Adrift

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"Adrift"
Season
Episode

2
2
Airdate
September 28th, 2005
Flashforward
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Flashback
Days
Directed by
Special guest star(s)
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Co-starring
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Uncredited

Episode transcript
[[{{{transcript2}}}|Part Two]]


"Adrift" is the second episode of Season 2 of Lost. Occurring at the same point as the previous episode, emphasis shifts to Kate and Locke's perspective, and what happened to them before Jack joined them down the Hatch. Meanwhile, Sawyer and Michael try to come to terms with what happened to them on the raft.

Contents

Synopsis

Flashback

Michael insists on fighting for custody
Michael insists on fighting for custody

Michael visits his lawyer about fighting for custody of Walt, but is not overly impressed by the professional's lack of interest and forgetfulness of details about his circumstance. He explains that signing Walt for adoption so Brian can become his legal father would mean Michael has no rights at all, literally the same as to any kid one might pass in the street. Michael is prepared to fight all the way, but the lawyer admits that the proceedings will take a large amount of money, with the situation being David and Goliath in nature. Michael is adamant, however, that he is going to get his son back.

A hearing takes place between the two parents, accompanied by their lawyers. Susan's staff begin to nitpick at Michael's history as a father, culminating in the conclusion that "for someone who wants to retain his parental right you don’t know very much about your son". Michael, however, stands firm that he is Walt’s father.

The father says his farewells to Walt
The father says his farewells to Walt

After the hearing, Susan requests to speak to Michael alone. She admits that she thinks Michael will win in court, but cannot understand why he is doing this when he does not even know Walt, and could never provide what she could. She pleads for Michael to let him go, and hands him the adoption forms.

At a park, Susan arrives to meet Michael, and with her is a young Walt, but a few years old. Michael neglects to introduce himself as his father, and tells Walt that he will have a great life with his mother and Brian. He also promises that "your daddy" loves you very much, and "I" always will. Before leaving, he gives Walt a toy polar bear, asking Susan to one day, at least, tell him who it was from.

On the Island

At the Hatch, Locke shouts down the shaft for Kate, who has vanished completely. Tying himself a line of rope, Locke heads down after her.

Locke manages to reach the bottom of the shaft, and wanders round to discover he is in fact in some kind of concrete bunker. He removes his shoes and tiptoes further inside. He finds a kitchen, before discovering Kate dazed on the floor. A man suddenly appears behind him holding a gun, and asks if Locke is "him"?

Back at the Hatch, Locke decides to pretend that he is indeed “him”, if only to save their lives. However, when the man asks "what did one snowman say to the other" (presumably a password), he realizes that Locke is lying. The man orders Kate to tie Locke up, but Locke insists that Kate is more dangerous as a fugitive. The man allows it, and locks Kate instead inside a darkened room.

Claire finds the statue
Claire finds the statue

Jack waits at the caves, deciding to head after the others down the Hatch. Claire and Charlie watch from afar, but Claire suddenly notices a Virgin Mary statue in his bag. He brushes it off as nothing important.

Kate finds a pantry full of food
Kate finds a pantry full of food

With her hands tied behind her back, Kate maneuvers her arms in front, allowing her to move about more easily. She then pulls out a flick knife that Locke had slipped into her jeans while tying her up, releasing herself. She finds a light switch, discovering that she is actually in a pantry, full of food. She also notices a ventilation shaft, but before she climbs up, she notices Apollo candy bars on a shelf, and cannot help eating one. Moving up inside the vent, she begins to crawl through. Not ten yards away, Locke is explaining to the man about the plane crash. He reveals that his name is Desmond, and asks how many of the survivors have gotten sick. Suddenly, a buzzer begins to sound. Desmond orders Locke up, takes him to a computer and tells him to enter the Numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42. He is then ordered to press execute, and the buzzing stops while a timer on the wall reverts to 108:00. Jack can then be heard shouting for the others. Kate notices Jack through an air vent, but as Desmond sets off a record player sending out loud music, he is unable to hear her. Desmond confronts Jack, ordering him to drop his weapon, as in the previous episode, before Jack realized that he knows the man.

On the raft

Sawyer holds on to the wreckage of the raft
Sawyer holds on to the wreckage of the raft

Sawyer re-emerges from the water to hear both Michael and Jin's cries. He manages to grab some wreckage, and get to Michael before he drowns. However, Michael is still not breathing.

Sawyer begins to perform CPR, and manages to revive Michael, but is forced to restrain him to stop his struggling for Walt. He refuses to give up shouting despite the fact that the boat the kidnappers used is long gone.

Michael says nothing as Sawyer says he took the bullet trying to help Walt
Michael says nothing as Sawyer says he took the bullet trying to help Walt

Meanwhile, Sawyer screams for Jin, and Michael asks the conman if he feels guilty for making them fire the flare. The two argue, and Michael orders him to get off his raft, but not before they hear noises and are attacked. It would appear that Sawyer’s bleeding shoulder has attracted a shark. Sawyer decides to try and swim for another piece of raft wreckage after his argument, managing to hold on to a small piece. As Michael looks on, Sawyer tells him that he was trying to save Walt when he was shot, contrary to what Michael may think about him saving himself.

Some time later, Sawyer decides to pull out the bullet in his shoulder with his bare hand, as Michael insists he will not be able to do it. Nevertheless, Sawyer is successful, coldly asking Michael for a Band-Aid.

Still struggling at sea, Sawyer surmises that the kidnapping boat was small, so it could only be local. Rousseau had said that the Others were coming for the child, and while at the time they believed this meant Aaron, Sawyer believes they were after Walt all along. Michael splashes water at Sawyer for saying his son’s name, causing Sawyer’s piece of wreckage to break apart. He returns to share Michael’s section, and the two grudgingly sit together.

Michael and Sawyer find that the current has brought them "home"
Michael and Sawyer find that the current has brought them "home"

Michael and Sawyer discover one of the pontoons from the raft, which is much more sturdy than their current piece of wreckage, made up of virtually loose bamboo rods. Handing Michael the gun, Sawyer heads after it. The shark emerges from the ocean, and Michael unleashes a full cartridge of ammunition, venting his rage. Both manage to get to the pontoon, and lie down exhausted. As the sun rises, Michael promises to get back his son as the two realize that the current has brought them back to the Island. “We’re home”, adds Sawyer. The two wash up on shore, but immediately hear Jin shouting. He runs out to them, shouting in Korean. They finally realize what he is saying, “Others”, as a group of strangers carrying weapons ominously appear, advancing on the three.

Trivia

Octagon logo found on the tail of the shark
Octagon logo found on the tail of the shark

General

  • There is a DHARMA Logo branded on the tail of the shark that attacks Sawyer and Michael.
  • When Michael is talking to his lawyer, we get a very brief glimpse of the World Trade Center towers.

Production notes


Recurring themes


Recurring themes in Lost
Black and white • Car accidents • Character connections • Deceptions and cons • Dreams • Eyes • Fate versus free will • Good and bad people • Imprisonment • Isolation • Life and death • Missing body parts • Nicknames • The Numbers • Parent issues • Pregnancies • Rain • Rebirth • Redemption • Relationships • Sacrifice • Secrets • Time


Cultural references

Cultural references in Lost
(direct references only)
Art • Books • Cars • Games • Movies and TV • Music • Philosophy • Religion and ideologies • Science


Literary techniques

Literary techniques in Lost
Comparative: Irony • Juxtaposition • Plotting: Cliffhanger • Plot twist • Stock Characters:  Archetype • Redshirt • Unseen character•
Story:  Flashbacks • Flashforwards • Foreshadowing • Regularly spoken phrases • Symbolism • Unreliable narrator 

Plot twist

  • Sawyer and Michael are brought back to the Island by the currents, and discover that Jin has been there for some time (his hands have been bound by "the Others"). (Plot Twist)

Irony

  • Despite the fact that the raft had been travelling for a day and half a night, the currents still carry Michael and Sawyer back to the Island, the place they were hoping to escape from, and the place that they now wish to return to (in order to rescue Walt).

Juxtaposition

  • Michael, on the wreckage and in his flashback, spends his time alienating those around him (Sawyer, Susan) in his attempts to keep Walt safe and/or get him back. However, Michael does end up realizing the error of his ways both times, and "lets Walt go" in order to mend his relationships with those currently around him.
  • In keeping with the title of the episode, both sets of events shown in this episode present Michael at times when he is "adrift" in his life, with no sense of direction or purpose, other than "get Walt back". In his past, this spiritual emptiness probably continued until the events of Special; in the present, he finds his way back to solid ground, giving a solid direction and purpose again. (Symbolism)


Michael Dawson
Portrayed by Harold Perrineau 		v • t • e
Centric episodes "Special" • "Exodus, Part 2" • "Adrift" • "Three Minutes" • "Meet Kevin Johnson"
Mobisodes "The Deal" • "Arzt & Crafts" • "Buried Secrets" • "Tropical Depression" • "Jin Has a Temper-Tantrum On the Golf Course"
Flashback characters Alex • Andy • Arturo • Dagne • Walter Dawson • Naomi Dorrit • Female anchor • Finney • Gus • Hospitalized man • Martin Keamy • Bea Klugh • Frank Lapidus • Libby • Benjamin Linus • Lizzy • Susan Lloyd • Walt Lloyd • John Locke • Michael's mother • George Minkowski • Nurse (Meet Kevin Johnson) • Nurse (Special) • Omar • Danny Pickett • Brian Porter • Miles Straume • Tom • Vincent
Items Comic book • List • Michael's bomb • Michael's passport • Rafts • Vincent
See also: Main Characters
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