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Abrams’ “Lost” almost had a very different cast
The survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island. J.J. See which A-listers missed out on one of the most popular TV shows of all time. The character Sawyer was originally supposed to be an older, slick, suit-wearing city con from Buffalo, NY. However, when Josh Holloway forgot a line during his audition and subsequently kicked a chair in frustration and cursed loudly, the writers liked the edge he brought to the character Sawyer and decided to write Sawyer as more of a grittier Southern drifter instead.
The weird opening credits were created by JJ
Jin and Sun are married and share the surname “Kwon,” which becomes a major plot point in the final season. However, when Koreans get married, the wife never takes her husband’s surname. In fact, marrying someone with the same surname isn’t even permissible in Korea, except in rare cases. [Repeat line] Desmond Hume: See you in another life, brother. Abrams on his laptop in black and white as an homage to The Twilight Zone.
Cut from Lost: The Journey (2005)
At first glance, Lost seems like an impossible concept: a group of people stranded on a mysterious island. How many storylines can you POSSIBLY pull from that before the idea is completely worn out? That’s a legitimate concern, but in the case of Lost, it’s completely unfounded. Unlike many shows today, where the plot drives the characters, Lost is actually the opposite: the characters drive the plot. This isn’t CSI or Law and Order, where every week is a variation on the same theme.
Yes, mysterious things happen
With Lost, you have a group of fascinatingly different, tragically flawed characters who must somehow learn to survive together while trying to keep their secrets hidden. This is a method that leads to disaster. After living together for a long time, the characters will find that it is impossible to keep their past a secret. Yes, there is a monster on the island. Yes, there is often a sense of fear in the air.
And it’s fascinating to watch
But for me, the external problems that the island itself brings are NOTHING compared to the INTERNAL problems that the characters have to deal with, both with themselves and with each other. That is where the REAL drama lies.
