Where did this animosity come from? Locke's behavior toward Michael regarding the search party was a bit odd I think. Although Michael had never really trusted Locke, when did it start going the other way? Locke even found Walt's dog and let Michael take the credit. We've seen Walt and Locke getting closer (the knife throwing), so do you think Walt said something? Maybe some clues about their past?

I think Michael is jealous of Locke's relationship with Walt. Just my guess.

I agree, but when did Locke start disliking Michael? And why? He may have just caught on to Michael's distrust of him, but I'm not sure.

I think Locke has started to dislike Michael for the way Michael is with Walt. I also think that Locke is annoyed with Michael and felt that he would slow the search down due to what happened on their hunting trip together.

Someone posted on another thread that it appears that Locke is treating Michael the same way Michael treats Walt.

I thought it was odd, too. Especially since Michael is stronger and, from what he did at the caves, seems to be more saavy about this kind of stuff than Boone is. Unless they edited out a part where Locke tells him that he can' t go because he's a father (like he said Jack shouldn't, cause he's a doctor). Alternatively, I wonder if this is kind of wish fulfillment on Walt's part. *That his dad experiences what its like to be not allowed to go along? Walt seems to have a way of making things come true!

In case, that didn't make sense, I posted at the same time Sleestak was and basically was saying the same thing. re. Michael and Walt

Someone posted on another thread that it appears that Locke is treating Michael the same way Michael treats Walt.
Ooooer.

Yeah. Locke seems to think that Walt should be learning things like knife throwing. Maybe he resents Michael for holding his son back. Or maybe Locke resents Michael for not seeing the potential that the island has given Walt.

Remember early on, I think in the pilot, Locke seemed very odd. I think he just freaked Michael out - and then here his son has just survived a plane crash and is off playing backgammon with the crazy guy. I think they got off on the wrong foot. Then of course since he told Walt not to spend time with Locke, that's all he wanted to do which further irritated him, and so they've gone on...

I think Locke was simply a bit miffed that Michael could so easily leave his son without thinking about the consequences. It's obvious Locke and Walt are close, making it even more natural for Locke to feel protective of him and want Michael to step up.

The odd thing to me is that Michael has seemed to dislike Locke from the beginning, but this episdode seemed to show for the first time that Locke dislikes Michael as well. I mean, earlier on Locke even gave him credit for finding their dog, to help patch things up between father and son.

If I remember correctly, Michael didn't exactly open up to anyone in the beginning. He didn't trust Locke, and he assumed Jin was prejudiced against him because Jin is Korean.
At first I thought Locke was just beong direct with Michael. The more I've thought about it, it does seem he was being rude. Locke was following a trail and had every reason to believe Charlie and Claire were taken North, and he tells Michael to look to the South.
Was he trying to prevent anyone else from finding whatever is out there (not just Ethan but any new surprises)?

Was he trying to prevent anyone else from finding whatever is out there (not just Ethan but any new surprises)?


Well, but he didn't seem to mind Kate or Boone coming along. He tried to dissuade Jack briefly, but Locke never really put up too much of a fight.

I agree that Locke didn't want Michael to go on the search because Michael needs to spend time with Walt, and Locke, in that oh so awesome way he has, was trying to convey that in a subtle way. Maybe Locke told Michael to look south to basically shut him up and give him something to do so he didn't feel left out?
And hey, maybe Locke sees a lot of himself in Walt; being a 10-year old kid you often feel crippled because you're not allowed to do many things? Just a thought!

If I remember correctly, Michael didn't exactly open up to anyone in the beginning. He didn't trust Locke, and he assumed Jin was prejudiced against him because Jin is Korean.
At first I thought Locke was just beong direct with Michael. The more I've thought about it, it does seem he was being rude. Locke was following a trail and had every reason to believe Charlie and Claire were taken North, and he tells Michael to look to the South.
Was he trying to prevent anyone else from finding whatever is out there (not just Ethan but any new surprises)?


I posted something similar in an older post. I still don't trust Locke. My take is that pershaps Locke felt he couldn't handle 1 more person, especially someone who obviously distrusts him like Michael. It doesn't make sense that Locke did this out of some paternal/protective feelings for Walt. If that were true, why send Michael South, where he could get hurt just as easily?

Maybe Locke knew that if Michael went south, there would be nothing that would hurt him (Michael) there? I mean, the dude knew it would rain in a minute, so it's possible he knew that any danger on the island was concentrated to the north? Or maybe Locke didn't want to be stuck out in the jungle with some angry dude that hates him? Because it's obvious that Michael does not like Locke.

I agree that Locke didn't want Michael to go on the search because Michael needs to spend time with Walt, and Locke, in that oh so awesome way he has, was trying to convey that in a subtle way. Maybe Locke told Michael to look south to basically shut him up and give him something to do so he didn't feel left out?
And hey, maybe Locke sees a lot of himself in Walt; being a 10-year old kid you often feel crippled because you're not allowed to do many things? Just a thought!


Well, Michael is constantly telling Walt what he can't do, and we all know how Locke feels about that. Notice how many times in the episode he will suggest that someone turn back, or that they should all stay together, but when he gets voted down, he lets it go- Locke doesn't like to tell people what they can't do. I really think that it's causing him to be resentful of Michael- and maybe wrongly so.
It would also seem to me that Walt is the only other person who seems to have some sort of connection with the island. I think that Locke senses this in him and thinks that Michael is holding him back. I also think, however, that the island (or the monster, or his own disillusioned mind) is deceiving Locke- I foresee some big trouble for him if he keeps acting the way he does.

Locke knows that he and Michael have a personality conflict for whatever reason. He probably just figured that the two of them being on the same search party would bog down the effort and make it harder to find Claire and Charlie.

It would also seem to me that Walt is the only other person who seems to have some sort of connection with the island. I think that Locke senses this in him and thinks that Michael is holding him back.


I don't think Walt has a connection to the island, certainly not to the extent Locke does. Sure, Walt's wishes seem to be manifested, but so do some of the others'. Also, Walt hero-worships Locke, so whatever Locke has told him about the island, he believes. Children don't doubt the extraordinary. But I don't think Walt understands or knows the island better than anyone else there, besides Locke.

It almost seems like Locke is the middleman between the island and the granting of people's desires and happiness...maybe he especially wants Walt to be happy because he (Walt) has gone through a freaky ordeal for a kid and something happened to Locke also as a kid? Maybe also Michael feels threatened because Locke seems to be able to make his son happy in ways that he himself is unable to?

Let's look at this more logically, instead of reading between the lines. Michael is a parent, although a new parent (since he has never parented Walt). Now, I have a 7-year old so I put myself in Michael's place. We have just crash landed and both my child and I have survived. I don't know anyone else on this plane. There is this guy with this strange look in his eye that has a lot of knives, knows a lot about hunting and is spouting all of these mysticisms. AND he is showing an inordinate amount of interest in my young child. How would you feel towards Locke? Not only would I try to keep my child away from him, but I would not feel too kindly towards this man either.

Yeah, perhaps there is some jealousy. But, Michael is okay with Walt spending time with Hurley.

No Michael isn't the best parent, by far, but there are parental gut feelings. IMHO, that is what is guiding Michael's feelings towards Locke.

Let's look at this more logically, instead of reading between the lines. Michael is a parent, although a new parent (since he has never parented Walt). Now, I have a 7-year old so I put myself in Michael's place. We have just crash landed and both my child and I have survived. I don't know anyone else on this plane. There is this guy with this strange look in his eye that has a lot of knives, knows a lot about hunting and is spouting all of these mysticisms. AND he is showing an inordinate amount of interest in my young child. How would you feel towards Locke? Not only would I try to keep my child away from him, but I would not feel too kindly towards this man either.

Yeah, perhaps there is some jealousy. But, Michael is okay with Walt spending time with Hurley.

No Michael isn't the best parent, by far, but there are parental gut feelings. IMHO, that is what is guiding Michael's feelings towards Locke.


I tried to make this exact same point on a different board and had someone else freak out on me- "how dare you call Locke a child molester" and all that. I agree with you whole heartedly- Michael, while not the best parent, has every right to feel nervous about Walt hanging out with Locke.

Whistle- by claiming that Walt had an "island connection", I was being presumptuous, since Walt seems to have a bizarre ability to make the things he thinks materialize into reality. Of course, we have no idea if there' s anything behind this idea or not. ???

I thought it was rather obvious why Locke was adament about Michael missing his permission slip. The last time Locke let Michael in on a hunt the guy got run over by a bacon beast. Stay home, learn the hand signals, we'll call you when we run out of red shirters.

It seemed like a blatant reference to the previous hamhacked jog into the bermuda grass.

I thought it was rather obvious why Locke was adament about Michael missing his permission slip. The last time Locke let Michael in on a hunt the guy got run over by a bacon beast. Stay home, learn the hand signals, we'll call you when we run out of red shirters.

It seemed like a blatant reference to the previous hamhacked jog into the bermuda grass.


I had never thought of that before. Good point. Yeah Locke probably thought if something bad happened and Michael was with them, what would become of Walt? It was best he stayed back at the caves and kept and eye on Walt. Though in the end he didn't do that.

I had never thought of that before.* Good point.* Yeah Locke probably thought if something bad happened and Michael was with them, what would become of Walt?* It was best he stayed back at the caves and kept and eye on Walt.* Though in the end he didn't do that.


Hmm . . . that's true. And when Michael was almost gored by the boar, didn't he have some choice words for Locke (especially when Locke wanted to follow the beasts and Michael needed help getting to the beach). Seems like a pretty obvious liability to me.