At that point, he should have easily deduced that Banner was the Hulk. When he last saw Banner in the pilot episode, Banner went into the lab and then it exploded and the Hulk came out. No trace of Banner was ever found either. So he could have easily added 2+2 to get 4. The answer was a giveaway at that point.
There is a difference between what is obvious to someone who already knows the whole story, and what is actually obvious to somebody trying to piece it together from limited information.
Jack was inside the lab; David and Elaina arrived, and he hid. Jack hears them discussing the Hulk as though he were a third person ("if our friend comes back"). Jack had them under observation, and they weren't doing anything that could cause an explosion. They found Jack moments later, and David escorted him from the building. They left Elaina alone in the lab, in no danger whatsoever. Jack and David argued outside. The lab exploded, David ran in, the Hulk came out.
Jack quite reasonably believes that whatever caused the lab explosion happened AFTER he and Banner left. The "obvious" answer from Jack's POV is that the Hulk came back at that time and caused the explosion. Banner cannot possibly have caused the explosion, because he was outside with McGee: Therefore, he cannot possibly be the Hulk. There is no reason why such a possibility should cross Jack's mind. Unless, of course, he knows that he was the one who really caused the fire. But he doesn't, and his subconscious is likely to be real resistant to that idea.
Plus the mystery man in the mask had Banner's voice, height, and hair. Anyone in McGee's position could have figured it out. It was already solved at that point. It was way too implausible for him to remain in ignorance.
Banner has "average" height and brown hair, like millions of people. Those don't even count as clues. When he is wearing the mask, you cannot see his hairstyle. You cannot make out the contours of his face. In fact, the mask makes it look as though his face is much fuller than it actually is. It isn't just that you cannot see his face; you actually get the illusion that when you take the mask off, you are going to see a guy who looks very different from David.
In the pilot, Banner carried himself like a respected professional dealing with a lowlife. His manner towards Jack was cold, aloof, and contemptuous from their first meeting. John Doe's manner towards Jack is respectful and grateful, almost submissive. When he starts to act with authority, it is the authority of a doctor treating a patient - caring and concerned. He and Jack like each other and show it. The whole psychological context of the encounter is completely different. As a result, David's tone, manner, and body language are also different.
So to summarize:
McGee has three brief conversations with Dr. Banner. Then Banner "dies" tragically, at which time McGee sustains a head injury and severe psychological trauma. Two years later, McGee meets a John Doe with average height and brown hair, who otherwise looks and acts totally different from Dr. Banner, but who has the same voice that Jack heard for ten minutes total two years earlier. This voice might sound vaguely familiar to Jack, but he and John already know that they have been to many of the same places over the past two years, which further misdirects Jack's efforts at placing the voice. Anyway, John turns out to be the Hulk, who Jack "knows" cannot be the Dr. Banner, because the Hulk was killing Elaina Marks while Banner was innocently talking to McGee outside the laboratory.
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Kryptonian_Zod
10 years ago
If anything after his suspicions from the episode Broken Image, but more so episode Equinox. When Mcgee has David trapped in that fancy dress storeroom with the tranquilizer gun.
Even though David had that eye mask on, it should have been clearly the point, that Mcgee figured out David Banner was indeed still alive and the creature. Especially when a voice conversation, in an earlier season episode. Mcgee hinted the voice sounded very familiar to him. They probably could have had him calling out his name, with David instantly trying to deny it.
I have always wondered if Mcgee at some point eventually figured out Banner was the creature, however without any physical proof, the idea of Banner being the Hulk remained only a thought.
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terryc316
10 years ago
I have always wondered if Mcgee at some point eventually figured out Banner was the creature, however without any physical proof, the idea of Banner being the Hulk remained only a thought.
That's the point. No, McGee never knew it was Banner all along, despite all the "close calls".
As someone already pointed out, the CLOSEST call was when McGEE actually DID come face-to-face with Banner in "Broken Image". But the henchman of the villain that looked exactly like Banner was also there, and convinced McGee that it wasn't Banner.
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