Role in the team: The One Who Dies A crucial, but rather tragic, role in a good large ensemble team is the character who sacrifices himself, dying in a poignant moment that reminds the audience that the team's actions are not without the threat of dire consequences and creating motivation or opportunity for their companions to achieve the final success. Without the death of Boromir the Fellowship Of The Ring (both the film and the actual fellowship themselves) would have been lacking something. In the world of heroic Jacks that character who dies as his companions go on to succeed is L.A. Confidential's "Hollywood" Jack Vincennes. More concerned with his work as an advisor on TV cop show Badge Of Honor and with throwing stories to scandal rag Hush Hush than he is with the day job of detective work, Vincennes nevertheless has his noble side that is forced to come to the surface after the murder of a naive youth he set up for just one of those scandal stories. Like many of the great Jacks, Vincennes is heroic but heavily flawed. He redeems himself, though, just in time to get killed. His dying words are what lead colleagues Ed Exley and Bud White to solve the crime meaning that, even in death, this Jack gets to save the day.
