After the broadcast of "White Rabbit", ABC picked up Lost for a full season, adding an additional nine episodes to the thirteen that were already scheduled.

When Jack returns home his father, Christian Shephard, sees his son's beaten face, he tells him he should not be a hero because he's weak and "doesn't have what it takes."

Jack later argues with an Oceanic Airlines ticket agent, who says the documentation to put Christian's coffin aboard Flight 815 is incomplete.

He gives a speech, telling them about the water he found and that they all need to cooperate to survive, because "if we can't live together, we're going to die alone."

[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".

Lindelof was particularly positive about "this great scene between Jack and Locke in the woods,"[5] which still influenced the characters' later discussions about faith, such as in the fourth-season finale "There's No Place Like Home".

In the previous episode, "Walkabout", Christian was played by a stand-in actor, as the character hadn't been cast yet; thus, only the back of his head was shown.

[2] An estimated 16.82 million viewers in America watched the episode on its first broadcast, and it finished second in its timeslot behind the 2004 Major League Baseball season playoffs.

[10][11] Based upon the series' success, ABC picked up Lost for the full season soon after the broadcast of "White Rabbit", ordering another nine episodes beyond the thirteen it had already agreed upon.

"[14] Robin Pierson of The TV Critic gave "White Rabbit" a 72/100, praising on how the writers did another "character heavy" episode without "trying to cram unnecessary action."

"[15] Ryan McGee of Zap2it described "White Rabbit" as "a worthy successor to 'Walkabout,' and one of the stronger Jack-centric eps the show ever produced.

[17] Dan Snierson of Entertainment Weekly gave the episode a B+, complimenting the "tantalizing peek" into Jack's dysfunctional relationship with Christian, "producing both juicy questions and eerie revelations".

[18] IGN listed "White Rabbit" 49th on their ranking of every episode of Lost, describing the "live together, die alone" speech as iconic.