John Locke (flash-sideways timeline)

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Flash-sideways Timeline
(Oceanic Flight 815 lands at LAX)

John Locke
Actor	Terry O'Quinn
First	"LA X, Part 1"
Last	"The Last Recruit"
Episode Count	6
Centric	"The Substitute" "The Last Recruit"
Age	48
Birth	30 May 1956
Place	Tustin, California, USA
Profession	Substitute teacher
Reason in Australia	...to participate in a walkabout tour out of Melbourne. He took the trip on behalf of his company for a business conference.
Reason For Trip	...to return home
Family	Mrs. Locke - Grandmother Anthony Cooper - Father Emily Locke - Mother Helen Norwood - Fiancée

You may be looking for his counterpart in the original timeline.

John Locke is a substitute teacher and a paralyzed passenger of Oceanic Flight 815. He traveled to Australia to take part in a walkabout, but was rejected because of his disability. Upon returning to the states, Locke was fired from his job, as he had taken the trip on the company's time. Locke was subsequently given a new job by Hugo Reyes as a substitute teacher. Recently, he was intentionally struck with a car by Desmond Hume, and his fate is currently unknown.

Before the flight

Locke and his father ("The Substitute")

Before his trip to Australia, Locke went on a hunting trip with his father. A photo from this outing was prominently displayed in his cubicle at the box company where he worked. ("The Substitute")

Locke with Helen at the beach("The Substitute")

After meeting Helen, he took a vacation with her to the beach. A photo of him standing next to Helen during this vacation was also displayed in his cubicle. It was at some point after this that Locke became paralyzed from the waist down. ("The Substitute")

Locke was sent to Sydney to attend a conference on behalf of his company; however, he first missed an appointment with Ken Fisher, and ultimately did not show up to a single event. Instead, he tried to take part in a walkabout out of Melbourne, but was turned down because of his disability. ("The Substitute")

Aboard Flight 815

Boone and Locke exchange their reasons for being in Australia. ("LA X, Part 1")

On the flight, John was reading a safety brochure, which lead Boone, sitting nearby, to say it wouldn't be any use if the plane went down. John replied a good pilot could negotiate a water landing, and the fuel tanks would keep the plane afloat until the survivors could get onto the liferafts. The conversation continued: Boone explained he was in Australia to get his sister out of a bad relationship, but she didn't want to come back with him. Locke said he went on a walkabout for ten days in the Australian outback, which greatly impressed Boone, leading him to remark that if the plane did crash, he'd stick with Locke. ("LA X, Part 1")

After the flight

Jack hands Locke his business card for a free consultation. ("LA X, Part 2")

In a small Oceanic Airlines office, Locke, who is finishing up filling out paperwork on his case of knives, which the airline had misplaced, meets Jack Shephard who tells Locke Oceanic lost his father because they couldn't locate his coffin. Locke told Jack Oceanic had no idea where Jack's dad was because the airline lost his dad's body, not his dad. Seemingly grateful to hear this perception of the ordeal, Jack noticed Locke's condition and asked him about it. "My condition is irreversible," Locke said. "Nothing is irreversible," Jack replied. He offered him a free consultation, gave him his business card and held the door open for Locke to wheel out. ("LA X, Part 2")

When Locke returned home, the wheelchair lift on his van malfunctioned, prompting him to try and make a jump on his chair, several inches above the ground. He failed, falling out of his wheelchair and triggering the lawn's sprinklers. This caught the attention of his fiance, Helen. She brought him in and asked how the conference he supposedly attended for work went. Locke lied and told her it went well, while again professing his love for her.

Hurley helps Locke. ("The Substitute")

The following day at work, John's boss confronts him about what he actually did in Australia. Locke attempts to lie to him as well, but is caught. Despite his pleading, Randy fires him mercilessly. When he returns to his car, Locke is irritated to find that someone has parked a large SUV next to him, giving him no room for his wheelchair lift. He attempts to activate it anyway, only for it to stall again before coming in contact with the other car. Enraged, he hits the rear of the car, activating the alarm. This prompts its owner, Hugo Reyes, to come out. After a minor argument, Hugo introduces himself. When told that Locke was just fired by Randy, Hugo shrugs him off as a "huge douche", and offers to get his job back. Locke politely refuses, and Hugo gives him the number of a temp agency he owns.

Locke and Helen share a tender moment. ("The Substitute")

After refusing to take a banal personality test, Locke meets with the agency's manager, and asks to be given a job as site operator for a construction company. The manager, Rose, suggests that this is a poor fit for him, and asks John to "get real". Locke asks what she knows about reality, at which point she admits she has terminal cancer, prompting Locke to take a job she suggests, substitute teacher.

Locke is injured after a hit-and-run accident with Desmond. ("Everybody Loves Hugo")

At an unnamed High School, Locke subs for a PE teacher and a Health teacher, before going to the faculty lounge for lunch. When there, he meets Ben Linus, the history teacher, who makes quick friends with John. ("The Substitute") At a later date, after overhearing a conversation between Dr. Linus and Dr. Arzt, Locke suggested that Dr. Linus should be the school principal. Dr. Linus asked "who's going to listen to me?" to which Locke raised his hand and replied "I'm listening." ("Dr. Linus")

Locke's reaction right before getting struck by Desmond's car ("Everybody Loves Hugo")

Having gained some knowledge of the original timeline, Desmond Hume sought out the other passengers of Flight 815, including Locke. He found him at the school, where he watched Locke for a while, as he was crossing the road Desmond hit him with his car sending Locke flying over the vehicle and landing on the pavement. Ben dashed over to Locke and demanded that an ambulance be called. ("Everybody Loves Hugo")

Locke was then brought to St. Sebastian Hospital via ambulance and accompanied by Dr. Linus. On his way inside, he passed by a wounded Sun, who recognized him and informed Jin of such. Once inside, he was prepped for surgery. Jack was called in to operate on him. As he was starting the surgery, Jack noticed Locke's face in a mirror and informed the other surgeons that he recognized him, presumably from Oceanic flight 815. ("The Last Recruit")

Unanswered questions

Unanswered questions
Do not answer the questions here. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer. More details...

For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: John Locke (flash-sideways timeline)/Theories

• When and how did he become paralyzed?
• How is his relationship with his father?