27/17
Abrams’ “Lost” almost had a completely different cast
Narrative
Survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island… J.J. See which A-listers didn’t make it into one of the most popular TV shows of all time. Sawyer’s character was originally supposed to be an older, handsome, suit-wearing urban crook from Buffalo, NY. But when Josh Holloway forgot a line during auditions and then kicked a chair in frustration and swore loudly, the writers liked the edge he gave Sawyer’s character and decided to write Sawyer as a more Southern, darker drifter. Jin and Sun are married and share the last name “Kwon,” which becomes a major plot point in the final season. But when Koreans get married, the wife never takes her husband’s last name.
Edited for Lost: The Journey (2005)
In fact, in Korea, it’s not even allowed to marry with the same last name except in rare circumstances.. [repeated line] Desmond Hume: See you in the next life, bro.. The strange opening credits were created by J.J. Abrams on his laptop in black and white as a tribute to The Twilight Zone. With so many high-quality shows ending or being canceled recently (Friends, Frasier, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel), and the decline in quality of so many others (The West Wing, Smallville). and the tasteless "reality" programming, I’ve almost written off television as an entertainment medium. I seriously considered giving up my TV and cable subscription in favor of a computer screen and a broadband internet connection.
Then comes Lost
I missed the first few episodes, but I managed to catch up thanks to BitTorrent. Now I’m hooked. There are a few things I like about this show, but here’s a short list: 1) Amazing, intelligent, layered writing. There are a lot of mysteries here, and every answer you get raises more questions. 2) Rich, complex characters. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on a character, you learn something new about them that’s often surprising or even shocking. I love watching the various relationships emerge and develop.
Mira Furlan, Victoria Hamel)
3) Strong performances. It’s a great cast, mostly seasoned actors with a few newcomers, and they all turn in star-making performances. There were even some episodes that featured recognizable, talented actors (e.g. 4) Mysterious and captivating setting. Of the four basic elements of a story you learned in school—plot, character, theme, and setting—the latter is often the poor, abandoned cousin. Not here. The island is dangerous, beautiful, creepy, and undeniably intriguing.
It’s like a character unto itself
Part of the fun of this show will be uncovering the island’s secrets. 5) Thematic depth. This is not just a soap opera on a desert island. There are many metaphors and themes to be extracted here, such as about moral challenges; about the nature of communities and civilization; about our relationship with nature/environment; and spirituality, even mysticism, as well. I’m grateful to see this show be a hit. Too often lately I’ve committed to a quality show early (Wonderfalls is the most recent and much-regretted example) only to be canceled early by a nervous network. 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.