#Walsh seems to have been introduced to provide a parallel plot but got dropped I suspect when Eads wanted out

[firebirdsdaughter]

To refocus…

… I wish they’d let Jack actually. Have a part in saving Mac in 2x11. Like, even if it’s just the customary ‘comes in at the right moment to clock a dude’ sort of thing. I love Mac being resourceful, but I do feel like he’s occasionally a wee bit… It’s not exactly ‘over powered’ but… Perfect?

Like this is what I mean by we needed more Jack appreciation. While I agree w/ a comment I saw somewhere on here that s2 Jack is best Jack (right down to the beard!), I can’t help but feel like, say, 2x11 for ex, woulda been good opportunities to highlight Jack’s part in their partnership a bit more. It’s not that he doesn’t do things, but I just… Don’t feel like it always gets recognised? Mac’s crafty, but sometimes there a situations where even I, the fanniest of Jack fans, kinda wonder… Why he needs a partner? It just feels unsatisfying to have the cavalry get there but lol, Mac’s already saved himself! It doesn’t have to be big—like I said, even just arriving in the nick of time to take up/finish the fight. Or even just like. Tactical/moral support? For ex, compare 1x07 to 2x11; in the former, Mac’s incredibly genius and resourceful, gets out of the prison—but then he winds up in a situation where he can’t do things on his own, and he’s forced to resort to doing what he can do and trusting in others getting the message to Jack to come for him… Which happens, and Jack does the whole cavalry thing and once again takes out someone about to shoot Mac. In the latter, though, despite Jack being integral and dedicated throughout the episode, in the end he doesn’t get to do anything, bc Mac effectively resolves the situation himself, and if the others hadn’t done anything, it probably wouldn’t have changed the outcome (the situation gets worked out bc the guy tries to kill Mac in the police station, not bc of the evidence the others gathered and worked out—the guy was planning to do that anyway, so the result woulda been the same no matter what). For an ep so rife w/ Jack being a competent agent, it’s frustrating and disappointing to have him not get to do anything in the finale, and instead Mac saves himself and the detectives just fine w/out help. Jack contributes in a minor way of letting Mac know he didn’t kill anyone and boosting his confidence and spirits (I saw that smile as he was leaving!), but very little attention is paid to that. Naturally, it’s in character for Jack to not care about recognition as long as he can ensure Mac’s safety, but I just… It’s esp clear I think in 2x11 and 2x04. I know 2x04 is about Murdoc being Mac’s special enemy, and part of this is me wanting recognition for Jack’s status as Mac’s real dad, but esp w/ Jack blaming himself and Murdoc then going and picking out Cage later… Feels like their relationship shoulda been more of a factor? Given that everyone goes on like Murdoc targets people around them, in this he’s only focused on Mac and then Cage for some reason (even going after her again later bc… The actress had vacation time? I adore Cage but she seems like an odd choice to zero in on to get to Mac). Maybe Murdoc acknowledging how dogged Jack will be, or Mac shooting back that Jack will find him, no matter how well Murdoc has hidden them. I’d love to hear Jack brought up when they’re talking about fathers, maybe Mac saying Jack’s name when asking for help. Just small stuff that acknowledges that for all Mac’s smarts and ingenuity, he can’t do everything alone, highlight how Jack contributes to the team and partnership, how sometimes they need someone who can think like Jack. I’d’ve much preferred 2x11 ending w/ Mac just holding the guy off until Jack arrives to jump him, maybe even commenting to the detectives that he’s got the best Overwatch ever who is definitely on his way. 2x04 there’s just more acknowledgment about Mac’s reliance on Jack’s protection, maybe a few nasty comments by Murdoc that further upset Mac. Nothing huge, Mac’s still the inventive, brilliant one, but enough to make his ‘[Jack] doing his job meant I could do mine’ line from the probational season 4 ring consistently true.

And while we’re at it, could we please get an ep about how much Mac cares about Jack?? We get a lot of Jack being willing to move the world, bust Mac out of prison, lead a dictator to diamonds, out of love for Mac, blaming himself when Mac gets hurt. I’m sad we never really got one of my favourite tropes which is that in reverse. We get it a little, but there’s not much that really focuses on it? The Ghost’s debut ep it was all crammed into the end of the ep and the focus was completely on the bomb, in 3x01 James MacGyver ruins everything, and there’s also a ticking clock to work w/, you don’t really get to see Mac reacting. When stuff happens, there’s an attitude of ‘it’s Jack, he’ll be fine’ and I just kept waiting for the moment where he wasn’t fine and how that would go. They keep talking about how Murdoc’s targeting them, but again, after his debut he only goes after Mac and Cage. While his ‘welcome to the family’ thing is in character, for the second one, I’d much rather see Jack get attacked than Cage?

Honestly, weird as it may sound, I wish Jack got shot more.