Lost - The Lighthouse

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Jack

Well here we go again folks - last night it was Jack's turn to take centre stage and deal with the monkey on his back. His father issues have been central to his character since the get go and last night they expanded to not just his experiences with his father but also him as the father (this time for real (is LA real?) and not just as a substitute dad for Aaron). Have we at last experienced the breakthrough Jack needs through him re-connecting with his son, David? Don't forget this is LA Jack and we still have no idea what connection he has to island Jack.

Who's the Mammy?

Let's talk LA to start with. One gigantic question needs to be answered in the Jack story and that is who's the mammy? Clearly Jack's partial estrangement from David has not been since infancy. He mentioned Alice in Wonderland and how he used to read it to him and David also told him that he felt the weight of his father's expectations for him on his shoulders. It seems Jack must have lived and been very involved with David when he was younger. David's house seemed very familiar with him knowing immediately where the spare key was kept. Was this his former marital home? The only nominee for the role of David's mother which popped into my head was Juliet and this seems to be a popular fan theory. We have yet to encounter Juliet in the flash sideways and it seems unlikely that David's mother would be some randomer! She was AWOL for his big audition so clearly Cuse and Lindelof are keen to keep her identity under wraps at least for the moment.

The David/Jack reunion was a little too tidy for my liking last night - years of misunderstanding seemingly resolved with a few minutes of Chopin and an admission from both father and son. David chose not to tell Jack about his continuing with the piano and said we only see each other once a month so "let's just get through it". If anyone seemed to be pushing the other away it was the son, not the father. Perhaps this was also the case with Jack and Christian. Despite his damning "you don't have what it takes" comment (made, I believe, while Christian was drunk), perhaps Shepard senior really did admire and love Jack and maybe LA Jack came to realise that in last night's episode.

Speaking of Mammies!

It was Jack's encounter with his own mother, Margo (Veronica Hammel who is a long-way from Hill Street Blues), which prompted him to try and bridge the gap with David, telling him that perhaps David was feeling about him the way he felt about Christian. Their interlude seemed slightly contrived though to me. "Get over here quick as I can't find the will", cut to a messy room with lots of papers and Jack sitting down clearly not looking for the will, "Oh look here it is" says mother and by the way "who's Claire Littleton?"

Lighthouse

Meanwhile back at the ranch, island Jack is also dwelling on his relationship with his father - a fact which Jacob uses to lure him to the lighthouse. Tell him "you have what it takes" he informs Hurley and sure enough quicker than you can say sign me up Jack is embarking on another father-inspired odyssey which takes him back to the Adam and Eve cave and his father's empty coffin. Did Jack think he was going to meet Christian or Jacob? In the end he met neither.

Hurley was on form last night telling Jack their trip was old school - you and me trekking through the jungle to do something we don't understand (that just about sums up the entire show!). Jacob informed Hurley after Jack trashed the lighthouse that his plan had not failed and that Jack had done exactly what he had intended. So what then would have happened if Hurley had followed Jacob's instruction and turned the dial to 108 (the sum of those numbers)? According to online buzz the name Wallace was beside 108 but I must confess I didn't see it and it means nothing to me. I just about managed to catch Jack's name.

Jack concluded that Jacob had been watching them all along via the Lighthouse but you wonder after Jacob and Hurley's conversation was that really the case or was the Lighthouse just a prop to facilitate Jack's meltdown. Jacob seemed pleased with the turn of events but I must confess I was none the wiser.

Bad hair day

Finally last night we were reintroduced to Claire and received confirmation that three years almost alone in the jungle (with only a skeleton baby for company) plays havoc not just with your hair but also your social skills. Jin looked scared throughout and he was right to be. Apparently sometimes honesty is not the best policy and watch out Kate if Claire ever hears the whole truth. I am looking forward to the gaps in the Claire story being filled in.

A good episode with lots to mull over, my blogs are getting longer by the week but I think that is not a product of me gaining any greater insight rather my deepening confusion.

Still lovin' it though!

Bree Treacy

Let me know what you thought.