WALT LLOYD

'Walter Lloyd', better known as "'Walt'," is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Lost'' played by Malcolm David Kelley.

Contents

Fictional character biography

Prior to the crash

After the crash

Season 1

Seasons 2 and 3

Production difficulties with the character

Fictional character biography

Prior to the crash

Walt is Michael Dawson's 10-year-old son (born August 24, 1994, named after Michael's father, Walter). Walt's mother was Susan Lloyd, a law student and future attorney, who rejected marriage with his father, a construction worker and part-time artist. His mother split up with Michael while Walt was still a baby, and moved with her son to Amsterdam for a plum international law job. Two weeks before Walt's second birthday, while Michael is recovering in a hospital from a car accident, Susan visits him. She tells him she will cover all his medical expenses. She also tells him that she and her boss, Brian Porter, are planning on getting married and that they will be moving to Rome, Italy, at the end of the month. She insists Michael give up parental rights to Walt so that Brian can adopt him. Michael initially refuses and insists on getting his son back. A legal battle ensues between Walt's two parents. Several months later, they finally settle their dispute amicably and Michael accepts to let Susan keep Walt with her. When Michael sees Walt for the last time to say goodbye, he gives the boy a stuffed polar bear.
Eight years later, Brian tracks down Michael in New York, and tells him that Susan had died in Australia due to a "blood disorder". Brian had left Sydney hastily, arriving in New York the day after Susan's death. He pleads with Michael to take custody of the boy and even gives him tickets for the flight to Sydney and back, plus extra money for travel expenses. Brian reveals that he had not wanted to be Walt's adoptive father, and that he is scared of the boy: "There's something about him. Sometimes, when he's around, things happen. He's different somehow."
Unusual occurrences have appeared around Walt. Just prior to his mother's death, Walt is studying from a book about native birds, and wants Brian to look at the entry for the Australian Bronze cuckoo. When Brian ignores him because Susan suddenly feels sick at that moment, Walt becomes insistent, as he says "you're not looking" a bird suddenly smashes into the window because it 'wasn't looking' and dies. It looks like the bird Walt was looking at in the book.
When Michael arrives in Australia to collect Walt, he doesn't take too well to him. Michael spares Walts feelings and tells him that Bryan wants to keep him, but it is up to Michael and he has decided to take him. Michael also tells Walt that Bryan said Walt could have his dog, Vincent.
In "Exodus: Part 1", Michael and Walt stay in a hotel the night before the flight. Walt constantly disobeys Michael, comparing him to Brian, and attempts to leave with his dog, Vincent. Walt constantly gives Michael the cold shoulder at the airport, paying more attention to his video game instead.

After the crash

Season 1

Walt quickly bonds with Locke after the crash, much to Michael's concern. Whilst looking for Vincent in the jungle, he discovers a pair of handcuffs. Due to Michael's willingness to help others, Walt is left under the care of different people, most noticeably Sun, who introduces him to her knowledge of herbal uses ("Walkabout"). Walt later moves into the caves, along with Michael. Walt is intriguied by Locke's hunting instincts, and constantly tries to sneak away with him, but to no avail. It is on one occasion when Walt sees Locke in the jungle throwing knives, and asks to practice with him ("Hearts and Minds").
The next day, Walt sneaks away with Locke and Boone, and exhibits a natural talent in knife throwing. Michael soon arrives and is enraged, taking Walt away from them and forbidding him to see them. Annoyed, Walt disobeys him and speaks with Locke in the caves. Michael catches him and, as punishment, burns Walt's comic book. Walt takes Vincent and leaves camp, heading into the jungle, where he encounters a polar bear. He is rescued by Michael and Locke ("Special").
Michael begins constructing a raft, and finishes it after a few days. However, Walt secretly sets alight to it, completely destroying it. Only Locke knows about this ("...In Translation"). Walt encounters Locke in the jungle days later, and notices the uncovered hatch. Walt then warns Locke not to open it, before running away. That night, after Michael recovers from his earlier poisoning, Walt confesses to burning the original raft, explaining that he didn't want to leave the island. However, after Michael proposes staying behind, Walt's mind suddenly changes and demands they leave ("Born to Run").
The next morning, Walt is the first to find Rousseau arriving on the beach. Later that day, he gives Vincent to a still-grieving Shannon before he leaves on the raft with Michael, Jin and Sawyer. That night, however, they encounter the Others. They destroy the raft and kidnap Walt ("Exodus, Part 2").

Seasons 2 and 3

Walt remains in captivity with the Others, but frequently appears to Shannon, particularly in "Man of Science, Man of Faith" and "Abandoned", however, no one believes her. In "Abandoned", Walt appears to Shannon shortly after Sayid leaves for a brief moment. He later appears to both of them the next day in the jungle. It is because of this that Shannon is shot by Ana Lucia.
As Michael is entering the numbers into the hatch, he unexpectedly receives a message, saying "Hello?". Michael begins a conversation with this person, but after introducing himself, he receives a message asking, "Dad?". Michael believes that this is Walt trying to communicate with him. Later, Michael receives instructions from this anonymous that lead him to the Others ("The 23rd Psalm").
Michael is briefly reunited with Walt after he is brought to their camp. Walt reveals that he had been 'experimented' on, resulting in their meeting being cut short. Before being taken away, Walt hugs Michael ("Three Minutes"). Later, Michael returns with Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley, in an exchange for Walt and their freedom. Walt awaits in the boat (also given to Michael), and the two sail off ("Live Together, Die Alone").
Walt and Michael can be briefly seen in the background of Jack's speech in a flashback in the episode Exposé, however, this was from footage of Season 1 and not newly shot.
Much later, as Locke lies in a pit of dead bodies about to commit suicide in despair, Walt appears to him and tells him to get out of the pit, saying he has "work to do", allowing Locke to regain use of his legs again ("Through the Looking Glass").

Production difficulties with the character

One of the key questions with the character Walt is casting and problems that arise concerning the proposed timeline on ''Lost''. While the series moves slowly through time and only weeks have passed on the show, the actual filming has stretched over several years.
When originally cast, Walt was portrayed as a 10 year old boy, but after two seasons, Malcolm David Kelley no longer looked 10. The show's writers appear to have dealt with this at the end of the second by sending Michael and Walt away from the island toward supposed rescue.
In his brief appearance at the end of Season 3, Kelley is noticeably taller and older with a deeper voice.