Return to Summary PageThe following is a summary of Mark’s very last episode as Jack Deveraux. What a sad day on the show! As all of you most likely know, this is also the very same episode that had the notorious "Jack Switch" in the shower. Airdate was September 26, 1997
(Transcribed by Sandra)
Show opens with Jack standing in his prison cell. Jack has his hands on his waist and is looking very worried. He stares at a picture of him, Jenn and Abby taped to his prison wall. Jack suddenly has a flashback to his discovering Jennifer is a prison guard and telling her to quit. The flashback ends.
Jack - I can’t let her do this.
Harry the prisoner walks by Jack’s cell. Jack notices and walks to the doorway of his cell to speak to his prison buddy.
Jack - Hey, Harry.
Harry approaches Jack.
Jack - Let me use your cellphone.
Harry (in his Dirty Harry voice) - Use a payphone, man.
Jack - Oh, come on. I need some privacy. (Jack waits for a response and Harry looks hesitant) Alright, I’ll take care of your work detail for a week.
Harry - You’ll change your mind when you hear what it is.
Jack - I don’t care. I want to use that phone.
Harry - Okay. I’ll be right back.
Harry leaves. Jack watches him leave. Scene ends.
Next scene, Abby and Jenn are in the park. Abby’s playing with a soccer ball.
Abby - I wish Daddy were here to play with us.
Jennifer (smiles) - I do too, sweetheart.
Abby - Mommy?
Jenn - Yes.
Abby - Is Daddy ever coming home?
[Depends which "Daddy" you’re talking about, Abby -- if it’s Mark’s Jack you’re referring to, then the answer is no ;-)]
Jennifer walks towards Abby and bends down to speak to her face to face.
Jennifer - Sweetheart, we have to believe that he will. And I’m gonna do everything I can to make sure that he does. Now let’s see how far you can kick that ball.
Abby starts playing with soccer ball. Scene ends.
Next scene, Jack calls Jenn’s place to speak to her. Laura answers the phone instead.
Laura - Hello?
Jack - Laura, hey, it’s Jack. Is Jenn there?
Laura - Hi Jack. No, umm.. she took Abby to the park. Is something wrong?
Jack - Has she told you about her new job?
Laura - Job? What new job?
Jack - She’s working here. As a guard at the prison.
Laura - What? (Laura laughs) Jack, will you stop kidding around!
Jack - I wish I were kidding around, Laura.
Laura (looks kind of shocked) - But why? I mean how?
Jack (sounds fed up) - She’s pretending to be Hope. She used Hope’s credentials as an ex-cop. She even got a phony recommendation from Abe’s office thanks to Alice.
Laura - Alice helped her?
Jack - That’s what Jenn told me.
Laura (sounds worried and takes a deep breath) - Well, why is she doing this?
Jack - Well, she thinks that she can help me get information for this prison expose that I’m working on – inside information. But I don’t want her doing it, Laura. It’s too dangerous.
Laura (sounds confused and worried) - Well, I agree with you. Umm… listen. Don’t worry about this. I’ll stop her, alright? Bye.
Jack - Thanks.
Laura leaves the house and puts on the alarm.
Travis and TC are standing there to break into the house to snoop on Jennifer and find out what she’s up to.
Next scene, Jenn is talking to Marlena and Roman about Jack saying she’s hoping they’ll find proof that Peter is alive, blah, blah, blah. Usual stuff ;-)
Next scene, Travis and TC still snooping in Jenn’s house. There’s a picture of Jenn and Jack with Abby but stupid TC doesn’t notice it. If he did, he’d discover Jennifer looks remarkably similar to that new guard Williams that he keeps on talking about. TC tells Travis about the new guard who’s a "looker" and Travis says to him in his ‘like I care!’ kind of voice, "Look just.. just search for something, okay?" It’s just funny the way Travis says that to him.
Next scene, Jack is standing in his prison cell leaning against a table. He looks really worried.
Jack (talking to himself, or to the prison wall, whichever you prefer ;-) - Laura’s my only hope. She’s got to talk Jennifer out of posing as a prison guard. If she doesn’t and Jenn gets caught…. I don’t want to think about it. Laura has to talk her out of it. She has to.
(Jack is nodding his head to agree with himself and reassure himself. Poor Mark had to spend his last day on the set in scenes where he is mostly talking to himself. No wonder he left - LOL!)
Next scene, Laura meets Jenn in the park to have a little "talk" with her about her new prison job.
Laura (really mad and scolding Jennifer) - Jack called. He said you have taken a job as a GUARD at the prison!
Jennifer - I can explain…
Laura (still furious) - There is no explanation except that you have completely lost your mind!
Jennifer looks like she’s going to hold her ground with her mother. She rolls her eyes. Scene ends.
Next scene – by the way, this also happens to be the very last scene that Mark taped as "Jack" on his last day on the set -- Jack is sitting on his prison bunk and looking as though he is in deep thought. A prison guard walks in.
Guard - Hey Deveraux. Harry told me you’re taking his work detail today?
Jack - Yeah, that’s right.
Guard (kind of laughs) - Hmph.. you’re in for some dirty work. He’s got the motor pool this week. Scheduled to change oil, loop all the wheel bearings in the prison bus. Let’s go. (he motions for Jack to leave the cell)
Jack gets up to leave. He thinks to himself, "It’ll be worth it if Laura stops Jennifer from working here." As he’s thinking this, there’s a close-up of his face and he looks so sad. His eyes look kind of watery – not sure if those are tears. I think Mark was probably sad because that was his very last scene as Jack :-( As he’s walking out of the cell, he turns his head back to look at his bunk and the pictures on his prison cell wall, one last time -- the last time Mark’s Jack is in that prison cell. They’re playing some different music too in that part where he’s walking out – almost like ‘goodbye’ music for him. Scene ends.
Next scene, Laura and Jenn are in park and still arguing.
Laura (angrily) - You will quit today!
Jenn - No.
Laura - Alright, Jennifer. You leave me no choice but to call the warden.
Jennifer - No, mom, you cannot do that…
Laura - Yes I can!!!!
Jennifer - Mom, Uncle Mickey said that unless there’s new evidence, there’s no point in even filing a new appeal. This could be the only way to get Jack out of prison!
Laura (laughs mockingly) - So what are you planning? To break him out?
Jennifer - No. Jack thinks there might be something going on within the prison system.
Laura - What does that mean?
Jennifer - Jack’s former cellmate, Travis, was transfered to another prison. But no one seems to be able to find out which prison it was.
Laura (losing her patience) - So?! Maybe it hasn’t been put into the computer system yet.
Jennifer - Well, maybe mom, but what if it’s something else?
Laura - Like what?
Jennifer - What if there is corruption going on? If I’m working on the inside as a guard, I can help Jack uncover what it is. We’ve worked on investigative stories before. We make a terrific team!
Laura (pretend surprise, says sarcastically) - Oh! Is this an assignment?
Jennifer (hesitates) - Well, no.
Laura (mad) - Then who cares about the corruption?! What does this have to do with Jack getting released?
Jennifer (really sounding desperate, almost crying) - I don’t know yet, mom. But maybe if we work on it together, we can figure out how to get him out of there.
Laura (sympathizing with her daughter’s pain) - Jennifer…
Jennifer - Mom, I love him and I want to be with him…
Laura (sympathetically) - I understand. But this is not the way. It’s dangerous and it’s probably illegal.
Jennifer - I’ll be careful.
Laura - What happens if you get caught? What happens to Abby if you’re sent to prison too?
Jennifer looks worried. She doesn’t answer. Scene ends.
Next scene, Laura and Jenn are still in the park.
Jennifer - I won’t get caught, Mom.
Laura - That’s what everyone in prison thinks before they get caught!
Jennifer - I’m only working part-time. I’m a relief guard.
Laura - Only… (she pauses) Jennifer, I cannot believe that you are doing this. Or that your grandmother was helping you.
Jennifer - Grandma understands.
Laura - Well, I do not.
Jennifer (sounds mad for being grilled like this by Laura) - Mom, I love Jack. And talking to him with a glass partition between us just isn’t enough anymore. Yesterday I got to go in his cell and I got to kiss him. And I got to feel his arms around me….
Laura looks horrified that Jennifer actually did that ....
Jennifer (almost crying) - … Now we have been separated for so long. We need the joy and the strength that we feel in each other’s arms, mom. Can’t you understand that?
Laura doesn’t say anything is response. She looks completely fed up with Jennifer. She’s speechless. Jennifer gets a phone call saying she has to meet the warden. Jennifer says she’s going through with this whether Laura likes it or not. Laura finally gives in and says that she won’t fight Jenn. But that she still doesn’t agree with this and that she’s very worried about Jennifer’s safety. Jennifer says she has a little time to see Jack before her meeting with the warden. Laura and Jenn hug each other with the understanding that Laura won’t fight her anymore about this prison job, despite her objections. Jennifer leaves. Laura agrees to take Abby to Alice’s place.
Jennifer arrives at her house, just as Travis is about to show TC a picture of Jennifer, Jack & Abby. TC and Travis hear someone at the door and take off. Gee, how convenient that she came home in time before TC saw the picture ;-) She goes upstairs to get her guard outfit and then she leaves. Time to go meet Jack in prison for her little shower ‘party’ - LOL!
Next scene, Jack has finally arrived at the prison shower. He is out of breath and has dirt and grease all over him. The guard opens the door for him.
Jack - Eddy, thanks for letting me skip lunch so I could take a shower.
Eddy the Guard - Well, you need it after working on that bus. I’m gonna have to lock you in here though. Uh.. you’re in here by yourself. So, I’ll be back in a bit.
Jack (still out of breath) - Yeah, that’s okay.
Eddy the Guard shuts the door to the shower room. Jack walks towards the shower.
Jack (to himself) - I gotta use Harry’s cellphone later. Make sure that Laura talked Jennifer out of working here.
Jack takes a deep breath and takes off his white t-shirt. About time he did that! LOL! Very nice moment on this show ;-) Only the shirtless scene ends after a few seconds…
Next scene, Jennifer is dressed up as Hope the "Wonder-Guard" and opens Jack’s prison cell to check and see if he’s there. He’s not. Looking desperate to find him, she says "Where’s Jack?" Hmm… guess Jenn’s hormones got the better of her ;-)
TC and Travis are still outside Jenn’s place yapping away. TC once again brags about what he calls the new "hot guard" at the prison that’s working today. TC says "she could go far if she’s nice to me."
Next scene, is Mark’s very last scene on the air as Jack. This is the infamous "Jack Switch" scene. Mark’s Jack is washing the soap off his face. He is staring off into space dreaming about him and Jennifer.
Jack’s dream:
Jack arrives home through the front door, looking very happy and excited. Jennifer, who is seated on the couch, gets up and says, "Jack, what are you doing here?"
Jack hugs Jennifer and looks so happy and so relieved (and so cute ;-)
Jack (really smiling) - John found the proof that Peter is alive. I’m free.
Jennifer (smiling and surprised) - Oh God, Jack!
Jack (still smiling) - We’re never gonna be apart again. Never ever!
Jack & Jennifer then share a big kiss – Mark’s last kiss as "Jack". Dream ends.
Camera shows Mark’s Jack smiling and almost in a dream-like state. That is the very last time we see Mark’s face on this show :-( Oh well! If he had to leave, that’s a great final shot of him as Jack. A woman’s hand appears on Jack’s right shoulder. It is still Mark’s shoulder we’re looking at. Then the very next second, a completely different camera angle is shown (with different lighting, no less) and we see the back of nu-Jack (Steve Wilder). Jennifer’s hand is on nu-Jack’s shoulder. He turns around and we finally get to see nu-Jack’s face. "Jenn, what are you doing here?" he says.
At this point, Jennifer should have said, "Oh my God! I’m so embarassed! I seem to have mistaken you for another inmate!" ;-) Unfortunately, she doesn’t and instead goes, "Shh…" and places her hand on his mouth. She leans forward and kisses him passionately. UGGH!! That should have been Mark’s Jack she was kissing instead. Would it have been a big deal to allow one last kiss between Mark’s Jack & Stephanie’s Jennifer before he left?! They could have had the nu-Jack in the very same scene on Monday’s show. But NO!! They had to switch Jacks in the very same episode so they could have some stupid gimmick to attract viewers!!! (Oops, sorry for venting here - LOL! Hope you enjoyed this summary ;-)
