Top Ten Cases: Favorite Lost Finale Scenes - #7

7. Jack and Kate Sideways Reunion



I was tempted to rank this higher, but I submitted and accepted that it was a bit too biased and that my affection for Jack and Kate ending up together was swaying my opinion. I’ve gotta try to keep this list somewhat credible! However, I think this is one scene that is immensely more powerful in hindsight. One of my favorite lines of the entire episode is when Jack tenderly places her hands on Jack’s face and professes, “I’ve missed you so much.” Upon initial viewing, it seemed like a basic sentimental comment referring to how she had “forgotten” about their island lives, and how grateful she was to remember their time together. But once we’ve learned the truth – that they declared their love for each other in what would be the last time they’d see one another, as Jack would die shortly after – the line suddenly has a far deeper and much more emotional meaning.

And in this short scene, you can sort of imagine Kate’s post-island life as it relates to Jack. Did she ever find out about Jack’s fate? If so, how? Who did the news come from? And how long did she live? She probably found love again. Maybe she even got married. But when her life ended – likely as a happy old woman – her heart still belonged to Jack (and that’s not a Jack/Kate fan speaking, that’s just my interpretation of their purgatory – they end up with the person that owns their heart). And to me, that’s what makes her simple “I’ve missed you so much” line so beautiful. Despite all she had felt and experienced in her post-island life, she had longed for the day that she would be reunited with Jack.

Another thing I loved about the scene was the general role reversal here. Throughout the series – and particularly this season, as he reverted to the “Man of Faith” role – Jack has seemingly always had all the answers. Even when he really had no idea what was going on (or he stubbornly resisted what was happening), the good doctor still carried himself with a certain confidence that gave off the impression that he had the situation under control. And there was Kate, almost always following his lead. Yet in this scene, Jack was openly clueless and confused. He had no idea what was going on with him. And there was Kate, now enlightened and with all the answers. For the first time in their complicated relationship, Jack was completely at her mercy, and it was up to her to gently bring him to the realization that this happy little world of his was not real.

As an aside, it’s interesting to note that this situation is not completely foreign to Jack. There were numerous times on the island that something unexplainable was happening, and another character (usually Locke) attempted to convince him to accept a difficult truth. In almost every case he would angrily refuse. Perhaps this scene was attempting to show us that Jack is able to reveal a vulnerable willingness to Kate that he hid from everybody else. Or maybe I’m reading too much into it. Whatever. I really like the “I missed you so much” line.