Walt & the Others

[St. Anger]

Henry stated to Mike that the Others got more than they bargained for with Walt, ......does this mean that his powers who just too much for the Others to handle and experiment with?

It seems rather odd that they would just let Walt go even if at first they believed his powers were just too powerful for experimentation. Though the reason they let him go was to uphold 'their' end of the deal with Mike. But this deal would not have been reached should they still have REQUIRED Walt for experimentation purposes.

If capturing Walt was for important, or even crucial, testing needs, then surely they would have double crossed Mike upon his mission to get the 5 Losties and said "OK, we're not giving Walt back to you, we ain't done with him yet". Possibly they would not have sent him on the mission in which he ended up killing AL and Libby. Though I'm not sure where this would have left Mike. But had the Others still needed Walt, surely they would have told Mike to get lost. After all, they are fighting the good fight apparantly and keeping Walt would have been for the greater of mankind [or the island's/Dharma's purposes].

They went to great lengths to ensure the Losties stay out of their business in the past two seasons,.... yet they just give Walt back just like that. I guess they really did not need him whatsoever, which is strange given Walt's obvious special powers.

Maybe he was so powerful that he blocked attempts by the others to examine his powers. But then you would have to imagine that the Others would have worked harder to gain Walt's trust and allow the Others to probe his mind so to speak.

I dunno, I guess we'll never know and it's now a dead issue. I doubt we'll be seeing Walt or Mike for a very long time, .......if ever. But this annoys me because S2 was ALL ABOUT "Walt, getting Walt back, I hope Walt's OK, where's Walt, where's my boy... Walt, Walt, Walt, Walt, Walt, friggin WALT". And now it's a dead issue, just like that. I was hoping we'd all find out what was so spcial about this little brat!

Why was S2 largely about this damn kid, if it was going to end just like that. There was me thinking Walt was going to play a large part in S3 with his special powers etc, and that we'd find out what the hell the Others had been up to. Anyhoo, that's that.

[D-Roc]

I had a sneaky feeling that the Others didnt really give him Walt if you know what i mean. I thought that maybe they gave him a 'projection' of Walt and not the real boy himself. However i soon came to the conclusion that this wouldnt really make sense as why go to all that effort when they couldve just killed Mike there and then and thus keep Walt anyway. Unless...theyre testing Mike to see if he can tell the difference between his own son and a projeciton.. ..nah.surely not..

Anyhoo..i too thought/hoped that we'd see more of Walt in S2. And even though i want them to escape to safety and live happily ever after, they are (still) 2 of my fave characters and so selfishly i want them to end up back on the otherisde of the island or something.. and afterall, Henry didnt imply that 'finding rescue' would be easy now did he..

Going back to what Henry meant when he said "we got more than we bargained for when we with Walt"..hmm..it sure is a quote packed with mystery ..if i had to guess i would say that it might indeed be because Walt was more powerful or potentially powerful than they suspected. I keep thinking back to when he supplied Shannon/Sayid with those projected messages -"Dont push the button" and "theyre coming and theyre close".. perhaps they realised that Walt was so powerful that no-matter what they did he was able to escape and project..and that the longer they kept him for the bigger the risk of him aiding the losties or even the other force that the others are surely fighting against.

Or perhaps they have just used up all of Walts power? Perhaps hes just an ordinary boy now (lol, sounds like Pinocchio doesnt it! )?

[St. Anger]

Hmmm, the projection theory is out there man,

Pinocchio ay?? Possibly explains why Mike's afro grows when he lies

Though reading some news about S3, I'm already aware about Mike/Walt's role in S3........ though the news wasn't a spoiler as such, didn't say anything in detail.

[Hordriss]

Perhaps Henry meant that, although they had expected to have to deal with his psychic powers, they hadn't expected 10-year-old Walt to enter adolescence within a few weeks of being captured, and they don't have the facilities to cope with sulky, unnaturally fast-ageing teenage boys.

I noticed that we only got brief shots of Walt in "Three Minutes" and "Live Together...", and most of of those were heavily obscured, in shadow, or both. His dialogue was also kept to a minimum, presumably to reduce the chance of the audience realising that his voice is breaking. Based on that, I think it quite unlikely we shall be seeing much of Walt in the future, however messy that makes the plot. With any luck, however, Michael shall be brought back for a spot of retribution.

[St. Anger]

Originally Posted by Hordriss,October 18, 2006 05:02 am

Perhaps Henry meant that, although they had expected to have to deal with his psychic powers, they hadn't expected 10-year-old Walt to enter adolescence within a few weeks of being captured, and they don't have the facilities to cope with sulky, unnaturally fast-ageing teenage boys.

I noticed that we only got brief shots of Walt in "Three Minutes" and "Live Together...", and most of of those were heavily obscured, in shadow, or both. His dialogue was also kept to a minimum, presumably to reduce the chance of the audience realising that his voice is breaking. Based on that, I think it quite unlikely we shall be seeing much of Walt in the future, however messy that makes the plot. With any luck, however, Michael shall be brought back for a spot of retribution.

You saying Walt sounds like Chef off of Southpark?

they hadn't expected 10-year-old Walt to enter adolescence within a few weeks of being captured,

Do you think the producers purposefully got a kid who was nearing adolescence? But why would they do this, if it meant they'd have to pull Walt from the show because he can't pull off being a 10 year old much longer. Seems odd. I wonder whether this was the plan all along, or whether they realised they'd cast someone who was too old and had no choice but to have him leave with Mike. Though, would it have been feasible to make out that Walt was reaching adolescence at 10 years of age........ Probably not.

[D-Roc]

Originally Posted by Hordriss,October 18, 2006 06:02 am

Perhaps Henry meant that, although they had expected to have to deal with his psychic powers, they hadn't expected 10-year-old Walt to enter adolescence within a few weeks of being captured, and they don't have the facilities to cope with sulky, unnaturally fast-ageing teenage boys.

I noticed that we only got brief shots of Walt in "Three Minutes" and "Live Together...", and most of of those were heavily obscured, in shadow, or both. His dialogue was also kept to a minimum, presumably to reduce the chance of the audience realising that his voice is breaking. Based on that, I think it quite unlikely we shall be seeing much of Walt in the future, however messy that makes the plot. With any luck, however, Michael shall be brought back for a spot of retribution.

But wouldnt they be used to adolescence? Afterall look how many kids theyve taken..

Good second point about the way they filmed Walt though. It could well be that they wanted to keep the continuity and that MDK's growing bones and breaking voice just wouldnt work. This doesnt fill me with confidence about Walt and Mike being in S3 though

[Murgatroyd]

Originally Posted by KoRevo,October 18, 2006 03:53 pm

But wouldnt they be used to adolescence? Afterall look how many kids theyve taken..

I think Hordriss was jesting.

I do share your belief that Michael and Walt are unlikely to reappear in season 3 simply because of Malcolm David Kelley's growing too old for the part (poor kid - we keep telling him off for growing up). In my view, they were mistaken to cast a twelve year old to play ten, or even to have a child of that age as a main character in this sort of programme because aging was always going to be a problem. It was a litle short-sighted of them.

[D-Roc]

Originally Posted by Murgatroyd,October 18, 2006 06:21 pm

I do share your belief that Michael and Walt are unlikely to reappear in season 3 simply because of Malcolm David Kelley's growing too old for the part (poor kid - we keep telling him off for growing up). In my view, they were mistaken to cast a twelve year old to play ten, or even to have a child of that age as a main character in this sort of programme because aging was always going to be a problem. It was a litle short-sighted of them.

Perhaps it was short-sighted but what else could they do? Having a child actor to play Walt was integral to the plot dynamic..

Also, MDK is a fantastic little actor, so even if he is now gone it's still been a pleasure to witness his work

[St. Anger]

Originally Posted by Murgatroyd,October 18, 2006 05:21 pm

I think Hordriss was jesting.

I do share your belief that Michael and Walt are unlikely to reappear in season 3 simply because of Malcolm David Kelley's growing too old for the part (poor kid - we keep telling him off for growing up). In my view, they were mistaken to cast a twelve year old to play ten, or even to have a child of that age as a main character in this sort of programme because aging was always going to be a problem. It was a litle short-sighted of them.

It's beyond me then, just why they made Walt such an intergral part of S2.

[D-Roc]

Originally Posted by St. Anger (o'_'o),October 19, 2006 12:31 pm

It's beyond me then, just why they made Walt such an intergral part of S2.

I think it's because he embodies much of the Lost concept. He's a child..he can (probably) do freaky things like project (in other words he's 'special'), he's got daddy issues..

[St. Anger]

Originally Posted by KoRevo,October 21, 2006 08:47 am

I think it's because he embodies much of the Lost concept. He's a child..he can (probably) do freaky things like project (in other words he's 'special'), he's got daddy issues..

No but I mean if he was going to leave at the end of S2, why was he the main storyline in S2. It wouldn't haave been as bad if we knew he was going to have some role at least in S3. It's like if S3 focused on the Others and then at the end they all leave.

[D-Roc]

Originally Posted by St. Anger (o'_'o),October 21, 2006 02:59 pm

No but I mean if he was going to leave at the end of S2, why was he the main storyline in S2. It wouldn't haave been as bad if we knew he was going to have some role at least in S3. It's like if S3 focused on the Others and then at the end they all leave.

But was he the main storyline of S2? Im not so sure that he was? Also, whos to say that he is definetely going to leave now that S2 has ended? We dont know that..he and Mike may not get rescued..

I think it's logical that Walt was a 'major' aspect/sideplot of S2 because he was the one who the others took at the end of S1. He was the only one (in S1) who really demonstrated any sort of special ability.. so i think it's reasonable that S2 would focus on him quite a bit. And theres something intriguing about someting that you know is there but cannot see..

[St. Anger]

But was he the main storyline of S2? Im not so sure that he was? Also, whos to say that he is definetely going to leave now that S2 has ended? We dont know that..he and Mike may not get rescued..

I think it's logical that Walt was a 'major' aspect/sideplot of S2 because he was the one who the others took at the end of S1. He was the only one (in S1) who really demonstrated any sort of special ability.. so i think it's reasonable that S2 would focus on him quite a bit. And theres something intriguing about someting that you know is there but cannot see.. 

There were defintely other main stoeylines in S2, but the whole 'Get Walt Back Campaign' should have been toned down a notch if they were to just simply leave at the end.

[D-Roc]

Originally Posted by St. Anger (o'_'o),October 23, 2006 07:44 pm

There were defintely other main stoeylines in S2, but the whole 'Get Walt Back Campaign' should have been toned down a notch if they were to just simply leave at the end.

Maybe..though i just think that Walt has always been one of the central themes of Lost and I cant see how they couldve toned it down when they had this plan..this storyline already laid out in their heads. I mean Walt being taken had to be central to the whole mechanism of S2 (and S1) imo. Had they toned it down, Michaels motivation and all of the things that stemmed from that wouldnt have been believable..

But there you go..it's a game of opinions

And again..who's to say they are going to leave?? They may very well return in S3 for all we know.

[Hordriss]

It seems an unsatisfying end to the tale of Michael: really rather deeply anticlimactic (Yes, he gets Walt back, yes he escapes, but he figuratively - or from Eko's POV literally - loses his soul in the process). On the other hand, that does work within the whole cynical framework of S2, which led us to criticise the essential "goodness" of the castaways to the stage where we can see why Henry might mistake his ruthless faction as "the good guys". And it's no more unjust and unsatisfying than many of the flashbacks, in which redemption is also more often than not rejected. It's just a shame that Malcolm David Kelley aged too quickly to get a more dignified and dramatic exit from the show.