The Tail Section

Episode Director: Greg Yaitanes
Episode Writers:  David Fury
Episode Centric Character: Michael and Walt

Synopsis:

Michael is in the JUNGLE looking for Walt, and runs into Charlie, who is looking for Clarie’s luggage.  Charlie leaves as Jack approaches carrying wood, and Hurley arrives to let them know about a new golf tournament for the rest of the deodorant.  Michael continues looking for Walt.

Flashback

Michael and Susan are shopping for a crib for their baby.  Michael brings up naming the baby Walt, after his father, while talking about giving up art for a while to take care of the baby while Susan finishes law school.

In the jungle, Locke, Boone, and Vincent watch as Walt learns to throw a knife.  Locke talks about using your "mind’s eye" to visualize what you’re doing before you do it.  Walt hits one perfectly, and senses something that helped him succeed as Michael arrives.  Michael and Locke argue about Walt, then Boone jumps Michael, and Locke separates them.  Locke tells Michael that Walt is "different," and needs to "realize his potential."

Flashback

Michael is on the floor playing with baby Walt as him and Susan argue about them moving to Amsterdam.  Michael realizes that Susan already took the job and is taking Walt away.

It’s night on the Island, and Sun sits with Michael.  Michael opens up about his shortcomings as a father and vows that Walt "can’t grow up in this place."

Sayid, Shannon and Jack sit around Rousseau’s maps and discuss her notations.  The maps come together around a mysterious triangle.  Michael joins them and talks about proactively getting off the island for the first time via a raft.  After skepticism from the group, Michael informs them that he’s building the raft regardless so that him and Walt can get off the island.

Walt is reading a comic with Vincent, and a page appears with a polar bear.  Walt sounds out the words in Spanish.  Michael comes over and says he needs Walt’s help.  Walt doesn’t want to go since he’s reading the comic.  Michael tries to talk to him about art after Walt talks about liking the pictures, but Walt ignores him, so Michael grabs the comic and Walt follows.

Flashback

Michael is at a pay phone calling Susan and begging to talk to Walt.  Susan tried to get off the phone, but Michael hears a male voice on the other end.  Susan admits that she’s been seeing someone, Brian Porter, the man who hired her.  Michael is annoyed and angrily slams the phone down after telling Susan he’s coming to Amsterdam to get Walt back.  Michael walks into the street without paying attention and gets hit by a car.

On the beach, Charlie finds Claire’s things, but can’t locate her diary.  Michael and Walt are rummaging through the debris from the crash as Michael explains what materials would be good and bad for the raft to Walt.

Kate and Charlie approach Sawyer about Claire’s diary.  Sawyer has it, and begins "reading" passages from inside.  Charlie punches Sawyer, grabs the book, and Sawyer hits back before Kate can break it up.  

As Michael rummages through the debris, Walt sits on the side.  Boone and Locke walk by without Michael seeing, and Walt follows them by excusing himself for water.  Shannon argues with Boone about not coming back with any food, and tells him about Michael’s plans to build a raft.  She says she’s going to help, and Boone should also, but he declines.

Locke is sitting near Jack and Boone when Walt approaches.  Before Walt can speak, Locke explains that Michael doesn’t want Walt around him anymore, and that Walt should respect Michael.  As this is happening, Michael comes running in, and mistakenly goes after Locke.  Locke makes a peace offering and leaves.  Walt and Michael get into an argument which ends with Walt saying, "You’re not my father."  Michael takes the comic and throws it in a nearby fire, with the polar bear page on top.

Flashback

Michael is in the hospital after his crash drawing a picture of him in bed, all messed up from the accident.  Speaking with a nurse, he says its for his son who will be two next week.  After the nurse leaves, Susan appears in the doorway.  She’s heard about his accident after not hearing from Michael for months.  She came to see Michael and tell him that she’s covering his medical costs and that her and Brian are getting married.  She says Brian wants to adopt Walt, and attempts to convince Michael that he should give up his hope of raising Walt.

On the Island, Hurley comes up to Michael and tells him that Walt has run off with Vincent.  Michael goes to find Walt with Locke and Boone, but he’s not there and they go to find Walt together.

Charlie and Kate sit in the caves and talk about Claire.  Charlie thinks about how he’s only known Claire for a short time, and after Kate leaves he goes back and forth with himself about reading the diary.

Walt and Vincent are walking in the jungle when Vincent starts barking at something that Walt can’t see.  Vincent runs away and Walt chases after him.

Flashback

Walt and Vincent, about the same age as in real time, listening to Susan and Brian talk while supposedly doing homework about Australian birds.  Susan doesn’t feel well, and as Brian helps her to the couch, Walt gets annoyed that they’re "not looking."  Suddenly a  bird crashes into their window and dies.  Walt seems ambivalent and goes back to his work.

Walt, still looking for Vincent, hears rustling in the trees and bushes and his eyes open wide with apparent fear.

Flashback

Michael answers the door and Brian is standing there.  Susan has died.  Brian says that before she died, Susan told Brian that she wanted Michael to have custody of Walt.  Brian explains that adopting Walt was all Susan’s idea, and how he never wanted to be a father.  Michael gets angry and realizes that its Brian’s idea, not Susan’s wish, for him to have Walt.  Brian then talks about "things happening" when Walt is around.

Michael and Locke find Vincent’s leash on the ground in the jungle.  They hear Walt screaming for help in the distance and run after the sound.

Flashback

In Australia, Walt’s nanny collects some of Susan’s effects for Michael and hands him a box that she thinks Walt should have.  As Walt arrives home from school, the Nanny says that there’s someone here to see him.

Walt is still screaming for help in the jungle.  As he comes into view, Walt is stuck in a tree with a polar bear attacking.  Michael is stunned, but Locke snaps him out of it.

Flashback

Walt and Vincent are playing with a ball as Michael approaches slowly.  Michael explains that he’s Walt’s father and Walt is shocked.  He then asks about Brian, and Michael lies to Walt about being his legal guardian to take Brian off the hook.  Michael also says that though Vincent is Brian’s dog, he wanted Walt to have him.

The bear is getting closer to Walt.  Locke and Michael are walking across a high branch to reach Walt from the other side.  Locke throws the knife to Michael who throws it Walt and tells him to use it if the bear comes closer.  Walt stabs the bear as Michael gets down into the tree.  He gets some vine around Walt and Locke pulls Walt up.  The bear, temporarily stunned, is back, but Michael takes another swipe at the bear and it leaves.

Later that night, Michael and Walt are sitting by a fire.  Michael says that he has a gift for Walt and hands him the box from the nanny that contains every letter and card Michael sent to Walt over nine years.  Walt had no idea.  They look at some of the pictures and Michael points out the card he drew in the hospital.

In the caves, Charlie is reading Claire’s diary.  It’s visible that Claire likes Charlie.  After reading something, Charlie runs to Jack and Sayid and describes a dream of Claire’s where she sees a Black Rock.  Charlie connects the Black Rock to Sayid’s story of the french woman and the mysterious triangle on the map.

Locke and Boone are in the jungle looking for Vincent.  They hear a noise in the bushes, and Claire appears.

Key Dialogue:

JACK: Are you suggesting something?

MICHAEL: Yes.  We build a raft.

WALT: Am i being punished?
MICHAEL: You think working with your old man is punishment?  No.  This is us taking control of our destiny.
WALT: Feels like punishment…

BRIAN (about Walt): Things happen when he’s around.  He’s different somehow.

Key Items:

Locke’s Knife

Walt’s Comic - The Flash

The Polar Bear

The Black Rock