Lost

TeeJay · 27 May 07 :: 19:44

I'm so glad you and Cooper get along great. And I'm glad you got into Lost. Will try to burn your stuff asap.

-TeeJay

domesticelefant · 27 May 07 :: 19:56

Oh yeah, he's great. I already moved all my Chris stuff from Jean-Luc to Cooper. I even thought about putting one of Sean's Wookiee stickers on his cover. Don't know yet.
And believe me, I am DEEP into Lost now. I may not understand everything at once, but the more I watch it, the better I understand. That's great.

TheCentralScrutinizer · 30 May 07 :: 21:11

SPOILERS!!!!

Do NOT Read This If You Don't Want To KNow What Happens At The End Of This Season...

Lost Redux: Damon Lindelof Breaks "Radio Silence" to Reveal Why Charlie Died and More

So...whoa. Now you've seen it. (And if you haven't, you shouldn't be reading this!) Lost's mind-blowing season ender in which the rattlesnake popped out of the mailbox, the series turned upside-freaking-down and the producers bitchslapped us into a whole new off-the-island era.

Holy. Freaking. Wow. Could that just have been the best episode ever of the entire series? I, for one, have never been more into Lost than as of this moment (a terrifying thought) and loved every single nanosecond of it.

Kate and Jack got off the island, but leaving was a "mistake." Say whaaaa...?! Jack desperately wants to go back. Say double whaaaa...?! Kate lives in the 310 (LA's West side) and drives a Volvo? Bonkers!! And we have to wait till February to find out what happens next? Well, that's just cruel.

Thankfully, in an attempt to quell our postfinale jonesing for answers (I'm shaking like Jack in the pharmacy), my favorite TV mastermind to date (don't tell Trump) took time out of his busy schedule to tackle some of the fans' biggest Q's in a round of False, True or Hell No, I Won't Tell You and, more importantly, give the official word on why he killed Charlie.

But first, the reason this interview will prove to be a very rare thing in the coming months, as the Lost bosses enter what they're calling "complete and utter radio silence"...

Damon, first, I want you to know that last week, I hated me. I hated people who do what I do, because it honestly broke my heart that the huge "flash forward" twist of the finale was spoiled on a Website. I know you were trying extremely hard to protect that.

It was unfortunate. I think there will always be people who want to turn to the last page of the book, but I feel that those people are almost universally disappointed with what they read there, because if it's cool, they don't understand the context, and if it sucks, they feel like they've saved themselves time. But no one skips to the end of life. You have to live it, and it's just disappointing to me that people don't respect the integrity of the show enough to let it unfold naturally. There is a fine line between intriguing the audience with what's to come and giving them the whole shebang. And I feel the line was crossed with the finale this year, and it's really disappointing. Which is why, if we're going to talk about these things, I would at least like to come to you, because I know you'll handle it responsibly and not cross that line.

How are you dealing with the Spoilergate aftermath?

Well, with regard to season four, Carlton and I are going into complete and utter radio silence. I know a lot of people are going to be frustrated, but I think if things had gone a little differently in terms of the finale getting spoiled, we might have been a little more open to talking about it. But now we're all bitter. [Laughs.] No, honestly, the reason for the silence is we don't want to tell the audience what to think about where the show is going to be next year. The way the finale concluded and what happens next is open to interpretation. I think it had a real imaginative quality to it that hopefully engaged the audience's imagination the way the show did when they first saw the pilot.

Does that mean you're not going to answer all my probing questions about the fate of our Losties now?

You can ask, but I can't guarantee anything.

Fair enough. How about a harmless little game of False, True or Hell No, I Won't Tell You?

Let's do it...

Lost returns in February.

True.

Lost stays on Wednesday nights.

Is there an I Don't Know category?

The finale's twist, the flash forward, is something that you'd planned all along, from the very beginning.

Oh, absolutely.

The show will flash forward and flash back from this point onward.

Hell no, I won't tell you.

You are shooting in Hawaii next season.

Yes. Mostly.

Kate is pregnant.

Hell no, I won't tell you.

The role of Jacob has been cast.

False.

False? Okay, interesting. People were having all sorts of interpretations of what he looked like.

You do see a guy, but...I'm still sticking to my false.

The monster can reanimate the dead.

Hell no, I won't tell you.

The Others are in danger of extinction.

True.

The island's mysteries can be explained strictly by science.

Strictly by science?

Strictly.

Hell no, I won't tell you.

The love triangle will eventually be resolved in an unambiguous manner.

True.

Michael is still out in the ocean somewhere.

Hell no, I won't tell you.

Tom is gay.

I'll leave that open to interpretation.

Ben is a good father.

True. [Laughs] These are just my opinions, by the way.

Alex is actually Ben's biological daughter.

False.

The big set for season four is called the Ruins.

False.

You're a bastard for killing Charlie.

True.

Can we talk about that? 'Cause we fans need to know why you did it.

Yes, of course. Dominic, Carlton and I, and all the writers, really felt that when Charlie threw his Virgin Mary statues into the water last year, that was the end of his addiction arc. We weren't interested in revisiting it and having him bounce between being drunk and being sober, so we began to really struggle with the idea of what was Charlie to play now. How was he going to evolve as a character?

At the very same time, we were starting to think about what the effect of the second season finale was going to be, with Desmond turning the fail-safe key. And we didn't want to kill off Desmond, but because this fail-safe key existed as sort of a last resort, we wanted there to be really severe ramifications for Desmond turning it. We didn't want him to get a free pass. And we felt that it would be cool if it involved time travel in some way. But instead of doing sort of a traditional time travel and creating paradoxes and all that stuff, we just did [the episode] "Flashes Before Your Eyes." When that experience ended, we wanted him to be able to see the future, and we thought it would be cool if [his visions] always kind of related to Charlie and Charlie's death, as opposed to seeing 50 different things. That way, he would struggle all season with the idea of whether or not Charlie's death was inevitable.

Why Charlie?

We felt that would be a really interesting story for Desmond, but the way it would affect Charlie excited us even more. We thought it would make Charlie enormously heroic. He is a character who I think the audience has really liked, and he has, during the course of the show, demonstrated real heroism. Like when he killed Ethan for example. At the end of season two, we realized that if there was any character on the show who would sacrifice their life so that everyone else could be rescued, that would be Charlie. What we hadn't decided though, was whether or not Charlie was actually going to die.

So, when did you actually decide to kill him?

Over the course of the year, we began to execute the story, and it was really working. I mean we just loved writing for Charlie. He had this whole new thing to play, and we loved how Dominic was working with Ian [Cusick]. Even with Hurley's more light-hearted story, Charlie's impending death gave it real gravitas. It was just a great storyline, and we were thinking, Is there a way for us to have our cake and eat it too? Can we continue prophesying Charlie's death but not actually have him die, just have him willing to die? But we kind of got to the point—I guess it was during the writing of "The Brig"—where we were all just talking in the writers room and we realized it's a cheat if he lives. It wouldn't be fair, because we've made such a big story point out of it that Charlie now has to die. If he is going to accept his death, then he has to die. Otherwise, it's like, why did we do this story at all? We can't just let him off the hook. He has to die.

How did you break the news to Dominic?

You know, obviously, we started talking to him before we wrote "Flashes Before Your Eyes," just so he would know what was coming. We told him that as soon as we knew definitively what Charlie's fate was going to be, he'd be the first to know. And when we made the final decision, we called him and had a very reasonable conversation. He was completely understanding and appreciative and accepting.

On a personal level, was it a difficult decision letting him go?

Enormously. When you reflect back on the pilot, it was really Jack, Kate and Charlie's story. They're the three people you experience the crash with. They're the original sort of three amigos who go tromping out into the jungle. I think Dominic is, along with Jorge, really the heart of the show. And the idea of how would the show feel with Charlie not being in it anymore, that was a very dark tunnel to be looking down and it continues to be. But I think the reality is, after 72 hours of Lost, we have the idea of communicating to the audience that it's not just the Shannons and Boones and Paulos and Ekos and Ana Lucias who are vulnerable. Everybody is vulnerable. Not everybody's going to make it to the end of this journey. I think that was an important story point to make.

Are you expecting a fan backlash over this?

I hope so. I mean that honestly. I think that if people are like "we're glad you did it," that means we didn't do a good job of emotionally bonding the audience to Charlie and making them feel like his sacrifice is really tragic and heartbreaking. But Dom's work has been phenomenal, and in the last two episodes, he raised the bar even higher. And that's not just a producer trying to be generous to an actor who has now left the show. I think the proof is in the proverbial pudding. I really hope that all summer long, I am derided by people for doing this, because it'll mean that it meant something.

domesticelefant · 28 Jun 07 :: 21:10

Tina, I think we have a little coincidence here, since you also watched Lost yesterdays night. I did too, because I couldn't go online. LOL

So yeah, I've seen it. Four episodes in a row, including Charlie's "Greatest Hits", which will from now on be my most favorite Lost Episode ever, and FINALLY Charlie's death. Well, what can I say? I didn't like it. And from the spoilers I read or heard of I thought it would be more spectacular. I mean, why did he close that door? It's like he killed himself! I don't like that! :angry:
I really wonder who this Naomi woman is. And whose funeral was it Jack went to in his Flash Forward? I just don't know. So Season 4 will better be good! And hopefully they don't kill more of my favorite characters!

TeeJay · 08 Jul 07 :: 19:25

So I finally watched the season finale. (Spoilers to follow for those who haven't seen it yet!)

Yeah, I would have to agree with you guys, Charlie is very much definitely dead. I can't see them pulling something out of their hats that would explain how he would live again. Dammit! He was my second favorite character!

And I had a funny feeling the Jack story in the finale was a future story and not a flashback. Turns out I was right. Very scary. Whose funeral was that? I'm not sure, but I'm guessing Sawyer. Who else would it be?

This was certainly a doozey, as season finales go. And, as usual, I'm curious what's gonna happen next season. Hope it doesn't start as slow as s3 did. Because it took me a while to get back into the show in s3. But, hang on, did they say Lost will return in February? Were they talking about 2008??? No WAY! We have to wait NINE freakin' months? Whose stupid idea was that???? Seriously, that's just torture. Why are they taking such a long break?

But we certainly got some tear duct action from Matthew Fox. He can almost compete with Chris. No wonder he's second on the list for Kind of Man Crying. Chris and him should shoot a drama together.

Well, I don't know what else to say other than that I think I'll have forgotten about the show next February. That's insane. Really.

-TeeJay

Susanna · 09 Jul 07 :: 05:23

The finale showed in NZ last wednesday, I was kind of hoping for more. They didn't exactly give us any answers (of course this show never really answers anything anyway). I feel like they needed to give us more, especially since we're gonna have to wait till next year for anything new. I know Lost makes a practice of opening more questions than giving answers, but I feel like they're going overboard, and I know so many people who have/are close to stopping watching because they're dragging it out way too much.

Last edited by Susanna (09 Jul 07 :: 05:23)

Chnyst · 09 Jul 07 :: 17:03

I was hoping for a little more from the finale as well, but I liked what happened at the same time.
I seriously thought the "Others" had killed Bernard, Sayid, and Jin. I was really upset about that. lol.
I wanted Jack to just beat the crap outta Ben, so I was happy he got some good smacks in on him.
I've read a few message boards where people are questioning Charlie's death saying, why didn't he do this? why didn't he do that? IMHO, I think he realized that he couldn't keep running from death in a sense, and accepted his fate--it was kinda cool how he passed the message onto Desmond about Naomi too. Oh, and what's the deal with Mikhail ? Homeboy can't be killed.

Yea, the wait's gonna suck! I guess it's so we can watch a new episode every week, back to back instead of having all the breaks in-between. Either way, just knowing that they've signed on for 3 more seasons leads me to believe that there's gonna be a whole lot more questions than there are gonna be answers. :silly:

Last edited by Chnyst (09 Jul 07 :: 17:03)

domesticelefant · 09 Jul 07 :: 19:35

Chnyst wrote:

I seriously thought the "Others" had killed Bernard, Sayid, and Jin. I was really upset about that. lol.

Yeah, I was almost thinking the same. LOL I was like "They didn't kill them off too, did they? "
I was very happy when I learned that it wasn't true. I mean, what sense does it make to kill half of the cast? Many fans would stop watching I guess.

TheCentralScrutinizer · 26 Jul 07 :: 22:26

Yay! Just read on Studio Briefing Today that Harold Perrineau will be back as Michael next season.

domesticelefant · 26 Jul 07 :: 22:43

I want rather Charlie back. I didn't like Michael that much.

TheCentralScrutinizer · 26 Jul 07 :: 23:13

I've been a fan of Harold for a very long time. It's not so much that I like Michael, I just want Harold back on the show.

Susanna · 27 Jul 07 :: 05:47

That's interesting, I figured that Michael and Walt wouldn't make it away from the island. But then again, I suppose, just cos Michael will be on Lost, doesn't mean he'll be on that island. I swear, sometimes, this show is way too confusing for my brain to handle.

TheCentralScrutinizer · 27 Jul 07 :: 05:49

Me too, Susanna. But somehow, I still like it. Heroes is kind of the same way. Too much to grasp. But still, weirdly fun.

Susanna · 27 Jul 07 :: 09:57

Yeah, I do prefer the complex shows to most other stuff, and there's way more material to talk about with other people, it can be quite fun having a discussion trying to decipher what's going on, which is definately part of the fun.

Chnyst · 29 Jul 07 :: 10:05

Well, believe it or not, I actually collect other things besides Star Wars "dolls" .

Have you guys seen the Lost figures that have come out? Series One hit late last year

http://www.spawn.com/toys/series.aspx?series=318

and wave two just hit my local Wal*mart this week. They look amazing.

http://www.spawn.com/toys/series.aspx?series=346

Mr Eko with his 'Jesus stick' looks awesome!!

TeeJay · 29 Jul 07 :: 11:30

Oh wow, those are amazing. Love those. Not enough to start collecting them, but they look great. What does Jack look like? Let me go look. Okay, Jack and Kate look weird... <frowns> I love Charlie, though. I bet you like Shannon, eh, Sean?

-TeeJay

domesticelefant · 29 Jul 07 :: 13:14

I want the Charlie one!
No, Joke, LOL. I am not that crazy.

But yeah, Jack and Kate look weird. And what, there's no Sawyer yet?
Oh, no, wait, I've found him. Uhm ... he doesn't really look like Sawer I think. Bummer.

TheCentralScrutinizer · 29 Jul 07 :: 18:42

Love McFarlane's stuff! I want Charlie and Sawyer! They need to do Fanboy's action figures!

domesticelefant · 29 Jul 07 :: 19:04

They should make a shirtless Sawyer.

Oh yeah, Fanboys action figures! I'd buy them!

Chnyst · 29 Jul 07 :: 19:07

Fanboys figures would be awesome! They could do all kinds of variations on them with accessories.

Yea, Jake and Kate's likeness look a little off, but the other's look really good ie. Hurley, Locke, Jin, etc... They say lines from the movie and also come with a small prop replica. Hurley comes with his winning Lottery ticket, Kate with the little toy airplane, Charlie comes with a Drive Shaft ring, etc...
The Series 3 will have Sayid, Desmond, Claire, and Ben.
I was just really excited when I saw the new ones at Walmart yesterday and wanted to share. Lol.

TeeJay · 29 Jul 07 :: 19:10

Ben, huh? I couldn't stand to have those blue, round, bulgy eyes stare at me all the time. The man is just plain scary. I might take a Desmond, though. Does he speak with a Scottish accent?

-TeeJay

domesticelefant · 29 Jul 07 :: 19:13

I'd take Desmond too. Love his accent. LOL Oh, and Sayid of course.
Ben ... not really. I think I would have the same problem with the eyes.

Chnyst · 29 Jul 07 :: 19:14

I'm sure he will!

and yea, I'd probably end up abusing my Ben figure.

TheCentralScrutinizer · 29 Jul 07 :: 19:21

Sean, I don't think we wanna know...

Chnyst · 29 Jul 07 :: 19:23

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