Flashback: Locke

“Walkabout” is hailed by many as one of Lost’s greatest episodes, and with good reason; it has a lot going for it. The episode has a near-perfect blend of revealing flashbacks, character development, tantalizing bits of weirdness, and realistic, mundane (but in a good way) plot advancement. The Emmy-nominated script was penned by David Fury (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel), who went on to write some other first season highlights (“Solitary” [S1E9], “Special” [S1E14], and “Numbers” [S1E18]) before leaving Lost to work on 24 and later Fringe. The episode features an inspired performance by Terry O’Quinn as the uber-mysterious John Locke, a man whose very being is fundamentally altered upon crashing on the Island. And, finally, I would say this episode marks Lost’s first true twist when John Locke’s pre-Island paralysis is exposed after 40 minutes of being hidden from the audience.

The previous episode, “Tabula Rasa” (S1E3) did a really good job at setting up the events of “Walkabout”, both on-Island and in Locke’s flashbacks. In “Tabula Rasa”, we saw what I believe was the first prominent shot of the wheelchair when Charlie and Claire were using it to wheel luggage out of the Fuselage, we learned that Locke told Walt a miracle happened to him, and Locke demonstrated his functional skills by making a dog whistle to call Vincent. “Tabula Rasa” also succeeded in establishing tension between Michael and Locke due to the budding friendship of Michael’s son and the older man.

The intergenerational pairing of Walt and Locke is an interesting one to see again. On my first viewing of Lost, I took the side of Michael. Locke made me feel uneasy. I didn’t trust him, his bald head, or his orange rind. And so, when the show began pairing him and Walt off (back in the day when Locke still went by Mr. Locke), it just made me sort of uncomfortable. I didn’t know what Locke’s deal was and I didn’t feel like I could trust his intentions, especially when “Tabula Rasa” ended on his watchful gaze eyeing Walt and Michael and the others from afar. Now that I know more, I feel differently, though I can also understand why Michael might have been put off by the man.

Up until now John Locke had been really shrouded in mystery. We were able to have a sense of the other survivors who hadn’t received flashbacks yet, but with Locke we weren’t sure how to feel. “Walkabout” changes that, providing a contrast between the sad, pitiful cubicle dweller of the flashbacks and the boar-hunting wilderness expert of the Island. And of course “Walkabout” reveals a major difference between the two versions of Locke: his paralysis—something that is not divulged until the episode’s final moments.

The first time I saw Locke wheel away from the desk in the Melbourne Walkabout Tours office my mind was blown. I kind of knew something was up before that; the flashback had been hinting at some unknown revelation. Randy Nations, Locke’s young, arrogant supervisor had said to John, “Why do you torture yourself? Imagining you’re some kind of hunter. And walkabouts? You can’t do any of that.” Before learning Locke was in a wheelchair, I just figured his boss thought Locke didn’t have the initiative or guts. But then when the Walkabout Guide in Melbourne tells him that he can’t go on the tour, that he misrepresented himself and his “condition”, I still didn’t get it. I was confused. I thought I had missed something, but I was just going with it. And then the wheelchair appeared and suddenly a light went off.

All the pieces were there, so cleverly camouflaged in plain view: Locke’s “miracle”, the shot of him wiggling his toes in wonderment in the sand, the fact that Locke had been either sitting or laying in every flashback scene, the dialogue mentioned above, the medical equipment beside Locke’s bed when he is on the phone with “Helen” (remember that name, it is important to Locke’s character), the wheelchair being used to transport wood on the beach, and so much more. But this was before we knew Lost’s M.O., before the show taught us to look for these kinds of things. It was a shocking revelation; not just because of how we’d been tricked, but because of its implications. We don’t know how or why, but somehow the Island healed John Locke.

This episode also introduces two of Locke’s famous sayings: “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” and varied, but similar statements including the word “destiny”. We get these combined in a very moving speech from Locke as his attendance to the Walkabout Tour is denied: “Hey! Don’t you walk away from me! You don’t know who you’re dealing with! Don’t ever tell me what I can’t do—ever! This is destiny, this is destiny, this is my destiny. I’m supposed to do this! Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” And the tour bus drives off.

Locke’s definition of a walkabout, given in one of his flashbacks, is that it is “a journey of spiritual renewal where one derives strength from the earth and becomes inseparable from it”. Obviously, it wasn’t Locke’s destiny to go on the Melbourne Walkabout Tour, but it was his destiny to go on a walkabout, aka the Island. It becomes very clear that all the training he had done was for this very moment when his skills and expertise were needed to help the former passengers of 815 survive. It is in this episode that Locke is identified as a key player in Lost, and it is his belief—that the Island is his destiny—that will provide explanation and meaning for many of the future choices he will make.

After the devastating scene of Locke being left behind at the Melbourne Walkabout Tour office, the camera cuts to him on the beach when he realizes he has feeling in his toes, bringing “Walkabout” full circle to the shot the episode opened with, except it has much deeper meaning now. The moment is full of emotion, which is enhanced by the orchestral music playing in the background. Michael Giacchino’s “Locke’d Out Again” is a striking song (despite its cheesy title) that really captures the transformative experience of John Locke’s spiritual and physical journey: sadness, regret, beauty, rebirth. The music on Lost thus far has been strong and fitting, but this is the first piece that really stands out.

Everything in this episode that has to do with John Locke is first-rate. And for the most part the mini subplots of the other survivors do well also. You have Sun’s plant knowledge, the antennae plan with Kate and Sayid, Jack’s oceanside conversations with Rose, Rose’s admission that she believes her husband Bernard from the Tail Section is alive, Sayid’s photographs of someone he loves, and the memorial service for the dead passengers set so beautifully against the Fuselage aflame. The only subplot that didn’t really work for me was Shannon using Charlie to catch a fish so that she can prove to Boone she can fend for herself. It just seemed like unimportant/unnecessary character “development” and used up too much precious airtime.

“Walkabout” did what I asked Lost to do in my review of “Tabula Rasa”. It brought back the supernatural elements in ways that didn’t detract from the main storyline, but reminded us there is definitely something unusual about the Island. Not only is there another visit from the monster (who still goes unseen; Locke gets intimate with it for a moment, but the exchange is from the monster’s point of view), but an ominous, suited figure appears to Jack, who seems extremely affected by its presence. They were just little moments, but they were enough to keep our curiosities satisfied.

Lost really upped its game with “Walkabout”. It proved it could have characters with complicated and intriguing histories and tell compelling stories that resonate with the audience while slowly introducing the peculiar and magical elements that make up the heart of the series. The balance is difficult to manage, and while this John Locke outing does a superb job, the bar is now raised high enough that, as we will see, some of the other early episodes don’t quite stand up against it.

Grade: A

Questions:

How does Locke end up in the wheelchair? (See S3E13 “The Man from Tallahassee”)

How does Locke’s paralysis go away? (See S6E15 “Across the Sea”)

Is Bernard (Rose’s husband) dead or alive? (See S2E4 “Eveybody Hates Hugo”)

Who is the woman in Sayid’s photographs? (See S1E9 “Solitary”)

Who is the suited man who appears to Jack? (See S1E5 “White Rabbit”)