28/36
Abrams’ “Lost” almost had a totally different cast
Synopsis
Survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island. J.J. Check out which A-list stars missed out on one of the most popular TV shows of all time. Sawyer’s character was originally meant to be a dapper, suit-wearing, older city hustler from Buffalo, New York. However, when Josh Holloway forgot a line in his audition and subsequently kicked a chair in frustration and swore loudly, the writers liked the spin it gave to Sawyer’s character and decided to write Sawyer as a darker southern drifter. Jin and Sun are married and share the last name “Kwon,” which becomes a major plot point in the final season. However, when Koreans get married, the wife never takes her husband’s last name.
Edited on Lost: The Journey (2005)
In fact, in Korea it’s not even allowed to marry someone who has the same last name, except in rare circumstances. [repeated line] Desmond Hume: See you in another life, bro. The strange opening credits were designed by J.J. Abrams on his black-and-white laptop as an homage to The Twilight Zone. With so many high-quality shows having recently ended or been canceled (Friends, Frasier, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel), and with the declining quality of many others (The West Wing, Smallville), not to mention the appalling rise of turgid , tasteless “reality” programming, I had all but written off television as a means of entertainment. I was seriously considering ditching my cable and TV subscription in favor of my computer screen and broadband Internet connection. Then along came “Lost.” I missed the first few episodes, but was able to catch up thanks to BitTorrent.
I’m now hooked
There are several things I like about this show, but here’s a quick list: 1) Outstanding, intelligent, multi-layered writing. There are multiple mysteries here, and for every answer we get, more questions arise. 2) Rich, complex characters. Just when you think you have a character pinned down, you discover something new about them that is often surprising or even shocking. I’m enjoying watching the various relationships emerge and develop. 3) Solid performances. This is a remarkable cast of mostly veteran actors with a couple of newcomers, and they’re all delivering work that will make them stars.
Mira Furlan, Victoria Hamel)
Even some of the cameos have featured talented, recognizable actors (e.g. 4) A mysterious, fascinating 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, creepy, and undeniably intriguing. It’s like a character in and of itself. Part of the fun of this show will be unraveling the island’s secrets.
I’m grateful to see this show is a success
5) Thematic depth. This isn’t just a soap opera on a desert island. There are rich metaphors and themes to mine here, such as the challenges of morality; about the nature of communities and civilization; about our relationship to nature/the environment; and about spirituality, even mysticism, too. Too often lately, I’ve committed to a quality show from the start (“Wonderfalls” being the most recent and much-lamented example) only to have it prematurely canceled by a nervous network. I hope “Lost” will have a long and successful run; if its creators, cast and crew maintain the level of quality they’ve demonstrated thus far, I’m sure it will.
