The show has one episode left, which HBO promises will reveal everything. I seriously doubt that will happen; the questions here are too big to be “revealed” in fifty minutes, they’re issues that the viewer has to ponder and conclude for themselves. However, for me, this episode answered the question of what the series is about, and made a lot of things clear that weren’t before. There are two central themes that form the backbone of the series, and by understanding them, you can put virtually all the elements of the series in context.
One of these concepts is the halo effect. This was first mentioned by Dwayne, when discussing how Shaun’s injury drove more traffic to Butchie’s website. It was mentioned again, reinforcing its thematic importance to what’s going on. The basic idea behind the halo effect is that what happens to one person will resonate throughout the community as a whole. It essentially posits a social network in which people are linked through a series of actions that produce an effect.
In the case of the series, John is the catalyst, and virtually everything that’s happened in the series could be seen as a consequence of what he did. The past few episodes, with their focus on John’s relation to his “father,” as well as this episode’s many religious references, imply that John is connected to God. So, one could easily interpret the series as a treatise on what would happen if God made his presence known in one person’s life, the way that initial contact echoes outward, creating believers out of some and dissenters out of others. I don’t think the show is as clear as John = Jesus, but at this point you could certainly make that equation work. John set things into motion, and even in his absence, the changes he instigated continue. He is more powerful as an idea than as a physical form, casting a shadow over this episode without actually appearing in it.
David Milch has talked a lot about the way that communities function as a single organism, with a mass consciousness that extends beyond any single person. That’s what the halo effect is all about, things that happen to others affecting us because of our social connection. This episode gives us a perfect demonstration of that concept in the sequence where Cissy is looking for Shaun. She asks Vietnam Joe if he’s seen Shaun, Joe goes to the VFW, and then others are looking for Shaun. The community moves into action to protect one of its own.
One of the things I love about the series is the way we know virtually everyone in IB. In most shows, we are limited to a few characters; here it seems like anyone we encounter becomes a recurring character. Milch is interested in looking at the way this one family impacts the world around it, and as time goes on, the ties between them grow tighter. I’ll admit that I was unclear about the purpose of the hotel guys when the show began, but now their role is clear. They are the center of the community that’s been built up around the Yosts; John has indirectly impacted their lives and helped them to become something better.
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Article comments
1 - James
Thanks so much for writing, I am greatly excited by your words here. I feel very much as you do. I am so grateful for the depth of the show, the depth of each character's emotional lives, and so on. I am excited for day nine and hope we are able to see the relationships of the folks in IB further flower and grow in future seasons. As you make clear, these people have a lot of growing to do before they may be capable of healthy relationships, and it would be so thrilling to see how a greater community awareness manages to strengthen individual bonds and deepen personal awareness. (Communication -> Community -> Common Union)
2 - Savannah
Thanks, Patrick. That was thoughfully, and beautifully, written. You echoed my exact feelings about the show that I've been unable to articulate.
3 - Ayela
Patrick, I very much appreciate your perspectives presented here on the wonderful enigma, JFC. I love that you aren't trying to resolve the mysteries so much as explore and illuminate, much like the show itself. Thank you.
4 - JFC Fan
Thank you, I've been unable to explain or even understand why I find the show so compelling your explanation have really helped to enhance my appreciation of the show.
5 - Patrick
Thanks for the feedback, it's such a fantastic show, I'm always left with so much to talk about and reflect on, it's been such a wonderful build, I really hope we get the chance to see more of these characters in another season.
6 - Case
I agree with this analysis completely. I’ve read other reviews which seem express a dislike for the show because of the lack of quick and easy answers. That is what I like about JFC. Other would be viewers/fans are offended by the language, and seem to think that since there is 'off-color' language, that equates to a lack of spirituality. In fact I had a long conversation with a friend in which I was trying to explain the irrelevance of words in general. The fact that John repeats everything that others say exemplifies the lack of meaning in what he says; therefore how he says it is also irrelevant. I like this show. I hope it continues...even though I am somewhat dissuaded from watching at time due to the coarseness of the dialogue.
7 - Patrick
John's repetition is far from meaningless. By repeating things, he gives them a new context and forces us to actually consider the meaning of what we say. Plus, as we see Butchie and Kai discuss in this episode, his repetition is actually an attempt to use what he knows of our language to convey the complex ideas he's been sent here to convey. Milch is able to use words better than almost any other writer working today. Yes, there's a lot of profanity, perhaps a bit too much, but that's his style and other than in the pilot, I don't think it's been gratuitous.
8 - John (Real name, I promise)
Amen brother. Loved it!
9 - Lauren
wow, thanks for putting this together. as confusing as the show seems while watching it, the general themes presented are not at all complex, you just have to sift/think through a bit. (watching twice is big help as well.)
i pray HBO picks it back up. i am really starting to grab a hold of the characters and love this show!
p.s. how did butchie go from detestable to lovable in 8 episodes? he's my favorite character.
10 - Keith
It seems to be a second coming theme, but John is not Jesus. Shaun is the Christ figure. John is the "John the Baptist" figure. If you disregard Shaun's family, there are almost exactly twelve that have come into the community. If they are apostles, that makes sense. They certainly seem to be expressing a love for Shaun that goes beyond the normal.
In fact, Barry as Paul makes great sense. Paul was never married and had "a thorn in his side" and is fairly often thought to be gay. He also was the one who had a vision on the road to Damascus.
Tina, as Shaun's mother, would seem to be the virgin Mary. But Milch is either turning the virgin concept on it's head or combining the virgin Mary with Mary Magdalene in one character.
At any rate, according to the Bible, Jesus disappears for most of his teen years (and perhaps studies with the Essenes). It would seem Shaun has disappeared around the same age.
If so, the second season of JFC would probably be Shaun's return as an older Jesus figure. (I would prefer this, because the kid playing Shaun just can't hold his own with the rest of the cast.)
Maybe in this last episode, someone will deliver John's head? It certainly seems a possibility...
Another exciting thing about all this... If this is indeed what is going on, AND it is clarified in this last show, THEN, in spite of low numbers this season, I think the idea alone will generate enough interest that HBO will commit to a second season.
And that's good, because I LOVE THIS SHOW. Great characters. Great writing. Makes me think.