Column: Q

[Quey]

Column: Q
?White Rabbit? or ?Is that a water bottle in your pocket or are ya just glad to see me??


Sniff. Sniff. There won?t be any amusing anecdotes this week. Sniff. . . Okay, maybe there will be later, but right now I?m busy having a moment for Jack. Sniff. SNIFF . . .

That was so sad. And it certainly explains a lot about Jack?s behavior lately. It?s hard for me to imagine what it?s like, growing up with that kind of father. My own dad is no saint, but he never laid that kind of rejection on me. ?Don?t try to be the hero, son. You just don?t have what it takes.? Maybe if I disconnect myself from the words that he spoke to little Jack I can understand what he was trying to say. He saw in his son all this compassion for others and maybe, in his own twisted way, he was trying to instill the grim truth into Jack that you can?t save everyone ? and no matter how hard you try, sometimes you?ll fail; and that you must accept that. But along with teaching him that lesson he nearly squashed the best part of his son: his natural ability to compassionately lead others. Personally, I think it?s a miracle that Jack can still function in that capacity at all.

No wonder it was an apparition of his father that Jack saw there in the jungle. If that is indeed what he saw. Whether seeing his father was a hallucination, or a ghost or whatever . . . he?s seeing his father because he needs to overcome that part of his past in order to do what he needs to do, which is lead the survivors. It is also just as important to work through this for himself, for his own wholeness.

This is the question of the day though, isn?t it? Exactly what did Jack see?

Two more things: Did anyone else notice how Jack?s chase for his father led him to exactly what they all needed? Water. Makes you wonder. And does anyone want to take a crack at any symbolism that may be behind the dolls that were strewn all over the place?


On a side note, everyone should be really proud of me this week. I managed to get through the entire episode without any stimuli whatsoever, and still no signs of narcolepsy! All I had was water. (If you have no idea what I?m talking about don?t think I?m dissing the show. Just read my previous article and you?ll understand.) I knew I could do it! Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the night before I slept a grand total of twelve hours. Of course there are extenuating circumstances behind this. But hey, how convenient was that?


Anyway. ? Okay, maybe I misjudged Mr. Scary-Knife a wee bit. Not that he?s lost much on the freaky-factor, but my, my! Wasn?t he the helpful one this week? Jack certainly owes him a lot for the obvious fact that he saved his life, yes, but also for the great ?Grasshoppa? moment. There Jack was, downtrodden and wondering if he was going insane, and Locke gives him just the right kind of motivation he needs. ?A leader can only lead when he knows where he?s going.? ? ?Maybe this is all happening for a reason.? I swear, Mr. Scary-Knife might just turn out to be the most enlightened person on the island.

Do you know which characters I hope they?ll profile really soon? That brother and sister. Why do they hate each other so much? For some reason I get this vibe that there is something going on beneath the surface that we aren?t privy to. Sibling Rivalry just doesn?t seem to cover it. She?s an Uber-Wench and he seems to have some major insecurity issues. People don?t just naturally develop that way. Something happened. And yes, I?m very nosy.

Curiously, we saw no sign of The Nasty this episode. Even more odd is the fact that I didn?t even notice its absence until a friend pointed it out to me. Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I just don?t miss stuff like that. Maybe I should have had that Red Bull . . . Or maybe it?s because this episode didn?t need any further ?gilding of the lily?. I thought it was freaky enough. With the apparitions of Jack?s dead father and all, we just didn?t need to be reminded of The Nasty?s presence to understand that this is no Guilligan?s Island they?re stranded on. Secondly, JJ (Lost creator and executive producer) has always been one to prefer the use of characters over outside influences to drive a story. Why use a monster when you can use your main character?s inner demons?

The final scene depicts what I feel will be one of the on-going themes of this show. Everyone is gathered around about to beat Boone into a bloody pulp for stealing the last of the water and then Jack enters the scene, apparently with a much clearer mind. He stops them before they crucify the poor sod and proceeds to give a little speech. I won?t recite the entire thing, because you watched the episode the same as I, but to sum it all up he said: Unless we can work together we will die alone.

These survivors are all so diverse. They all have their own hang-ups and prejudices. Can they ever work through them? Will they ever fully realize how much they need each other?

Watch out for each other, and The Nasty,

Quey

[K. Ackles]

Am I the only one who thought it was creepy that when Jack went to his dad's coffin and found it closed but empty? And his father walking around on the island? Am I the only one who thought about the creepy resurection angle?!?!?!