Friday, December 18, 2009

Lost: The Countdown Begins!

OK, I know, I should have waited until we had exactly 42 days left before Lost began, but I'm getting itchy and just want to start some fun speculating. There’s just a month and a half left before the final season of Lost begins. Forty-six days, to be exact. And a couple of weeks ago, I thought maybe we could come up with some fun tasks to bide our time until the new season begins. Yesterday over on the rewatch, one of my readers touched on one of the ideas I had, so I figured without any further ado, let’s go ahead and start the first one. I hope to post a new one of these every week until the new season begins. (And by the way, I'm hoping to keep this light and fun, so you can post some genuine speculation if you'd like, or you can just be goofy. Knowing us, the goofy quotient will already be high, so it's just redundant for me to say it.)

Oh, and before I begin, I just want to mention that today and tomorrow are the last days of voting for the Canadian Blog Awards. I'm in the top 5 shortlist for Best Popular Culture blog, so if you have a minute, please go over and throw a vote my way. It's here, and you scroll down to "Popular Culture" in the top section. Thank you!

OK, enough of that, let’s begin!

Season 2 opened with a strange man in a strange place that appeared to be off the island, playing an older song from the 60s, Mama Cass’s “Make Your Own Kind of Music.” The guy turned out to be Desmond, and despite appearances, he really was on the island.

Season 3 began with a strange women in a strange place that appeared to be off the island, playing an older song from the 60s, Petula Clark’s “Downtown.” The woman turned out to be Juliet, and despite appearances, she really was on the island.

Season 5 began with a strange man in a strange place that appeared to be off the island, playing an older song from the 70s, Willie Nelson’s “Shotgun Willie.” The man turned out to be Pierre Chang, and despite appearances, he really was on the island.

Seasons 1 and 4 didn’t follow this format, but let’s just speculate that season 6 might. So, if season 6 opens with a character who appears to be off the island, but really is on the island, who do you think the character will turn out to be, and what song do you envision them putting on? I’ll start: How about a blond man walks into a room that looks like it was decorated in the 80s, and puts on Culture Club’s “Time (Clock of the Heart).” In the room you can see a backgammon game laid out, maybe a painting of a polar bear on the wall. You hear the lyrics:

Because time won't give me time
And time makes lovers feel
Like they've got something real
But you and me we know
They've got nothing but time
And time won't give me time
Won't give me time
Don't make me feel any colder
Time is like a clock in my heart
Touch we touch was the heat too much
I felt I lost you from the start

He walks outside, and he’s on the island, and he turns to talk to Jacob, who looks exactly the same as he did before. Jacob refers to the man as “Aaron,” and we realize that this is the adult version of the baby, back on the island in the 2020s, and listening to the “retro” music of the 80s.

Actually, here’s another twist. What if the inside of the house looks exactly like one of the Dharmaville bunkers, but when Aaron walks outside he’s actually NOT on the island, simply because we’ve come to expect that will be the case. Instead he’s in the middle of some metropolis of the future or something. Hm...

I’m sure I’ll have many other scenarios in the days to come. And you?

Oh, and for some real speculation, head on over to Jeremiah Dollins' blog (he posts here as "Ambivalentman" and check out some of his speculation for season 6. Great stuff!!

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

That would be a great season opener Nicky! Just a funny thought, dont you think it would be hilarious to be like an actually OLDER Richard Alpert getting out of the shower with "Love Story" by Taylor Swift playing in the back hahhaa. Well that won't happen but I do think a Richard Alpert opening scene would be great!

Anonymous said...

Season 5 began and ended with a strange man in a strange place that appeared to be off the island (for a couple of minutes anyway).

And Season 3 ended with a quasi-strange man (bearded Jack) in a strange emotional place (suicidal) that appeared to be off island---and actually was.

Fred said...

I think spinning discs are at an end. But if we want to play the game, here are 2 possible openers.

Opening scene: wooden disc starts to spin, then goes faster. Suddenly a lump of clay is tossed onto it, and we see two hands begin to mold a pot. More shots of the hands dipping in water and molding the pot. Pull away shot reveals MiB.

I guess everyone needs a hobby, and since jacob's is weaving, maybe MiB's is pottery.

2nd option for opening scene.

Opening scene: We see what we can identify as the frozen donkey wheel. Someone is pushing it. It begins to creak. A odd light appears form the side. We hear a voice.

Voice: Turn that wheel or God help us all!

The shot moves away and we realize we are on the deck of the Black Rock. Richard is at the wheel, still trying to turn it.

How's that. But I think opening with a spinning disc of whatever is unlikely. I think it might be a shot on the plane, or something reflecting the opeing scene form season 1, but not on the island. Jack waking up, where, I don't know, but with the same confusion as in Season 1 opener.

The Question Mark said...

Great idea, Nikki! I love it! Okay, I have 2 guesses.

1) We see a woman put on a CD, and begin to go about with her morning ritual (i.e., tooth-brushing, showering, maybe working out).
The song playing is Turn Around/Total Eclipse by Bonnie Tyler:

"Once upon a time I was falling in love,
Now I'm only falling apart.
Nothing I can say, a total eclipse of the heart."

Pull out a bit to reveal that the mystery woman is...Kate. Once Kate finishes working out, she starts getting dressed., We slowly pan out to reveal a bunch of other women around her, doing the exact same thing. Pan out some more to reveal...
Kate is in prison, surrounded by a bunch of other convicted women. Oceanic 815 has landed, and Edward Mars has escorted Kate Austen to the state penitentiary!!!
L O S T!

or, option 2)

We see a man put a record on a very old-timey grammophone in a dark room. The record begins to play an old, classical composition (Mozart's Requiem, perhaps). The man proceeds to grab a mop and clean the floors of the room he is in, humming/whistling along with the tune. All of a sudden, the grammophone begins to fizz & crackle. The music stops playing, and the man stops mopping.
Then, as if it had a mind of its own, the grammophone begins to play a different song: "Moonlight Serenade" by the Glenn Miller orchestra. The man curiously stares at the grammophone, and he is revealed to be none other than Ricardus Alpert!
We hear footsteps, and another man runs into the room: Matthew Abaddon. Matt looks at the grammophone with the utmost curiosity. "What is that?" he asks. Richard responds that he has no idea, and has never heard this strange song before in his life. Then a flustered voice calls out to them, and both men tear from the room.
Pan out to reveal Richard & Matt emerging onto the deck of the Black Rock. Mikhail, eye patch & all, runs over to them. They ask what is wrong, & eh hands Richard a telescope. "I don't understand...it's not on any of the charts," Mikhail keeps saying. Richard peers through the telescope and sees the Island, with the statue of Tawaret towering over the jungle canopy.
RICHARD: Son of a bitch...

L O S T!!

Marebabe said...

@Nikki, Fred, & Question Mark: If Lost University had a Creative Writing course, you all everybody would test out of it, no problem! Total brilliance, A+.

QM: I can't decide if it would be better in your scenario to have Mikhail with his familiar eye patch, or to show him with two good eyes. Of course, the eye patch would help the fake-out last longer.

Verification word: astation - the one right before bstation.

Batcabbage said...

Wow, Nik, what a great idea! Loved your opening scene, and QM, Fred, excellent work. I particularly like the 'Richard and the FDW fake out', Fred, brilliant.

Here's my first one:

Open on a man's hands filleting a fish. We can tell we're inside somewhere, it looks suspiciously like Jacob's cabin - because it is. We only focus on the man's hands as he prepares the fish. He stokes a fire in the wood-fire stove, places the two fillets of the fish in a skillet on top of it. It sizzles. We can hear a rhythmic creaking, back and forth. There's an old-timey transistor radio playing in the background. The song is 'Slow Ride' by Foghat. The hands turn the fish in the skillet with tongs, cooking the other side. The radio crackles, and 'Slow Ride' peters out mid-song, only to be replaced by 'Ace of Spades' by Motorhead, already in progress. We then hear a door open, and frantic footsteps. We finally see the cook's face, who continues to look only at the fish - it's a bearded Locke. He's visibly older. He says over his shoulder:

Locke: Find anything?

Reveal that the other other person who raced in was Jack. He's a mess. He's dirty, unkempt, jittery. He paces back and forth, like he can't stay still. His tone is belligerent and a bit sulky.

Jack: No.

Locke: (still checking the fish) Are you surprised?

Jack ignores Locke, throws his knapsack or whatever he has in the corner. The creaking has increased in pace since Jack entered the cabin. 'Ace of Spades' finishes in the background, and an announcer comes on (he's British).

Announcer: That was Ace of Spades, the new track from Motor-

The radio crackles again, and a new song comes on, as though the radio is changing stations all on its own. 'You All Everybody' by Driveshaft comes on. Locke smiles, remembering Charlie fondly. Jack gets even more agitated, and goes over, turns the radio off. Locke looks at him, slightly amused.

Locke: What are we gonna do for dinner music?

(con't next post)

Batcabbage said...

(con't from previous)

Again, Jack ignores Locke. Locke has finished cooking. He offers a big fat fish fillet on a plate to Jack, his own dinner in his other hand. Jack just stands there, looking from the plates to Locke.

Jack: Where's his?

We don't see who Jack's referring to. Locke shrugs.

Locke: He doesn't eat, Jack. He never has.

Jack: (defiant) Doesn't mean he won't this time.

Locke forces the plate on Jack, and sits down at a table, tucking into his food.

Locke: Well, unless you share yours, it does.

He pauses as he takes a bite of fish. Jack looks at Locke as though he wants to punch him. Locke does one of those little smiles where he's privately amused (that Terry O'Quinn does oh so very well), and continues to eat. Jack, very reluctantly, sits down across from Locke. He splits his fish into two portions, placing the other half on a spare plate. He puts a fork on the plate, and places it at the end of the table, looking off camera. Locke continues to eat, relishing the fish.

Locke: It's just a waste.

Jack: I don't care.

He finally starts to eat. There's a noise outside. Jack and Locke look at each other.

Jack: Was that..? (he motions to Locke)

Locke: No.

Jack gets up, and he hears a voice yelling outside the cabin. He goes over to the window. He looks out, and sees a face peering in. There's a surprised yell, and Jack falls backwards on the floor.

Locke: What is it?

Jack scrambles up from the floor, and opens the door. There's no one there. Just jungle.

Locke: What was it?!

Jack turns around. He's stunned. He looks from Locke to the other occupant of the room, who we finally see is Christian, rocking back and forth. He looks catatonic.

Jack: I... I think it was...

He trails off as the radio, previously turned off by Jack, crackles into life. After a moment of static, it settles on a song by the Ink Spots from 1941. "I don't want to set the world on fire..."

And with that lyric, and the look on Jacks face, the L O S T logo comes up.

_______________

Sorry that that was really long. I kinda got carried away. :)

Marebabe said...

@Batcabbage: No problemo! That was a pleasure to read. "Please, sir, can I have some more?" :)

Verification word: kslishaf - total jibberish!

Anonymous said...

Nikki, I LOVE your grown-up Aaron scenario, and not only because I've always been a huge Culture Club fan and "Time (Clock of the Heart)" is my fav song of theirs.

(Okay, granted, that DOES have a lot to do with it. But still - love the grown-up Aaron idea.)

How about this:

A man's hand puts the needle on a record and some romantic '50s song starts to play (just pick one). The camera pans past the record player and we see we're in a bedroom. Sitting on the bed, wearing a poodle skirt and sweater, is the girl we recognize as Locke's mother, Emily, at about age 16. Smiling, she stretches out a hand invitingly to the man playing the record, and tells him that song always makes her feel "special." The man approaches the girl as we watch from behind, then reaches down and touches her face. He says softly, "You ARE special, Emily." She grins and pulls him onto the bed, at which point it becomes obvious they're about to indulge in some hanky panky. The camera slowly circles around from behind to reveal...Jacob!

Fred said...

Like Season 2, we see a hand put a needle onto a record. The usual statci, then a voice begins, "Number 9, Number 9."

There is a scene of the shower turning in, and the man behind the frosted glass. we see a room with a window of Sydney, as from a condo window. She passed in front, then we see eggs being cooked. We see the man put on a shirt and tie. Meanwhile the record is still playing, "Number 9, number 9".

Then we see the woman turn and say, "time for breakfast." In the frame of the door to the kitchen is Christian.

Obviously, you might gather I am a fan of Lennon and Oko's Revolution # 9. But then i admired Karlheinz Stockhausen, also.

Anonymous said...

I agree with what others have posted here and on other blogs. The show will open; eventually, we'll realize the action is taking place on the Black Rock; eventually, we'll realize one important member of our cast is on the doomed ship: Richard Alpert.

How that all makes sense storywise, I have no idea. I'll leave that up to Darlton and Company.

By the way: had time to play Lost: Via Domus yet?

The Question Mark said...

Excellent stuff, guys!
Batcabbage, that scene in the cabin wigth the fish was extremely intriguing! I wanna know more! LOL

@ Anonymous: Unfortunately, I was one of the people who shelled out 70 bucks for a brand spanking new copy of Lost: Via Domus back when it came out...and was thoroughly disappointed with it. :(
Actually, I wrote a very strong-worded essay/review on it once! LOL

Fred said...

@Annonymous> "The show will open; eventually, we'll realize the action is taking place on the Black Rock; eventually, we'll realize one important member of our cast is on the doomed ship: Richard Alpert."

Sorry I don't think that will be the opener, but we will later learn about the Balck Rock and Alpert.

First, LOST writers have never gone the way of fan expectations. I suspect they lurk about many fan sights, read what fans are anticipating, and then do something else to surprise us.

Second, the novelty opening of a record has been done, and it was fitting for the means of introducing new chatracters, or giving us a heads-up on some theme in the season. We're basically done with time-travel, and now we go back to the island, probably 2007 and begin to wrap it up. Remember they only have 18 shows, which tight as the writing has been is still not a lot of room to just throw stuff out there cause its cool.

Third, and sadly, I think we are going to see our belovied characters die off. We basically know much of the mythology, and all we need is some last big questions answered before the wrap up. What is the island? What is the smoke monster? Who is in charge? (The question of Adam and Eve may just be bernard and Rose--if the Oceanic 6 travel back to 2007 or wherever, B and R were never near to the explosion in the Swan well, so they would not be sucked up in it. Ergo, B and R are likely candidates for Adam and Eve, right time, probably right location, and a whole lot of Dharma folks ready for revenge, especially Radzinsky).

Fourth, dramatic continuity compells us to see what happens when Mib (Locke) walks out of Jacob's domicile and confronts Richard, dead Locke and the Others, including Ilana et al. Instead of leaving that plot line hanging for a few weeks, its makes sense to get to it while it is still fresh in viewers minds. (That last ending was like those old fashioned cliff hangers in the movies).

Nikki Stafford said...

Just to clarify: What I'd like to do here is just have fun. If someone wants to have the Black Rock pull up and Richard Alpert step off it, I think that's just as valid a suggestion as anything else, in the interest of fun. I'm not necessarily looking for serious speculation, just ideas to throw out there, as goofy or as predictable or as likely as some of them might be. If we start criticizing the ideas people throw out there, then others will be hesitant to jump in.

Here's one: It could open as the continuation of the scene on the beach, with the ship getting closer, and Jacob standing in anticipation, and suddenly Ronald McDonald jumps out and stands on the deck, waves and yells, "Hey, kids!" Jacob smacks himself in the forehead, and the Man in Black storms back towards him. "NICE. You said you were going to bring in The Black Rock and you grabbed The Big Mac instead?! I TOLD you that learning to read was important, but OH NO, you just thought you could figure out the difference by looking at them. Cripes. Some day in the future you'll probably be looking to bring down a plane of marines and instead you'll accidentally bring down a plane carrying a bunch of innocent people with daddy issues whose backstories are oddly interconnected. I've had it with you." Storms off.

Sirputtsalot said...

These are all very interesting.

I think the season will open with a young couple, setting up a nursery, listening to "Catch a Falling Star". We don't know them yet, but we follow them along as they head to the airport. They anxiously watch the arrival board and then we go over to the runway to see Oceanic 815 landing safely. They continue to show us the people waiting at the terminal where we see Jack's mother, Hurley's parents, the US Marshals, Anna Lucia's partner, and Michael's mother. They pan back on our couple, and they are holding a sign reading Claire Littleton.
LOST

Fred said...

Here's a sort of fun one.

The scene opens with a hand putting in a burrito into the microwave. It starts to spin as it heats up, but then it explodes inside the microwave. You suddenly hear voices: "What have you done. We might have missed it!" "Don't tell me what I can't do. I can fix this." "You can't change things. It only happens once." "No, no, there's always a variable."

We see a hand open the door and clean out the blown-up burrito. The camera follows out from the microwave into the Reyes kitchen. Seated at the table is Damon Lindelhof. Carlton Cuse is seen cleaning out the microwave. They start to bicker.

Damon: I wish I had been more in the loop. You know what I always thought of the smoke monster.

Carlton: But we needed that. It was in the file we got from J.J..

Damon: Yeah, but "bloop." What was that with the smoke monster? That just didn't make any sense.

Carlton: And the statue of Tarewet did? We spent all that money on CGIing a statue and we didn't have enough for the submarine. But if you're talking about not making sense, what about the whole timeline with that actress?

Damon: I don't think the fans noticed. But at least that wasn't as bad as the timeline for Richard. I mean, who believed for one minute he was Aaron's son? Or that Boone and Shannon were Adam and Eve!

Carlton: Yeah, I think we pushed the envelope a little too far on those. But when that one fan figured out Widmore was half polar bear, the writers had to do a rewrite that really didn't make any sense.

Damon: But it all came around, in the end. The boar finally did get Sawyer, and everyone discovered Charlie was a world champion diver who could hold his breath for hours.

Carlton: I guess you're right. Put another burrito in the microwave, and we'll start over again.

The microwave turns on with the burrito. There is a ding, and a hand pulls it out.

Voice: Hello Hugo. (Camera moves to reveal Ben. Hugo is seen holding the burrito. Hugo throws the burrito at Ben).

Hugo: Get away from me. I know who you are. Miles and me, we figured it out. You're Marty McFly, only older.

Nikki Stafford said...

Fred: LOLZ!!! Best opening EVER. ;)

Ambivalentman said...

Here's an idea:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

An WOMAN is tossing and turning. We can't see her face. She gets out of bed, wearing only a pair of black lace panties and a bra. She takes a black silk robe hanging on the bedpost and slips it on.

The woman crosses the room and presses the PLAY BUTTON on an iPod in its dock. "Let's Do The Time Warp Again" plays.

The woman dances her way out of her bedroom and to the top of the stairwell. She looks over the balcony at a MAN sitting on the couch.

The man looks at her. It's FLOYD SIMCOE.

The woman, we reveal is PENNY WIDMORE. She smiles at Floyd.

PENNY
Hi, Honey.

CUE: swooshing music

TITLE: L O S T

Nikki Stafford said...

Ambivalentman: Hm... that seems oddly familiar. I do hope that if Lost goes with that opening, they run it over and over and over again because otherwise I just won't remember it 4 minutes after they've shown it the 10th time.

Heehee...

JS said...

@Fred - love it. Now I am going to try to figure out the fake mystery of the screwed up timeline with the non-existent actress that Darlton weren't talking about fan's not noticing. Unless it was Libby......

Verification word: Colli - (dog) poo germs before the internet age.