Category Archives: Lost News

Knowing LOST Episode 1.03 Premieres!

Hey guys. This is my first post on this blog, though it’s probably not the first time you’ve read something I’ve written. I also write at TVOvermind, MovieOvermind, SpoilerTV, and I’m an administrator for Lostpedia. You might have been reading my new project, Knowing LOST, which started earlier this month. If you’re unfamiliar with the project or what it’s about, check out this post.

I’ll be posting on this site with reports from Knowing LOST, including major news (and there will be some major news). First of all, though, check out the latest episode. It’s the third episode, and is titled “Do You Want to Know a Secret?, which is written by myself and fellow TVOvermind scribe Mark O. Estes. Of course, I shouldn’t have to warn you guys — if you haven’t read the first two episodes, starting with the third episode isn’t the smartest thing you could do.

It’s going to be a big week for the project, so stay tuned to the site to remain in the know. On Monday, a brand new exclusive piece of Knowing LOST fan art will be posted and available for order. It’s worth every penny, too. Expect even more great news about the project later on in the week.

Until then, enjoy episode 1.03, “Do You Want to Know a Secret?”

What?! They Improvised?!

So much for their radio silence after the finale! In yet another interview, Lindelof and Cuse shockingly emphasized that the journey to the end may not have been set in stone from the beginning. In revealing what we already know, they give some insight into the writing process for the show.

In this interview with Sci Fi Wire, Cuse and Lindelof revealed, “There was a big, mythic architecture which included a lot of what’s in the finale, in terms of where we end the show, that we knew way back in the beginning.” To prepare for a season, they held mini-camps for the writers before each season to map out the architecture of the upcoming season. However, they were not beholden to the blueprint. Lindelof underscores, “It’s good to have a plan, but at the same time the most important plan is making the next episode really good.”

Read the full article here, Sci Fi Wire: Dude! Lost’s creators explain they actually IMPROVISED!

Damon Lindelof Talks About the Lost Finale

A Sirius XM show called “Geek Time” was able to talk to Damon Lindelof before he went into radio silence.

Via ScreenRant:

From all of us who made the show, we really hope that you don’t feel it was a waste of your time. We hope that you spent the entire night not just thinking about the finale on a story level, but that you were emotionally affected by it.

There are two feelings that you feel when you watch the ending of a television show. The first is the feeling that you have of just understanding that the show is over and the second is what your response is to actually what’s happening on the screen.

What I liked about the Soprano’s finale was that it changed the experience because when Chase cut to black, suddenly that feeling of “the show’s over” was replaced by “is my cable out?” – he kind of changed the conversation about it.

For us, we tried to write the last two and a half hours of the show so that those two feelings would feel like they were the same thing. So, you’re feeling of saying goodbye to the show – of the show not being around anymore – was actually literally perfectly paralleling what we were showing you on the screen.

If you had an experience anything like that, then it was mission accomplished.

If you didn’t, we blew it and I apologize.

Communion with One Another and the Purpose of Lost

This is a two-part post. The first section discusses the finale and addresses a significant overarching theme of the show, which is affirmed in those final scenes.  The second section explores the potential legacy of Lost and offers a definition of “good storytelling” to see how Lost measures up. Hope you enjoy!

“Let no one build walls to divide us
Walls of hatred nor walls of stone
Come greet the dawn and stand beside us
We’ll live together or we’ll die alone”

Billy Bragg,“The Internationale”

I was sincerely awed by the emotional power of the last few scenes of the finale, which were intensified even more by the subtle tenderness of Vincent, who did not let Jack die alone. I realized that, despite my recent criticism of everything Lost, from hokey dialogue to implausible motives, I have maintained a deep connection to these characters. Much has already been said about how the finale, and the series in general, is fundamentally a character-driven story. But it wasn’t just the individual personal dramas that moved me; it was the return of a few very fundamental themes, most notably, redemption through community. Emotional interdependency and salvation through a communion with others drives this episode and, arguably, the entire narrative.

“No one does it alone, Jack”

Christian Shephard

Jack’s transformation from doubting Thomas to savior was compelling by itself. He journeyed from being a reluctant leader to a prodigal son and, finally, a man of faith. From there, he was able to see that he had a purpose, that there was an order to the universe and that he was chosen to protect it from chaos. As Damon Lindelof said in an interview and I will paraphrase here, the metaphysical conflict has shifted from faith versus reason to order versus chaos. The Smoke Monster threatened to destroy everything and send them “all to hell,” as Isabella (Richard’s wife) told Hurley. Granted, we did not get an explicit answer about what exactly would happen, but we can assume that by destroying the monster, Kate and Jack  might have very well saved the world, and that whatever Jack did with the giant cork, he preserved the island. Jack did all of this selflessly; he served as the sacrificial lamb for all of humanity.

Jack’s Redemption

Jack became a willing participant of an extraordinary community, a kind of microcosm of the world, and worked with this group to shift the paradigm of the island. He had to accept, not only his role as a leader, but his function as savior. Quite literally, he did all of this “in communion” with others. So it was not only Jack that was redeemed, but everyone who cooperated in the greater cause. And they all achieved a sort of salvation, or at least authorization to “move on,” by re-assembling the group in the afterlife and by remembering the significance of their lives together. This theme—redemption through community—has arisen throughout the series, most notably in Jack’s “live together, die alone” speech, so it is no surprise that it plays such a crucial role in the resolution of the plot.

It makes sense too, within this context, that Hurley has been appointed as the next Jacob. He understands the value of community and how, if done right, a collaborative effort can elevate human beings. Recall his very first job on the island—to distribute food to the “masses”—and remember the golf course he made to ease the tension within the group and bring them all together.  He is clearly in communion with others. What many of us didn’t realize before, including me, is that being in communion with the island is not as important as emotionally connecting to others.

The episode’s inherent message is that social collaboration and emotional engagement are the keys to redemption and a “life after death.” Christian tells Jack that all of his friends have come together “to remember;” they have constructed a shared space together because “No one does it alone.” Like Jesus and the disciples gathered at the last supper for communion, in anticipation of renewal and transcendence, the Lostaways gather to create a place for  their own salvation, even if being saved is simply “letting go.” (Remember the “Lost Supper” image?)

It’s “Just a Story”: Lost’s Legacy and the Purpose of Storytelling

“We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel…is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.”

—Ursula K. Le Guin

People have asked me if I think Lost is a work of literature. I suppose this is a reasonable question, considering I’m writing a book titled Literary Lost and that I am a teacher of literature. But the answer, of course, is a resounding ‘no.’ How can it be literature? It was written for one very specific type of medium—episodic television. But that aside, certainly both written narratives and television shows serve a similar purpose: to provide entertainment through fictional stories.

Azar Nafisi, author of the memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran once paid a visit to our university and I was fortunate enough to have her as a guest in my classroom. One of the things we discussed was the role of fiction in our lives, the significance of stories that “are not even true.” (Here I quote Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories “what is the use of stories that aren’t even true?”) In Nafisi’s memoir she answers this question with the following statement: “A great novel heightens your senses and sensitivity to the complexities of life and of individuals, and prevents you from the self-righteousness that sees morality in fixed formulas about good and evil…”

Lost is not a “great novel”—it is not a novel at all–but I think most viewers would agree that it does pass the test of good storytelling, in the sense that it has “heightened our senses and sensitivity” and that it has been guarded about judging its characters, careful to stay away from “fixed formulas” of morality. Lost has allowed its viewers to identify with a diverse community of people struggling with basic human problems and learning to connect with one another. I think a majority of the audience would agree that it has pushed viewers to interpret aspects of their own lives in a new light, just like any good story should do. In fact, many fans have expressed such extreme sentiments as, “Lost has changed my life” or “the show has changed the way I view spirituality”… or even “the way I read literature.” These comments and other responses like them are unique to Lost, at least in the world of broadcast television storytelling. Certainly they count for something in the assessment of Lost’s success as an engaging narrative.

Thanks for reading. Long live Lost!

Sarah Clarke Stuart’s “Lost and literature” blog can be found here. She is working on a book titled Literary Lost which will soon be available for pre-order.

Michael Emerson Spills the Beans on the Lost Epilogue

I’m not really sure if this is a spoiler or not, but I’ll be on the safe said and keep the front page summary clean.  During an interview on Attack of the Show Michael Emerson revealed what the DVD bonus epilogue will entail.  No, it won’t be 20 years later when Walt is all grown up and sends his own kids on a train to Wizard School.

The epilogue will actually be a self-contained story featuring Number One and Number Two, Hurley and Ben respectively, and will also have an appearance from Walt. Here is what Kristin Dos Santos from E! reported:

“For those people that want to pony up and buy the complete Lost series, there is a bonus feature,” Michael just told our Kevin Pereira of Attack of the Show!, which airs tonight at 7 on E!’s brother network G4. “Which is um, you could call it an epilogue. A lost scene. It’s a lot; it’s 12 or 14 minutes that opens a window onto that gap of unknown time between Hurley (Jorge Garcia) becoming number one and the end of the series.”

Michael says this extra footage is not the premise for a spinoff. “It’s self-contained. Although, it’s a rich period in the show’s mythology that ‘s never been explored, so who knows what will come of it.”

A Finale Explanation from a Supposed Bad Robot Employee UPDATE

This post first showed up on DarkUFO as someone claiming to be from Bad Robot.  I don’t think that there is any credence to that claim, but his take how everything fits together is intriguing.

UPDATE: DarkUFO contacted ABC and found out that this person was indeed an intern at ABC, but he or she was released 3 years ago.

Good stuff on here! I can finally throw in my two cents! I’ve had to bite my tongue for far too long. Also, hopefully I can answer some of John’s questions about Dharma and the “pointless breadcrumbs” that really, weren’t so pointless …

First …
The Island:

It was real. Everything that happened on the island that we saw throughout the 6 seasons was real. Forget the final image of the plane crash, it was put in purposely to f*&k with people’s heads and show how far the show had come. They really crashed. They really survived. They really discovered Dharma and the Others. The Island keeps the balance of good and evil in the world. It always has and always will perform that role. And the Island will always need a “Protector”. Jacob wasn’t the first, Hurley won’t be the last. However, Jacob had to deal with a malevolent force (MIB) that his mother, nor Hurley had to deal with. He created the devil and had to find a way to kill him — even though the rules prevented him from actually doing so.

Thus began Jacob’s plan to bring candidates to the Island to do the one thing he couldn’t do. Kill the MIB. He had a huge list of candidates that spanned generations. Yet everytime he brought people there, the MIB corrupted them and caused them to kill one another. That was until Richard came along and helped Jacob understand that if he didn’t take a more active role, then his plan would never work.

Enter Dharma — which I’m not sure why John is having such a hard time grasping. Dharma, like the countless scores of people that were brought to the island before, were brought there by Jacob as part of his plan to kill the MIB. However, the MIB was aware of this plan and interferred by “corrupting” Ben. Making Ben believe he was doing the work of Jacob when in reality he was doing the work of the MIB. This carried over into all of Ben’s “off-island” activities. He was the leader. He spoke for Jacob as far as they were concerned. So the “Others” killed Dharma and later were actively trying to kill Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley and all the candidates because that’s what the MIB wanted. And what he couldn’t do for himself.

Dharma was originally brought in to be good. But was turned bad by MIB’s corruption and eventually destroyed by his pawn Ben. Now, was Dharma only brought there to help Jack and the other Canditates on their overall quest to kill Smokey? Or did Jacob have another list of Canidates from the Dharma group that we were never aware of? That’s a question that is purposley not answered because whatever answer the writers came up with would be worse than the one you come up with for yourself. Still … Dharma’s purpose is not “pointless” or even vague. Hell, it’s pretty blantent.

Still, despite his grand plan, Jacob wanted to give his “candidates” (our Lostaways) the one thing he, nor his brother, were ever afforded: free will. Hence him bringing a host of “candidates” through the decades and letting them “choose” which one would actually do the job in the end. Maybe he knew Jack would be the one to kill Flocke and that Hurley would be the protector in the end. Maybe he didn’t. But that was always the key question of the show: Fate vs Free-will. Science vs Faith. Personally I think Jacob knew from the beginning what was going to happen and that everyone played a part over 6 seasons in helping Jack get to the point where he needed to be to kill Smokey and make Hurley the protector — I know that’s how a lot of the writers viewed it. But again, they won’t answer that (nor should they) because that ruins the fun.

In the end, Jack got to do what he always wanted to do from the very first episode of the show: Save his fellow Lostaways. He got Kate and Sawyer off the island and he gave Hurley the purpose in life he’d always been missing. And, in Sideways world (which we’ll get to next) he in fact saved everyone by helping them all move on …

Now…

Sideways World:

Sideways world is where it gets really cool in terms of theology and metaphysical discussion (for me at least — because I love history/religion theories and loved all the talks in the writer’s room about it). Basically what the show is proposing is that we’re all linked to certain people during our lives. Call them soulmates (though it’s not exactly the best word). But these people we’re linked to are with us duing “the most important moments of our lives” as Christian said. These are the people we move through the universe with from lifetime to lifetime. It’s loosely based in Hinduisim with large doses of western religion thrown into the mix.

The conceit that the writers created, basing it off these religious philosophies, was that as a group, the Lostaways subconsciously created this “sideways” world where they exist in purgatory until they are “awakened” and find one another. Once they all find one another, they can then move on and move forward. In essence, this is the show’s concept of the afterlife. According to the show, everyone creates their own “Sideways” purgatory with their “soulmates” throughout their lives and exist there until they all move on together. That’s a beautiful notion. Even if you aren’t religious or even spirtual, the idea that we live AND die together is deeply profound and moving.

It’s a really cool and spirtual concept that fits the whole tone and subtext the show has had from the beginning. These people were SUPPOSED to be together on that plane. They were supposed to live through these events — not JUST because of Jacob. But because that’s what the universe or God (depending on how religious you wish to get) wanted to happen. The show was always about science vs faith — and it ultimately came down on the side of faith. It answered THE core question of the series. The one question that has been at the root of every island mystery, every character backstory, every plot twist. That, by itself, is quite an accomplishment.

How much you want to extrapolate from that is up to you as the viewer. Think about season 1 when we first found the Hatch. Everyone thought that’s THE answer! Whatever is down there is the answer! Then, as we discovered it was just one station of many. One link in a very long chain that kept revealing more, and more of a larger mosiac.

But the writer’s took it even further this season by contrasting this Sideways “purgatory” with the Island itself. Remember when Michael appeared to Hurley, he said he was not allowed to leave the Island. Just like the MIB. He wasn’t allowed into this sideways world and thus, was not afforded the opportunity to move on. Why? Because he had proven himself to be unworthy with his actions on the Island. He failed the test. The others, passed. They made it into Sideways world when they died — some before Jack, some years later. In Hurley’s case, maybe centuries later. They exist in this sideways world until they are “awakened” and they can only move on TOGETHER because they are linked. They are destined to be together for eternity. That was their destiny.

They were NOT linked to Anna Lucia, Daniel, Roussou, Alex, Miles, Lupidis, (and all the rest who weren’t in the chuch — basically everyone who wasn’t in season 1). Yet those people exist in Sideways world. Why? Well again, here’s where they leave it up to you to decide. The way I like to think about it, is that those people who were left behind in Sideways world have to find their own soulmates before they can wake up. It’s possible that those links aren’t people from the island but from their other life (Anna’s parnter, the guy she shot — Roussou’s husband, etc etc).

A lot of people have been talking about Ben and why he didn’t go into the Church. And if you think of Sideways world in this way, then it gives you the answer to that very question. Ben can’t move on yet because he hasn’t connected with the people he needs to. It’s going to be his job to awaken Roussou, Alex, Anna Lucia (maybe), Ethan, Goodspeed, his father and the rest. He has to attone for his sins more than he did by being Hurley’s number two. He has to do what Hurley and Desmond did for our Lostaways with his own people. He has to help them connect. And he can only move on when all the links in his chain are ready to. Same can be said for Faraday, Charlotte, Whidmore, Hawkins etc. It’s really a neat, and cool concept. At least to me.

But, from a more “behind the scenes” note: the reason Ben’s not in the church, and the reason no one is in the church but for Season 1 people is because they wrote the ending to the show after writing the pilot. And never changed it. The writers always said (and many didn’t believe them) that they knew their ending from the very first episode. I applaud them for that. It’s pretty fantastic. Originally Ben was supposed to have a 3 episode arc and be done. But he became a big part of the show. They could have easily changed their ending and put him in the church — but instead they problem solved it. Gave him a BRILLIANT moment with Locke outside the church … and then that was it. I loved that. For those that wonder — the original ending started the moment Jack walked into the church and touches the casket to Jack closing his eyes as the other plane flies away. That was always JJ’s ending. And they kept it.

For me the ending of this show means a lot. Not only because I worked on it, but because as a writer it inspired me in a way the medium had never done before. I’ve been inspired to write by great films. Maybe too many to count. And there have been amazing TV shows that I’ve loved (X-Files, 24, Sopranos, countless 1/2 hour shows). But none did what LOST did for me. None showed me that you could take huge risks (writing a show about faith for network TV) and stick to your creative guns and STILL please the audience. I learned a lot from the show as a writer. I learned even more from being around the incredible writers, producers, PAs, interns and everyone else who slaved on the show for 6 years.

In the end, for me, LOST was a touchstone show that dealt with faith, the afterlife, and all these big, spirtual questions that most shows don’t touch. And to me, they never once waivered from their core story — even with all the sci-fi elements they mixed in. To walk that long and daunting of a creative tightrope and survive is simply astounding.

What Was the Purpose of the Finale’s Parting Images? UPDATED

After the final LOST logo faded away, we were left with the end credits and several images of the Flight 815 wreckage. At first I thought it was a look back at the series-an homage to where we started.  Then I saw it was being used as an argument that the island was purgatory the whole time-showing that no one survived the initial crash.

A comment someone made on reddit got me thinking about a third option.  One of the biggest gripes of  the finale was that we did not receive the answers to the mythology that we have been analyzing and theorizing over for years.  I think these images may give us the answer we’re looking for or at least some closure to the mythology.

The hatches, the temple, the statue, the lighthouse, the smoldering black rock, and all those confusing hieroglyphs are all just remnants of people who have come to the island and now are long gone.  Each one of these places has a compelling story to tell, but the details are locked away in the past.  Well, add another mysterious location to that list-the 815 wreckage, risen up from the tides.

Imagine if our show took place after Jack closed his eyes for the last time.  A group of strangers crash-lands onto a strange and wonderful island, just as confused as the Losties were when they first arrived.  The first couple of days, an adventurous few discover this huge crash site, along with make-shift tents and branded food that oddly resembles the Wal-Mart Great Value brand.  At night, instead of hearing scary New York City cab sounds, these people are greeted by a pair of beady eyes staring out at them from the jungle.  The next day, a big guy with Yoda-like wisdom and a knack for Ranch dressing comes out to meet the newcomers.  Besides the obvious question of how does this guy retain his figure on a deserted island, they ask, “What’s up with the plane crash?”  The friendly sage would smile and simply reply, “Oh, heh, that’s how me and my friends got here.”  And thats pretty much all the information you would get about it.  Sure, there might be a flashback episode detailing how Hurley got the job right before he passes the job to the capable Ji Yeon-who, coincidentally, was among the newcomers.  But the 815 plane wreckage would be just another point of interest on mystery island.

Thankfully, our show wasn’t about the animated Ben and Hurley spin-off, Number One n’ Two, nor was it about the people who built the temple, the statue, or even the Swan Station.  Lost was about Jack and Kate getting caught in a net, Hurley offering Ben an Apollo Bar, Sawyer and Juliet finding love in time travel, and Claire and Charlie eating invisible peanut butter.  It was about the characters and their paths to happiness, love, and redemption. And now, the only thing that remains is this oceanic plane wreckage.  All their struggles, pain, and joy wrapped up in one set piece.

I think that’s exactly what they were showing with the final images.  Lost was a character story through and through, but now their story is just another part of the island’s complex and perplexing mythology.

What do you guys think? Sound off below!

Edit: Looks like ABC has come clean.  A spokesperson said, “The images shown during the end credits of the ‘Lost’ finale, which included shots of Oceanic 815 on a deserted beach, were not part of the final story but were a visual aid to allow the viewer to decompress before heading into the news.” [LA Times]

I think the perfect way to decompress is to let the story of Lost slip peacefully into the island’s mythology. ;)

“Wait… Polarizing Is a Bad Thing?”

Hey all: Sorry I haven’t been here much; it’s been an insane season where I’ve barely had time to update my own blog, much less this one, and I apologize for not being here more (I missed you guys!) But after that staggering finale, I wanted to post something here.

After the episode “Across the Sea” aired and audiences were pretty divided down the middle about loving it or hating it, Damon tweeted what I’ve used as my title for this post. (I, as the geeky Lost fan, just sniggered and went, “He said POLAR.”) He wasn’t just talking about “Across the Sea”… he knew what was coming in two more weeks.

Last night the episode aired and I was absolutely shattered. The show I had followed and researched and written about and LOVED above everything else was now finally over. I was saying goodbye to the characters. I literally dropped everything (pen, paper) and just sat on the couch with my face in my hands, rocking back and forth and sobbing uncontrollably. The patio door was open behind me and I imagined all of my neighbours, outside setting off fireworks because it’s the long weekend here in Canada, all wondering what the heck is wrong with that woman in her living room over there. I was just… wrecked. But those tears were cathartic tears, saying goodbye to the show, goodbye to the characters… and goodbye to the anticipation of this wonderful finale. But what I was NOT saying goodbye to, was the speculation.

For yes, this finale has left things WIDE open for the viewers. The same people who thought The Sopranos ending was a major cop-out, leaving things to the viewers to figure out, will hate this ending. And yet, think about what would have happened had they actually provided answers. First, most people would hate them. “Uh… the whispers are the bad people stuck in an island purgatory?? That is LAME,” shouted many when they finally answered that question. “So let me get this straight… after 5 years of documenting every single frakkin’ use of those six numbers, they just HAPPEN to be the random freakin’ numbers that Jacob used when he was listing off the candidates? Oh my GOD that is stupid,” said many people when they revealed THAT one.

Without sounding totally sycophantic here, I actually was fine with both of those answers. I thought they happened a little abruptly, with Hurley saying, “Hey, I think I know what the whispers are!” in one, and Smokey saying, “Jacob had a thing for numbers” in the second one.

So if they’d come out and said, “This is what the island is. And this is what that shiny light was. Oh, and Jacob and his brother actually turned out to be nothing more than this. And this is the sideways world… and this is how the Dharma Initiative found the island… and the Others originated by this…” we would all be sitting here right now simply debating whether or not we liked their answers. But look what we’re doing instead – we’re talking, REALLY talking about what this series was about, and what it meant to us.

Yesterday I wrote up a tribute of what this show means to me. I come to Lost on a very personal level, with my own views of faith and family and political affiliations and beliefs and set of morals and personal “rules,” to use a Lost term. And every single person on this blog and watching Lost comes at it with their set, and they are unlike the set of anyone else watching. So they made it personal – they gave us this finale that offered us a way to interpret it in a personal way, while also giving us the tools we could use to actually figure it out for ourselves.

After I got up from the couch, still sobbing, and made my way over to the kitchen table to do the CTV chat (fittingly, with my giant Sopranos poster behind me that you would have seen if you’d caught me on the National last Friday), I still had tears streaming down my face as I logged into the chat, and after I was in there, I did a quick flick over to Twitter to see the reactions. It ranged from, “Thank you, Damon and Carlton, for 6 wonderful years” to, “I hope you rot in hell and your house burns down.” SERIOUSLY. Someone wrote that.

It actually made me pretty angry to see such personal comments and personal attacks made against them, and I considered recording an angry video podcast. But I changed my mind this morning after sleeping on it, and realized that when you make a show that’s as personal as Lost is, unfortunately you’ll have to bear the brunt of personal attacks when people are unhappy with what you gave them. A lot of Skaters will be upset with the show, for example. I was actually surprised at how much Kate did NOT choose Sawyer… But for me, not having shipped in the past 6 years, it certainly didn’t cast a pall on anything for me. I could understand why it would for those who had really wanted Kate to end up with Sawyer. If it’s any consolation to them, I really thought that Kate taking off in the Ajira flight was a suggestion she WOULD end up with Sawyer off the island, and would take him back to meet her bestie, Cassidy, and he’d meet his daughter, and Claire and Aaron would come and live with Kate, and they’d all live happily ever after as one big communal family. But that’s because, as much as I claim not to, I really love happy endings sometimes. BUT… if they’d actually presented that ending to me on screen, I would have called it trite and ridiculous. It makes more sense in the rainbow world of my brain.

So… polarizing is a bad thing? While I’ve said all along that I didn’t want the Lost finale to overshadow the series that came before it, I love how much people are talking about it today. I doubt the end of 24 or Law & Order will spark this much discussion… nor will ANY ending this season. For the next few weeks, that finale WILL overshadow the rest of the series, but for the serious fans like us, we’re already going back over the series and pulling together the threads that led us to this place. And maybe in doing so, some people who either originally disliked it or were confused by it will suddenly get it, and it’ll change their view of it.

Some people will hate it, yes. But if you loved the show up until episode 6.16 and then didn’t like the finale, are you REALLY going to dismiss the six years that came before it? Did people dismiss the entirety of Seinfeld just because the ending sucked? No. And while this is obviously different – Seinfeld was not a serial with an overarching mystery that pulled everything together and instead was a series of standalone episodes – I think the things we loved about this show were still present in the finale, whether you liked it or not. Sawyer and Kate didn’t end up together in any obvious way, but the writers (and Josh and Evangeline) gave us Sawyer and Kate to begin with, and many moments of the two of them to savour. Perhaps you didn’t like things coming down to Jack’s perspective in the finale, but you can’t argue that Jack wasn’t integral to everything.

Because I loved it, I’m afraid the only way my opinion could change would be to like it less. And I’m sure once I start picking all of the pieces apart that could very well happen. (I mean, the obvious thing that jumped out at me this morning was the sadness that this WASN’T Locke’s journey, as I’d hoped it would be.) But for now, I loved it, and will continue to look at it in the days and weeks to come. So let’s keep talking. ;)

Nikki Stafford is the author of the Finding Lost series of books, which offer episode-by-episode guides to each season. The guide to season 5 is now available at Amazon.com, and is currently working on the season 6 book, which is available for pre-order. She posts regularly on her television blog, Nik at Nite.

LOST with Lapidus: An Exclusive Interview with Jeff Fahey (Minor Spoiler Alert)

photo courtesy of ABC

Last night, the extremely affable Jeff Fahey was kind enough to take a few minutes between scenes on the set of the Robert Rodriguez film ‘Machete’ to discuss his role and experiences as Captain Frank J. Lapidus on LOST.

Minor Spoiler Alert: read at your own risk, as Fahey addresses the fate and future of Lapidus.

You are primarily a film actor, and have not been a series regular on television since ‘The Marshall’ in 1995.  So what was it about LOST that lured you back to the small screen?

JF: “When they called me and asked me if I’d be interested, I was working in Afghanistan. I talked to Carlton on the phone; he walked through the pilot and all three seasons. He was so nice and such a wonderful man. I then had lunch with he and Dmaon in LA. They are two great, comfortable, intelligent, creative people. So I said yes. I went over (to Oahu) and did a few episodes, and it kept going. They gave me freedom. For season six, they offered a contract. I just love everybody on the show and it was a dream job. If it’s the only one I have in my career, that’s just fine.”

What was it like to work with the impressive ensemble cast in Hawaii?

JF: “It was so easy, so free. In the three seasons I was on the island, I never experienced one moment of discomfort. I loved every person in all departments; writers, directors, producers, the wonderful cast and great crew. I can’t even consider it working. It was like three seasons of a paid vacation.”

What was your favorite line of dialogue delivered by Lapidus?

JF: “There were so many. I loved the way they wrote him, with the one liners. But everybody loved the  line about Guam.”

What was your favorite scene to film throughout your three seasons on the show?

JF: “It was one great ride and I loved the whole process. It was a joy every day to go to work. When we worked on the sub, it was so confined, but there was more freedom to work on the (Ajira) plane and (freigher) helicopter. On the sub, I banged my head a few times…but I think everyone did. For the scene with the door, they put in a stunt man and he wen’t flying. It worked. You couldn’t tell it wasn’t me.”

There are a few fascinating theories about Lapidus out there. One prevailing thought is that the Man in Black (as the Smoke Monster) killed original 815 pilot Seth Norris because he was supposed to be you. My theory is that in the flash sideways, Frank will be the helicopter medic who picks up or delivers Claire and Aaron at the hospital, thus fulfilling Desmond’s vision that led to Charlie’s sacrifice on the island. Are you aware of such speculation or did you ever theorize about your character’s destiny/role on and off the island?

JF: “I made a point to not overthink where anything was going.  I enjoyed the fact that because it was so well written, one could work in an environment of the unknown. I didn’t overthink the destiny of Frank. It allowed me to stay in the moment and enjoy the moment without wondering if I was doing the right thing. I honestly told myself that I can’t be disappointed or over-excited about whatever his fate is, whatever happens. For that reason, when this is all over, I’m going to watch the whole thing all the way through as a fan.”

Where are you going to watch the series finale?

JF: “I’m going to watch the finale at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin. They are showing it on several screens.”

Did you read the last script, the series finale? If so, what was your reaction?

JF: “No. I’m as much in the dark as you are. I’m enjoying that.”

Many fans were openly discontent with the lack of Lapidus in season 6. And although he was taken out by a sub door and we did not see him surface afterward, there is great debate about whether Frank survived and will appear in the finale on the island. Can you confirm or deny your appearance in the final episode?

JF: “By the time they were filming the finale, I was in the Western Sahara. He’s dead now, the dream is over.  I couldn’t overindulge where and what the fate of Lapidus was. He’s sitting somewhere at the bottom of the sea.”

[Jo Garfein is a freelance entertainment writer with a spoiler-free theory site called Get LOST with JOpinionated]

Dvd/Blu-ray infos : 20 minutes of additional storyline

An ABC source confirms to me that after Sunday’s series finale, titled “The End,” airs from 9 – 11:30 pm ET/PT, the season six DVD (as well as the complete series collection, out on DVD and Blu-ray August 24) will continue the saga with upwards of twenty minutes of additional storyline.

“It’s in production now,” confirms the source, who couldn’t yet confirm the actual running time of the new scenes. “Damon and Carlton wanted to offer fans answers to additional questions they couldn’t get to in the body of the final show.”

source : tv guide

A Rare Treat – Reader Mail (Profanity Warning)

Oh, the joys of running a LOST site.  You all may remember a darling commentator named… Fart Monster?  You can probably see where this is going.  Fart Monster was what we call a … Troll.  Fart Monster was banned for aggressive spoiling in the comments, and general douchey-ness.  Well, after numerous weeks I’ve received this darling email.  He claims to be Fart Monster’s friend, caught in the cross-fire – but his temperament reminds me of a certain troll.  Amusing after note:  this person’s comment/theory was never actually deleted.  It’s on this http://www.docarzt.com/lost/lost-news/alternate-or-parallel-i-say-alternate/ post.  That’s right, his entire rant is without merit.  Learn. To. Use. Google. (Needless to say, in some respects I most definitely will NOT miss the LOST fandom.)

My name is Josh, my user name was ‘Smoke Monster’. I apparently have been unethically deleted from this site without warrant. This is unbelievable. Early on in the season I came up with a great theory of what I thought would happen as this show ends. The funny thing is, my theory is essentially coming true, way before any potential spoilers for the fifth or sixth episode were even being whispered. It took me a long and hard time to figure out what to write down and what order it should take, and I took that time to (a) figure out what was happening on Lost, and (b) share my ideas with this site because I respected it…oh, and (c) so I could have that theory written down on the blog so I could revisit it later when the show was coming to an end to compare and contrast.

That respect has been extinguished. Now I understand why you banned ‘Fart Monster’, who was my friend but was a blatant asshole to everyone on the site. I told him to desist in his spoilers and dick comments but he didn’t, and I had no control over that. But to punish me for his intransigence is unconscionable, especially because I spent so much quality mental time on formulating that theory. It was initially dismissed by the bloggers, so I wanted to repost it in order to show them that they did not think intellectually ahead when trying to figure things out. But obviously now I can’t, and obviously not thinking ahead is a systemic problem on this site.

I am a very peaceful person, and never usually resort to this kind of language, but you know what, you guys are fucking retarded assholes, a complete joke to anyone that has ever watched Lost and actually tried to figure it out.

Just because I used the same IP address as ‘Fart Monster’ sometimes (even though when I wrote my actual theory I used my IP address) does not give you the right to delete my content. You ignorant fucks have ruined this for me. I was trying to remember everything I wrote but obviously now that doesn’t seem to be the case.

So here it is: My theory was written under ‘Smoke Monster’ I believe between the first 4 episodes or so, I don’t remember. If you still have it, email it to me so I can still salvage what I worked so hard to share with you ignorant fucks instead of keeping it private. If my deletion is any indication, however, that vital information is probably deleted. But let’s hope not.

If it’s there, let’s then hope you give me the respect a human being deserves and send that vital information to me. I had until this point always had respect for this site. But, as far as I can gather, you no longer deserve any.

If it’s not there, then straight up fuck you. You oversensitive ignorant fucking idiots, I’m glad Lost is coming to an end for the sole fact that I never have to hear of this site again. You people just fucked up your karma.

My theory went something like this: The nuclear bomb set the flash sideways into existence; the island underwater foreshadowed the actual ending; in the flash sideways, Desmond attempts to help everyone find their “constant” from the island in order to link the 2 timelines; Jack becomes the new Jacob on the island and opposes Smoke Monster Locke, while in the flash sideways Jack eventually heals Locke from his spinal injuries in a “miracle” (Jack and Locke roles reversed from beginning to end; Jack becomes another smoke monster and Jack and Locke have an epic fight, destroying the island while Desmond turns the wheel a final time to sink the island and merge the 2 timelines, allowing everyone in the flash sideways to remember everything from the island timeline. Jack and Locke go down with the island, while Desmond’s consciousness simply flashes back to the flash sideways, with full memory intact.

It was something like that, based on nothing but deductive logic. So please send that to me if you have it. If you do not, then go fuck yourselfs. You douchebags are gonna be lost after this show ends, having to go back to your normal lives trying to grasp the basic concepts of how life actually works without becoming ignorantly confused.

I thought I could trust you people, this was the first blog I ever tried. I’m never going to engage with sites like this again unless I know they’re not mentally retarded. Next time you lose something important in life, know its payment of karmic debt you now owe to me for deleting what I worked so hard on in order to post.

Whoever or whomever made that conscious decision to delete my posts, you will learn your lessons eventually. But until then, go fuck yourselfs you piece of shit fucking losers. You all think you’re the shit, but you’re not, you’re nothing but lonely people, and after this show is done, your delusion will end and you will again realize how alone you really are, because your arrogance is disproportional to your intellect. Grow the fuck up, and send me back my fucking theory.