Lost: Season 3, Episode 13 Review: The Man From Tallahasee

The Man From Tallahassee
Original Airdate: March 14, 2007
Writers: Drew Goddard and Jeff Pinkner
Director: Jack Bender

One of the series’ defining moments came towards the end of “Walkabout”, where we discovered that Locke had been confined to a wheelchair before the crash and was unexplainably healed upon his arrival to the island. The explanation for his paralysis has been highly anticipated, speculated and predicted to be answered in each subsequent Locke episode, with the writers teasing us with moments like Locke getting hit by a car in “Deus Ex Machina” and his interview with the disability screener in this one. Waiting until the sixth flashback may seem long, especially for those who have been criticizing the direction “Lost” has taken lately. However, this slow burn proved highly effective, as it gave the incident more meaning than if they just introduced Locke’s bad father, have him wreck Locke’s life and try to kill Locke all in one episode. It also ties in to the island’s ability to heal, which is important as Ben struggles in recovery.

The writers had a daunting task at hand: knowing that Locke winds up paralyzed, how do they concoct a dramatically satisfying explanation. As mentioned before, the previous episodes setting up Locke’s relationship with his father added to the impact (so to speak) of Cooper pushing Locke out a window. We knew it was going to happen, but it still caught some off guard. All Locke wanted out of Cooper was a father figure he lacked growing up, and unfortunately felt his biological father, a self admitted con man with no redeemable qualities, was the only route to go. Because of his openness, Cooper swindled a kidney out of Locke and ruined the only good relationship he ever had, leaving Locke a broken man. Even afterwards on the commune, Locke was still drawn to someone who ultimately betrayed him.

Despite all the things Locke has been through, there is still a sense of hope in him that eventually things will end the way he wants. Ever since “Walkabout” one of the key phrases of his is “Don’t tell me what I can’t do,” which is echoed in the heartbreaking scene when the insensitive nurse carries Locke into his new wheelchair. When faced with massive opposition to the things he wants to do, it frustrates Locke, and we’ve seen that when he’s sabotaged the ways of getting off the island.

With his arrival on the island, Locke felt it was in part a new start away from his father, where he could learn and become the great man he’s always thought he would become. However, this comes into conflict with Ben, another person who is deeply invested in the island and its power, who feels that it is important that Locke confront his father to achieve that growth and development. While Locke disagrees strongly with Ben’s ability to come and go from the island and live comfortably in the barracks with electricity and chicken in the refrigerator, Ben has the power to act on his desire (Locke can’t blow up everything yet).

It’s hard to believe that this is the first time Locke and Ben have been in a scene together since the end of last season (Locke’s vision doesn’t count). Some of the best moments of the latter half of the second season were the mind games Ben played on Locke, causing him to ultimately lose his faith and allow The Swan to be destroyed. This episode makes up for that lost time. Seeing Emerson and O’Quinn, two actors at the top of their game, playing characters constantly trying to manipulate and outwit each other is a pleasure to behold. Good portions of the episode are dedicated to the two of them alone talking, which usually never happens on TV.

Although Ben’s honesty is always in question, he seems genuinely interested in Locke’s condition, a sharp contrast from their previous encounters, where Ben was constantly undermining Locke’s confidence. This offers an explanation for why Ben acted the way he did: he was cruel to Locke out of jealousy because the island blessed Locke with restored legs and denied him a full recovery from his cancer. With Ben “in a wheelchair, and [Locke] not”, Ben is the one in awe, and Locke is callously dismissing all of it.

After teasing the subject for a few episodes, this episode delves directly into a major question surrounding Ben: why is he so slow to heal from his surgery and how did he get cancer on this island known for its healing properties? Producers have said that the healing factor on the island is directly proportional to the personality of the afflicted person, as is the case with Locke, Rose and possibly Jin. This says a lot about Ben, possibly his illness and complications are due to his attitude. Perhaps his “cheating” as Locke describes it cancels out the healing effects of the island.

Ben is aware of his status within The Others. His fragile state has already gotten some fragmentation within the group, as Juliet and Alex have started to splinter. The threat of Juliet and Jack leaving the island, as well as Locke destroying the submarine, also stand to undermine his power. He ultimately had to make a choice of which will affect his status the least. So he went after Locke, who he manipulated so well in the past and who he has a vested interest. Although there was a snag when he realized that Locke wouldn’t be bothered by whose plan it was to destroy the submarine. He had another card to play: Cooper. With The Others able to pluck Cooper and bring him there, Locke no longer has the luxury of running away from this problem. Now it seems that The Others want him to confront his father for some reason.

The biggest theory as to why Locke wants to stay on the island is the fear that leaving the island would negate his restored mobility. This was explored before with Rose’s cancer in “S.O.S.” It is in Locke’s character to want to keep everyone on the island. Back in “The Moth” he knocked Sayid unconscious to keep them from finding the radio tower. In the past few episodes he’s destroyed the communication station and now the submarine, the only equipment that could take someone to the main land.

At the end of “Par Avion”, Jack’s allegiances were questionable. There are signs that he may have switched teams, as he is getting along with The Others and even shaking Ben’s hand. Considering how we didn’t see Jack for almost three episodes, a lot could’ve happened and it’s hard to gauge his motivations. Some of his behavior could indicate turning, like telling Kate to answer Pryce’s questioning. However, it seems more likely that Jack has only been acting this way because it will ultimately help him. Ben promised him a way off the island so long as he operated on him and watched over his recovery.

Jack even indicates that he knows that she slept with Sawyer, but that it doesn’t bother him. His selflessness that allowed himself to be placed at The Others’ mercy while she and Sawyer escaped is still there. Also his rescue to the main land isn’t going to make him forget about every one else, which would be his major motivation had the sub remained in tact.

Everything is shot down when Locke blows up the submarine. Obviously Jack must be regretting his getting Ben to agree to release his friends after they had left, as if he could trust Ben to do that without Jack seeing it. Now we have every major leader of the castaways besides Sawyer in The Others camp with not much in the way of outside help. It also reignites the feud between Jack and Locke that hasn’t been an issue since late last season.

Rousseau remains an x-factor in this mission. Like Locke, she is on her own mission, to get back her daughter, but as indicated earlier, Rousseau isn’t about to run out of the jungle and embrace her daughter. As she has learned through years in the jungle, time is crucial to their reunion. Ironically, Sayid set the gears in motion by telling her that The Others lied to her about her mother. Nonetheless, the moment where Rousseau sees her daughter for the first time in 16 years, knowing in her heart who she is, is very powerful.

Alex is on shaky ground with The Others, and Sayid pushes that further by remarking about how much she resembles her mother. Alex apparently believed that Ben was her real father and her mother died years earlier. The Others have been starting to splinter and now the castaways captured are picking at those chinks in the armor the way Ben did while captured in The Swan.

This is the high point of season three so far and one of the best episodes of the series. Some long awaited answers are given and are actually worth the wait, along with some great twists for the rest of the season. Meanwhile the centerpiece of the episode is a masterful battle between two great actors with some great material (just seeing Terry O’Quinn’s face when he sees his dad is Emmy worthy). If critics of the early part of this season weren’t satisfied, perhaps they should just find another show to watch.

Overall Score: 10/10