This is topic Farewell to "Lost" in forum The Afterlife at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 03-28-2010, 09:08 AM:
 
While I will miss 24, despite it's obviously "winding down" nature this season (and last season for that matter), the show I will really miss is "Lost". When these two shows go off the air, I don't know what I'll do with all of my time. I certainly won't be sitting in front of the TV on Monday or Tuesday nights anymore. What to do - what to do...
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-28-2010, 10:45 AM:
 
I had never watched a single episode of "Lost" until over the Xmas holidays when I started watching it from the very beginning via NetFlix streaming. I've since watched every episode, a few more than once. "Lost" is now my favorite TV show of all time, period.
 

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-28-2010, 01:25 PM:
 
Beside it's fans, LOST will especially be missed by the people of Hawaii because the millions of dollars it has contributed to our state's economy will come to an end. I do not know if are aware of the fact that the entire series was filmed right here on the island of Oahu. After watching the various production videos of LOST, I do not recall anything about the show going to the other Hawaiian islands for location work. It is just amazing how the city of Honolulu alone has doubled for London, Berlin, and other international cities. I have recognized many of the locations but there are many I have not.

LOST will be winding down production work soon if they have not done so yet. The sound stages and studios we have in Honolulu will not be vacant very long because the long awaited HAWAII FIVE O television pilot will soon go into production. The show will be a modern version of original series starring Jack Lord. Like LOST, it too was filmed entirely in Hawaii.

-Claude
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 03-28-2010, 02:56 PM:
 
They ought to bring back Magnum PI!
 

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-28-2010, 03:04 PM:
 
In time, it will, Mike

-Claude
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-28-2010, 03:49 PM:
 
I've seen a few episodes of Lost, but having missed the beginning I've never been able to make complete sense of it. With all the parallel realities and what not the only way I'll be able to fully appreciate it is if I watched every episode from the beginning.

That seems like a LOT of work.

Battlestar Galactica has posed a similar problem. I'm not quite tempted to spend $200 for the complete series box set on Blu-ray.
 

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-28-2010, 04:50 PM:
 
It does not matter if you watch the show from the very beginning, because midway through about season three, the show flashes forward through time and I became LOST (pardon the pun ) I have Season Five on Blu-Ray and I am trying to figure out what is going on and hopefully the final season will give me the answers.

-Claude
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 03-28-2010, 06:14 PM:
 
Yeah, Bobby, Lost is something that you REALLY need to watch from day 1 or you'll just never get it.

It's not just about the mysterious island. There's a ton of character development. The island is really just another character. It really is a great show.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-28-2010, 08:46 PM:
 
"Lost" doesn't work for viewers who want clear answers to all questions raised by the story. You have to fill in some of the blanks yourself. Long-term viewers will be rewarded with many answers along the way but not all the answers.

I found that it helped a lot to review the episode summary on Lostpedia right after watching each episode. The show is loaded with so much "stuff" that even if you're paying attention (which you must) you will still miss some details. Lostpedia can go a long way toward bringing clarity.

Anyway no other TV show ever hooked me like this one. It just took me 5 years after the show began for the hook to be set.
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 03-28-2010, 08:52 PM:
 
You might want to check out the fuselage too. Reading some of the theories on there is enough to make your head spin. There are minor characters that show up, go away, and then pop up again three seasons later. Then you sit there and wonder where else you have seen that actor or actress before - not realizing that you saw them on Lost three years ago.
 

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Posted by Jonathan Smith (Member # 5609) on 03-29-2010, 08:20 AM:
 
I am going to miss another 35mm TV show coming out without a new one coming in to replace it.

Haven't followed "Lost" that much, but it had some gorgeous cinematography (shooting in Hawai'i certainly makes for pretty pictures!)
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 03-29-2010, 08:25 AM:
 
I caught up on "Lost" via the one-hour "Previously on Lost" special they did before the current season premiere. Then I watched the season premiere (which itself did a five-minute "Previously on Lost") and the following episode. Then I "lost" interest. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Yeah, I don't get the attraction to this show at all.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-29-2010, 11:16 AM:
 
I had tried a couple times to dive into "Lost" in the middle. Had no idea whatsoever what was going on, very frustrating, gave up, couldn't even finish a single episode. Then I started it from the beginning and got addicted. FWIW.

The thing about Lost is there are many red herrings and loose story fragments along the way. But overall it's held together by a strong story thread from the start to now that's very compelling to me for whatever reason but only works with knowledge of the entire arc of the story and all the mysteries along the way.

Funny thing with me is I'm terrible with names. You can introduce me to someone and 30 seconds later I have no idea what their name is. Likewise for characters in TV shows, I'm not into remembering names. Yet the names of major and even minor "Lost" characters have stuck with me. I remember most of them. I attribute this to strong character development and great writing and acting. Blah blah.

Re Lostpedia vs. The Fuselage: The Fuselage is supposedly "blessed" by J. J. Abrams so it has that going for it. However Lostpedia works better for me for some reason, in part because its wiki format displays very well on my iPhone. In fact I prefer viewing Lostpedia on the iPhone over using a real computer because most of the ads and crap are "lost". Presumably Lostpedia would work similarly on other mobile devices.

I've tried 24, same story, can't get into it. Someday I'll try it from the beginning.
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 03-29-2010, 11:50 AM:
 

quote: Sam Graham

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I caught up on "Lost" via the one-hour "Previously on Lost" special they did before the current season premiere.

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I don't believe that was meant for you, actually. I watch those with great interest because they tie things together that don't happen from one week to the next so you may not catch it when you're watching it during it's first run. Watching the episodes back to back to back has that effect too. You catch links to things that happened three hours ago vs. missing them because they happened three weeks ago. There's a fine line between "oh, ok how was I supposed to catch THAT?!" and "Holy crap I can't believe I MISSED THAT!!" and this show walks that line effortlessly and at times brilliantly.

The more I think about, David, the more I agree with you. It just may be my all time favorite TV show.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-30-2010, 03:31 PM:
 
This is another show that I know nothing about due to being in the movie business. After all the accolades it has gotten I'm tempted to start watching it on DVD. But, there's that pesky "only 24 hours in a day" thing. I wish there was a way to watch TV in my sleep, then I might have time to get caught up.
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 03-31-2010, 10:12 AM:
 

 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-31-2010, 01:57 PM:
 
Where is Jesse Skeen when you need him?

Last night some asswipe at ABC decided to stick this big red "V" logo and countdown timer in the corner for nearly the entire episode of "Lost". Not only was it highly distracting but it partially obscured some vital images and subtitles. Possibly this decision was made by a committee of asswipes, maybe Disney asswipes.

Anyway as my own personal futile FU gesture to ABC, I've deleted my TiVo Season Pass for "V" and will not watch another episode. Take that asswipes!



The Backlash

'V' Countdown Clock Sparks 'Lost' Backlash

ABC's decision to blanket Tuesday night's "Lost" with a virtually omnipresent "V" countdown clock has provoked a massive online backlash -- including a slam from series co-creator Damon Lindelof.

"Yes, people, I saw it too," a clearly perturbed Lindelof wrote during the West Coast broadcast of his show. ":34 minutes until I cry myself to sleep."

"It" was a bright red "V" logo and a countdown clock that remained fixed in the lower right-hand corner of ABC's air through virtually all of Tuesday's "Lost." Even during super-dramatic moments. Even when subtitles appeared (yes, the clock obscured one word of said subtitle during one scene).

Another "Lost" writer sounded equally peeved.

"Really? The V couldn't have at least been translucent?!?" tweeted Adam Horowitz.

The intent of ABC's stunt was clear: It desperately was hoping die-hard "Lost" fans would stay tuned for "V," which has been off the air for four long months. With "FlashForward" a real long shot for renewal, "V" is ABC's last best hope to salvage a drama hit from the fall season.

But while viewers -- particularly those who watch lots of cable originals -- have come to expect a certain amount of on-air clutter, the "V" stunt may have been a bridge too far for some fans.

Bill Simmons, a regular contributor to the website for ABC sibling ESPN.com, couldn't contain his rage.

"To the ABC exec who decided to put the V countdown clock on the bottom of the Lost screen... I hate you. Passionately," Simmons wrote on Twitter Tuesday.

A personality from a rival conglomerate was equally upset.

"Whoever made the decision to put up the 'V' countdown clock during 'Lost' should be fired, or kicked in the nuts repeatedly until he quits," tweeted Andy Levy, a contributor to Fox New Channel's "Redeye."

Aaron Bleyaert, the former "Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" blogger, argued the stunt backfired.

"Hey ABC, here is a great way to make sure I never, ever, EVER watch the show 'V': put a giant fucking bright red 'V' bug over all of 'LOST,'" he wrote.

And, no shocker, professional TV critics were aghast.

"Well-done, ABC. Really freaking well-done," the Newark Star-Ledger's Alan Sepinwall wrote on his "What's Alan Watching" blog, adding that he was "really, really, really pissed off" by the move.

Some folks decided it was best to simply mock ABC.

"If ABC had any real marketing savvy, they would have had a countdown clock while 'V' was on, showing how long until the next episode of 'V,'" tweeted @KenTremendous, widely believed to be the online handle of "Parks & Recreation" co-creator Mike Schur.

"So what's the deeper meaning of the V clock?" asked the Chicago Tribune's Phil Rosenthal. "Is there a flash-sideways in which alt-ABC does something not idiotic?"

Our favorite ABC dis came from Ben Lohhman, a communications student in New Jersey.

"I didn't even watch 'Lost,' but I hate the 'V' countdown timer," he sighed.

It'll be interesting to see how ABC responds to the online uproar Wednesday. (A rep for the network couldn't immediately be reached for comment late Tuesday, in part because ABC reps have, you know, lives and don't sit around all night waiting to respond to critics and reporter and bloggers.)

Our take: ABC screwed the pooch big-time here. We all accept that networks need to crank up the hype, what with a zillion viewing options, DVRs and everything else making it hard out there for a pimp/network executive.

But this isn't just some TV show. It's "Lost." The closest thing broadcast TV has to a religious experience.

Nobody's going to stay tuned for "V" just because you hammer it into their brains while they're trying to enjoy "Lost."

If the ratings for "V" are good Wednesday -- and we suspect they might be -- it won't be because of the countdown clock, but because of all of the other amazing promos ABC has been airing for "V" the past six weeks.

All that said, the world will get over this, particularly if ABC humbles itself a little and simply apologizes for its overeager promotion. Just don't let it happen again, OK?
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 03-31-2010, 08:13 PM:
 
Yeah that was a pooch-screw alright. I guess one good thing of the show ending is that I'll never be subjected to that crap ever EVER again while watching Lost. Maybe my local ABC affiliate will take note of the backlash and stop putting these huge assed news headlines over the show too.

I doubt it. It took them at least three years to get the sound right.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-01-2010, 01:42 PM:
 
The V countdown clock got a Wag of the Finger from The Colbert Report (about 2:30 into it).
 

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Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 04-16-2010, 07:03 PM:
 
Nice to know I'm missed Just haven't had as much free time lately. I didn't see that since I work nights right now, I just heard about it a few days ago. I finally got a new TV but the ABC affiliate doesn't come in (its analog station did on my old TV til it was gone, but the digital signal seems real finicky) and I'm in no hurry to get a better antenna for obvious reasons. That just shows that since there wasn't a mass exodus TWELVE YEARS AGO when ABC started keeping its logo on the screen, they feel people will take whatever they shove in their faces.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again- I would not allow America's Funniest Home Videos to show a stupid dog video or anything else shot by me with a bug on the screen, so anyone who allows their work to be shown in this manner is a sellout and a whore.

A small bit of good news however- KTXL, the local Fox station (formerly one of the country's greatest independent TV stations) recently STOPPED putting their logo on the screen like they had been since 1999. It's still on during Fox shows, but that's controlled by the network- Fox has been keeping their HD feed clean, but they take logos from each station and automatically display them on the appropriate station. From what I understand, Fox basically hijacks control of the entire station when their shows are on. Interestingly the ".1" audio signal is only there during Fox shows as well, during local programming or commercials it goes out.
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 04-21-2010, 03:30 PM:
 
THIS looks like a steal.

If you haven't seen the show, don't read the synopses on each season because they contain spoilers.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-22-2010, 12:07 PM:
 
I will probably buy the Blu-ray complete set. That seems like a good deal.
 

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Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 04-23-2010, 01:27 PM:
 
I don't watch this show so I am curious to find out a couple of things, I heard on the radio that this past week's episode was the lowest rated episode ever (or in a very long time) I have heard the opinions of the radio personalities who watch the show to be that the writing has not been very good this year. Does anyone else feel this way and if so do you think that explains the low ratings? If you think the writing is of the same quality as always what do you think caused this slump in ratings?
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-23-2010, 03:01 PM:
 
I don't think there's any significant decline in the writing or storytelling at all. It may be that some of the show's fans just don't like where the story is going. My theory is the ratings decline is partially due to story complexity burn-out. Like it's overwhelming to try and keep track of everything that's been thrown at the viewers over all 6 seasons and assimilate it all into a coherent narrative. Time travel, parallel universe(s), backstories, loose ends, red herrings, unanswered mysteries. You have to be really hard-core to be still following it closely. If you were only ever a casual fan in the first place you're probably "lost". The details matter on Lost and there are too many of them to keep track of. Once they lose viewers due to complexity (meaning it's just too demanding of the viewer's time and attention), it's hard to win them back at this point.
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 04-23-2010, 07:13 PM:
 
That could be. I agree that the show's not declining, but there's definitely a feeling of things starting to wrap up. Mysteries are being answered. Other mysteries are being dismissed as coincidence or whatever. So it's definitely answering questions, and the answers could be turning people off I suppose either by being satisfied with the answer or frustrated with the answer. I, for one, and my wife for another, are both still riveted to the show and will be watching right up to the end with great interest.

Now I supposed the very ending could piss me off, but I kind of doubt it. I'll let you know.
 

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Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 04-24-2010, 09:16 AM:
 
How many smashed up TV's do you think would be sitting out on curbs the next morning if they decided to do a "Sapranos" type of ending?
 

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Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 04-24-2010, 09:24 AM:
 
I'm a big LOST fan also. This year has been excellent (though I'm not a huge fan of the sideways overall) with many great moments. Some people didn't like last weeks episode in my opinion because expectations for the end of the series are too high. People expect huge answers every week.

The reason LOST has declined in viewership is it is simply a huge effort to follow the show.
 

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Posted by Patrick de Groot (Member # 858) on 05-07-2010, 04:40 PM:
 
I just recently started watching Lost. Got the dvd boxset of season 1 and 2. Now halfway through 2. I know already I won't watch them all. It's all too familiar. The writers make it up as they go and stretch it to fill more seasons. They could have ended it in 3 seasons. It's a good watch and a good show, but all these flashbacks go nowhere. They throw mysteries at you that aren't solved. I know the trick from Battlestar Galactica. I watched everything from that one. Don't understand me wrong, I like Lost very much, but it's not a brilliant story. It's (or was? ) a huge success. Nothing wrong with that.

I'm in the middle of the press the button before the timer runs out. If you have a computer, why not automate the bloody key sentence...
 

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Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 05-07-2010, 06:32 PM:
 
Patrick-

Trust me, you have know idea where the story is going. And don't worry if your tired of the flashback structure, it changes in later seasons.

It is true that every small mystery is not answered.
 

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 05-07-2010, 08:01 PM:
 
Because practically every foot of film of LOST was filmed right here on the island of Oahu and has been a tremendous cash cow for the economy of the state of Hawaii, our ABC affiliate will devote an entire evening to the show. Most of the stuff will also be shown that evening nation wide as part of network programming but the extra special local stuff will only be shown in Hawaii after finale ends. I am very fortunate I live here. Yes, I will also be upset if the show ends like THE SOPRANOS.

-Claude
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-07-2010, 11:14 PM:
 

quote: Patrick de Groot

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If you have a computer, why not automate the bloody key sentence

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quote:

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(Lost Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse) are on record as saying that the DHARMA Initiative purposefully left the input up to humans, as they wouldn't want to put the fate of the world in a computer's hands, and end up with a situation where the computer controlled the humans, a la HAL in 2001.

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See, perfectly logical, no mystery there.
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 05-08-2010, 09:42 PM:
 

quote: Patrick de Groot

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The writers make it up as they go and stretch it to fill more seasons.

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I don't believe that is true. There are quite a few scenes shot in one season that come back and play a part seasons later.

The flashbacks are called character development. Lost is all about the characters and their struggles and all of that. Some of those flashbacks explain mysteries later in the show. And occasionally the characters cross paths in their past. It's all connected and part of the mystery and fun of the show.

I loved the button pushing in season 2.
 

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Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 05-12-2010, 06:17 PM:
 
The last episode of LOST: Donald Trump builds a Casino on the island, and pays the smoke monster to kill any winners.

I just hope that they don't decide to leave everything up in the air, so that there can be a Lost movie!
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 05-13-2010, 07:53 AM:
 
Like I said...

quote: Mark J. Marshall

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There are quite a few scenes shot in one season that come back and play a part seasons later.

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quote: Joe Elliott

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I am wondering if we will have anyone. Is anyone else playing this? Any pre-sales?

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Hurley says goodbye to 'Lost'
Jorge Garcia writes about the popular series' end
By JORGE GARCIA

At 5 a.m. on April 24, I became unemployed.

I just wrapped my six-season run on "Lost." The job that went above and beyond anything I could have imagined was over.

When I auditioned for "Lost," I was just another out-of-work actor struggling to land a pilot. When I first went in to meet the producers, there wasn't any material for me, except a few sides they had for the character Sawyer.

I felt great about the audition; so great, in fact, that getting the part wasn't important because I knew I couldn't have done any better. Then I got the call that I was going to test, and that they were going to write scenes specifically for me. I remember noticing I was the only Hurley in the room waiting to test. I called my agent from the parking lot afterward and said, "I don't know what it meant but it felt like a good thing."

When I got hired I hadn't even seen the pilot script. All I knew was that it was a J.J. Abrams show and that it would shoot in Hawaii. I figured, if anything, I had just scored an extended Hawaiian vacation.

Moving to Hawaii was a dream come true. When I worked the magazine stand at Borders in Westwood, I remember seeing a picture of Kelsey Grammer in his Hawaiian home on the cover of Architectural Digest and thinking that having a home in Hawaii was a good benchmark for success. Not two months in my new apartment in L.A., I was trying to figure out what to pack for a show that I had no idea how long would last. Now six years later, I walk around my house trying to figure out what to pack from all of the stuff I have amassed in Hawaii over the show's run.

During the pilot and the first summer of shooting we bonded quickly as a cast. After all, not unlike the show's premise, we literally found ourselves on an island with one another. We'd go to each other's houses on the weekends and nights when we weren't shooting. When the shows started airing, we would usually gather at the house of whomever the show was going to feature that week to watch and congratulate each other.

We had no information about what was going on beyond what we read in the script each week. We knew we were making TV that was not like anything seen before and crossed our fingers hoping we would find an audience who liked what we were doing.

The series premiere brought in better numbers than we anticipated and I remember saying to the other actors the next day, "I hope you like it in Hawaii because we may be here for a while."

As the seasons progressed, moments of being recognized on the street grew exponentially. There was a time during season one when all I had to do was tie my hair back to become invisible. Obviously, that does nothing for me now; neither does wearing a hat and sunglasses. At times both Daniel Dae Kim and Terry O'Quinn remarked how they enjoyed disappearing when they were around me as I would be the only one getting recognized.

Hawaii has been a wonderful place to hide for six years. Sometimes I could almost convince myself that "Lost" was a just a little show I did with friends in the jungle. I always liked to think of us as the tinkers in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" until something would shake that fantasy and I'd be forced to recognize how huge the show was becoming, like getting nominated for a Golden Globe. J.J., always the consummate mensch, wanted my experience to be enjoyable and easy at the awards, so he gifted me my first custom-tailored tuxedo.

I think the time spent under the cast tent on set will be what I'll miss the most. We sang songs to Terry and Naveen's guitar playing, made valiant group efforts to complete a Friday edition of the New York Times crossword puzzle and played a lot of Scrabble.

My last day on "Lost" was also my longest: 20 hours. Without going into details, I can say the shoot was dangerous, physical and wet. But what could be more appropriate? How else could we end this epic show without an epic marathon night of shooting? At the end of it all we all remarked how we expected the end to be more emotional for us, but we were too tired to cry.

I'll admit I got a little teary with Matthew Fox. I thanked him for everything he taught me, including taking me on his trip to Japan to see Green Day that first summer of shooting. At the time, flying at the last minute to a foreign country was way out of my comfort zone, but then again nothing on "Lost" was ever in my comfort zone.

I stuck around after even after I wrapped to see the martini shot of the entire show. I could feel director Jack Bender's resistance to call "print" on that last take. In fact I'm pretty sure he asked for one more take to delay the inevitable.

I still don't think the end of it all has hit me yet. Maybe I'll feel it when the finale finally airs Sunday. Or maybe it will hit me when I board the plane at Honolulu Airport for the last time as a Hawaiian resident.

I have no clue what my next adventure is going to be, I just know this job is going to be a hard one to follow.

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