| John Locke | |
Terry O'Quinn as Locke |
|
| First appearance | "Pilot, Part 1" |
|---|---|
| Centric episode(s) |
"Walkabout" "Deus Ex Machina" "Exodus, Part 2" "Orientation" "Lockdown" "Further Instructions" "The Man From Tallahassee" "The Brig" "Cabin Fever" |
| Information | |
| Name | John Locke |
| Age | 48 |
| Portrayed by | 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. [1] 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.
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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] When he grows up, Locke is curious about his origins, so 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 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 the window, sending him tumbling eight stories to the sidewalk below.[4] Locke survives the fall with a broken back, an injury that puts him in a wheelchair.[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 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 hatch. 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, Locke goes with Boone into the jungle, where they 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 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. A day later 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.
Upon blowing open the hatch, Locke and Kate descend into the hatch against Jack's wishes. Once inside, Locke convinces Desmond to lock Kate in the pantry, and finds himself at gunpoint when Jack enters the hatch after them. Locke and Jack are shown the orientation video for the hatch as Desmond prepares to flee, the station's computer having been damaged. When Sayid manages to fix the computer, Locke sets up a schedule for people to enter the numbers into the computer, a task which he takes pride in. He soon welcomes the arrival of Mr. Eko, a survivor from the tail section of the aircraft, which landed on another part of the island, who gives him the missing film reel from the orientation video. After giving Michael some shooting lessons, he finds himself locked in the armory with Jack, released only when Sawyer arrives for medical treatment. The three of them chase after Michael in the jungle, only to encounter the Others. In return for Kate's safety, the three of them are forced to hand over their weapons. Later, Locke suspects Charlie of taking heroin again. When Charlie attempts to baptize baby Aaron, Locke beats him to the ground. It is following the attempted kidnap of Sun that Locke and Jack's decision to consult each other about the guns is broken. Locke gives Sawyer the guns to hide, unknowingly falling victim to one of Sawyer's cons.
Upon the arrival of "Henry Gale", Locke holds him in the empty armory, much to Jack's resentment. Because of their disagreement, Locke fails to enter the numbers in time, but manages to prevent a system failure. Later, Locke is caught in a lockdown, with only him and "Henry" present. After being injured, Locke relies on "Henry" to enter the numbers. However, as he disappears into the vent, Locke notices a strange map drawn on one of the blast doors when the lights go out. Following the hatch's restoration, Locke learns that "Henry" hasn't been truthful to him. Following these events, plus "Henry's" taunts of not having entered the numbers into the computer, Locke becomes frustrated and loses faith in the island. It is only after he speaks with Rose that his faith is briefly restored. He manages to sketch an accurate copy of the map he had seen. After the death of Ana Lucia and the injury of Libby, Locke and Eko enter the jungle to search for the '?' on Locke's map. The two discover another hatch beneath the Beechcraft, and enter it to discover the Pearl station. While Eko is convinced to continue entering the numbers, Locke abandons the Swan hatch.
Locke, furious that Eko is wasting his time on the computer, attempts to destroy it, only to be thrown out of the hatch by Eko. When Desmond returns to the island, Locke informs him of the Pearl's orientation video and of his belief that the Swan's computer is just a mind game. The two sneak into the hatch and initiate a lockdown, trapping Eko outside of the computer room. As the two wait for the timer to reach zero, Locke prevents Desmond from entering the numbers by smashing the computer on the floor. However, when the electromagnetic force builds up following the timer running out, 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.
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 Flame 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.
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.
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."
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.[6] 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.
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.
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.[7]
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?"
Canadian rock band Moneen's song "Don't Ever Tell Locke What He Can't Do" references the character and a line from the pilot episode.
| Lost | |
|---|---|
| Production | Cast • Episode list • Music • Season 1 • Season 2 • Season 3 • Season 4 • Season 5 |
| Main characters | Ana Lucia • Ben • Boone • Charlie • Charlotte • Claire • Desmond • Faraday • Hurley • Jack • Jin • Juliet Kate • Libby • Locke • Michael • Miles • Mr. Eko • Nikki and Paulo • Sawyer • Sayid • Shannon • Sun • Walt |
| Supporting characters | Alex • Bernard • Christian • Ethan • Keamy • Rose • Rousseau • Tom |
| Groups | Dharma Initiative • Hanso Foundation • Oceanic Airlines • The Others |
| Miscellaneous | Awards • Find 815 • Lost Experience • Lost: Missing Pieces • Lostpedia • Lost: Via Domus • Mythology |