(Oceanic Flight 815 lands at LAX)
David Shephard is the son of Jack Shephard and Juliet Carlson in the flash-sideways timeline and is also a gifted pianist. He lives with his mother due to his strained relationship with his father caused by his parents' separation and by the implicit expectations he feels from Jack.
Biography
David first appears after Jack 's return to Los Angeles. Jack calls his mother, Margo, after he arrives from work and then, while staring at his watch, realizes that he is late for something. He is later seen at St. Mary's Academy picking up David, his son. At home, Jack tries to open up a conversation with his son but it would always end awkwardly. Finally giving up, Jack gives a copy of The Annotated Alice to David and later leaves his son alone in the house to go to Margo's house. At his mother's house, Jack would ask her about his son while they are examining his father's will and testament. She replies that David might be terrified of him [Jack] and noted that his son was visibly upset during Christian [Jack's father]'s funeral.("Lighthouse")
Upon returning home, Jack realizes that David is not there so he goes to his ex-wife's house to find out if he is there or not, telephoning David along the way. When he arrives at the house, Jack realizes that nobody is home. He goes inside and, after uncovering sheet music for Chopin's "Fantaisie Impromptu", he notices pictures of himself with his son posted at the mirror. He stares at them, reminiscing their memories together. Jack then listens to two messages on the answering machine. The first is from the Williams Conservatory confirming David's slot at 7:00pm on Friday the 24th. The other is a message from Jack in Sydney where Jack says that something happened and he "just needed to hear [David's] voice," causing Jack to tear up. Jack decides to go to the auditions at the Conservatory. ("Lighthouse")
Jack arrives at the Conservatory, where he sees David playing the piano. A boy comments how good David is at the instrument while his father, who is hugging him, addresses Jack by saying, "They are too young to have this kind of pressure,". He turns and reveals himself to be the likeness of Dogen. He then says that "it is hard to watch and be unable to help" with regards to David's "gift". Jack appears to be pleased to hear this regarding his son and waits for him outside. When they meet, Jack asks his son why he has not told him. David replies by saying did not want Jack to know because he does not want "to fail" in his father's eyes. Jack replied by telling David that at around the time when he was at David's age, his [Jack's] father also did not want to see him fail and had said that Jack "didn't have what it takes." This led him to carry this burden all his life so now he does not want David to feel the same way. Jack then tells David that he loves him and that in his eyes he can never fail. ("Lighthouse")
Photos of David and his father.
Several days later, David went with his father for the reading of his grand-father's will and testament. Outside the lawyer's office, Jack spoke on the phone with his ex-wife while David indicated his willingness to stay with Jack. There, they were introduced by the lawyer to Claire Littleton, who immediately reveals herself as Jack's half-sister or David's half-aunt. A sudden emergency at the hospital forces both father and son to leave abruptly. Upon entering the hospital, they briefly discuss how Christian had kept secrets from them. David wished his father good luck for the surgery his father would perform. ("The Last Recruit")
A morning later, David enters his dad's room and tells him that he made breakfast for them. Jack corrects him by jokingly saying that "opening box cereal and putting it on a bowl is not making breakfast", implying a improvement in their relationship. David then reminds his dad about the concert at the museum later that night, and asks if it would he be weird if his mother would be there too. Claire later joins them at the breakfast table. A phone call from an Oceanic Airlines representative, informing them about Christian's casket would interrupt their meal. ("What They Died For")
David is later seen at the hospital where his dad and his mom, Juliet, worked. He asks them who would use the extra tickets he has for a benefit concert at the museum after Jack canceled due to a surgery he was about to perform. Jack suggests Claire's name and David and his mom decides to fetch her, bumping Det. James Ford along the way. At the concert venue, Juliet leaves David and Claire for a surgery at the hospital. Claire, meanwhile, begins to have contractions during the concert, prompting her to go backstage leaving David alone.("The End")
David is not seen after. Later, John Locke is heard saying to Jack that the latter "does not have a son" placing doubt in David's existence.("The End")
Trivia
Episode statistics
- David appears in 4 named episodes. If "The End" is treated as two episodes, his appearances would be 5.
General
- David is one of three characters, along with Eva and Sam Jarrah, known to not exist in the original timeline.
- Among the main characters, David has only met Jack, Juliet, Claire, Ilana, Kate, Charlie, Daniel, and Sawyer. He is also aware of Christian although it is unknown if they have met.
- David is an LA Dodgers fan (he is seen wearing a LA Dodgers Hat) unlike his dad, Jack, and grandfather, Christian Shephard, both of whom are fans of the Boston Red Sox. ("Lighthouse")
- Judeo-Christian tradition holds that a "shepherd" boy named David (who also was a gifted musician) was the only person in Judea brave enough to fight the giant Goliath. He won against improbable odds and became the king of Judea. The most famous Psalm of David, Number 23, opens with the line, "The Lord is my shepherd."
Episode references
- David and his relationship with his father are foreshadowed in the mobisode, "The Watch".
- The piece that David plays at the piano competition in "Lighthouse" is the same piece that the young Daniel Faraday is playing when his mother walks in at the beginning of "The Variable", which is Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor by Frédéric Chopin.
Unanswered questions
For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: David Shephard/Theories
- What is his nature?
- Where did he "come from"?
- Is he real?
