The numbers obviously keep coming up. Hurley used them from the guy who constantly repeated them in the mental institution to win the lottery (so he really did win the lottery in real life), but instead was cursed with bad luck. As a result he considered the numbers bad luck. As far as their significance beyond that and the hatch/candidates I am not sure. I personally think the numbers were all to get Hurley to the island to become protector. If he hadn't used them to win the lottery he wouldn't have been on the plane. It was all about him and Jack was a necessary piece to find a pure soul. Jacob/MIB's fake mother tried to shield them from the outside for just this same reason.
The baby question was never really resolved. Babies were able to be born on the island after Jacob/MIB mother gave birth. Miles, Ethan, and Aaron were all born on the island. However, it was never truly explained why others couldn't be born. Maybe it was to get Juliette on the island? Not sure though.
I get your point about the a-bomb, but I guess since it was detonated so far underground it may have limited the blast radius a bit. Obviously after learning what the flash sideways really was (purgatory) it's clear that the a-bomb detonation really didn't do what they hoped...aside from jolting them all back to present day.
I think there will always be questions. Nice to have a group here brainstorming though to come up with various theories that potentially bring some closure....even though we will probably never know for sure.
PJ: 2003 Mansfield: July 2 2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29 2005 Montreal: Sept 15 2006 Boston: May 24 & 25 2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28, 2010 Boston: May 17 2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25, 2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
On a side note. I know this isn't the right place to post this, but how do you isolate a specific part of a person's post for a quote without having to quote the whole thing? Thanks!
You don't have to post on this thread, but if you shot me a PM that would be cool.
Post edited by jervin007 on
PJ: 2003 Mansfield: July 2 2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29 2005 Montreal: Sept 15 2006 Boston: May 24 & 25 2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28, 2010 Boston: May 17 2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25, 2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
Just like people on the boards are having a Pearl Jam post-tour depression, I'm having a LOST depression and can't believe it's over. It's crazy how attached and addicted to this show I was. Time to pre-order the series boxset.
Lost fans will now have to let go. :ugeek:
Haha I know.
Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
Loved them! The boar bbq commercial great as well as the smoke detector for the smoke monster!
PJ: 2003 Mansfield: July 2 2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29 2005 Montreal: Sept 15 2006 Boston: May 24 & 25 2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28, 2010 Boston: May 17 2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25, 2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
1. Is it possible the polar bear was a result of the island moving from time to time?
tell me if I'm remembering this wrong or making this up entirely.....wasn't the polar bear a result of some weird magical comic book that Walt had (or maybe he was the one writing it?), that everything that was in the comic book came true?
I was really disappointed that Walt was not part of the finale. He was touted as a major player in the first two seasons, as a "very special boy" by the Others, almost like a saviour of sorts, and nothing ever came of him. I understand that they had limitations with the actor growing up faster than the Lost timeline allowed for, but they could have made up some "rule" that he could have been the opposite of Jacob and Richard, that he aged very quickly instead of not at all.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
On a side note. I know this isn't the right place to post this, but how do you isolate a specific part of a person's post for a quote without having to quote the whole thing? Thanks!
You don't have to post on this thread, but if you shot me a PM that would be cool.
Received a few responses. Thanks!
PJ: 2003 Mansfield: July 2 2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29 2005 Montreal: Sept 15 2006 Boston: May 24 & 25 2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28, 2010 Boston: May 17 2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25, 2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
. I understand that they had limitations with the actor growing up faster than the Lost timeline allowed for, but they could have made up some "rule" that he could have been the opposite of Jacob and Richard, that he aged very quickly instead of not at all.
Or they could have just switched the actor playing him and not said anything hoping nobody would notice.
1. Is it possible the polar bear was a result of the island moving from time to time?
tell me if I'm remembering this wrong or making this up entirely.....wasn't the polar bear a result of some weird magical comic book that Walt had (or maybe he was the one writing it?), that everything that was in the comic book came true?
quote]
I think the writers said in one interview that some stuff was read into more than was intended, like the polar bears. I though it was said they were brought to the island by Dharma to be experimented on, and later escaped. They also mentioned the same experiments on sharks in one season, and that is why they showed one in the Season 6 premier. The sharks were never meant to be on the show, but since fans kept asking about them, they quickly showed one.
...got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul...
1. Is it possible the polar bear was a result of the island moving from time to time?
tell me if I'm remembering this wrong or making this up entirely.....wasn't the polar bear a result of some weird magical comic book that Walt had (or maybe he was the one writing it?), that everything that was in the comic book came true?
quote]
I think the writers said in one interview that some stuff was read into more than was intended, like the polar bears. I though it was said they were brought to the island by Dharma to be experimented on, and later escaped. They also mentioned the same experiments on sharks in one season, and that is why they showed one in the Season 6 premier. The sharks were never meant to be on the show, but since fans kept asking about them, they quickly showed one.
Yeah you're correct about the polar bears being brought to the island by the Dharma and the shark thing as well.
Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
By the testicles of Titan I'm glad that's over. Anyone got 2 hours to explain it to me? I watched every episode but found myself losing the will to live. Probably the only series in history where they just made it up as it went along.
6. So why on earth was she back pregnant in the flash sideways? maybe im getting too caught up in the flash sideways when she was shot, but as that took place long after she left the island i cant fathom this out. Especially as she remembered what she had in the flash sideways as if it was real?....
The flash sideways is purgatory - they can relive whatever they want. Jack imagined himself as a father - a really good father who had learned from his own father's mistakes. Sawyer imagined himself having used his anger towards the man who killed his parents and turning it into something good (a cop) rather than turning it into something that hurt others (a con man). Etc. And Jin and Sun were going to experience having the baby together, which they never go to do. They were imagining themselves back in that time of their lives.
10. Hurleys goof fortune was only make belief? I thought he was actually a millionaire winner, i dont think i had considered that that was a sideways flash, i had thought that was confirmed when Hurley left the Island too....i could be wrong?
Hurley had still won the lottery, but seems to have dropped the bad luck part of it. He got to re-unite with Libby and have his date
Cool, they were really great answers....I was just throwing stuff around earlier that didnt quite add up and over the day its really much clearer.....
still why they didnt recognise each other in pergatory without touching each other baffles me
wasn't the real question why were they on the island? and wasn't that answered? so why are people upset?
What was the answer?
to stop the MIB from escaping the island. if he did, the whole world would have suffered. Jacob, much like a Jesus character, knew he would be betrayed by one of his own (Ben) and killed, so he had to bring the Losties to the island to make sure he got replaced to protect the island and, subsequently, all of existence.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
The main characters were all brought to the island by Jacob to see if any of them wanted to leave their "flawed" life behind and become the island's protector. It seems to me that the previous method (demonstrated by Mother) was to wait for a baby to show up and raise it up into the role. Jacob wasn't real happy about that and decided he'd let the next person actually volunteer for the job.
But Ben didnt die.....if what happened on the island was the real life, ben was alive at the end with Hurley...so the pergatory is best explained as just Jacks pergatory.....and only relevant to him, Ben for me was still alive at the end so how could he be waiting for Alex?
Ben did die eventually. They all met up in the after-life but as Christian said, some lived a long time after Jack died (like Hurley), and others were there that died before him (like Libby). He said "There is no now here" meaning the afterlife isn't really bound to the real-life's time.
"Money is no object," I said, "but I am on a budget."
wasn't the real question why were they on the island? and wasn't that answered? so why are people upset?
What was the answer?
to stop the MIB from escaping the island. if he did, the whole world would have suffered. Jacob, much like a Jesus character, knew he would be betrayed by one of his own (Ben) and killed, so he had to bring the Losties to the island to make sure he got replaced to protect the island and, subsequently, all of existence.
One thing that seems possible is that Ben thought he was one of the Good Guys working for Jacob, but he must really have been working for Smokey (at least some of the time). Ben never gets to actually see Jacob, and he's got that puddle thing that can summon the smoke to kill people and wreck their stuff.
It would be easy to see how Jacob's hands-off approach and Smokey's shape-shifting could mean Ben was often getting orders from the wrong side!
"Money is no object," I said, "but I am on a budget."
to stop the MIB from escaping the island. if he did, the whole world would have suffered. Jacob, much like a Jesus character, knew he would be betrayed by one of his own (Ben) and killed, so he had to bring the Losties to the island to make sure he got replaced to protect the island and, subsequently, all of existence.
lots of Jesus characters (Jack getting stabbed in the side before sacrificing himself)... lots of Jesusy stuff in general... pretty cliche narrative symoblism at this point... everyone can remember every book in English class being spoiled by the Jesus character revelation
which brings me to my question... how many of the people that liked the finale/6th season are themselves Christians/believe in "heaven"? as much as they tried to conveniently place symbols of all religions ("its a small world") in the "church" at the end, the whole thing seemed to be heavily based on christian theology and afterlife
just looking for a sinister agenda from the disney corporation
lots of Jesus characters (Jack getting stabbed in the side before sacrificing himself)... lots of Jesusy stuff in general... pretty cliche narrative symoblism at this point... everyone can remember every book in English class being spoiled by the Jesus character revelation
which brings me to my question... how many of the people that liked the finale/6th season are themselves Christians/believe in "heaven"? as much as they tried to conveniently place symbols of all religions ("its a small world") in the "church" at the end, the whole thing seemed to be heavily based on christian theology and afterlife
just looking for a sinister agenda from the disney corporation
I agree....a messiah-type character dying for others...that's never been done! But, remember, this show is so smart and really original!
Pretty convenient that MIB can turn into smoke but can't leave the island, another thing that was never explained. Yet Ben can tell Michael and Walt to get in a boat and go "that way" and they are off the island.
I was listening to Bill Simmons' podcast yesterday and he said Lost was the best acted, most well written network show ever. I guess he's never seen The West Wing which blows this show out of the water with regard to characterization, character-motivation, writing, and acting.
Just because people are discussing the show doesn't make it good.
just cause you didnt get it doesnt mean it was a bad show (and by "you didnt get it" i dont mean " you dont understand"...)
and fuck me if I say somethin you dont wanna hear, fuck me!
and fuck me if you only hear what you wanna hear
fuck me...if I care...but im not leavin here
Pretty convenient that MIB can turn into smoke but can't leave the island, another thing that was never explained. Yet Ben can tell Michael and Walt to get in a boat and go "that way" and they are off the island.
Smokie Locke explained a few episodes ago he can't leave the island because he can't travel over water.
My favorite Pearl Jam song: "Corporate Greed Boat Asshole Behind a Counter in the Oval Office"
which brings me to my question... how many of the people that liked the finale/6th season are themselves Christians/believe in "heaven"? as much as they tried to conveniently place symbols of all religions ("its a small world") in the "church" at the end, the whole thing seemed to be heavily based on christian theology and afterlife
just looking for a sinister agenda from the disney corporation
I liked it, and I'm agnostic. I'm sure it was based on christian theology rather than any other specific one because it's more relatable to the western audience.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
I'm interested to know how Kate, Sawyer, Claire, Alpert and so on lived the rest of their lives off the island now. Is Sawyer back to conning and so forth.. and also the adventures of Hurley and Ben protecting the island and helping Desmond get home..
I'm interested to know how Kate, Sawyer, Claire, Alpert and so on lived the rest of their lives off the island now. Is Sawyer back to conning and so forth.. and also the adventures of Hurley and Ben protecting the island and helping Desmond get home..
we can only hope the extra 20 mins on the boxset deal with this stuff but I doubt it
lots of Jesus characters (Jack getting stabbed in the side before sacrificing himself)... lots of Jesusy stuff in general... pretty cliche narrative symoblism at this point... everyone can remember every book in English class being spoiled by the Jesus character revelation
which brings me to my question... how many of the people that liked the finale/6th season are themselves Christians/believe in "heaven"? as much as they tried to conveniently place symbols of all religions ("its a small world") in the "church" at the end, the whole thing seemed to be heavily based on christian theology and afterlife
just looking for a sinister agenda from the disney corporation
I agree....a messiah-type character dying for others...that's never been done! But, remember, this show is so smart and really original!
Yes, the lone figure who saves the day and sacrifices himself for the sake of others is a Christian concept but it's found in other literary traditions too. Aren't there supposedly only 6 or so narratives in all of world literature?
I haven't read any Stephen King but friends have told me that his plots always come down to good vs. evil. Is he unoriginal? I think it comes down to how the stories are handled. Lost did some things really well, others not so much.
I'm interested to know how Kate, Sawyer, Claire, Alpert and so on lived the rest of their lives off the island now. Is Sawyer back to conning and so forth.. and also the adventures of Hurley and Ben protecting the island and helping Desmond get home..
we can only hope the extra 20 mins on the boxset deal with this stuff but I doubt it
That's the kind of stuff that will probably turn up in fan literature.
I'd rather just imagine how things turn out for them.
I haven't read any Stephen King but friends have told me that his plots always come down to good vs. evil. Is he unoriginal?
good example... similarly terrible plot... the key difference with king is that he is excellent at developing characters... thats why my favorite work of his isnt the sci-fi/horror stuff
if its true that there are only 6 ways a story can go, good writers have certainly taken those 6 paths in a whole lot of directions
if its true that there are only 6 ways a story can go, good writers have certainly taken those 6 paths in a whole lot of directions
Quite true.
I was thinking that there were 6 but it seems to depend on who you ask.
It's been a REALLY long time since I was in graduate school!
This came up a few months ago on another message board I belong to. Someone said that Avatar was an entertaining movie but that it was just Dances with Wolves with blue cat people. He talked about the concept of a limited number of plots found in all narrative devices.
Here's one writer's take on it (he says there are 7):
According to the British journalist and author Christopher Booker, there are only seven ‘storylines’ in the world. In his book, The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, a work that took over forty years to write, Booker surveys world literature, outlining commonalities and showing that, although there are a multitude of tales and endless variety in the telling, all narratives are really variations of the basic seven.
Booker’s work is detailed, interesting, and very long—over 700 pages—but his message is simple. Whether they represent the deep psychological structures of human experience or whether they are merely constructs of tradition, no matter what the story, you’ll find one or more of these basic plotlines:
* Overcoming the Monster A terrifying, all-powerful, life-threatening monster whom the hero must confront in a fight to the death. An example of this plot is seen in Beowulf, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Dracula. * Rags to Riches Someone who has seemed to the world quite commonplace is shown to have been hiding a second, more exceptional self within. Think the ugly duckling, Jane Eyre and Clark Kent. * The Quest From the moment the hero learns of the priceless goal, he sets out on a hazardous journey to reach it. Examples are seen in The Odyssey, The Aeneid, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. * Voyage and Return The hero or heroine and a few companions travel out of the familiar surroundings into another world completely cut off from the first. While it is at first marvellous, there is a sense of increasing peril. After a dramatic escape, they return to the familiar world where they began. Alice in Wonderland and The Time Machine are obvious examples; but Brideshead Revisited and Gone with the Wind also embody this basic plotline. * Comedy Following a general chaos of misunderstanding, the characters tie themselves and each other into a knot that seems almost unbearable; however, to universal relief, everyone and everything gets sorted out, bringing about the happy ending. Shakespeare’s comedies come to mind, as do Jane Austen’s perfect novels. * Tragedy A character through some flaw or lack of self-understanding is increasingly drawn into a fatal course of action which leads inexorably to disaster. King Lear, Madame Bovary, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Bonnie and Clyde—all flagrantly tragic. * Rebirth There is a mounting sense of threat as a dark force approaches the hero until it emerges completely, holding the hero in its deadly grip. Only after a time, when it seems that the dark force has triumphed, does the reversal take place. The hero is redeemed, usually through the life-giving power of love. Many fairy tales take this shape; also, works like Silas Marner and It’s a Wonderful Life.
There's nothing to say that a story only has to feature 1 plotline. I would say that Lost had elements of Voyage and Return and Rebirth with some Overcoming the Monster thrown in.
Comments
The numbers obviously keep coming up. Hurley used them from the guy who constantly repeated them in the mental institution to win the lottery (so he really did win the lottery in real life), but instead was cursed with bad luck. As a result he considered the numbers bad luck. As far as their significance beyond that and the hatch/candidates I am not sure. I personally think the numbers were all to get Hurley to the island to become protector. If he hadn't used them to win the lottery he wouldn't have been on the plane. It was all about him and Jack was a necessary piece to find a pure soul. Jacob/MIB's fake mother tried to shield them from the outside for just this same reason.
The baby question was never really resolved. Babies were able to be born on the island after Jacob/MIB mother gave birth. Miles, Ethan, and Aaron were all born on the island. However, it was never truly explained why others couldn't be born. Maybe it was to get Juliette on the island? Not sure though.
I get your point about the a-bomb, but I guess since it was detonated so far underground it may have limited the blast radius a bit. Obviously after learning what the flash sideways really was (purgatory) it's clear that the a-bomb detonation really didn't do what they hoped...aside from jolting them all back to present day.
I think there will always be questions. Nice to have a group here brainstorming though to come up with various theories that potentially bring some closure....even though we will probably never know for sure.
2003 Mansfield: July 2
2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29
2005 Montreal: Sept 15
2006 Boston: May 24 & 25
2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28,
2010 Boston: May 17
2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25,
2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
EV Solo: Boston 8/2/08, Boston 6/16/11
You don't have to post on this thread, but if you shot me a PM that would be cool.
2003 Mansfield: July 2
2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29
2005 Montreal: Sept 15
2006 Boston: May 24 & 25
2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28,
2010 Boston: May 17
2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25,
2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
EV Solo: Boston 8/2/08, Boston 6/16/11
Haha I know.
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
Loved them! The boar bbq commercial great as well as the smoke detector for the smoke monster!
2003 Mansfield: July 2
2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29
2005 Montreal: Sept 15
2006 Boston: May 24 & 25
2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28,
2010 Boston: May 17
2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25,
2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
EV Solo: Boston 8/2/08, Boston 6/16/11
tell me if I'm remembering this wrong or making this up entirely.....wasn't the polar bear a result of some weird magical comic book that Walt had (or maybe he was the one writing it?), that everything that was in the comic book came true?
I was really disappointed that Walt was not part of the finale. He was touted as a major player in the first two seasons, as a "very special boy" by the Others, almost like a saviour of sorts, and nothing ever came of him. I understand that they had limitations with the actor growing up faster than the Lost timeline allowed for, but they could have made up some "rule" that he could have been the opposite of Jacob and Richard, that he aged very quickly instead of not at all.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
Received a few responses. Thanks!
2003 Mansfield: July 2
2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29
2005 Montreal: Sept 15
2006 Boston: May 24 & 25
2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28,
2010 Boston: May 17
2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25,
2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
EV Solo: Boston 8/2/08, Boston 6/16/11
tell me if I'm remembering this wrong or making this up entirely.....wasn't the polar bear a result of some weird magical comic book that Walt had (or maybe he was the one writing it?), that everything that was in the comic book came true?
quote]
I think the writers said in one interview that some stuff was read into more than was intended, like the polar bears. I though it was said they were brought to the island by Dharma to be experimented on, and later escaped. They also mentioned the same experiments on sharks in one season, and that is why they showed one in the Season 6 premier. The sharks were never meant to be on the show, but since fans kept asking about them, they quickly showed one.
Yeah you're correct about the polar bears being brought to the island by the Dharma and the shark thing as well.
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
LOST?
I was
What was the answer?
Cool, they were really great answers....I was just throwing stuff around earlier that didnt quite add up and over the day its really much clearer.....
still why they didnt recognise each other in pergatory without touching each other baffles me
to stop the MIB from escaping the island. if he did, the whole world would have suffered. Jacob, much like a Jesus character, knew he would be betrayed by one of his own (Ben) and killed, so he had to bring the Losties to the island to make sure he got replaced to protect the island and, subsequently, all of existence.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Ben did die eventually. They all met up in the after-life but as Christian said, some lived a long time after Jack died (like Hurley), and others were there that died before him (like Libby). He said "There is no now here" meaning the afterlife isn't really bound to the real-life's time.
It would be easy to see how Jacob's hands-off approach and Smokey's shape-shifting could mean Ben was often getting orders from the wrong side!
which brings me to my question... how many of the people that liked the finale/6th season are themselves Christians/believe in "heaven"? as much as they tried to conveniently place symbols of all religions ("its a small world") in the "church" at the end, the whole thing seemed to be heavily based on christian theology and afterlife
just looking for a sinister agenda from the disney corporation
http://seanbriceart.com/
I agree....a messiah-type character dying for others...that's never been done! But, remember, this show is so smart and really original!
Pretty convenient that MIB can turn into smoke but can't leave the island, another thing that was never explained. Yet Ben can tell Michael and Walt to get in a boat and go "that way" and they are off the island.
I was listening to Bill Simmons' podcast yesterday and he said Lost was the best acted, most well written network show ever. I guess he's never seen The West Wing which blows this show out of the water with regard to characterization, character-motivation, writing, and acting.
just cause you didnt get it doesnt mean it was a bad show (and by "you didnt get it" i dont mean " you dont understand"...)
and fuck me if you only hear what you wanna hear
fuck me...if I care...but im not leavin here
Smokie Locke explained a few episodes ago he can't leave the island because he can't travel over water.
I liked it, and I'm agnostic. I'm sure it was based on christian theology rather than any other specific one because it's more relatable to the western audience.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
http://www.spoilertv.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=19342&start=0
Some of it is a little off, but an interesting opinion
we can only hope the extra 20 mins on the boxset deal with this stuff but I doubt it
I haven't read any Stephen King but friends have told me that his plots always come down to good vs. evil. Is he unoriginal? I think it comes down to how the stories are handled. Lost did some things really well, others not so much.
I'd rather just imagine how things turn out for them.
if its true that there are only 6 ways a story can go, good writers have certainly taken those 6 paths in a whole lot of directions
http://seanbriceart.com/
I was thinking that there were 6 but it seems to depend on who you ask.
It's been a REALLY long time since I was in graduate school!
This came up a few months ago on another message board I belong to. Someone said that Avatar was an entertaining movie but that it was just Dances with Wolves with blue cat people. He talked about the concept of a limited number of plots found in all narrative devices.
Here's one writer's take on it (he says there are 7):
http://fiction-plots-pacing.suite101.co ... asic_plots
According to the British journalist and author Christopher Booker, there are only seven ‘storylines’ in the world. In his book, The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, a work that took over forty years to write, Booker surveys world literature, outlining commonalities and showing that, although there are a multitude of tales and endless variety in the telling, all narratives are really variations of the basic seven.
Booker’s work is detailed, interesting, and very long—over 700 pages—but his message is simple. Whether they represent the deep psychological structures of human experience or whether they are merely constructs of tradition, no matter what the story, you’ll find one or more of these basic plotlines:
* Overcoming the Monster A terrifying, all-powerful, life-threatening monster whom the hero must confront in a fight to the death. An example of this plot is seen in Beowulf, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Dracula.
* Rags to Riches Someone who has seemed to the world quite commonplace is shown to have been hiding a second, more exceptional self within. Think the ugly duckling, Jane Eyre and Clark Kent.
* The Quest From the moment the hero learns of the priceless goal, he sets out on a hazardous journey to reach it. Examples are seen in The Odyssey, The Aeneid, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
* Voyage and Return The hero or heroine and a few companions travel out of the familiar surroundings into another world completely cut off from the first. While it is at first marvellous, there is a sense of increasing peril. After a dramatic escape, they return to the familiar world where they began. Alice in Wonderland and The Time Machine are obvious examples; but Brideshead Revisited and Gone with the Wind also embody this basic plotline.
* Comedy Following a general chaos of misunderstanding, the characters tie themselves and each other into a knot that seems almost unbearable; however, to universal relief, everyone and everything gets sorted out, bringing about the happy ending. Shakespeare’s comedies come to mind, as do Jane Austen’s perfect novels.
* Tragedy A character through some flaw or lack of self-understanding is increasingly drawn into a fatal course of action which leads inexorably to disaster. King Lear, Madame Bovary, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Bonnie and Clyde—all flagrantly tragic.
* Rebirth There is a mounting sense of threat as a dark force approaches the hero until it emerges completely, holding the hero in its deadly grip. Only after a time, when it seems that the dark force has triumphed, does the reversal take place. The hero is redeemed, usually through the life-giving power of love. Many fairy tales take this shape; also, works like Silas Marner and It’s a Wonderful Life.
There's nothing to say that a story only has to feature 1 plotline. I would say that Lost had elements of Voyage and Return and Rebirth with some Overcoming the Monster thrown in.