1.14 - Special

Michael and Locke confront each other over Walt, which leads to the return of one of the island's beasts. Meanwhile, Charlie confronts Sawyer, who has taken Claire's diary.

You haven't spent enough time with him to see it, but he's different. --- John Locke, about Walt

Sometimes when he's around, things happen. He's different somehow. --- Brian Porter, about Walt

What is that?
It's Claire's. Her diary.
You're reading her diary?
Yeah, I know. I'm bloody scum. --- Jack Shepherd, Charlie Pace, Sayid

Michael is walking through the jungle and calling for Walt. He encounters Charlie and asks if he has seen him. Charlie says no and asks if Michael knows what happened to Claire's luggage. Michael doesn't know.

Michael then encounters Jack who says he saw Walt near the caves. Michael is angry, saying that he told Walt to stay nearby and he didn't. He asks Jack if he listened to his father when he was young. Jack says he did; probably too well.

Hurley appears and says that he is setting up a golf tournament to play for the last of the deodorant sticks. Michael says he has to find Walt and leaves.

Hurley says that Michael hates being a dad. Jack disagrees, saying that it is just hard work. He leaves too and Hurley repeats to himself that Michael hates it.

Flashback: Michael and Susan Lloyd are looking at baby furniture. Susan is obviously pregnant. She finds a crib she likes but expresses concern over its cost. Michael says that he wants the best for the baby and says that he has a chance at a construction job.

Susan asks Michael if he plans to give up his art and Michael says that he will do so until she graduates from law school and passes the bar. He also mentions that he wants the baby to be named Walt, after his father.

Susan repeats the name Walter Lloyd. Michael jokes that she doesn't want to marry him because she wants her son to have her last name.

Elsewhere, Locke is teaching Walt how to throw a knife. Boone watches from one side. Locke tells Walt to picture the knife hitting its target in his mind's eye. Walt tries the throw again and the knife hits perfectly. Walt is happy and says that he did see the knife before he threw it.

Further discussion is cut off by the arrival of Michael. Michael is angry and, taking the knife from Walt, tells him to go back to the beach. He then points the knife at Locke and tells him to stay away from Walt. Boone tackles Michael, causing him to drop the knife. The two start to fight but Locke pulls them apart.

Locke tells Michael that Walt spends more time with him because he treats Walt like an adult. Michael protests that Walt is only ten and Locke responds that Walt has been through more in his life than most adults. He then adds that there is something "special" about Walt.

This seems to startle and possibly frighten Michael, who tells Locke to stay away from him and from Walt. He leaves.

Flashback: Michael and Susan are with baby Walt. They are arguing. Susan is planning on going to Amsterdam to take a job in international law and is planning on taking Walt with her. Michael doesn't want her to. She points out that Michael hasn't worked in months and that they have no money.

Michael says he won't let her take Walt and she points out that they aren't married, that she is Walt's mother and that she has a job that can support both of them. She asks who he thinks the courts will support.

Michael is watching Walt. Sun arrives and, after looking around, asks what is wrong. Michael says that Locke told him to treat Walt as an adult. He says that he missed Walt's entire childhood and won't let him grow up on the island.

Elsewhere, Sayid and Shannon are showing the maps to Jack. Sayid says that he thought the numbers on the map were showing the location of the island but they weren't. He overlaps several of the maps so that they align with each other. The combined map shows a triangle marking somewhere on the island. Sayid speculates that the triangle marks the location of the "black rock"; possibly the location of the radio transmitter.

Michael walks by and hears the discussion. He stops and begins a minor rant about how everyone is just looking for another excuse to go into the jungle and get attacked. He says that they are spending too much time trying to make a home and not enough time trying to get off the island. He proposes that they build a boat.

None of the others seem to take this seriously. Sayid starts to protest that the chances of a boat surviving rough waters and getting to the shipping lanes is very low and Shannon jokes that she gets seasick. Michael gets angry and tells them they can all stay there, but he is getting off the island. He leaves.

Michael returns to the caves and finds Walt reading a comic book written in Spanish. Walt is looking at a page showing a polar bear. Michael tells Walt to come with him. Walt says he is busy. Michael says he is just looking at a comic book he can't read and Walt replies that he likes to look at the pictures.

Michael kneels beside him and says that when he was Walt's age he learned about perspective and the like by tracing pictures from the comics. He abruptly takes the comic from Walt, puts it in his pocket and tells Walt to come with him.

Flashback: Michael is in a phone booth and talking to Susan. He wants to talk to Walt but Susan says Walt can't use the phone since he is only 21 months old. Michael says he just wants Walt to hear his voice.

Michael then hears another voice with Susan and asks who it is. She admits that it is Brian Porter, her boss, with whom she now has a relationship. Michael becomes angry and demands to know what happened to him and her. She says that what they had was over. He then demands that she turn Walt over to him and she says she won't. Michael says he is coming to Amsterdam to get Walt. He slams down the phone and stalks into the road, walking into the path of an oncoming vehicle. The car hits Michael, throwing him to the ground. He lies there, unmoving, as someone calls for an ambulance.

Charlie has found Claire's luggage and is looking through it. Kate arrives and asks what he is looking for. Charlie says that he is looking for Claire's journal; he says he had seen her writing in it and knew she kept it in a side pocket.

Michael is sorting through part of the wreckage from the plane and asks Walt to help him. Walt asks why he is being punished and Michael says it isn't punishment to help your father. Walt says to himself that it feels like punishment. He starts looking through some luggage.

Charlie and Kate arrive at Sawyer's tent. They call and get no answer. Charlie starts to enter the tent but Sawyer, who has been watching from the side, abruptly says something and startles him.

Charlie asks if Sawyer has Claire's diary. Sawyer is offended at first, asking why everyone suspects him whenever something goes missing, then reveals that he does indeed have the diary and implies that he read it. Charlie tells Sawyer to give it to him. Sawyer seems amused and starts "reading" from the diary, saying that Claire was worried about the "pop-star has-been" and worried that he was "stalking" her.

Charlie hits Sawyer in his hurt arm, causing Sawyer to drop the diary. Charlie picks it up but Sawyer hits him across the face. Kate steps in and breaks up the fight. Charlie stalks off. Kate asks Sawyer if he really read the diary and Sawyer admits that he hadn't. Yet.

Michael is still sorting debris while Walt sits to one side, looking bored. Walt sees Locke and Boone pass by in the jungle. He tells Michael that he is going to get some water and leaves. Michael yells after him to bring him some as well but Walt gives no indication that he heard him.

Locke and Boone arrive at the caves. Shannon sees Boone and greets him but he returns the greeting without emotion. She tells Boone about Michael's raft and suggests that he might want to help him with it. Boone says that he isn't interested.

Walt arrives and goes to talk to Locke. Locke tells Walt that he shouldn't be there because Michael doesn't want them spending time together. Walt says he wants to but Locke tells him that he should obey his father.

Michael arrives at this point and immediately confronts Locke; yelling that he told Locke to stay away from Walt. Walt tries to explain that he was the one who tried to talk to Locke but Michael cuts him off.

Locke says he was giving Walt a pen to give to Michael as a "peace offering". Michael wants nothing to do with it and tells Locke that if he finds him talking to Walt again, he will kill him. Locke leaves without another word; Boone following.

Walt suddenly yells that he hates Michael, saying that Michael wasn't his father and that Michael wasn't there while he was growing up. Michael gets angry in return and says that if Walt wants to hate him, fine. But, Walt will do what Michael tells him to. Michael suddenly throws the comic book into the fire. Walt watches it burn, the polar bear visible.

Flashback: Michael is in a hospital and in a wheelchair, drawing a picture of a man in a wheelchair holding a birthday cake. A nurse comes by and sees the drawing, commenting that it looks good. Michael tells her it is for his son's birthday.

The nurse leaves and Susan appears. Michael is surprised but she tells him that she got worried when she didn't hear from him and finally called a friend who told her what had happened. She asks Michael how he is doing and he says that he will be fine but will have to spend a year in physical therapy. Susan surprises him by telling him that she has arranged to pay for his expenses.

Somewhat later, Susan is pushing Michael in his wheelchair. Michael asks where Walt is and Susan says that he is still in Amsterdam, with Brian. She tells him that she and Brian are getting married and that Brian is planning to adopt Walt. Brian is being named the head of the Italian office and the three of them will be moving to Italy.

Michael is upset by this turn of events. Susan tells him to let go of Walt and asks if he is hanging on to him for Walt's sake, or for his own.

Michael is on the beach when Hurley arrives and tells him that Walt left the caves. Michael, angry, says he knows where Walt has gone.

Locke and Boone are elsewhere in the jungle when Michael arrives and angrily demands to know where Walt is. Locke says he does not know and tells Michael that he told Walt that they couldn't see each other any more; he says that he was trying to respect Michael's wishes. Michael doesn't believe him at first but Boone tells him to look around and repeats that Walt isn't there.

Michael realizes that Walt has really left and his anger is replaced with uncertainty and concern. Locke stands up and tells Michael that they will find him.

Back at the caves, Charlie and Kate arrive; Charlie carrying Claire's bags. Charlie thanks Kate for her help. Kate offers to stay with him for a while but Charlie says he will be fine. He then tells her that it is strange because he only knew Claire for a short while but he feels devastated by her loss. Kate says she understands and leaves.

There follows a fairly amusing sequence in which Charlie is obviously tempted to read Claire's diary but can't. He picks it up, puts it down, picks it up again, puts it back down, picks it up again, flips through it, puts it down, picks it up, opens it and glances at a page, puts it down, picks it up, flips through it, starts to read a page then finally puts it back into the side pocket of Claire's bag and piles another bag on top of it before walking off with several backwards glances.

Elsewhere, Walt and Vincent are walking through the jungle. Vincent suddenly starts growling at something in the brush and becoming more and more agitated. Vincent starts barking and lunging at something and Walt is having trouble controlling him. Suddenly, Vincent breaks free of his leash and runs off into the brush. Walt drops the leash and runs after him.

Flashback: Susan, Brian and Walt are in a house somewhere in Australia. Susan is telling Brian about a problem at work. Walt is working on homework. Brian mentions that Walt needs help with his homework but Susan says he is stalling.

Susan staggers a bit and admits to not feeling well. Brian is concerned and suggests she needs some rest but she seems to disagree. Meanwhile, Walt is talking about a book of birds he is studying and is trying to show a picture of one to Brian but both Brain and Susan seem to be ignoring him. He repeatedly tells them to look at him several times.

There is a sudden thud as a bird flies into the window, killing itself. Both Brian and Walt go to look at the bird. Brian looks at Walt with a slight expression of fear as Walt returns to his book.

In the jungle, Walt continues to look for Vincent. He hears something growling from the brush and looks at it in fear.

Flashback: Brian arrives at Michael's home, to Michael's surprise. Michael asks if Susan knows Brian is there and Brian tells him that Susan is dead. She has died from a blood disorder.

Michael asks about Walt and Brian says he is with his nanny. Michael is angry that Brian has left Walt alone and becomes angrier when Brian says that Susan wanted Michael to have Walt. He gives Michael a pair of plane tickets from Sydney to New York.

Michael grabs Brian and slams him against the wall, saying that Brian is the only father Walt knows and demanding to know what is going on. Brian admits that he never wanted to be a father to Walt; he only adopted him because that was what Susan wanted. He shoves Michael away and says there is something else.

"Sometimes, when he's around, things... happen." Brian tells Michael. "He's different."

Michael and Locke find Vincent's leash. Michael starts to wonder why Walt would have left it when Locke hears something. He motions to Michael and they both hear Walt yelling for help. Both run towards the yells.

Flashback: Michael arrives at Brian and Susan's home in Australia. He is met by a housekeeper who gives Michael a package that she says contains some of Susan's personal effects that Brian wanted Michael to have. She then gives him a box and says that she thinks Walt should have it.

The housekeeper leaves and Michael looks inside the box, taking out a card. He then hears someone else arrive in the house and the housekeeper telling Walt that there is someone to see him.

Michael and Locke arrive to find Walt hiding in the middle of a cluster of trees. A polar bear is attempting to get through the trunks to reach him. Michael starts to run forward but is restrained by Locke. Locke looks around and starts climbing a nearby tree. He calls to Michael, who is still staring at the bear, and gets him to follow.

Flashback: Michael enters a room where Walt is playing with Vincent. Walt asks Michael who he is and Michael tells him that he is his father. Walt doesn't seem to believe him and asks where Brian is.

Michael tells Walt that he is Walt's legal guardian now and that he needs to come with him. He also says that Walt can take his dog with him. Walt says that Vincent belongs to Brian but Michael says that Brain wanted Walt to have him.

Michael and Walt stare at each other in silence.

Michael and Locke make their way across a tree branch until they are above Walt. Michael nearly falls at one point but Locke pulls him to safety. Michael asks Locke for his knife and Locke gives it to him. Michael drops the knife to Walt and tells him to use it if the bear gets too close. Throughout the entire scene, the bear continues to attack the circle of trees while attempting to get to Walt.

Locke tosses a cluster of vines to Michael and braces himself. Michael drops the vines and lowers himself into the circle of trees with Walt. He ties the vines around Walt's waist and signals for Locke to pull him up. He then climbs up himself.

In the trees, Walt hugs Michael and apologizes for running off. Michael says everything is fine since everyone is safe. Walt is upset because Vincent has run off again but Locke tells him that Vincent found his way back to him once before and so will again. Michael nods thanks to Locke, who smiles in return.

Later, at the caves, Michael gives the box he got from the housekeeper in Australia to Walt. The box contains all of the cards and letters that Michael had ever sent to Walt. Walt is surprised; he had never seen any of the letters and wonders why his mother never gave them to him. Michael says that he didn't know but points out that she didn't throw them away either, which means she must have wanted him to have them.

Elsewhere in the caves, Charlie has finally given in to temptation and is reading Claire's diary. He is smiling. We briefly see one page where Claire has written that she likes Charlie and that he makes her feel safe.

He continues reading and suddenly his expression turns serious. He jumps up and runs off, yelling for Jack.

Charlie finds Jack and Sayid near a fire. After admitting that he is reading Claire's diary, he reads an entry where she talks about a dream she had. In the dream, she is at something called the "Black Rock" and can't get away.

Jack says that it is just a dream but Charlie insists that Sayid said something about a Black Rock also. Sayid admits that Danielle told him that her entire team had gone to something she called the Black Rock. Sayid suddenly gets excited and says that the triangle on the map may be marking the Black Rock. Charlie thinks that Claire may be there. Jack seems to agree but says they can't do anything right away as it would be too dangerous to head off into the jungle at night.

In the jungle, Locke and Boone are apparently searching for Vincent; Locke periodically stopping to blow on his dog whistle. Boone wonders if the whistle is working then they both hear something moving through the brush. Locke calls for Vincent but also pulls his knife. They both see something moving towards them and their expressions turn from concern to surprise.

Shaken, dirty and seemingly in shock; Claire staggers from the brush.

Walt mentioned his mother's death to Locke in Pilot (Part 2). He told Hurley about his "other father" Brian in All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues.

Walt was previously seen reading the comic book in Pilot (Part 2). Sawyer kills a polar bear in the same episode.

Claire was kidnapped by Ethan at the end of Raised by Another.

Locke made the dog whistle and used it to call Vincent in Tabula Rasa.