V
verdantheart
Guest
Yes, I do have a couple of extra things to say about Jack Bristow that I didn’t say in the Family column this week (I’m just slow). Just a couple of things, but here goes.
Here we see Jack working behind the scenes, even criminally, to save his daughter. This is nothing new. But there is a difference. This time, Jack and Sydney are in sync, working together. During the first season, Sydney needed to adjust to and comprehend who her father was. She could not trust the man whom she had seen as a distant, uninvolved, and unimaginative figure--especially when he turned out to be something else entirely than what she had always imagined him to be.
And just as they were coming closer and their work together at SD-6 was forcing them into a position of mutual trust, Irina stepped in. And Sydney’s desire to trust her mother combined with her father’s fear that her mother would use that trust to fulfill her own goals to the extent that it would irreparably harm or even kill Sydney in such a way that father and daughter were again separated. Follow that? Whew! Try as though Jack might to be honest with his assessment of Irina and even discuss Sydney’s feelings about her--not easy for him--Sydney simply wasn’t being honest with herself. She insisted that she was being objective when she wasn’t. And Jack, opposed on all fronts, felt forced to go it alone and wound up in a losing proposition (trying to nullify her immunity agreement). So eventually he ended up going it alone on plan B, an even more subtle subterfuge--playing the sacrificial lamb.
But now we seem to have progressed a bit beyond where we were at the beginning of season 2. We haven’t seen Sydney take Jack’s arm yet, but here they are, working together. Jack has had enough trust in his daughter to tell her the hard facts of her situation and keep her up to date on what’s happening. Not only that, he tells her he’s going to do something about it. And although Jack doesn’t share the details of his plans with Sydney, she must know that he might well have to resort to means that are less than completely above-board to get her out of her problems. Jack, in fact, has to resort to hiring a computer criminal he had formerly dealt with in--shall we say--somewhat less favorable circumstances to help him corrupt Marshall’s work in time to buy himself and Sydney time to learn what has happened to her.
There’s another change (and perhaps this should be in the family column). Jack’s treating Sydney more like an equal than he ever has before. They’re working together on more of an equal basis. Sure, he still has a father’s goals (the NSC won’t tear Sydney’s mind apart while he’s living), but he explains them to Sydney now. And although Jack only say’s “I’ve taken care of it,” Sydney is now aware of the situation he’s addressing and Jack knows that Sydney realizes the implications of his words, and of her thanks. He expects her to be able to maintain her focus and handle herself on her own when she has to. And she really had to in “The Two” (3:01).
Meanwhile, Jack quizzes Sydney on Lauren’s response to her and with good reason. Lauren is investigating Lazarey’s death. Is he assessing how personal a turn things are likely to take if Lauren gets her nose on the right trail? Jack conveniently volunteers to assist in the investigation to keep an eye on her--and Marshall.
Jack’s interaction with the hacker is classic Jack. He literally lets money do the talking. When the hacker objects to the deal, saying that Jack’s proposal violates his parole, Jack simply tosses an envelope filled with cash on the table. When he complains about the deadline, Jack responds with a stony silence. Not much for negotiation. “You can kiss me,” indeed.
Random thoughts . . .
Wondering what happened with Jack’s own investigation into Lazarey’s death. What did he find at his and Irina’s FTP dropsite?
On a similar note, I’m wondering what he did with Sloane’s leads on Sydney & what they contained.
"As long as I'm alive--" That's Jack's pledge to his daughter, isn't it? To protect her with his life. To make that promise his first priority--for as long as he's alive.
And, really, don’t you think it’s time Sydney invited her father to dinner again? You know he’ll probably be too shy to ask her. Hopefully she’ll think to invite him to Thanksgiving dinner this year . . .
Discuss . . .
Do you agree that Jack is treating Sydney less like a child and more like an equal now?
Do you think Jack sees Lauren as a potential enemy for his daughter?
Need I even ask whether you agree that Jack did the right thing in breaking the law to protect Sydney’s secret?
Next:
Jack becomes so desperate that he resorts--gasp!--to trusting someone (who isn’t Sydney, that is)?
Here we see Jack working behind the scenes, even criminally, to save his daughter. This is nothing new. But there is a difference. This time, Jack and Sydney are in sync, working together. During the first season, Sydney needed to adjust to and comprehend who her father was. She could not trust the man whom she had seen as a distant, uninvolved, and unimaginative figure--especially when he turned out to be something else entirely than what she had always imagined him to be.
And just as they were coming closer and their work together at SD-6 was forcing them into a position of mutual trust, Irina stepped in. And Sydney’s desire to trust her mother combined with her father’s fear that her mother would use that trust to fulfill her own goals to the extent that it would irreparably harm or even kill Sydney in such a way that father and daughter were again separated. Follow that? Whew! Try as though Jack might to be honest with his assessment of Irina and even discuss Sydney’s feelings about her--not easy for him--Sydney simply wasn’t being honest with herself. She insisted that she was being objective when she wasn’t. And Jack, opposed on all fronts, felt forced to go it alone and wound up in a losing proposition (trying to nullify her immunity agreement). So eventually he ended up going it alone on plan B, an even more subtle subterfuge--playing the sacrificial lamb.
But now we seem to have progressed a bit beyond where we were at the beginning of season 2. We haven’t seen Sydney take Jack’s arm yet, but here they are, working together. Jack has had enough trust in his daughter to tell her the hard facts of her situation and keep her up to date on what’s happening. Not only that, he tells her he’s going to do something about it. And although Jack doesn’t share the details of his plans with Sydney, she must know that he might well have to resort to means that are less than completely above-board to get her out of her problems. Jack, in fact, has to resort to hiring a computer criminal he had formerly dealt with in--shall we say--somewhat less favorable circumstances to help him corrupt Marshall’s work in time to buy himself and Sydney time to learn what has happened to her.
There’s another change (and perhaps this should be in the family column). Jack’s treating Sydney more like an equal than he ever has before. They’re working together on more of an equal basis. Sure, he still has a father’s goals (the NSC won’t tear Sydney’s mind apart while he’s living), but he explains them to Sydney now. And although Jack only say’s “I’ve taken care of it,” Sydney is now aware of the situation he’s addressing and Jack knows that Sydney realizes the implications of his words, and of her thanks. He expects her to be able to maintain her focus and handle herself on her own when she has to. And she really had to in “The Two” (3:01).
Meanwhile, Jack quizzes Sydney on Lauren’s response to her and with good reason. Lauren is investigating Lazarey’s death. Is he assessing how personal a turn things are likely to take if Lauren gets her nose on the right trail? Jack conveniently volunteers to assist in the investigation to keep an eye on her--and Marshall.
Jack’s interaction with the hacker is classic Jack. He literally lets money do the talking. When the hacker objects to the deal, saying that Jack’s proposal violates his parole, Jack simply tosses an envelope filled with cash on the table. When he complains about the deadline, Jack responds with a stony silence. Not much for negotiation. “You can kiss me,” indeed.
Random thoughts . . .
Wondering what happened with Jack’s own investigation into Lazarey’s death. What did he find at his and Irina’s FTP dropsite?
On a similar note, I’m wondering what he did with Sloane’s leads on Sydney & what they contained.
"As long as I'm alive--" That's Jack's pledge to his daughter, isn't it? To protect her with his life. To make that promise his first priority--for as long as he's alive.
And, really, don’t you think it’s time Sydney invited her father to dinner again? You know he’ll probably be too shy to ask her. Hopefully she’ll think to invite him to Thanksgiving dinner this year . . .
Discuss . . .
Do you agree that Jack is treating Sydney less like a child and more like an equal now?
Do you think Jack sees Lauren as a potential enemy for his daughter?
Need I even ask whether you agree that Jack did the right thing in breaking the law to protect Sydney’s secret?
Next:
Jack becomes so desperate that he resorts--gasp!--to trusting someone (who isn’t Sydney, that is)?
