ALTERNATIVE LOST

One of the perplexing elements to LOST was the Island. We still don't know whether it was real, surreal, spiritual or supernatural. It seemed to be an important element of the story until The End
where the series was "resolved" in the sideways realm church.

If the Island was not a critical component of the LOST saga, I have imagined an alternative setting which could have clarified to basic character story lines and concentrated the drama.

First, we need a means of gathering up the diverse people into one place. In the original series, it was a plane flight from Sydney to LA. In this alternative LOST, it is a cross country passenger train speeding along in the evening across the deserted plains.

Second, we need an incident that throws the passengers into chaos. In the original series, it was the plane crash on the Island. In this alternative LOST, it is a train derailment out in no where. A train wreck has the same elements of the plane crash: death, smoke, fire, twisted debris, dazed and confused people, and heroic first aid. It also removes one element of debate from the original series that doubted that anyone could have survived when the plane broke a part at high altitude.

Third, we need the chaos event to change the lives of the survivors. In the original series, the Island trapped the survivors who went from the hope of rescue to being pawns in various power struggles. In this alternative LOST, people, cargo and debris are thrown around the tracks. Jack would still run around giving first aid to the wounded; Kate would still release herself from her hand cuffs; Rose could still be searching for Bernard who went to the restroom just prior to the crash; Charlie could be in a temporary shock and high from his habit; Claire could be going into false labor; and Locke could have miraculously regained his ability to walk.

And here is where the story setting takes a significant change in direction. Since the train derailed in no where, it will take some time for emergency vehicles to get to the site. Jack will make his way to the front of the train, and speak briefly to the engineer who will tell him that the radio is not working and that he has something important to say with his last breath, but expires before telling Jack.

Some time later, the survivors are in the cold and pitch darkness, lights appear on the horizon. It is the first responders. Several ambulances and vans arrive on the scene to the relief of an anxious Jack. Everyone is gathered up and sped off into the night toward a hospital facility.

The survivors arrive through the large gates of a large white government facility which itself is out in no where. The wounded are rushed into the lobby of the building which looks and feels like a hospital. There are doctors and orderlies moving patients to gurneys and down hallways to rooms.

The main cast who are not hurt gather in a corner of the lobby. They are greeted by Ben, who introduces himself as the Director of the facility. He tells them that his staff has a handle on what needs to be done. Ben tells Jack, who explains that he is a spinal physician who may be needed further, that everyone is being cared for - - - to relax. "You have done more than enough," Ben says patting him on the shoulder.

Ben then reveals that the survivors are hundreds of miles from the nearest town, but not to worry Ben has an entire wing of beds for them. Ben directs Mr. Friendly to take the group to their overnight accommodations. Rose asks if there is a phone she can use to call her husband's cell phone, but Ben says that a tornadic storm came through earlier in the night and the damage cut off all phone lines. Ben comforts her that when Bernard is found, he will reunited them. Mr. Friendly takes the group down a side hall way. Ben follows far behind until the last person crosses that threshold. He then closes the double doors and locks it with his key. He slowly turns back to the camera with a bug-eyed evil grin on his face.

The camera would then pan up the lobby two stories to a catwalk that is encased in a fine chicken wire mesh. In the middle of the cat walk stands Hurley, looking down on the people in the lobby. Hurley is wearing a brown jump suit with the words "STATE ASYLUM" across his left breast pocket.

Instead of the original setting of the Island, the LOST survivors would be trapped in a closed state asylum run by a madman named Ben. No one would know where the survivors are at because they would be presumed dead in the horrific fire Ben's people would set in the train cars to cover their abductions.

The alternative series would continue unfold with power struggles of the various facility factions. Ben and his people (the Others) are in control of the facility and take charge bizarre experiments and treatments (like Room 23) to keep people in line. Eloise may be a researcher in the hospital wing of the facility whose staff (including Juliet) try to think of ways to overthrow Ben's regime. The hospital wing could contain the Tailies (injured people from the crash) who want answers through their leader, Ana Lucia. The pysch ward survivors led by Jack take longer to realize that they are being held against their will. (Jack would be in an interrogation room when Ben come in. Jack wants to leave to get back to his practice in LA. Ben says "you believe you are a doctor, Jack?" Jack is furious and lunges at him, but is stopped by guard Mr. Friendly. Ben explains to Jack that "it's all in his head," gets up with his chart to leave. But as he is about to shut the door, he turns and smiles "or is it?")

The last faction would be the old inmates of the facility: Hurley, Libby, Leonard Simms. They have been there a long time as mental patients when the facility closed and "changed hands" by being purchased by the Dharma Pharma Research Group.  Hurley's group were not processed out to other state mental facilities (falling through the bureaucratic cracks). Due to their mental conditions and drug medications, this group merely accepts their fate as lab rats until they see the new arrivals want to rebel and escape. The struggle that this group needs to overcome is whether they will sheep in the place they call home or take a big chance to leave the asylum to challenge the real world which doomed them in the first place.

In this setting there is no need for gimmicks like smoke monsters, immortal beings, time travel or outside armies of Widmore's men invading the facility. It is all set in a confined space. It is pure evil against the strength of the righteous. All the character back stories, secrets, desires and fears could be used in this alternative story. Viewers would not have to guess where the characters were in time or space. There still could be mysteries about this Area 51 of mental institutions, but there would be cleared demarcations between the original story premise and the story lines leading to one final resolution (however it would turn out).