Back when McFarlane released its first line of LOST action figures, I bought the company’s rendition of Jack Shephard,
arguably the show’s central character, for my friend Libbie for her
birthday. I didn’t nab one for myself, though, partly because I figured
as long as one of us had him that was enough, partly because I never
really latched onto Jack until season six, and I was never more
frustrated with him than I was during season three, when that figure
came out. Maybe someday I’ll buy that Jack from eBay, but the Bif Bang
Bow! bobblehead version is so similar that doing so would probably feel
redundant. If only the bobblehead came equipped with a sound chip like
the action figure, I’d be all set.
This version of Jack, like
the McFarlane version, captures him in the early moments of the series
premiere. Dressed in a sharp-looking black suit with black tie askew
over his white button-up shirt, Jack sports a five-o’clock shadow and a
bleeding wound on each cheek. He doesn’t look too concerned about that;
he’s a doctor, and he’s used to ignoring his own pain as he tries to fix
the injuries of others. His mouth is set in an expression of grim
determination, and his eyes seem filled with steely resolve.
Like the other bobbleheads in this collection – except Hurley,
who’s taller because he’s wearing a safari hat – Jack stands about
seven inches tall, including the base upon which he is situated. That
base is sandy-colored, as we’re supposed to be seeing Jack on the beach,
and it’s circular and tall enough to leave room for “Jack Shephard” to
be spelled out in large white letters on the front. Letters of that same
style appear on the back as well, spelling out “LOST.” Surrounding Jack
on the base are several remnants of the plane crash, and standing
beside him is Vincent, the yellow lab who came on the plane with Walt,
the lone kid in LOST’s first season whose disappearance from the
show after that point – aside from the very occasional guest appearance –
frustrated fans.
Vincent is the first survivor Jack meets after
arriving on the Island, and that brief but important encounter finds an
echo late in the series, giving the two characters a powerful bond.
It’s nice to see the show’s Most Valuable Canine honored in this way,
though the fact that his name does not appear on the base suggests that
he is more of a prop than a living, breathing character, and that is
definitely not the case. While he only appears in about a third of the
episodes, he makes several significant contributions to the events of
the Island. His likeness here is a tad generic, with fully black eyes
and hindquarters that are sort of fused with the large piece of wreckage
at the back of the base. Still, it’s recognizably Vincent, and no one
who watched the series regularly will be in any doubt as to who the dog
is and why he is there.
Jack’s head bobbles a lot or a little,
depending on how forcefully his head is nudged. The mild bobble seems
more suited to the personality of this emotionally guarded physician,
but it can be fun to see him wobble away like a jittery sycophant. The
motion is just a fun added bonus, though. While Jack is not my favorite
bobblehead of the bunch, he is certainly a character that many fans
would like to capture. Of course, those who are that fond of Jack will
probably already have him in some form, as not only McFarlane but
several other companies have come out with renditions of this leader of
the ragtag band of Oceanic 815 castaways. Still, this version of Jack
has about as much to recommend it as others do, and it only costs about
$13, plus shipping; as far as I know, no brick-and-mortar stores stock
these bobbleheads, but they are available from ABC’s online LOST store and the catalog Entertainment Earth.
It
took me a long time to fully warm up to Jack, but now I consider him
one of my favorite characters, and the inclusion of Vincent makes this
bobblehead all the more appealing. Like Ben Linus and Daniel Faraday,
the first members of my bobbly LOST menagerie, Jack plays the piano, so he’s right at home atop my weathered Lester, and when I play Michael Giacchino’s iconic Life and Death theme, it’s a pleasure to see him wobbling ever so slightly in approval. Are you suffering from LOST withdrawal? The Jack and Vincent bobblehead may be just what the doctor ordered.
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