THE MISSING

Korea's LOST TV series, The Missing 9, is a critical panned and low rating series which the reviews continue to gripe about slow plot lines and very little information per episode. Television series are often copied but rarely reproduced to the original's glory.

Now that the American series has been off the air for a long time (and not in syndication), what are the nine characters you miss the most? What character stories have we missed out on?

In no particular order:

BEN

There is something about a really good villain. Ben's character had the psychotic twist that made him the most memorable character in the series. Michael Emerson played the role to perfection.  He made a short guest appearance into a long running fan favorite. It also garnered him steady work in subsequent network series (though not to the level of fame as his LOST character).

LOCKE

Locke was the original fan anti-hero. The Locke character was the beaten down average Joe who was looking to something more important to break out of his miserable life. His abandonment and loneliness led to dead end jobs which many people can relate to on a personal level. Terry O'Quinn was able to change his character's emotional state from season to season. He was able to adapt an evil character, Flocke, in order to try to get the series to the finish line. Locke's fate at the hands of Ben was probably the most shocking scene in the series.

HUGO

Hurley was the comic relief and the audience's eyes and ears in the series.  For a loner, he got along with everyone. But underneath his friendly but shy demeanor lurked his psychological demons, also fed by abandonment issues. Jorge Garcia was the most fan interactive actor in the series, communicating directly with the fans through his blog posts. Hugo could have been a much more complex character, but in an ensemble cast he was the most charismatic of the second tier characters. His centerpiece episodes had tragic comedy aspects.

KATE

There are two stark camps on Kate: some loved her and others loathed her. But most would agree that she embodied the spunky, independent, funny, tomboyish girl-next-door woman that most men find extremely appealing - - -  to the point of being hurt by her selfish betrayals. Kate was the most attractive character because her charm, guile and persistence made her the best at the game of survival. Evangeline Lilly may have not been the most accomplished actress in the series, but she maintained a level gritty determination that made her a likeable character. The problem some people had with her character was the poor to unbelievable story lines (especially once she left the island).

ELOISE

Eloise Hawking may not be on the top list of main characters, but we miss the point that she always knew more about what was happening than we, the viewers, would ever be told. In that regard, we miss the opportunity to learn more about the island mythology and secrets. Fionnula Flanagan played her mysterious mean character in a subdued fashion which increased her evil quota by ten fold. We only got a glimpse of her back story when she was a young islander. She should have had a flashback to explain her relationship with Mr. Hawking and Daniel's upbringing to be sacrificed for the island. One could easily suspect she could have been the continuation of the Crazy Mom who stole Jacob and MIB from their mother or an advanced smoke monster  - - - which would have answered one of the confusing mysteries: what is a smoke monster?

SAWYER

Sawyer was the protagonist who got under everyone's skin. He was the charming con-man who had a cruel streak. He had a sense of humor, but usually directed at the flaws of other people (like Hurley). He was one of the few characters that actually changed during the course of the series. His growth into a competent adult from a bitter, vengeful child was a testament to Josh Holloway's ability to evoke emotions by mere facial expressions. His character's story had the most open ended possibilities, especially when the plane took off with the final survivors. Instead of the flash sideways world, we missed out on what would have happened when Sawyer returned home - - - what would he have done, and who would he have partnered with?

CINDY

For a minor character, flight attendant Cindy is still the major prize in the claw machine that we cannot capture. Cindy is like a codex to unravel the island mysteries. She gave Jack the extra liquor bottles which were important to him after the crash to be an antiseptic to his wounds. She was also the one who gathered and protected the children from the Others and later, Flocke's killing spree. Kimberly Joseph's portrayal of Cindy was subdued but important clue. Was she an Other planted on Flight 815 in order "mark" the survivors for Jacob? This would mean she would have had direct access to Jacob which Ben did not. Or was Cindy merely a nice woman who quickly adapted to an unbelievable situation with maternal instincts so strong that she kept Emma and Zach from harm. Or, like Eloise, was she a continuation of Crazy Mom, an island smoke monster or a different guardian angel?

WALT

 Walt's ticket off the island was a growth spurt in real life. Malcolm David Kelley  literally outgrew his part! But Walt had abilities that were not fully developed or explained in the series. He could have had a major role (even more important than Hurley being the fan's representative in the show). Just as the Others were interested in Walt and his abilities, so were we. We saw Walt adapting to a "normal" life as a student living with his grandmother. It was a sense of normalcy that Locke could not bring himself to try to get Walt back to the island. In another story flaw, the rule was that everyone had to return in order for the mission to succeed. Without Walt, everyone did get back to the island. But if Walt was supposed to be the keystone - - - who took his place in the final showdown. Apparently, it was Desmond, whose anticlimax "superpowers" was a final season head scratching moment.

EKO

Of the Other 48 characters, Eko had the biggest presence. A contract dispute with producers led to Adewale Akinnoye-Agbaje's early departure from the show. Eko's character had the inner conflict between redemption and rage. If there was a character who was living in a recognized purgatory, it was Eko. We got a good understanding of his character's pain with his gangster flashback which caused the anchor of guilt on his brother's murder hanging over his head for the rest of his life. Eko's complex emotional state of adopting a religious penance while defiant in accepting his fate was perfectly exposed when he was killed by the smoke monster. If Eko had stayed on the show, it would have missed a great show down between Eko, Jack and Flocke for the leadership of the island survivors.

Now, some may ask why not any of the other main characters like Jack, Desmond, Charlie, Michael, Sun, Jin, Claire or Shannon? Everyone has their opinion on how important each character's story and development was to the overall affect on the series. But in this column, the idea is simply which characters and their story potential do you miss the most. In my view, if you had to re-boot LOST with just nine (9) characters, I would choose Ben, Locke, Hugo, Kate, Eloise, Sawyer, Cindy, Walt and Eko. It would make a dynamic, complex character driven show.

THE MISSING

The BBC featured a story on the past history of a nice tropical island with a dark past.

Panama's Isla Coiba bears all the hallmarks of a perfect desert island: gin-clear water, powdery white sand, a fringe of palm trees against a backdrop of dense, unexplored rain forest. When I arrived on the island, the peaceful beach was scattered with a handful of travelers bobbing in the bath-warm water or taking lazy afternoon naps on the salt-encrusted hammocks.

Yet this island paradise harbors a dark past.

For almost a century, Isla Coiba was home to a notorious island prison, rumored to be where the country's most dangerous criminals were sent and where political prisoners disappeared. With the island home to various poisonous snakes and insects and surrounded by shark-infested waters, there was no hope of escape for the thousands of prisoners, known as Los Desaparecidos (The Missing).

There were many elements of a prison on LOST. The island was protected from outsiders such as modern prisons. The island had "security systems" like the smoke monster to keep people on the island and in their place. The island had a warden, which was later revealed as "the guardian." MIB only wanted to "escape" the island like an inmate wants to escape prison. The island's harsh existence and danger was the punishment for those broken souls who happened to find themselves on the island.

A few of the characters really deserved to be institutionalized in a prison. But most had no outward signs of being criminals. For example, Rose and Bernard seemed to be a happy, older couple. The only problem they had was Rose's terminal cancer. One could argue that terminal cancer is a form of medical prison that a patient has to endure. Shannon was a spoiled brat who pawned an existence off her boyfriends and family members. Not necessarily the type of activities that would lead to a potential island prison death sentence. The same goes for Boone, who apparently did nothing wrong in his life except help out his half-sister, Shannon.

The concept of a country or culture sending away its "misfits" to an inaccessible island is not a foreign one. Lepers were shipped off to a specific island in the Hawaiian chain. Even political/war prisoners have been kept at Gitmo, outside of the U.S. federal prison system. The entire country of Australia started out as a British penal colony.  "Out of sight, out of mind" is one way leaders deal with pesky social or political problems. But the LOST survivors don't seem to be a rambo-like group of rebels who threaten the very existence of the democratic, free world.

They were just missing persons. And there is a growing number of people who go missing every day. Some, by choice - - - running away from their debts, family, job, mental depression. Some, by force through human kidnapping and human trafficking. Some, the victims of violent criminal behavior. The latter can be a forced imprisonment, almost slavery, in an abusive situation. 

LOST does not fit one mold in the prison context. It had elements of capture, imprisonment, and forced labor against one's free will. But there was no moral equivalent driving any personal behavior. 
But the context of being a prison is still the mortar that fused together several plot lines.

A SAINT AND A SINNER

Of all the secondary characters in LOST, Helen Norwood would probably be nominated as the most important to the underlying mythology themes of the series. She was a saint compared to all the sinners.

Helen was Locke's girlfriend for a period during his life before the plane crash, whom he had intended to marry. (In the sideways world, they were engaged to be married in October, 2004) After Locke returned to the mainland in an attempt to bring back the O6 survivors, it was revealed that she had died of a brain aneurysm in 2006. 

Locke's relationship with Helen was a bitter triumph of self-destruction. Helen had the patience of a saint. She kept giving Locke chance after chance, but Locke refused to let go of his past. Locke's anger, frustration and revenge for how he perceived his life going so wrong clouded his judgment that the best thing about his life was right in front of him: Helen, who unconditionally loved him before and after his horrible disability.

Locke and Helen met at an anger-management support group of which they were both members. After his outburst at the group about their whining, Helen approached Locke outside and told him that she appreciated his candor and shared his frustrations. She also flirted by telling him that she liked bald men - despite Locke not being bald she said that she was prepared to wait. 

Their friendship moved to the bedroom fairly quickly and continued to blossom. During a meal at a restaurant, Helen gave Locke a key to her flat as a six-month anniversary present. She told him that she'd followed him and discovered that he was sneaking out at night to lurk outside his father's   house. The gift of the key was given on the condition that he stopped going there, to which Locke agreed.

Despite his promise to stop, Locke continued to spend long periods in his car waiting outside Cooper's house. Helen followed him again and shunted her car into the back of his, stormed over to his window and snatched his keys from the ignition. She threw the keys over the security gates in the drive and implored him to give up on his obsession and take a "leap of faith" with her. Shortly after, Locke moved in with Helen. Locke eventually started making plans to propose to Helen over a romantic picnic. Unfortunately on the morning of the picnic Helen spotted Cooper's obituary in the newspaper and that the funeral was scheduled for that day. Helen accompanied Locke to the funeral to support him. Some days after the funeral, Cooper revealed to Locke that he was still alive and convinced him to participate in a criminal financial scheme in exchange for a share of the money. Locke's suspicious behavior and a run in with gang members searching for Cooper led Helen to follow him again. She turned up at the motel, where Locke was meeting Cooper to hand over the money. She demanded of Cooper: "Are you him?", slapped him and berated him for his treatment of Locke before leaving to go back to her car. Locke caught up with her in the parking lot outside and pleaded for forgiveness, went down on one knee and proposed. Helen shook her head and drove off.

But Helen was with Locke in the sideways afterlife. Things seemed different. Cooper was in a nursing home, unable to speak or function, but Helen took care of him as well as Locke. She was not demanding but supportive. Helen was the embodiment of a good partner: kind, charming, witty, loyal, trusting, helpful, and nonjudgmental. 

Helen was the best thing in Locke's life, but he failed to realize it.  In all relationships, there are fleeting moments where a couple becomes a couple, connects as a couple, and lasts as a couple. There are few if any second chances at romance with a person spurned during a first encounter. Locke had several chances to make things right but he failed over and over. 

Helen deserved better. Much better. She was like a guardian angel who gave Locke a glimpse of what he life "could have been" if not for Locke's delusional self-torment issues.

Helen also deserved a better ending in the series. We are told she died after breaking up with Locke. She died alone. She did not meet Locke in the sideways church to share or rekindle their affection for eternity. So, despite doing nothing wrong, Helen's soul is apparently trapped in a purgatory of Locke's own creation. That's a sad fate for a character who did nothing wrong to deserve such treatment.

It is almost a reverse life lesson. Locke, whose bad behavior and choices, hurt so many other lives but he was rewarded with eternal life with his island friends. Meanwhile, Helen, who took care of people, was kind and loyal to a fault, gets nothing for being of high moral character.

MISSING LINKS

There are a few large missing links in the LOST mosaic.

BEN'S MOTHER.  We only saw her briefly in the woods just prior to child birth. What type of person was she? Was she connected to the island in some unknown way?

SAWYER'S FATHER. We never saw him, but his reaction to his wife being swindled (a murder-suicide) must have been part of a pre-existing, driven or obsessive personality that had to have had left an impression on young Ford. Was Sawyer really trying to become Cooper or trying to run away from becoming his own father?

JACK'S MOTHER. We only see her briefly in the background. She seems to be a country club wife, a border line timid alcoholic who puts up with her husband's successful practice because of the status and lifestyle she had come accustomed to over the years. What kinds of morality and life lessons did she impart on Jack?  Was she a counterbalance to Christian's negativity?

JACOB'S FATHER. Where was he after the ship wreck? Why did he not go looking for his wife (and if found her after childbirth), go looking for his son? Was Jacob's mother "alone" on the ship - - - a widow or a slave? And Jacob not having a paternal influence in growing up alter his outlook on life?

SAYID'S MOTHER. We saw a brief glimpse of Sayid's stern father during a flash back to Sayid's Iraqi childhood. It seems that the father had great influence on Sayid become a strong man. But was Sayid's mother overwhelmed by his traditional father and culture so much so that it put the guilt and shame into Sayid's subconscious to be a better person than his father?

SHANNON'S FATHER. We only saw him in the emergency room, from the same crash that led Jack to his miracle surgery on his future first wife. Was Shannon's father a doting one, always bailing her out of trouble so much so that she grew up lacking any responsibility or accountability for her actions? Is this why Boone had to try to assume a parental enforcer to try to get Shannon away from being a spoiled trust fund child when her father died? The one fact that hit Shannon hard was once her father died, she was cut off from the family wealth. She was on her own, still making bad choices. In some respects, her old life died with her father.

CHARLIE'S PARENTS. We don't know much about them. It seems that Charlie was closer to his brother - - - that was his family. Were Charlie's parents so cold to him that Charlie escaped into the literature of what a perfect family was supposed to be like (and transferring that notion onto Claire and Aaron)?

DESMOND'S PARENTS. We know nothing about the raggy man. Desmond lacked discipline, drive, goals and steady work ethic to survive in any sort of middle class existence. Was his parents free spirits, hippies or outcasts who left him at an early age to fend for himself?  If so, this young independence must have been a strong survival instinct for Desmond, so much so that he was afraid to commit to things because it would strangle his independence streak.

It seems one or both parents background was missing in the back stories of several major characters. The missing parent character traits could explain the motivations, fears and direction of the main castaways and how they interacted with the people in their lives.

LOST AND FOUND

It may be as simple as a child's concept of lost and found.  When a child loses something they want, they cry to their parent to find it. Or replace it. Or find it again. In a material world, people do hold onto certain things tightly for personal or sentimental value, like a child's first teddy bear or blanket.

There is something comforting that strangers in public places have lost and founds, where people who have lost something may have an opportunity to regain what they had lost.

The same can be applied to LOST.

The main characters "lost" something they needed to find.

Example, Jack lost his father and he was desperate to find him.  In the process of the search, Jack himself lost his own mind to alcohol and drugs. The ironic twist to his search was that images of his ghostly father were smoke monster illusions, and that in order to find his father Jack had to die.

Hurley could have had a similar path. He lost his father by abandonment at an early age. But Hurley did not go searching for his father. His father returned to the family only after Hurley won his cursed lottery winnings. With sudden wealth, Hurley lost part of his innocence and his ability to be his simple self. People wanted things from him (his money). He became more reclusive and sad. His lost his simple life, so he went to find the answer to the cursed Numbers. He found them throughout the island - - - as premonitions of danger and pain. In another ironic twist, Hurley found the life he was looking for with Libby only after he died.

Sawyer lost his family at an early age. He vowed to "find" the man responsible for ruining his life. In another ironic twist, Sawyer's search turned him into the con-man he resented for his entire life. It led him to killing an innocent man. He was no better than Cooper. It was after he crashed on the island did Sawyer find the man who ruined his life, and took his revenge. But that did not solve the problem that he lost his life in the process of revenge. Again, he only found true happiness without deceit or deception after he died in the sideways world with Juliet.

The island could be symbolic as a lost and found box. In it, various aspects of a person's life that had been discarded or lost could be found.

But what did the characters actually find on the island?

Friendship?
A purpose?
Romance or love interest?
Self-esteem?
Moral guidance?
Death?

It seems those factors only came to light in the sideways world.