Josh-da-man

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_3967988.html

It's a very interesting read; make sure you download the pdf at the end of the article.

The original outline/writer's guide, seemingly written after the pilot was filmed but before the season one was written, is a very different creature from what the series eventually became.

Some things are still there, like the "hatch" and "others," and even some things that later showed up like the submarine and people parachuting onto the island.

There's barely any mention of flashbacks, which eventually became a huge part of the show, and it seems most of the story time was to have centered around survival and the characters adapting to their new situation. Walking Dead without the zombies.

It also seems that the original plan for the "monster" was that it was some sort of security system protecting either parts of the island or certain things hidden there, and that it was indeed some sort of machine, some kind of cousin to The Prisoner's Rover.

Of the thirty 'stories' briefly outlined, very few of them made it to screen, though bits and pieces are recongnizable.

One thing caught my eye, though:

Well, that's one thing that didn't change through over the series' six year run...

RocShemp

I remember a bunch of writers ended up abandoning the show because ABC wanted a never ending series rather than a show with an actual conclusion in mind. It seems there was a lot more to which objected.

JZ1276

Yes, The Smoke Monster I believe was originally supposed to be a "security system". It was referred to as a security system a couple of times once specifically by Juliet & again by Ben I believe. It was obvious the writers didnt know which direction to go with it so they turned it into something that made no sense whatsoever at the end.... just like the rest of the show.

Josh-da-man

I think it was first referred to as a "security system" by Danielle Rousseau, the crazy French lady, in season one.

As late as season two, you can still sort of see that they were setting "The Others" up to be the Dharma Initiative people, with Mr Friendly wearing a fake beard held on with Dharma brand theatrical glue, and Mr Friendly quoting Alvar Hanso.

PhantomStranger

David Fury pretty much revealed this lack of a plan and final strategy from the very beginning, after he left the show. He said almost everything was being made up as they went and that many of the supposed connections within episodes were being thrown in with no ultimate direction.

It did work for five magical seasons, it's too bad they punted on a coherent solution in season six.

Nausicaa

Yeah I haven't really thought about this show much since it concluded. I enjoyed it as it aired, but the ending was very disappointing.

I guess I didn't need a single explanation for everything, and I would have been okay with some loose ends if the conclusion was at least marginally satisfying on its own terms. As it was, I just thought it was awful and pretty much ruined the whole series. The entire final season was pretty much incoherent.

TomOpus

If "the monster" was part of a security system, why did it kill the pilot (or was it the co-pilot) and leave most everyone alive and able to wander around the island? Allow strangers to stick to the beach but kill those entering the forest.

I guess that's why I'm not a Hollywood writer

mphtrilogy

Great show that could not deliver what was a great setup

It failed miserably ...

It could have been one of the all time greats

Instead it's just an also ran...

Dragon Tattoo

The first five seasons are still great in my opinion. The season five final was perfect.

It also began that whole trend of big concept network shows (leading to Heroes, and all that other crap) so it's definitely made a name for itself, even if the finale disappointed.

Rex Power Colt-Robot Man

So it wasn't "An airplane crashes on a "deserted" island... (we'll wing the rest as we go along )" ?

JZ1276

Thats right, but she was speculating. Juliet also said it was a security system, and being that she was with the others, youd figure she would know what it was.

I agree, however, no matter how good or bad the show was as a whole, the finale killed it. Everything lead to that final episode and there was no payoff.

stvn1974

The closest thing I can compare Lost to is a Stephen King novel. Great until the last 100 pages where the ending ruins the entire thing.

PhantomStranger

Incidentally, Stephen King writes his novels without an ending in mind until he gets there. Make of that what you will...

Josh-da-man

Not surprised at all.

Raul3

Another Lost thread? OK.

Lost changed television forever. It inspired writers from one of the best shows in the last decade. All kind of shows, not just sci-fi.

Some seasons were almost perfect, some others weren't that great. Last season sucked is the consensus. I think people is split in the finale, I actually liked the final episode.

RichC2

I had no problem with the finale, and actually a good chunk of the final season wasn't that bad - it was a fun adventure - I think people just had too lofty of expectations for the outcome.

The brothers storyline, the light, and the whole episode with Allison Janney was just awful.

I mentioned this the other day in another thread, but I had a couple friends who hated the finale, and while discussing it kept bringing up that they were dead the entire time on the island. I honestly have no idea how anyone interpreted the finale like that, unless they just skimmed over the final 15 minutes.

It was a tremendously ambitious series and it largely pulled it off, I hope in 10 years they decide to touch up the CG and re-release it on whatever collectible format is available. Will probably be ready to watch it again by then, maybe. Maybe not.

Raul3

That's the complain I hate the most "they were dead the entire time on the island!!!". Because yeah, that's not true.

PhantomStranger

It does seem like the Purgatory scenario was a guiding endgame for Lost's writers for a couple of seasons. It was only when the entire fan community guessed it that they deviated from using the concept.

RichC2

The purgatory scenario was the entire fan community's guess from the get go.

Michael Corvin

Yeah, that was pretty much the theory from the pilot.

Lost drove 90 yards down field for the winning touchdown and fumbled on the 10 yard line. That being said, I did like the sideways 'purgatory' flashes of season 6, it was everything else island related that was just pointless and unwatchable.

Pizza

Sometimes the obvious answer is the best one. So what if everyone figured it out. It would have been better than what they did where that ridiculous island was real and the normal life they entered later wasn't.

JZ1276

I heard a lot of people mention that as well. Reasons I believe people think this are...
1 People in general are stupid
2 How many people do you actually think sit through an entire TV show and put their full attention on it? Most people will mess around with their phones, ipads, etc while watching TV taking their attention away from whats going on.

I had a BIG problem with the finale. I was never into a show as much as I was with Lost (except maybe for The Sopranos), but for me, the finale killed the entire show. The entire flash sideways thing with them all dead and meeting each other in "the afterlife" to "move on" was ridiculous and had nothing to do with the story at all. It was filler and a manipulative way to end the show with some drama. So many plotholes in the last episode. Desmond was in the ditch where the light was, they had to pull him up with a rope to get him out. Then Jack somehow gets out by himself which leads to him giving Hurley the magical drink of water so he would become the islands protector. When Jacob made Jack the protector, he went through a ritual talking in a foreign language going through some kind of speech. When Jack did it, he took an empty bottle, filled it from the stream and said "drink this". I can come up with a lot more but i blocked this show out.

Groucho

That document seems more in line with the "everything will have a scientific explanation" claim they were making during season 1.

Shannon Nutt

I think the LOST finale works simply because they didn't do a checklist of explanations, but instead went for something emotional.

Then again, I also love The Sopranos finale for similar reasons. I like series that don't feel the need to wrap everything in a bow for their viewers.

Jimmy James

That worked for the Sopranos because it was a very different show. LOST was Barnum at its finest. They claimed they had answers all along, and the ultimate answer was they were pulling it out of their asses.