Lost 3.13: "The Man From Tallahassee"

Written by Drew Goddard and Jeff Pinkner
Directed by Jack Bender

In which the mission to rescue Jack hits an unexpected snag, which gives Locke the opportunity to pursue his own agenda, a situation that is more than favorable for Ben…

Status Report

Unlike the past few episodes, the flashbacks in this installment are not a question of emotional resonance. When it comes to John Locke, such flashbacks tend to be less impressive. He’s too close to his previous mistakes and experiences to draw indirect motivations from some past hurt or regret; he carries each and every ounce of pain and suffering and entitlement with him, right at the forefront of his mind.

So the flashbacks in this episode are directly applicable to his decisions. He’s working from a clear agenda, and even if he acts otherwise, he knows his own mind in that regard. He wants to stay on the island because of its apparent ability to restore his motor functions, but it’s also the isolation. Locke believes in his role on the island. He believes in his place as the voice and will of the island. Why would he risk losing that sense of identity again?

And of course, he knows that his father is still out there. As mentioned in the review for “Tricia Tanaka is Dead”, so much of American fiction is about the generational struggle between fathers and sons. Locke definitely fits that mold. His need for a sense of special destiny is a product of his relationship with his father: a man who ignored him for decades, used him when he needed a kidney, and then brutally attempted to murder him.

Locke is also a man who falls into manipulation all too easily, especially when it appears to serve his own aims. This episode is a perfect example. He wants to destroy the submarine to prevent access to the outside world. He wants to remain on the island, and in his own mind, he believes that the rest of the survivors should be there as well. After all, they were brought to the island as a part of his destiny.

The fact that Ben also wants to keep his people on the island is quite beside the point. Ben gets a solution to his leadership problem delivered on a platter of C4. Ben clarifies the world of the Others, from a certain point of view, by making it clear that he doesn’t like the idea of letting anyone on the island leave. He admits that many of the Others chose to come to the island or were recruited, but he’s equally clear that some of the Others were born on the island. The fact that Ben gets his way, thanks to Locke, is a sure sign that this overall agenda will be unveiled. After all, Ben now has Jack, Juliet, Locke, Kate, and Sayid exactly where he wants them.

On the other hand, Ben’s also manipulating Locke into believing that he might work with the Others to get answers about the island. While they may be true, since Locke seems to have a different kind of connection to the island than those born there (a distinction they gloss over in the episode), it’s a potential problem for Ben. Those anticipating the ability to leave the island might not respond favorably to the idea of working so closely and happily with the saboteur.

That would represent an interesting prospect, now that the season is approaching the turn from the “complication” phase of the season arc to the “resolution” phase. Jack and Juliet were both promised a return to the “real world”, and Ben ensured that it would not happen. Ben and Locke could easily end up on the opposite side of a major conflict. Not only is there a potential for a civil war among the Others, attempting a coup against Ben, but the JackLocke tribe could experience a similar split.

Whatever the case may be, the situation with the Others is becoming more and more complicated, because there’s little chance that the rest of the JackLocke tribe will be able to track the rescue squad’s movements. They’re on their own, and the vacuum of leadership has been taking its toll, little by little. That doesn’t factor into this episode, but with so many of the prominent members of the tribe in the custody of the Others, it needs to be addressed.

This might be where Danielle comes into the picture, since she’s still within striking distance of the Others. Proximity to Alex could change her perspective on a few things, especially if she finds out that Ben was raising Alex as his own daughter. Interaction between Danielle and Alex could serve to unveil some of the practices of the Others, and in essence, some of their motivations.

All of these various plot directions, if given the proper follow-through, would serve to answer a massive number of questions about the Others and the island. It’s a lot more interesting and satisfying than the kind of information dump that some impatient viewers would prefer. Ben’s psychological prowess is just plain fun to behold, and it’s fitting that Locke, one of the best characters on the show, would have such a critical part in escalating the island tension. One could easily conclude that Jack’s experience with the Others was designed specifically to place him in direct opposition to the restored Locke. It provides the proper thematic context for what so many people called “boring” and “meaningless”.

Many of the nuances of this episode may be lost in the reaction to one of the major hooks of the story: how Locke wound up in a wheelchair. It was well done, though I suspect there will be many who feel underwhelmed by the revelation. Nothing would have met the full expectation, though in retrospect, it would have had more impact (no pun intended) if it wasn’t known that this episode would answer that question. With that question out of the way, though, the focus can be on Locke’s impact on the future of the series.

This episode also confirmed the idea that Jack was playing along with the Others to ensure his safe passage off the island. There’s no chance that he had converted completely, especially in the space of a few days, and he would want to honor his end of the deal. Jack being who he is, there’s every reason to believe that he would come back for the rest of the tribe. Having sacrificed himself to save Kate and Sawyer, why wouldn’t he continue with his usual single-mindedness?

The relationship between Jack and Kate was also addressed, and as usual, it looks like Kate doesn’t know who she wants. If the staging earlier in the series holds true, then Kate will end up with Jack. That said, the constant focus on that love triangle is tedious, which is why they pretended to resolve it in the first place.

Final Analysis

Overall, this episode took the season arc into an interesting and unexpected direction, positioning two characters into a potential conflict that could have long-term ramifications. There’s also a revelation or two along the way, and more information about the Others. In other words, this was another solid episode, maintaining the standard of quality since the return from hiatus.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

(Season Average: 7.5)