Hero of the episode: Charlie Zero of the episode: Sawyer
Quote(s) of the episode: “Am I being punished? It feels like punishment.” Walt to Michael while they’re gathering supplies for the raft.
Music vibes: Imposing and scary, especially when Michael gets angry at Locke; Heart-pounding when Michael and Locke rescue Walt from the polar bear.
Little things: Hurley organizing another golf tournament, and the winner gets the last of the deodorant. | Charlie trying to resist the urge to read Claire’s diary, but he does it anyway.
Episode notebook:
Another eye shot – this time it’s Michael
Michael is looking for Walt and Charlie is looking for Claire’s bags.
Hurley thinks Michael hates being a dad.
In the past, Michael looked forward to being a dad. Even convinced his girlfriend, Susan, to name their son Walt after his dad.
Michael finds Walt with Locke and Boone. Oooh, Walt has been defying his dad. Locke tries to tell Michael he needs to open his eyes to Walt’s potential. Walt is special.
Susan leaves Michael, taking Walt to Amsterdam for a lucrative job opportunity.
In the present, Michael doesn’t know how to talk to Walt without getting frustrated.
Sayid is still studying Danielle’s maps. He thinks the maps are of the island.
Michael wants to build a raft. He doesn’t want to adapt to island life.
Michael got into an accident just after he learned Susan was seeing someone else. What bad luck. Susan pays for Michael’s bills. Sounds nice, but just a precursor to her larger agenda. She wants her fiancé, Bryan, to adopt Walt and for Michael not to contest it.
Claire has been missing for a week now. Kate put Claire’s bags in the caves for safekeeping. Charlie is relieved but notices her diary is missing. Three guesses who took it. Of course, Sawyer had it. Charlie gets it back.
Michael threatens Locke. Walt calls his father out for not being around when he was younger.
Susan dies suddenly. Bryan doesn’t want to raise Walt, he never did. He finds Michael and tells him he should raise Walt. There’s something about Walt. Bryan seems afraid of Walt. Michael needs to go to Australia to get Walt.
Claire wrote in her diary about the Black Rock, which is a location on Danielle’s maps. Hmm, when do we get to see the Black Rock?
Episode recap: Michael seems to spend more time looking for Walt, than spending time with him. The episode opens with Michael yelling for Walt. He’s extra angry when he finds Walt with Locke and Boone, learning how to use a knife. Locke senses something special about Walt. Michael doesn’t see that and is more focused on getting his son off the island. Most of the survivors seem to be settling in for the long term. Sun starts a garden – two actually. People are setting up tents on the beach encampment. Why is no one talking about how to get off the island? That’s Michael’s goal. He begins gathering supplies to build a raft.
Our first flashbacks into Michael’s past reveal a man who was excited about becoming a father. He already has a name in mind, Walter, after his dad. His girlfriend, Susan, is a law student with a bright future ahead of her. Michael is an artist but puts his creativity to the side so he can work construction and support his budding family. Sounds like a fairytale. The fairytale doesn’t last, as Michael and Susan grow apart. Leading Susan to a job in Amsterdam, taking Walt away from his father. Michael was adamant about Walt staying with him, but without a job or steady income what judge would give him custody?
The hits keep coming when Michael gets in a car accident, temporarily leaving him in a wheelchair. Susan uses that as an opportunity to tell Michael to let Walt go. To let her fiancé, Bryan, adopt Walt. This seemed a bit extreme to me, but I can understand the argument. Nearly two, Walt doesn’t know Michael. Walt knows Bryan. Is it in his best interests to let someone who is around Walt every day be his dad? Doesn’t seem right, but Michael agrees. Years pass, and Michael moves on with his life – without Walt. That is until Bryan knocks on his door, with the news that Susan has died, and he wants Michael to take custody of Walt. Father of the year Bryan! This man seems afraid of Walt, Bryan believes things – bad things – happen when the boy is around. It’s time for Michael to be daddy because Bryan just can’t do it. Off to Sydney and eventually Oceanic Flight 815 for Michael. Did Walt’s presence cause Susan’s death? Possibly even Michael’s accident? That’s certainly hinted at in this episode and at least one more.
On the island, Walt continues to rebel against his father, like most children do. He still wants to learn from Locke, but Michael is fiercely against that – threatening to kill Locke if he finds him with Walt again. It’s like Michael is afraid of being replaced by yet another man as Walt’s father, and that’s why he must get off the island. Locke has no such interest in taking Michael’s place, he’s always telling Walt that he should respect his father. Walt is having a hard time respecting someone he doesn’t know – even though that person is his father. Michael wants to know Walt, too. They both just have a hard time listening to the other. They start to understand each other when they have to rely on one another – and Locke – to survive a polar bear attack. Yes, a sighting of another polar bear. I hope there is explanation for a polar bear, an Arctic animal, in a tropical setting.
Most of the focus of this episode is on Michael and Walt, but in the end a familiar face returns. Locke and Boone stumble upon a disheveled-looking Claire. Now where has she been? She’s been mentioned in the last few episodes, but now that Claire is back is she still the same person? This island changes people. Please come back next week for episodes fifteen and sixteen.