35/20
Abrams’ “Lost” almost had a completely different cast
Chronology
Survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island. Find out which stars missed out on one of the most popular TV shows of all time. Sawyer’s character was originally supposed to be an older, dapper, suit-wearing urban con man from Buffalo, New York. However, when Josh Holloway forgot a line during his audition and then kicked a chair in frustration and swore loudly, the writers liked the edge he brought to Sawyer’s character and decided to write Sawyer as a darker, more Southern drifter. and Sun are married and share the last name “Kwon,” which becomes a major plot point in the final season. However, when the Koreans marry, the woman never takes her husband’s last name. In fact, it’s not even legal in Korea to marry someone with the same last name, except in rare circumstances.
Now I’m hooked
[repeated line] Desmond Hume: See you in another life, bro. The strange opening theme was designed by J.J. Abrams on his laptop in black and white as an homage to The Twilight Zone. Edited into Lost: The Journey (2005). With so many great shows ending or being canceled recently (Friends, Frasier, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel), and the decline in quality of many others (The West Wing, Smallville), not to mention the blatant rise of bloated and tacky “reality” programming, I was on the verge of giving up on television as an entertainment medium. I was seriously considering ditching my TV and cable subscription in favor of my computer screen and high-speed Internet connection. Then along came “Lost.” I missed the first few episodes, but was able to catch up on BitTorrent.
2) Rich, complex characters
There are a few things to love about this show, but here’s a quick list: 1) Exceptional, intelligent, and layered writing. There are many mysteries here, and for every answer we get, more questions emerge. Just when you think you’ve figured out a character, you discover something new about them that’s often surprising, even shocking. I love seeing the different relationships emerge and develop. 3) Strong performances. This is a remarkable cast of mostly journeyman actors with a few newcomers, and they all turn in star-making work. Even some cameos feature recognizable and talented actors (e.g.
Mira Furlan, Victoria Hamel)
4) A mysterious and fascinating setting. Of the four main elements of story you learned in school, plot, character, theme, and setting, the latter is often the poor and neglected cousin. Not here. The island is dangerous, beautiful, scary, and undeniably intriguing. It’s like a character in its own right. Part of the fun of this show will be unlocking the island’s secrets. 5) Thematic depth.
I’m grateful to see this show succeed
This isn’t just a soap opera about a deserted island. There are rich metaphors and themes to be mined here, such as the challenges of morality; the nature of community and civilization; our relationship to nature/the environment; and spirituality, even mysticism, as well. Too often lately, I’ve committed to a quality show from the beginning (“Wonderfalls” being the most recent and lamented example) only to have a nervous network cancel it prematurely. I hope “Lost” has a long and successful run – if its creators, cast and crew maintain the level of quality they’ve shown so far, I’m sure they will.