To understand LOST, you need to think like a TV producer.
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By babaramdass
- To understand LOST, you need to think like a TV producer.
- Created: Nov 4, 2007
- Last updated: Sep 30, 2008
- After episode: 3.22: Through The Looking Glass
- Status: Current
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I believe that in order to understand LOST you need to think like a TV producer rather than a fan, or a science nerd, or a philosopher. Some theories might make sense scientifically or rationally, but that doesn’t mean they make sense narratively or logistically.
So here are a few ideas against which I tend to judge the likelihood of a theory being true.
Firstly, the show cannot be dependent on any one character. I often hear people say Locke is the key, or Ben is the key, or Hurley is the key. I say, no one is the key. Actors can leave the show, have an accident, get done for drunk driving (I know, it seems unlikely, but it could happen). Not only that, but some characters prove unpopular (nikki and paulo), or the actors age too quickly (Walt) or they just seem to reach a natural end where there is nowhere else to take them (I predicted Charlie’s death before Desmond, because the character was dead weight, despite the actor’s basic likeability).
Richard Alpert is the perfect example of this. Apparently, the actor has scored a major role in a new TV series and won’t be returning. So the producers will simply find another hostile, and put them in a back story to show they haven’t aged and hey, presto - Richard the Second. So the producers have an idea about a force older and more powerful than the others we have met, but they need to be flexible with regards to how this force is revealed. Now, that’s not to say a single character won’t turn out to be crucial, just that the producers probably haven’t decided who yet. They might have a loose idea that the show will end with a showdown between Jack and Ben, but for various reasons they might decide to kill Ben off and reveal another man behind the curtain.
Another thing to consider is that it is very difficult to sustain an antagonist for a long period of time without dimishing their power. We see this on 24. The writer’s introduce a villain, but as the show develops, there’s only so many times that villain can be thwarted before he/she fails to be believably scary. Sooner or later, Jack kills him and moves up the food chain to guy the first villain takes his orders from. We are seeing a similar thing evolve in LOST. In series 2, the Others were mysterious, terrifying, omnipotent. Now that we’ve seen them, we see that they really aren’t. Ben had a tumour. Tom was comical. Pickett was a hothead. Juliet was a rebel. They had no control over Alex and Karl. They are a bit of a rabble really. But the producers have introduced Richard, Jacob and the idea of the hostiles, and now it is they who are mysterious, terrifying, etc. The point is that it’s possible that not even the producers have decided where the true power lies, or what shape it will finally take. This leads me to my next point…
What really matters is not the politics of the island (who’s powerful and who’s not - is it Jacob, is it Ben, is it Jack) What matters is the laws of the lost universe. Those laws are not flexible. They must provide flexibility, but the laws themselves are specific and the producers know exactly what they are and how they work. They know exactly what sorts of things can happen on the island and what can’t. Ditto for back stories. If you understand the laws, you solve the riddle. Again, you have to think like a writer or producer. They didn’t plan the show out in massive detail before they started. They had a general direction, and they knew about the laws of the LOST universe against which the plot needed to conform. But the plot itself they make up as they go along. I saw on the DVD they were still making major plot decisions about the final episode while they were shooting episode 16.
Let me illustrate this with the polar bears. When they first appeared, people came up with theories that the island was actually Antarctica, or that the bears had been moved by aliens, or that Walt manifested them. I think the real reason there were polar bears is that it was a great plot twist for episode 2. It was a great way to grab the audience by the throat and say, “hey, this place is strange”. And boy did it work. Plot is arbitrary. If the producers want the Losties to find a pyramid in the jungle they’ll make it happen. The weirder the better. So long as it doesn’t break the laws of the island. (whatever the heck they are)
A lot of the plot of LOST has probably happened for logistical reasons. The kids have been taken because the show was gonna run for several seasons but child actors age. Kate and Sawyer found the case with guns because it’s a useful thing to throw into the story. The hatch was the perfect example of this. As a plot point it’s introduction was mysterious and fascinating. As a narrative device, it’s simply a way of giving the losties food and whatever else they need so that the writers don’t have to keep servicing that part of the story. Sometimes it seems like the characters can manifest whatever they want, but I think the truth is that the writers and producers manifest whatever they need to drive the story forward.
When you think like a producer or writer you realise that what really matters is character. The show is not really about the riddle, it is about the characters. Whatever scientific explanation we get regarding the rules of the island will still allow room for doubt as to how each character’s story will resolve. Will they escape? Will they find redemption? Will Kate and Sawyer hook up? Who will die? Will Locke leave the island? Etc. I guarantee you, that these questions matter more to the writers than how the secrets of the show will be revealed. For that reason the ultimate conclusion of the show will be about character choices, not secrets revealed. In episode 2, Charlie asked the question, “where are we?” when they heard Danielle’s message. Well he never found out, but he did find redemption through his heroic choice.
So maybe the best way to figure out LOST is to figure out where they are taking the characters. All of their flaws will be tested. I can bet you that Locke will have to make a choice about whether to leave the island, although I do not know what he will choose. I can bet that Kate will have to make a choice about whether to keep running, although I do not know whether she will.
Anyway, so what are the laws of the LOST universe? Search me. But based on what I’ve said, I’ll hazard a few guesses. Firstly, the producers aren’t screwing with us. If they say it isn’t purgatory, I believe them. Secondly, the laws won’t take 3 hours to explain and a degree in physics to understand. It will be something simple like, say, you can manifest whatever you want under certain conditions. Or the island heals certain people and not others by specific criteria. Nothing would be more boring than a final ever episode where Jack sits down with some old guy from the Black Rock who we haven’t met yet and gets a 45 minute lecture about what the heck is going on (like say that dreadful scene in The Da Vinci Code where Ian McKellen takes 25 minutes to explain the whole Jesus/Mary theory to Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou) The explanation is more likely to be dished out over the next 3 seasons piece by piece, with a few crucial pieces held back. Those pieces will be reasonably simple to comprehend and be something against which the main characters will need to make important character choices. Thirdly, they won’t tie everything up. That is, they won’t explain every strange occurance in the entire show. They will simply let us go back and rewatch them and figure them out for ourselves based on what we’ve discovered about the laws of the LOST universe.
great theory. I think the downfall of many theories is that we, as fans, get the idea that the show will conform to our reality, or our reality of the show. What we forget is that the creators of the Lost Reality are really the ones in charge and that they will resolve the issues as they see fit, not as we want them to. Lost is a great t.v. show so far. I can’t wait to see how the writers resolve the issues that have been presented. I for one hope that they do so without a convoluted time travel theory, but will accept whatever is thrown our way as proof that the Lost universe is not mine to rule. This theory points out the old adage that writers are gods of their own universes, whether they be science fiction, historical fiction, or current event fiction.
Thanks Lockeko. I’m a fan of the show, but my enjoyment of the show won’t diminish that much if the ending isn’t what I expect. It’s still been a great ride. Some people have said they’d feel cheated if it turned out to be all in Hurley’s head or something lame like that. I’d feel more cheated if it made sense technically, but was ridiculously convoluted. I wouldn’t mind a Hurley’s head ending, if all the personalities in Hurley’s head had their storylines resolved in a satisfactory way.
amen bro, I don’t care how they do it, so long as they do it right.
+1 to the voice of reason :)
I also agree with this reminder for common sense. The less you know, the more you imagine, so it’s easy to get carried away with LOST. But the producers are first and foremost business men. Thanks for a very good reminder of that.
Great analysis of how TV narratives work baba—I agree with what everyone else said. Even though I may like to spin off into far reaching theories I don’t really expect them to manifest in actual detailed explanations given on the show—more like, this could be in the background or underlying what’s going on.
Absolutely right,bab, in fact the writers have said that the show is about the characters and how they reinvent themselves. But do we listen them? NO.
But, I love this site too. I love coming here everyday and reading all the theories, good and not so good, and commenting on them. Sometimes it takes me an hour or two to do research to find an answer just to make a comment! So, I say theorize away! Just keep in mind that the characters are what are most important.
I love watching Lost as you do and hope for a spectacular ending, but I do have faith in the writers and I think we’ll get it. If not, well they can’t make everyone happy. I’ll be satisfied with what I get. It will have been a great six year ride, compared to any other show I’ve ever watched! +1
Babaramdass: I agree with a lot of what you have said. Especially the part, that you use 24 as an example. It is my favorite TV drama after LOST, of course. I read that when they start the new season, that they are bringing back the character of Tony Almeida,that they killed off in Season 5. He was one of my favorite characters besides Jack of course. But seriously,how are they going to bring him back from the dead? Will he be a ghost,or a flashback.etc. I think it will be neither, as it has been said that he has went over to the dark-side.
I was going to compose a theory,( which I don’t know ) if it has been presented awhile back but obviously changed my mind. I think it could be possibly based on another movie that was very much of a mystery.If you haven’t seen it or have heard about it,I won’t be a spoiler. Anyway I did also hear somewhere that when questioned about it.one of the writers said I saw that movie and I didn’t like it , but I’m not sure. I still believe that it could be loosly based on it,but just like everyone else, I guess we shall just have to wait and see.
The movie is ” Identity” I am giving you a +1 for the reality check.
You should have titled your post “To figure out the plot of lost you need to think like a producer.”
Another thing about your theory that makes a lot more sense than anything, is this. Fact # 1. We know that they have been on the island 93 days. Based on arrival date of September 22, 2004 - December 23, 2004. I think that it is substantiated by * ” Enter 77 ” * which in Island time would have been December 7, 2004,& their 77th day on the island. Fact # 2. We know that the show is good at showing flashbacks & now it seems that we will have flashforwards as well. The thing I am getting at is this when looking at the timeline at http://www.lostpedia.com Threre are 10 days that are missing any information of things that occured on those dates. An example of this is on day 10 Episode “ Confidence Man ” 1.8 Sayid tortures Sawyer and later feeling guilt he tells Kate he is leaving the camp (ashamed of what he has done) to explore other parts of the Island.Skip then to the next episode ” Solitary” 1.9 and the synopsis says ” After two days of walking Sayid finds a wire on the beach, and follows it into the jungle,where is then captured by Danielle Rousseau”
My point is this I think this gap in time will allow the producers & writers to fill in the blank days via flashback episodes. Anyway there are 9 other days ,if you look at when & where they were in the story that need to be filled in.
I think they’ve pretty much discounted the identity idea. That was my favourite idea early on, with Danielle the character in question.
Maybe, in order to be a good TV show, you have to think like a fan…
Just throwing it out there…
This is more in line with what I was thinking. Thanks for stating it so clearly.
+1
katrinicity, I was just wondering if you might comment about, what you think about Michael coming back in season 4. It seems to me that if he comes back in actuality and not just as flashbacks, that it will be very hard for him to be accepted back in to the community. I just had a wicked thought though. What if he is coming back to join up with the others??? Anyway I digress. I really do think that you (katrinicity) have posted a lot of good thoughts about other things.
You and I are on the same page.
Whenever I read a theory on here, I think to myself: How will that play on T.V. and be entertaining?
Ditto for when I am considering my own theories and potential plot developments.
However, I give pause to allow the Lost creators their dues. Before the Flashes Before Your Eyes episode, for example, I would have discounted a laborious exploration of time travel and fate-changing on the show. That episode brilliantly put all that entertainingly on the table.
Spot on about the characters. THEIR END will be THE END. The Lost mythology is merely a tapestry that they are entwined in, and I suspect most of that will be loosely embroidered around so as to leave enough scope for answers, and plenty of room for discussion.
+1
Until February…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8aFInDJvhA&NR=1
-1. You made excellent points about the concept or writing of Lost. Let me entertain this point, if I go to Donovan Steak House, I will probably spend about $150.00 for me and my date. If I go to Sizzler, I will probably spend about $40.00 on a dinner for two. I seem find the resources to go to quality restaurants rather than the other. This is my point, If lost becomes a freakin sham where they are gonna “dumb it up” to please stupid people, so be it, I will do something else with my time, let them entertain the WWF crowd or Ugly Betty or Married with children or Desperate Housewives or Leave it to Beaver or .
So far, Lost has been a creative, entertaining and fun part of my life. The day when Lost becomes some retarded version of “Sesame Street” I will spend my quality time doing something else, and I hope the rest of you will also do the same.
You are very welcome,kat. I have been trying to get more information about that Documentary at : http://www.catchphraseentertainment.com/?p=comingsoon But alas guess will have to wait for the Prof & tharde to check back in. I sure hope it’s soon and they have some solid info. :-)
excellent +1,i like the this very much,they have always said they know where there going with this,but how they get there is through brilliant characters,and excellent writing.Like you say its the characters that are there driving force.The writing on this show is phenomenal,not just the mysteries,but the dialoge is so heart felt.eg taken from “the other 48 days”,ep 7 season 2. Anna and Eko.Anna is by river crying and Eko is still not talking.EKO”its going to be alright”ANNA”what you talking now”EKO”i have not spoken for 14 days”ANNA “what it takes 14 days for you to talk”EKO”it took 14 days for you to cry”then she breaks down in Ekos arms.until that point we see anna as a hard ass,most people including me didnt like her or the way she treated sawyer.but that last line from Eko turns the tables on anna and we see a scared,vulnerable women underneath who was only defending her group.from that moment i liked her as a character.I truly believe LOST to be the best written tv show ever.and will likely remain to be so for a very long time afterwards.Like everybody here i want answers,but i also dont want this lost experience to end.Coupled with the fact that the show has opened up online communities,brought people together in a unity of discovery,for that alone i thank them deeply.So this is for every lost fan on the planet.I salute you.And the people on this site,well the people on this site are very insightful,dedicated fans,which i admire very much.Thankyou for complimenting my lost experience.
Excellently said AC3. I totally agree that this site and the contributors to it are very knowledgeable people. This is in my opinion , the best fan-site for LOST ever. The only thing wrong is that it is, even more addictive than ……well you know
hey thank you KSJ,its the first time anyone has said i said something excellently:-(……lol……but its true this site and the people here are excellent,and i found out tonight[or this morning,its 6 am in britain now and ive been on here for like 8 hours,time to go to work in 2 hours..hehe..lol]that this site is run by one man.JEFF CROFT.so hes pretty cool,the guys gotta fulltime job aswell,so kudos to him to.im gonna get a shower,have some crunchy nut cornflakes,and then give 8 hours of my life to a company that doesnt care.relinquish THE shackles OF conformity…lol.thank you KSJ …im out.
Thanks for all the responses.
Shamballa, re: “in order to make a good TV show you have to think like a fan”. So very true. That’s one of the reasons Lord of the Rings was so great, the writer’s were fans themselves and desperately wanted to please fans. The same is true on LOST. Season 3 illustrates this. The beginning of season 3 was quite indifferent. (The sweat lodge episode was a real low point, although the backstory with the undercover cop was OK). It got to the point where the show was introducing too many new characters, and too many new riddles and giving us very little answers. Ratings started to drop and fans started with grumble. But the writer’s listened. And I’m convinced that they changed tack and brought forward certain revelations. The second half of the series was one stunning episode after another.
Katesawjack - Good point about Michael. It hadn’t occured to me, but of course, everyone’s gonna hate him.
AC3 - I loved that scene with Eko and Ana-Lucia. I loved the Ana-Lucia character, and Michelle Rodriguez was terrific. Definitely, the most underrated performer on the show. Watch that scene and then compare it with any scene where Kate cries and it’s no comparison. (Although, E.Lilly has many fine qualities too.)
yeah, im so with you on that,a stunning piece of acting,im a 32 year old man,who considers himself”not the crying type”..lol,but that scene honestly brought tears to my eyes,these guys know what strings to pull,how hard to pull them,but above all,they know when to let go.
Hey ,AC I recognize any thought filled comments that I see posted here… Really But, I am a little confused on these time fluctuations between Continets?LOL
For instance you signed out at 12:20a.m. saying it was 6 a.m. (Britain), then you signed back in (LT time) at 3:49 a.m. Now I am sending this @ 8:50 a.m. E.S.T. I ,being a very confused or curious person) and might add too analytical for my own good want to see what time this *is posted? My brain hurts now so just let me say…. Namaste
Now it say in my time machine that it’s 9:00 a.m.OMG I think I just time traveled!!! LOL
I agree baba. The producers do a pretty good job of listening to the fans. I thought season three just kept picking up steam with each episode until it ended with one of the best season finales ever.
Only 95 days or so to go! http://www.johnmoats.com/lost.html
Hey Sham, I hope you’re not feeling to bad after yesterdays Colts game? They will bounce right back,I’m sure :) If what I have heard is true there will be only 91 days + hours to go. That is if the start date is Feb 4,2008 & on Mondays now,instead of Wednesdays. We can only hope this strike will not affect it much :( I just hope I am right,it would be at least 4 less days to wait!
agree with the 3 Lost Laws - a matrix2esque ending would be more a more than massive disappointment.
You said that there can’t be one key character due to real life factors regarding the actors. I would say that although these factors could lead to an enforced change in plot, this isn’t inevitable (although I agree with comments that the narrative itself may make it unlikely). It is possible that: a lost-theorist could produce a well researched and evidenced theory that a certain character(s) is/are the absolute key character(s); that is what the producers are currently planning (although there is no guarantee that teh actor(s)will stay with the show); as the show progresses through to the season 6 finale that actor(s) is still there and that particular theory is shown to be correct and the points initially picked up on are shown to be the intentional clues to solving the mystery. Sure it’s unlikely that (a) the theorist would get it right and (b) the producers will stick to their current plan, but that’s what’s exciting about the programme - that it’s not easy to predict. AND that’s one of the main fun things about this site (alongisde mental exercise and others), trying to be the one who does manage to work it out! +1 for making me think!
Baba, You have spoken like a true writer! You are very astute with your observations! And, I don’t feel anyone could argue with you on that! +1
The only thing that I would like to add is this. Although the writers are in control and have a need to follow specific lines to reach the end result of the story, the writers have stated that they are “fan driven”, and write and tailor the episodes and story lines, based on what the fans want to see.
They also have staff, who frequent the top theories sites, to obtain information on what the fans, are liking or not liking about the show. So, it proves they are listening to us!
Keep the hits a coming!
As everyone else has said: excellent. I’ve been trying to suggest in my few comments that not every detail is worth scrutinizing (even though it can be fun), and that the story CAN’T be as complex as some have theorized, but you put it brilliantly.
i have no idea why the times are funny,but ive noticed it myself,maybe its my lap top or maybe i function outside the laws of time.does any body have any idea why this happens,as my lap top time is correct
post time is central standard time, b/c JCroft built the site in Kansas City, which is in the central time zone
that ell be why then,thankyou lockeko
Excellent summation.
One caution, though. If there are any questions left unanswered after the last episode airs, the producers are going to have to go into the witness protection program, and start spending a lot of time with Salmon Rushdie, because they are going to be hunted men.
I’ve got a suitcase full of knives, and I’m not afraid to use them.
WillsDad, Either that or they will write a book called something like “LOST: The Answers” and make a mint. Add to that a “LOST the Lost Clips” DVD and maybe they will escape the angry mob.
katesawjack, I’m disappointed that my Colts lost to their nemesis but I’ll survive. At least we didn’t get thumped like everyone else the Pats have played! I’ll be rooting for the Steelers when they meet the Pats in a few weeks.
The theories are more often brilliant and clever than not, but, I think someone made a very important point as to the whole Lostian experience: I think that it is the suspense, the desire which the show creates and sustains, that is the greatest part of its magic. In terms of episode numbers, we are more than half over — I am happy about the distance between each of the last three seasons. I don’t want it resolved too quickly. The mystery and desire for resolution produces more enjoyment than the resolution itself. There is right now a perfect balance between information and anticipation, between what we know and what lies ahead. Enjoy it. Savor it. Keep the intellectual, esoteric theories coming. Its part of the fun.
Agreed 100%. People need to realize that this is fiction. Just because time travel works a certain way in Terminator or Time Cop, doesn’t mean it has to work that way (if it even exists) in Lost. While past works of science fiction may be a big influence on the writers, it doesn’t mean they’re copying stuff exactly the way it was done before.
I mean for Heaven’s sake people, these producers attend comic conventions to release clues about the show. That should say it all.
This coincides well with my own theory that the Island itself is the main character, in that any person(s) could be gone tomorrow and the story could continue.
Continuing with the Island, although the writers could even now change what “it” is, I think they decided early on whether it was Atlantis, Eden, Alien, nature anomoly or man-made, then built a general storyline from there.
We see know that the Christian-Jack-Aaron lineage thing is important, but Christian and Jack could have been gone anytime once the story was established, and Aaron, whether child or adult, could be played by anyone.
My own ‘Eden theory’ took a hit in the Season 4 finale, I mean if it were the Eden of the Bible, would God need a donkey wheel to move it? I had thought little Aaron and Ji Yeon would grow up to be a “new” Adam & Eve, but maybe something else is in store.
Final thought: I think the writers were trying to tell us with the Steven King references “hey people, this is just a story”, because as enjoyable as his novels are to read, in the end they’re usually just about a big nasty monster.
Enjoy the ride, but in the end it’s just about a big magical Island. : )
Im glad youve said this as its plain that the answer to the big question which is Lost will not be some scientific mumbo jumbo that will go over most of our heads, it will be something that the people only watching the episodes and not doing research and freezeframing will be able to see and understand.
I saw an interview of Damon Lindeloff and some other guy on youtube, and when the reporte asked them if they have all the answers they laughed in a way that was saying to you ” well no not exactly but we will figure out something”
Nicely put. It was a refreshing read- and reminded me that in the end, even thought it is fun to theorize, the finale of season 6 will be heartbreaking and breathtaking- even if all of the ideas that I thought were going to happen end up in the trash heap! +1
Thank god… somebody points out that this is a network television show!
As arty or high concept as we may want it to be, it all comes down to the show being watchable to the widest demographic.
Thanks for helping to promote the simple storytelling logic!