1.14 Special

Walt has gone missing and Michael is searching for him. Charlie is looking for Claire’s luggage, which has also gone missing.

Walt is with Locke and Boone, practicing his knife throwing. Michael is quite unhappy when he arrives and sees what is going on. He sends Walt back and waves the knife at Locke, telling him to stay away from them. Boone tackles him to protect Locke and gets a punch in the face. Locke tells Michael that he needs to treat Walt like an adult and nurture his potential.

Michael tells Sun that he doesn’t know how to talk to Walt, and he expresses concern that Walt might have to grow up on the island.

Sayid tells Shannon and Jack that he may have deciphered the maps – they point to a location on the island that could have some significance. Michael bursts in to say that he is building a raft, and that he will leave and take his son with him.

Charlie finds Claire’s bags but tells Kate that her diary is missing. They ask Sawyer and, after taunting Charlie about the contents (which he later admits he hasn’t actually read), he gives up the diary after getting punched in his sore arm.

Michael and Walt start work on the boat, but Walt takes off when he sees Locke and Boone go off into the jungle.

Shannon asks Boone when they are going to start bringing back some food. She asks him to join her and Michael to build a raft. But Boone is no longer controlled by Shannon, and he says no.

Locke tells Walt that he must listen to his father and not hang around any more. But before Walt leaves, Michael catches them together. He whispers a death threat to Locke, then throws Walt’s comic in the fire and tells him he must listen to him.

Hurley tells Michael that Walt and his dog are ‘gone’. Michael confronts Locke and finally accepts Locke’s story that he told Walt to stay away. Locke offers to help Michael find Walt.

Charlie shares his feelings of loss for Claire with Kate. After Kate leaves, Charlie successfully fights the urge to read her diary.

Deep in the Jungle, Walt and Vincent are stalked by something. Vincent breaks free and, barking, pursues it, with Walt following at high speed. Walk, alone, hears growling coming from an unseen beast. Locke and Michael find Vincent’s discarded leash and take off in the direction of Walt’s cries. A polar bear has trapped Walt in t tree thicket. Michael climbs down from above and Locke pulls Walt to safety. Michael stabs the bear, who runs off. Michael finally acknowledges Locke’s help.

The box contains every card and letter that Michael sent to Walt and that Walt had never seen.

Charlie has giving in to reading Claire’s diary. After finding some nice comments about himself, he tells Jack and Sayid about Claire’s dream she wrote down – something about a ‘black rock’.

Locke and Boone are out in the middle of the jungle. Locke is blowing his dog whistle, but it is Claire who emerges from the bushes, bleeding and scared.

Michael’s backstory flashbacks:

• Michael and his pregnant partner Susan shopping for cots.
• Walt as a toddler, watching Michael and Susan argue. She wants some time apart and is moving to Amsterdam, with Walt, to take advantage of a job opportunity. Despite Michael’s complaints and his obvious love for Walt, they are separated.
• Michael on a payphone, speaking to Susan and finding out that she is involved with the man who hired her. He yells that he is coming to Amsterdam to get his son back, then walks across the street and is hit by a car.
• Michael in the hospital, where he is visited by Susan, who is getting married. In return for covering all his medical costs, Susan wants Michael to allow Susan and new partner Brian to adopt Walt.
• Walt, Susan and Brian. Susan is not feeling well. Walt is studying birds, and, ironically, a bird flies into the glass doors and dies.
• Brian arrives unannounced at Michael’s apartment, to tell Michael that Susan is dead and that her dieing wish was that Michael take custody of Walt after nine years of being separated from him. But that story is a lie – Brian made it up to unload Walt. Brian says that Michael is ‘different’ – that ‘things’ happen when he is around. Michael travels to Australia to take custody of Walt. The woman who is minding him gives him a box with letters. Michael has to carefully explain to Walt that he is now his legal guardian.

Comments

I liked the dialogue between Michael and Susan. With a minimum of words, it is apparent that communication has broken down and that Michael doesn’t really understand or listen to what she wants.

Perhaps now Michael can stop being such an angry person. I wonder also if this incident will make him friends with Locke, or if he will go back to despising him. Either choice will fit into his current character arc.

Memorable Moments

• Michael and Walt bonding

Quotable Quotes

Hurley: He [Michael] seems to hate it, being a dad.
Jack: No, it’s just a lot of hard work.
Hurley: No…he hates it.

Susan: We’ve talked about taking some time apart.
Michael: I thought that was - hey, we said a lot of things! You said you wanted to live on a boat! (laughs)

Walt: A penguin with a sunburn? That’s dumb.
Michael: I know. That’s what I said.