LANGUAGE BARRIER
In a moment brought on by crisis, Jin catches Sun speaking fluent English (a secret she has shared
only with Kate). At first enraged that his wife has kept this secret from him, Jin soon realizes that
he must now rely almost completely on her if he wants to communicate with the others.
This story idea played out in some respect with Sun confiding with Kate. However, Jin's inability to speak English was not used as a constant barrier - - and at some point the pretense was dropped totally and suddenly Jin could understand and speak English. The idea was that a proud, traditional Korean man would have a hard time relying upon his wife to provide basic communication and support in the camp on his behalf.
SAWYER'S DEAL
This story idea played out in some respect with Sun confiding with Kate. However, Jin's inability to speak English was not used as a constant barrier - - and at some point the pretense was dropped totally and suddenly Jin could understand and speak English. The idea was that a proud, traditional Korean man would have a hard time relying upon his wife to provide basic communication and support in the camp on his behalf.
SAWYER'S DEAL
Having cornered the market on alcohol by liberating all the booze from the fuselage, Sawyer
refuses to tum over some of his booty to Jack, who needs it for his makeshift infirmary... but when
Sawyer finds himself in that same infirmary after a run-in with a wild boar, the "negotiations" take
on a whole new tack.
Well, since the beach camp never set up a new settlement, there was never an "infirmary" set. Sawyer did hoard many things in the initial episodes, but that story idea quickly faded away. Sawyer was seriously injured not by a boar, but by the Others and thrown into a pit by the other 815 survivors. By the time Sawyer returned to the main camp, the Hatch provided all the medical supplies needed to treat him. There was no critical bargaining to save his own life. In fact, Sawyer really never made any long term "deals" with anyone on the island. That was not his style.
THE TRAP
When Hurley falls into a PIT (actually a trap of Locke's to catch food), it takes the combined efforts of four of our castaways to get him out... a rescue that highlights his obesity and further alienates him from the others.
Besides a couple of fat jokes, Hurley was rarely placed into danger. The most serious was when his imaginary friend, Dave, almost convinced him to "wake up" by jumping off a jungle cliff. If Libby did not show up out of the blue, Hurley probably would have followed Dave. Hurley was self-conscious about this appearance, but he never "alienated" himself from the group. In the original guide description of Hurley being an international repo-man, the alienation idea makes even less sense. It is also interesting to note that in the character description for Locke, he keeps the mystery of his first boar catch a secret (for no apparent reason). If he used a pit (which he did not in the series), why would that be a great secret? You would want to warn your fellow survivors to stay off the animal paths. This was not well thought out.
VINCENT MUST GO
With food scarce and Vincent the Labrador a mouth to feed himself, a very serious debate breaks out as to what to do with the dog. Michael finds himself confronted with a hard choice - piss off the entire camp, or risk breaking the already tenuous bond he holds with his son.
This story idea never came in to the show and I am glad it did not. It makes very little sense. The island was filled with plant and animal life - - - a dog could forage on his own to find food. Instead of using Vincent's appetite to create an early conflict between Michael and Walt, the writers used Walt's initial friendship with Locke as that plot point.
FORBIDDEN FRUIT
When our survivors come across a grove of trees which bear a ripe, yet unidentifiable fruit, the only thing that stops them from immediately picking it and bringing it back to the others is a mysterious SIGN posted at the grove's entrance. Unfortunately, the words written on it are in a script and language they have never seen before...
This is another story idea which did get into the actual series, which was probably a big mistake. There are a couple of key elements to this idea which became fundamental themes. First, the unknown language sign (could be forerunner to the hieroglyphs later in the series) which sets the stage for the ancient origins of the island. Second, a domesticated orchard brings into focus that there is a well settled but unknown community on the island. Third, an unidentifiable fruit could be the reason for "magical" properties on the island - - - or the means to explain why characters see real ghosts from their memories, how a person can speak to the dead or why people with cancer are suddenly cured. LOST failed to provide a concrete object to latch its "magical" plot twists which led to viewer confusion. The one issue with the forbidden fruit idea is that it harks to Biblical story of Eden. If TPTB did not want any religious connotations in the series, a secular view of survival on an uncharted island, than Eden references would not make good plot points. It would also throw the concept that the characters survived the plane crash into some doubt, because some could call this Eden garden a sub-set in the after life.
WARGAMES
Several of the castaways awaken to find something sharp sticking in their sides - BLOW DARTS. Adding to their growing horror, someone has painted tribal markings on their makeshift shelters. Paranoia dictates that "The Others" are finally planning an attack which necessitates our group's first real attempt to build up their defenses... until it becomes clear that the threat might not be coming from outside, but from WITHIN.
We constantly heard that "there was a war coming" to the island. It spread panic among the castaways. They were being drawn into a long past feud, initially between Ben and Widmore, than in the Jacob-dead brother story line. Danger and violence coming to the island with the freighter crew was a real threat to everyone's survival. But the beach campers really never cared much about fortifying their camp, running to the caves or making weapons or traps. The only true group military operation was the ambush of the Others on the beach. And that did not end well until uncharacteristically, Hurley smashes the VW bus through the camp to rescue his friends taken hostage.
The Others did make raids on Ana Lucia's group, kidnapping several people including the children. Eko regretted killing at least two of the attackers. Ana Lucia killed one of her own she thought was a spy, then killed the real one. So in some respects, there was no reason for such gross violence except for quick mutual suspicion.
The idea that the survivors would have to battle the Others for "control" of the island never came into focus. The Others were better armed and trained so there would have been no real fight until Locke found and opened the Hatch. The idea that some 815 survivors would "betray" their fellow passengers in such a conflict would have made good drama, but that was not really explored except for the story of Michael's deal with the Others to get back Walt in exchange for Kate, Jack and Sawyer.
The real story of the island was a series of uneasy truces.
Of the above story ideas, only bits and pieces were used in the actual series. A few, like the Vincent food story, really had no plot substance. But the idea that the island had its own mysterious fruit could have been the foundation to explain so many island concepts and questions, but the writers missed that opportunity. Badly.
Well, since the beach camp never set up a new settlement, there was never an "infirmary" set. Sawyer did hoard many things in the initial episodes, but that story idea quickly faded away. Sawyer was seriously injured not by a boar, but by the Others and thrown into a pit by the other 815 survivors. By the time Sawyer returned to the main camp, the Hatch provided all the medical supplies needed to treat him. There was no critical bargaining to save his own life. In fact, Sawyer really never made any long term "deals" with anyone on the island. That was not his style.
THE TRAP
When Hurley falls into a PIT (actually a trap of Locke's to catch food), it takes the combined efforts of four of our castaways to get him out... a rescue that highlights his obesity and further alienates him from the others.
Besides a couple of fat jokes, Hurley was rarely placed into danger. The most serious was when his imaginary friend, Dave, almost convinced him to "wake up" by jumping off a jungle cliff. If Libby did not show up out of the blue, Hurley probably would have followed Dave. Hurley was self-conscious about this appearance, but he never "alienated" himself from the group. In the original guide description of Hurley being an international repo-man, the alienation idea makes even less sense. It is also interesting to note that in the character description for Locke, he keeps the mystery of his first boar catch a secret (for no apparent reason). If he used a pit (which he did not in the series), why would that be a great secret? You would want to warn your fellow survivors to stay off the animal paths. This was not well thought out.
VINCENT MUST GO
With food scarce and Vincent the Labrador a mouth to feed himself, a very serious debate breaks out as to what to do with the dog. Michael finds himself confronted with a hard choice - piss off the entire camp, or risk breaking the already tenuous bond he holds with his son.
This story idea never came in to the show and I am glad it did not. It makes very little sense. The island was filled with plant and animal life - - - a dog could forage on his own to find food. Instead of using Vincent's appetite to create an early conflict between Michael and Walt, the writers used Walt's initial friendship with Locke as that plot point.
FORBIDDEN FRUIT
When our survivors come across a grove of trees which bear a ripe, yet unidentifiable fruit, the only thing that stops them from immediately picking it and bringing it back to the others is a mysterious SIGN posted at the grove's entrance. Unfortunately, the words written on it are in a script and language they have never seen before...
This is another story idea which did get into the actual series, which was probably a big mistake. There are a couple of key elements to this idea which became fundamental themes. First, the unknown language sign (could be forerunner to the hieroglyphs later in the series) which sets the stage for the ancient origins of the island. Second, a domesticated orchard brings into focus that there is a well settled but unknown community on the island. Third, an unidentifiable fruit could be the reason for "magical" properties on the island - - - or the means to explain why characters see real ghosts from their memories, how a person can speak to the dead or why people with cancer are suddenly cured. LOST failed to provide a concrete object to latch its "magical" plot twists which led to viewer confusion. The one issue with the forbidden fruit idea is that it harks to Biblical story of Eden. If TPTB did not want any religious connotations in the series, a secular view of survival on an uncharted island, than Eden references would not make good plot points. It would also throw the concept that the characters survived the plane crash into some doubt, because some could call this Eden garden a sub-set in the after life.
WARGAMES
Several of the castaways awaken to find something sharp sticking in their sides - BLOW DARTS. Adding to their growing horror, someone has painted tribal markings on their makeshift shelters. Paranoia dictates that "The Others" are finally planning an attack which necessitates our group's first real attempt to build up their defenses... until it becomes clear that the threat might not be coming from outside, but from WITHIN.
We constantly heard that "there was a war coming" to the island. It spread panic among the castaways. They were being drawn into a long past feud, initially between Ben and Widmore, than in the Jacob-dead brother story line. Danger and violence coming to the island with the freighter crew was a real threat to everyone's survival. But the beach campers really never cared much about fortifying their camp, running to the caves or making weapons or traps. The only true group military operation was the ambush of the Others on the beach. And that did not end well until uncharacteristically, Hurley smashes the VW bus through the camp to rescue his friends taken hostage.
The Others did make raids on Ana Lucia's group, kidnapping several people including the children. Eko regretted killing at least two of the attackers. Ana Lucia killed one of her own she thought was a spy, then killed the real one. So in some respects, there was no reason for such gross violence except for quick mutual suspicion.
The idea that the survivors would have to battle the Others for "control" of the island never came into focus. The Others were better armed and trained so there would have been no real fight until Locke found and opened the Hatch. The idea that some 815 survivors would "betray" their fellow passengers in such a conflict would have made good drama, but that was not really explored except for the story of Michael's deal with the Others to get back Walt in exchange for Kate, Jack and Sawyer.
The real story of the island was a series of uneasy truces.
Of the above story ideas, only bits and pieces were used in the actual series. A few, like the Vincent food story, really had no plot substance. But the idea that the island had its own mysterious fruit could have been the foundation to explain so many island concepts and questions, but the writers missed that opportunity. Badly.
