John Locke (Lost)

Infobox Lost character
Title=John Locke


First="Pilot, Part 1"
Flashback1= "Walkabout"
"Deus Ex Machina"
"Exodus, Part 2"
"Orientation"
"Lockdown"
"Further Instructions"
"The Man From Tallahassee"
"The Brig"
"Cabin Fever"
Name=John Locke
Alias=Jeremy Bentham
Age=48
Actor=Terry O'Quinn,
Charles Henry Wyson (young),
Caleb Steinmeyer (teenager)

John Locke, most often referred to by his surname, 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. [King, Susan, (September 16, 2007) " [http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/emmys/env-emmyslive-16sep16,0,3059662.story?coll=env-emmy Emmys Live] ," "The Los Angeles Times Envelope". Retrieved on September 16, 2007.] The character's name is a tribute to John Locke, the famous empiricist author and philosopher. Although he typically has a calm demeanor on the island, his flashbacks portray him as angrier and more emotional. He is the antithesis to Jack Shephard and to a certain extent Ben Linus.

Character's background

Prior to the crash

Born May 30th, 1956 to Emily Annabeth Locke and a man by the name Anthony Cooper. At his birth, Emily was sixteen, and had been dating Cooper for several months, he was roughly twice her age. One night, when Emily was preparing to go on a date with Cooper, her mother attempted to stop her, which resulted in Emily running out of her house and being hit by a truck. The accident caused Locke to be born roughly three months premature. Miraculously, he survived his premature birth, but his mother was unable to cope with the fact that she had a child. Locke's birth is witnessed by the seemingly ageless Other, Richard Alpert. Due to Emily's inability to deal with him, her mother had Locke placed in government care, where he found himself in a multitude of foster homes. In one of these homes, Locke experienced the death of his foster sister Jeannie, an event which left her mother distraught. Her grief would be overcome when a stray Golden Retriever comes to live with the family, even sleeping in Jeannie's room.

Locke's childhood is exposed as having been a lonely one in foster care, but he is a gifted child and it seems that members of the "Others" have been following him since he was very young. This is made evident when Alpert visits Locke at one of his foster homes, claiming that he runs a school for children who are "extremely special", and saying that he has reason to believe that Locke may be one of them. While speaking to Locke, Richard becomes fascinated by a picture Locke drew, seemingly of the Smoke Monster. Later, Richard asks Locke to look at a number of objects, asking him "which of these belong to you, already?" The objects include a baseball glove, a worn Book of Laws, a comic book entitled MYSTERIOUS TALES about a "hidden land", a compass, a rusted knife, and a vial of an unknown granular substance (possibly sand from The Island). Locke chooses the vial, the compass, and the knife. Alpert then asks him if he is sure the knife is his, and Locke nods. Alpert then becomes upset, claiming that it isn't, and he leaves abruptly, but not before telling Locke's current foster mother that Locke isn't ready for his school yet.Later, in his high school years, Locke is harassed by bullies, who at one point lock him in a locker. His counselor rescues him, then attempts to cheer him up by excitedly reporting that a "Dr. Alpert" called from a company based in Portland, called Mittelos Laboratories, which is apparently doing exciting experiments in chemistry and new technologies. He says that Alpert is very interested in finding "young, bright minds to enter into these new fields of science", and that they want Locke to attend their summer camp. Locke is outraged, claiming that this sort of thing is the reason that he is bullied. He says that he is not a scientist, but prefers boxing, fishing, cars, and sports. The counselor then tells him that science is who he is, and that he can't be "the prom king, quarterback, or a superhero". John retorts "Don't tell me what I can't do."

As an adult, while working at a toy store, Locke is visited by a woman claiming to be his biological mother. Now curious about his origins, Locke hires a private investigator who tracks down the location of Locke's biological father. Cooper warmly welcomes Locke into his life, and the two bond over hunting trips and activities. Cooper eventually makes it known that he is in need of a kidney transplant. Locke agrees to donate a kidney to him, but following the surgery, discovers that Cooper has abandoned him and refuses to see him. Distraught over being conned by his own father, Locke attends an anger-management group where he meets Helen. Helen begins helping Locke overcome the issues with his father. The two begin dating and move in together. While Locke plans to propose to her, he is informed of his father's apparent death. At the funeral, Locke is approached by two men who question him about Cooper's location, believing that he faked his death. Locke is thereafter visited by Cooper, who reveals that he conned the two men out of $700,000 in retirement money, which now sits in safe deposit box and which Cooper needs Locke to reclaim. Locke reluctantly agrees and without Helen's knowledge, delivers the money to Cooper, just as Helen appears and confronts the two. Disgusted with Locke's relapse and his willingness to lie, she abandons him just as he proposes marriage.

To escape his past, Locke joins a commune that secretly grows marijuana. One day, he picks up and welcomes a hitchhiker named Eddie into the commune. Six weeks later however, Locke discovers that the hitchhiker is an undercover police officer. Under orders by the commune, Locke leads the officer into the nearby forest to kill him, but is ultimately unable to when Eddie tells him he's not a killer. Locke allows him to escape. Sinking further into a state of depression, 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. Locke, initially unfamiliar with the name, realizes it is Cooper, and after dismissing the man meets with Cooper and orders him to not marry the mother. Cooper surprises Locke by revealing that he has decided against the marriage after the mysterious death of her son, a death Cooper denies involvement in. Locke, unsure of Cooper's sincerity, prepares to call the mother but is shoved out of a window by Cooper, sending him tumbling 80 feet to the sidewalk below. Locke survives the fall with a broken back, an injury that puts him in a wheelchair. Matthew Abaddon comes to visit Locke and tells Locke that he needs to go on an Australian Walkabout, since he will go through a period of self discovery. While Locke is doubtful, Abaddon insists, claiming that the next time they would meet that "He would owe him one".

In Tustin, California, Locke was a Regional Collections Supervisor at an industrial box company and is constantly harassed by his boss Randy. Locke has decided to take Abaddon's advice and go on the Walkabout tour, a choice that Randy mocks. Locke responds by retorting "Don't tell me what I can't do!" Later that night, Locke speaks with a phone sex worker he has nicknamed "Helen," whom he invites on the aboriginal walkabout. She steadfastly refuses, throwing him into a rage.

Despondent but determined, Locke flies to Australia alone, where his frustration reaches a boiling point when he is denied admission on the walkabout because of his paraplegic state, and is offered a ticket back home on Oceanic Flight 815. Again, he is enraged, repeating "Don't tell me what I can't do!" At the airport, Locke is the first to board the plane, being carried on by staff. He is seated behind Rose.

After the crash

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After crashing on the island in the fuselage section, Locke miraculously regains the use of his legs and discovers that he has a knack for surviving in the wild, quickly becoming an expert in such tasks as hunting and tracking. Locke's survival skills influence Walt to bond with him, much to Michael's resentment. It is on a hunt that Locke first encounters the Smoke Monster. Later, Locke accompanies Jack, Kate and Charlie to the caves for examination, where he learns of Charlie's heroin addiction. Locke decides to help Charlie overcome his addiction, which pays off when Charlie throws his stash into a fire. When Sayid attempts to locate Rousseau's signal, Locke knocks him out and destroys the transceiver, then places the blame on Sawyer. When Claire is abducted, Locke accompanies Jack, Kate and Boone to look for her. During the hunt, he and Boone discover the . From then on, Locke and Boone spend most of their time contemplating ways to open it. Locke helps Michael find Walt after he leaves the camp, due to Walt's desire to go hunting with Locke; he and Michael no longer appear to be at odds after his safe return.

One morning, following a dream he'd had the night before, Locke takes Boone into the jungle, where the two discover a Beechcraft airplane lodged atop a cliff. Locke, struggling to maintain the use of his legs, watches as Boone climbs up into the plane. Boone discovers a working radio, a store of heroin-filled Virgin Mary statues, and African dead bodies on the plane. It is only after the Beechcraft falls down that Locke is able to stand again, and carries a fatally injured Boone back to the caves. Instead of staying to help Jack, Locke sneaks away to the hatch, where he bangs furiously on the door; Locke's faith is restored when a bright light shines from the other side of the glass. Locke returns to the beach (still wearing a shirt covered in Boone's blood) in time for Boone's funeral, and apologizes; he is forced to reveal the hatch to Sayid after Shannon holds him at gunpoint, holding him responsible for Boone's death. Locke takes Sayid and Jack to the hatch to discuss how to open it. When Rousseau arrives on the beach one morning, she takes Locke, Jack, Kate, Hurley and Arzt to the Black Rock. After collecting dynamite stored there, Locke has a close encounter with the Smoke Monster once more, managing to escape with Jack's help. Upon returning to the hatch, Locke blows open the door using the dynamite, ignoring Hurley's protests after seeing the numbers (4 8 15 16 23 42) on the hatch door.

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Locke wakes in the jungle the next day, unable to speak. He builds a sweat lodge to induce a hallucination, while Charlie waits outside. In a vision, he encounters Boone, who advises him to "clean up his own mess" and rescue Eko. Locke and Charlie head into the jungle, passing the crater left behind after the implosion. Locke approaches a polar bear den, and proceeds inside to rescue Eko. Locke and Charlie carry Eko back to the beach. Locke announces that he will rescue Jack, Kate and Sawyer, who are being held captive by the Others. The next day, he leads Desmond, Sayid, Nikki and Paulo back to the Pearl station. They rewire the circuits in the monitors to view surveillance from another hatch, and are rewarded with a view of a man with an eye patch. Shortly after, Locke hears a commotion outside, and discovers a dying Eko in the jungle. He decides to bury him on the spot rather than back on the beach. Placing Eko's stick at the head of the grave, he notices an inscription instructing him to go north. He allows Desmond to inform Charlie and Hurley of Eko's death.

When Kate and Sawyer return to the beach, Locke and Sayid follow her into the jungle in search of Rousseau. The four head north, until they discover the station. Inside, Locke is drawn to the computer, where he continually plays a game of chess. Upon winning a game, he watches the station's orientation video, instructing him to enter different codes for different situations. As they are about to leave, with Mikhail as hostage, Locke enters the code that causes the station to self-destruct. They continue their hike the next day, eventually coming across a sonic barrier. Locke pushes Mikhail through the sonic barrier, which apparently kills him. Sayid discovers a pack of C-4 plastic explosive in Locke's bag, which he had taken before destroying the Flame station. Locke is questioned about his motive for coming along, but dismisses the matter. The four arrive at the Others' barracks, where they watch Jack bonding with Tom. That night, Locke barges into Ben's home, and demands to be taken to the submarine, holding Alex at gunpoint. Once inside the submarine, Locke rigs it with the C-4, and detonates it. Locke is taken away by Ben and Richard, who lead him to a room where Anthony Cooper is tied up and gagged.

Locke is then offered the opportunity to join the Others as they leave the barracks. He accepts. He says goodbye to Kate the next morning before leaving. As they set up camp in a large clearing, Locke is approached by Cindy, who tells him that everyone is excited about him being among them. That night, Ben tells Locke that he must kill Cooper before he can officially join them. Locke is unable to do it, and the Others abandon him the next morning, leaving behind a trail for him to follow should he kill his father. Before leaving, he meets Richard again, though he appears not to recognize him. Richard hints to Locke about finding someone else to kill him. He returns to the beach and brings Sawyer to the Black Rock, where he locks him in a room with Cooper. After Sawyer, for reasons of his own, kills Cooper, Locke gives him Juliet's recorder and tells him she is a spy. He carries Cooper's body with him to the Others' camp. He then demands Ben take him to see Jacob, much to his resentment, and the shock of the others. Ben agrees, and takes him to an isolated cabin. Locke is cautioned not to use his flashlight, but Locke grows impatient and uses it, causing Jacob to erupt in anger, sending objects flying across the room. The next day, Ben takes Locke to a pit full of long-deceased DHARMA members. Ben tells Locke of the purge of the original DHARMA personnel in which all men, woman, and children were killed with nerve gas. Visibly distraught at the heinous act of which he has been told, Locke pulls his knife but is shot by Ben before he can act. He falls into the pit of long-deceased DHARMA members and is left to die. Locke contemplates suicide, but his faith is restored upon witnessing an apparition of Walt. (It is later revealed that Locke's bullet wound was non-fatal, due to his missing kidney.) He makes his way to the radio tower and fatally wounds Naomi by throwing a knife into her back, and begs Jack not to contact her freighter, threatening to shoot him if he doesn't put the radio down. Jack refuses, but Locke is unable to kill him. Locke tells Jack he wasn't meant to do this, then walks away, shaking his head, disappointed with Jack's decision.

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Locke finds a distraught Hurley in the jungle, who tells him about Charlie's warning. When all the survivors meet at the cockpit Locke is attacked by Jack, who knocks him to the floor, seizes Locke's handgun and aims it at his head. Locke says that Jack won't shoot him, but before he can finish the sentence, Jack pulls the trigger. Locke then explains that the gun wasn't loaded. Locke insists that he has only ever tried to act in everyone's best interests, and that they need to hide from the people coming to the island, saying, "If you want to live, you need to come with me." His plan is to head for the Barracks, and stay there until he thinks of something else. A few of the survivors, including Hurley, Claire, and Sawyer, as well as Ben, Rousseau, Alex, and Karl, join him, and they head off into the jungle. Locke tells everyone that they first must go to a cabin and that he received his instructions to kill Naomi from Walt. He later runs into Charlotte Staples Lewis, who parachuted onto the Island, and takes her hostage. Ben later tries to shoot her, but she is wearing a bulletproof vest. Ben tells Locke he can provide answers if Locke spares his life. Locke asks him what the Monster is. Ben replies that he doesn't know, and as Locke is about to shoot him, he shouts out everything Charlotte has ever done, as well as the other members of the members of the freighter, and that they are here for him. He also says that he has a spy on board the freighter. Locke is unable to find Jacob's cabin where it had originally been located, so they proceed to the Barracks. There, they ambush Kate, Sayid, and Miles Straume, and Locke and Sayid trade Charlotte for Miles so that Sayid can gain access to the freighter and find out more about the freighter's objective.

Over the next few days, Locke tries to get information out of Ben and Miles with little success. Ben taunts him constantly. Finally Ben agrees to show Locke who his spy is, who sent the freighter, and other answers if he will allow Ben his freedom. Ben shows Locke a tape of Charles Widmore. Ben tells Locke that Widmore is the man who sent the freighter, and that he wants to exploit the Island for everything it is worth (e.g., the Island's paralysis-healing properties). Once he gets more information out of him (including the identity of Ben's spy), Locke allows Ben his freedom.

After the barracks are ambushed by a group from the freighter, Locke leads Ben, Hurley, Sawyer, Aaron, Miles, and Claire to look for the cabin; however, Claire, Aaron, Sawyer, and Miles break off to go back to the beach, while Locke and Ben forcefully convince Hurley to come with them as he is the last person to have seen the cabin. Even with Hurley they are unable to find the cabin, until Locke has a dream in which a member of the Dharma Initiative named Horace, who initially built the cabin, shows up in his dream telling him that Jacob is waiting for him. In the pit where Ben had previously left him to die among the bodies of the Dharma Initiative members, Locke finds Horace's body and discovers a map to the cabin in the dead man's pocket. Locke, Ben and Hurley follow the map and as night falls John enters the cabin and discovers Claire and her father, Christian Shephard, who says that he represents Jacob. He tells him that the way to save the island is to "move" it.

Ben leads Locke to a greenhouse where they take an elevator deep underground to the Orchid station. Before making his way to an icy cavern that houses the control for moving the island, apparently not intending to return, Ben tells John that he is now the leader of the Others.

After the Island

Near the end of the final episode of Season 4, "There's No Place Like Home, Part 3", Locke's body is seen in a casket under the alias "Jeremy Bentham". When Hurley had asked Sayid how Locke died, he responded by saying, "They said it was suicide". It was obvious that Sayid suspected Locke had been murdered, and his death made to look like suicide. Prior to his death, Locke had visited at least three of the Oceanic Six - Jack, Kate and Hurley - as well Walt, under his alias, telling them that they have to return to the island. In particular, he has told Jack that "very bad things" have happened on the island since they left, and that it's been Jack's fault. (Presumably because he led the others away despite Locke's warning that they were not meant to leave.) Thus Jack has been devastated by guilt, and has even told Kate that they have to go back. Having just broken into a funeral parlor, Jack is seen gazing at Locke's body in the casket when he is startled as Ben, apparently having arrived earlier, calls out his name. Ben eventually tells Jack that if he wants to go back to the island, "All of you have to go back." As Jack turns to leave, Ben tells him, "Jack, I said all of you", then gestures toward Locke's corpse, saying, "We're going to have to bring "him" too."

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 "" 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. [ [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067175 No Archiving Spiders Allowed ] ] In Season 4, Locke plays a game of Risk with Hurley and Sawyer. Also, in an earlier episode in a Season 4 flashforward (or possibly a flashback) shows a television in Locke's apartment to be in the pause menu of a Zelda game for the Nintendo 64.

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.

Cast Notes

Terry O'Quinn was the only actor who did not have to audition during initial casting for the series, as J. J. Abrams believed that he was perfect to play Locke. [O'Quinn, Terry & Abrams, J.J., "Lost Season 1 DVD" (extras), Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 6 September 2005.]

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?"

ee also

*John Locke
*Jeremy Bentham

References