The Watch

"The Watch" is the first Lost mobisode. Jack and Christian talk before Jack's wedding to Sarah.

Synopsis

While Jack is throwing rocks into the ocean, Christian walks up and they start talking about Jack's forthcoming wedding. Christian shows Jack the watch his father had given him on his own wedding day. He tells Jack he never wore it because his father had told him that same day of his disapproval of marrying Margo. However, Christian tells Jack that he is doing the right thing with Sarah, and gives him the watch. Jack immediately puts it on. Christian asks Jack to be a better father than he was if Jack and Sarah have children. ♪

Trivia

General

This is the only mobisode to take place off the Island and before the day of the crash of Oceanic Flight 815.
This webisode marks the first mention of Jack's paternal grandfather. Christian's father Ray Shephard would later appear in the episode "316".

Production notes

The production code/mobisode number for this mobisode is 107, even though it was the first mobisode released.
The running time is 02:39.
This mobisode was released on November 6, 2007, the second day that the WGA had been on strike fighting for residuals from "new media" such as online and mobile distribution. However, the WGA had already worked out these details for the mobisodes on behalf of Lost, negotiating a contract with ABC Studios that essentially accomplished what the WGA is striking for across the board.
This mobisode was likely filmed around September 12, 2007, when John Terry was spotted in Hawaii.
This mobisode was filmed on location at Ala Moana Beach, located in Honolulu, Hawaii.
There is a "making of" article about this mobisode in the "Season 4 Arrives!" issue of Lost: The Official Magazine.

Recurring themes

Animals • Black and white • Character connections • Children • Coincidence • Death • Deceptions and cons • Dreams • Economics • Electromagnetism • Eyes • Fate versus free will • Games • Good and bad people • Imprisonment • Isolation • Leadership • Life and death • Literary works • Mirrors • Missing body parts • Nicknames • The Numbers • Pairings • Parapsychology • Parent issues • Pregnancies • Psychology • Rain • Redemption • Relationships • Religion • Revenge • Salvation • Secrets

Christian tells Jack that his father did not like his marriage to Margo and asked Jack to be a better father than he was. (Parent issues)
Christian and Jack talk about the possibility of Jack and Sarah having children. (Children)
Christian gives Jack a watch. (Time)

Literary techniques

Christian says, "Unlike me, you made the absolute right choice." He was wrong; the marriage ended badly. (Irony)
Christian gives Jack the watch which he got from his father, putting them both in the same situation. But while Christian never wore that watch, Jack wears it immediately. This shows that from the same situation they are going in opposite directions. (Juxtaposition)
Jack and Christian's conversation foreshadows Jack's son, David Shephard, in the flash-sideways. (Foreshadowing)

Episode references

The scene takes place during the time frame of Jack's flashback in "Do No Harm".
Jack gave Hurley what may have been the same watch to keep an eye on Claire's contractions shortly after the crash of Flight 815. ("Pilot, Part 1")
Christian implies that he really likes Sarah. After Jack and Sarah's divorce, Jack finds his father's telephone number in Sarah's cell phone and accuses him of being her lover. ("A Tale of Two Cities")
Christian makes light of how Jack is throwing rocks; Tom would later admonish Jack for accusing the Others of being bad people by referencing the metaphor "Those in glass houses should not throw stones". ("Stranger in a Strange Land")
Feeling demoralized and tossing fish biscuits, Sawyer tells Kate that he is "throwin' rocks". ("I Do")
Jack is shown removing the watch to go through airport security in John Locke's vision in the sweat lodge. ("Further Instructions")
Kate also was given an accessory (a locket) on her wedding day; it was passed down from her mother-in-law's mother. ("I Do")