Should Jake have freed Tom?

[rocklobster]

I really think Jake should've freed Tom at one point.  I mean, he wanted to so bad and if anyone could've pulled it off, he could.  I doubt it would've been as dangerous as freeing Visser One.

[Chad32]

Yes, I think Tom should have been freed. especially if KA was going to reintroduce Loren to get rescued. That just adds insult to injury. It could have been done in books 31 or 50 about as easily as anything else they've ever done.

If you're going to go 53 out of 54 books without having any named characters dying (except Visser One, and maybe David. Both villains), then book 54 shouldn't be any different.

The ending still could have been bittersweet. It would just be more sweet than bitter.

[Liz]

In terms of storyline, I think it was more interesting to keep Tom as a Controller.  It increases the danger of getting caught and all that.

[anijen21]

It was Jake's only real, personal motivation. At least at the beginning. I think by the second half of the series, Jake's obligation would have outweighed his personal motivation. Would it? Actually idk, it's an interesting question.

I wonder what would have happened if Tom had gotten freed halfway through the series. If I were Jake, I would have just quit.

[Chad32]

Just quit being the leader halfway through? He wouldn't have been able to do that. Marco didn't quit. I seriously doubt Tom, Cassie, and the others would have just let him quit.

[EscafilDevice]

Tom's death was so anticlimatic.

I was expecting Jake and Tom to fight to the death. Hello, remember those dreams that he'd have of killing him? It was like foreshadowing that she just forgot about.

They should've fought one-on-one and it should've been a draw. Then Jake could've captured him and freed him. Or he could've died. But at least they should've fought.

[Chad32]

She didn't forget. She kind of did it in a metaphorical sense in book 50, through Cassie's perspective.

[JFalcon]

I remember the first time I read when they were telling all their parents I got really excited because I sort of thought they'd free Tom then, after all what would have had had to lose? Tell the parents, take Tom, free him, make him an Animorph . . . of course it didn't turn out like that, but at the time I really thought that was where it'd go.

[Chad32]

Yeah, me too. In fact I remember thinking to myself that I'd be really ticked off if Tom didn't get freed. Then 54 happened, and everything went to hell. It was traumatizing.

[Phoenix004]

If Jake had freed Tom then they would have been screwed from the start. Do you think the Yeerks wouldn't notice when one of their high ranking members suddenly vanishes? If Tom had been freed, the Yeerks would have gone right after his family, who would have been taken or been forced to flee, exposing Jake as a part of the resistance. After that they'd go after people connected to him, such as Marco, Cassie and Rachel. Even if they all escaped somehow, they'd have been on the run for the entire series.

[Chad32]

Not if it happened during a battle, like in book 50, or during a time when the Yeerk would be expected to die from natural means, like book 31. Besides, it's not like the HB Valley and Erek's place couldn't be used as safespots. The Yeerks only found the Valley when they managed to take a Hork alive, and they never found Erek's place to our knowledge.

By his place, I mean the underground area.

[Mira]

No MARCO should have freed Tom

[wotw2112]

If you're going to go 53 out of 54 books without having any named characters dying (except Visser One, and maybe David. Both villains), then book 54 shouldn't be any different.

Amen!  It's about time someone said it!  They got out of so many ridiculous situations all series long... The haphazard and poorly explained end sequence just shows that it was all for dramatic effect, just like a cheesy tv show that kills off a character at the end of a season for ratings.

But getting back on topic: should Jake have tried to free his brother?  Yes.  As soon as they had a safe place to send him (with the hidden Hork-Bajir). 

Can I understand why he didn't from a plot perspective?  Also yes.  It is very cyclical how Jake's very first mission (and original motivation) against the Yeerks never gets accomplished.  He gets pulled in deeper and deeper (into the overall conflict), other things get in the way, there's always a reason "why not".  In the end he chooses what's good for the war over what's good for him.  Which makes no sense why he goes after him with such a reckless vengeance at the end.  It's one friggin ship with no un-hosted yeerks on it!