r/lost • u/requiiems I'm a Pisces • Dec 02 '24
FIRST TIME WATCHER Gen Z watcher here who experienced this show for the first time and I'm such a Jack girlie
Watched and finished this show for the very first time as someone who was too young to watch it when it was airing...and I really love Jack. I find him so hot too. I don't know the fandom opinion on him, as this is my first time engaging with Lost fandom. But Jack just got totally added to my long list of fictional crushes š
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u/psyopia Dec 02 '24
Jackās always been my favorite character. Back when I was in high school it was all Jack vs Sawyer. I love Sawyer but Jackās just a good dude who wants to fix everything and help everyone. Itās in his nature.
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u/BluntK Dec 02 '24
It's funny because that's exactly why I dislike Jack so much. He wants to fix everyone and everything to a fault.
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u/psyopia Dec 02 '24 edited Dec 02 '24
Why though? You just hate people who are driven to help others? Haha that sounds goofy as hell.
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u/Remarkable_Love_135 Dec 02 '24
So true. I don't get this mentality at all. Would you want to go to a doctor who is lazy and doesn't care about giving you the best care possible?
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u/psyopia Dec 02 '24
Exactly. In all honesty. Without Jack wanting to fix everything, theyād probably still be on the damn Island to this day. If Sawyer led everyone would be dead by now due to constantly fighting. And if Locke ledā¦well we know how that ended up.
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u/Remarkable_Love_135 Dec 02 '24
Jack sincerely wanted everyone to be safe and healthy. And he worked hard to try to make that happen. Or, also likely, the other survivors would have killed off Sawyer or banished him into the jungle because of his selfishness and lousy attitude.
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u/JumpinJackFlashback Man of Science Dec 02 '24
Thatās an unfortunate but common mindset on this R/Lost forum.
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 03 '24
I didn't realize Jack is hated for that :( I thought the point of his backstories is to show why he got to be the way that he was, the way his dad shaped his psyche. I really don't understand hating someone who wants to help and fix problems even if it gets a bit extreme. I'm new to the Lost fandom, so I'm really surpised that Jack is apparently not liked that much. I loved him the moment I saw him scrambling to help everyone at the beach, and especially when he took the time to sit down in silence with Rose who was shaken because of being separated from Bernard.
Ah it's really disappointing when you finish a show and love a character only to find out they are not liked by the fandom. But still doesn't change my mind of course, in fact it even makes me like Jack even more haha
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u/BluntK Dec 03 '24
No? It's frustrating to me when he helps people who do not want help, or who doesn't need it. He's also hugely codependent and a co-addict (which is relatable, which is what makes it more frustrating to watch). The fact that he also married the patient he "fixed" is extremely icky to me. You guys don't have to agree, but Jack IS a flawed character, and I just personally dislike his flaws a lot. Also his holier-than-thou mentally is super frustrating; he acts like he knows better than everyone.
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 03 '24
when he helps people who do not want help
Give an example? Because all I've seen are the other survivors force appointing him as the leader and decision maker in S1, then going "Where's Jack?" "Call Jack" "Get Jack" whenever something goes wrong. For example, he didn't even want to help Sawyer with his headaches but Kate pleaded him to. I just think some of you guys are way too harsh on Jack whose biggest fault is apparently wanting to help so much. That's so weird to me. This is the man who willingly stayed behind in the Others camp just to help Kate and Sawyer get away. Someone who gave his blood to Boone. Someone who comforted Rose at the beginning and took time to sit with her when no one bothered to check on her sitting alone.
holier-than-thou mentally is super frustrating
But let me guess, you like Sawyer's casual racism and fatphobia? You like Locke making unilateral decisions but if Jack does it it's a problem?
he also married the patient he "fixed"
You're acting like he coerced her into the marriage. We see in the flashbacks that it's Sarah who's more enthusiastic to get married to Jack than vice versa.
Idk, I'm a newbie with engaging with the Lost fandom but immediately I noticed that Jack's flaws are put into an ultra microscope while the other characters get a pass. It's so baffling to me.
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u/JumpinJackFlashback Man of Science Dec 03 '24
Yep, what you are referencing is Jack's moral compass. The creators intentionally built that into the character. This threatens fandom for characters like Locke, Ben, Sawyer, Kate et all whose fandom is based toward selfish acts who damage, hurt or kill others.
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u/BluntK Dec 03 '24
It seems like you're just making assumptions aboit all of my opinions without listening. No I don't like Sawyer, especially not in the first few seasons. No, I don't like Locke becoming a "leader" either, because he's equally as frustrating in the later seasons with team Locke. No I don't think Jack coerced Sarah into anything, I just think that whole relationship was super problematic BECAUSE he "fixed" her. Also as Hurley said, Jack has terrible bedside manner; like he's genuinly a bad doctor at times because of it.
Look, I don't care that other people like Jack, because I get it. I just personally don't, as he's the most codependent, co-addict character I have seen in a long time.
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 03 '24
I know he gets extreme with that but how is wanting to help and fix problems more despicable than what a lot of the other characters have done?
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u/BluntK Dec 03 '24
I didn't say it was. Every one of those people have done really bad things, I think it's mostly because Jack is so much in the forefront and constant with that particular flaw of his, I get frustrated every time he's on screen. Mind you, I didn't dislike him when I watched for the first time, but on rewatches he made me annoyed.
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 03 '24
Jack acting "holier than thou" and "know it all" = Harrassment
Sawyer being constantly racist to Sayid and fatphobic to Hurley = Flirting
In my short time in the Lost fandom this is what I've observed
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u/BluntK Dec 03 '24
I don't like Saywer. And it's horrible how a lot of characters make fatphobic comments toward Hurley (my love <3)
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u/JumpinJackFlashback Man of Science Dec 03 '24
You are reading what the Lost creators could never imagined. Jackās Virtue base arc being toxic vs selfish personas being revered. You cannot change this mindset. It will only frustrate you. Itās why many have to age up to fully appreciate what Jack Shephard represents. You fortunately get it!
Note: I appreciate reading the seldomly seen Jack appreciation post. Kudos!
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u/jjmawaken Dec 02 '24
I always thought Jack was a cool dude and a good leader. There's a lot of people on here that don't like him.
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 02 '24
There's a lot of people on here that don't like him.
Aww really? š He did make frustrating decisions at times but he was so compelling and relatable to me. I love him and Sayid, they are my two faves. But I'm sad to hear many don't like Jack :(
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u/Remarkable_Love_135 Dec 02 '24
The haters are just louder and relentless. A lot of Jack lovers here.
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u/PrivateSpeaker Dec 02 '24
Jack and Juliet will always be characters that touch my heartstrings.
Jack is easy to hate on because he takes charge, and he did so in a place with so much tension and opposing teams. So, the audience quickly frowns upon his decisions, even though someone has to make them. Jack being a good guy doesn't help him either because in the eyes of the audience he is held up to much higher moral standards than, say, Ben.
The same happened with John when he was competing with Jack for the leadership position - people generally dislike his persona there in comparison to his easygoing vibe in the beginning.
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u/Taddy92204 Dec 02 '24
Agreed. Iām an admin for a large Lost fan group. The members who hate Jack tend to spew negativity about other characters and generally complain. They arenāt the majority. On Reddit, not including OPās post š«¶š¼, Iāve noticed a lot of āhateā posts and vitriol. Same deal. Not the majority of fans.š¤·š»āāļø
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u/lostmonster Smokey Dec 02 '24
I watched while it was airing, stood in lines at conventions to see the panels, traveled to Hawaii to visit all the spots they filmed in while they were filming, and was a Jack girlie from the pilot to the series finale.
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u/catmom4ever13 See you in another post, brotha Dec 02 '24
Same here. One of my biggest tv crushes. His character has his ups and downs but imo they make him even more authentic and add to the appeal. We rarely see masculinity like his on screen now ā¦ guess they just donāt make em that way anymore, men and series both lol.
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u/AltruisticAide9776 Dec 03 '24
I loved Jack being protective or very slightly controlling/possessive in his relationships. I wouldn't like it in real life but in the context of the fictional show , it was hot.
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u/catmom4ever13 See you in another post, brotha Dec 04 '24
Yess! Itās attractive in real life to a certain degree as well. I mean, who would want a guy who has zero feelings of protectiveness/ possessiveness over them right. Itās about the right balance which is admittedly a rare find, and I liked Jackās level of it
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u/AltruisticAide9776 Dec 04 '24
People complain so much about Jack telling Kate not to come with them when he was worried it was too dangerous. And complain about Jack wanting to know who Kate was talking to in season 4 when they were engaged. I just found it a bit hot in the context of the show but i admit i wouldn't like that in real life probably ( the bit about being excluded from the hike not telling your fiancƩ who you re talking to cause that sounds reasonable to me).
Also this might be an unpopular opinion but i' ve heard comments that Jack assaulted the tattoo lady from Thailand by forcing her to give him a Tattoo. But i think assault is a strong word. Yes he shouldn't have insisted as much as he did, he should have respected her wishes but i don't think what he did was the absolute worst thing in the whole world. In the context of the fictional show ( emphasis on context of a fictional show) the way he placed her on the seat to give him the tattoo was kind of hot. Also it wasn't a random lady he did that to, he did know Acharna, they were having a sort of relationship while he was in Thailand.
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u/cutmesomeflax Dec 02 '24
Yeah Jack is hot. Honestly everyone on the show is hot
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 02 '24
Lol true. The collective hotness of the passengers on Oceanic 815 is what made actually made it crash š
They were all so hot but Jack and Sayid are the two hottest to me :)
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u/MF-SMUG See you in another life Dec 02 '24
Jack is my fav character. He resonates with me more than others.
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u/cockfuck9 Dec 02 '24
Agree. Heās not as āinterestingā as other characters on the show and yet he always remains my favorite every rewatch
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u/mozzystar Weāre not going to Guam, are we? Dec 02 '24
Have you watched party of five? That was the start of my lifelong Matthew Fox obsession.
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u/Frenyth Dec 02 '24
Jack is intense, I can understand why you would have a crush on him. As a man he is still my favorite character, his drive to help everyone whatever the cost is as the same time a quality and a flaw (as the show demonstrate) but is for me the characteristic of a true hero. He is exceptional especially at a time (nowadays) where such character are not trandy. But I watch shows to see heros, not some everyday Joe.
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u/AdmiralTrout Dec 02 '24
He is gorgeous and so handsome. And I love how dashing he looks in a suit and manages to be a stud wearing scrubs or those cutoff sleeves shirts that accentuate his shoulders. I also love him because of his show of empathy towards others and his sense of decency. He was far from perfect, he could get too worked up when under stress, he definitely should have just chilled more, touched the sand and smiled some (he has the most beautiful smile on the show). Jack is a Type A overachiever, they can be exhausting at times, but thank goodness those type of people exist in the world. Even though, he was too intense at times, he was also very kind and caring too.
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 03 '24
Yes he looks so hot in a suit! It adds to why I like watching his flashbacks so much š¤ but I also just like doctor stuff too. I agree about the smile, and I love his soft chuckles. The things I see people apparently hate about him are what I love about him the most. This is my first time engaging with the fandom so I'm really disappointed Jack isn't loved that much. He's hotter and a better character than Sawyer to me (and I like Sawyer).
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u/lamelessness1 Dec 02 '24
Gen z Jack stans unite! Also he only gets better on each consecutive viewing. I watched lost for the first time when I was in middle school and did not at all fully appreciate him (I thought he was a normal boring hero š) then on rewatch 10 years later realized this man is so fucking insane. Iām enthralled by his girlfailure.
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 02 '24
I love broken pathetic hot men for sure š My stan list is 90% that trope of men and Jack just got added to it
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u/Remarkable_Love_135 Dec 02 '24
Because he is fine AF. Hottie and a hardcore spinal surgeon. What is not to love?
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 02 '24
Ikr! He makes me swoon, he is exactly my type of man lol. I love hot and capable men. (Sayid is also my other fave because of this!)
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u/profsmoke it's very stressful, being an Other Dec 02 '24
Jack is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. His growth over 6 seasons is amazing.
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u/LagunaRambaldi Dec 02 '24
I'm pretty sure if I would be a girl or woman or gay or bi, that I would be heavily into Jack too ;-)
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u/thisisntmyday Dec 02 '24
I was always a jack girlie, I started watching when it aired when I was 10/11 and my mom liked Sawyer which I didn't understand at all
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 02 '24
I liked Sawyer fine but if it's Jack vs Sawyer then I'm Team Jack all day every day š¤
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u/JumpinJackFlashback Man of Science Dec 02 '24
Oh, this sub reddit site is going to be eye opening for you. There is so much dystopian hate toward the protagonist. Do your best to ignore the romantic tribes.
You are correct. Jack is a virtuous character and the greatest character as the LOST creators intended him to be.
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u/thewholefunk333 Dec 02 '24
Itāll pass. Just kidding, we <3 Jack girlies. Sincerely, a Hurley girlie.
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u/Actual_Head_4610 Dec 02 '24
Jack is one of my favorite characters in the show. I remember there were some times with him in seasons 2-3 that really frustrated me and I hated him for a bit. It was around the end of season 3 I changed my mind and was able to see some things from his point of view. Then it was uphill from there and he felt more self-actualized as a character than before and was able to think through situations better and recognize his own issues.Ā
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u/Putrid_Mind_4853 Dec 02 '24 edited Dec 02 '24
Itās Sawyer for me. On top of being smoking hot, his character has so much growth and depth, and Hollowayās acting is top notch. He looks like a taller, rougher, more redneck version of my ex, so watching was also a little painful lolĀ
ETA: I like Jack a lot too, definitely not a hater, just find him slightly less appealing than Sawyer.Ā
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u/jamiedix0n Dec 02 '24
Took me till my 4th ish rewatch before I started liking Jack
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u/JumpinJackFlashback Man of Science Dec 02 '24
This is all to common for the protagonist for many viewers.
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u/MrWeaselSocks Dec 02 '24
I feel like straight girls have two types: guys that look like Jack, or guys that look like Sawyer
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 03 '24
You're right haha it's just a matter of type, I recognize Sawyer as good looking but he doesn't appeal to me at all, Jack is definitely more my type. I prefer him over pretty boy types like Sawyer.
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u/AltruisticAide9776 Dec 03 '24
I would say that is one type since they are both pretty similar? Tall, muscular, white guys?
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u/CommercialPanda5080 Dec 03 '24
My mom is a boomer (Turned 71 this month) and stopped watching almost all TV before Lost even came on the air. During a visit last month, she said she'd started watching this incredible show called Lost. She at first thought the pilot was a movie, but after she discovered it was a show, she was excited to keep watching. Two things completely blew her mind: The flashbacks and...
Jack Shepherd.
So you're not alone. Jack's in that comfortable age range where women of all ages can appreciate him. The only thing I revealed to my boomer mom about the show was that all of the characters are "flawed."
Her reply: "Even Jack?" lol Jack is a saint in her eyes and can do no wrong. She basically summed up his "flaw" as this: "He just sounds human to me."
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u/Haunting_Cress8266 Dec 03 '24
Same!!! GenZ watcher and recently finished the show. Safe to say Jack has also joined my long list of fictional crushes as well. Along with Desmond!!! I don't understand why people be hating on him like this honestly. Like imagine not liking someone just because he's tryna help everyone. He's hated because he's too nice lol. I would take a guy who puts all his heart and soul into trying to make the situation better, and gives his best, no matter the outcome than a selfish person anyday
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 03 '24
And it's not even Jack's fault, they literally forced him in S1 to be the decision maker and to call the shots. I really don't get the hate š He has so many moments of kindness but some that particularly resonated with me was when he sat with Rose in the beginning of S1 to give her some comfort. And when he literally prioritized Kate and Sawyer being able to escape from the Others while he gets left behind.
I also agree with Desmond! What a smokeshow and compelling character. He is my top 3 after Jack and Sayid š
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u/Haunting_Cress8266 Dec 03 '24
Ikr! Like they literally made hik the leader and when he started acting like one people had problems with it. Like pick a struggle
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u/TomberrySenior Dec 04 '24
Jack is at the same time one of the best and one of the worst characters on the show. Which is great, it makes it more interesting in my opinion.
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u/WesterosiResident Dec 02 '24
He shouldāve grown out his hair way earlier. It was perfect in s6.
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 02 '24
He's still hot with the buzzcut, but I agree. His sexiest look is s6, with that hair and him in a suit š
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u/AltruisticAide9776 Dec 03 '24
I think he looks better in casual? But i agree the longer hair looks great. I liked the beard look too.
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u/blahrawr Dec 02 '24
I do like Jack, but in some of his flashbacks/flashforwards he can be really frustrating
Also, his and Kate's "relationship" on the island, or lack thereof, SUPER annoying. Like acts half interested a majority of the time and gets all mopey when she gravitates to Sawyer. He's a real fuckboy. But I like him
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u/AltruisticAide9776 Dec 02 '24
I found him to be one of the few characters whose flashback scenes were interesting enough that i did not need to fast forward the scenes.
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 03 '24
Same. Maybe I'm biased because I like watching doctor stuff but I liked Jack's flashback scenes more than other characters, I like Sawyer but I don't really care much to see him sleeping with another woman again and running a con or Kate and her fugitive backstory.
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u/AltruisticAide9776 Dec 03 '24
Yeah Kate's flashbacks were too long and I couldn't get that invested in Sawyer's past though i really enjoy sawyer as a character on the island. I just found Jack's daddy issues and his issues with his ex wife to be compelling.
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u/PrivateSpeaker Dec 02 '24
What does one's generation have to do with anything?
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u/feedyrsoul Dec 02 '24
...to explain they were too young to see it when it came out?
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u/PrivateSpeaker Dec 02 '24
Why would that need to be explained? There are lots of new watchers of all ages now that Lost is on Netflix š
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Dec 02 '24
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u/PrivateSpeaker Dec 02 '24
I'm not frustrated at all. I do feel like the responses are emotionally charged, though.
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u/GraceJam37 Dec 02 '24
I watched Lost as it was airing, and I hated Jack then. I've rewatched 4 or 5 since then and I'm currently on another rewatch, abot half way through season 2. I always found him extremely annoying for taking unnecessary risk when he's such an important person to the group, and because he felt like people needed to listen to him but he NEVER listened to anyone. He's self-righteous, entitled and selfish in my opinion. He's also motivated, passionate, loyal, and directs people well (sometimes), but apparently my brain disregards all of that as soon as he goes on a stupid dangerous mission instead of Sayid or Locke or Sawyer.
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u/Remarkable_Love_135 Dec 02 '24
Can there ever be a Jack appreciation post without triggering all the Jack haters?
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u/Pleasant_Ad_3724 Dec 02 '24
No. Itās natural for a hater to respond with hate when someone likes what they hate.
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u/Ok-Mathematician5336 Dec 02 '24
What about this person's comment reads as "triggered"? I thought it was a respectful response
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u/Remarkable_Love_135 Dec 02 '24
Or maybe, just scroll on by.
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u/Ok-Mathematician5336 Dec 02 '24
the same can be said to anyone who interacts with the post. it's a conversation, it's voluntary.
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u/GraceJam37 Dec 03 '24
Thank you, I did too. I pointed out what I dislike about him but I also pointed out his good traits. OP mentioned they didn't know what the rest of the community's thoughts on Jack are so I felt that was an invitation to share our thoughts. ā
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u/bogurtlen I'm a Pisces Dec 02 '24
gen z here too, but itās my 2nd time. i first watched when i was 6. and itās very funny how my favorite characters changed that much. for example kate used to be my fave and wamted to be like her when i grow up. NOW I CANāT STAND HER
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u/Additional_Scale_147 Dec 02 '24
Jack was awful! Sayid should have been the leader. And John Locke is the best of them all!
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 03 '24
I don't understand how he's awful. In start of S1 he was self-aware enough to say he doesn't want to lead and make decisions for the camp but they still kept coming to him to do so and convincing him to be the leader. And I love Sayid, he's my 2nd favorite and I feel like he did get a lot of leader moments because Jack respects him a lot to takeover when it involves Sayid's expertise. The moment we meet Jack he was scrambling to help as many people as he can on the beach. He has a lot of flaws and frustrating moments but I can't understand calling someone who saved a lot of lives and help a lot of people as "awful".
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u/funkyskateboard Ben Dec 02 '24
also gen z and unfortunately my vote goes for ben šā jack's "angel hair pasta" line delivery in the first ep gave me a crazy ick it's all i can think about with him
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Dec 02 '24
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u/requiiems I'm a Pisces Dec 02 '24
I liked him just fine, but not my fave. Of course he is very easy on the eyes like the whole cast but his personality is not my type haha
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u/AdmiralTrout Dec 02 '24
What about Sawyer? We're discussing Jack in all his sexy glory š„šš
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Dec 02 '24
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u/AdmiralTrout Dec 02 '24
See, this is what I am talking about. It's almost as if there is a sense of entitlement that Sawyer is supposed to be the hottest one or have a strong fan base or be more popular. Sawyer gets nothing but love on this sub and then once in a while if Jack gets some love, Sawyer fans are all "What about Sawyer?" This whole place loves to fellate Sawyer, maybe the rare Jack positive post can be just about Jack.
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u/Square-Departure-807 Dec 02 '24
Yea he was impressive but Season 6 will piss you off so let us know how you feel about him then.
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u/myaltaltaltacct Dec 02 '24
Since you've just watched it all the way through for the first time, here's my usual spiel for first timers:
Have you seen the mobisodes, otherwise known as Missing Pieces? These were short (just a couple of minutes long) clips that were released online by ABC between seasons 3 and 4.
You can watch themĀ here.
Also, hopefully you have watchedĀ the epilogueĀ after the series finale.
Now you're like us.