Season 4 Sarksaid he loved Lauren~Are they going

[verdantheart]

Getting back to Sark's emotions . . . here's some answers to my column:

And truthfully I believe that it is Sark's own sense of inadequacy that leads him to do this.  I'm probably alone in my opinion here, but I've never gotten over seeing Sark in the way that Sydney described him:  "He's like the cute guy in school that won't take no for an answer."  He's very smart, very calculating and very  manipulative.  However, to me he also is just a boy that wants what he can't have.  In the end, I think the reason Sark pushes Vaughn's buttons is because he knows Vaughn has what Sark will never have: Sydney.  Not to mention the fact that Vaughn did not realize that Lauren was evil.  Sark loves to point this out over and over again to try to make up for the fact that Sydney Bristow wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole.

Good points. I have argued, and will (if anyone forces me to), that Sark is a superior field agent to Vaughn (and certainly he has had more experience), and he knows it. However, he seems compelled to rub it in, doesn't he? He's always respected Sydney's skills and lusted after her--but who has her? Vaughn. Vaughn, whom Sark has bested in the field on several occasions--who had to turn to him to disarm a bomb with a captive audience. Sark is aware that his character is lacking--perhaps this bothers him, even if it is only because it doesn't get him everything he thinks he wants. Or does it go deeper? Can it be that deep down he actually cares that he's "wrong"? Is it all just a case of rebellion against those who "have"? Well, interesting, maybe eventually his motivations might start to work out . . .

What I didn't touch on is the question that arose in my mind was is Sydney really the most important thing to Sark? Or could he really covet what Vaughn is? Could it be that Sark is jealous that Vaughn's basically a decent guy and he's not? Yeah, I know, I hear you all groaning right now . . . but it would explain a lot of his behavior.

 

[MissingSark]

What I didn't touch on is the question that arose in my mind was is Sydney really the most important thing to Sark? Or could he really covet what Vaughn is? Could it be that Sark is jealous that Vaughn's basically a decent guy and he's not? Yeah, I know, I hear you all groaning right now . . . but it would explain a lot of his behavior. 

[post="1238544"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

Well, if Sark really wanted to be like Vaughn, he'd have to have done some major contemplation in his jail cell - which could happen. I'm not bashing your theory because a Sark on the path to redemption could be very interesting. I'm just not sure that, based on S3, an argument can be made for Sark loving Sydney (wanting, yeah, but not loving). I would take what you said and tweak it a bit. I think Sark might be jealous that Vaughn is loved (rather than a decent guy) and Sark knows that he's not. This could make his statement about loving Lauren true. It would also make sense that he hated Vaughn because he has someone like Sydney who loves him deeply while he has someone like Lauren who doesn't treat him very well and still has a thing for her husband. Sark saved Lauren's life by killing Bomani and she didn't even seem very grateful for it. You can also look to his relationship with his father. It seemed fairly obvious that there was no real love between Sark and Lazarey. So, not only does his girlfriend not really love him, his father didn't love him either. Vaughn's got everything going for him in the Love Department (even though he may or may not deserve it).

When looking at Vaughn, Sark could be seeing a reflection of all that he's not which would magnify his evil deeds. He sees a man who "betrayed" the woman he loved by marrying Lauren and yet he is forgiven and loved by Sydney. (Sark's been continually betrayed by his women. Allison ended up prefering Will to him and Lauren prefered Vaughn to him.) He sees a loyal patriot in Vaughn. (For a man with self-professed flexible loyalites, there's no one who will be loyal to him.) The question is: does this bother him? Perhaps. Sark was obviously willing to help the APO - only he wanted to get one last dig in on Vaughn by showing him up before he agreed to help. I guess we'll have to see what happens.

 

[Leslie]

LOL Verdy. It's actually a very good question... My first reaction is to say that he is not jealous. He loves the spygame the way he plays it. He hates rules, which is what Vaughn et al are forced to abide by. He has tried to convince Sydney of the benefit of making ones own rules a few times (i.e. in asking her to work with him instead of for the CIA). ^_^ So I would say no to the jealousy thing.

What he DID envy, for a time, at least (in the cell), was Vaughn's freedom. Sark is by nature an independent man. Confinement in any way shape or form is the worst thing you can do to him (although he loves his own quiet time alone to think, relax, etc.). He was jealous of Vaughn's freedom, and then he saw that Vaughn was his one-way ticket out of jail.

 

[verdantheart]

Well, if Sark really wanted to be like Vaughn, he'd have to have done some major contemplation in his jail cell - which could happen. 

[post="1239175"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

Hm, well, not necessarily. It depends on how introspective this bloke is, and my impression is, not very.

LOL Verdy. It's actually a very good question... My first reaction is to say that he is not jealous. He loves the spygame the way he plays it. He hates rules, which is what Vaughn et al are forced to abide by. He has tried to convince Sydney of the benefit of making ones own rules a few times (i.e. in asking her to work with him instead of for the CIA). ^_^ So I would say no to the jealousy thing.

[post="1239204"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

I'd agree . . . but . . .

Now that I've been thinking about it a little, the problem is that they seem to emphasize a need to show up the "good guys" and prove he's better. While Sloane likes the shadows, Sark's out there yelling, "Look at me, I'm bad!" He's got something to prove and if I have to think about it I have to ask myself who's he trying to prove it to? Probably himself. 'Course he wants to recruit others--it helps him convince himself he's right.

Step back and ask why he hates rules. He's probably started rebelling for the same reasons that most of us do--unfairness. And, of course, he was very good at it and the whole process became rewarding and and end in itself. If he's just a nonconformist, why does tormenting Vaughn give him such pleasure? Because he's a sadist and Vaughn's a particularly easy target? Perhaps. But wouldn't it be interesting if Sark weren't quite so simple?

 

[Leslie]

I think I agree with everything you just said... But what are you implying, exactly? I don't see how what you said means he is jealous of Vaughn... onder:

 

[freelancer7]

I think Sark may see Vaughn as inferior and not good enough for Sydney. Not that he is necessarily protective, but I do think he hold Syd in high regard and has respect for her skills and accomplishments. I think it irritates him that someone so "mundane" as Vaughn has captured her heart. Heck sometimes it irritates me!

I am interested to see if they expand some more on what is going on with him....I think a conflicted Sark would be a great addition to the storyline!

 

[ms.katejones]

^^ If Sark resents Vaughn at all I think it's because of Lauren, not Syd.

 

[Leslie]

Thta's if you think Lauren meant anything other than a good you-know-what to him... I personally don't.

 

[ms.katejones]

I just meant that I think Lauren meant more to Sark than Syd, since they actually had a relationship. I'm not sure I believe he loved her, but I do believe she mattered to him, at least a little.

 

[verdantheart]

I think I agree with everything you just said... But what are you implying, exactly? I don't see how what you said means he is jealous of Vaughn... onder:

[post="1239700"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

Maybe he isn't. But if what I said is true, he certainly wishes he has what Vaughn has, and perhaps by extension wishes, in some ways, he was what Vaughn is (that is, "upstanding" and "a decent guy"). He feels that in some ways (as an agent) he surpasses Vaughn . . . if he weren't on the "wrong side," who knows? So, if these factors were all in play, there could be some subconscious jealousy. However, that's a few ifs to overcome.

Just stretching my imagination here.

 

[Leslie]

I don't think Sark's desire to be the best means that he wants to be Vaughn or have what Vaughn has. He simple wants to outmaneuver (sp?) him. He does not need to be on the right side of the law to do that. In fact, it is easier for him to do it as a "bad guy" (constantly subverting the CIA's plans and escaping their grasp).

 

[ConcreteGirl]

I really don't think that Sark loved Lauren. I think he said that to get a reaction out of Vaughn, because he has done it before and seems to enjoy playing with people that way.

If he did really love Lauren, I think that he would try to get back at Vaughn through Sydney some how and I don't think it would be by trying to kill her. He probably knew her as Julia Thorn and he would use that connection to get to her. It could be very interesting.

 

[verdantheart]

He simple wants to outmaneuver (sp?) him.

[post="1240613"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

But why is that so important to him? He should know that he's the better agent, but that doesn't seem to be enough; he has to prove it. Sloane doesn't care what people think, and neither does Irina. Just trying to think things through and, as I said, stretch my imagination a little. Maybe this doesn't signify, but it's interesting.

 

[ms.katejones]

Well, maybe Vaughn represents something that Sark wishes he had. I don't mean that he wishes he were Syd's boyfriend or Weiss' best friend or one of the good guys. I'm thinking more of when Sark said, "What I want is that which I never had." I think Vaughn reminds Sark of what he never had and that's why he hates him.

 

[Leslie]

But why is that so important to him? He should know that he's the better agent, but that doesn't seem to be enough; he has to prove it. Sloane doesn't care what people think, and neither does Irina. Just trying to think things through and, as I said, stretch my imagination a little. Maybe this doesn't signify, but it's interesting. 

[post="1241061"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

Oh no, I'm totally enjoying this discussion... It is very interesting to me as well...

Sloane and Irina were the heads of organizations. They had for sure proved their superiority. Sark is still a free agent. Besides, isn't the nature of the job a constant proving of oneself? If spies/agents/whatever could outsmart their opponent ONCE and then forever be hailed as superior, that would be one thing. But their job doesn't end there. There is always a new assignment, job, whatever... Assuming you don't kill your opponent, they will always be back to fight you again. And Sark has not always won. He has been caught many times (most notably, and probably the longest amount of time being at the end of S3). So his ego or whatever is driving him to be the best would not be satisfied with beating Vaughn once. It would have to continue to happen. That is why is remains important to him, IMO.

In response to your comment, Babs, the quote you gave, in the context of the episode it was in, was referring to the childhood he lost so early in his life (as a result of his father's obsession with Rambaldi and abusive nature, etc.).