41/40
Abrams’ “Lost” almost had a completely different cast
Plot
Survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island. J.J. 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 a dapper, suited-up, 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 out loud, the writers liked the freshness he brought to Sawyer’s character and decided to write Sawyer as a darker, Southern drifter instead. Jin and Sun are married and share the last name “Kwon,” which becomes a major plot point in the final season. However, when Koreans marry, the woman never takes her husband’s last name.
Edited in Lost (2005)
In fact, it’s not even legal in Korea to marry someone with the same last name, except in rare circumstances. [repeated line] Desmond Hume: See you in another life, brother. The strange opening theme was designed by J.J. Abrams on his laptop in black and white as an homage to The Twilight Zone. With so many quality 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 glaring rise of turgid and tacky “reality” shows, I had almost given up on television as a means of entertainment. I seriously considered ditching my TV and cable subscription in favor of my computer screen and high-speed Internet connection. Then came “Lost.” I missed the first few episodes, but was able to catch up on them via BitTorrent.
Now I’m hooked
There are a few things I love about this show, but here’s a quick list: 1) Exceptional, intelligent, and multi-layered writing. There are many mysteries here, and for every answer we get, new questions emerge. 2) Rich, complex characters. Just when you think you’ve figured out a character, you discover something new about them that’s often surprising or even shocking. I love seeing the different relationships emerge and develop. 3) Strong performances. This is a remarkable cast of mostly seasoned actors with a few newcomers, and they all do stellar work.
Mira Furlan, Victoria Hamel)
Even some of the cameos have featured recognizable and talented actors (e.g. 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 unraveling the island’s secrets.
I’m grateful to see this show succeed
5) Thematic depth. This isn’t just a soap opera about a deserted island. There are rich metaphors and themes to be mined here, like the challenges of morality, the nature of community and civilization, our relationship with nature/environment and spirituality, even mysticism. Too often lately, I’ve committed to streaming a quality show from the beginning (“Wonderfalls” being the most recent and most 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 it will.