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Abrams’ “Lost” almost had a very different cast
Scenario
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. Jin and Sun are married and share the surname “Kwon,” which becomes a major plot point in the final season. However, when Koreans marry, the wife never takes her husband’s surname.
Cut from Lost: The Journey (2005)
In fact, marrying someone with the same surname is not even permissible in Korea, except in rare cases. [Repeat line] Desmond Hume: See you in another life, brother. The weird opening credits were done 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 cancelled recently (Friends, Frasier, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) and the decline in quality of many others (The West Wing, Smallville), not to mention the outrageous rise of tawdry and cheesy “reality” programming, I had all but written off television as an entertainment medium. I seriously considered cancelling my TV and cable subscriptions in favor of my computer screen and a broadband Internet connection. Then along comes “Lost.” I missed the first few episodes, but was able to catch up thanks to BitTorrent.
Now I’m hooked
There are several things to like about this show, but here’s a short list: 1) Excellent, intelligent, layered writing. There are several mysteries here, and with each answer we get, new questions arise. 2) Layered, complex characters. Just when you think you’ve figured out a character, you learn something new about them that’s often surprising or even shocking. I enjoy watching the various relationships form and develop. 3) Strong performances. This is a remarkable cast, made up of mostly experienced actors with a few newbies, and they all deliver acting that could make them stars.
Mira Furlan, Victoria Hamel)
Even some cameos featured well-known, talented actors (e.g. 4) A mysterious and intriguing setting. Of the four main story elements you learned in school, plot, character, theme, and setting, the latter is often the poor, neglected cousin. Not here. The island is dangerous, beautiful, scary and undeniably fascinating. It’s like a character in itself. Part of the fun of this show will be unraveling the island’s mysteries.
I’m grateful this show is a hit
5) Thematic depth. This isn’t just a deserted island soap opera. There are rich metaphors and themes here to explore, such as the challenges of morality, the nature of communities and civilization, our relationship with nature/environment, and also spirituality, even mysticism. Too many times lately I’ve bought into a quality show early (Wonderfalls being the most recent and much-lamented example) only to have it cancelled early by a nervous network. I hope Lost will have a long and successful run – if the creators, cast and crew maintain the level of quality they’ve shown so far, I’m sure it will.
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