LOST DISCOVERIES
LOST:
Do No Harm
Created
by: J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof
Story
by: Janet Tamaro
Air date: Wednesday, April 6, 2005
Night and Day
By Patti
A Soulful Spike Society Review
Author's credits and disclaimers: Thanks to Vlad for letting me talk through my ideas with him, and thanks to Matthew for checking a fact for me. I haven't read anything anyone has posted about this episode, so all erroneous assumptions previously disproved are completely mine.
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What's It All About?
I can't say I didn't expect the death. I can't even say I was unsure who would die in this episode. I felt all along TPTB wouldn't choose to kill off Claire or the baby. There are many possibilities for that baby's impact on our survivors, but Boone's role has largely been as Locke's Renfield and that role ended last episode. So the drama and suspense for me was in neither the death of Boone or the birth of Claire's demon spawn son. Of course those events had meaning and importance - circle of life, yada yada...but I've never understood the supposed comfort of one life replacing another. It doesn't. Each life is unique and irreplaceable. It's lovely that Claire has a son and it belongs to 'everyone', but Boone is always going to be dead, assuming the 'island' doesn't bring him back to life, and since that would negate this whole episode, I don't expect it to happen.
We can search for meaning in the episode title, Do No Harm. This phrase is part of the original Hypocratic Oath that medical practitioners (at least in the past) had to sign after qualifying and before being accepted into the medical infrastructure.The Hypocratic Oath was formulated thousands of years ago, to define the role and duties of a physician and it is dedicated to the teachings of Hippocrates, a contemporary of Plato. He first separated medicine from religion and disease from supernatural explanations.
The phrase referred to in the title is "I will prescribe regimen for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgement and never do harm to anyone." The orignal oath can be read here. http://www.hal-pc.org/~ollie/hippocratic.oath.html
Ironically this oath bears almost no similarity to modern medical practices, and in fact most doctors now swear to a much revised version - one of which can be found here. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/doctors/oath_modern.html. It is likely that Jack would never have sworn to 'do no harm'. And though there is some significance in the phrase in connection with Jack's intention to amputate Boone's leg in a last futile effort to save him, I don't think there is enough for this really to be the key to the episode .
For me the drama and significance are in Jack's backstory and how that played out in the current situations with Boone and Claire. Here is the storyline that kept me in suspense, and there are the words that had significance to everything that happens on the island that night and day. We find that Jack is on the eve of marriage to Sara, a former patient. Two years previous to their wedding her vehicle collided with an SUV and her back was broken. (Did anyone else wonder if it collided with Locke's vehicle? I did, til I checked the facts - Locke was driving his Beetle, not an SUV. So much for that conspiracy theory.) Jack's committment and dedication saved her from permanent disability and at their rehearsal banquet she tells him in front of everyone that he is her hero.
We learn that Jack is struggling to write his vows for the wedding, and we again see his father, who arrives the night before the wedding. He is remarkably sympathetic to Jack in this scene. He understands him, he appreciates the vows Sara has written instead of mocking them as I expected, and he listens to Jack's concerns. Jack is afraid and that fear is keeping him from writing.
Jack: What if I can't be the husband and father that I want to be? What if I asked her cause I saved her life?
Christian: Committment is what makes you tick, Jack. The problem is you're just not good at letting go.
Wow. What insight into his son, as he takes another swig from the bottle. Christian has found his own way to let go of the burden of life and death responsibilities.
We watch as Jack fights with everything in him to save Boone. WIth his wiser smarter surgical nurse Sun beside him, he creates a breathing tube in Boone's chest, straightens and sets his broken leg, sews up his wounded chest and then transfuses him with his own blood. (Thank god he has Sun to help him know when Boone is in shock, when he's given him enough blood, and when internal injuries are present.) "Never say die, Never surrender" - that's Jack's motto. And the next time I fall off a cliff and a plane lands on me? I want a doctor who also doesn't know how to let go. I expect Charlie would agree.
But there is a problem. Jack doesn't just give it all he's got - he is not only fully committed, he expects miracles of himself. "I'm going to save you Boone." And he can't. He is ready to 'do harm' in a desperate attempt to keep that promise even though he knows it is useless.
Sun: You can't save him Jack.
We know it isn't Sun Jack is hearing when he yells that. It is Christian, the Christian we heard in White Rabbit who told Jack "Don’t choose. Don’t try to save everyone. Because, when you fail, you don’t have what it takes.”
That isn't what Sun is telling Jack. She is telling him the simple truth. Jack knows it. Boone knows it too, and just in the knick of time, he regains consciousness enough to stop Jack, and allow Jack to release them both. He climbed into that tree on the cliff to prove his manhood to Locke. His courage and concern for Jack in this scene proved it much more.
Boone: I know you made a promise. I'm letting you off the hook. Let me go, Jack.
Jack stops fighting the inevitable, and his acceptance helps Boone to die, sadly without completing his message to Shannon.
As Jack is fighting to save Boone's life in the caves, refusing to let go and give in to Death, Claire is fighting Life in the jungle. She is also terrified of letting go, and will not breathe, push or even accept that she is in labor. She admits being afraid of what might have been done to the baby during her captivity (as are we all!) but finally tells Kate that she knows the baby will hate her. She feels terrible guilt that she had planned to give the baby away, and thinks the child will know and hold it against her. Kate doesn't try to convince her that's crazy talk, instead she points out that Claire no longer feels that way, that she loves her child and it will know that too. Claire stops fighting the inevitable and helps her son be born.
And the conclusion of all of this is...that there is no conclusion. Whether we call it God, the Island, or Fate, life and death happen. We can affect them, but we can't control them. In the end, it is only our reactions to them that we can change. Do No Harm. But when do we fight, and when do we let go? I don't know. Does Jack know now? We think so - we see everyone on the island smiling at the new baby. The soft music is playing. Jack is there too. We see him walk down the beach and gently tell Shannon about Boone. We see him sitting on the ground, silently weeping for Boone. Kate moves to comfort him and let him talk about it. And Jack picks up his gear and heads out alone to find and punish Locke. Way to let go, Jack. _______________________________________________ What
Worked?
What
Didn’t?
Note and Alert:
Jack Shepard – Matthew Fox Kate – Evangeline Lilly Sawyer – Josh Holloway OH Sawyer, you were all helpful and everything! Get over it! We like you snarky! Sayid – Naveen Andrews John Locke – Terry O’Quinn Still staring into the light? Enjoy it, John, cause Jack is coming to knock yours out. Charley – Dominic Monaghan Charlie's a daddy, Sort of! You and Jin were just cute. Claire Littleton – Emilie de Ravin Hurley (Hugo) Reyes– Jorge Garcia You didn't get a lot of airtime this ep, Hurley. But 'you're looking kind of goth' was worth a lot! You died bravely, with dignity and
strength. Rest in peace, Boone. We'll miss you. I guess you won't need to take it slowly now with Sayid, will
you Shannon? I still don't like you, but your final scene with Boone brought me
to tears too. Well played. Michael – Harold Perineau and Walt – Malcom David Kelley The boat is never going to leave Michael. You know that, right? This series has been renewed. Sun – Yunjin Kim and Jin – Daniel Dae Kim Good, at least you talked to each other. Jin, you were awesome. Helpful, encouraging, wise. I knew I was right about you. Sun, you were an excellent assistant. Just a tad bit irritating. *cough! a lot cough!* Vincent – The Dog Vincent, you're way overdue for a story line! ______________________________________________ Please
join in the discussion of this review at the Soulful Spike Society Message
Board. Go there NOW!
Jack: Don't tell me what I can't do!
Jack: I'm sorry.
Boone: Don't be.
Questions
The Missing: Update
Jack, you are an incredible doctor. I like you a lot. But please...do you have to go kill Locke all by yourself? Tell the others, share the fun!
Good for you Kate. You may not know nothing 'bout birthing no babies, but you did fine!
You had no expectations, only hopes. Awww... Well I had hopes too and they had nothing to do with that blonde....person.
Congratulations Claire! Your son looks perfectly healthy and normal! So far.
Boone Carlyle – Ian Somerhalder
Shannon Rutherford – Maggie Grace
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