Episode Report Card Daniel: C- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Jack On Crack
By Daniel | Season 3 | Episode 1 | Aired on 10.03.2006
He follows her out of the station, which means he gets to spot the man waiting for her, who isn't waiting in the car like a normal person would, but standing there leaning on the car. So now we get to watch another soap-opera argument about who this guy is and why it matters and blah blah blah blah, and this is certainly more interesting than checking in on Locke, or Eko, or Hurley, or Claire, or Desmond, or even freakin' Charlie, isn't it? Sarah gives him a lecture about how Jack's dad called her to help, and that he was so drunk he could hardly understand him. "Look at the bright side. Now you have something to fix," she says, and stomps away without telling Jack what this guy's name is.
So we've been set up to think, now that we're back on the island, that Jack's going to ask Juliet what this guy's name is. But anyone who's watched a television show before knows that that's not what he's going to ask. I have a three-month-old daughter, and even she was all, "I bet he doesn't ask what that guy's name is!" And several people (myself included) were able to predict the maudlin "Is she happy?" question that Jack comes up with. Juliet smiles and says Sarah's very happy. And Jack starts to sob. I'm not saying it wasn't well-acted. I'm just saying it was boring.
But that's okay, right, because we're in the final minute here, so given the lack of any real plot this episode, I'm sure there's going to be a killer cliffhanger, right? Like finding out Rousseau's transmission had been broadcasting for sixteen years? Like Ethan not having been on the plane? Or Michael shooting Libby and Ana-Lucia? Wait for it...
Juliet says she has some food and water for Jack, but she needs to know she can trust him to be good. Jack's spent, and meekly sits against the wall. Juliet walks out into the hall. Ben's standing there. Here it comes... "Good work, Juliet," he says, with a little string stinger to set up Juliet's response. This is gonna be fuckin' great...
"Thank you, Ben," she says, and walks by, and the camera zooms in on Ben. And... that's it. Huh? Hold on, let me rewind that; I must have missed something.
"Thank you, Ben," she says, and... no, I didn't miss anything. Is it me, or with the music and the camera angles, was this not all played up like it's a big shocking reveal? But weren't we supposed to know that Henry is actually Ben from his "I guess I'm out of the book club" line? I'm confused. And disappointed. And I need a drink.