say.
So you have been watching it in spite of him? And thinking “oh, how much better this already fine show would be if only Jack had died in the pilot”? I can understand that.
Can you really blame him? 🙂
http://www.reddit.com/tb/b692b
So you have been watching it in spite of him?
Since the very be-freaking-ginning.
He is the worst conceived and executed character in the history of television. He is a giant macguffin slash roadblock slash selfpity boy.
If the mark of great fiction is a chronicalling of the journey from innocence to experience, he is always stuck in a book’s chapter one. Except for when he bounces back to the prologue.
Time and again when there is a chance for him to get any kind of answer at all he destroys the source of information. Someone walks up to him and says “I can explain blahbitty blah blah to you” and is first reaction is to shoot them and start yelling about how no one ever explains anything.
I swear I want to cover him in goat urine and push him into a tiger cage.
I agree with you for the most part; I don’t think Jack and Kate are that likable and about the only thing they bring to the table is their looks. It’s like everyone is at prom having a good time, then the prom king and queen decide to have a huge fight in front of everyone as if to say “hey, we are the good looking people, everyone pay attention to us and our drama.”
Jack, by himself, however, I don’t mind; I think his story about journeying from logic and science to a belief in something else is somewhat interesting, although your point still stands about his “ME ANGRY! ME SMASH THINGS!” attitude. But Kate isn’t the least bit likable with her whole “murderer with a heart of gold” thing going on. And the whole love triangle is the worst part because it feels so obligatory. The show and the themes it brings are much greater than some petty love triangle (kinda like like the movie Pearl Harbor).
Ha! Fantastic article!
I’m just recently getting around to watching and completing the series. I dont watch much tv, but was trolling some articles from the past and saw this. At times Lost was highly entertaining, but in retrospect farcical on so many levels. Just my opinion… (despite their denials) I truly believe the initial intent was for the island to be a purgatory-like place, but with the first season’s ratings they canned the idea to prolong the mystery and the show’s run. In fact I’m willing to bet the finale was probably a lot like the ending was intended from conception, else why even bother with the whole afterlife thing at all. Though I really wanted to like Jack and Kate, by season 3 I was over them both.
“worst conceived and executed character in the history of television”
I’d agree. Every human is flawed. However with Jack’s set of issues, the deference and respect he recieved from others for his so-called leadership ability just never rang true to me.