A Shepard and His Flock

      The next two characters I’ll analyze are the leading men who stepped up as the leaders: Prince Charming from Once Upon a Time and Jack Shepard from Lost. The unwavering bravery and dedication of these men to their loved ones was made very clear. Prince Charming, aka David Noland, was a common shepherd who took on the responsibilities of a prince and a leader when the town of Storybrooke was left without a sheriff. With the expertise of a surgeon, Jack Shepard became a leader and doctor to the castaways.

      Both Prince Charming and Jack had siblings that they were unaware of until their adulthood. Prince Charming’s twin brother, the born prince, was separated from him at birth by Rumpelstiltskin. Jack’s father had an affair with another woman, resulting in Jack’s half-sister Claire, coincidently one of the other survivors of the plane crash. 

      Both Prince Charming and Jack had difficulties in making up their mind on who they loved. David Noland had an affair with Mary Margaret Blanchard, while he was still technically married to Kathryn. Jack Shepard, throughout his time on the Island, debated whether he loved Kate Austen or Juliet.

      Despite being the handsome leaders who came to save the day, both characters could be extremely stubborn and controlling. Prince Charming prevented Snow White from killing her nemesis the Evil Queen, but was fine with ordering the queen's execution. Jack was the last of the survivors to realize the truth behind the Island because he could not rationalize it.

      The very obvious connection between these natural born leaders was the fact that they both had similar names. Prince Charming was referred to by King George as the “shepherd,” while Jack’s last name was Shepard.