Am I The Only One Who Likes The "New" Jack?

[KoKoNut]

I think Jack is accepting that whatever the Island has planned for them, it's going to happen.  That no matter what he does, things are going to be as they may.  Personally I was thrilled with his apathetic stance, but the way things keep changing, whose to say?

A friend of mine commented that he seems to be evolving into a version of Locke.

Maybe that's it....he's too Forrest Gump-y for me. He took action by saying, "No I won't operate on Ben," but when Kate et al tried to convince him, he didn't really have much motivation for his decision besides "Whatever dude; whatever happens, happens." 

Ooops, had to fix my post. I was NOT thrilled with his apathy!  I agree, that not too excited that he's taken this attitude.

[GUTZandRAGE]

I like the new Jack. But, to me, he seems tired. It looks like is wasting away before our very eyes. He looks very sad and morose. In a way, it is good he is trying to be more open-minded, but I fear what will become of him once this is all said and done. His road may be a dark and woeful one.

[KoKoNut]

I like the new Jack. But, to me, he seems tired. It looks like is wasting away before our very eyes. He looks very sad and morose. In a way, it is good he is trying to be more open-minded, but I fear what will become of him once this is all said and done. His road may be a dark and woeful one.

No doubt about that GUTZ.  And you're right, it's almost like he's just given up in a sense.

[BobBX542]

Well think about it. You live your whole life with one set of ideas and beliefs, and then not only are you being forced to believe this other set of values that is completely opposite of yours, you're being forced to live them as well. That would surely take it's toll on your mindset.

[CaseyMac]

I like the new Jack. But, to me, he seems tired. It looks like is wasting away before our very eyes. He looks very sad and morose. In a way, it is good he is trying to be more open-minded, but I fear what will become of him once this is all said and done. His road may be a dark and woeful one.

No doubt about that GUTZ.  And you're right, it's almost like he's just given up in a sense.

I think you guys are right. I don't know how much he's really "given up" though.

I mean, I think he's probably a little heartbroken because of not getting any love from Kate or Juliet. However, I think he's just more relaxed instead of depressed.

Instead of being the leader (which he was reluctant about even in season 1) he's kind of just along for the ride. He believes, like Locke did, that he has a purpose, and he's just waiting for that to play out.

For example, Locke might have been more relaxed in earlier seasons if he didn't have to convince Jack to just have faith in the island.

So is he heartbroken? Maybe a bit, but I believe he's just more relaxed. He definitely has not given up though, he has not yet even begun to fight.

[nomteticus]

Love the new Jack. He's cool, relaxed, and teleological.
Love the new Kate. She's caring, considerate and unselfish.
Love the new Juliet. She's honest, loving, and apparently she can both cook and repair cars.
Love the new Sawyer. He's the leader he was always supposed to be.

This season is the best.

[Maxor127]

New Jack is amusing and frustrating at the same time.  I just think it's pretty cold for anyone to turn their back on a dying kid like that even if he is Ben.  It was pretty ballsy though, and you can't argue with his logic minus when he said Miles said Ben would be fine as if Miles' word was law.  It almost seems like Jack is taking the faith thing too far, like he's just along for the ride on the crazy island roller coaster.  I'm waiting for Smokey to pop out and Jack will go "ooooo that's scary!"  Smokey will start dragging him with Jack going "wheeeeee!"  Then Smokey will tear Jack's face off.  There has to be a moral to that somewhere.

[PrincessLeia]

I find it weird that his addictions aren't a struggle for him now, its like he was never alcholic or drug addict, unfortunely thatsw not how it works...

It is a little odd considering how Charlie's painful detox was highlighted in s1.

I'd love Jack taking a stand....but it seems like he's doing it arbitrarily. All he knows is that he was supposed to come back. How does he know the island didn't bring him back to operate on Ben? I like that he's making up his mind about things, and sticking to it, but he doesn't seem to have any motives behind what it is, exactly, he's adamant about. I felt like he was childish, more of a "No, I don't feel like it; I already did that. Waa waa waa." He was fine giving up all his responsibility to come to the island....so....when is he going to man up and be responsible for something again?

He wasn't crying. That's good. But he didn't care about anything, either. And that's bad. 

I'm with you.  While I'm starting to see that he's not trying to be the leader & "fix" everything, I don't see his actions last night much different than him refusing to push the button in s2.  @ least back then, he gave in to the possibility of his actions contributing toward the will of the Island.  He's now become this hyper-Calvinist that will use the "I'll just let the Island decide" excuse to shirk any responsibility.  We're all happy isn't trying to lead, but then he won't allow himself to be led either! 

He came back, but says he doesn't know why.  (The "Whatever Happened Happened" discussion aside...) maybe he was supposed to come back to save Ben's life & preserve his innocence.  Nicely done. lol  He just caused the very thing he was trying to prevent.

[vickilynn]

I like the new Jack a whole lot more than the old one! I loved it when he said to Kate, "You didn't like the old me," after Kate told him she doesn't like the "new Jack."

Also...what IS Jack supposed to do on the island? I can't wait to find out. First time I've cared about what he was going to do.

[nomteticus]

Nope. Since what happened, happened, he was not there to save Ben. If he did, there's a big chance that events would have changed. Ben not going to the temple, Widmore possibly not being kicked out, purge may have not happened. So Jack uses his intuition, just like Locke did back in S1. He knows he is not supposed to save Ben. His Janitor costume is a reminder of the fact that he is reborn on the island, and this time he's not the hotshot doctor, but the humble janitor. Not saving Ben is quite selfless. He's not doing it because Ben is a bad guy. He just knows deep inside that he's not supposed to interfere. I thought that was made pretty clear.

[WhatThe]

I'd love Jack taking a stand....but it seems like he's doing it arbitrarily. All he knows is that he was supposed to come back. How does he know the island didn't bring him back to operate on Ben? I like that he's making up his mind about things, and sticking to it, but he doesn't seem to have any motives behind what it is, exactly, he's adamant about. I felt like he was childish, more of a "No, I don't feel like it; I already did that. Waa waa waa." He was fine giving up all his responsibility to come to the island....so....when is he going to man up and be responsible for something again?

He wasn't crying. That's good. But he didn't care about anything, either. And that's bad. 

]
That's because he overheard Hurley and Miles' discussion about "Whatever happened, happened". Since Ben is alive in 2007, Jack didn't need to tell himself that the island brought him back in order to save him....it just didn't feel like that was it in his mind and heart. He was literally stepping out of the island's way and saying "If the island wanted Ben to live, he'll live."

And I do think he cared about something...mainly, Jack cared about why he was meant to come back to the island. To me, it was almost as if he elevated his concerns over the smaller things and is concentrating on something a bit higher now.

[GUTZandRAGE]

Ben threw Jack's pills away, and I am unsure, but I believe he hastily refused a beer when Sawyer offered him one. Plus, he looks like ****. His addiction probably will not be dealt with as dramatically as Charlie's, but it's not just completely gone. We haven't really seen enough of him since he got back. Specially how he copes when he is alone.

[WhatThe]

Nope. Since what happened, happened, he was not there to save Ben. If he did, there's a big chance that events would have changed. Ben not going to the temple, Widmore possibly not being kicked out, purge may have not happened. So Jack uses his intuition, just like Locke did back in S1. He knows he is not supposed to save Ben. His Janitor costume is a reminder of the fact that he is reborn on the island, and this time he's not the hotshot doctor, but the humble janitor. Not saving Ben is quite selfless. He's not doing it because Ben is a bad guy. He just knows deep inside that he's not supposed to interfere. I thought that was made pretty clear.

Exactly, that's how I interpreted it as well. This is an evolution of the character. Having Jack take a "whatever, dude, I don't care" stance would be him backsliding...and so far, I don't think any of the characters this season have regressed in their character development, outside of possibly Sayid.

[WhatThe]

Ben threw Jack's pills away, and I am unsure, but I believe he hastily refused a beer when Sawyer offered him one. Plus, he looks like ****. His addiction probably will not be dealt with as dramatically as Charlie's, but it's not just completely gone. We haven't really seen enough of him since he got back. Specially how he copes when he is alone.

That's also a good point...Charlie had his heroin on the damn plane lol . Jack's "detox" seemed to have started well before he went back to the island. But I also think that, as with Locke, once Jack had that faith and was willing to follow it, the island "healed" his addiction like it healed Locke's legs.

[Mrs Alpert]

Ben threw Jack's pills away, and I am unsure, but I believe he hastily refused a beer when Sawyer offered him one. Plus, he looks like ****. His addiction probably will not be dealt with as dramatically as Charlie's, but it's not just completely gone. We haven't really seen enough of him since he got back. Specially how he copes when he is alone.

I agree...plus, this is the man that wanted to take out his appendix himself, and within hours of surgery was trekking through the jungle with a mission. So I think he'll handle the detox better than the average person.

Since what happened, happened, he was not there to save Ben. If he did, there's a big chance that events would have changed. Ben not going to the temple, Widmore possibly not being kicked out, purge may have not happened. So Jack uses his intuition, just like Locke did back in S1. He knows he is not supposed to save Ben. His Janitor costume is a reminder of the fact that he is reborn on the island, and this time he's not the hotshot doctor, but the humble janitor. Not saving Ben is quite selfless. He's not doing it because Ben is a bad guy. He just knows deep inside that he's not supposed to interfere. I thought that was made pretty clear.

This seems contradictory to me...because Jack chooses to NOT save Ben, Ben is taken to the temple where he loses his innocence, because whatever happened, happened. Jack is--once again--going to the extreme, except this time, he did it with faith. He has too much faith now! If he had just a little less, he may have believed that he had to save Ben...and he at least would have tried. Surely Ben would have ended up at the temple either way (WHH), but Jack would still have been an intriguing character. Right now he's reminding more of Bartleby the Scrivener.  Just riding the wave of fate...no responsibility...wheeeee! Like Maxor says.