User Reviews

I love Locke. Everything about him. His character is dark and mysterious the first couple of episodes and I remember watching back when and wanting to see his flashback. This is the episode where we finally learn more about Locke's past and why he is the way he is. It really does pay off and the use of flashbacks is incredible at the very end. Also, the one "scene" with the monster is awesome. If you are watching the show on DVD, you need to see this episode.

The episode opens with wild boars raiding the fuselage left on the beach with the survivors and Jack decides the fuselage must be burned. After four days of being on the island, the survivors realize their food supply is running out and Locke reveals he is a hunter and suggests that they hunt for food. Kate, Micheal, and Locke set out to hunt the boar. Sayid gives Kate the transceiver and asks that while she is away hunting, she tries to receive a signal. Micheal is injured while they are hunting and Locke is thrown off his feet, after a strange encounter with numbness in his legs he tells Kate and Micheal to head back to the beach and they do so, leaving Locke to hunt by himself. Along the way, Kate climbs a tree to get a signal for the transceiver but drops it when she hears the monster and sees the trees begin to move. The monster is revealed to be heading for Locke, and instead of running, Locke holds his ground, falling to the ground as the monster (not shown) slowly moves close to his face.Back on the beach the survivors are cleaning up the remainders of the plane and Claire decides to lead a ceremony for the deceased. Boone suggests to Jack that he talk to Rose who has been distant since they crashed. Rose tells Jack that her husband, who was in the tail section of the plane when it crashed, is still alive, she has faith. Sayid is mad when Kate and Micheal return with a broken transceiver and Kate tells Jack about Locke (thinking he is dead). Jack looses focus when he sees a man walk out of the jungle in a suite, he runs after, Kate following, only to find Locke covered in blood holding a dead boar. That night, Claire holds a memorial service for the dead passengers using information she found in their passports, wallets, and luggage. Charlie takes a hit of heroin before attending; his stash is running low. Jack is not among the group. Michael who is standing next to Locke asks him if he saw anything out there, Locke simply replies "no". Locke stares at a wheelchair slowly burning in the flames.

In the flashbacks throughout the episode, it is Locke working at an office building during lunch hour. His manager, Randy, is taunting him when he finds out that Locke plans to go on an Australian walkabout saying that Locke can't do those things in his condition. At home in his studio apartment, Locke is talking to a woman named Helen on the phone and tells her of his walkabout opportunity. He invites her to go to the walkabout, but she declines and says that she does not meet customers. She then tells Locke that continuing the conversation will mean charging for another hour, but that he "can't afford it". He says he doesn't care about the money, but she hangs up on him. Locke angrily hangs up his phone. In a flashback, Locke is in Australia talking to one of the leaders on the walkabout. He refuses to let Locke come because of his condition, saying it's too big of a risk for the insurance company. As the man gets up to leave, Locke pulls away and is shockingly revealed to be in a wheelchair. In a flashback two minutes after the crash, Locke is lying on his back in the sand. He wiggles his toes, then slowly and clumsily stands up when Jack asks him for help with the man under the wreckage.

I love pretty much everything about this episode. This is one of the earlier episodes that truly does require a second viewing. The first time I saw it, I didn't think the episode was anything special until the very end when it was revealed Locke was in a wheelchair. When you re-watch it, it is one of the first examples of how obvious "Lost" can be about its twists but yet no one seems to catch them while they watch. I cry every time Locke is screaming after the bus when it leaves him. My heart just breaks for him. I also love the repeating of "Don't tell me what I can't do," (and again when Jack says it). The "scene" with the monster and Locke doesn't really come into play until later but it truly is an awesome scene and Locke happens to be the first character to ever see the monster (not that we do or anything).

On the downside, I know that the wheelchair was used for symbolism. But knowing Locke's character, he should have let the others use the wheelchair to move debris and water bottles in later episodes instead of letting it burn. I also hate Jack and his scene with Rose. I love Rose, but I absolutely hate how Jack never has faith in anyone, how could you look at that woman and seriously tell her that her husband is dead? Let her be, its not like she's hurting anyone by thinking so.

My favorite part of the episode: When it is finally revealed that Locke was in a wheelchair. I cry every time.

"Walkabout" is one of the most unanimously praised Lost episodes there is, and it's not hard to see why. The island story is a collection of fine, interesting character interactions while Locke's flashback provides insight into this intriguing and then-mysterious character and an ending that at the time had tremendous impact and even when you know what to expect still packs quite a punch thanks to Terry O'Quinn's unbelievably superb performance and one of Michael Giacchino's finest compositions.

"Walkabout" could be called the first true "Lost" episode. Sure, we had the transmission signal and the monster in the pilot episode, but "Walkabout" makes a definitive statement about the sort of television series "Lost" was going to grow to be what with Jack seeing Christian Shepard repeatedly, a much more interesting encounter with the still-undefined monster, and the then mind-blowing and now still emotionally effective fact that in some manner John Locke has regained his ability to walk. As brilliant and exciting as "Pilot, Part 2" is, one cannot deny that "Walkabout" is a sort of definitive episode for the show and one that many fans will point to as the episode that truly hooked many of us. Indeed, it does have the series' first true shocker of an ending, something that would become more common and occasionally contrived later on in the series.

Fans have commented negatively, positively, and indifferently on the evolution of John Locke's character between "Walkabout" and the end of season four (the point at which this review is being written). Personally, I think "Walkabout" is a perfect demonstration that the aforementioned evolution is perfectly natural and expected within the narrative- John Locke has always been, for lack of a better word, a loser. Upon arriving on the Island Locke realizes his special relationship with the island faster than any other character. John's determination to find and kill the boar is an early precursor to his determination to follow his instinct with the button in the hatch and anything else he feels he was meant to do.

Personally I feel that the scene most worth commenting on in this episode is Locke's encounter with the monster. In "Exodus, Part 2" Locke encountered the monster and was nearly dragged into a hole in the ground by it. At that point Locke insisted he wanted to go. Indeed "Walkabout" raises the question of whether or not the monster's intentions in the season finale were harmful. Would it have killed Locke had Jack not intervened? Certainly Locke's encounter in "Walkabout" with the monster is the closest and yet most mysterious (to the audience, at least) encounter any of the 815'ers has had with the monster that didn't end in death(s).

David Fury's script for "Walkabout" is an awe-inspiring work of art. It slowly builds up to a brilliant climactic 15 minutes or so but never wastes time on trivial matters, focusing on character development for many members of the huge ensemble cast and leaving tantalizing hints for future episodes. There's just enough humor in this episode to keep the mood from being too depressing but thankfully not enough to undermine the dramatic impact of several key scenes including the brilliantly-written and produced final scene.

"Walkabout" is one of the richest and most important episodes of "Lost" and that is all the more impressive since this episode arrives so early in the run. Superb.

10/10

Lost is a great show that largely ushered in the golden era of television. The moment when you discover Locke in the wheelchair is such a great twist. Outstanding episode that made me a fan for the rest of the series. I got into this show more than I ever have any other.

Lost's 4th episode may very well be the best the show ever crafted. Despite some of its best moments coming from seasons of build up, the slow and subtle story of John Locke is easily its most unforgettable. The ending montage is maybe my favorite moment in any tv show. Excellent.

I made reference in my review of the pilot that when people discuss the greatness of Lost's first season, what they are often talking about is actually the pilot, but while I stand by this point of view I would argue that the Pilot isn't the best episode of season 1 and I think a lot of Lost fans would agree with me on that one.

Ask any fan of Lost at what point did they realize that this show was something special and a lot of them will answer Walkabout. Because as magnificent as the Pilot is, Walkabout is the episode in which Lost fully realizes its potential as a character study, as a show that could tell stories that were epic, yet personal and always with a mystique that made it totally and utterly different to anything to have ever been made for the small screen.

Walkabout might not be as utterly focused as season 4′s The Constant and it may not have as many incredible moments as the season 3 finale Through The Looking Glass, but I think it is as worthy a candidate as either of them when it comes to being Lost's best episode (FYI The Constant probably just edges it for me, but I do a lot of rotation between those three.)

The story of John Locke is yet to be fully told but those final moments are character defining and are some of the absolute best television I have ever seen.

But let's go back to the very beginning of the episode. I remember when I was first watching it that from those opening images of Locke looking suspiciously at his waggling toe, I guess the twist. I knew something was up with the guy and considering that he had been talking about miracles I guessed the twist (if you can call it that.)

Yet if you didn't guess it there it would be quite easy to forget that opening scene and if you haven't already got that in mind the fact Locke is sitting down would seem rather innocuous. This is where I think Lost was the best show ever at executing twists. Lindelof and co didn't go so out of there way to disguise the show's biggest and best twists, to the extent that when the reveal happen it made no sense but they also didn't advertise the twists which always meant some would guess them and others wouldn't.

I also think that they really don't care if you had fitted the pieces together, because the power of those final moments just can't be diminished. As earlier alluded to the final 7 or 8 minutes of Walkabout are some of the best I have ever seen. Yet, considering that I had already worked out the twist, its tough to say exactly what makes them so great, because not a whole lot happens.

So what makes them so special? Well at a most basic level it is just the result of great acting, Terry O'Quinn was always one of the best performers in a cast of amazing performers, meeting great directing, the hand-held camera-work by Jack Bender as Locke stands up really adds to the scene, meeting great writing, "Don't tell me what I can't do" meeting great composing, the score by Michael Giacchino was always brilliant but it was never better used then here.

It is also the way in which these minutes fit in thematically to the show as a whole. Quite obviously Locke is talking about his destiny when he is being stopped from attending the walkabout, only to then be thrown into a real walkabout.

But it's a lot more than that. We end on a shot of Locke looking at his wheelchair as it is set on fire. These initial flashbacks are so concerned with the baggage these people are bringing to the island. Within this episode we see Jack chasing after a big part of his pre- island life, in the form of the man in the suit, yet Locke is embracing his new life and letting go of his old, encapsulating the differences that would drive the Jack/Locke rivalry.

Looking back now I have a certain amount of sympathy for Lindelof and co, if you look at the first disc of the Lost boxset the episodes on it are the Pilot (parts 1/2), Tabula Rasa and Walkabout. Really the show could never quite live up to Walkabout and Pilot being that close together.

That's not to say the show doesn't have episodes that are as good/better than these two but it certainly doesn't have two such special episodes of TV in such close proximity. Because that is what Walkabout and the Pilot are, they're special episodes of TV, they were (and still are) different to everything else TV had ever seen and are undoubtedly two of the best episodes of TV ever.

(For more reviews go to donheisenberg.tumblr.com)

This episode is extremely impressive. It has wonderfully intriguing island dialogue, as well as having some great backstory. While this episode did secure the show as a blatant "Lord of the Flies" rip- off, it works beautifully anyway.

I can't say much about the acting. In fact, I can say it really isn't all that good. Like, not from anybody. Matthew Fox may be a good actor, which he is, but in the show so far, he hasn't had a chance to really do any acting past looking serious.

What I can say about this episode is that the backstory unraveled is so perfect, great storytelling. There are few times when backstory can seem so satisfying. It did in "Mad Men," and "Breaking Bad," and it does here, too. Backstory in this episode tied up so many knots you never even thought about. The episode comes brilliantly full- circle. Like the episode of "The Twilight Zone" with the people who you never see the faces of, his condition was hidden fantastically in the flashbacks, hidden by fantastic directing.

This was really a John Locke episode, but I'm grateful for that. The character of Rose is also very interesting, as are her comments. Speaks the least, says the most type of character.

This is the greatest episode in "Lost" thus far (yes, better than Pilot), and is one of the greatest episodes in the history of television. Like, Top 10.

I enjoy this episode. It's quite entertaining.

In this episode, everyone who survived Oceanic Flight 815 is running out of food, so Locke, Kate, and Michael all go boar-hunting. Meanwhile, we flashback to Locke's life before the flight, and we discover that he is actually paralysed. So how is walking around now, on the island?

Fun Fact: After this episode aired, ABC announce that the show had been picked up for a full first season.

Fun Fact: We learn another connection between Hurley and Locke.

Overall, I give this episode a 7 out of 10, which in my ratings book is: Great.

Please explain the logic of killing a polar bear but not having food? Last time I checked a bear can provide meat for months. Come on. Poor writing.

A series of flashbacks reveals a secret that Locke has kept hidden from the other passengers. Meanwhile, the bodies inside the plane need to be disposed of, but how? Jack decides the most effective way of doing so, but it's grisly. When the castaways realize that the food supply is running out, Locke has a suggestion.

Well this is what i call "The Locke Episode". This is the episode you get to learn more about this mysterious man, or "Man of faith". It's a great episode, maybe powerful (I cried in this episode) So buy the DVD box, grab some popcorn and enjoy this great episode of one of the best series ever made - "Lost: Walkabout"

Wild boars finally make their appearance, and Locke puts together a hunting party. Jack decides to burn the fuselage and bodies, to keep away animals. The survivors struggle with his decision and what to do about a moment of reverence before the fire is lit. Jack sits and talks with Rose, whom he saved from near-death after the crash. Rose tells Jack there are other survivors, but she doesn't tell him how she knows this. Locke reveals much about himself. He is not at all what he seems, but then, who is? Kate and Jack grow closer. A fine episode of a series that clearly is not going to be able to hold together forever. The producer's love of gimmicks, such as loud noises and quick glimpses of the island's monsters, starts to repeat in this episode

Locke brought them food by hunting a boar. Michael's wounded. They burnt the dead bodies. Locke seemed to be dangerous at first but he turned out to be a great character. He wanted to be on a spiritual trip thru the outback and he was paraplegic but he can walk in the island.