TVSquad

I would not miss Jack at all if he suddenly died. The only way to make him interesting is if he becomes one of the Others, or somehow screws it all up for them.

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at 11:47AM on Feb 27th 2007 sean tubbs wrote: "... way to make him interesting is if he ... somehow screws it all up for them. "

I will give the writers their props here because they've consistently kept Jack as the know-it-all jerk with his nose in everyone's business but his own. Last week's episode really, really left me thinking he really needs to be vaporized.

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Wasn't Jack supposed to last only a few episodes originally? Then he was popular with the fans enough so they decided to keep him.

I would like the show to continue to evolve and if they killed a few key characters that would move the story a bit.

How about Jack sacrificing himself to save the losties in some spectacular fashion?

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Isn't this the guy that is a self-admitted liar and schmuck in real life?!

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Well, they've laid the groundwork for losing Jack with Ben's promise to let him leave the island -- perhaps with Juliet?
If only he knew about Penny Widmore... he could leave with Juliet, then at the (merciful) end of the series, he could come back to the island to rescue everyone...

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From a writing stand point, unless the island is going to take over healing everyone, which it's done in the past, they really need a doctor on the island.

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According to last week's episode, Jack is supposed to be some sort of great leader, based on his new tatoo. So he will probably stay with the others since they are short one doctor, and, since he's a great leader, he might take a leading roll over the others.

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I'd love to see Jack off the radar for awhile (perhaps the remainder of season 3) to show the other Losties trying to rescue him. Then, in the finale of S3, they find the Others Village only to realize that Jack is the new leader of the Others.

I think we need to see Sayid and Jin step forward as the leaders, with Locke sort of acting as their foil.

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Yes, Jack's back stories are getting old, but then again so is everyone else's who has been on the island all 3 years now. I used to think killing Jack would be the gutsy move TPTB have been touting, but now I think they are setting him up to be an Other and maybe even the new leader of the Others, heir apparent to Ben, perhaps. This might be interesting, but also a sort of betrayal not only of the Losties, but of the viewers, because Jack always does what is "right," and the Others are just plain wrong. I hope they at least use Jack to give us some answers about the Others. If we're supposed to change our minds about them, they need to get cracking on it.

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I don't mind Jack per se, but I would say that it is not just the last Jack-flashback that has been boring, it is ALL of them (except maybe the first or something). Mostly because they all focus on emotional stuff, while the rest of the characters flashbacks have real stories that makes us know more of them.

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The only rational reason I can think of for keeping Jack around are that he's a doctor (with actual practical skills, which I guess Juliet isn't?). If you get rid of him, more actual decent characters die. Plus, as has been pointed out here, he's 1/3 of The Lamest Love Triangle I Don't Care About Ever. Just hook him up with Juliet and make him an Other- then I'd be interested in him.

Alas, he's "the star" and won't die, dammit. I'd be happy if they'd just stop giving him flashback episodes. Hasn't he had something like nine and most other people have had 2-3? That's just wrong.

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The same can be said of Kate and Sawyer. Both their flashbacks from earlier in the season were worn territory. That is why people have been crying out to see other characters. Juliet and Desmond were needed relief, but ultimately I just want to see what's going on other folks. Hell even Claire would be interesting at this point. Is she the blond woman's daughter Jack's father wanted to meet???

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Killing Jack would be idiotic. Who cares if he was originally supposed to die in the pilot. Forrest Whitaker was originally supposed to play Sawyer. That doesn't mean it was the best idea.

Along the development of the show, they realized that they needed Jack. And they still do. Whether you like him or hate him, he's the most developed character on the show.

His flashbacks aren't the only one's sucking. The show is not all that exciting. There are plenty of things the writers could delve into for all these characters, but it seems like the show is more about the plot nowadays instead of furthering the character development. This problem is not Jack-exclusive.

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Matthew Fox is terrible actor and his character is an asshole.

Kill jackass and focus on other characters. And enough with the flashbacks, they drag and add nothing useful at all.

But then I want that trip off the air altogether so I'm biaised. But yeah, Fox/Jackass is my number 2 reason for loathing the show. Number one spot is held by the showrunners.

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I am hoping they take Jack and make him eviiiiil. The good doctor gone bad. Being around all those Others has "tainted" him would make for some snazzy new storyline.

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For those that want Jack dead - why do you watch the show?

I'd say the only entertaining characters (non-others) are Locke, Jack, Jin, Hurley, Sawyer and Kate. Pretty much everyone else sucks. The Hobbit? Annoying. His Aussie? Annoying. Sayid? Always wrong. Sun? meh. And thank god Michael left.


I agree the flashbacks are old. Time to change the formula. Maybe island flashbacks. Maybe start intertwining more. The mystery is gone from them, and for that reason I just don't care.


But I wouldn't off Jack. I think his pig-headedness is needed. Plus what would Lost be without Jack crying every scene? (Or, for that matter, Sawyer getting his ass kicked every episode?)

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If you a Lost fan i dont see how you could say any episode is pointless. Even if the episode revolves around Jack's tatoos. I think if you should have learned one thing about lost by now, it is that many things that may seem of trivial nature often become a part of a greater picture. For example, there was also an episode that focused on the letter the Sawyer carried with him. Alothough it may seem that a peice of paper with words has absolutly NOTHING to do with the story... it did help evolce our perception of Sawyer. As this episode evolved our perception of Jack. And the creators of Lost once said. "Lost is like one big picture that's been shattered into thousands of peices, and we're putting them back together as the story goes on." or something to that effect. Nothing in Lost will always make sense immidiatly.

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How crucial is he to Lost?

I wouldn't watch without him.

I liked the episode. It wasn't the best and it wasn't the worst. Jack's story with the Others HAS been the best thing this season.

So yes, he's crucial to the show. I think he's the lynchpin that's holding it together.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of his backstory too. It needs to be written better than this episode was, but lest anyone forget, Christian Shephard is more crucial to the story than some of the useless new character they've introduced.

I don't want to spoil anyone for future episodes so I'll stop right here.

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I'm very split on this question.

On the one hand, he IS the the main character, plain and simple, the doctor, the guy that everyone made a de-facto leader of the Losties.

On the other hand, all of Jack's flashbacks...suck. Also plain and simple. I'll take Desmond becoming unstuck in time or anything that contributes to the mythology of the show over a pointless story about some ink on Jack's skin.

'Stranger in a Strange Land' really broke the momentum of 'Not in Portland' and 'Flashes Before Your Eyes', two fantastic episodes, as it really did nothing to advance the story.

This part goes out to Mr. Nelson in particular. The entire point of revealing the meaning of Jack's tattoos was to show the parallel between Jack's flashback and the episode. That he is among the Others, but not one of them, just as he walked among a culture and society in Phuket but was not one of them. And I doubt (or is it hopefully doubt) we'll be going much deeper than that.

But, I don't think the entire story of the Others would be engaging with any other of the crash survivors, except Locke. Anyone else but Jack or Locke, and no one would care. But with Jack now on the other side of the Island, the Losties are left leaderless, which leads to conflict, which should set the table for the rest of Season 3, because it doesn't look like Jack is coming back too soon, maybe not at all.

Wow, that was a ramble, but I guess the bottom line is that I don't like Jack's flashbacks, but I do like his place in the story, and I do think his role in the whole thing is a lot more worthwhile than we think right now...

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Alright, I was just scrolling through here and my idiot radar must have blocked this comment from view on the first pass.

"Matthew Fox is terrible actor and his character is an asshole.

But then I want that trip off the air altogether so I'm biaised. But yeah, Fox/Jackass is my number 2 reason for loathing the show. Number one spot is held by the showrunners."

Unbelievable. To have so much anger for a show is just ridiculous. innamorata, you need help, and drugs. Lots of both. Matthew Fox is more an asshole in real life from what I've read and heard than the character is. And I don't think he's a bad actor, I think he does a great job on-island, but his flashbacks suck so much that even the best actor couldn't pull them out.

"Kill jackass and focus on other characters. And enough with the flashbacks, they drag and add nothing useful at all."

The flashbacks are vital, absolutely vital to see who the people were before the Island, how they've changed, and to see their unknown interactions, which could be a vital clue to the overall mythology of the show.

In closing, innamorta, why do you go to all the trouble of posting, why do you click on a link to a story about a show you supposedly loathe?

I don't know, but Lost seems to bring out a lot of anger in you. Might be best to avoid all things Lindelof and Cuse do in the future, if for nothing else to keep that blood pressure down...

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