# Lost series and miscommunication **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-series-and-miscommunication/648100 "2013-01-23T13:38:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-series-and-miscommunication/648100/1 "2013-01-23T13:38:30Z")
I’m not sure if this is really thread worthy but here goes. Lost got a lot of flack for plot points that depended on miscommunication. Fans would complain and say everything would be moot if people just sat down and shared information. But I have to say the writers were in at least this regard brilliant or prescient. Back when I was watching the show I was in a fairly easy going situation so I could empathize with the sentiment, but recently I’ve been drawn into interpersonal drama, both familial and romantic, with real stakes, and now I understand. Even with social networking coordinating information can be tricky. And then you add things like feelings, intentions, motives, propriety, values, and wham! Miscommunication superstorm! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-series-and-miscommunication/648100/2 "2013-01-23T14:07:57Z")
Its complicated. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-series-and-miscommunication/648100/3 "2013-01-23T14:24:26Z")
Exactly ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-series-and-miscommunication/648100/4 "2013-01-23T14:48:12Z")
That sort of thing is the basis for all sorts of drama, light and heavy. _Three’s Company_ thrived on it. So did Shakespeare. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-series-and-miscommunication/648100/5 "2013-01-23T14:48:20Z")
It may be realistic, but it doesn’t make it any more entertaining. It’s frustrating to watch a bunch of characters spend several hours coming to a realization that the audience was told about from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-series-and-miscommunication/648100/6 "2013-01-23T14:50:27Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > recently I’ve been drawn into interpersonal drama Did it involve being stranded on an uncharted island with mysterious monsters and other inhabitants threatening your collective lives? > [@](#): > > with real stakes Do you mean “real” in that someone’s feelings might get hurt? Or “real” in that if you don’t get this settled someone might get eaten by a smoke monster? When the stakes include starvation, kidnapping and getting ground into hamburger, you have to check your feelings at the door and open your gob when you discover something new. ---
**Author:** ![mage-girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@mage-girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mage-girl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-series-and-miscommunication/648100/7 "2013-01-23T16:38:42Z")
I don’t recall - it’s been a while since I watched my DVDs - but wasn’t some information withheld to keep from upsetting the other castaways? That seems like a sane reason not to disclose absolutely everything, particularly when you’re not sure what it all means. May be risky though, with people’s lives at stake… ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-series-and-miscommunication/648100/8 "2013-01-23T17:04:55Z")
They could have made it one show if people would communicate. “Hey, welcome to the island! I’m Ben and this is Richard.” “What is this place?” “It’s an island with some weird scientific properties that no one can explain. There used to be some scientists here that studied them but they’re gone now.” “Woah, what’s that smoke monster?” “That’s some dude that hates Jacob.” “Who’s Jacob?” “He runs this place. But I hear he’s looking for a successor. Want to go meet him?” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-series-and-miscommunication/648100/9 "2013-01-23T19:46:54Z")
“Are we all dead and in purgatory?” “Not yet, no.” ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-series-and-miscommunication/648100/10 "2013-01-23T20:15:55Z")
“Holy shit, guys! My paralysis has been cured!” “Huh, must be some magic-ass island then.” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-series-and-miscommunication/648100/11 "2013-01-23T20:27:42Z")
The worst part is when they were setting off for a long walk across the island, the answer would be “It’s complicated” and the response should have been “Well, we got time, go ahead.” ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-series-and-miscommunication/648100/12 "2013-01-23T20:40:44Z")
I loved that show so much, up until that last season, that I easily put up with the miscommunication crap referenced so well in this thread. That last season made me hate (hate hate hate hate hate) all of it retroactively. I gave my DVDs away.