Deus Ex Machina (Lost)

“Deus Ex Machina”
Lost episode
The beechcraft atop a cliff
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 19
Written by	Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof
Directed by	Robert Mandel
Guest stars	Swoosie Kurtz Kevin Tighe
Production no.	117
Original airdate	March 30, 2005
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Episode chronology

"Deus Ex Machina" is the 19th episode of the first season of Lost. The episode was directed by Robert Mandel and written by Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof. It first aired on March 30, 2005 on ABC. The character of John Locke is featured in the episode's flashbacks.

Plot

On the island, Locke and Boone build a trebuchet in an effort to break open the hatch windows. When this fails, an exasperated Locke pounds the hatch, before Boone notices a shard in Locke's leg; Locke mentions he feels no pain, and discovers that night that he's losing feeling in his legs. That night, in a dream, Locke tells Boone that the island will send them a sign, at which point he notices a Beechcraft 18 crash in the jungle. The dream also reveals a secret about Boone. Awaking early the next day, Locke and Boone head out in search of the aircraft. When Boone doubts him, Locke mentions the secret he learned from his dream, leading Boone to follow Locke on the hunt. After some searching, they discover the plane teetering on the edge of a cliff. Locke, having lost use of his legs, asks Boone to climb up to check the plane. While in the plane, Boone discovers a trove of statues filled with heroin, the body of a priest, and a working radio. Using this radio, Boone sends out a distress call. In response, a male voice answers, "Is someone out there?" to which Boone responds, "We are the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815." He hears the reply, "No, WE are the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815." At this point the teetering plane falls over the cliff. Frantically, Locke struggles to his feet, hoists a critically injured Boone on his shoulders, and returns to the camp. In flashbacks, a younger Locke meets a mysterious woman in the discount superstore in which he works. After an initial meeting, Locke later notices this same woman watching him in the store's parking lot. When he chases after to confront her, she explains that she is his birth mother, Emily Locke. When Locke asks about his father, Emily explains that Locke doesn’t have a father as he was immaculately conceived. Undeterred, Locke hires a private investigator who finds Locke's father, Anthony Cooper. When Locke travels to his father’s affluent home, he is welcomed with open arms. One day, Locke arrives at the home early, and notices his father on dialysis, which eventually prompts Locke to offer one of his kidneys to save his father. After the surgery, Locke wakes up in the hospital to find that his father has gone home for private care. Emily arrives to explain that all this was a scheme to get Anthony a kidney. Devastated, Locke pulls himself out of the hospital bed and drives to his father's home, where he is turned away. While driving away, Locke breaks down over the betrayal. Locke comes to the caves with Boone, and tells Jack that Boone fell from a cliff while they were hunting. Jack starts administering to Boone, but Locke disappears into the jungle and returns to the hatch. Pounding on the door and screaming in anguish atop the hatch, Locke laments what has happened, when the inside of the hatch suddenly becomes illuminated.