"Walkabout"

Written by David Fury
Directed by Jack Bender


In which Locke organizes a hunting party when the food supplies run out, leading to revelations about his past, while Jack makes a critical decision about the dead passengers in the fuselage...

Status Report - Final Analysis







Status Report
In keeping with the previous episode, the pace remains relatively slow in terms of the time elapsed. This makes a certain amount of sense; it gives the writers more of a chance to delve into the interwoven plot threads that ultimately must converge in decidedly troubling ways. The writers seem to be following a standard practice for new shows by spending the first third of the season introducing the characters, their histories, and the primary conflicts among them.

Many fans were worried that the almost immediate revelation of some mysterious creature on the island would become a tired plot device all too soon. Perhaps it’s because they don’t know the credentials of the writing staff. The writers are largely veterans of long-term story arcs, especially when it comes to JJ Abrams and David Fury. Of course, showrunner Damon Lindelof is rumored to have a strong background as well.

This episode focuses on the character of Locke, and if this episode is any indication, all theories mentioned in the previous reviews can be considered null and void. The writers have obviously done their homework when it comes to defying expectation. They were well aware of the kind of character Terry O’Quinn is known for, and they made sure that the audience would be stunned by the truth behind Locke. And as far as plot twists go, this one works very well.

It was easy to assume that Locke was connected to the military, and his somewhat disturbing expressions made it easy to assume that he knew something about the island that the rest of the survivors didn’t. Well, the first assumption was very wrong; the second was absolutely correct, but for all the wrong reasons.

Making Locke a tragically unstable figure is brilliant, and Terry O’Quinn plays the role exactly as it needs to be played. It would be easy to dismiss the actor as one-note, but his work on this series demonstrates how wide his range can be. Make no mistake, playing a role like Locke requires subtlety, because it could easily be taken over the top by a less capable actor.

What gives O’Quinn the chance to put his talents on display, of course, is the strong writing. At the beginning of the episode, it’s easy to assume that Locke is some kind of military expert. Very quickly, that assumption is turned on its head; Locke is really an office worker with dreams of military adventure. He spends his lunch hour playing strategy games, fending off the cruel insults of his much younger boss. That crushing corporate atmosphere is all too familiar in American culture, and it’s easy to sympathize.

His overconfidence is rather plain in his choice of hunting companions. He seems completely assured in his own ability to hunt down a razorback and prove his worth. His casual attitude towards Michael’s injury and mumblings about destiny make it all too easy to assume that he is actually insane. And the fact is, he might very well be out of his mind. He considers himself in a relationship with a woman on a phone sex service, which is typically not a sign of stability. By the time that he comes face to face with the unseen creature on the island, one can’t help but wonder if Locke is about to get some kind of karmic comeuppance.

The final act, however, is a stunning series of revelations about Locke’s true secret. All his talk about destiny and “not telling him what he can’t do” comes into startling context when it’s revealed that Locke was once wheelchair bound. Now his comments about miracles on the island make complete sense. At the same time, this only deepens the overall mystery that the island represents. What could possibly explain the fact that Locke can suddenly walk on his own two feet?

His overconfidence makes sense in light of this information, because now he really does feel like he has been given the chance to prove himself, all by the hand of some unseen divine intervention. There’s also his completely unexpected survival. It’s somewhat obvious that the unseen creature killed the razorback, and that Locke has no intention of telling the others what he’s seen.

Underneath it all, of course, there is the disturbing impression of an unhinged mind. The first person to challenge Locke over what he can or cannot do is going to be lucky to survive the experience. Locke has definitely been waiting for the chance to show the world what he’s capable of, and his military/survival fantasies could develop into a true Napoleon complex. Imagine Locke in charge of a subgroup among the survivors; however sympathetic Locke’s story might be, it’s not a pretty picture.

For any other series, Locke’s story might represent the totality of the episode’s plot. Everything would be subordinate to the goal of telling this man’s story. But David Fury, the primary writer for this episode, knows how to layer an episode and advance several plot threads at once. Like the previous episode, the characters themselves drive the action.

In the first hour of the pilot, Jack took on a leadership role, trying to save lives and find a means of contacting a rescue party. Despite stepping back in the days that followed, Jack is still seen by many as the default leader. Clearly, he doesn’t want that responsibility, at least not all of it. He does make the necessary call when it comes to taking care of the bodies in the fuselage (one can only imagine how it was beginning to smell), but when it comes to addressing their religious concerns or seeing to the mental health of the survivors, he doesn’t want that responsibility.

His attitude seems harsh, but this is also a man with wounded hope. His own mental health was attached to the fate of the marshall, and when it was necessary for Jack to put the man down, it was like killing his own hope in the process. That said, Jack didn’t need to be as harsh as he was when refusing to lead the memorial. Those scenes seem written specifically to suggest that Jack is not a natural leader by any means.

On the other hand, he does have a basic decency that shines through whatever issues are hanging over his shoulders. He takes the time to speak with the woman who lost her husband, which no one else seems to be willing to do. Jack is likely to find himself pushed more and more into that leadership role, and it will be interesting to see if Jack’s background is exposed as a result of his reluctance to accept that role.

Oddly enough, if there is one character that seems to be on walkabout, it’s Kate. As more than one character notes in this episode, Kate seems rather unnerved by the idea of being forced to stay in one place. In terms of whatever crime she’s committed, she could now consider herself free of that burden. At the same time, she’s now truly confined, more than a simple jail cell could achieve. It’s not surprising, then, that she is making such an effort to get off the island, even at risk to her own life.

Charlie’s role in the episode is somewhat reduced, but there is still some vital exploration of his character. If the amount of material in his little baggie is any indication, Charlie is going to be in some serious trouble in a matter of days. Deep down, it seems like Charlie is a decent enough man, perhaps a gentle soul caught up in the trappings of semi-stardom. He’s easily swayed by a pretty face, but even so, he takes honest joy in his attempt at fishing. If the previous episode suggested that he would begin relating with Claire, however, this episode strays from that a bit.

As expected, Hurley’s size is beginning to cause problems with the more suspicious and hostile survivors. His character is a natural means of exploring the food issue, something that was thankfully addressed at the exact time that it should. Even if there was food in the fuselage, the conditions would be such that most of the food would be inedible after a few days. The food crisis is also the perfect way to segue into Locke’s story.

Sayid’s character gets more depth in this episode. The writers are doing a wonderful job of giving his character some sympathetic shades, rather than falling on the typical depiction of a Middle Eastern man. His love for the woman in the pictures is palpable, and it gives his efforts strong focus. It’s also clear that he is a man of no small religious conviction, based on his belief that the dead passengers in the fuselage be dealt with according to what their religious beliefs would apparently dictate. Sayid is comes across as very humane, a genuinely likable character.

Sawyer, on the other hand, becomes more and more annoying as the episodes march on. The man complains about the food situation, but when it comes time to hunt down a substantial source of food, he doesn’t offer his strength to the cause. Instead, he predicts failure and mocks Locke for even suggesting they hunt for food. He comes across as someone who prefers the easy way out, and that kind of person often turns to violence when things don’t go their way.

In previous episodes, Boone seemed to be a bit harsh in his criticism of Shannon. This episode places that in a more reasonable perspective. Shannon appears to be the spoiled little rich girl, and she certainly has a lot of practice getting people to do things for her. She uses Charlie without hesitation and without regard for his feelings, and when Charlie succeeds, she actually believes that she proved her brother wrong. It seems as though Shannon is moving rapidly towards a serious life lesson.

Claire is a character that is very hard to interpret. She seems to be very open and caring, especially since she feels for the dead passengers and believes that something should be said in their passing. At the same time, she’s almost too casual about her baby. In previous episodes, she didn’t seen nearly concerned enough about the baby being still. It’s hard to know what Claire is all about, but there’s an undeniable optimism there. And that Australian accent is damn sexy!

Michael and Walt continue to have issues between them, which is not at all surprising. Michael tries to prove himself time and again, and things do not go well in the process. It’s interesting that Michael would ask Sun to watch over Walt for him; there’s something going on there, and it could get ugly very fast. After all, in some areas, there are serious tensions between African-Americans and Korean-Americans, and someone like Jin with strict cultural interpretations could see Michael as a threat. (Beyond that, doesn’t Michael’s injury seem much smaller when they arrive at camp?)

As far as the mystery of the island goes, the unseen creature makes another appearance, and it creates a setback in the effort to triangulate the source of the French transmission. It seems rather strange that the creature remains hidden when moving the trees around; it’s almost as if the creature is invisible or otherwise cloaked. One would hope that the nature of the creature is revealed sooner rather than later, since it would otherwise come across as a convenient plot device.

The real shocks come in the final act, when Jack sees a man in a suit jacket and sneakers lurking in the trees. His first appearance is incredibly creepy, and considering the topic of conversation at that exact moment, it’s very unnerving. What if the tail end of the plane did crash on the other side of the island, and people survived that part of the crash as well? Or even worse, what if that man has been on the island much, much longer?

The real question concerns Locke’s miracle. Was it a miracle caused by something on the island, or was it simply a matter of chance? Without knowing the reason for Locke’s condition prior to his trip to Australia, it’s hard to know what his ability to walk fully entails. The likelihood is that the condition was something that would require something more than simple medical intervention, so there is something more at work on the island. The question is, how does that miracle connect to the unseen creature and/or the man in the suit? Or is it something completely unconnected?

Any episode written by David Fury would have a certain level of dark humor included, and this is no exception. At times, the episode seems a bit lightweight, but that is part of the overall deception; everything is designed to maximize the power of the final act. Everything still happens with an edge of desperation beneath the veneer of civilization, and whatever attempts at cooperation were made at the end of the previous episode are already beginning to fall apart. The writers know better than to let things get too depressing, and that balance goes a long way towards the early success of the series.


Final Analysis
Overall, this episode was a well-written exploration of Locke and his particular brand of insanity. His story leads to a number of startling revelations, all of which serve to deepen and enrich the mystery of the island. A certain realism is still maintained, and the conflicts continue to deepen between the survivors. Mixed with a dash of humor, the series continues to prove that character-driven drama beats anything else out there.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10




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