Lost Original Ending Revealed And It’s A Blockbuster Idea
The ending of Lost was one of the most controversial aspects of the show, but 20 years after the show first aired, the writers say that the original ending was even better. While Lost was given the chance to wrap up with a series ending, the show’s writers didn’t get their way with exactly how that would happen. They shared their ideas about the original ending of Lost, which would have included a climatic battle of good vs. evil, letting loose a legion of the underworld.
The Island Comes Alive
The idea that the island itself was a character in the show was central to the storytelling, making it almost alive as the gatekeeper between Earth and the evil underworld just past the island. The Lost original ending included the most explosive aspect of the island as its focus. Using the volcano as the site of a final confrontation between Jack (Matthew Fox) and the smoke monster, in the corporeal form of John Locke (Terry O’Quinn), the finale would have ended in a magma-fueled battle between good and evil.
The Planet’s Last Line Of Defense
In Season 6, writers developed the concept of the island being a stopper, containing a pandora’s box of evil and preventing the forces of darkness from entering our world. The island was conceptualized as the last line of defense between Earth and the netherworld. The Lost original ending would have popped the top off of the vessel and let loose the legion of the underworld.
The Lost original ending would have built increasingly violent seismic activity until the volcano erupted, creating a smoke monster, streams of magma, and bursts of ash. The ending was intended to take place inside the volcano, with molten lava flowing, as the clash between good and evil unfolded. This confrontation might have been more satisfying to some audiences who deemed the current ending confusing.
The Island Was Basically A Character
To make the island come alive, the writers drew on images of Hawaii, creating a commanding presence for the inanimate space. Most of the series was filmed on the island of O’ahu, and you can still find remnants of the plane crash, Others camp, and the beach sets on the island. The dormant volcanoes of O’ahu could have been a perfect location for the series finale if the studio had approved the Lost original ending.
Far Too Expensive For Network Television
Ultimately, the reason that the Lost original ending was rejected by ABC was because of the cost. Creating convincing seismic activity, magma, and volcanic eruptions would have been very costly, plus there would have needed to be a whole new location set up for the final confrontation. While the ABC executives loved the show and wanted to allow the writers to properly end the series, ultimately the original ending of Lost was just too expensive.
The 20th Anniversary Of Lost
If you haven’t seen Lost, the 20th anniversary of its first episode is a good time to check it out. The wild ride of twisty suspense, with some action and tense drama folded in, is available to stream on Netflix, regrettably without the Lost original ending. Lost is a weird and wonderful addition to the mystery/science fiction genre and helped to shape the future of Earth-based science fiction television.
