“Walkabout” is the Lost episode that reveals John Locke used a wheelchair before the crash.
Broadcast as the fourth episode of the first season, “Walkabout” follows Locke as he tries to join a boar-hunting expedition. Its flashbacks initially present him as an office worker planning an Australian walkabout, while the island storyline shows him moving with unusual confidence and physical ability.
The episode’s closing reveal shows Locke standing after the crash and looking at his legs, establishing that he had been paralyzed before Oceanic Flight 815 went down. This became one of the series’ earliest major mysteries and helped define Locke’s connection to the island.
“Walkabout” was written by David Fury and directed by Jack Bender. Terry O’Quinn played Locke, and his performance in the episode received major critical praise. The title refers to the Australian Aboriginal journey that Locke had hoped to undertake before being refused because of his disability.