Flashback: Once out of the hospital following his injuries, Michael retains a lawyer to fight to keep Walt from leaving the country with his mother, Susan. Her lawyers challenge his lack of involvement in his son’s life; Susan appeals to Michael to think of Walt’s best interests. Finally, he reluctantly allows them to go. Michael meets with Walt for a few moments to say goodbye, offering him a stuffed polar bear and telling him that his father will always love him.
The Island: Prior to Jack’s discovery of Locke in the bunker – Locke follows Kate down the shaft. He finds her shortly before Desmond finds them. He asks Locke, “Are you him?” Locke tries to play along, but Desmond quickly realizes that whomever he’s waiting for, it’s not Locke. He orders Locke to tie Kate up and lock her in a food pantry; Locke smuggles a pocketknife into her waistband in the process. She cuts herself free and climbs into a ventilation duct. Desmond quizzes Locke about the survivors of the plane crash and asks how many of them have gotten sick. He seems surprised when Locke says that none of them have. The conversation is interrupted by a beeping and a countdown clock; Desmond frantically orders Locke to input a code into the terminal – the six-number sequence. The beeping stops and the countdown resets. Jack’s arrival leads Desmond to turn the music back on, which prevents Jack from hearing Kate when she shouts for him. Jack enters the bunker and discovers Locke and Desmond.
At sea, Sawyer helps Michael onto the remains of the raft and then yanks the bullet out of his own arm. The two men bicker over whose fault it was that they were attacked; a more pressing problem is the shark in the water. They find one of the raft’s pontoons and make it through the night; the current brings them back to the island. When they reach shore, they see Jin, arms tied behind his back, frantically running toward them. The Others have found them.
written by Steven Maeda & Leonard Dick
directed by Stephen Williams
music by Michael GiacchinoGuest Cast: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Island Man), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), Tamara Taylor (Susan Lloyd), Saul Rubinek (Michael’s Attorney)
Notes: The events leading up to Michael giving up his parental rights were first shown in the season 1 episode Special. As of this episode, Malcolm David Kelley (Walt) is no longer listed in the opening credits.
LogBook entry by Dave Thomer