1.04 - Walkabout

With food supplies low, Locke leads a group into the jungle to hunt wild boar. Jack decides to burn the bodies in the wreckage of the aircraft. The thing in the jungle appears again.

It's not about what they deserve. They're gone and we're not. --- Jack Shepherd

Have you got a better idea?
Better than three of you wandering into the magic forest to bag a hunk of ham with nothing but an itty-bitty hunting knife? Hell no, it's the best idea I ever heard. --- Jack Shepherd, Sawyer

I told you I need those TPS reports done by noon today. --- Randy

Tell me something. How come anytime there's a hike into the Heart of Darkness, you sign up? You know what's out there.
Actually, I don't. And neither do you. --- Jack Shepherd, Kate

Is this when you say, "I told you so"?
No, I'm not big on rubbing it in. --- Kate, Jack Shepherd

Don't tell me what I can't do! --- John Locke

Flashback: The Crash: Locke is lying on his back in the sand. He looks down at his foot, slowly moving his toes. He slowly gets up and puts his shoe back on. He then hears someone yelling for help and rushes in their direction.

It is night and Vincent is barking. Michael and Walt try to calm him down but the barking wakes up everyone on the beach anyway. They then hear something moving inside the fuselage of the aircraft. Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Locke investigate and several wild boars run out. People dodge out of the way but Charlie is slightly hurt by one of the boars.

The next morning Jack says that they need to do something about the bodies. He recommends burning them. Sayid seems upset that they would callously dispose of the bodies without finding out what religion they were or anything. He suggests burying them but Jack says that they couldn't bury that many bodies and that they couldn't keep animals from digging them up anyway. He says that they will simply collect wood, fill the fuselage with it and burn everything.

Sayid is working on an electronic device. Kate approaches and he tells her that he has realized that the repeating signal they heard means there is a power source somewhere on the island. If they can find it then they may be able to use it to boost their own transmitter enough for them to be heard. He is making some directional antennas to try and locate the source of the transmission. Kate offers to help, saying she would rather do that than be involved in the plans to burn the bodies.

Locke is going through a metal box. Walt and Vincent start going in his direction but Michael stops them. Walt says that he is going to talk to Locke but Michael wants him to stay with him. Walt angrily says that Locke at least talks to him.

Hurley, Boone and Sawyer get into a fight over a package of peanuts which turns out to be the last of the food. Jack breaks up the fight but everyone is concerned over the lack of food. They start to argue but are interrupted when a knife thrown by Locke hits the seat next to Sawyer.

Locke points out that the boars they saw the night before were young so there must be a mother boar around somewhere that would have enough meat to feed all of them. He says he knows how to hunt the boar but that it will take three people to succeed. Kate and Michael volunteer. Someone asks how Locke got the knife on the plane and Locke says he checked it. He then shows them a suitcase full of knives. Everyone seems surprised and Hurley wonders who Locke is.

Flashback: Locke is in an office cubicle. The phone rings and someone who calls him "colonel" asks him if the line is secure then tells him that the operation is ready. He tells him to rendezvous at the usual spot.

Locke hangs up and his manager comes by, telling him to have some reports on his desk by noon. He also tells him that personal calls are not allowed at work and sarcastically calls him "colonel".

Jack finds Kate getting ready to go with Locke. He seems concerned about her going into the jungle and a bit concerned about Locke. Kate insists she will be safe and shows Jack the antenna that Sayid gave her, saying she is planning on placing it during the hunt.

Michael is also getting ready to go and Walt wants to go with him. Michael refuses to let him go. He sees Sun and calls to her. Through pantomime and the old standard of talking slowly and loudly, he asks her if she will watch Walt while he is gone. She somehow manages to understand what he is asking and seems to agree. Michael leaves and she says something to Walt in untranslated Korean. Walt walks off unhappily and Sun follows.

Jack is coordinating the piling of the wood inside the fuselage. Claire approaches him and gives him a photo album. It is the wedding album of the couple that was sitting behind her and who were on their honeymoon. Jack asks why she is giving it to him and she says the others thought he would say something before they burned the bodies; a kind of a memorial service. Jack appears uninterested or even opposed to the idea and tells Claire that she should be the one to hold the service if she wants one. She seems surprised by his reaction but agrees to hold the memorial herself.

Boone finds Shannon lying on the beach, still working on her tan. He points out that Rose, another of the survivors, is sitting alone down the beach and thinks someone should talk to her. Shannon appears uninterested and sarcastically says he can't help trying to take care of people. He says at least she doesn't have to worry about starving since he takes care of her. Shannon claims she can take care of herself and he asks where she plans to get food. Shannon points out the ocean is full of fish. Boone says she can't get them with her gold card and leaves.

Shannon finds Charlie, who is about to take the last of his drugs. She asks Charlie if he knows how to fish. Charlie, a bit too enthusiastically, claims that he does.

Boone goes to Jack and points Rose out to him. Jack says that he isn't a psychologist but Boone reminds him that Jack saved her life. Jack goes to Rose and tries to talk to her but she doesn't respond. Jack sits beside her on the beach.

In the jungle, Kate is talking to Michael about Walt. Michael reveals that he has spent very little time with Walt; Walt had lived with his mother until she died a few weeks previously. Michael had not seen Walt in years until he went to Australia to pick him up.

Michael asks what Kate was doing in Australia but before she can answer Locke motions for them to be quiet. He points out several indications of where boars have been then gives several hand gestures to Kate and Michael. Kate, apparently understanding, starts to follow his directions but Michael loudly asks why Locke is giving the "steal signal". Locke turns to tell him to be quiet but one of the boars runs out of the bushes, knocking Locke and Kate aside and badly cutting Michael with its tusks before running off.

Kate rushes to help Michael. Locke lies on his back and stares at his feet.

Flashback: Locke and another worker are in their office break room and playing Axis and Allies. The manager enters and starts giving Locke a hard time about the game and asks why Locke has the nickname colonel; he has checked his personnel file and Locke was never in the military.

He then, looking at a brochure, asks Locke what a "walkabout" is. Locke becomes angry and takes the brochure away from him, saying that a walkabout is "...a journey of spiritual renewal where one derives strength from the earth and becomes inseparable from it." He says that he has vacation time and has already made the reservations to go.

The other worker is surprised that Locke is going. The manager is dismissive, asking Locke why he thinks he can do such a thing. Locke says to not tell him what he can't do.

Michael is injured and Locke seems to be stunned. Kate yells for him, saying they need to get Michael back to the beach. Locke tells her to take Michael on her own and says that he is going after the boar. Kate says that he can't go after it on his own and Locke says for her to not tell him what he can't do.

At the beach, Charlie has talked Hurley into helping him fish. They are attempting to spearfish with a bit of wreckage on a pole and are not doing very well though they both seem to be enjoying themselves.

Claire goes to Sayid and hands him an envelope with his name on it that she found while going through the wreckage. He thanks her, saying he was afraid he had lost it. He opens it to reveal several pictures of a woman.

Jack is still sitting with Rose, who suddenly tells him that her husband's fingers would swell up while flying, so he always gave her his wedding ring to keep. She tells Jack he doesn't have to keep his promise to her; to stay with her until her husband came back. (From Pilot (Part 1).) Jack tells her it is fine.

Locke, now alone, continues through the jungle.

Flashback: Locke is lying in bed and talking to a woman named Helen on the phone. He tells her about the walkabout he is planning on going on and how he enjoyed telling his manager off that day. He also tells her that he has bought two plane tickets to Australia.

Helen suddenly becomes both upset and angry, telling Locke that she can't meet him and that he needs to see a therapist. It is revealed that he is paying to talk to her and it is strongly implied (though not explicitly stated) that she is a phone sex worker. She rushes him off the phone and hangs up. He slams the phone down in frustration.

Kate and Michael are on their way back to the beach when she remembers the antenna. She calls a stop and climbs a tree to place it.

Suddenly, she and Michael hear the "thing" in the jungle. She is startled and drops the antenna. She looks towards the source of the sound but can only see trees and bushes being shoved aside by the "thing's" passage.

Elsewhere, Locke is following the boar. He tracks it to some bushes when he suddenly hears growling ahead. He then hears the "thing" as well and something large comes out of the trees ahead of him. We get an overhead view as Locke stares upwards at something towering over him.

At the beach, Sawyer approaches Claire who is sorting through personal items. He embarrassedly gives her several wallets that he "found" then quickly leaves.

Sun is showing Walt how to brush his teeth with a plant stem when Kate and Michael arrive. Walt rushes to Michael. Sawyer tries to talk to Kate but she ignores him. Walt asks them where Locke is but they say nothing.

Hurley and Charlie walk up the beach and Charlie presents a fish to Shannon. She, in turn, shoves it at Boone, saying that it proves she can take care of herself. Boone seems disgusted, saying that all it proves is that she can manipulate others to do things for her. They walk off arguing while Charlie and Hurley stand there stunned.

Jack is still sitting with Rose. He tells her that they are planning to burn the fuselage after dark and that the others are planning a memorial service. She says she would like to be there for that. As he helps her up, he asks if she wants to say a few words about her husband. She looks surprised and tells him her husband is still alive. He points out that her husband was in the tail section and that no one from it could have survived. She says that everyone from the tail section is probably saying the same thing about them.

As they start to leave, Jack looks at the jungle and sees a figure in a suit watching them. He looks away then back again and the figure is gone.

Kate goes to Sayid and gives him the broken antenna. He is angry at first but eventually calms down. They both agree to try again.

Jack arrives and Kate tells him about seeing the "thing" and that it was heading in Locke's direction when she saw it.

Jack looks around and sees the strange figure again. He rushes towards it, Kate following in confusion. When he gets to the spot the figure is gone. However, a few seconds later both he and Kate are surprised when Locke exits the jungle, pulling the carcass of the boar behind him.

That night, as flames leap from the plane, Claire reads the names they have found on tickets, driver's licenses and passports. She tries to say something about each of them but in many cases it isn't more than their seat number and where they were from.

Michael congratulates Locke on killing the boar and asks if he saw the "thing". Locke says no.

Flashback: Locke is in the office of the company running the walkabout. The tour guide is refusing to take him, saying that Locke failed to tell them everything on his application and that their insurance company will not let him go. Locke argues, again saying it is his destiny to go, but the worker refuses. Locke is angry but can do nothing and, for the first time, we see that he is confined to a wheelchair.

The flashback changes to the beach immediately after the crash. Locke is stunned to realize that he can move his foot and unsteadily rises to his feet. He looks around in amazement then, hearing Jack calling for help, rushes to his aid.

Back in the present, Locke looks at the wheelchair, sitting empty beside the burning plane.

Charlie, having taken another dose of his drugs, arrives at the memorial. He asks Kate where Jack is.

Down the beach, Jack sits alone in the darkness; his back to the memorial service and the burning plane.

Randy's request for "TPS Reports" is probably a reference to the movie Office Space.

How is Locke able to walk?

Locke apparently saw the "thing" in the jungle; what did he see? Did he kill the boar or did the "thing" kill it?

Why did Locke bring all those knives with him?

Who was the mysterious person seen by Jack?

Why is Rose so convinced that her husband and the others from the tail section are still alive?