Tv Shows I'm Watching - Lost (Episode 3.13)

Episode 3.13 – The Man From Tallahassee

Main Story - ***1/2 out of 4

Picking up exactly where the last episode left off, Jack’s rescue party begins to wonder whether or not he needs saving at all. Kate decides to confront him, and discovers that things have changed since she talked to Jack the last time. Soon, the Others get the upperhand on the rescuers, but John Locke manages to sneak off, and has other plans. He confronts Ben.

The majority of the episode involves a heated exchange of ideas between Locke and Ben. It’s the first time the two characters have been able to speak freely to one another, and although both still have hidden agendas, and volumes of secrets, the conversation is thrilling. They debate the nature of the island, fate; all the ideas that have been bubbling up in John Locke’s mind for the past two and a half seasons. It’s fascinating to watch, and I think when the viewers look back on this episode they will find that the true nature of the island was revealed here, albeit cryptically.

The episode ends with one of the coolest surprises so far…and don’t read on it you haven’t seen the episode, but without revealing too much……alright that’s enough warning…it did seem a little inevitable that something like this would happen. I assumed that one of the main reasons for telling such serialized flashback stories (like Jack’s relationship with his father, and Locke’s with his dad) was to one day prepare for the main story and the flashbacks to collide. The Man From Tallahassee appears to have done this, but the question remains, is this merely another Yemi situation (an illusion of some sort brought on by the island), or is it real? I’m sure the upcoming episodes will start to explain that in greater detail.

Flashback – ***1/2 out of 4

I was worried that when we saw how Locke became paralyzed it would be anticlimactic. I mean, I’m sure any consistent Lost viewer has theorized numerous ways in which this could have happened, so did the writer’s find a way to surprise? Even though everyone I’ve talked to always assumed it had something to do with Locke’s father, I still think this episode managed to make Locke’s “accident” intense and shocking.

The flashback finally shows just how far Locke’s father will push back when he’s cornered. While we have seen just how manipulative he is in the past, we have never seen this form of cruelty before, and it is something.

And that moment where Locke finally meets up with his wheelchair is pretty powerful.