MICHAEL DAWSON (LOST)

'Michael Dawson' is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Lost'' played by Harold Perrineau.

Contents

Fictional character biography

Prior to the crash

After the crash

Season 1

Season 2

Season 4

Production notes

References

Fictional character biography

Prior to the crash

Michael has been estranged from his son, Walt — named for Michael's father — for nearly all of Walt's life. Years earlier, Michael was very excited at the prospect of becoming a father and husband, but Walt's mother, Susan Lloyd, had other plans. Michael puts off his intentions to be an artist, in order to find steady construction work to support his family, while Susan goes to law school. When Susan is offered a plum job in international law, she takes their son with her to Amsterdam, leaving Michael alone in New York City. While abroad, she eventually marries Brian Porter, the man who hired her. When Susan calls to tell Michael about her marriage intentions, he becomes enraged, announces he is coming to Amsterdam to get his son back, and promptly runs off. As he crosses the street, he is hit by a car, which leaves him hospitalized for months and requiring a year off for rehabilitation. Two months after the accident, Susan tracks him down at the hospital and convinces him to give up his parental rights to Walt in return for completely covering his medical expenses, so that her new husband can adopt the boy.
Michael, however, refuses, and he and Susan are caught up in a custody battle. Michael is adamant not to let Susan take Walt away from him. However, when he meets Susan privately, she manages to convince him to reconsider his motives, asking him whether he is resisting for his own benefit, or for Walt's best interest. Susan allows Michael to say goodbye to Walt. He gives him a toy polar bear as a parting gift.
Several years later, in an abrupt visit by Brian, Michael learns about Susan's death. Distraught at the loss of his ex-wife, and seemingly afraid of Walt, Brian requests that Michael fly to Sydney to take custody of Walt, which briefly enrages Michael when he believes Brian is "passing the buck". Before leaving on Flight 815 to the United States, Michael calls his mother and asks if she can take Walt, since Michael believes he is unfit to take care of him at the time. She refuses, and when Michael hangs up the phone, he sees Walt standing right beside him, although it is unclear how much of the conversation Walt has heard.

After the crash

Season 1

Michael lands on the island, and begins looking for his son. The next day, Michael scolds Walt for wandering away from the beach, to which he is shown the discovered handcuffs. Michael is often accidentally encountering Sun, creating tension between himself and her husband, Jin. Michael searches for Vincent, but with no success. He is approached by Locke, who has found Walt's dog, but suggests Michael be the one to actually reunite the two. Michael goes hunting with Locke and Kate after boar invade the camp. He finds himself injured, and escorted back to camp. One morning, Michael is attacked by Jin, and almost killed. Sun explains the reason behind the attack, and Michael returns the gold wristwatch to him, and also releases Jin from the handcuffs with the axe. When Jack leads a group of survivors to live in the caves, Michael and Walt are amongst the people. Michael uses his knowledge of construction work to assess the safety of the caves. When Jack is caught in a cave in, Michael leads the people in attempting to rescue him. Later, Sun asks Michael to find her some eucalyptus plants in order to relief Shannon of her asthma, to which he complies.
Michael plans on making a showering facility using the fresh water, but is sidetracked by the golf course made by Hurley. Later, Michael catches Walt throwing one of Locke's knives, and forbids him from spending time with him. Walt disobeys him constantly, particularly when Michael begins constructing a raft to escape the island. After Michael burns Walt's comic book, he assumes that Walt has gone to see Locke again when he disappears. After confronting Locke again, Michael learns that Walt has ran away. The two head into the jungle to search for him, and eventually find him trapped by a polar bear. Michael rescues him, with the help of Locke, and returns him to the beach safely. One morning, Michael witnesses Jin and Sun arguing, and attempts to intervene. That night, to his horror, Michael watches the raft he built burn down. He turns his sights on finding Jin, holding him responsible. When Sawyer brings Jin to the beach, Michael starts beating him, stopping only when Sun yells at him to stop. Since Sun's revelation, Jin helps Michael build a second raft.
Michael gives away the remaining spot on the raft to Sawyer, but has second thoughts when Kate asks for a place, claiming to have more knowledge of sailing than him. Michael suddenly falls ill during construction, soon after giving the spot to Kate. However, after discovering the water was poisoned, and Kate's true intentions for wanting on the raft, he gives the space back to Sawyer. That night, Walt confesses to burning down the first one. Michael offers to stay on the island, but Walt shows a sudden desire to leave. The next morning, Rousseau arrives on the beach, warning them of the Others' imminent arrival. Later in the day, Michael, Walt, Jin and Sawyer set sail on the raft. That night, Michael spots a ship on the radar, provided by Sayid, but is reluctant to waste their only flare. Upon firing it, they are spotted and approached by a small boat. However, they reveal themselves to be the Others, and abduct Walt. Michael is pushed into the water, and watches as the raft is destroyed while Walt is carried away in the distance.

Season 2

Staying afloat on the wreckage, Michael turns the blame to Sawyer for provoking the Others, and the two argue. Michael learns to accept the blame, and the two arrive on shore the next morning. They see Jin running along the beach, being pursued by Mr. Eko, who knocks them unconscious and throws them into a pit. They are joined by Ana Lucia, who confiscates their gun. Michael is lifted out of the pit to explain their situation, resulting in their freedom. Ana Lucia asks Michael to take them to his own camp, to which he agrees. However, after learning that the Others could be nearby, Michael abandons the tail-section survivors and heads into the jungle. He is found by Jin and Eko, who convince him to head back with them. After Sawyer passes out from his injuries, Michael constructs a stretcher to carry him the rest of the way. When Cindy disappears, Michael witnesses the death of Shannon. Following this, Ana Lucia demands that Michael brings her some items so she can survive in the jungle alone. He arrives at the , where he informs Jack of the situation. Later, he is shown the orientation video to the hatch, and also the code for the computer. Whilst volunteering to cover a shift, a message appears on the screen, to which he replies. When introducing himself to the stranger, he is startled by the response, and is lead to believe that Walt is communicating to him.
He asks Locke to train him with the guns in the armory. The next day, he locks Jack and Locke in the armory, and heads into the jungle, under the instructions given to him by the computer to go alone. He encounters Pickett and Tom, who capture him and take him to a small community of huts. Upon arriving, a blood sample is taken from him, and he is questioned by Bea, asking him about strange behavior and appearances by Walt. Michael, not being present for the majority of Walt's childhood, is unable to answer the questions satisfyingly. One night, he is granted permission to see Walt for three minutes, but upon asking him about the tests they put him through, the meeting is cut short. Bea then gives Michael a list of people he needs to bring to them in order to be reunited with his son, and also be able to leave the island. Michael heads back to the beach, but passes out. He is discovered by Jack and Kate, and brought back to the hatch. He learns of the captive "Henry Gale", and offers to take Jack to the Others' camp.
When Ana Lucia talks about wanting to kill Henry, but can't bring herself to do it, Michael offers to do it for her. Upon receiving the gun, however, Michael shoots Ana Lucia in the chest. He is then startled by Libby's appearance, and shoots her twice in the abdomen. He unlocks the armory, freeing Henry, and shoots himself in the shoulder in an attempt to make it seem as though Henry is responsible. Following these events, he persuades Kate and Sawyer to go with him to the Others' camp, but it isn't until after the funeral of Ana Lucia and Libby that Hurley offers to join them. Michael snaps at Sayid when he also volunteers to go, and asks him to stay behind. En route to the Others' camp, Michael is forced to reveal his reason for taking the four along. He stands by as they are ambushed and taken to the pier. Michael is reunited with Walt, and given a boat and coordinates to follow in order to finally leave the island. Michael is warned never to return, else he will be exposed to the services as a murderer.

Season 4

Michael did not appear throughout the duration of Season 3. However, it was confirmed at the ABC's 2007 TCA press conference, that Perrineau will reprise his role as Michael Dawson in season 4. ^[1] It was then confirmed at Comic-Con 2007, that Perrineau will be returning as a series regular sometime early in the season. ^[2]

Production notes

★ Michael and Walt appear in the episode Exposé, although this was reused footage from the original Season 1 episode and does not constitute an appearance by either character.

References

1. Michael Rows His Boat Ashore!! Perrineau Returns To LOST!!
2. ''IGN'' (July 26th, 2007): "SDCC 07: Lost Season 4 Info Revealed", by Eric Goldman