Television Review: The Man from Tallahassee (Lost, S3X13, 2007)

The Man from Tallahassee (S03E13)

Airdate: 21 March 2007

Written by: Drew Goddard & Jeff Pinkner
Directed by: Jack Bender

Running Time: 43 minutes

In the second half of Season 3 of Lost, the creators, having made the momentous decision to actually end the series at a particular date, found themselves faced with finishing certain tasks that they had been deliberately postponing in the hope of prolonging the series' run. One of the most significant of these tasks was providing actual answers to the questions that had first intrigued, and later frustrated, the fans. The Man from Tallahassee is the episode that accomplishes this with the mystery that had been left tantalisingly unanswered for the previous two and a half years.

That mystery is the exact circumstances and the manner in which the character of John Locke became paraplegic. Since almost all of the flashbacks, following the seminal Walkabout in Season 1, had featured him physically healthy, viewers were left to wonder how this vital, determined man had ended up in a wheelchair. The show had teased this revelation multiple times, always pulling back at the last moment, but here, finally, the truth is laid bare.

The flashback in this episode is set around the year 2000, when we meet Locke alone and so miserable that he has applied for government disability benefits on account of his depression. He is suddenly approached by a young man named Peter Talbot (played by Patrick J. Adams), who claims that a con man, using the alias "Adam Seward", wants to marry his mother in order to swindle her out of her considerable wealth. Locke discovers that "Seward" is, in fact, his father, Anthony Cooper, and later confronts him, telling him to call off the wedding or he would blow the lid off the entire scheme. Locke is afterwards contacted by two police detectives who are investigating Talbot's death. Locke goes once more to confront his father, who denies any responsibility, claiming that he is a con man, not a murderer. Yet when Locke attempts to make a phone call, his father pushes him through the hotel room window. Locke survives the fall from the eighth floor, but with a broken spine, he is forced to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. It is a brutal, shocking sequence that recontextualises everything we thought we knew about Locke's relationship with his father.

Back in the present day, the plot continues directly from the cliffhanger of the previous episode, showing the raid on the "Barracks", the Others' compound, with the aim of setting Jack free. Locke, seeing Jack strangely friendly towards Ben and the rest of his captors, suggests waiting for the night so that they can better understand what is going on. Under the cover of darkness, Kate, Sayid, and Locke slip into the compound. Kate manages to contact Jack, but he tells her to leave—it is too late. She and Sayid are swiftly captured. Locke, however, proves far more successful, managing to take Ben captive without alerting anyone.

Ben, who is himself confined to a wheelchair following surgery, uses this opportunity to discuss his plight and experiences with Locke. In a remarkable piece of deduction, Ben realises that Locke did not come to rescue Jack, but to destroy the submarine, thus severing any chance of anyone coming or going from the Island. With the help of a reluctant Alex, Locke succeeds in this mission and is subsequently captured. He is again confronted by Ben, who, with almost devilish glee, reveals that the destruction of the submarine actually played into his plans. Ben did not want Jack and Juliet to leave the Island, yet he also did not want to undermine his authority by breaking his promise to let them go. Locke was manipulated into taking the C4 explosive for this purpose, thus resolving Ben's dilemma. At the episode's close, Locke is brought to face his father, who is revealed to be held captive by the Others—a stunning twist that promises further reckoning.

Written by Drew Goddard and Jeff Pinkner, The Man from Tallahassee is widely regarded as one of the stronger episodes of Season 3. The primary reason for this is its more disciplined approach, with a clear focus on a single character and a single plotline, without unnecessary distractions. This focus allowed the scriptwriters to delve deeply into the development of Locke's character, demonstrating how his experiences—miraculous healing and a life so radically different from the sorry existence he had before the fatal crash—have forged him into a zealot, a person "in communion with the Island", who is determined to preserve his little personal paradise, even if it means trapping everyone else there.

Locke is portrayed as a zealot who even employs religious insult, calling the Others the impure "pharisee" reflections of himself, who allow themselves to maintain normalcy and civilisation through submarines and electricity. It is a telling moment that underscores how far Locke has travelled from the broken man he once was.

Yet the scenes between Ben and Locke, in which they attempt to outwit and manipulate one another, are a marvel to watch. Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson deliver strong performances, their verbal sparring charged with tension and a strange, mutual recognition. The ending, which provides an ironic twist—Locke having to face the traumatic past he has been trying to erase by rebuilding his new self on the Island—ranks among the finer cliffhangers at this stage of the series. It is an episode that rewards the patient viewer, finally delivering answers whilst setting the stage for further confrontation.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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