Michael Dawson
Name: Michael Dawson
Occupation: Construction1, Artist
First Appearance: 1×01 – Pilot, Part One
Flashbacks: 1×14 -Special
Eleven years prior to the crash of Oceanic 815, Michael’s girlfriend Susan became pregnant. In order to support her through law school, he gave up painting and started working construction. He decided that he wanted their son named Walt – which Susan agreed to on condition that he have her last name, Lloyd as they were unmarried and she had resisted Michael’s proposals2.
When Walt was about a year old, Susan moved to Amsterdam with work after she and Michael experienced difficulties in their relationship, taking Walt with her while Michael remained in New York3.
Approximately two months before Walt’s second birthday, Michael argued with Susan on a payphone when he found out that she was seeing Brian, her boss in Amsterdam. Furious, he walked across the street and was run down by a car. Two weeks before Walt’s birthday, Susan returned to visit him and told him that she was covering his medical expenses. She also told him that she was marrying Bryan and wanted him to adopt Walt4.
Brian turned up at Michael’s door years later to tell him that Susan had died and wanted him to take Walt; he had never wanted children but had adopted him to please her. Now that she was gone he didn’t feel he could care for him any more and, additionally, he thought Walt was ‘different’5.
Michael flew to Sydney to collect Walt, who didn’t recognize him. To protect him, Michael told him that Brian wanted to keep him but he had no choice in the matter since Michael wanted him. He told Walt he could bring Vincent, even though he was Brian’s dog6.
Following the crash of Oceanic 815, Michael looked for Walt amidst the wreckage. Later that night, he cradled him by a fire, trying to offer him some comfort.7
The next day, he briefly spoke to Sun as he searched for Walt, observing that Jin seemed overbearing. When he found Walt – who was looking for his dog Vincent – Walt showed him some handcuffs he found. Michael showed these to other survivors which led to a fight between Sayid and Sawyer.8
Later on, he tried to bond with Walt although was unintentionally insensitive, causing Walt to leave again. While he was talking to Jack, he found out that he had seen Vincent in the jungle the previous day.9 Michael was uncomfortable with Walt talking to Locke, and ended up searching for Vincent to prove himself to him. While he was looking he got scared by some sounds and ran – accidentally stumbling on a topless Sun, washing herself.10
The next day, Locke let him know where he’d left Vincent tied up and Michael gave him back to his son, to Walt’s delight.11
Michael was still suspicious of Locke, but joined him on a boar hunt the following day to get to know him better, leaving Walt in Sun’s care. He was later injured by a boar and returned to the camp with Kate, leaving Locke to hunt alone. After Locke returned with the boar, Michael congratulated him but clearly still wasn’t too sure about him.12
A few days later, Jin attacked Michael when he saw he was wearing a watch belonging to his father-in-law. Later, Walt asked Michael what he had done to provoke him, a question that highlighted the fact that Walt didn’t know him very well. When Sun explained the situation to him – in English – he freed Jin and returned the watch. He and Walt decided to stay on the beach and wait for rescue rather than follow Jack to the caves13.
The following day, Michael led the group who tried to rescue Jack after he was trapped in a cave-in, impressing Walt with his construction knowledge. Walt later asked if they could stay in the caves14.
The next day, Michael helped Sun gather eucalyptus leaves to help Shannon, much to Jin’s disapproval15.
A few days later, Michael alienated Walt when he forgot about him while he was playing golf in Hurley’s tournament16.
When Claire and Charlie were taken by Ethan, Michael wanted to search for them but was dismissed by Locke. Angry – especially after Walt told him he should listen to Locke – Michael took a search party out anyway, but with no success17.
A few days later, Michael finally found his luggage and was especially happy to find a wooden box still inside it18.
Later still, Michael confronted Locke over teaching Walt to use a knife, warning him to stay away from his son. He later decided that he was going to build a raft to get Walt off the island, although Sayid and Jack didn’t think that was a good idea19.
He started gathering raft supplies the next day with Walt, who wandered off after Locke. Michael again confronted Locke, this time telling him he’d kill him if he went near Walt again. When Walt wandered off with Vincent in a huff, Michael and Locke teamed up to track him, eventually working together to save him from a polar bear. Fences mended, that night he showed Walt the box of cards and letters he’d written him that Susan had never shown him, proving that he’d always loved him20.
Michael continued to work on the raft21 but later almost came to blows with Jin when he thought he was mistreating Sun. Sun stepped in and slapped Michael to defuse the situation but l later tried to apologize to him, telling him it was for his own protection as he didn’t know what Jin was capable of. Later that night Michael’s raft was set on fire and he immediately thought that Jin was responsible22.
The next day when Jin was ‘captured’ by Sawyer and dragged back to the beach, Michael punched him to the ground again and again, accusing him of the arson. Sun eventually stopped him by screaming at him to stop in English – much to Jin’s surprise. Locke also came to his defense by pointing out it was more likely that others like Ethan had burned the raft23.
When Jin moved from the caves and left Sun he started to help Michael rebuild his raft24.
- 1×07 [↩]
- 1×14 [↩]
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- 1×01 [↩]
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- 1×04 [↩]
- 1×06 [↩]
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- 1×09 [↩]
- 1×11 [↩]
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- 1×16 [↩]
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Tags: Characters, Michael
