On Tuesday the creators (Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse) and cast (Terry O’Quinn (Locke), Michael Emerson (Ben), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin) and Emilie de Ravin (Claire) of Lost talked about the show at the TCA (Television Critics Association) Press Tour.
The most important bit of news that came out of this sitdown is that Harold Perrineau (Michael) and Cynthia Watros (Libby) will return this season.
On Season 6 Cuse said, “Obviously not every question’s going to be answered, so obviously, some people are going to be upset that those particular questions don’t get resolved. We felt if we tried to just answer questions, it would be very pedantic.” Lindelof added, “Now there is certainly a hope on all our parts that everybody sort of universally loves the ending that we put forward. (But) I don’t think it would be Lost if there wasn’t sort of an ongoing and active debate amongst the people who watch the show as to whether or not it was a good ending.” Cuse envisions the season to include a “healthy cocktail of answers, mystery character resolution, and some surprises.”
Lindelof added that this season will harken back to Season 1 in many ways in order to compare and contrast how the characters have changed since the beginning. Cuse said that he and Lindelof had the final image of the series in their heads way back in the beginning; it’s the character development and closure they have to work on. “We kind of knew what the end point was, but as you move towards the end point, you add elements. And obviously, the end is not yet written, and there are certain sort of mythological, architectural elements that are intact for that ending, but a lot of character stuff will get worked out as we go along.” Cuse added, “We are doing something different narratively which doesn’t require sort of deep-and-vast knowledge for you to get, and we also just feel like the stories that we’re telling this season kind of really do harken back to the first season of the show. I think if you watched the first season of the show, that’s probably the most important thing leading into the final season. We do feel that there’s some accessibility there.”
The cast members shared their favorite moments from the show. Michael Emerson: “I have lots of fond memories of breathless confrontations in small rooms” – referring to scenes from Jacob’s cabin, The Hatch, and Widmore’s bedroom. Jorge Garcia: “Running away from an exploding plane wing” and “when the comet hits Mr. Clucks…laying there and they’re throwing raw chicken parts at me.” Evangeline Lilly: her favorite episode was the one “Do No Harm,” the one where Claire gives birth and Boone dies. “I’ll never forget watching that episode because for me it just culminated everything we were talking about on the show. I don’t often cry while watching my own show, but I watched that episode and I cried and I thought this is something that I’m proud to be a part of.” Terry O’Quinn: “Just coming to work with these people and working the way through a scene and just collaborating with them.” O’Quinn also talked about how he had no idea that his character had died and he was playing “not-Locke Locke” at the end of last season until the audience found out. O’Quinn’s script only said that “something about Locke is different,” so that’s all he had to work with. Emerson added, “It’s actually better on this show to be in the dark – sort of groping around a bit.”
So what’s in store for the Season 6 premiere? Lindelof said, “Get ready to scratch your heads, America!” Holloway added that the premiere episode plays out like a finale in scale and scope. I. Can’t. Wait.
Lost: The Final Season premieres February 2 at 9PM on ABC. Speaking of the premiere date, did you hear that President Obama almost scheduled to have his State of the Union Address at the same date and time, potentially pushing the Lost premiere to a later date? Well rest assured, Losties. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs confirms that the Address will air on a different date. Cuse added to the confirmation with this tweet: “No State of the Union conflict with LOST! We go Feb. 2!”
Look after the break for an exerpt of an IGN interview with Lost creator J. J. Abrams, hot off the presses!