'Lost' maps out series' distant end
PASADENA, Calif.—As Lost plots its Feb. 7 return, producers say they're eyeing the series' finale, if only to plot out how they'll plot out answers to the many burning questions the show has raised.
"We're in discussions with the network right now about picking an end point to the show," says executive producer Carlton Cuse. Producers say they expect to announce soon how much longer the show will go on.
But ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson says none of those conversations have yet taken place, and while he'd agree at some point to set a timetable for Lost's departure, that's unlikely any time soon. Despite a recent ratings decline, Lost remains a top-10 hit, with nearly 18 million viewers for the six episodes last fall. In three weeks, it will move to a new 10 p.m. ET/PT time slot on Wednesday, with 17 consecutive episodes airing through May
Critics and fans complained that early episodes this season dwelled too heavily on the mysterious Others, and ignored many of the main characters. Those cast members, addressing critics here Sunday, were diplomatic when asked about the early episodes and their lack of screen time: " We like to act so we like our chances to do it, but like any job, you also like a week off," says Jorge Garcia.
But producers promise a return to form: We're spinning back toward beach community and telling a lot of those other stories," says executive producer and co-creator Damon Lindelof, with four of the first six flashbacks devoted to original characters. (The Feb. 7 premiere will focus on Elizabeth Mitchell's Juliet, explaining how and why she came to the island.)
"It doesn't mean we're abandoning that (Others) story line," Lindelof says, "we're just not spending as much time telling that story once we get the hero characters back together."
And while viewers will learn how Jack got his tattoos and why Locke got his wheelchair, the show will remain focused more on characters and their relationships than underlying mythology of monsters and machinations. The Jack/Juliet and Claire/Charlie pairings will be further explored.
"There's a much larger audience for who is Kate going to choose than who are all the Hansos," Cuse says of the mysterious foundation that engineered experiments on the island. The Jack/Juliet and Claire/Charlie pairings will be more fully explored.
And next season, McPherson says he hopes to mimic 24 by scheduling 22 consecutive episodes, which for production reasons would require the network to delay its premiere until January.
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