Lost: Season 1, Episode 4: Walkabout Review
Walkabout
Original Airdate: October 13, 2004
Writer: David Fury
Director: Jack Bender
I had trouble deciding what to rate this episode. When I first saw this episode (thankfully unspoiled), I originally gave it an eight. Of the episodes Lost made, this one probably got the most discussion aside from the Pilot. This is due to the surprise twist, revealing that Locke was in a wheelchair before the flight. I definitely thought Locke’s back story was excellent, but there were other elements that didn’t please me to that level. However, after rewatching it several times and hearing the DVD commentary (if you don’t have the season 1 DVD, pick it up), I have come to appreciate the episode on a technical level, both in the script and production, so much as to upgrade my original rating.
Terry O’Quinn, as Locke, is one of Lost’s most valuable assets. Up to this point Locke was the most mysterious of the castaways, but it was clear that he had some connection to the island. Hurley, as the voice of the audience, asks “Who is this guy?” It is a question that has intrigued the audience and the delivery lived up to that. We learn about Locke at a pivotal point in his story, as he decides to finally integrate himself in the tribe.
The first problem that allows Locke to step up comes when wild boars invade the camp because of the smell of the rotting corpses. Like last episode, how to deal with the bodies is another step in their shift into island life. Nothing was done about the bodies because they assumed a rescue boat would arrive and take care of that. Now they have corpses cooking in the sun for several days, upsetting the survivors as well as attracting wildlife. Jack knows that the bodies must be burned so as not to attract animals to dug graves (interestingly, no other person who has died has been burned). His attitude is rather callous and offends the spiritual Sayid and Claire, but he doesn’t protest a memorial service for those who died. Knowing what I know, Jack’s behavior isn’t a surprise, but it does raise questions for those who don’t know why he would act this way.
We must remember that only four days have passed since the crash, so surviving is top priority. Their second dilemma comes as their food dwindles to a bag of airplane peanuts and those certainly won’t stay fresh in a tropical environment with no refrigeration. Now Locke has the opportunity to integrate himself into the group. He can solve both food problems and the boars in one fell swoop. Before the crash, Locke lived a life of fantasies and adventures, and now all the information he’s collected about survival can be put to good use.
Claire’s efforts to find information on the literally lost castaways drops a hint about Sayid’s past and his reason for wanting to get off the island. This is the first instance of seeing the soft side of Sayid, which often clashes with the tough Republican Guard Sayid. Some have criticized the producers decision to add scenes to episodes afterward, saying it only adds to the belief that they’re making it up as they go along, but the moment of character development helps and that is what Lost is about.
Claire’s search and preparation of the memorial service also ties into her personal beliefs. As we learn later, Claire is very spiritual, often more towards new age spirituality and this episode helps establish that fact about her character.
Michael’s behavior is consistent for someone who just became a father. We wouldn’t buy it if he suddenly became a good father overnight. He wants to gain Locke’s favor, thereby gaining his son’s, but leaving him with the woman he saw partially naked and as far as he knows, unable to speak English, is a questionable parenting choice. This interaction does show us how resourceful Sun is, creating a toothbrush from some plants.
Shannon and Boone fight again, where once again she’s told she’s useless. Boone challenges her to catch a fish, but what she does is use Charlie’s crush on her (which does throw off the vibes he has towards Claire) to get what she wants. And she thinks she did it. Obviously since it is only night 5 by the end of the episode, the characters are still being established so the arcs will work.
Now that the Marshal has died, Jack is now helping Rose, who has been quiet since she was revived in “Pilot, Part 1”. Her thoughts are on her husband, but unlike Jack, she has faith that her husband is still alive. She is very similar to Locke in this respect.
What really shakes Jack is the odd apparition. It has been five days at this point, and the writers are certainly conscious that this leadership has been taking a toll on Jack, as it will be explored in Jack’s flashbacks.
“Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” It has become an ongoing theme for Lost. It really emphasizes the frustration Locke feels in the wheelchair. Locke’s life before the flight was sad, like a contemporary Willy Loman. He was a loser, deceiving himself, being picked on by bullies at work and having his capability questioned. He had dreams of adventure and destiny, but reality kept him down. But on the island, it all changed. He is healed. It suddenly is very clear why Locke has so much invested in the island.
This is the first time a castaway has had direct contact with the monster without it leading in death. Of course this must’ve been difficult to stage. It’s too early to reveal the monster like just yet. One thing worth noting is that Terry O’Quinn was told that the monster was “the most beautiful thing [he’d] ever seen”. That explanation is awfully vague, as beauty differs. What was it that Locke found beautiful? Why did it spare Locke whereas it killed the pilot? It’s safe to assume that the monster killed the boar for Locke, but like his former disability, he isn’t likely to be sharing what happened with anyone else.
The script is a large reason why this episode is so highly praised among fans. This is thanks to writer David Fury, who had proved himself on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. There are so many things you pick up in the writing that were foretelling of the twist, but we never noticed them because Bender, Fury and O’Quinn thankfully underplay them. Locke was only seen sitting or lying down in the flashbacks. When Randy teases him about going on the Walkabout, we assume he’s doing it because it would be out of Locke’s element, not because he was disabled; Randy even emphasizes the phrase “on foot”. Later in the scene, Locke references a man without legs who was able to climb Everest. When he’s talking to “Helen”, there is a machine by the bed, which the commentary revealed was a device used to stimulate the muscles in his legs.
This revelation, like many on Lost, only brings up more questions, the obvious ones being how Locke was able to walk again and what caused him to be paralyzed initially. He could be in that wheelchair for a multitude of reasons, but they don't have time to detail. What is it about the island that reversed that cause? Such a shocking moment made some to declare this as the defining moment of the season for Lost and all of primetime. It is probably the most indicative episode of what Lost would become aside from the pilot. The Futon Critic dubbed Walkabout as the best television episode of 2004 and although I disagree, it is clear why some people believe that.
Score: 10/10
Original Airdate: October 13, 2004
Writer: David Fury
Director: Jack Bender
I had trouble deciding what to rate this episode. When I first saw this episode (thankfully unspoiled), I originally gave it an eight. Of the episodes Lost made, this one probably got the most discussion aside from the Pilot. This is due to the surprise twist, revealing that Locke was in a wheelchair before the flight. I definitely thought Locke’s back story was excellent, but there were other elements that didn’t please me to that level. However, after rewatching it several times and hearing the DVD commentary (if you don’t have the season 1 DVD, pick it up), I have come to appreciate the episode on a technical level, both in the script and production, so much as to upgrade my original rating.
Terry O’Quinn, as Locke, is one of Lost’s most valuable assets. Up to this point Locke was the most mysterious of the castaways, but it was clear that he had some connection to the island. Hurley, as the voice of the audience, asks “Who is this guy?” It is a question that has intrigued the audience and the delivery lived up to that. We learn about Locke at a pivotal point in his story, as he decides to finally integrate himself in the tribe.
The first problem that allows Locke to step up comes when wild boars invade the camp because of the smell of the rotting corpses. Like last episode, how to deal with the bodies is another step in their shift into island life. Nothing was done about the bodies because they assumed a rescue boat would arrive and take care of that. Now they have corpses cooking in the sun for several days, upsetting the survivors as well as attracting wildlife. Jack knows that the bodies must be burned so as not to attract animals to dug graves (interestingly, no other person who has died has been burned). His attitude is rather callous and offends the spiritual Sayid and Claire, but he doesn’t protest a memorial service for those who died. Knowing what I know, Jack’s behavior isn’t a surprise, but it does raise questions for those who don’t know why he would act this way.
We must remember that only four days have passed since the crash, so surviving is top priority. Their second dilemma comes as their food dwindles to a bag of airplane peanuts and those certainly won’t stay fresh in a tropical environment with no refrigeration. Now Locke has the opportunity to integrate himself into the group. He can solve both food problems and the boars in one fell swoop. Before the crash, Locke lived a life of fantasies and adventures, and now all the information he’s collected about survival can be put to good use.
Claire’s efforts to find information on the literally lost castaways drops a hint about Sayid’s past and his reason for wanting to get off the island. This is the first instance of seeing the soft side of Sayid, which often clashes with the tough Republican Guard Sayid. Some have criticized the producers decision to add scenes to episodes afterward, saying it only adds to the belief that they’re making it up as they go along, but the moment of character development helps and that is what Lost is about.
Claire’s search and preparation of the memorial service also ties into her personal beliefs. As we learn later, Claire is very spiritual, often more towards new age spirituality and this episode helps establish that fact about her character.
Michael’s behavior is consistent for someone who just became a father. We wouldn’t buy it if he suddenly became a good father overnight. He wants to gain Locke’s favor, thereby gaining his son’s, but leaving him with the woman he saw partially naked and as far as he knows, unable to speak English, is a questionable parenting choice. This interaction does show us how resourceful Sun is, creating a toothbrush from some plants.
Shannon and Boone fight again, where once again she’s told she’s useless. Boone challenges her to catch a fish, but what she does is use Charlie’s crush on her (which does throw off the vibes he has towards Claire) to get what she wants. And she thinks she did it. Obviously since it is only night 5 by the end of the episode, the characters are still being established so the arcs will work.
Now that the Marshal has died, Jack is now helping Rose, who has been quiet since she was revived in “Pilot, Part 1”. Her thoughts are on her husband, but unlike Jack, she has faith that her husband is still alive. She is very similar to Locke in this respect.
What really shakes Jack is the odd apparition. It has been five days at this point, and the writers are certainly conscious that this leadership has been taking a toll on Jack, as it will be explored in Jack’s flashbacks.
“Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” It has become an ongoing theme for Lost. It really emphasizes the frustration Locke feels in the wheelchair. Locke’s life before the flight was sad, like a contemporary Willy Loman. He was a loser, deceiving himself, being picked on by bullies at work and having his capability questioned. He had dreams of adventure and destiny, but reality kept him down. But on the island, it all changed. He is healed. It suddenly is very clear why Locke has so much invested in the island.
This is the first time a castaway has had direct contact with the monster without it leading in death. Of course this must’ve been difficult to stage. It’s too early to reveal the monster like just yet. One thing worth noting is that Terry O’Quinn was told that the monster was “the most beautiful thing [he’d] ever seen”. That explanation is awfully vague, as beauty differs. What was it that Locke found beautiful? Why did it spare Locke whereas it killed the pilot? It’s safe to assume that the monster killed the boar for Locke, but like his former disability, he isn’t likely to be sharing what happened with anyone else.
The script is a large reason why this episode is so highly praised among fans. This is thanks to writer David Fury, who had proved himself on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. There are so many things you pick up in the writing that were foretelling of the twist, but we never noticed them because Bender, Fury and O’Quinn thankfully underplay them. Locke was only seen sitting or lying down in the flashbacks. When Randy teases him about going on the Walkabout, we assume he’s doing it because it would be out of Locke’s element, not because he was disabled; Randy even emphasizes the phrase “on foot”. Later in the scene, Locke references a man without legs who was able to climb Everest. When he’s talking to “Helen”, there is a machine by the bed, which the commentary revealed was a device used to stimulate the muscles in his legs.
This revelation, like many on Lost, only brings up more questions, the obvious ones being how Locke was able to walk again and what caused him to be paralyzed initially. He could be in that wheelchair for a multitude of reasons, but they don't have time to detail. What is it about the island that reversed that cause? Such a shocking moment made some to declare this as the defining moment of the season for Lost and all of primetime. It is probably the most indicative episode of what Lost would become aside from the pilot. The Futon Critic dubbed Walkabout as the best television episode of 2004 and although I disagree, it is clear why some people believe that.
Score: 10/10
posted by Matt @ 10:49 PM
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