Monday, September 03, 2007

Did Ana Lucia Know Who Jack Was?


















The interaction between Jack and Ana Lucia at the bar at
the Sydney airport is a strange one. She's just overheard
Jack shouting at the ticket agent because he needs to get
his dad's body on the plane, so she hits on him? I'm just
saying, do you really think this is the best time and
place to pick up a guy?

It would seem from the rest of their interactions on Island
and the fact that they never discuss Christian that Ana Lucia
did NOT know that Jack was the son of her aliased employer.
But her parting line to Jack in the bar, And Jack, the worst
part's over
is just weird and seems to imply that she knows
more than it appears.

11 comments:

Capcom said...

You're right Memphish. Some parts of this scene and conversation made me wonder also.

On one hand, Ana-L is kind of a nurturing (in her rough way) person, who likes to take care of people. Something that Jack oculd stand to learn BTW, "caring", as opposed to "fixing". So a personality like that might sort of butt in on people's space a little to find out what's wrong so they can be comforted.

And her parting comment made me think, "Huh?" as well. It did seem as if maybe she put 2+2 together to come up with Jack's situation. But, do we know that she knew for sure that CS was dead anyway? Sorry, I can't remember the details of that ep. And if she didn't know he was dead, what does she think happened to him since he hired her as wingman for the trip? Does she think that he just disappeared? Of course, we don't know that she was his bodyguard until later, but still.

I guess even if she did know that CS/MysteryEmployer was dead, people die every day and it might be hard to make the connection. Stil...what she said...how would the hardest part be over? Jack still has to bury CS, console his mother...odd.

memphish said...

Yeah Capcom, I think this "worst part is over" thing certainly added fuel to the Christian Shephard isn't dead fire. Like perhaps the test for Jack was would he come for his dad, how would he react if he thought he was dead, etc. and like Ana Lucia was in on it. I've never been a fan of the Christian isn't dead theory, so I'll right it off to an inappropriate attempt to pick up a cute guy.

I don't think Ana knew Christian was dead. She still called him Tom all the way through her last flashback, and I don't think she ever saw him again after leaving him at that bar. But then again, don't you think an ex-police officer might have peeked at his passport, had her friends back on the force check up on this guy she'd flown around the world with, at least overheard the man's real name from his credit card at the reception desk? You'd have to think a "smart" cop with four days of nothing else to do would have found out who this guy is.

I can also understand her not bringing it up with Jack on Island since they were kind of distracted and Jack's not really the kind of guy who likes to talk about those things. So did she know who Jack was or not? Beats me.

Paula Abdul Alhazred said...

I don't think Ana Lucia knew who Jack really was, nor did she know that Christian was dead. I think it has more to do with the fact that both Jack and Ana Lucia were sort of emotionally suffering at the time, so they were able to relate to each other in a decent way. Also, Ana Lucia is trying to be nurturing because it's most definitely in her nature to protect people. She knew Jack was upset and tried to comfort him in that strange way that she has of going about things.

It's also worth noting that the tone of the scene is a little odd because Jack and Ana Lucia were originally intended to have a romance in season two. Ana is being a little flirty with Jack because the writers were trying to set up the romance storyline. Obviously, that idea never came to pass, and Michelle Rodriguez played the character a bit differently in the second season than she does in this scene.

memphish said...

Good call on the flirty thing and original plans PAA. I think this script gave the writers numerous ways to go. One could have been Ana and Jack putting the pieces about Christian together, but the writers ended up going a different way. I need to stop myself from going down that "I would have liked it better if the writers had done x, y or z road" and just enjoy what we have.

Amused2bHere said...

I also don't think she knew Jack and Christian were related. And not knowing CS was dead, she wouldn't have put it together that maybe Jack's dead dad was her former boss.

Yeah, she was a cop, but honestly I don't think she cared that much about knowing CS' real name. She was looking for an anonymous thing, trying to get lost and run away from herself.

I guess she succeeded, at least at first. And when she could not bring herself to kill Ben, I think that's when she finally found herself again.

And then came Michael. Darn!

maven said...

I also think Ana Lucia did not know Jack was related to "Tom". Obviously, she was running away from the life she had in LA, and her survival/cop instincts didn't kick in until she was on the island. She was just another pretty girl trying to flirt with another pretty guy who were both trying to drown their sorrows.

I know Losties have a tendency to keep secrets and not tell each other everything. If she knew Jack and her boss were related, what would that motive be?

pgtbeauregard said...

It just struck me as AL being nice, and trying to pick up a good looking (although messed up) guy.

However, if my theory about them all being on the plane for a reason, what is her reason for being on there. Perhaps one of the course correctors put her in his way to make sure he got on the plane. She left him quite abrubptly when her mother called tho- too much to think about tonight.

Good question Memphish!!

Paula Abdul Alhazred said...

Memphish,

I applaud your "let it be" attitude towards LOST. I think it's good to be able to say what you like and don't like about something, but it's also easy to fall into the trap of wishing something was different. I think, once you start to lean too much in that direction, the fabric really begins to unravel and it becomes more difficult to enjoy something. Many LOST fans have been falling into that trap lately.

By the by, have you read any more DARK TOWER lately?

memphish said...

PAA, I've got Book 3 saved up for a series of weekends away starting late September. I've been in a bit of reading slump lately. Too much internet access.

Cool_Freeze said...

AL Theory 1- She was there because it was just a coincidence and it was simply the two crossing paths.

AL Theory 2-Ana Lucia is a "timecop" of sorts and set things up to get Jack onto the island and then set up her own demise as well, eliminating herself from that particular timeline.

AL Theory/Thought 3(sort of ties into theory 2)-Ana Lucia had more secrets and they will come to light whenever Jack and Claire find they are siblings and more of Libby's story comes to light.

CF

andrew. said...

wow, you guys actually got me entertaining the idea that Christian Shepherd might not be dead, and that's probably my biggest pet peev for Lost fandom.

The idea that Ana Lucia might be probing Jack to test the waters for a reunion with his pops is excellent. It would certainly help his 'dangerous mission' to Australia make a hell of a lot more sense.

Still, Jack saw the autopsied body. That means Christian's innards were in sandwich baggies.

I guess i'll fall back on Ana Lucia just picking up some dude in a bar, maybe she was trying to rebel against her mom one last time before surrendering to maternal hell.