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John Locke (Lost)

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Template:Infobox Lost character John Locke is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Terry O'Quinn. In 2007, O'Quinn won the Emmy award for acting in a supporting role for his portrayal of Locke.[1] Initially in the first season of the show, he is introduced as a very mysterious and brave, intellectual, warrior-like character with a mystical calm demeanor. However, since the second season, he has evolved into a more "human"-like character having varying moods. In addition, his flashbacks portray him as angrier and more emotional. He is the antithesis to Jack Shephard and, to a certain extent, Ben Linus. As of the conclusion to season 4, he has now been appointed the "leader" of the remaining Others.

Arc

Prior to the crash

When John Locke is young he is placed in government care, where he finds himself in a multitude of foster homes.[2] He is visited by Richard Alpert (Nestor Carbonell) at one of these foster homes, who describes Locke as "extremely special".[2] Grown up Locke, who is working at a toy store, is visited by his mother who tells him he was immaculately conceived. Curious, Locke hires a private investigator to track down the location of his father, Anthony Cooper (Kevin Tighe).[3] Cooper warmly welcomes Locke into his life, and the two bond over hunting trips. Cooper reveals he needs a kidney transplant, and Locke agrees to donate one of his.[3] Following the surgery, Cooper abandons Locke and refuses to see him.[3] Locke then becomes very depressed and eventually seeks therapy, where he meets his future girlfriend Helen. Helen helps Locke overcome stalking his father, but when Cooper comes to Locke for assistance and he helps him, Helen leaves him. Locke retreats into a life of solitude, until he is visited one day by a man asking for information about "Adam Seward", who intends to marry the man's wealthy mother.[4] Locke realizes it is Cooper, meets with him, and orders him to not marry the man's mother.[4] Cooper pushes Locke out a window, sending him tumbling eight stories to the sidewalk below.[4] Locke survives the fall with a broken back, an injury that paralyzes him.[4] A man named Matthew Abaddon (Lance Reddick) visits him as he is recovering and tells him to go on a walkabout for a period of self-discovery.[2] Once recovered, Locke flies to Australia, where he is denied admission on the walkabout because of his paraplegic state, so he boards Oceanic Flight 815 to return home.[5]

After the crash

After crashing on the Island in the fuselage section, Locke miraculously regains the use of his legs and becomes an expert at hunting and tracking, and is seen by most of the survivors as the second in command next to Jack Shepherd (Matthew Fox).[5] Locke visibly becomes the most spiritual toward the Island and has no intention of leaving the Island.[5] On one hunt he encounters the monster, describing it as a "bright light".[5][6] When Claire Littleton (Emilie de Ravin) is abducted, Locke helps Jack, Kate Austin (Evangeline Lilly) and Boone Carlyle (Ian Somerhalder) to look for her.[7] Whilst searching, he and Boone discover the hatch, which they then spend most of their time trying to open.[7] During this time, Boone becomes Locke's protégé and Locke tries to teach him the nature of the Island.[8] When Locke has a vision one night of a Beechcraft crashing, Locke and Boone then go looking for the plane and discover it lodged atop a cliff.[3] Boone climbs up into the plane, but it falls while he is still inside.[3] Locke carries him back to the caves, then sneaks away to the hatch, where he bangs furiously on the door, devastated by Boone's death.[3] However, just as Locke loses hope, a light shines from the hatch, and Locke sees it as a sign.[3] Locke returns to the beach in time for Boone's funeral, and reluctantly reveals the existence of the hatch.[9] Due to Boone's death, Jack never trusted Locke again and developed a strong hatred for him. [9] The survivors go to a ship known as the Black Rock and find some dynamite.[10] On the way back, Locke and Jack confront each other, their beliefs, and leadership differences, and each come to the conclusion that the other will be a problem. [10] Once they return to the Hatch, Locke uses the dynamite to blow it open. [10]

In the beginning of season two, Locke enters the hatch and discovers Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick), who shows Locke an orientation film explaining that the hatch was once used for studying electromagnetism.[11] Seeing that his replacements had arrived, Desmond leaves, and in order to prevent the world from ending, a button must be pushed every 108 minutes, so Locke sets up a schedule for people to enter the numbers into the computer.[11] When Ben Linus (Michael Emerson), under the guise of "Henry Gale", arrives in the jungle, Locke holds him in the empty armory.[12] Since Jack and Locke lived together alone in the hatch, Ben assessed that the two hated each other and baited them to fight each other constantly, making Jack hate Locke even more.[13] One day in the hatch, the blast doors in the hatch all descend, and Locke tasks Ben with entering the numbers in the computer.[13] Locke notices a strange map drawn on one of them when the lights go out, which he manages to sketch after the blast doors rise again.[13] Locke and the other survivors soon find out that Ben was lying on his identity and he refuses to speak to anyone but Locke.[13] Ben taunts at Locke continually that his people saw the place as a joke and that he never entered the numbers in the computer, which resulted in Locke loosing faith that the button was real.[14] When Ben escapes, Locke and Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) enter the jungle to search him but find the "?" on Locke's map,[15] where they discover the Pearl station, which explains that pushing the button is just to test the occupants of the hatch.[15] Locke abandons pushing the button, and attempts to destroy the computer.[16] He and recently returned Desmond sneak into the hatch allow the timer to reach zero,[16] but when the electromagnetic force builds up, Locke realizes that he has been wrong all along. He is still in the hatch when Desmond turns the fail-safe key that causes the hatch to implode.[16]

The third season begins with Locke waking in the jungle the next day, unable to speak. He builds a sweat lodge to induce a hallucination, in which Boone tells him to rescue Eko.[17] He and Eko journey to the Pearl station with some of the other survivors, where they rewire the circuits in the monitors to view surveillance from another hatch. They leave the station and discover Eko dead in the jungle.[6] After burying him, Locke notices an inscription on Eko's prayer stick instructing him to go north.[18] Locke, Kate, Sayid (Naveen Andrews), and Danielle Rousseau (Mira Furlan) go on a mission to rescue Jack from the Others.[19] When they arrive at the Others' village, Locke takes Ben hostage and forces Ben to show him where the Others' submarine is.[4] Locke then uses some C-4 to blow up a submarine that Jack was going to use to get off of the Island.[4] After this, Ben tells him of a magic box and then shows him his father Anthony Cooper and tells Locke that he can join the Others' if he can kill his father.[4][20] Locke manipulates Sawyer (Josh Holloway) into murdering Cooper for him, then carries the corpse with him to the Others' camp.[20] He is taken by Ben to see Jacob, then to a pit full of long-deceased Dharma members, where Ben shoots Locke, because Locke was able to hear Jacob which would be a threat to his leadership of the Others.[21] Locke contemplates suicide, but his faith is restored upon witnessing an apparition of Walt. He makes his way to where Jack has taken the survivors, kills a woman from the freighter (Naomi), and asks him not to contact the nearby freighter, as he believes the people on it to be dangerous, but Jack ignores him. After contact with the freighter is made, Locke goes into the jungle and heads back to the beach camp to hopefully get some support from some of the other survivors.[22]

In season four, Jack finds Locke, takes his gun, and pulls the trigger to discover that it is unloaded. Because of this incident and Charlie Pace's (Dominic Monaghan) warning, the survivors split into two groups, with those believing the people from the freighter to be dangerous joining Locke.[23] People in Locke's group included Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia), Sawyer, Claire, Ben, Rousseau, and Alex Rousseau (Tania Raymonde).[23] Locke decides to go to Jacob for advice, but is unable to find Jacob's cabin, so they proceed to the Others' village.[24] For the first few days there, Ben continually taunts Locke on not having a plan, but Ben eventually explains that Charles Widmore (Alan Dale) is the man who sent the freighter, and that he wants to exploit the Island.[25] After the village is ambushed by a group from the freighter and most of Locke's group is killed (including Rousseau and Alex who was executed right in front of her adoptive father Ben), Locke leads Ben and Hurley to look for the cabin again, since Hurley claimed to see it.[26] Locke has a dream in which the Dharma Initiative member who built the cabin tells him that Jacob is waiting for him. In the pit containing the bodies of the Dharma Initiative members, Locke finds a map to the cabin, which Locke, Ben and Hurley follow. On the way to the cabin Ben laments to Locke on his own destiny and that Locke would soon know the consequences of being chosen. Inside the cabin he is told the way to save the Island is to move it.[2] Ben leads Locke and Hurley to a Dharma station known as the Orchid that will be able to do this, but discovers the mercenaries waiting for Ben there, so Ben turns himself over and instructs Locke how to get in the actual station. After failing to find it, Jack arrives and he tries to convince Jack not to leave. When he is not successful at this, he tells Jack that he'll have to lie about the Island and everything that has happened to them in order to protect it and the people on it. Ben escapes and they enter the Orchid station together, only to discover that the Mercenaries leader, Martin Keamy (Kevin Durand) survived his encounter with Ben and followed him back. Keamy warns Ben that he has a dead man's trigger on him and that if he dies everyone on the freighter will also, but Ben kills him anyway for revenge on his daughter's death, much to Locke's horror. Ben then apologizes for making Locke's life miserable and tells Locke that he is the new leader of the Others. Locke joins the Others as Ben moves the Island. Immediately after the island is apparently moved, Locke finds himself along with the other island survivors travelling through time at random points indicated by a bright flash, surprisingly Locke realized he is alone and surveys the area, when he is interupted by a plane crashing (the same plane belonging to Eko's brother) it crashes at the exact same point. After a failed response from Eko's brother and/or the thugs in the plane, Locke attempts to climb up but is shot in the leg on the way up. He falls to the ground and noticed Ethan approach him. Ethan interrogates him very aggressively, and after Locke confirms he knows him and informs him Ben appointed him the new leader, Ethan retorts by saying it's the stupidest thing he's heard, and attempts to shoot Locke when another flash happens. This time at night he is then found by Alpert who tells him Locke has already told him where he was, and that the next time he meets he wont remember Locke, meaning that their next meeting will be before this meeting in Alpert's case, meaning he (Alpert) has already had it, and that Locke in turn will. He also tells Locke this is happening because of the O6's departure and that he must get them to return, he then tells Locke of his need to die to ensure this. Later Locke saves Juliet and Sawyer from what appears to be two Dharma Inititiative workers. [27]

After the Island

At an undetermined point, Locke leaves the Island, and visits Jack, Kate, Hurley and Walt Lloyd (Malcolm David Kelley), under the alias "Jeremy Bentham" and tells them they must return to the Island and that very bad things happened once they left. He particularly tells Jack that it is all his fault for leaving.[27] At some point after this Locke is murdered (or at least Sayid strongly believes this), and this drives Jack to trying to unsuccessfully kill himself because of his regret for leaving. His wake is attended only by Jack.[22] Ben approaches Jack and informs him the only way to return to the Island is to bring everyone back, including Locke's corpse.[27]

Themes

Games

Locke is frequently connected with games in Season 1. He teaches and plays backgammon with Walt and Sawyer, which he refers to as a game between "Dark and light...good and evil," demonstrates Mouse Trap to a child in a flashback scene in "Deus Ex Machina", plays a card game on one of the others' computers and has fun playing Risk with a co-worker in "Walkabout". In a deleted scene from "Tabula Rasa" Locke is shown giving Walt tips on how to play poker, identifying the "tells" of the various castaways. In "Exodus: Part 2" while handling dynamite, Locke asks Jack if he ever played Operation, joking that he "always got nailed by the funny bone"; he then proceeds to make a buzzing sound while lifting one of the fragile explosives. A startled Jack asks, "Do you like to play games, John?" Locke smiles and says, "Absolutely." In "Enter 77", Locke plays numerous matches against the Flame Station's computer chess program, eventually beating it. The finished chess board is a reference to the "Brisbane Bombshell" match between Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov.[28] In Season 4, Locke plays a game of Risk with Hurley and Sawyer.

Faith

Locke's life has a repeated pattern of believing in a higher being or purpose (for example: his father, or pressing the button in the hatch). He begins to suspect that he was destined to be on the island, which coincided with the partial loss of his recovered ability to walk.

Midway into Season 2, however, his faith begins to falter as he slowly grows disillusioned with repeatedly pressing the button. The season finale of Season 2 concludes with Locke ultimately deciding not to press the button, despite the protests of Mr. Eko, who tries unsuccessfully to convince John to keep believing (and keep pushing). After the cataclysmic events that occurred when they stopped pushing the button, Locke admitted that he was wrong to stop believing.

At the beginning of Season 3, Locke's faith seems to be fully restored. This is supported by the fact that Locke's first action after regaining consciousness is to "talk to the island," a strongly spiritual action that harkens back to the Locke of Season 1, who considered the island to be a nexus of spiritual energy, and an entity that could be communicated with. After Mr. Eko is killed by the smoke monster, it is Locke who buries him, thanking him for restoring his faith.

Development

Lost creator J. J. Abrams had worked with Terry O’Quinn previously on "Alias", and was keen to work with him again. He explained that although the role in the first episodes would be fairly small, the character will develop afterwards. O’Quinn took the role as he trusted Abrams. He was also the only character who did not have to officially audition for a part of a main character.[29]

When Damon Lindelof was asked on the chatroom of Lost.com if Locke would come back to life upon returning to the island, he said:

[Remember] the linear timeline of the island and in real life. Also, remember when Jack found his Dad's coffin in season 1 on the island. Where was the body? Consider Locke's coffin on the island. Also, season 2: what happened to Eko's brother in the plane?

Trivia

  • John Locke is named after the English philosopher of the same name.
  • The alias Jeremy Bentham is also the name of an English philosopher.
  • In the episode Cabin Fever two actors play a younger Locke in flashbacks: Charles Wyson plays Locke at age 5, while Caleb Steinmeyer plays Locke at age 16.
  • Canadian rock band Moneen's song "Don't Ever Tell Locke What He Can't Do" references the character and an oft spoken line, originated by Locke.

See also

References

  1. ^ King, Susan, (September 16, 2007) "Emmys Live," The Los Angeles Times Envelope. Retrieved on September 16, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d Paul Edwards (2008-05-08). "Cabin Fever". Lost. Season 4. Episode 11. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Robert Mandel (2005-03-30). "Deus Ex Machina". Lost. Season 1. Episode 19. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Jack Bender (2007-03-21). "The Man from Tallahassee". Lost. Season 3. Episode 13. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  5. ^ a b c d Jack Bender (2004-10-13). "Walkabout". Lost. Season 1. Episode 4. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  6. ^ a b Jack Bender (2006-11-01). "The Cost of Living". Lost. Season 3. Episode 5. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  7. ^ a b Stephen Williams (2004-12-08). "All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues". Lost. Season 1. Episode 11. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  8. ^ Rod Holcomb (2005-01-12). "Hearts and Minds". Lost. Season 1. Episode 13. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  9. ^ a b David Grossman (2005-05-04). "The Greater Good". Lost. Season 1. Episode 21. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  10. ^ a b c Jack Bender (2005-05-25). "Exodus: Part 2". Lost. Season 1. Episode 24. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  11. ^ a b Jack Bender (2005-10-05). "Orientation". Lost. Season 2. Episode 3. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  12. ^ Stephen Williams (2006-02-15). "One of Them". Lost. Season 2. Episode 14. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  13. ^ a b c d Stephen Williams (2006-03-29). "Lockdown". Lost. Season 2. Episode 17. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  14. ^ Jack Bender (2006-04-05). "Dave". Lost. Season 2. Episode 18. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  15. ^ a b Deran Sarafian (2006-05-10). "?". Lost. Season 2. Episode 21. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  16. ^ a b c Jack Bender (2006-05-24). "Live Together, Die Alone". Lost. Season 2. Episode 23. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  17. ^ Stephen Williams (2006-10-18). "Further Instructions". Lost. Season 3. Episode 3. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  18. ^ Tucker Gates (2006-11-08). "I Do". Lost. Season 3. Episode 6. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  19. ^ Jack Bender, Eric Laneuville (2007-02-28). "Tricia Tanaka is Dead". Lost. Season 3. Episode 10. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  20. ^ a b Eric Laneuville (2007-05-02). "The Brig". Lost. Season 3. Episode 19. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  21. ^ Bobby Roth (2007-05-09). "The Man Behind the Curtain". Lost. Season 3. Episode 20. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  22. ^ a b Jack Bender (2007-05-23). "Through the Looking Glass". Lost. Season 3. Episode 22. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  23. ^ a b Jack Bender (2008-01-31). "The Beginning of the End". Lost. Season 4. Episode 1. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  24. ^ Stephen Williams (2008-02-07). "Confirmed Dead". Lost. Season 4. Episode 2. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  25. ^ Eric Laneuville (2008-03-06). "The Other Woman". Lost. Season 4. Episode 6. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  26. ^ Jack Bender (2008-04-24). "The Shape of Things to Come". Lost. Season 4. Episode 9. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  27. ^ a b c Jack Bender & Stephen Williams (2008-05-29). "There's No Place Like Home". Lost. Season 4. Episode 12, 13 & 14. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |writers= ignored (help)
  28. ^ No Archiving Spiders Allowed
  29. ^ "Before They Were Lost". Lost: The Complete First Season, Buena Vista Home Entertainment. September 6, 2005. Featurette, disc 7.
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