Six years ago on May 23, "Lost" disappeared from our TV screens faster than Oceanic Flight 815.
Despite studying Jack, Sawyer, Kate and the rest of the gang's every move, it's no secret that the series left behind a lot of questions (looking at you, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse). Though we can't answer any of those questions, we do a have a few fun pieces of info that might distract you from the fact that no one will ever be able to tell you why the Others needed Walt so bad.
1. "Lost" was inspired by "Cast Away," "Survivor" and "Lord of the Flies."
ABC Entertainment chair Lloyd Braun exec came up with the idea for the series after watching "Cast Away" with his family while on vacation in Hawaii. Braun told Grantland he added elements of "Survivor" and "Lord of the Flies" into his original concept of the show.
2. Michael Keaton was originally going to play the part of Dr. Jack Shephard.
According to an interview with MTV, Keaton committed to the role of Jack, when Jack was supposed to die halfway through the pilot. Keaton backed out of the series after ABC executives wanted to keep Jack alive and the part went to Matthew Fox.
3. Forest Whitaker was originally offered the role of Sawyer.
But he turned it down to direct a movie with (guess who?!) Michael Keaton.
4. In the pilot, Kate was supposed to have a fiancé.
Kate's fiancé was supposed to be in the back of the plane, and she wasn't supposed to know if he'd made it through the plane crash. But according to Grantland, the writers wanted to give Kate more depth, so they made her "a fugitive from justice" instead. Characters Rose and Bernard went on to steal the show (and hearts) of the two fateful lovers who go down on separate parts of the plane.
5. Hurley was going to be a charismatic repo man, not a lottery winner.
Before Hurley was cast, he was imagined as a working class character (and later a repo man) who was supposed to get killed off earlier in the season.
6. J.J. Abrams came up with the idea that the island itself should be a character.
He also came up with the damn hatch that tortured viewers.
7. Michael Emerson actually liked his character Ben Linus.
Despite all most of the fanbase totally hating his character, Emerson found the good in Ben.
"He stimulates the audience," Emerson said, describing just why Ben was so popular. "They’re intrigued and annoyed. He just sort of goads the audience a little bit. In a good way. And I think people like mysteries, and they like ambiguity."
8. Walt's dog, Vincent, was actually a girl.
Whaaaat? Doggone it.
9. Terry O’Quinn almost got kidnapped walking back from the show.
One day, not wanting to walk the 12 miles he usually did to and from set, Terry O'Quinn (Locke) hitchhiked with a woman. She made him sit in the back of her truck and drove him to her home, saying, "I have to show you to my husband."
10. Michelle Rodriguez wasn’t forced off the show because of her DUI.
Rodriguez and producers planned on having her on the show for only one year. But after she (and cast mate Cynthia Watros, aka Libby) got DUIs on the same night, show runners Cuse and Lindelof told TV Guide they considered rewriting their stories lines so the two wouldn't get killed off on the show.
11. Matthew Fox knew what the final shot of the show would be.
In Season 3, Fox said that Lindelof told him the show would end on a final image of Jack's eye closing. **Tears.**
(Credit: hero0fwar)
Welp, looks like we have to go back and watch the series all over again. See you next month.
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