Oh phew, you liked it. There seem to be many people out there who didn't, and I've seen a few comments that loathed the martyr/messianic Jack. It's nice to read someone who liked that bit.
I'm not sure how I think about it myself as I don't make that kind of parallel until someone else points it out - I'm usually trying to think out how it would work. But your explanation of the penance concept makes it make more sense to me and I like the idea of Jack having medieval attitudes in a way despite being from so far in the future. I admit I think the tactically sound ending would have been to kill Gray, but I can also see why Jack can't.
My explanation for how it worked is that Jack really didn't die that often. I figure once he'd used up all the air available, there would be none to get to his brain when he revived so he probably wouldn't regain consciousness after the first one or two. So he spent the two thousand years hanging around in the dark on the other side, and it's entirely possible time passed differently there - that's the only way I can explain why he didn't go utterly insane!
I liked how they twisted the expectation so that it wasn't John driving the action like everyone had assumed it would be. I think that in KKBB, John was acting on his own volition though - I've been trying to remember if we ever saw his right wrist in that, but even so I think he was genuinely messed up and out of control and following his own selfish ends in it. My own theory is that John rescued Gray before KKBB, lapped up playing the hero for a bit and then they split up while John was pursuing his own goals (presumably Gray was looking for Jack). John met up with Gray again after KKBB, probably so he could gloat about having one up on Jack still, then let slip he'd run into Jack - at which point Gray went postal and John realised he was in very deep shit and had to reevaluate some things, like how far he would really go and how he did feel about Jack.
Jack's attitude to John at the end is interesting. I think he probably still doesn't want him around but I think he is grateful and likely trusts him a little more - just not enough to want him to stay. They've definitely left it open for a return though, and that is cool.
All I have to say about Toshiko and Owen is that I cried my eyes out and between them Naoko and Burn broke my heart. *sniff* I was expecting one of them to die, but I never thought they'd have the nerve to kill them both off at once so it was a real shock.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-04-06 07:57 pm (UTC)I'm not sure how I think about it myself as I don't make that kind of parallel until someone else points it out - I'm usually trying to think out how it would work. But your explanation of the penance concept makes it make more sense to me and I like the idea of Jack having medieval attitudes in a way despite being from so far in the future. I admit I think the tactically sound ending would have been to kill Gray, but I can also see why Jack can't.
My explanation for how it worked is that Jack really didn't die that often. I figure once he'd used up all the air available, there would be none to get to his brain when he revived so he probably wouldn't regain consciousness after the first one or two. So he spent the two thousand years hanging around in the dark on the other side, and it's entirely possible time passed differently there - that's the only way I can explain why he didn't go utterly insane!
I liked how they twisted the expectation so that it wasn't John driving the action like everyone had assumed it would be. I think that in KKBB, John was acting on his own volition though - I've been trying to remember if we ever saw his right wrist in that, but even so I think he was genuinely messed up and out of control and following his own selfish ends in it. My own theory is that John rescued Gray before KKBB, lapped up playing the hero for a bit and then they split up while John was pursuing his own goals (presumably Gray was looking for Jack). John met up with Gray again after KKBB, probably so he could gloat about having one up on Jack still, then let slip he'd run into Jack - at which point Gray went postal and John realised he was in very deep shit and had to reevaluate some things, like how far he would really go and how he did feel about Jack.
Jack's attitude to John at the end is interesting. I think he probably still doesn't want him around but I think he is grateful and likely trusts him a little more - just not enough to want him to stay. They've definitely left it open for a return though, and that is cool.
All I have to say about Toshiko and Owen is that I cried my eyes out and between them Naoko and Burn broke my heart. *sniff* I was expecting one of them to die, but I never thought they'd have the nerve to kill them both off at once so it was a real shock.