LOST Revisited: The Post-Mortem, Part 1

I’m happier that they kept some things unexplained, particularly anything where the explanation would be problematic. I really loved the Alias finale, but it’s always going to be a problem that Rambaldi’s endgame was immortality, after we’d been told for years that it wasn’t. You know, this was a six-year story with a host of writers involved. Yes, I’m convinced that the broad strokes (and even some surprisingly specific details) were worked out early on. I mean, the idea of Hurley becoming Jacob is foreshadowed before there even was a Jacob. (Look at Season One – Hurley is always the guy who anticipates problems and fixes them before they become problems. By contrast, acknowledged leader Jack is entirely reactive.) But in real world terms, this is a TV show. Writers who may have had pet ideas that they hoped to incorporate into the greater mythology leave the show after a season or two. Actors have a different chemistry than anybody anticipated. Sometimes actors quit – I really think Mr. Eko would have been there through the finale and Season Two’s Gilgamesh references would have had a greater effect on the series if plans had worked out. But, you know, you can’t force Adewale to stay on the show if he wants to leave.