"White Rabbit" aired on October 20, 2004.[2] The episode was directed by Kevin Hooks and written by Christian Taylor.[3] Taylor declared the underlying message was of "a man's journey to find out who he really is", in how solving Jack's conflicted relationship with his father gave him an excuse to reinvent himself and was "integrated into what Jack becomes in the context of the series".[4] Showrunner Damon Lindelof was enthused about working with the episode, even if "it did not end with a big shocking twist or surprise" like predecessor "Walkabout".