Parenting Tips from “Lost” S1 E14, “Special”

Welcome to the Parenting Roundabout podcast. I'm Terry Morrow and I'm Catherine Jileco. As parents and parenting writers, we can't help but see everything through a parenting lens. But as our kids have become adults, we find ourselves more interested in getting caught up on movies and streaming than I'm going over the same parenting topics over and over.

So, since we're pretty sure we can find parenting wisdom anywhere, we're going to talk about what we're watching, what we thought about it, and maybe what we can learn from it, if only what not to do. Watch and listen along, and let's all make like we're doing something important for our families.

Each Tuesday we bring you a watch or rewatch of an older entertainment property, And for this week of October eighth, we are continuing with Lost, Season one, episode fourteen special. What a sad episode this was? Yeah, young Walt, you have not been the recipient of good parenting from anybody, No wonder your following lock around like a little lap dog and throwing knives at trees.

Just man? Yeah, so rough a what a you know? Gosh? That poor kid?

Yeah, and I mean his you can understand the dynamic between him and Michael now, because not only did he never live with his father that he can remember, he didn't even know he existed. He thought somebody else was his father, who he's now lost.

Also because it wanted him on the first.

At least doesn't want him once he realized he's creepy. Yes, but I mean, Michael was kind and didn't tell Walt that guy you think is your father doesn't want you, so you're stuck with me. He gave him an out, which he totally did not deserve. Made himself the bad guy, right, But at least he stole the guy's dog. That's the least of what that dude deserves.

He said, you could have the dog. Also, I know that this is you know that we need to look past these things. But he shows up in New York and he says, Susan died yesterday. Yes. Now, it takes a very long time.

Even if you don't crash land on an island, it takes a while.

It takes a while. Like did he just like flee from the hospital room and just directly to the airport.

Why would he not have Well, I guess he doesn't want to take Walt with him because Walt's weird, and maybe you would crash the plane as he did.

Yeah, yep, yep, but yeah, yeah, he should have just takenim out and been like, hey, dude, we're going on a trip.

See you never Yeah, but then we wouldn't have met the smartest nanny in the business who sees all the letters in a box, clocks that and then handsome to Michael. Wow, give that lady a tip. She did not have to do that or to know that. And she just looked like it's been bothering her for years and now now I'm gonna give it to him deadly.

And maybe she was like, hey, you should take the dog. That's right.

Maybe I'm gonna give her credit for that. That's excellent.

He really loves that dog. She'll take it with him.

I don't think that she is a fan of the stepdad, Yeah, nor the mother if the mother was one not giving the kid the letters.

Yeah, so I'm.

Just I'm just writing a whole plot line for that nanny. But she's done a great deal of satisfaction in turn over those letters. Yes, I also slipped something into your food so you die of a blood disorder.

But yeah, but oh, Walt, Walt, He's special.

Manifestation of things, birds and polar bears and all sorts of who knows what right, and the comic book and a book about a plane crash when he was on the plane.

Yeah, maybe he was.

Yeah, but I mean they could they have focused on the polar bear on the burning comic book any longer.

I did notice it before it was burning, you know. And I'm pretty sure there was a hatch of some kind in that comic book, yes, yes, And I actually I thought we were done with bolar bear. I thought that was just a one time thing. But apparently not.

Either it wasn't killed the last time, or or there's more than one, or Walt just made this one appear.

Yeah. Well, also I don't think they killed it this time either, because it just kind of away, like probably real mad and bleeding.

Yeah yeah, but apparently did not come upon Clara. And it's so blumpering about because she turns up.

She turns alive. Yeah, do you think that she's gonna be a little mad? Like, guys, was nobody looking for me? Charlie had to read your diary first, but he was in totally. He was gonna start looking for what I mean, I'm very interested to see what what happens next regarding that, because gosh, yeah, as we've been saying every week, like somebody look for her.

Really said she'd been gone a week, which is less time than we've been waiting, but still a week. Yeah, come on, you're not gonna go look for If it was anyone of you and somebody didn't come immediately, it would be the worst thing in the world.

Exactly. You have time for gardening at golf mm hmmm, additional golf tournament.

Oh my gosh, what is wrong with these people? Yeah, they're they're working on the map, figuring things out.

They're not just gonna go running into the jungle this time up like every other time, every other time.

Yeah, oh, I guess this time too, because Walt went into the jungle and so they had to run into the jungle after him, right, but uh.

And then Vincent ran into the jungle, and Walt had to run after Vincent. Oh, Vincen vinceid it's a good looking dog.

Yeah, I still say for the amount of time that dog has been through a plane crash and in the jungle and on the beach and in.

The caves, it's very clean. It's very clean. My dog goes out in the yard to pee and she comes in dirty mat right, and it's your dog is not like blonde like that.

Oh yeah, my dog is black. And still what is this sticking to your coat? There's definitely there's we know there's a pharmacy on the island and a dog groomer and possibly a day small. Maybe that's where Claire's been. Yeah, these people people look pretty still looking pretty dewy.

Oh yeah, well, and I just during this episode said to my husband, like, how is Shannon's hair so clean? Like it's so clean. I mean, I guess she's like little bottles of shampoo or something.

It's like Sawyer collected a bunch of stuff. She went through and took all the.

Shampoo, all the shampoo, conditioner, and like a blow dryer. I think too.

I did enjoy boone, just like not picking up what she's putting down, not having any one like your dad. I'm pretty much over your nosis, right, you want to go get captured by a monster.

I haven't had it. Yeah.

Ooh, him bringing up her eating disorder when she's complaining.

Yeah, get us some burn.

Yeah, And that's that's some sibling nastiness.

Yes, exactly.

Goodness, Oh and just gosh, right off the bat, right off the beginning of the episode, Hurley's saying that Michael hates being a dad.

Man. Yeah, that seems unnecessary. Dude's trying.

Come on, of course, all he's doing is just yelling at the kid and making him stop doing things that he enjoys doing. But still, you know, he's still in the first section of the dad manual.

He hasn't gotten to be fun dad yet. Yeah, and he really kind of got screwed out of the whole first, really, did you know? The first year seems like he was like, you know, playing on the floor with the baby, like, you know, enjoying it all, and then boom. Yeah, Susan's like, yeah, I'm going I didn't understand. I mean, I guess obviously she didn't want him to, but why was there no discussion of him going with her, Yeah, to even to not live with her, but so he could be near the baby.

Like, yeah, he didn't seem to have any that much tie in him down, but I think she made it pretty clear he wasn't welcome. We're done, Yes, Even though she claims that they're not.

Yeah, we just need some time apart. I'm gonna go yeah.

Oh man, that was brutal. And then of course, you know he's gonna go visit them. And then he makes the rookie mistake of hanging up the payphone and stepping out into the street right by a car. Wait, that was a blast from the past.

Pa, a phone and a yellow taxi. I mean they recently.

But I do some work copy editing for educational materials, and there was a high school history lesson. It was social studies. It was talking about never mind what was talking about. But the history lesson involved somebody using a payphone. It was a Supreme Court case that involved in your privacy your payphone, and they had to have a little box that explains what a payphone was. In the seventies when this case was, people would go into a booth on the street and put in a small amount of

It's not that foreign. How old does that movie? Don't answer?

Oh?

Also, you know veron five yeah, there's a song. That song is from like twenty t God, that's not that not that well, yes it is.

Yeah, people of today are what is this payphone of?

Would you speak?

Why didn't they just use the phone in his pocket?

Was the battery dead? He was on an island that didn't have any power.

Wouldn't you love it if they just went around the corner on the island and there's a pay phone.

I mean there is a big metal hatch, so.

That's yeah, so you know it could happen. Would you if you were on mystery island and you just came through a clearing and there was a payphone box in the middle of a clearing?

Would you get into that? I mean the door open? Also, who do you call? I say, like, do you call your mom? Be like, Mom, I need you to pick me up.

That's right, just let it ring three times in hang off.

They'll know they don't want to pay the collect call.

Hopefully they still have the diamond their shoe.

Yes, for there for that purpose? What else did anybody? What did Jack do in this episode? Not very much, very much? And Sawyer. Sawyer had his you know, one minute scene to just be his same usual smug sawyerself and have this diary that everyone was looking for.

Yeah, yeah, so funny.

Yeah, he's in a rut. Yeah, I mean it's like, what are we going to do with this character? I don't know, But for now he can just lounge around on the beach and smirk at people.

It ain't a bad life, you know, It's only better than what he had on the mainland, right.

Yeah, he was running away from that guy whose money he left. Yeah. Yeah, man, he's got some shade. Yeah, and he was getting in some kind of trouble in Australia that we saw on Boone's episode. That's right. So that's right.

Boone's just now like Locke's secondhand. Man. He really is just beating up people for him hanging around, Yeah, off to the side.

He definitely did make his decision not to tell Shannon anything. Yes, yeah, I think he's done. He's done there.

Yeah, but it's gonna drive her crazy now, Yeah, she'll.

Probably I mean, will it drive her crazy enough for her to like follow him or is she probably expend that effort? Right since aid? Yeah, I think you should go follow my brother. Yeah, pick something's up out there.

Yeah, I don't see her Robin through the jungle, but never know, she may want the camera time.

True.

And then we had the return of the dog whistle. Yes hey, although he apparently also calls missing pregnant lady. Still, who knew glad it didn't call the polar bear. That's right, he's taking a risk. Vincent's just living his best life, isn't he? Just like, you know, you can run all the way into the jungle anytime I want, come back anytime I want good small rodents.

Probably anytime I want. Mm hmm.

It's a magical island. So I never get fleas.

Ye, I never get dirty, never get dirty, never have to go to the vet and get shots or anything like that. I'm away from that stepdad dude, who was oh yeah, you know, technically his dog. But okay, I did enjoy that detail. We talked about that already, but like, I know, yeah, you can have the dog.

I hope he really loved that dog dude too, But that bends it was like, you're not a nice man.

Yeah, I'm going with the kid. The kid needs me.

Oh my gosh, have been through a lot, guy, he is, Yeah, that's just what the heck, I don't care how scared.

You are the kid. Yeah, he's a child, that's rough. How old do we think he needs a psychic to go around and say, like he needs you? You can't be raised by another.

Yeah, Walt was raised by another. Maybe that's what happens to you.

That's why you get.

All sorts of weird ability to uh do weird island things.

Yeah, I think he's I think he's like ten.

I think so it's old enough to say, who are you? I'm not going to nowhere? Right, but look at all these letters I wrote to you with bad jokes on.

Them, had dad jokes. That's how you know I'm an actual dad dad geez?

I mean from a parenting point of view, to suddenly be thrust into a parenting role when your kid is ten, with very little the kid who doesn't really know that you exist, Yeah, and with you know, so weird. The only notice you had was basically the time you spent on an airplane, right, you know, he's like, here, here's two plane tickets.

It is so weird. Yeah, yeah, I like that guy. Yeah, maybe he knew that.

Like you say, it's like you just like you must have immediately ran from the hospital.

I need to be on the next flight to New York and then.

Turned around and flew back right back, presumably but on a different plane.

Right, He's like, here's a ticket for you. I will not be with you.

I mean he could at least be there to talk. Just gosh, raised a kid for at least state years. Yep, we put you in the bad stepdad Hall of Fame along with the bad dads. We've had sister mom either here. So I think we're gonna we got bad dads, bad sisters, bad mothers, bad stepdads.

Step step mother to like Boone's mom.

Yes, was step mom to Shannon right right, So I guess we have two bad stepdads or was she is?

I think it was the mom.

Well yeah, but also but whoever the step whoever Shannon's somebody was bad to boon to. Yeah, yeah, I think I think there was badness all around, just just all of them. Yes, this show is a very bad show to take parenting gifts from.

It's mostly don't do that.

Oh my gosh, don't do that do it?

Yes, well that's what we're learning.

Yeah, yeah, nothing good can come of all these things you're doing. People, Just do your job. I think again, as with Claire, Michael could use a parent But we've said this before that Michael needs a parenting book.

You need a parenting book.

We need a you know, baby parenting book for Claire. We need a ten year old parenting book for Michael. At the time this came out, surely, I say again, surely there was somebody on that airplane who was reading a parenting book.

Somebody's luggage and all that luggage that they've been spending all these weeks sorting and looking through.

Some poor mom was taking this flight to read about what to do about her horrible child. Honestly, I have myself possibly read parenting books on an airplane. Come on, they're there, They're somewhere. Maybe there's a case full.

Of them someplace.

Yeah, maybe Walt can think real hard and make.

One appear exactly. I bet he could think.

Of all the things you would like your father to know, and then, you know, imagine it in a book. Because it's clear that Michael has no clue whatsoever how.

To be a father. Although he did have, there hasn't been he had the presence to number one lie about Brian to protect Walt's feelings, and number two total Brian Stuck.

Yes, that's true, and I wish there had been some way to spare Walt's feelings without giving that bleep cover and making himself look like the bad guy. I am the one who is taking you from this father, the only father you've ever known, right, and now I am your father now. But he could have just said he fell out a window and we're very sorry. Yeah, he also had a blood disorder.

Right. Turns out they were a match made in heaven, question mark. Yep, he was.

You know, he's going back to the airport and he stepped out into traffic and boa boom.

He wasn't as lucky as I was.

Yeah, because kid's never going to go Well, I guess you wouldn't know that the kid's never going to go back to Australia at that time. But still that was very noble of him to do, but had the side effect of making Walt kind of hate him. Yeah, instead of the person who should rightly be hated. We mentioned how terrible that guy was.

Maybe achieved man.

Yes, Oh well, now we have the cliffhanger of Claire being there. Yes, next week we shall see what she's been doing. What kind of shape she's in right, and how ticked she.

Is, and if she's still pregnant beleeping nobody came to find you? Yes, and if she's still pregnant, because that was definitely obscured at this Yes, it was at this.

Juncture to make us wonder. As the week goes by, ulus we go on lost Apedia find it. You know, I don't know read the description for.

The next episode. That would be wrong. I'm not doing it.

Well, you've never seen it before.

I could just be refreshing right for you. You've seen it so.

Though. Interestingly this episode, when it was over, both my husband and I turned to each other and said, I have no memory of ever.

Watching that episode.

I don't remember any of those plot points at all. Really, yeah, it just.

Did you remember that Claire came back?

I didn't remember. I mean, I knew that she at some point came back.

I didn't remember it. This episode.

Just we have no Maybe maybe we missed it somehow, maybe we were doing something that week.

Yeah, because if you did, then you wouldn't necessarily get the chance.

I knew generally some of the plot points, but I didn't remember.

You probably read it father, you read a recap instead of actually.

Yeah, I didn't remember the whole drama of why he took Walt back other than I just assumed his mom died. And so it's like, because we talked a few weeks ago about why didn't Brian just adopt him, Well Brian did adopt him and then so I did not remember any of this at all. Okay, I did remember Walt being special, but not from this episode, from an episode that's coming up. Okay, So anyway made a real impression on me at the time, on both of us. So

Is there going to be a parade?

I assumed that this would be a clear flashback episode, because don't we want to flash back in her and.

Your very Yes?

But no, in fact, it is a Charlie episode because it's all about him.

Yeah, he's already had his turn. He yes, he has. But wait a second before we get into you, let me talk.

About my trimming, right, all right, man, Okay, you go ahead, She'll just wait and then hitch you over the head with something for reading her diary.

But also, what a waste of time that scene of him like trying to resist the urge to read her diary, which we all knew he was going to do. He knew he was going to do. They spent like thirty seconds of him like putting it down, picking it up, putting it down, picking it up, putting it back in the bag, moving the bag like Okay, we get it.

Episode came in thirty minute, thirty seconds short, and I thought, well, we could like have the polar bear for another thirty seconds, or we could just get dominic something to do.

Okay, Ella, here's has been a business for you man, Yeah boy, yoh boy. He went with it. He did.

It's an opportunity for everybody to get up and get another beverage from the kitchen. Well, thank you for listening. You can find all our episodes on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can find recaps, links, and an opportunity to comment on our website at parentingroundabout dot com.

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