The evolution of Jack Sheppard

[Joe Washington]

Jack's character journey to me has been a fascinating thing to watch. To see him grow from a fiercely stubborn man with a compulsion to fix everything, burdening daddy issues, and a refusal to believe in anything that's beyond the explanation of science to a man who embraces destiny and faith with open arms, who believes in the words of John Locke like a converted believer, and sees the island as something special instead of a place he needs to run away. What do you guys think about his evolution? Do you believe in his growth?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Yknow the funny thing? I'm not sure exactly how much he has changed. His "bad" qualities were always more a matter of style - too whiney and self-absorbed and controlling, too pigheaded, too much in everyone's face - and it's not like he's changed any of those traits so much as he has a bit more perspective and makes an effort to squelch his unappetizing impulses.

The biggest change is in his attitude towards science vs. faith, but that was not so much a part of his personality as a way of thinking because he'd never been exposed to any other way of thinking, or seen any evidence to contradict it. So now he has, and his thinking has grown as a result.

I definitely believe his character growth since he doesn't seem to be some kind of utterly changed, unrecognizable person compared to who he was when the series started.

 

[Mallet]

I never found him to be whiny or self-absorbed, well maybe whiny when it came to his personal life pre-island, but not on island. He was definitely controlling, but he didn't even want to do that. Everyone made him leader even after he told them he didn't want to be. And a leader has to maintain control otherwise all would have been lost (pardon the pun).

In fact I think he was anything but self-absorbed. He was always thinking about everyone else, he was always about doing something (whether it turned out right or wrong) to help others. That's why he was so pigheaded & stubborn. He was driven to "fix" the situation, keep everyone safe and get everyone rescued. When people (mainly Locke but also Sawyer sometimes) went against his "perceived" good of the group he got up in their face about it.

And he was right most of the time, at least as far as they knew at the time. Should Locke have been out digging up a hatch instead of gathering food & hunting? His secrecy did get Boone killed after all. Jack was right to call him on it.

Should Sawyer horde all the supplies & medicine then bribe all the other survivors for it? No. Jack was right to challenge Sawyer on that as well.

The main change in his character has been to "let go" to realize that he can't "save" everybody. That he can't "fix" everything. That somethings do happen for a reason (fate, destiny, divine intervention, etc...) and can't be changed.

Also I think the whole "traveling through time" thing probably opened his eyes to the fact that there is a lot more going on & possible in the world then he originally thought. I guess finding out that time travel is possible will do that to a person.

 

[The Evil Dead]

For me the character of Jack Shephard went from bland, but serviceable, lead character surrounded by far more interesting characters in the beginning to one of my absolute favorites as we approach the end of the story. He really started to click for me during the classic "We have to go back!" episode, and has only grown on me more and more since. I've found in this final season, he often has the best moments or scenes in the episodes in which he appears.

"John LOCKE told me I needed to stay!"

 

[Hober Mallow]

"John LOCKE told me I needed to stay!"

My favorite part of the last episode. Probably the only time during the entire series I thought, "F*ck yeah, Jack!"

 

[Jenee]

What Mallet said.

 

[label]

I'd have to agree with much of what Temis and parts of what Mallet said. Jack has mostly redeemed himself this season by letting go. Whether that means letting go of trying to control everything around him or letting go of the notion that he's right about everthing he's definitely matured (in both realities).

He's now a blend of science/faith. He's happy enough to take a back seat to other's plans at time. He's willing to defend (the real) Locke.....

I liked Jack pretty well early on in the series but somewhere along the way I stopped caring for his character as much. This season has gone along ways to restoring him and his arc.

Now if they only would have done that with Kate. (Or better yet, kill her off at the end of Season 5 and keep a far more interesting Juliet character.)

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I'm surprised that I've been finding myself liking Jack this season until I realized something. In my eyes, Jack has changed significantly at two events: Boone's death and Juliet's death. After Boone died, I quickly found myself hating him which continued throughout the entire series until this season. After Juliet died, I began to notice he had mellowed out, and as a result, I started liking him again like I did way back in season.

 

[Aeon]

That's a really good point.

 

[Jenee]

I'm surprised that I've been finding myself liking Jack this season until I realized something. In my eyes, Jack has changed significantly at two events: Boone's death and Juliet's death. After Boone died, I quickly found myself hating him which continued throughout the entire series until this season. After Juliet died, I began to notice he had mellowed out, and as a result, I started liking him again like I did way back in season.

That's because, I think, many people like Locke - the old Locke.

I never liked him - always thought he was a loser and a crybaby. So, I thought Jack was justified in his response to Locke after Boone's death.

 

[Hober Mallow]

I never liked him - always thought he was a loser and a crybaby.

You wanna rephrase that?

 

[Jenee]

No. And, I realize I'm in a minority, so I'll leave it at that.

 

[Joe Washington]

It seems that Jack's evolution has taken the next major step with him becoming the new Jacob.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I like how Jack's values have changed in the past few seasons.

In fact.... given that Jack is number 23 in the candidates list.... does that mean that now that his values have changed, the Valenzetti Equation that DHARMA originally set out to investigate (to change the core numerical values of 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 or 42 - which happen to be the candidate numbers of the final six as outlined by Jacob) has now been solved, and the world is safe forever?

Damn, I sound like a conspiracy theorist now...

 

[FormerLurker]

I think it was poetic justice that after realizing he just can't save everyone, he does just that.

 

[RoJoHen]

After so many years of being a douchey leader and completely fucking up everyone's lives, I'm glad he finally got the chance to be a hero and die to save them.

 

[DeafPoet]

^

Yeah. It's cool that Jack took the greatest thing he learned on his journey (that sometimes you need to take things on faith) and married it with his greatest flaw (his need to be self-sacrificing and fix everything) and managed to save everyone.

And yeah, he died. But the look on his face when Vincent lay down beside him told me that he got it. He understood. He may have died in the process but I think he finally accomplished the one thing he was always alternately unable or unwilling to do.

He fixed himself.

 

[RoJoHen]

Agreed completely. As much as I didn't like him, he truly was an awesome character, and his journey was very unique.

 

[Python Trek]

I've said before that to me, Lost was "The Jack and Locke Show", and boy, did Jack have a journey! Has any character in TV history been on such a rollercoaster ride? If they'd saved all of Matt Fox's tears, they could've filled a swimming pool! Fantastic character.

 

[label]

Count me as another who couldn't stand Jack for many of the middle seasons (and that's probably because he didn't like himself......) but really bought into the new Jack this season and was genuinely touched by his sacrifice in the finale.

They definitely managed to redeem his character. Now, only if they could have done the same with Kate.