FANTASY ISLAND

LOST's island was nothing near Fantasy Island for romance and healthy, healing relationships.

In fact, the time on the island for romance was crude, rude, manipulative and disastrous.

For example, Ben's dog bone was in perpetual heat throughout the series. He was so creepy that women around him did not need their instinctive creepy meter. When he could not hook up with Juliet, he killed her boyfriend. That must happen a lot to psychopathic losers.

Even when Juliet found a partner, he was killed or in the case of Sawyer, manipulative for survival mode after the time skip. It is hard to tell whether Sawyer was attracted to Juliet in the Other's camp, or merely using her to game the system. But in the end, most people think when Juliet died after the Swan implosion, Sawyer was hurt and emotionally scarred by the loss. He started to blame others for the death. He reverted back to his old, con-man self.

Kate was the master love con artist. She manipulated boys throughout her life, leading one to rob a bank just to get back a toy airplane. She hooked up with Sawyer not out of love but as a means of trying to get the weapon to neutralize his advantage in the castaway camp. It seemed that Kate was destined to be lost in love. Her relationship with Jack was doomed from the start. She spent her entire life running away from responsibility and accountability while Jack had the opposite drive as being the miracle surgeon.

One of the most tortured love lines was with Sayid. He claimed, pined and did horrible things in order for him to re-connect with the love of his life, Nadia. But despite those personal vows, he had a quick affair with Shannon before she was killed. How Shannon eliminated the years that Sayid lived for Nadia was illogical.

It was also illogical for Hurley to "find" Libby on the island. She was clearly in the mental institution day room prior to the plane crash. Was Libby there to stalk an innocent, fragile nerd like Hurley - - - for his wealth? The time line is unclear, but it seems Libby was there prior to learning of Hurley's lottery winnings, but after her husband died. It was clear Libby was recruited to come to the island to manipulate the castaways in taking a side during the island control battle. But it still seems that Hurley had more of a connection with the store clerk he lost to his best friend than with island Libby. When Libby died, Hurley mourned but he seemed not have grown by the experience to want to live a normal life.

Locke never had a normal life because he self-sabotaged it. He has a caring, loving relationship with Helen, but Locke ruined it by his deep bitterness toward his parents. When Cooper stole his kidney, Locke's fragile psyche led Helen to demand he cut off contact. But he did not, causing Cooper to push Locke out a window which lead to his paralysis. Even after that one devastating incident, Helen could still care for him - - - but Locke ruined it by going back to his father to try to find answers.

Charlie got the answer he did not expect from Claire when she rejected him (during the time Locke was being helpful toward her new born, Aaron.) Charlie was always in search for a deep family connection, but he was left drifting after his brother got married. He had a one sided crush on Claire, which was crushed by rejection. This led to Charlie believing his life had meaning so he "sacrificed" himself in the dumbest way at the underwater station.

The one pre-existing couple, Sun and Jin, actually broke up during their island stay. There marriage was doomed from the start. She was the neglected daughter of a rich industrialist. He was a dirt poor son of a fisherman. He dreamed of being a wealthy man. Her dream was to be accepted as an equal by her father. When she could not attain that, she tried to sabotage her father's reputation by marrying a common loser. But when Jin suddenly turned into a lackey for money, Sun was once again neglected - - - this time by her husband. Their story line ended in a muddled accident-suicide in the flooded submarine (Jin made the decision to give up his life and die with Sun instead of trying to live to raise their child.)

Did anyone find love and happiness from their island experience? The answer was clearly no.

PROS AND CONS

Some people use horoscopes and astrology signs to determine whether they are compatible with other people, especially in relationships. The positive and negatives of each sign are mere generalizations. However, some people are comforted by those general attributes.

Likewise, you can always put together the pros and cons of characters with each other in their potential relationships.

JACK and KATE.

Pros: Both have lost Daddy issues so they have a common focus.

Cons: Jack tries to fix his problems to gain his father's favor, while Kate runs away from her problems.

SAWYER and KATE.

Pros: Both have a reckless, wild and manipulative to criminal mindset.

Cons: Both have a reckless, wild and manipulative to criminal mindset.

SAYID and SHANNON.

Pros: Both feel abandoned by their families but for different reasons.

Cons: He is sentimental while she is too selfish.

LOCKE and HELEN.

Pros: Both longed to have their own family.

Cons: Locke was obsessed with his past to not see a hopeful future with Helen. Helen was too naive and supportive of Locke to tell that he would never change.

HURLEY and LIBBY.

Pros:   Both tend to be introverted followers with an easy sense of humor.

Cons: Both have hidden emotional and psychological scars that block them from opening up to others.

CHARLIE and CLAIRE.

Pros: Youthful spirits that are trying to run away from their personal faults and failures.

Cons: Charlie's addictive personality traits and Claire's psychological paranoia to the pressure of family life.

JIN and SUN.

Pros: They share the same culture but from different parts of the social spectrum. They are both rebellious against their position in life. They share a similar goal.

Cons: Their personal ambitions lead to personality conflicts with other people. Personal goals outweigh relationship goals.

DANIEL and CHARLOTTE.

Pros: An analytical and practical mind tend to work well together as a team.

Cons: Daniel's sheltered life with his dominant mother makes it difficult for him to communicate, while Charlotte's personal drive stifles other people around her.

As in real life, the LOST characters' relationships had their strong points and their weaknesses. In the eight relationships noted above, five failed. One was a dubious affair and the other two bonded apparently in the after life.

VULNERABILITY

Psychologist Brene Brown wrote, "Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they are never weakness." 

 In most dramas, there is at least one character who the audience can relate to in the clearest sense of being vulnerable. It helps enhance the "fear" factor viewers see when that character has to confront uncomfortable situations.

Who were the weakest characters on LOST? And did the audience gravitate toward them in an empathetic way?

Clearly, Hurley was a fan favorite. His back story of being a loner, overweight, not popular pulls on the heartstrings of most people as they themselves probably experienced similar things during their childhood. Even the demanding but loving stereotypical mother put context in how Hurley retreated into himself (to the point some say into mental illness.)

But when he won the lottery, most people believe he would have changed his personality because wealth solves most problems in life. But in reality, 90 percent of all major lottery winners lose it all within five years of winning. Most can't handle the money or fame. They spend without thinking. They are taken advantage of. Many families get torn apart. They regret ever playing the game.

The only significant change to island Hurley was that he was more open and social with the people around him. He felt comfortable in being the nice and funny guy in the group. But he kept the barbs and uncomfortable secrets about his past hidden. He did not want people to know he was a loser. He wanted to fit in. And in the beach survivor camp, he did fit in. As a follower. He did not want to face danger. He did not want to be a leader. He just wanted to make friends. The only time he went out-of-character was saving his friends from the Others by running over the bad guys with his van.

In the end, it is still not clear whether Hurley did change. His relationship with Libby may still have only been an illusion (from his days at the mental institution).

Locke had a different kind of weakness. He did not know his own limitations. He wanted to be a great man, a leader, and adventurer. But he washed himself of his one asset, his intelligence, in an attempt to become a popular-jock character. But he was never good at that. He was lanky, awkward and not very social. He moved from foster home to foster home so he could never learn how to make and maintain friendships. His lack of a real family caused him mental anguish to the point where his imagination took over reality in a quest to find his new family. It led him to a cult only to be betrayed as a stooge in a drug running operation. On the island, he started off as a father figure - - - a provider of food. But simple jealousy with Jack's quick ascension to the leadership role doomed any level of friendship between the two. Locke felt Jack was his rival; but Jack could care less about Locke.

Locke sought appreciation and acknowledgement with the enemy, the Others. He was too narrow minded to realize that he was being manipulated by Ben and Widmore to do their bidding. Once a fool always a fool. Locke died a foolish death at the hands of Ben. But the island inhabitants did not feel a great loss (even though a drug induced, panic stricken Bearded Jack used it as motivation to return to the island). Locke's image, as Flocke, after  taking over his body by MIB was the only time that people listened and feared him. But again, that was an illusion. The real Locke had no dreamlike victory he sought his entire life.

In the end, it was clear that Locke's fate was always to be alone. He was with the island people in the church, but he was by himself in the pew.

WISHES

IN the Wizard of Oz, the main characters were seeking something important in their lives: a heart, courage or a brain. The journey to resolve a character deficits was part of the LOST process.

What was the one thing lacking in each of the main character's make-up? What was the one thing that they were desperately looking for?

Locke: family.
Hurley: courage.
Kate: responsibility.
Ben: control.
Jack: true love.
Sayid: purpose.
Shannon: acceptance.
Charlie: sacrifice.
Michael: direction.
Walt: parental love.
Sun: acknowledgement.
Jin: wealth.
Claire: understanding.
Boone:  protector role.
Sawyer: accountability.

Did the series give the main characters opportunities to find what they were looking for? Yes.

Did all of the main characters achieve what they were looking for? No.

Character motivations are powerful tools in story telling. But they mirror the motivations of real people in real life. Series like LOST should give the viewer pause to ask the powerful questions:

What was the one thing lacking in each of your make-up? What was the one thing are you desperately looking for? What is your wish?

PANIC ATTACKS

Panic attacks are sudden episodes of almost uncontrollable and inescapable fear or anxiety, and are characterized by sweating, a rapid heart rate, shortness of breath and the feeling of choking, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Each year, six million Americans experience at least one panic attack. It has been described as being trapped and suffocated, urgent and frightening.

Scientists have found evidence that panic attacks are not due to "weakness in character," but caused by a brain abnormality in which a chemical messenger that deals with emotion doesn't work properly, according to an article in the New York Times. 

According to Scientific American, the brain's regions that are sent into high gear are the amygdala, which deals with fear, and some of the midbrain, which deals with how pain is felt. In particular, the periaqueductal gray — a region in the midbrain that initiates the body going into defense mode, which includes freezing up — is hyperactive during panic attacks, a scientific study found. When our defense mechanisms malfunction, this may result in an over exaggeration of the threat, leading to increased anxiety and, in extreme cases, panic.

Stress and anxiety causes the nervous system to flare up, and in attempts to calm down, the parasympathetic system goes into action. However, if it fails to do so, the person will continue to feel revved up.

We have always felt that the LOST island was a panic attack factory. Each week there were some daunting task, dangerous missions, or attacks from the Others and the smoke monsters.

The smoke monsters thrived on the characters' fears, anxieties and panic attacks. Each time it attacked the survivors, their power would increase. That is why Jacob continued to bring human beings to the island, in order to have a supply of emotional high level brain activity to feed upon.

One way to look at the smoke monster's conduct was that it needed people's fears in order to gain energy and survive. Once the main characters overcame their fears of the island and its inherit dangers, the smoke monster became mortal. 

We were told that Jacob and MIB were immortal beings having been on the island for centuries. They could not kill each other. So what happened to change their immortality.

For Jacob, it had to have happened when Ben no longer feared him - - - and struck out and stabbed him with a knife. That led to the slow collapse of Jacob's smoke monster power since fear was waning against him. 

For Flocke/MIB, his demise happened when both Jack and Kate no longer feared him during their final battle. Jack struck him and drew blood meaning that the smoke monster's energy field or barrier was weak. Kate's bullet that killed MIB was only caused by the fact that MIB was no longer immortal.

But there is still a contradiction on the island's immortality. Dead souls could still appear on the island, as Horace did to Locke. Also, another immortal, Alpert seemed real - - - was he an ghost or was he another smoke monster? Probably the former, but we don't know if a ghost could leave the island. In a reverse context, Alpert began to age when he no longer feared Jacob or MIB since they had both had been defeated and gone.

ADULT FRIENDSHIPS

A person has the most friends when they are young. Elementary school brings together hundreds of kids and sorts them into classes of 30 or so individuals. Team sports brings together more opportunity to add to the mix of individuals. Friendships form because kids work and play in the same environment, the school and the neighborhood. They are in contact with each other on an almost daily basis.

But as we grow older, friendships change like our individual interests. We may not realize at the time that time itself has begun to cull the friendship herd. You do not have enough hours in the day to socialize with everyone you know. Subsets of friends become more important to you.

Then, hormones take over and attraction to the opposite sex takes priority over the past. This further defines the parameters of one's social circle. Some women want their boyfriend's full and complete attention and affection. Some men want to maintain a level of freedom, going out with the guys to play sports or hang out. Everyone learns to find a balance between old friendships and demands of their most personal relationships.

Things change again when a person is out in "the real world." A job becomes a time consuming task master. Marriage and a family suddenly takes up all the old "free time." There is always something to do in one's home - - - from chores, cleaning, maintenance, kids activities and spousal duties. Even time alone on vacation becomes a logistics project. But those are the strongest bonds that can be made by an individual, in a family unit.

It is rare for adults to make many "new" friends. Colleagues at work may or may not get beyond the casual, professional co-worker status because everyone in the work place has settled into their own off-hours personal routine and lifestyle. It is harder for single people in the work place to find new deep bonds because most companies have anti-fraternization policies. You are in the work place to serve the company objectives and not to find your soul mate.

So how do adults find new adult friends? Instead of feeling sorry for one's self, or accepting the negative habits of one's daily routine, an adult needs to "work" on expanding their horizons, forcing themselves to go out and meet new people at events or places that interest them. The easiest way to open a conversation with a stranger is to have something in common to start with . . . whether it is at a charity event, an art gallery opening, a play or a coffee shop. It is not just introverts that have problems overcoming the fear of rejection when meeting new people. Extroverts have to check their energy levels so as to stop from coming off as a blow-hard or bragger. Everyone knows that first impressions (within a minute or two) are the most important message signals between people. That added pressure to be liked also adds an equal level of anxiety. It is like an NFL kicker lining up a 55 yard field goal to win the game, but this time it is a personal game of life.

You cannot make someone like you or to be your friend. The physics of force (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction) does not work in personal relationships. One can forcefully try to impress another person, but that may not give back an equal level of attraction, affection or curiosity. In some situations, when a person "tries too hard," it actually repels a person away.

People are creatures of their own comfort levels. However, if a comfort level in dealing with other people is set so low as to become a hermit, then it creates a level of distrust, depression, loneliness and desperation. Some people then lock themselves in their own fantasy worlds because they cannot emotionally cope with the real world (or the perception of how they have been treated by others). For every time a person turns down a friendship offer, it is like a knife being plunged between two ribs. We all get that Life is hard. It is full of choices and demands. Everyone's path is a different quest for the same benefits of acknowledgement, acceptance, appreciation, admiration and affection.

An article from Fast Company magazine tackled the issue of making adult friendships.

It stated that while social circles increase through early adulthood, friendship networks peak and start to decrease as you move through your twenties, according to a 2013 study published in Psychological Bulletin.  Researchers found that the drop in friendships was often due to marriage, parenthood, and a desire to focus on closer relationships.

Unfortunately close relationships aren’t guaranteed to last; a study by Utrecht University.  It found that we lose half our close friends every seven years and replace them with new relationships.

Factors include life changes such as moves, career transitions, relationship changes, and different life stages bring a shift in our friendships and frequently leave people  drifting apart. Researchers at BYU found that having too few friends is the equivalent mortality risk to smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is riskier than obesity.

"When friendships themselves are healthy, they relieve stress, which is extremely beneficial for health. Most people find it hard to create a deep and meaningful friendship in adulthood, but it’s not so hard if you know what to do." says Robert Epstein, of the American Institute for Behavior Research and Technology.
 
To cultivate new friends, a person needs consistency. People like to have friends around for whom they can count on in good times and bad. In children, it is almost automatic because you go to school, summer camp and play outside with the other kids in the neighborhood until dinner is ready. Adults rarely have that kind of consistency outside of work.

Counselors suggests joining groups that meet on a regular basis, such as a associations, networking groups, book clubs, classes and workshop because when you join a group, the consistency is built in; people are already showing up without you having to invite them.

The trick is that the friendship is limited to its "container"—the group—until someone initiates gathering outside of it.  If friendships aren’t practiced outside of the container, they will most die when the activity or class ends. In other words, being friendly within the confines of a group does not equate to true friendship until you move a relationship outside the parameters of the initial contact group.

Counselors also think that one can use  friendship containers as long as possible, but the goal is to move out of them. Start small. Invite work friends out for lunch, happy hour or over to watch the game. The idea is to practice doing other stuff together, and glue more pieces of your lives to each other,. It can take six to eight experiences with someone before you feel like you made a friend.

To deepen relationships, research says you must be willing to be open yourself up to personal topics and disclosures. Vulnerability is the key to emotional bonding, without which relationships tend to feel superficial and meaningless.

Children are naturally put into situations in which they feel vulnerable, such as school, sporting events or on stage in front of a crowded room of parents and classmates. Adults should look for similar scenarios.

If you can put yourself and potential friends in a place of vulnerability, people tend feel needy and provide occasions for other people to provide comfort or support. An example would be to volunteer or get part-time work at a hospital or a charity.

There are times where life circumstances can lead to friendships. A single experience—such as meeting on a vacation—can produce a deep friendship that lasts a lifetime because the experience itself opens people up to share their experiences, opinions and goals. Strangers that become humanized in the eye of someone are no longer strangers. The mind's protective mechanism for protecting against danger is muted by trust.

When you are building friendships, it is important to, work hard to keep the communication upbeat. "Be conscious about the value and joy you're adding to the other person," counselors advise. And that is what friendships are about: adding positive value to a person's life. The quality of friendships help bring out the best in an individual. It is that mutuality of friendship that helps develop close bonds.

This site has written in the past about the main LOST characters and friendships. If there was a takeaway from the Ending would be the reunion was symbolic representation of the characters mutual friendships. And the series journey could be summed up as the path toward true friendships.

A common trait of the main characters was a lack of pre-island friends.

Jack apparently had no real friends. Even when he stood up to the bullies in the schoolyard, and got beaten badly for it, no one stood up for him. It seems that Jack had no siblings. His father was not a friend, but a rival. Even at the hospital, it appeared that Jack was friendly with his colleagues but spent no time with anyone outside of work. And it also was shown that Jack did not have a social life outside of the hospital. It was his "miracle" surgery for Sarah that gave him a girlfriend, then a spouse, then a bitter divorce because Jack lacked the social skills to handle a marital friendship.

Sawyer also appears to be a single child. When his parents were killed, Sawyer is comforted by his uncle. We can assume that Sawyer was then raised with his cousins, but there was no lasting bonds between family members. This was probably because Sawyer had vowed to kill the man that caused his family turmoil. As a result, he turned himself into a lone wolf, an avenger. As a con man, he purposely kept his personal life from his professional thefts. The closest thing he had to a relationship was the ill-fitting, ill-advised fling with Cassiday, one of his marks gone bad. He left her and his infant child to complete his quest of vengeance. We can assume that when Sawyer left the island, he did not return to have a life or relationship with Cassiday since she was not with him in his final journey at the church reunion.

Kate was a popular child because she was the typical girl-next-door, tomboy.We know of one childhood friend, Tom Brennan, the boy who got in trouble with her when she tried to steal a lunchbox. Later, when Kate returned to visit her mother in the hospital, Tom, now a married doctor with a small son, helped Kate get past security. When she confronted her mother seeking support for what she had done (killed her father in an explosion), her mother yelled for security. In the police chase, Tom was killed by a police bullet. One could assume that Kate, an only child, placed her mother as her best friend. When all of her classmates moved on with their lives and their dreams, Kate did not grow or leave her mother's side. Tom, who clearly believed Kate was his first puppy love, did not realize that Kate was not a true friend but merely used him like she did with the other men in her life on the run. She came close to finding friendship with another broken woman, Cassiday, who helped cause a diversion for Kate's escape. Kate never knew of Cassiday's relationship with Sawyer, but Cassiday and her shared one thing in common: the free spirit adventure of living near the edge.

Locke was another only child. But his case was different. He was abandoned by his parents at birth. His mother was institutionalized for mental illness. His father fled to be a con man, and eventually destroying Sawyer's family in the process. Locke always pushed to fit in. In school, he wanted to be part of the "popular" group which would have been the jocks. But his intellect was more science. When counseled to follow an academic path, Locke rebelled to find himself outside any group: academic or sports. He was moved to various foster homes, but never had strong relationships with the other children in those households. Throughout his life, he continued to try to find a substitute family to the discouragement of making normal, traditional friends. He would work odd jobs and have colleagues at work, but we never saw him interact with co-workers outside the work place. Locke was a true loaner but also a odd dreamer. He was quick to abandon a situation if it did not work out like he thought it should. He felt trapped and cursed by Life itself. He thought joining a commune would bring him the sense of family and belonging. But even that was a bitter illusion (as the commune was merely a front from drug manufacturer and distribution.) The only person who would accept him was Helen, a woman he met at an anger management meeting. They began to have a relationship outside of the group. Within six months, the romance had blossomed to the point where Locke gave her a key to his apartment. However, Helen knew that Locke was obsessed with tracking down his father and establishing a potential disappointing relationship with him. Helen accepted the key only if Locke would abandon is mission to connect with his father. Locke lied to her, which led to their break-up. Locke lacked the social skills to realize that Helen was the best thing he would ever find in his life. When his father broke his heart, and then his spine, Locke used to call a phone worker "Helen" as a coping mechanism to his loneliness. When Locke was ready to take his great adventure, the walkabout, he did not have a friend to share that experience. And when the operator denied him his outback adventure, it was clear that Locke's dreams died as a lonely, middle aged man. This was bitterly confirmed when no one showed up at Locke's funeral. It was also ironic that in the sideways universe, he was happily together with Helen - - - but at the final reunion, Helen was not part of it (causing one to surmise that the sideways world was a fantasy-dream state).

Hurley had a more normal friendship path. He grew up and he was very close to his father. But he was extremely hurt when his father abandoned his family; he started to eat to compensate for his loss. Even so, Hurley was still able to make acquaintances and friends because of his likeable and non-threatening personality. We know that he had at least 22 friends because he was on the deck that collapsed which led to his guilt and mental institutional treatment. But even after the accident, he still had friends. His best friend was Johnny, who he would hang out with outside of work. Hurley was also friendly with a record store clerk, Starla. In fact, Hurley got the courage to ask her out on a date. But his relationship quickly soured when Johnny got upset that Hurley failed to share his lottery win secret with him. As a result, Johnny left him and started dating Starla. Hurley was convinced that the lottery win had cursed him. The numbers he played were from one of his mental institution buddies, Lenny. But Hurley's "best" friend was his imaginary friend, Dave. Dave made many appearances during the series, including one on the island which he almost got Hurley to jump off a cliff to end the illusion that he was living. Hurley was stopped by Lilly, the girlfriend he met on the island (but in a contradiction, she was seen as a mental patient in Hurley's same day room at Santa Rosa). Hurley never recognized her as a former patient which has always been a plot point problem.  As with many people, as Hurley grew older, he had less friends because he feared that bad things would happen to people around him. Like Locke, Hurley went alone on his quest to find the meaning of the numbers. He had no one he could trust with his secrets or feelings even though he got along well around other people.

Ben had a tragic childhood. His mother died at his birth, and his alcoholic father blamed him for it. His father apparently moved from odd job to odd job until he landed a position on the island. Ben came to the island as a polite 8 year old child. In the Dharma school, he met one friend, Annie, who gave him a present she made (two dolls of their likeness). Ben seemed to be a social introvert: quiet and reposed. It seemed he did not seek out friendships, but to hide in the shadows (to keep away from the wrath of his father). It seems as a boy he made a connection with Richard Alpert, one of the Others, who marveled that he could see his dead mother on the island. This gave Ben one thing to look forward to: leaving his father to become a member of the Others.  He probably thought that he could make more lasting friends in the Others camp than staying with in the rigid confines of the Dharma collective. It also appears that Annie left the island during the Incident, when women and children were evacuated by Dr. Chang. At that point, Ben lost his only friend. Ben thought he did not need friends to become powerful and respected by other people. He did not want to be a low level janitor spit upon by those in leadership roles. He wanted to command the respect of people around him. When he joined the Others, he found the same constraints as in the Dharma world. He loathed Charles Widmore because of his indifference to defenseless children. Ben's first act of defiance was saving Alex, whom he then raised as his own daughter.

So when Flight 815 crashed on the island, most of the main characters on LOST were at the crossroad of their life, staring down the path of loneliness and depressive regrets.  Even Bernard and Rose were struggling to beat her terminal cancer - -  for Bernard, losing Rose would be losing his own life. Jin and Sun's relationship had soured to the point that Sun was willing to flee her spouse and her rich family. Michael was a man without stateside friends when he picked up his son, Walt, in Australia after his mother had passed on. Walt also appeared to be a sullen, quiet and friendless child (in some ways mirrors Ben's story line). It was only after Walt left the island and lived with his grandmother, did Walt is seen in the company of school friends living a normal life (so much so that Locke decided against trying to bring him back to the island).

For the vast majority of main characters, the island was shocking life event that allowed adult strangers, through mutual adversity, to make new friends - - - the most friends each character ever had in their lifetime. And as friends, they laughed, cried, fought, argued, worked together, solved problems and had their intimate moments. In one respect, the island and the survivors were what most of the characters had been secretly longing for in their past lives: a sense of belonging, a sense of family structure, a support system, mutual caring, mutual security, a sense of community and purpose.

FIRST IMPACT

Children are like sponges; at an early age they absorb everything around them. That is why major events in their childhood could haunt them as adults.

Since LOST was a character study, what were the first major impacts on the main characters?

For Locke, it was being told that he was "a miracle baby" but abandoned by his parents. It was this paradox that led Locke on a futile quest to find a family.

For Kate, it was stealing in the rural general store and getting caught. But the consequence was that she got off (a stranger paid her debt) which led her to a life's belief that she could get away with anything; no accountability or responsibility for her actions.

For Jack, it was a school yard fight. He intervened with bullies were taking on a student. Jack got beat up and when his father told him he was stupid and not a leader, it put a permanent scar on Jack's self-esteem in that he could never live up to his father's expectations.

For Hurley, it was the day his father left. He was a happy kid until that event. It traumatized him to the point of eating to hide his pain for he believed that he was the cause. This would lead to a life of self-blame, isolation and self-doubt.

For Sawyer, it was hiding under his bed hearing his father kill his mother and then himself. This turned Sawyer into a vigilante, on a quest to find the con man who destroyed his family. And in this quest, he was twisted into the thing he hated most: he turned into a murderous con man.

For Ben, it was his birth that caused his mother's death. His father constantly blamed Ben for killing his mother. He was constantly told he was a monster. As a result, he kept his emotions inward to the volcanic point of rage - - - and then actually turning into that monster by killing his parent during the Dharma purge.

For Sayid, it was taking the place of his older brother who could not get a grip on killing an animal for the family meal. When Sayid took control of the situation and took the animal's life so easily, it turned the young boy into a stone cold assassin and torturer because he could tune out his emotions.

For Jin, it was watching his aging fisherman father struggle to survive. He resented that he was poor and that he had no mother. He had a dream to leave poverty for the city where he would not have the daily dirty grind of trying to survive. When he was in the army, he got the taste of a bigger world than his fishing village. So he vowed to do whatever necessary never to go back there - - - and that would include compromising all his morals and beliefs.

SPIRIT ANIMALS

Otherkin are people who identify as partially or entirely non-human. Some say that they are, in spirit if not in body, not human.

This is explained by some members of the otherkin community as possible through reincarnation,   having a nonhuman soul, ancestry, or symbolic metaphor. Some scholars categorize this identity claim as "religious" because it is largely based on supernatural beliefs.

Otherkin largely identify as mythical creatures, with others identifying as creatures from fantasy or popular culture. Examples include: angels, demons, dragons, elves, fairies, sprites, aliens and cartoon characters.  Many otherkin believe in the existence of a multitude of parallel/alternative universes, which would explain the existence and the possibility to relate to fantastical beings and fictional characters.

Many of these themes like life, death, demons, monsters, souls, reincarnation, heaven and hell, are embodied in the LOST mythology. Why were the Others called "the Others."  Was this a clue to their origin, as otherkin (not human but spirits)? That would put a different spin on the island and the show's premise, being more underworld than real world.

Another realm of otherkin is the bonding of humans with spirits. Self-identification with another person, community or lifestyle helps mold a person's character and personality. Otherkin is essentially another manifestation of this phenomenon, which has its roots deep in human psychology; in other human tribes, it's perfectly acceptable to identify with a spirit animal and to take on traits and fetishes relating to that creature. 

What would be the spirit animals for each main character "Candidates?"

Hurley: Turtle. Slow, steady, nonthreatening, loner.

Kate: Rabbit. Fast, on the run, avoids people and danger, cute, adorable.

Sawyer: Snake. Lies low, stalks prey, strikes when least expected, deadly.

Sayid: Scorpion. Shifts with the sand, dangerous quick strike ability, deadly.

Jack: Horse. Strong, steady, a hard worker.

Locke: Lone Wolf. Seeker, follower, trying to find own path.

Jin: Shark. Always on the move, looking for opportunity, advantage, willing to hunt in pack.

PICKS

Now that the NFL has concluded its mega-show called the Draft in Chicago, let us take that concept and apply it to LOST.

We will have a school yard pick em between two teams, good (light) and evil (dark). The team captains will be Jacob (light) and MIB (dark).

The game will be "Survivor."  (Whether it is the CBS show format, Westworld, or the various cable drop zone battle of the wild shows is up to you.) With a random number generator picking, Light (94) gets the first pick over Dark (80).

What does each team need. Well, each team has a manager picking his teammates. So you need a field leader, a mission specialist, survivor skills, strength and what scouts call "intangibles."

ROUND 1:

1. LIGHT: Jack Shephard, Surgeon.  Jack is an obvious pick because he has several of the skill sets that Jacob likes: he is a leader, he has medical skills, and he can follow orders.

2. DARK: Benjamin Linus, Psychopath. Ben is an obvious choice for MIB. Ben has a deep seeded hatred based upon his daddy issues which has transformed himself into a mad man seeking power and control over others. His iron will, easy execution and mental manipulation gives him the dictator leadership skills that keeps people in line when things get tough.

ROUND 2:

3. LIGHT: John Locke, Pseudo-Survivalist. Locke is a reach by Jacob with this pick, but since Locke has been a follower most of this life, he should fit into the program. As a self-taught outback survivalist, Locke does bring the hunting and camp skills needed to be bring some stability to camp life.  However, Locke's unstable mental issues including self-esteem and anger could be burdensome for Team Light.

4. DARK: Sayid Hassan Jarrah, Iraqi Guard. Another natural selection by MIB. Sayid's training as a torture specialist in a combat zone would be useful in interrogation. His military background includes multiple knowledge bases including electronics, communications, hand to hand combat, and ambush training.

ROUND 3:

5. LIGHT: Daniel Faraday, Scientist. A surprise pick by Jacob. Daniel is well versed in time-space theoretical physics. The island, the battleground, has unique electromagnetic properties which need to be both protected and harnessed for paramilitary purposes. Daniel's knowledge could be useful in devising a strategy to contain the Dark forces.

6. DARK: Jin-Soo Kwon, Gangster. Jin also fits into the Evil team. He was an enforcer for his father-in-law's gang. He is a natural follower. He has military training. He is strong. He is loyal. The one negative is that he does not speak fluent English. But Jin fits into a militaristic squad that MIB is forming to take on Jacob's team.

ROUND 4:

6. LIGHT: Dogen, Spiritualist. Another "reach" as scouts would say, but Jacob's selection of Dogen is interesting because the former banker has expertise in the spiritual realm of the island as well as knowledge of magic (including resurrection) and poison spells. In a supernatural world, a man with some understanding of the unique properties would be useful. Dogen is also a loyal follower who can manage other subjects.

7. DARK: James Ford, Con Man. "Sawyer" drops in the draft because of his own "unpredictability." He is not a team player. He is an avenger, quick to anger. He is not adverse to killing a man. But he is actually a true wild card, a survivalist because he only thinks about savings himself. He can manipulate others to his will, which could undermine missions, but his likeability and humor could keep diverse opinions in balance. In football terms, he is like a million dollar, strong arm quarterback with a nickel brain.

ROUND 5:

7. LIGHT:  lana Verdansky, Bounty Hunter. Iana told Sayid that she was a bounty hunter hired to capture Sayid to avenge a family a  person he killed as an assassin. Iana has a history with Jacob. She is a loyal subject, a born leader with some tough street smarts. In her backstroy, she is a combat survivor.

8. DARK:  Mr. Eko (referred to as Father Tunde), Drug Lord. Mr. Eko was a fierce, violent and ruthless Nigerian drug lord. He demanded absolute loyalty of his men. He killed innocents without hesitation. He is a strong man with a stronger will. If there is a profit in it for him, he will take chances.

ROUND 6:

LIGHT: Edward Mars, U.S. Marshall. His background in law enforcement shows that he knows about the difference between right and wrong. He has excellent intelligence gathering and tracking skills. He is adapt at firearms and operations. He can be ruthless and unrelenting to a task. He likes to finish things that he starts.

DARK: Martin Christopher Keamy,  Mercenary. He is as twisted as Ben Linus, but Keamy actually enjoys killing people. He is a loose cannon, who can follow orders from his superiors. He thrives on doing "the dirty work." Can be reckless at times, but can lead the point on any mission.

ROUND 7:

LIGHT: Ana Lucia Cortez, Police Officer. Jacob doubles down on law enforcement officers with the pick of Ana Lucia. She is a strong willed, hard nose, very tough woman who can be a hot head at times. She has her own strong opinions on how things should be done, but she will demand more of herself than people she works with on a mission. She has strong leadership skills when times are tough.

DARK:  Mikhail Bakunin, Soviet military. "Patchy" is another paramilitary choice by MIB. He was the man who had multiple lives. He is a communications specialist who also has assassination skills. He can follow orders, and at times goes outside mission tasks in order to get the job done.

ROUND 8:

LIGHT:  Goodwin Stanhope, Spy. He claims to have been in the Peace Corps, but he has spy skills and the ability to keep his cover by killing anyone who may compromise his position. Has hand to hand combat skills so he probably has military background. He is a loyal follower.

DARK: Ethan Rom, born Ethan Goodspeed, Surgeon. Ethan is not above doing harm to a patient as part of medical experimentation/research. He is a strong willed person, whose quick anger can kill (as he tried with Charlie). He fits the good soldier-dirty mission criteria that MIB seems to favor.

ROUND 9:

LIGHT:   Katherine Anne Austen, Fugitive Runner. Kate falls in the draft selection process because she is an anomaly. She is a selfish manipulator of men. She has no problem killing in order to keep her freedom. She lacks respect for authority. She will con, cheat and set-up anyone in her way. However, she is street smart enough to keep one step ahead of the law. She has unique tracking skills and is willing to go on any mission.

DARK:  Naomi Dorrit, Mercenary.  She has military, dark-ops training skills. She is multi-lingual and has parachuting combat training. She fits the good soldier mode of being able to plan missions and execute formulated strategies. She can work behind the lines.

ROUND 10:

LIGHT: Danielle Rousseau, Explorer. With his last pick, Jacob goes with a person familiar with stress, loss and survival. Danielle was on a marine expedition with her husband, a scientist, so we don't know whether she was a co-scientist or along for the ride. However, when she was abandoned, we saw that she has inherit survival skills. However, she is a loner, a trapper and semi-paranoid. She is more about self-preservation than being a team player. She does have a strong sense of right and wrong, but is willing to avenge against those who have harmed her.

DARK: Kelvin Joe Inman, Soldier. As a U.S. soldier in the Iraqi war, Kelvin recruited former enemies to turn on their homeland. He was also a liar and manipulator of people below his command. He will accept his assignments, but will think of ways to lessen his load. He is more suited to rogue missions than group attacks. He has a mean and tough streak.

So how did the team captains do?

JACOB'S LIGHT TEAM members:

Jack, Locke, Daniel, Dogen, Iana, Mars, Ana Lucia, Goodwin, Kate, and Danielle.

Field leader(s): Jack, Ana Lucia
Mission specialist(s): Daniel
Survivalists: Danielle
Athletic/Military: Iana, Goodwin, Kate
Intangible: Dogen, Mars

MIB'S DARK TEAM members:

Ben, Sayid, Jin, Sawyer, Mr. Eko, Keamy, Patchy, Ethan, Naomi, Kelvin.

Field leader(s): Ben
Mission specialist(s): Sayid, Ethan
Survivalists: Mr. Eko
Athletic/Military: Jin, Keamy, Patchy, Naomi, Kelvin
Intangible: Sawyer

Those characters who did not get picked: Hurley, Claire, Sun, Juliet, Charlie and Desmond. Juliet had the most viable skill set, medical, but that was already taken by stronger characters. Claire and Sun bring little to the table if the game is war. Hurley, Charlie and Desmond would be considered Red Shirts on any team.

EARLY AND LATE

This is an early promotional picture for LOST. It is interesting to reflect on how the early LOST vision as set forth in the photograph panned out in the actual series.

Front and center are Jack and Kate. In the original scripts, Kate was going to be the main focal character of the series. She did not have the criminal back story of the pilot. She was a little older, wiser, married (and may be widowed after the crash). Jack was supposed to be one of the first initial characters to be killed off (purely for dramatic purposes; to show how the island was a dangerous place). But viewers were quickly drawn to Jack, so the network made him the focal character of the series. In many respects, Kate remained the main female lead, but with a more secondary role.

Just behind Jack and Kate, literally having Jack's back is Charlie. Charlie's original character development was going to be Jack's right hand man - - - his loyal friend who would be in the center of most of the action (in some ways Kate morphs into this buddy role for Jack). Charlie's character went from possible loyal companion to lone-sick, drug addicted puppy.

Sawyer stood in the fourth lead role in the photograph. His character had the built-in elements for conflict: cockiness, rudeness, humor, criminal intent, and ballsy personality. He was a primary character who really did not affect the main plot lines. His decisions did not affect the final ending of the series. He was more representative of "leave me alone" survivor than a community builder.

Interestingly, the next group represents the "family element" of the show. ABC billed itself as the family network. Sun and Jin were the allegedly happy newly weds who we would learn were escaping from her demanding father. Whether the language barrier and stereotypical discrimination elements were initially cast for the Korean couple is unknown. But their story seemed to be more filler episodes than an overwhelming key to the solving of any of the island's mysteries.

Now, Walt and Michael could have been huge factors in the island story development. Walt was in fact touted early that he had "special powers." The danger and cruelty of the Others was established when they kidnapped children like Walt. The dynamic of a child reunited with a father he never knew was probably the most complete and compelling story foundation in the series. But that story arc got the short shaft based upon Walt's actor literally growing out his part. Then the writers began to use Michael as some all-knowing McGuyver on construction, boating, etc. to make him an unbelievable character.  The families never made it to the end as a complete unit. Sun and Jin's back story was better than their island story. Walt and Michael's story just fell off the face of the Earth with the muddy main story supernatural elements taking over the plot.

The first of the background characters were Locke and Hurley.  This makes sense in one regard: both were loners. Hurley was supposed to be a successful businessman and Locke a knock-about bachelor who never could get his act together. But once the show began to be filmed, Locke turned into a miracle survivor on his own quest for acceptance and recognition from his peers. Hurley turned into a meek soldier who lent himself for comic relief. Both men were originally not supposed to play big roles in the series. But the viewers were quickly drawn to the excellent acting skills and personality traits to become fan favorites.

Ironically, the next background pair actually wound up together in the end even though their characters were polar opposites. Shannon was the typical rich bitch, spoiled brat persona which would have had a hard time adjusting to the primitive island life. She had little skills (except French) to contribute to any plot. She was cast for eye candy. Sayid was supposed to be another diversity character, with the background that would cast an evil eye toward him. As someone who fought against the Americans in Iraq, he would naturally be considered by the other survivors as suspicious and untrustworthy. The camp needed his skills but the camp leaders could not deal with the politics of accepting an outsider as an equal. Sayid's role grew to be that "go-to" mission specialist in electronics, weapons, rescues, tracking, etc.

Off by himself, which really happened as the series went on, was Boone. Boone initially had a greater role in the series, but with an ensemble cast he was not paired with a dynamic focal character. In the pilot he was put into the role of potential go-getter leader, but was quickly shot down by Jack. Boone was left to gravitate towards Locke's stronger outback character as the Gilligan to the Skipper relationship. In many respects, Boone had the target of being a red shirt in the writer's room.

The last character in the photo was Claire. She was developed as a main character in the original treatments. As a pregnant young woman, her story was a simple tale of an unwanted pregnancy, bad decision making, and a horrible end crash landing on the island. One would have suspected that she could have died in child birth, got the island infection or had mad PPD to become an outcast in the group. But for Charlie's diminished role to Jack's leadership squad, Claire would have been quicklly written out of the series. Still, her motherhood role did not have any bearing in helping the main island themes pan out into interesting reveals. In fact, the Others intense interest in her, her baby, her birth, the infection shots, the kidnapping and her rescue had no impact on the Season 6 story elements.

What is interesting to note from this photograph is Bernard and Rose are missing from it. They were a "family" element more stable than any other pairing on the show. They were the "adults" in the room. In many respects, they were the base line for common sense on the show. But clearly, they were never intended to have any major role in the series.

LOST IN A BOTTLE

LOST had a large ensemble cast, for which many were used as dramatic fodder in death scenes.

But could LOST have been better, with a tighter script, if its cast was concentrated into 6 main players?

And who would be those six?

Instead of a plane crash, a small cruise yacht could have shipwrecked off the island, leaving six survivors coming on shore.

If one was to "dramatize" Gilligan's Island, the characters would be a captain, a sailor, a rich man, a rich wife, a model, a farm girl and a professor. The closest analogous characters would be the marshal Mars, Desmond, Bernard and Rose, Shannon, Kate and the jack-of-all trades, Sayid.

This group would have the possible sub-story lines of the original pilot:

Mars could have been tracking a con-artist-murderer in Kate on this voyage, just before he arrests her in open waters.

Desmond is the one person with transoceanic experience. He may have been the yacht charter captain out of Fiji.

Rose and Bernard, both professionals, could be luxury type cruise passengers on holiday. Or, if Rose cancer story remains, both trying live life to the fullest before she dies.

The self-absorbed lazy model persona would fall to Shannon, the rich girl who expects people to be at her beck and call with a flip of her long eye lashes. She would be the center piece of conflict between the men.

Sayid played a professor like role in LOST. Whenever there was a science, mechanical, communication issue, Sayid had the answers. He fixed broken equipment. He could build things.

If you take away all the Dharma, supernatural, Numbers, Others and smoke monsters, where would this version of LOST taken us?

One would expect the idea of rescue would have been foremost in the minds of this landing party. There would have been some conflict between Desmond, the captain of the ship, and Sayid, the military-survival expert, on how to organize their camp and signal passing ships. This conflict would allow the other survivors to begin to choose sides, and work each other in political moves to make their stay on the island better.

As the one with medical training, Bernard would be called upon to be the one to keep them all alive. But he would be torn up inside with the secret Rose wants kept that she is dying. The idea of helping others live while he has to allow his wife to die would emotionally tear up Bernard.

The dynamic between Mars and Kate would be edgy and in constant conflict. Mars would probably "arrest" her, but there would be a backlash from the others who may agree with Kate that "his laws" don't apply on the island. Everyone has to work together in order to survive. This tension that Kate is having extra freedom from her crimes gnaws at Mars to the point of near violence against the others. Some see him as a threat. There could be talk of exile as Kate cons and charms her way into an important role in the camp.

While Kate may be helpful in setting up camp, the signal fires, and gathering food, Shannon appears to be aloof and troublesome. Her constant nagging and complaining would grate on the other survivors to the point ultimatums from the leaders to "shape up or ship out."  This could give Mars an opportunity to "recruit" Shannon on his side to get "a confession" from Kate about her crimes.

After some time, when rescue is not coming, the group dynamic could shift into petty jealous taunts and leadership breakdowns. Desmond and Sayid may try to build a raft to get out into the shipping lanes, while others believe that it is not worth the physical effort when survival materials are in short supply or when some of the survivors start to become ill from dehydration, and possible tropical disease. The added stress on Bernard could lead to emotional to violent outbursts which further tear apart any unity within the group.

Since JJ Abrams has a habit of "rebooting" series, like Star Trek in alternatives, perhaps if LOST returns (which is doubtful), this is the format that a new show would take, as a true dramatic survival show.

TEST OF GREATNESS

A really great man is known by three signs: generosity in the design, humanity in the execution, moderation in the success. - - - Otto von Bismarck

Three elements:  

1. Generosity
2. Humanity
3. Moderation in success.

A person who is generous is usually found to be compassionate, caring, loyal and comforting.

A person with humanity cares and thinks about other people above themselves.

A person who moderates in success is a humble individual with less grand personal ambitions for fame or fortune than the average celebrity wannabee.

If these elements comprise the definition of a "great man" (or woman), LOST failed us.

For example, viewers would scream that Jack was the greatest character on the series. He fits the definition of a great man.

Was Jack generous? We don't know about his own charitable principles. He was caring and comforting to his patients, but he also imposed his own ego in their diagnosis by promising "miracle" cures.  False hope is not compassion, but a form a cruelty.

Did Jack have humanitarian qualities? A humanitarian is concerned with or seeking to promote human welfare. Jack tried to get the original survivors on the same page, to work together in order to live on the island (especially when rescue was a lost cause). But over time, a dark side of Jack appeared; instead of trying to find "diplomatic" solutions with the Others, he was an advocate of ambush. And once his leadership was questioned, he withdrew.

Was Jack humble in his successes? In fierce arguments with people like Locke, not really. In order to be the alpha male, he had to back down and belittle his opponents. When Ben was captured on the hike to the tower, Jack snapped and beat him senseless even though Ben was in no position to undo Jack's successful mission. As the series went on, Jack did want to get more and more acknowledgement from the people around him. As such, he became more reckless in his actions.

Under this definition of greatness, not even Jack can pass the test.

BORN EVIL

BBC.com has an interesting post this morning in regard to the study of evil. Are people born evil?

Delroy Paulhus uses sometimes cruel tests to understand the “dark personalities” around us. 

 

Essentially, he wants to answer a question we all may have asked: why do some people take pleasure in cruelty? Not just psychopaths and murderers – but school bullies, internet trolls and even apparently upstanding members of society such as politicians and policemen.

 

One issue is that people make quick and simplistic judgments about these people. “We have a tendency to use the halo or devil framing of individuals we meet – we want to simplify our world into good or bad people,” says Paulhus, who is based at the University of British Columbia in Canada. But while Paulhus doesn’t excuse cruelty, his approach has been more detached, like a zoologist studying poisonous insects – allowing him to build a “taxonomy”, as he calls it, of the different flavors of everyday evil.

Paulhus’s interest began with narcissists – the incredibly selfish and vain, who may lash out to protect their own sense of self-worth.  These self-absorbed tendencies are linked to two other unpleasant characteristics – Machiavellianism (the coolly manipulative) and psychopathy (callous insensitivity and immunity to the feelings of others). Together, they found that the three traits were largely independent, though they sometimes coincide, forming a “Dark Triad” – a triple whammy of nastiness. This seems to fit the Ben, Widmore, Eloise personalities in LOST.

Is there a thing called  "everyday evil?" Cruel behavior in seemingly normal people rather than criminal or psychiatric cases. ” People who score particularly high on narcissism, for instance, quickly display their tendency to "over claim"  – one of the strategies that helps them boost their own egos. In some experiments, Paulhus presented them with a made up subject and they quickly confabulated to try to appear like they knew it all – only to get angry when he challenged them about it. “It strikes you that yes, this fits into a package that allows them to live with a distorted positive view of themselves.” This seems to fit Locke's personality in LOST.

Are people born nasty, for instance? Studies comparing identical and non-identical twins suggest a relatively large genetic component for narcissism and psychopathy, but environment plays are larger role in Machiavellianism tendencies. 

If one writes a report on LOST, one could consider it a case study on evil and its sub-groups of anti-social behavior. The entire spectrum of good and evil behavior was on display during the course of six seasons, with some of the characters actually starting off good but turning to evil. One could claim that Ben started off as a normal kid, but the environment of his alcoholic father caused Ben to change into a sociopath. 

CYNICAL

A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. - - - Oscar Wilde

The dictionary meaning of cynic is a person who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting for honorable or unselfish reasons, i.e.  some cynics thought that the controversy was all a publicity stunt.

A cynic is a person who questions whether something will happen or whether it is worthwhile.

The main characters of LOST were cynics, in the sense that they were motivated purely by self-interest. Each person fell to the island with a gnawing sense of dread. Each of the main characters felt that they could only control their lives by being true to themselves first and foremost; to the abandonment of friends, hopes and dreams.

As a result, the characters in LOST were deeply flawed from the start. Kate, the selfish runaway. Sawyer, the vengeful child. Jack, the weak son. Locke, the born loser. Sayid, the tortured soul. Claire, the responsibility shirker. Charlie, the troubled loner. Ben, the psychopathic control freak. Shannon, the manipulative, selfish, trust fund baby. Even Frogert, the whiny idiot.

Just as the characters were cynics, a good portion of the LOST fan base became cynical in the direction of the series long before the twisty turns of Season 6. The lifeboats were started to be lowered around the middle of Season 2 when the drama series started to turn toward science fiction-fantasy with more questions than answers.

The sentiment grew more cynical when TPTB told viewers that they had mapped out the complex stories in advance, so expectations were high for a monumental ending to the show. But the grand mysteries were never explained or solved; the show dissolved into what the TPTB claimed at first "a character study," then retreated further into a show about "asking the big question" (but at the same time not answering it).  Some mysteries are left alone, but when the show runners pumped up the mysteries to retain viewership, the bargain should have been honored to give solutions (even if they were not expected or reasonable). This led to many fans after the finale to be critical and cynical that the writers and producers were making the show up "on the fly," that there was no real story plan, and that the sudden mysteries, plot turns were "a con" to retain viewers and to maintain TBTB employment with ABC.

There was a lasting cynicism in television audiences since LOST. Show runners today are well aware of being caught in a LOST-trap - - - promising something to viewers and not delivering it in the end.

PRESENTS

In the holiday season, if Jacob was the magical Santa, what gifts did he give the islanders?

Santa is an immortal character passed down for centuries. The lesson was that if little boys and girls were good, they would receive presents in their stockings. Some consider that the first parental mind control game. The holiday gift giving traditions corresponds to the bounty of the harvest and cultural imprints to share with those in need. Noble concepts, indeed.

But there were few, if any, noble concepts in LOST.

What Jacob gave most visitors, including his followers, was pain and suffering.

What present did Jack get from the island? Death. He died fighting an immortal smoke monster which we still don't know what it was, what it was made of, and what purpose it truly had on the island.

What present did Locke get from the island? Death. He was murdered by Ben who in a sudden fit of rage subconsciously thought he was protecting the island from Eloise Hawking.

What present did Michael get from the island? Death and imprisonment. His soul became a trapped island whisper. Was Michael's sins any different from the lives that both Jack and Locke took on the island? The answer would be no - - - they were senseless acts of violence.

What did Charlie get from the island? Death in a senseless, but noble way. Charlie sacrificed himself to contact a rescue boat, but then warned Desmond it was not Penny's. Charlie only wanted to save Claire, but by dying he lost that opportunity.

What did Jin and Sun get from the island? Death. When Sun was trapped in the submarine, Jin stayed with her knowing that their decision would leave their only child an orphan. Normally, a parent would do anything to help their child, to protect her and support her. Jin's death was really a senseless suicide.

What present did Kate get from the island? She got the marshal killed, and she got the chance to continue to run away from responsibility and accountability for her actions. She never got punished for the men she killed. She got a free pass and a Get Out of Jail Free card.

What present did Walt get from the island? He got the status of being an orphan after Michael died, and he lost his dog, Vincent. At best, he got a normal life living with his grandmother, but he was still haunted by his island memories.

What present did Sawyer get from the island? He got only a short glimpse of a wonderful, normal relationship with Juliet. But then the island killed her off in a bizarre incident at the Hatch construction site. So he left the island still a bitter man.

What present did Sayid get from the island? He got an even shorter glimpse of a physical relationship with Shannon. But then the island killed her off in a senseless accident. The island turned Sayid back into the dark torture monster of his past; a self-loathing character with nothing to live for (even though he had pined for decades over his lost Nadia) and eventually perished only to be reincarnated as a evil minion. He would die trying to do something noble, but wound up killing more of his friends.

No, Jacob's and the island's graces to the castaways were not holiday presents. It was a struggle; a lot of pain and suffering; and death.

BOONE DOGGLE

Locke is a hard guy to like . . . or be a true friend. On the island, Boone was the only character that had any empathy for Locke.

As stated previously, Boone had his own familial issues with Shannon. Boone tried to be helpful from the beginning of the post-crash CPR, which Jack told him he was doing it wrong. Boone tried to fit in to a fractured beach camp, but he never found any true connection.

It is probably because he was a loner, like Locke. Maybe Boone needed an older brother figure to cope with the stress of being a castway, estranged from his stepsister.

Originally, Boone was supposed to be a major presence in the LOST story. However, he got shifted to a secondary role after the emergence of Jack as the lead male character.

Still, Boone was involved in two key moments in the series (or so we thought at the time of original airing): finding the Hatch and finding the small drug airplane.

The Hatch was supposed to give us viewers the Big Answers to the current island mysteries. It would have been a window into what was the island, who were the Others, and why strange things were happening to the castaways. At the very least, it would have given the beach camp real shelter from the smoke monster, wild animals and the Others attacks (but strangely, that never happened).

The plane was supposed to help guide the viewer into the soul of the island, because it was physically impossible that an African small plane could have crash landed on a remote Pacific Island. The presence of the plane was either a) an illusion taken from Eko's memory; b) an echo of a parallel dimension or realm; or c) a magical trope to create faux drama.

Boone took it upon himself to go up on the cliff to investigate the plane for clues and a possible chance to be a hero, to find a radio and call for help. But the plane fell, and Boone was severely injured.

It was Boone's traumatic demise that got Jack to "let go" of a patient, for there would be no "medical miracle" on an island that allowed at least two big miracles: Locke being able to walk and Rose's cure for cancer. By Jack being unable to save Boone, some consider his death "saving" Jack from the haunting criticism of his late father.

Locke would justify the reckless behavior of his subordinate as "being the sacrifice that the island demanded." But we never get the sense that the island was a conscious being that needed human blood in order to survive. (This is a very ancient, pagan-primitive ritual belief system).  Why Locke made that assertion could only be to ease his own guilt for allowing Boone to do a dangerous task.

It foreshadows Locke's only senseless demise when he tried to be the hero (getting everyone back to the island). Perhaps self grandeur is why both Locke and Boone are alone in the sideways church. For some reason, they could never connect or find their own soulmates.

MINIMALISM

Minimalism was a trend in sculpture and painting that arose in the 1950s and used simple, typically massive, forms. It is also an avant-garde movement in music characterized by the repetition of very short phrases that change gradually, producing a hypnotic effect.

Is it possible to strip away all the tangents, subplots, tangents and secondary characters to find a Minimalistic LOST? 

By looking to simple, large story elements, can LOST be condensed into a more focused driven drama?

I think you could condense the entire series into five characters trapped on the island. You don't have to change the characters personalities or motivations. You just have five large puzzle pieces to focus the action and interactions. If LOST was about relationships, then a concentrated, intense story between these characters living through in untenable situations would be epic.

I think you can start with the starting point of a single person living on the island (like Crazy Mother when Claudia's Roman ship wrecked off the island's shore): Ben.

Then, like in that back story, only four new characters need to wind up floating ashore (from a plane crash, ship wreck, booze cruise disaster-fight going overboard into the ocean, etc.): Sawyer, the con man; Locke, the bitter dreamer; Kate, the fugitive muse; and Jack, the miracle doctor.

The island, through Ben, is a dark and dangerous place. Ben's back story is simple. He was brought to the island by his bitter, alcoholic father (who blames him for his mother's death). Ben is extremely unhappy being a peon in the Dharma labor camp, so he seeks revenge against everyone because no one acknowledges him. He kills them all. And once he is alone on the island, he goes a little crazy.
(There is no need for guardians, magic, time travel or any other twisty tropes.) Just a young boy who turns himself into a serial madman.

 The rest of the characters could have been plane crash victims, a charter plane that goes off-course from Fiji, and ditches in a storm. The minimalistic background for each person on that plane:

Kate: still running away from the authorities for murdering her father;
Sawyer: searching for his parents' killer;
Locke: having quit his job, he is seeking adventure and purpose in his life; and
Jack: having a Thailand-like booze vacation to forget about his father's sudden passing.

Each of these passengers realize that surviving the plane crash was their second chance to live their lives the way they thought they would have if not sidetracked by the events in the back stories.

The plot lines are also fairly simple.

Kate, being the lone woman, would use her charms to get the men to protect and serve her.
Sawyer, also being a charmer, but a territorial possessive person, would push back to get what he would want.
Jack, being the lone professional, would seek compromise, balance and common sense to survive their ordeals.
Locke, being mindless and reckless, would seek to claim the island as its new demi-god.
Ben, who for all purposes, the current island god, would seek to enslave, manipulate and control the new arrivals until he tired of them or found them of no use.

Ben could start off as a sympathetic figure: a long, lost survivor of a different "tragedy." He can help the new castaways with food and shelter as a means of gaining their trust. A trust that his mental condition will twist over time into betrayal.

Kate could also have the initial upper hand. Men are drawn to her magnetic, gregarious personality. She is a little of "the girl next door" and a little tomboy. She is clever, witty and flirty. It is possible that she could see the benefit of getting close to all the men on the island. In fact, her charms would be the catalyst to learn the backgrounds of the other characters.

Sawyer is an anti-social element. He is a loner. He can find a person's weakness in order to exploit it to his own advantage. He had seduce women to steal their money. He seeks a challenge, and on the island that turns to Kate. He would find conflict in following other people's orders or directions. He could easily be labeled a saboteur by evil Ben, as he starts to divide and conquer this group.

Locke has the arrogance of self-delusion of greatness. He believes himself to be the great outback hunter trapped in a shipping clerk's body.  His lack of leadership skills (and results) will put him at the bottom rung in the new island order. The others will not take him seriously. He will become resentful, cold, and at times, lash out verbally and physically. This could parallel the madness that engulfed Ben during his long time on the island.

Jack is not only trapped on the island, but trapped in his own ethics of "saving" people. He will do anything to save his fellow islanders, to the point of being blindsided by their manipulations of him. He may be an initial figurehead leaders, but the people around him are trying to be the puppet masters behind the facade. He will be challenged first by Locke, then by Sawyer. He will be betrayed by Ben (and Kate, who uses Sawyer's physical desires to her advantage.). The love triangle turns into a Bermuda Triangle of hate, suspicion, arguments, and shuffling of alliances.

Things would get to the tightrope stage when Ben makes his move on Kate (like the beach scene when she was kidnapped with Sawyer and Jack and taken to the Barracks). When Kate is repulsed by Ben's advances (and his "deal" to make her queen of his island paradise), Ben turns into a raging smoke monster of hate and revenge. This would pit two hot blooded avengers (Ben and Sawyer) against each other. This conflict would appease both Jack and Locke, for they have positioned themselves in a faith vs. science resolve for survival, with each believing their position will lead to safety, rescue or most of all, winning Kate's heart.

But at a certain point, Kate realizes that all her flirtations, manipulations, promises and passions have turned the other characters into cavemen. She can see their personalities change, and she become afraid at what she has done. The more she attempts to withdraw from their conflicts, the more the anger and resentment levels increase.

The close quarters of just a few strong characters could lead to excellent drama, action and plot twists without using the ruse of magic, time travel, supernatural elements or invading mercenaries.

MATCH GAME

The Seven Deadly Sins are supposed to be a window into one's soul, a case study in one's true fault(s) that holds back a person from becoming complete and moral.

Time to try to match the LOST characters to their Deadly Sins.

LUST:  There was plenty of carnal knowledge on the show, from hook-ups to emotional manipulation. The character that had the most loin fever was probably KATE, who was the attention getter who when she wanted something, she went out and got it.

GLUTTONY. It is easy to point to HURLEY as the main choice. He had an issue when he was put in charge of the pantry-food drop supplies. He was uncomfortable with the responsibility since food was his alternative to dealing with his pain (abandonment issues, loneliness, etc.)

GREED. There are many characters who wanted wealth, fame, power and control. Ben and Widmore are prime examples of ruthless behavior. But at the same time, but at a more reserved level, Sun was very greedy in her personal expectations and inheritance while Jin was also looking to break away from his poor fisherman caste to become wealthy. An intense, selfish desire for something defines greed. On a non-material basis, MIB may have been the most greedy, since his sole being as a smoke monster was to escape his island prison, at any cost, including centuries of human lives.

SLOTH. Who was in the camp that lived off the work of other people? SHANNON was the prime example of a rich, spoiled girl who did not have any tangible skill sets for independence, let alone survival. First, she relied solely on Boone to help her through her problems. Then, after Boone was gone, she hooked up briefly with Sayid. She never took it upon herself to take charge of her own situation.

ENVY. Jealousy is a deep dagger in the heart of man. There were many characters who were biting their lip, looking from the outside at the close bonds, friendships and adventures of the other cast members. Arzt was one guy who talked big in camp, but got himself blown up on his only real mission. Frogert was a guy in camp who was constantly complaining that he was not getting the respect he deserved (as a red shirt).

WRATH. Extreme anger at one's own situation and the fate that life imposed upon someone clearly reflects the inner demons of LOCKE. As often as he lashed out at others, including his crazy mother and his con man father, Locke was more angry at his own failed decisions and illusions of grandeur to stop and see the good things in his life, such as Helen. And once he lost her, he had lost any chance of happiness. That is why he was bitter to the end, on and off the island.

PRIDE. This sin is a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements. There are several characters whose world revolved around their own accomplishments. Sawyer believed solely in himself; he knew he could con anyone, including another con man. Arrogance may be the twin brother of pride. Likewise, JACK was self-absorbed with the title of "miracle spine surgeon" by taking impossible cases and defying all medical science to have them walk again. He could do no wrong. Which such a background of being "right," it was only at the end when he admitted that Locke was right about the island.

BETTER END

It may be hard to admit, but LOST lasted too long. A season too long to be exact.

There are two schools of thought on Season 6.  One, it provided a confusing back story of the island and Jacob. Two, it provided nothing to the original story lines. The former would have just ended the series with the cliffhanger of Season 5, with Juliet pounding a rock on Jughead. That would have had just as many outraged viewers and unsolved mysteries. The latter would have just squeezed the key Season 6 bits into the last episodes and forgot about the sideways world filler. So the series would end with Jack dying in the bamboo grove with Vincent, while the last of his friends flew overhead for the last time.

In one respect, that last sentence would have made a more powerful and true ending to the series than the happy reunion in the purgatory church.

What happened on the island in Season 6 was masked by the confusing sideways parallel universe arc. The key resolution of the survivors's stories was on the island.

Jack accepts the role of guardian from Jacob, but he does not feel any different. 

The big mission was to go into the Heart of the Island, where the unique electromagnetic energy was strongest, and to "reset" the island. This is like the Hatch fail safe operation key that Desmond used to destroy the Swan. Since Desmond survived that re-set, he was the chosen one to re-set the island for good. But despite the guardianship role and Flocke's presence, no one knows exactly what is going to happen. Flocke believes the island re-set will free him and the island will fall to the bottom of the ocean. Jack hopes that the re-set will destroy the smoke monster and free his friends.

Once at the cave of the Heart, Flocke ties a rope to a tree while Jack ties the other end around Desmond. Desmond tells Jack that this - killing Flocke and destroying the Island - doesn't matter because once he goes into the cave, he'll go to another place where they can be with the ones they love, where they never have to see the island again, and where a happier version of Jack exists. (This is the foreshadowing of the sideways church reunion, but can be just a way of saying that everyone will meet up again in heaven some day.) After saying that maybe there's a way he could bring Jack there too, Jack says he already tried that  and that he found there are no shortcuts or do-overs; that whatever happened, happened and that all of this matters. The three men enter the cave.

Jack and Locke enter the cave and begin to lower Desmond into the brilliant abyss. Flocke remembers John Locke's memories of Jack and he, looking at Desmond down in a hole in the ground, lightheartedly commented on their bickering on whether or not to push the button.   Jack cuts him short. "You're not John Locke; you disrespect his memory by wearing his face, but you're nothing like him." Jack insists that John was right about almost everything, and wished he got to tell him this when he was still alive. Flocke says John wasn't right about anything and that when the Island drops into the ocean and Jack drops with it, then he will realize this. Jack suggests they just watch and see who turns out to be right, and the two look down the waterfall now that Desmond has reached the bottom. (This is the big theme of science vs. faith playing out for the last time.)

Desmond reaches a chamber below after passing skeletons. He finds the Heart, a glowing pool, filled by a small waterfall, with an elongated stone with ancient hieroglyphs engraved on it at its center. He enters the water as electromagnetic energy emanates from the Heart. Desmond is clearly in pain, and his nose bleeds. Jack and Locke hear his screams. Desmond reaches the center stone and lifts it, like removing a giant stopper in the center of the pool. The stream from the waterfall stops, the electromagnetic force recedes, the light goes out, the pool dries up and there is a red hot glow emitting from the center.  Desmond screams "No!" Flocke says to a very worried Jack: "It looks like you were wrong." Flocke says goodbye and leaves as earthquakes begin to wrack the Island.

Jack chases Flocke out of the cave in a fit of fury, punching him in the mouth and jumping on him when he falls. Flocke bleeds from the mouth. MIB is shocked to see he's bleeding. Jack sees the blood and says, "It looks like you were wrong too." Jack's hands move towards Locke's throat as they struggle. Locke finds a rock and hits Jack in the head, and gets up and runs off as Jack becomes unconscious.

On the Hydra Island beach, the outrigger reaches the shoreline.  Miles calls Ben, who is sitting with Sawyer, Kate, and Hurley. Miles informs him they're going to fly off the Island and that they should get to Hydra Island now. Claire emerges from the bushes and holds Miles' group at gunpoint and shoots into the sand. Through the radio, Kate hears that Claire is there. Claire assumes Flocke has sent them there to kill her. To convince her this isn't the case, Richard tells her they can go home and be free of Flocke. He invites Claire to join them but she refuses and leaves.

The predicted wild storm arrives and the earthquakes continue. Ben notices a large tree beginning to fall and realizes it will crush Hurley. Ben pushes him out of the way and the tree falls on Ben, pinning him. Sawyer, Hurley and Kate can't lift it. Sawyer says Flocke was right, the Island is going down. Miles radios Ben. Kate finds Ben's radio in the mud. Miles tells Kate that Frank is fixing the plane and they should get over there quick smart. He also tells Kate that Claire is around but won't come. Sawyer uses a fallen tree branch as a lever to try to free Ben. Ben says he knows how they can get to Hydra Island - that Flocke has a boat.

On the main island, Flocke stands on the cliff above the cave, looking at Libby’s husband’s boat anchored a short distance offshore. Before he can make it to the boat, Jack catches up to him, mad as ever. Flocke turns around and the two face each other for the final showdown. (This goes to the theme of black vs. white; good vs. evil.) Flocke draws his knife and they run at each other across the uneven ground. Jack leaps at Locke and they fight as the storm rages and cliffs disintegrate.

Flocke drops his knife, but during the struggle he picks it up and inflicts a fatal wound under Jack's rib cage. As he tries to finish him off, Flocke tells Jack that "he died for nothing." Just then, Kate shoots him from behind; she had "saved him a bullet." (This final act of defeating MIB was Kate, not the island guardian, in such a way that Jacob was destroyed not by MIB but by Ben.)

Jack struggles to his feet, but another quake shakes the Island and Flocke says Jack is "too late" just before the rumbling stops. Jack kicks him off the cliff to the rocks below, and MIB, the Smoke Monster, is apparently dead.


Kate holds Jack, who looks at the knife wound in his side. Jack says "I'll be fine, just find me some thread and I'll count to five.” This is what he said the first time they met in the jungle after the crash. Kate sewed up Jack's wounds, which may be symbolic of threading their lives together. Sawyer, Hugo and Ben arrive and as Kate tells them that it's over, the Island rumbles again and Sawyer says "Sure don't feel like it's over."

Ben tells the group that Frank and the rest are leaving, and if they are going to catch up they had better get to the boat and sail to Hydra island quickly. Jack says that whatever Desmond turned off, he needs to turn it back on again. But he says that if people are going to leave they need to get on that plane.  Kate tells him that he doesn't need to do this, but Jack is adamant that he does. Jack wishes Sawyer good luck.


Ben passes Sawyer the radio saying that if the Island is going down then he is going down with it. Hugo refuses to climb the rickety wooden ladders and tells Jack that he is with him. Kate and Jack share a tearful goodbye - they have a final kiss and declare their love for each other. The island continues to shake uncontrollably. Sawyer calls Frank, who tells them he is going to leave while there is still ground to leave on. Sawyer and Kate jump off the cliffs and into the sea. They swim out to the Elizabeth.

Frank fires the plane up. Kate and Sawyer swim ashore to Hydra Island and find a disconsolate Claire sitting on the beach. The Island continues to disintegrate. They hear the Ajira warming up. Claire says to Kate that she won't come because the Island has made her crazy. Kate offers to help her and they all run for the plane. Frank prepares for takeoff and doesn't hear Sawyer's plea on the radio for him to wait. Just then they make it to the runway, and Kate, Sawyer and Claire climb aboard.
The plane takes off as the runway disintegrates.

Hurley helps Jack as they return with Ben to the Heart. Jack tells them he is going down alone and makes it clear that he knows he will not survive. Jack explains to an overwrought Hurley that this is what is supposed to happen. Jack tells Hugo that it is he who the Island needs, that his job was to fix the Heart but after that it should be Hugo. Jack tells Hugo that he believes in him. Hugo agrees, but only till Jack returns. Ben finds an Oceanic bottle and Jack fills it from a leftover pool of water from the previously active stream and gives it to Hurley. After Hurley drinks, Jack tells him,


Ben and Hugo lower Jack into the Heart. Jack finds Desmond and carries him back to the rope. Desmond wants to return the plug but Jack tells him he has done enough and he needs to go home to be with his wife and son. Desmond asks Jack what will happen to him. Jack says that he'll see him in another life, "Brother." (This ties up the connection between pre-island Jack and Desmond when they first met on the stadium steps. It would seem that destiny would unite their lives in the near future.)

Jack lies exhausted in the empty pool but a trickle of water starts flowing and then the light starts to return. Hugo and Ben haul on the rope and find Desmond on the end of it. Below, Jack sobs with relief as he is engulfed in the light. (Some may speculate that this should have made Jack into an immortal smoke monster.) Ben and Hugo are with Desmond. Hugo takes in the idea that Jack has gone. Ben comforts him by telling Hugo that he did his job. Ben tells a frightened Hugo that he can do his job as the island's new island protector  by doing what he does best: taking care of people.

Hugo asks how he can do things like helping Desmond to go home when people can't leave the Island.  Ben says that that is how Jacob ran things and that maybe there is a better way. Hugo asks Ben for his help, saying he needs someone with experience. Ben says he would be honored. 

But Jack is not really gone, as the final scene on the island is Jack in the original bamboo grove.

How he got to the bamboo grove is another mystery. One theory is that Jack never left the bamboo grove in the first place; that it was all his dream. Another theory is that after re-corking the island, saving it from destruction, the light cave transported him to this place as it was the end of a portal. It was so that Jack could see his friends fly away; so he could pass in peace and move on.

You could have just ended the series without the Hurley assuming command immaterial plot point.

But this sequence as the true finale would have made pretty clear that the ultimate sacrifice, one's own life, is needed at times to save others. Dying alone meant that others could live.

We would know that the island's magical powers over life and death have a valve, the rock cork, that once disturbed can cause great riffs in time and space. It has its own fail safe mechanism if released, which is to destroy the planet (extinctions are part of planetary evolution). This changed the immortals into mortals. But rebooting the island is also possible as Jack did - - - not to save the world (he was unaware of the consequences) but to save his friends.

 Eliminate the sideways story line and one gets a better picture of the island mythology, and a better end to the show.