White Rabbit
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Episode transcript
[[{{{transcript2}}}|Part Two]]
[[{{{audiotranscript}}}|Commentary transcript]]
White Rabbit directs here, the name of the episode. For the actual animal, see Rabbits.
"White Rabbit" is the fifth episode of Season 1 of Lost. The survivors begin to struggle as they realize they are running out of fresh water. Meanwhile, Jack continues to see his dead father's figure on the Island. Flashbacks in this episode show a little bit of Jack's childhood and also what Jack was doing in Australia.
Contents |
Synopsis
Flashbacks
A young Jack lies on the ground in fear as a bully threatens him, while his friend, Marc Silverman, is being beaten by another bully. Jack attempts to intervene, resulting in him getting a black eye from the bully.
Later on, Jack explains the fight to his father, who tells Jack about his day at the hospital over a glass of whiskey on the rocks. Christian says that he's able to cope with the difficult job of surgeon because he "has what it takes." He claims that he can make life or death decisions daily, because even when he fails, he can live with the consequences. He concludes that Jack should not "decide," because if he failed, he wouldn't "have what it takes".
Years later, Jack is talking with his mother, as an adult. She tells him that his father has gone away, to Australia, and that she wants Jack to go and get him. He refuses, saying that they haven't spoken in months. She makes her son feel guilty about what he did to his father (see A Tale of Two Cities and All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues), and she demands that Jack retrieve him.
In a hotel room in Australia, the hotel manager tells Jack that his father hasn't used the room in three nights, and that he was involved in an "incident" in the hotel bar. The manager also says that he didn't rent a car, because no one would rent him a car "in his condition". Searching the room, Jack finds bottles of alcohol, pills, and his father's wallet.
An unknown amount of time later, Jack walks down the hallway of a morgue. A mortician tells him that the body presumed to be his father's was found in an alley, with the cause of death suspected of being a fatal heart attack brought on by high blood alcohol levels. Jack identifies his father and fights back tears.
With nothing left for him in Australia, Jack heads to the airport, preparing to board Oceanic Flight 815. Lacking proper documentation, the airline's ticket agent refuses to allow Jack to store the coffin on the plane. Jack explains that he needs the coffin to be allowed on board because he has all the arrangements set for the funeral and he needs to bury his father, so that it will all be over.
On the Island
Jack is woken by Charlie in a state of panic, and the two rush to the shore amidst a crowd of survivors. The screams of a young woman are heard from out in the ocean. Charlie says, "I don't swim," so Jack dives in and swims to save her. However, Jack finds Boone in need of assistance (he had also tried to save the woman) and pulls him back to the beach. Looking back, the group realizes it is now too late for Jack to go after the woman, and all they can do is stand there as her screams die out.
Later, while talking to Kate about the young woman whom Jack finds himself responsible for her death, Jack sees a man dressed in a suit, watching from a distance as he had a few days before. Jack asks Kate if she saw him too. She says she did not, and asks Jack how long it has been since he slept.
Hurley and Charlie approach Jack to tell him the survivors are running low on fresh water. Boone, angry with Jack for saving him and not Joanna, gets into an argument with Jack, asking who made him their leader. Jack, distracted by another appearance of the suited man, runs off after him.
Claire, who earlier showed signs of heat exhaustion and dehydration, collapses, and when Kate goes to give her some water, it is discovered that someone has stolen what little remained of their water supply. Locke announces he will go into the jungle and search for a source of fresh water, mentioning that he is the only survivor who would know where to look.
In a manhunt to find out who stole the water, it is discovered that Jin traded with Sawyer for some water; however, when Sayid and Kate follow Sawyer to see where he is hiding the water, it turns out that the bottles he traded were the last of his own supply.
Jack and Locke discuss Jack's "hallucination", and Locke advises that he should pursue it, comparing it to the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. Locke tells Jack to put it to rest, and consider the possibility that everything that is happening on the Island happens for a reason. He then tells Jack, "I looked into the eye of the Island, and what I saw... was beautiful," referring to his previous encounter with the Monster. ("Walkabout")
Later, night has fallen, and Jack sits at a fire. A figure moves behind him, and he hears a sound reminiscent of ice rattling in a whiskey glass. He lights a torch, and heads into the jungle, following the man. He finds a cave with a spring of fresh water, where he finds some debris from the plane, including what appears to be his father's coffin. Jack opens it and finds it empty. He tears apart the coffin in frustration.
Back on the beach, Boone gives water to an unconscious Claire. It is revealed that it was Boone who stole the water, in an attempt to take responsibility for its rationing. A fight ensues, but Jack returns and interrupts, saying that he has found fresh water and that they must all band together if they are to survive, because "if we can't live together, we're going to die alone."
Trivia
General
- Both Jack's first full flashback episode "White Rabbit" and his first flashforward episode "Through the Looking Glass" are titled in reference to the "Alice in Wonderland" books.
- This is the first episode with a flashback featuring both child and adult versions of a character.
- This is the first episode to open with a flashback.
- Christian's name is an obvious reference to Jesus Christ, who is considered to be a shepherd by His followers, the Christians.
- Christian's death, mysteriously empty coffin, and "resurrection" are all clear references to Chapter 16 of the Book of Mark, specifically verse 8. Mark is the oldest of the 4 Gospels, and Chapter 16 is the final chapter. In it, Mary Magdalene & Mary, Jesus' mother, go to Jesus' tomb to anoint His body. When they arrive, they find that the large stone placed to block the tomb's entrance has been moved. They enter the tomb and find a man, assumed to be an angel, dressed in a white robe. The man in white tells them that Jesus has been resurrected and that they should go and tell the disciples He has gone ahead of them and will meet them in Galilee, just as He had prophesied. However, the women are so frightened by what has happened, that they never tell anyone of what they saw. Jack's reaction to seeing his father is similar to that of Mary & Mary Magdalene. Lacking the faith to believe what he has seen, Jack never tells anyone of his visions, or even of the fact that his father's coffin was empty. It is important to note that the oldest known versions of the Book of Mark, and other ancient witness accounts of the Gospel, do not have verses 9-20, making verse 8 the Book of Mark's original ending.
- Kate has the astrology birth sign of Gemini.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Margo Shephard.
- A Lost: On Location for this episode is available on the Season 1 DVD with the Best Buy/TV Guide Bonus DVD or Blu-ray Disc set.
Bloopers and continuity errors
- When Charlie and Hurley are questioning Jack about the water in the tent, two people, a man and woman, walk behind Jack twice in the same direction.
- When Jack is hanging off the edge of the cliff, he briefly looks up. You can clearly see that it is a stunt actor portraying the character and not Matthew Fox.
- When Jack falls over the edge of the cliff and Locke rescues him, Locke, who is out looking for water, should notice the stream running through the rocks below.
- When Locke is grabbing Jack over the edge of the cliff, you can see the microphone at the top of the screen.
- When Charlie runs to get Jack at the start of the episode, he says that he doesn't swim. However, it is shown later, in the episode "Greatest Hits", that he was taught to swim as a child. Also in Greatest Hits, Charlie claims to have won the title of Junior Swim Champion in Northern England. He also successfully swims out to the Looking Glass station in the season three finale. It is possible that when Charlie told Jack he didn't swim, he didn't mean he could not swim.
Recurring themes
- The episode begins with a close-up on a young Jack's eyes. (Eyes)
- Jack sees his father, Christian Shephard, numerous times during this episode. (Dreams and visions) (Rebirth)
- Locke: "I looked into the eye of this Island and what I saw was beautiful." (Eyes)
- According to Sawyer, Boone took his place "at the top of everybody's most hated list". (Isolation)
- Joanna drowns before either Boone or Jack can save her. (Life and death)
- Jack's father died in Australia due to a heart attack. (Life and death)
- Jack goes to Australia in order to find his father and try to convince him to come back home. (Parent Issues)
- Jack found what appeared to be his father's coffin, but it was empty. (Rebirth)
Cultural references
| Cultural references in Lost (direct references only) |
|---|
| Art • Books • Cars • Games • Movies and TV • Music • Philosophy • Religion and ideologies • Science |
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll: Jack's father was said by Locke to reflect the "white rabbit" that Jack was chasing. Since Locke specifically mentioned Alice in Wonderland, this is a clear reference. Both stories had the "Alice" character being led into a cave-like opening by the "White Rabbit". (Literary works)
- Watership Down: Sawyer was reading this book on the beach, while arguing with Shannon. (Literary works)
- "Strawberry Fields Forever": A line from this song by The Beatles, "Living is Easy with Eyes Closed", is tattooed on Charlie's arm. (Music)
- The Carol Burnett Show: Christian references watching this show to wind down. The Carol Burnett Show was a popular TV show that first aired in 1967 and ran 11 seasons until 1978. (Movies and TV)
- Gemini: Kate has the astrology birth sign of Gemini. (Religion and ideologies)
- The Karate Kid: Sawyer calls Jin "Mr. Miyagi", a character from this movie series. (Movies and TV)
- The Internationale. "We'll live together or we'll die alone" is a line from the English (Billy Bragg) version of this famous socialist, anarchist, communist, and social democratic anthem. (Religion and ideologies) (Music)
Literary techniques
| Literary techniques in Lost |
|---|
| Comparative: Irony • Juxtaposition • Foreshadowing Plotting: Cliffhanger • Plot twist Stock Characters: Archetype • Redshirt • Unseen character Story: Flashbacks • Flash-forwards • Regularly spoken phrases • Symbolism • Unreliable narrator |
- In Jack's speech to the rest of the survivors at the end of the episode, the dialogue included the name of two future episodes, "Live Together, Die Alone" and "Every Man for Himself". (Foreshadowing)
- A white rabbit is the DHARMA symbol for the underwater Looking Glass station. (Foreshadowing)
- Jack's visions of his father visually and thematically reflect Eko's later visions of Yemi on the Island. Notice the demeanor and body language of both visions; also, Jack and Eko both pursue them furiously, while repeating, "Who are you?" to themselves. (Foreshadowing)
- Jack had been told all his life by his father that he didn't "have what it takes"; on the Island, Jack finds out that he, in fact, has it in him to lead the Losties. (Juxtaposition)
- Jack went out to search for his father twice in this episode. In his flashbacks, he was instructed to head to Australia to locate his father, and found his corpse in the morgue. On the Island, Jack chases the hallucinations of his father, searching for the truth, and discovers his empty casket, devoid of his corpse. (Juxtaposition)
- In this episode, heavy emphasis on the action of physically and/or spiritually searching is apparent. This parallels the search for the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. (Symbolism)
Storyline analysis
| Storyline analysis in Lost |
|---|
| A-Missions • Crimes • Economics • Leadership • O-Missions • Relationships • F-Missions • Rivalries |
- Sawyer and Shannon bargain for some insect repellent. (Economics)
- Sawyer traded his last two bottles of water to Jin for a fish. (Economics)
- Boone tells Jack off for not saving Joanna, steals the water in order to divvy it up, and tries to appoint himself as leader of the Losties. He says to Jack, "Who made you our savior?" (Leadership) (Rivalries)
- Jack returns to camp, and takes his place as leader again, and says that if they don't "live together, we're gonna die alone." (Leadership)
- Sawyer tossed Kate Edward Mars's badge, telling her that she was the "new sheriff" due to her aggressively pursuing him about the stolen water. (Leadership)
- Locke tries to tell Jack that the Losties need him to be a leader, but he responds that he can't do it. (Leadership)
- Charlie decided to take care of Claire. (Leadership)
- Jack refuses to "decide anything" about the water situation early on in the episode. (Leadership)
- Christian tells Jack he doesn't "have what it takes". (Leadership)
Music
"White Rabbit" uses a lot of music tracked from earlier episodes, most notably the pilot. However, there are also numerous statements of a new four-note motif that Michael Giacchino has not used since. This motif plays frequently in scenes involving the apparition of Christian on the Island. The episode also contains the first haunting statement of the "Life and Death" theme later used for the deaths of numerous major characters. This is heard on synthesizers as Jack discovers the caves, and later on piano as he talks with Kate on the beach at the end of the episode. (The latter can be heard as "Win One for the Reaper" on the season 1 soundtrack.)
Flashback timeline
- Jack and Christian haven't spoken in the two months since the incident where Christian killed a patient while working under the influence of alcohol. ("All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues").
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
|---|
|
- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: White Rabbit/Theories
- What caused the visions of Christian?
- Why is Christian Shepard not in the coffin?
