Recurring Phrases: Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do Season 1

WALKABOUT

Randy, Locke's boss, taunts Locke about his impending Walkabout:

RANDY: What is it with you Locke? Why do you torture yourself? I mean, imagining you're some hunter? Walkabouts? Wake up, you can't do any of that.

LOCKE: Norman Croucher.

RANDY: What? Norman what?

LOCKE: Norman Croucher. Norman Croucher, double amputee, no legs. He climbed to the top of Mt. Everest. Why? It was his destiny.

RANDY: That's what you think you've got, old man? Destiny?

LOCKE: Just don't tell me what I can't do.

Michael has been gored by a boar, and Kate is tending to his wound:

LOCKE: Which way did that boar go?

KATE: Michael's hurt. We have to get him back to camp.

LOCKE: Yeah, you take him back to camp. I'm going to get that boar.

[Kate looks shocked.]

KATE: What are you talking about?

LOCKE: I'm fine. I can do this.

KATE: John, you can't.

LOCKE: Don't tell me what I can't do.

In the Walkabout Travel Office, Locke is told he will not be allowed to join the Walkabout:

LOCKE: No. I don't want to go back to Sydney. Look I've been preparing for this for years. Just put me on the bus, right now, I can do this.

AGENT: No, you can't.

LOCKE: Hey, hey, don't you walk away from me. [The wheelchair reveal]. You don't know who you're dealing with. Don't ever tell me what I can't do, ever. This is destiny. This is destiny. This is my destiny. (yelling) I'm supposed to do this, dammit. Don't tell me what I can't do. Don't tell me what I can't. . .

WHITE RABBIT

Locke tries to talk Jack into coming back to the beach and serve as the leader:

JACK: How are they, the others?

LOCKE: Thirsty. Hungry. Waiting to be rescued. And they need someone to tell them what to do.

JACK: Me? I can't.

LOCKE: Why can't you?

JACK: Because I'm not a leader.

LOCKE: And yet they all treat you like one.

RAISED BY ANOTHER

Claire wants to move back to the beach after being attacked in the caves:

CLAIRE: I'm leaving.

JACK: What? No. Claire, Claire.

CLAIRE: I was safer at the beach. It's not safe here.

JACK: Don't do this, Claire. You need to think about the baby.

CLAIRE: Don't talk to me about the baby. I'm sick of everyone telling me what to do.

DEUS EX MACHINA

Boone has grown tired of trying to open the hatch:

LOCKE: You're late.

BOONE: Late for what?

LOCKE: Late for work.

BOONE: I think I'm done working, John.

LOCKE: I'm sorry, what?

BOONE: It's useless. You can't open that thing up. You say you can but you can't.

LOCKE: No, don't tell me what I can't do.

DO NO HARM

Sun tells Jack that he can't save Boone:

SUN: Why are you doing this? He's bleeding inside. You're not helping him. You can't save him, Jack. You just can't!

JACK: Don't tell me what I can't do! Okay, 1, 2, 3, go.

- Note that when Locke said this, Locke says that in regard for things he can do for himself,
Jack says that in regard for things he can do for others. Thanks to vertical at the fuselage