Broken Frontier

Despite what your unloving father might think, Lost has “got what it takes”. Patriarchal issues have long been a constant in Lost, and this weeks episode “Lighthouse” focuses heavily on that theme. It should come as no surprise that in “Lighthouse” the flashes-parallels center on Jack, whose daddy issues have been apparent since day one.

Parallel-Jack leads a life that is somewhat different than the obsessive island-Jack. Almost instantly we are hit with the revelation that this Jack has a young son, David, and that father-son communication is most definitely the weak link in the Shepard bloodline. After a piano concert and a cameo from parallel-Dogen; Jack and son share a touching moment by the bike rack and go home for cold pizza.

Back on the island-timeline Jack and Hurley are sent on a quest by Jacob to find an ancient lighthouse because “someone is coming to the island”. Gratefully, this ramshackle quest lets us escape from the horrors of boredom and tic-tac-toe in the Temple. We get a few classic hiking-through-the-jungle scenes, and Jack admits why he came back to the Island. After a brief and awkward encounter with Kate, Jack and Hurley reach the the lighthouse. At the top off the tower there is a mirror that reflects, each name relating to a degree on the lamp in the tower. All have been crossed off but the final six. Jack angrily reacts to finding out that he has been watched by Jacob, and predictably breaks stuff in a temper tantrum.

In the other island storyline we are given a glimpse of the life Claire has been been living for the past three years. Claire seems to have filled the niche that Rousseau left open as disturbed island lady, with her rustic hut and skull-baby. Claire also shares Rousseau’s hatred of the Others, who Claire is convinced are the kidnappers of Aaron. Jin finds himself trapped both literally and figuratively in an impossible situation, who does he trust? Crazy-Claire? Or the Others who haven't really proved themselves quite trustworthy either? Fortunately, Jin isn't given much time to weigh over his trust issues, as Claire makes a decision for him with a sharpened ax. In the end, Jin seems to be in a tough spot, with a bum ankle and at the mercy of crazy-Claire and her new “friend”.

While not quite as revealing as the previous episode “The Substitute”, “Lighthouse” shines as a study of the two parallel Jacks: one who is learning to relate a bit better to (lowercase o) others, and one who is still the same “broken” perfectionist. For all the Jack-haters out there, island-Jack is just as irritating and insufferable as always, but parallel-Jack might just be a Jack you can actually like. No really big earth shattering secrets are revealed this week, but the set-up for the confrontation between the Temple and by old-Smokey and “friends” is nearly complete. Burn the boring temple to the ground!