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Lost: How To Introduce Characters

Thursday, 2 November 2006 funny lost

A lot could be said for the plot twists in Lost, and of the things said, not many would involve the word “planned”.

Eh? Who are these doofuses?

Over the last series + 4eps they’ve added a massive number of characters, most of which seem like they’re in it to stay… That is until they’re done for drinking under the influence and have to be written out in some sort of crazy mishap.

I’ll try not to say too much about last night’s episode but you should remember these two marvels of evolution from last week’s: Looks-A-Bit-Like-Anna-Marie and Could-Be-Mistaken-For-Sawyer-On-A-Dark-Night.

Their story is they’ve been with the front section of the plane from the very beginning and they’ve never done anything special enough to get noticed. There have been others like them but last week they decided they’d take it upon themselves just to start talking. When seeing their blatant rudeness I physically shouted (albeit it quietly) at the screen asking why the hell ABC want to make this more complicated than it is and then it dawned on me that ABC may have found the key to a perpetual money-maker. Here’s the science bit:

Lost S1 got lots of viewers because it asked lots of questions

Viewers = Advertising money  
Therefore: Questions = Money and Money = Questions

What we are seeing here is ABC trying to add a couple more people so they can add a couple more flashback storylines, which they’ll no doubt use to ask a few more timely questions.

But why don’t we get bored of all their cocking around though? Well some people do but the majority are falling for what ABC no-doubt considers “answers” but I think they’re following the following science that:

Answers = Questions × 0  
Answers = 0(Money) = 0

So instead they’ve come up with:

Answers + 2 × Question = 0(Money) + 2(Money) = Twice the money.

It’s pure genius.