I don't have firm recollections of watching this episode of Lost initially. Which isn't to say I don't remember viscerally enjoying it; I just don't remember exactly how I phrased my realization that this show was both darker and weirder than I'd previously thought. Walt's backstory showed that not only did weird vibes happen off the Island, but straight up strange THINGS happen off the Island as well. In many ways, no other flashback for Walt was needed: the answers to those events do not lay off the Island, but on it.

Special

4) In Short

"I'm not sure Walt's the best candidate for induction into the Audubon Society."

8) On the Island

I spy Michael's eye, in close up, looking for Walt. Sort of a trend, early in the show's history. Hurley thinks Michael hates being a dad, since, well, all Michael does is shout, "WALT!" over and over again. (Honestly, I make jokes about this, but the dude DOES scream "WALT" a lot.)

Locke hands Walt a knife. Looks like backgammon's off the table for a while. Walt tries to throw it into a tree, but it bounces harmlessly off. Locke tells him to focus on a particular knot in the trunk, to picture it in his "mind's eye." He tells Walt to see it in his head before actually doing it. Walt then goes into what seems like a bit of a trance, and voila, hits the knot. Boone speaks for us all when he says, "Whoa."

Michael finds them, and rips Locke a new one for teaching his kid how to throw knives. A pretty understandable response, really. The two have an insanely loaded conversation about Walt's "potential," and how "different" he is, and it's really one of my favorite scenes in all of Season 1. The "Boone attacks Michael" is slightly weird, but these three actors knock it out of the park.

That night in the caves, Sun asks Michael if he's OK. He's less angry than that day, but insistent that Walt not be raised on the Island. The following morning, Sayid's laying out Rousseau's maps for Jack and Shannon, overlaying them to show a possible source of the transmission signal. Michael interrupts their pow-wow with a new plan: building a raft. The Map Trio are skeptical of the idea, to which Michael says, "Screw all y'all, I'm doing it on my own."

Walt's reading the Spanish comic book again. Michael tries to engage Walt with talks of tracing comics as a child, but Walt's not too interested. He snags the comic from Walt, and orders him to follow him.

Charlie's looking for Claire's diary, which Sawyer correctly points out is a leetle weird. Charlie socks Sawyer in his wounded arm, Sawyer fires back across Charlie's jaw, and it's all made of extreme win. Later, in the caves, there's a great bit of physical comedy involving Charlie and the diary which either tickles your funny bones or makes you angry they didn't devote more episode time to Walt's insanely interesting storyline.

Walt wonders if he's being punished, having to work with his father. Right about now I am glad I didn't have a dad who was a handyman. He spies Locke and Boone walking nearby, and pretends to get water in order to give Michael the slip. Locke tries to get Walt to leave, asking him to respect his father's wishes. No dice, as Michael sees the two of them together, telling Locke he'll kill him if he ever sees the two of them together.

Alone with Walt, the two have it out. Walt accuses Michael of never being there while he grew up. Michael states it's complicated. After a few back and forths, Michael throws Walt's comic into the fire, which prompts a glower in Walt's eye that brings chills to my spine.

Walt takes off with Vincent soon after, prompting Michael to prepare to open a can of whup ass on Locke. But Walt's not there, so Locke and Walt go looking for him. Elsewhere, Vincent gets a scent of something, goes ballistic, and bolts from Walt. Walt soon finds himself alone in the woods, with a polar bear breathing down his neck.

Locke and Michael hear Walt in the distance. The two Cirque du Soleil their way over towards the banyan trees. Locke tosses a knife to Michael, who tosses it down to Walt. The two men then construct a pulley system to lower Michael down and pull Walt up. Michael manages to stab with the bear with the knife, climbs up the banyans, and reunites with his son. Locke and Michael share a knowing nod and smile.

That night, Michael finally finds a way to bond with his son: the box shown in the previous episode. It's filled with every card and letter written by Michael, to Walt, over the past eight years. It's as corny as the card drawn eight years ago, but hey, I'm a softie. It works for me.

Charlie finds a mention of the "Black Rock," in Claire's diary, and brings it to Sayid and Jack's attention. He posits it's a possible location of Claire. But just as soon as you can say "Black Rock," Locke and Boone run into a disheveled Claire in the middle of the jungle.

15) Off the Island

Michael and Walt's mother, Susan, are in a store shopping for baby furniture. Michael picks out a crib that's worth three months of their rent. Nice taste, Michael. He tells her he's putting his art career on hold in favor of construction, at least until she passes the Bar and gets the big bucks for a high-paying law firm. We then learn the two are not married, nor even engaged. Danger, Will Robinson!

Awww, widdle Walt! He's freakin' adorable, but the situation is not: turns out Susan just got a job in Amsterdam, which will put Walt on another continent. We see a parental side of Michael we have never seen on the Island. Susan rightly points out that with him out of work, no court would ever allow him custody of the child. Now I feel bad about all the "WALT" jokes.

On a pay phone to Amsterdam (can you hear me now?), Michael learns Susan's been seeing the man who hired her. Scandal! Michael vows to come get Walt, and is promptly greeting by the front grill of an oncoming car. That's not good.

Recovering in the hospital, Michael's making a few drawings for Walt. He's surprised to see Susan come into his room. Turns out it's been two months since the accident. Susan tells Michael she's paying for the medical bills, which gives Michael pause. His instinct is right: she's getting married, and Brian wants to adopt Walt.

The new family is in Australia, with Walt in need of help with homework, and Susan in need of medical help, and Brian in need of "holy crap this kid's creepy" help. It might be my favorite flashback scene ever, full of creepiness and portent, and takes the stakes of "Raised by Another" and ratchets it up twentyfold.

Brian visits Michael in the States, stating Susan died yesterday due to a blood disorder. Brian conveys Susan's apparent wish that Michael raise him. Michael cries "fowl," and Brian reveals he in fact simply doesn't want to be a father. You stay classy, Brian! Brian then uses the magic word to describe Walt: "different."

In Australia, Michael greets Walt's nanny. She gives him a box which she believes Walt should have. Whole lotta paper in there. He greets Walt, who doesn't know who he is. Walt gets incredibly mad at Michael, whom he feels is stealing him from the only father he's ever known. It's a brutal scene, as Michael covers for Brian and makes himself the bad guy. So much misunderstanding, so much pain. Very little "WALT!"

16) The Mythology

Well, how long ya got? Walt's "special" nature remains both a focal point and a focal mystery. We have a basic grasp on his powers, although there are tantalizing elements to his character that may in fact never be explained. It's unclear how Walt can turn mind into matter, how he can appear in places he simply shouldn't be, and why he's a magnet for wildlife in the same way I'm a magnet for da ladies. But I would wager a non-small sum of money that he's the key for the Oceanic 6 come Season 5.

23) The Moment

That sickening thud of the bird, a moment amplified tenfold in the mobisode "Room 23."

42) In Retrospect

1. Susan died of a blood disorder, apparently. Know who else has a blood disorder, a potentially lethal one? Alvar Hanso, according to The Lost Experience. I've gone back and forth here trying to bring elements of the ARGs into my analysis of the show, and taken into account all the warnings by Darlton on the topic. And I've kinda come to the conclusion that they can suck any one of my four toes, honestly. With the upcoming launch of yet another ARG next week at Comi-Con, analysis is ON, y'all.
2. As if the blood disorder wasn't enough to call into question Walt's inherent connection to the Island, we have this rather interesting ceiling in their Australian home. I wish I could find the site that initially pointed this out; I don't want to claim to be the first person to notice this. But while you can simply call this coincidence, I'd argue that the show wants you to see this ceiling in order to make later parallels with a certain set of logos.
3. The Locke/Walt interaction in this episode gives me another excuse to link this, an insanely cool promo shot for the show's British audience during Season 1. In many ways, it plays as fan-fic, given how off a few bits are. But Locke/Walt as ringleaders of the events on the Island is a potent image, and one definitely explored in this episode.

108) In Summary

Here's one way to justify the fairly odd way in which Lost handled Michael's character in Season 4: Walt can now take his rightful place as the Luke to his father's Anakin, returning to the Island to bring the type of balance Michael could never quite achieve. Just like Anakin, Michael did horrible things in the name of protecting those he loved most; just like Luke, Walt can turn paradise lost into a paradise regained. This is all a way of saying that once again seeing Michael's paternal instincts reborn makes all those actions which come after come more fully into context. I'm giving this ep four "WAAAAALT"s out of five.

Leave your thoughts about this episode below!

Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude.

Comments

Ryan - are you missing the third link under 42/Retrospect for "an insanely cool promo shot for the show's British audience during Season 1"...?

thanks,
djc

djc | Jul 14, 2008 7:07:12 PM | #

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Linked now.

Ryan | Jul 14, 2008 7:10:37 PM | #

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I like this episode more now that the actress who played Susan now plays Cam on Bones, which is one of my other favorite shows. I'm not sure I liked her in this episode, but that may just be because she plays such characters so well. As for Brian, well...he deserves an award for Asshole of the Year, but in a twisted way, I can kind of understand his point. The kid is not his to begin with, and to add to that little fact, Walt is mongo-weird. I'm glad that they chose an actor to play Walt who is at least as normal-looking as anyone else on the show (with the exception of Ben Linus, of course, he of the eyes out to here), because it does make Walt's apparent powers that much more interesting, albeit bizarre and, at the moment, sometimes nonsensical. He's just a normal child who is somewhat beyond the norm.

Forgetting Walt for a moment, what I want to know is this: what the hell happened to all those other kids who were on The Island? Sure, Walt is the star of that particular brood, but it would be nice if their disappearance could have been better explained. One episode, it's like a busy episode of Barney The Purple Dinosaur, the next, *poof*. I realize the kids Walt's age likely went through the same growth spurt, so their sudden increase in height might be difficult to explain, but still...this is one area where the writers did not think clearly at all.

Dark Disciple | Jul 14, 2008 7:33:42 PM | #

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Never thought of the 'Star Wars' theme in Walt/Michael. Makes sense though, especially considering Darlton's love for the movies.

It's good to see Locke's intervention for Boone worked wonders. You could definitely see here that Boone grew some b***s. Locke must have felt proud when Boone jumped Michael.

Ah, the 'Black Rock'. Still to this day one of the biggest mysteries on the show. I remember following Season 1 all the discussion surrounding the 'Black Rock'. As proven by Widmore's purchase of the ship's log in Season 4, the 'Black Rock' continues to be an integral part of the Island's mythology.

I honestly can't remember if we ever got another Michael flashback. They pretty explained his entire backstory in a single episode. However, I believe we did get an on-Island flashback during Season 2.

All in all, a good episode in general.

Shaggysteve | Jul 14, 2008 7:42:48 PM | #

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I'm holding out for an explanation of the kids in Season 5 in much the same way that Bonnie Tyler's holding out for a hero.

Ryan | Jul 14, 2008 7:43:54 PM | #

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I had forgotten about all the things that pointed to Walt being other wordly. He really falls out of the spotlight after season 1. After everything in this episode, let's hope that changes soon.

And on a side note: Susan is a real bitch. I mean, she comes off as really nice, but she insists that the men in her life do what she wants or else and ruins Michael's relationship with Walt because of it. Hope your happy Susan, wherever you are.

By the way, nice touch on the Star Wars parallel. Susan keeps Walt from Michael like Paidmag wanted Luke hidden from Anakin.

Jeff | Jul 14, 2008 8:29:15 PM | #

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Ah, Bonnie Tyler...now there's an example of an absolutely horrendous singer somehow being able to put out good songs. Of course, there was the remake of Holding Out For a Hero, sung by Fairy Godmother in Shrek 2. Kinda was missing something with Ms. Tyler's shredded vocalizations, though...

And, not to show my somewhat-ridiculous devotion to that ancient religion known as The Star Wars Universe-ism, but it's Padme, not Paidmag (which is what I believe you get when you drop the subscription cards in the mail and your check clears). :P

Dark Disciple | Jul 14, 2008 8:49:30 PM | #

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Man, Ryan I couldn't wait till you got to this episode. It was one of my favorites in Season One. It was to me the turning point of things are not what they seem with the strangeness of the Island. I also saw that promo with Locke and Walt being orchestra leaders and it wasn't until you pointed that out that it gave me some meaning. Good damn eye, Ryan. I hope Walt and Locke appear together in Season 5 as I think that Walt was meant to go back as well as the O6.

Oh and by the way, folks: I have been away cause I have been in the process of converting two new people to the world of LOST. I plan on having five by summers' end. ;)

Mark O. Estes | Jul 14, 2008 10:53:13 PM | #

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Sorry about the double post, but I meant to say the strangeness OFF the Island.

Mark O. Estes | Jul 15, 2008 12:45:08 AM | #

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so Ryan, do you only have 4 toes or are there just 4 in particular that Darlton can suck?

:-)

have nothing but sarcasm to add, will catch up soon, kids, i promise!

mri | Jul 15, 2008 6:07:13 AM | #

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Finally an episode where I actually have something to contribute! Great pointing out that promo Ryan, and I also noticed how odd it is that Claire gets that long, final shot at the end - AND how Sun leaves Jin to dance with Michael! This just confirms that they were gonna take that love triangle somewhere but decided against it. I still think in Season 5 Walt and Sun may have some sort of storyline together, albeit not romantic lol.
Also, Ryan, I never even thought of the blood disease with Susan - genius!
I noticed in this episode and a few others how it often started off with the focus on the flashbacker's eye - they don't do that for many more eps.
Hurley mentions how Michael "hates being a dad," which is a great introduction to this whole sins of the father theory - and we also learn that Michael's dad is gone and he names Walt after him.
Two random things: All the gay innuendos about Locke and Boone's time together are amusing, and Boone calls out Shannon for having an eating disorder but that never gets explored again.
Oh! And Claire's Black Rock dream - granted they journey to the rock and Aaron gets kidnapped and all that, but Claire has never gone there, has she??? Could that be where she "is" currently...somehow...does that make sense?
Oh, and come on Walt: you think a penguin with a sunburn is weird? It aint much weirder than a polar bear trying to kill you on a deserted island!

tonester | Jul 15, 2008 9:37:56 AM | #

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OK... WHY!?! was there a mention of the Black Rock in Claire's diary?

And that frigging commercial is creepy to the max, man.

I get the strange feeling there's weird stuff going on on this island. I'll have ot stay tuned to find out for sure.

AdSlinger | Jul 15, 2008 9:42:31 AM | #

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Great re-cap, Ryan.
I have to reiterate how peeved I am that the writers didn't do more with Walt's character in this series. He pops up out of nowhere in season 3 to tell Locke he's got work to do. Locke talks about seeing taller ghost Walt on their trek to find Jacob's cabin but, nothing more. WAAAAAAAAAAAAALT!!!! Sometine, I, myself wanted to scream out his name just to see if he would magically appear and be important again. If the writers drop the WAAAAAAALT ball again this season after introducing him, yet again, I'll be even more peeved. Not enough to stop watching......I'm just sayin'.

Ad Slinger and Tonester, you know, now that you mention it, why was the the Black Rock in Claire's diary and in her dream? Veeeeery iiiiiiinteresting.

Yeah, Susan came off as a total b*tch. She's the reason Michael never had a relationship with his son. Was she blind to the fact that Walt was "special" because Brian sure wasn't? Maybe Walt was better behaved when his Mom was around. Walt seemed like he was always trying to get Brian's attention like any kid would with the only father figure he'd ever known. Maybe he's like Carrie (or Matilda for that matter) in that he only has those special powers when he's upset or angry. I wish the writers would re-visit Mrs. Klugh's questions about Walt appearing in places he shouldn't be. Hopefully that mystery will be answered before the series ends.

Chris | Jul 15, 2008 10:14:41 AM | #

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I loooove the Matilda shout-out Chris! haha
While I agree they dropped the ball with Walt, I think we may all be pleasantly surprised if he returns this season as a regular/recurring character and helps get the band back together. I really think that Sun is going to be the hold-out, and maybe Walt can get her in.
Oh and by the way, someone asked if they had another flashback, and I know in early season 2 they do, something about the custody hearing, but I don't remember much else...

tonester | Jul 15, 2008 10:28:40 AM | #

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Walt has always struck me as a perpetually unfinished narrative. They built him up in Season 1 as being important, then took that to the next level in Season 2, only to completely remove him from everything for, at the time, what seemed like permanently.

I mean seriously, by the time we got to "Meet Kevin Johnson", I thought Walt's journey was at an end and they were just going to leave all of the work they threw in to building up his character hanging in the wind forever, because the actor hit puberty. They didn't even use the same actor for the window shot.

But the events of the end of Season 4 really does open the door to bring Walt back into the Risk game of Lost. It's 3 years later in the narrative, so teenage Walt doesn't have to be hidden anymore. One of the FIRST people that John Jeremy Bentham Locke visited when he was expelled from the Island was Walt, so that's significant.

And as you said Ryan, the actions of Walt in Season 5 (and maybe 6) could very well pay off the Michael scenario once and for all.

Other Sean | Jul 15, 2008 10:49:28 AM | #

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The custody hearing flashback for Michael is in Season 2 titled "Adrift." It's the second episode, I believe, after Man of Science, Man of Faith. (This episode also sports the discovery of Desmond)

Walt also has a mini-flashback at the hotel prior to boarding the flight in Exodus Part 1 at the end of Season 1.

That's still not enough Walt for me, though. Darlton has some 'splaining to do bout that kid.

Diana | Jul 15, 2008 11:26:49 AM | #

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I honestly didn't remember much of this episode, and I got so caught up in the story, that I had to gone on to the next episode and see what happens. I've heard they used to have "cliff-hanger" stories in movie theaters (way before my time), and now I see how you can get so caught up in it, and can't wait for its resolution. Its been great to watch all these again.

Every time I see Shannon and Sayid together, I go -- how could he? Its annoying me more the second time than it did the first time.

I also wonder why they didn't go anywhere with the Walt story-line, as they set it up so well.

And I was wondering where I had seen the Susan character before (in another show), and DD answered -- "Bones".

Oh and I guess I'll join the Facebook, now that I've gotten so much good information about it and know how it works. I have to go and find a picture. Funny, I don't have any pictures without my children.

Debra | Jul 15, 2008 11:36:15 AM | #

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Browncoats may also recognize the actress who plays Susan as little River's Alliance teacher in "Serenity."

Diana | Jul 15, 2008 11:56:04 AM | #

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On a slightly unrelated note, I often find myself watching "Serenity" and shouting "WAAAAAAASSSSHHH!"

Diana | Jul 15, 2008 12:00:35 PM | #

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And Debra - you don't even have to use an image of yourself on FB. Use a flower, cartoon, a pet, etc., or just crop close in on your face if you don't want your kids' images up on FB. I change my profile pic about every 2 weeks. Probably annoys some people, but it reflects my "mood."

I'm in the camp of folks who want to see a resolution to some of the ?s about Walt...

djc | Jul 15, 2008 12:07:58 PM | #

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DJC -- I found a picture with a friend to post on Facebook, but then I couldn't figure out how to crop it. How do you do that? I also made it so only my "Friends" can find me, and I am sure that the "Lost" group is probably the only place I will go!

Debra | Jul 15, 2008 12:59:04 PM | #

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Yay, peer pressure is fun!

Ryan | Jul 15, 2008 1:16:02 PM | #

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Debra,
I posted an answer to your ? on the Facebook page Ryan recently set up. I saw that you'd joined the group, so my answer to your question is on the wall of that page. cheers!

djc | Jul 15, 2008 1:32:51 PM | #

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Pier pressure is even worse...which marina to park your yacht at, treated wood/untreated wood...it's just a hassle, I say, a hassle! :P

Dark Disciple | Jul 15, 2008 1:49:16 PM | #

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I love Lost and all, but did no one else think the polar bear that attacked Walt and Michael was really weird looking? Bad cgi, or was it intentional and I'm missing a subtle clue?

arualmft | Jul 17, 2008 10:12:21 AM | #

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