Jack McKay is Dylan's mostly absentee father, rich but emotionally negligent, the reason the bright, sensitive boy nearly grows up unbalanced in luxury hotel-rooms, yet envious of Brandon's middle-class but tight, warm family. Later Jack gets into trouble with the law, and shamelessly expects Dylan to help his undeserving father unconditionally, another terrible dilemma for the torn-up son, who has more surprises and grief coming by Jack's doing, even posthumously.