22 Years Ago, One Perfect Twist Changed TV’s Greatest Sci-Fi Series Forever

In Lost’s fourth episode, “Walkabout”, John Locke appears to be an unusually capable survivor, ready to hunt boar with a case of knives. The closing reveal that he used a wheelchair before the plane crash transforms the series’ apparent survival drama into a mystery about faith, destiny and the Island’s power to work miracles.

The article argues that this twist makes viewers reassess Locke’s earlier flashbacks and the show’s carefully framed scenes. Before the crash, Locke lived a humdrum office life and was dismissed by others; on the Island, he can walk and seems certain he belongs there. His sudden change gives the crash a different meaning for Locke, even as the survivors face dwindling food and the bodies left in the wreckage.