Lord of the Files
Episode 1x4:Walkabout
Directed by: Jack Bender
Written by: David Fury
Airdate: 10-13-04
Summary: Locke hunts boar. The fuselage burns.
Centric: Locke
Review:
John Locke was an English philosopher in case you didn't know. One cool layer about Lost is that it's always had its ties to allegory and if you did your homework, which I know many did, you could uncover the deeper meaning--sometimes implied or not implied by the writers. I don't know what the philosopher John Locke preached. I could look it up, but I'm lazy and there are other, better places to find the connections between philosopher John Locke and Lostie John Locke.
That said, I'm going to be upfront. Locke has never been a favorite character of mine. I have more of an appreciation for him now then I did when the show started, but I can't say that I've ever been compelled by him--not in the way I'm interested in other characters. I will, however, mention that it should be noted that Terry O'Quinn gives one of the most brilliant performances in this show as Locke. Despite not caring for a character, I can't help but praise the actor, who always does a fantastic job.
This episode is a lot denser than the previous one, though I've always noticed that Kate episodes tend to be a bit shallower. Anyway, the interesting thing is how much more you can get out of it the second time around. I mean, not only is there a ton of hints giving away that Locke may have been in a wheelchair, but the sheer giddiness Locke tries to mask over being all bad-ass and going boar hunting is not someone will notice the first time around. Again, brilliant writing, directing, and acting all around. Interestingly, outside of the flashbacks, there isn't THAT much Locke in the episode, with everything else going on. He pretty much kills a boar and comes back. But it should be also noted that he was the first one to really "see" the island--thus starting Locke's journey of faith and destiny.
Kate and Michael decide to go with Locke on his little hunt. Kate's doing so to help out Sayid, and as Jack wisely points out, because Kate doesn't know what to do with herself if she's in one place for too long. The only thing I'd really like to note about Kate in this episode is the subtle bit of flirting going on between her and Jack. Because it's there and I think it's cute and I'm a softie at heart for the smaller moments--especially before the triangle convoluted and blown to hell.
Michael is a whole other set of issues. Okay, you know, on rewatch, Michael just pisses me off more and more. First of all, there are about 40 other English speaking people on the island and he asks the non English speaking Korean, with whom he share and uncomfortable moment, to watch his boy. Um, why? It's a good thing that Sun knows how to speak English because, surely, she would have been confused. Also, I realize that there's this whole father-son issue thing going on between Michael and Walt but I can't fault Michael completely. Walt's a pain in the ass. I just wanna smack that kid. I can't wait until about half way through this season when they actually bond so we can be done with it. Also, Michael doesn't add anything more to the trek than Kate does. At least he begrudgingly tells Locke he did a good job. I still don't get the hate there other than Locke is pretty damn creepy.
Meanwhile...
I feel like Kate's episode was more of an extension of the pilot. This episode, with the symbolic burning of the bodies, and with the lack of food, starts the realization that they have to start fending for themselves. Granted, it won't be until next episode where they come to the conclusion that they'll have to start working together.
Jack, interestingly, really stays away from the action in this episode. I take the separation, and the distaste towards doing the burning ceremony, as a way to avoid the leadership role that is being thrust upon him and the fact that a ceremony would mean having to deal with the death of his father--and he is so not ready to do that yet. So, Jack spends all his time with Rose--in a way, wanting to be alone as she is. Oh, and Jack's dad appears but more on that later.
As for the burning ceremony itself--eh. It's sweet that Claire leads it but I suppose since we never knew anyone who died and because we didn't experience the crash itself, it's hard to identify. It's a necessary scene, as the survivors would have to mourn not only the dead, as Jack put it in Kate's episode, the death of themselves and their previous lives.
In yet another plotline (it seems like there are so many in this episode), Boone and Shannon have it out and Shannon gets Charlie to fish. It's a humorous side piece to the drama going on around it. While I still find Shannon to be absolutely shallow beyond belief, the fishing scene between Charlie and Hurley is a delight, as well as Charlie's slow realization that Shannon used him to catch the fish.
Flashbacks:
Don't tell me what I can't do!! Locke's mantra for, like, the entire series. Also, WTF, Locke was in a wheelchair!!??!?! Okay, I believe Lost's infamous WTF moments were set up with the creepy French transmission in the pilot. But the wheelchair reveal is revered as one Lost's most defining moments. Honestly, I don't remember being that shocked the first time I saw it--more so, like, huh, cool, the island had powers. People definitely went ballistic over it, though.
Anyway, the point of Locke's flashbacks is to contrast how crappy Locke's life was before he crashed to the his bad-ass life after the crash. I have to give everyone involved lots of credit for the way it was presented. I mean the drastic difference between a droning on office life vs life out in the wilderness was incredibly done. That said, Locke's pathetic life has always been a little too depressing for me. He's just so pathetic. The phone call between the phone sex girl and Locke has always made me so uncomfortable that I don't usually watch it. I think Locke's droll pre-island self is just one reason I never warmed to the character.
I don't know why people love Locke so much, maybe it's because I think everyone, in a way, can relate to Locke. I mean, there are so many people that are like him--kinda holding that patheticness about them. I mean, all of the Losties are screwed up wack-jobs, but, before they went crazy with the father issues, Locke was definitely relatable. Hmm...maybe I just prefer the insane implausibility of everyone else.
The Little Things:
*While I understand Sayid's dislike of disregarding proper burial, his strong reaction against the body burnings have always rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe since I'm in the same state of mind as Jack--or maybe because religion isn't a big part of my life. But, I always wonder, how would they ever figure out what kind of religion everyone was anyway?
*It's amusing that Rose comments on Jack's bedside manner--something he is definitely not known for.
*Between Hurley attempting to beat the snot out of Sawyer and his attempt at fishing, he certainly is entertaining. Hurley is and always has been one of my favorite characters.
*Sun makes toothpaste. Her awesome knowledge of plants is, well, just plain awesome.
*Rose names her husband Bernard--and we spend a heck of a lot of time wondering if he's alive or not.
*Kate claims she's climbed a lot worse than that tree. Makes me wonder...
Favorite Quotes:
CLAIRE: Somebody's in there.
SAYID: Everyone in there's dead.
JACK: Sawyer.
SAWYER: Right behind you, Jackass.
JACK: We don't have time to sort out everybody's god.
CHARLIE: Really, last I heard we were positively made of time.
KATE: If I didn't know any better, I'd say your worried about me, Jack.
JACK: If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a problem staying in one place for very long, Kate
BOONE: I hate to break it to you—the ocean is not going to take your gold card.
CHARLIE: What? Fishing? My grand-dad used to take me out, taught me everything he knows. Everything he knew, he's dead now, god rest his soul. Yeah, I'm like a … I'm a fishing fiend. I mean England's an island so I just throw it in and … fish.
Unanswered Questions:
You know what I want to know--why were there so many tarps on that plane? Makes me wonder what was in that cargo...
No, actually, the big unanswered question in this episode is what did Locke see when the smoke monster came to him. You know, so many people want to know that question. I suppose I don't really care--or the short answer is the same thing everyone else saw--their life or their destiny or whatever you think the smoke monster represents. I'm not sure why the question needs an answer.
I suppose another question that can be asked is how did the island heal Locke. Well, you know, the same way it travels through time and space and does all the other weird crap it does. The simple answer is that it's a magic island. Why people need that more defined is beyond me as I believe an actual spelled explanation not only limits the imagination but would be disappointing.
Grade: A- That's not really so much a personal grade but the grade it deserves for it's overall execution. The writing and acting are excellent all the way around and the story has wonderful balance to it. It also uses the characters well, even if the episode is stuffed. The only drawback, to me, is the Locke focus, and the uncomfortableness I find in his flashback story.
Trivia:
*After Randy confronts Locke about the TPS reports, Locke returns to work, using his adding machine. As the receipt prints, the clicking sound of the smoke monster can be heard. This makes sense because according to the producer's podcast, the Monster sound was taken from a taxi receipt printer in a NY taxi.
*The original title was going to be Lord of the Files
*John Terry hadn't been cast for Christian yet, so someone else is in the role. Nadia also hadn't been cast, so the pictures Sayid holds were originally of someone else.
Lostpedia 1x4
Directed by: Jack Bender
Written by: David Fury
Airdate: 10-13-04
Summary: Locke hunts boar. The fuselage burns.
Centric: Locke
Review:
John Locke was an English philosopher in case you didn't know. One cool layer about Lost is that it's always had its ties to allegory and if you did your homework, which I know many did, you could uncover the deeper meaning--sometimes implied or not implied by the writers. I don't know what the philosopher John Locke preached. I could look it up, but I'm lazy and there are other, better places to find the connections between philosopher John Locke and Lostie John Locke.
That said, I'm going to be upfront. Locke has never been a favorite character of mine. I have more of an appreciation for him now then I did when the show started, but I can't say that I've ever been compelled by him--not in the way I'm interested in other characters. I will, however, mention that it should be noted that Terry O'Quinn gives one of the most brilliant performances in this show as Locke. Despite not caring for a character, I can't help but praise the actor, who always does a fantastic job.
This episode is a lot denser than the previous one, though I've always noticed that Kate episodes tend to be a bit shallower. Anyway, the interesting thing is how much more you can get out of it the second time around. I mean, not only is there a ton of hints giving away that Locke may have been in a wheelchair, but the sheer giddiness Locke tries to mask over being all bad-ass and going boar hunting is not someone will notice the first time around. Again, brilliant writing, directing, and acting all around. Interestingly, outside of the flashbacks, there isn't THAT much Locke in the episode, with everything else going on. He pretty much kills a boar and comes back. But it should be also noted that he was the first one to really "see" the island--thus starting Locke's journey of faith and destiny.
Kate and Michael decide to go with Locke on his little hunt. Kate's doing so to help out Sayid, and as Jack wisely points out, because Kate doesn't know what to do with herself if she's in one place for too long. The only thing I'd really like to note about Kate in this episode is the subtle bit of flirting going on between her and Jack. Because it's there and I think it's cute and I'm a softie at heart for the smaller moments--especially before the triangle convoluted and blown to hell.
Michael is a whole other set of issues. Okay, you know, on rewatch, Michael just pisses me off more and more. First of all, there are about 40 other English speaking people on the island and he asks the non English speaking Korean, with whom he share and uncomfortable moment, to watch his boy. Um, why? It's a good thing that Sun knows how to speak English because, surely, she would have been confused. Also, I realize that there's this whole father-son issue thing going on between Michael and Walt but I can't fault Michael completely. Walt's a pain in the ass. I just wanna smack that kid. I can't wait until about half way through this season when they actually bond so we can be done with it. Also, Michael doesn't add anything more to the trek than Kate does. At least he begrudgingly tells Locke he did a good job. I still don't get the hate there other than Locke is pretty damn creepy.
Meanwhile...
I feel like Kate's episode was more of an extension of the pilot. This episode, with the symbolic burning of the bodies, and with the lack of food, starts the realization that they have to start fending for themselves. Granted, it won't be until next episode where they come to the conclusion that they'll have to start working together.
Jack, interestingly, really stays away from the action in this episode. I take the separation, and the distaste towards doing the burning ceremony, as a way to avoid the leadership role that is being thrust upon him and the fact that a ceremony would mean having to deal with the death of his father--and he is so not ready to do that yet. So, Jack spends all his time with Rose--in a way, wanting to be alone as she is. Oh, and Jack's dad appears but more on that later.
As for the burning ceremony itself--eh. It's sweet that Claire leads it but I suppose since we never knew anyone who died and because we didn't experience the crash itself, it's hard to identify. It's a necessary scene, as the survivors would have to mourn not only the dead, as Jack put it in Kate's episode, the death of themselves and their previous lives.
In yet another plotline (it seems like there are so many in this episode), Boone and Shannon have it out and Shannon gets Charlie to fish. It's a humorous side piece to the drama going on around it. While I still find Shannon to be absolutely shallow beyond belief, the fishing scene between Charlie and Hurley is a delight, as well as Charlie's slow realization that Shannon used him to catch the fish.
Flashbacks:
Don't tell me what I can't do!! Locke's mantra for, like, the entire series. Also, WTF, Locke was in a wheelchair!!??!?! Okay, I believe Lost's infamous WTF moments were set up with the creepy French transmission in the pilot. But the wheelchair reveal is revered as one Lost's most defining moments. Honestly, I don't remember being that shocked the first time I saw it--more so, like, huh, cool, the island had powers. People definitely went ballistic over it, though.
Anyway, the point of Locke's flashbacks is to contrast how crappy Locke's life was before he crashed to the his bad-ass life after the crash. I have to give everyone involved lots of credit for the way it was presented. I mean the drastic difference between a droning on office life vs life out in the wilderness was incredibly done. That said, Locke's pathetic life has always been a little too depressing for me. He's just so pathetic. The phone call between the phone sex girl and Locke has always made me so uncomfortable that I don't usually watch it. I think Locke's droll pre-island self is just one reason I never warmed to the character.
I don't know why people love Locke so much, maybe it's because I think everyone, in a way, can relate to Locke. I mean, there are so many people that are like him--kinda holding that patheticness about them. I mean, all of the Losties are screwed up wack-jobs, but, before they went crazy with the father issues, Locke was definitely relatable. Hmm...maybe I just prefer the insane implausibility of everyone else.
The Little Things:
*While I understand Sayid's dislike of disregarding proper burial, his strong reaction against the body burnings have always rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe since I'm in the same state of mind as Jack--or maybe because religion isn't a big part of my life. But, I always wonder, how would they ever figure out what kind of religion everyone was anyway?
*It's amusing that Rose comments on Jack's bedside manner--something he is definitely not known for.
*Between Hurley attempting to beat the snot out of Sawyer and his attempt at fishing, he certainly is entertaining. Hurley is and always has been one of my favorite characters.
*Sun makes toothpaste. Her awesome knowledge of plants is, well, just plain awesome.
*Rose names her husband Bernard--and we spend a heck of a lot of time wondering if he's alive or not.
*Kate claims she's climbed a lot worse than that tree. Makes me wonder...
Favorite Quotes:
CLAIRE: Somebody's in there.
SAYID: Everyone in there's dead.
JACK: Sawyer.
SAWYER: Right behind you, Jackass.
JACK: We don't have time to sort out everybody's god.
CHARLIE: Really, last I heard we were positively made of time.
KATE: If I didn't know any better, I'd say your worried about me, Jack.
JACK: If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a problem staying in one place for very long, Kate
BOONE: I hate to break it to you—the ocean is not going to take your gold card.
CHARLIE: What? Fishing? My grand-dad used to take me out, taught me everything he knows. Everything he knew, he's dead now, god rest his soul. Yeah, I'm like a … I'm a fishing fiend. I mean England's an island so I just throw it in and … fish.
Unanswered Questions:
You know what I want to know--why were there so many tarps on that plane? Makes me wonder what was in that cargo...
No, actually, the big unanswered question in this episode is what did Locke see when the smoke monster came to him. You know, so many people want to know that question. I suppose I don't really care--or the short answer is the same thing everyone else saw--their life or their destiny or whatever you think the smoke monster represents. I'm not sure why the question needs an answer.
I suppose another question that can be asked is how did the island heal Locke. Well, you know, the same way it travels through time and space and does all the other weird crap it does. The simple answer is that it's a magic island. Why people need that more defined is beyond me as I believe an actual spelled explanation not only limits the imagination but would be disappointing.
Grade: A- That's not really so much a personal grade but the grade it deserves for it's overall execution. The writing and acting are excellent all the way around and the story has wonderful balance to it. It also uses the characters well, even if the episode is stuffed. The only drawback, to me, is the Locke focus, and the uncomfortableness I find in his flashback story.
Trivia:
*After Randy confronts Locke about the TPS reports, Locke returns to work, using his adding machine. As the receipt prints, the clicking sound of the smoke monster can be heard. This makes sense because according to the producer's podcast, the Monster sound was taken from a taxi receipt printer in a NY taxi.
*The original title was going to be Lord of the Files
*John Terry hadn't been cast for Christian yet, so someone else is in the role. Nadia also hadn't been cast, so the pictures Sayid holds were originally of someone else.
Lostpedia 1x4
Labels: lost
posted by spaceorphan @ 9:42 PM
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