Are Some Things Best Left Unanswered?
The recent Lostpedia Q&A with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse - which, by the way, awesome - left me with one particular thing to ponder. When asked about Libby the writers basically said that this may be something that will be left unanswered, as their priorities are on the more pressing bits of mythology that need answering pronto.
Now this is fair enough I guess - but I did kind of take umbrage with their opinion that Libby is a low down question to answer. It's my personal opinion that when you actually END an episode with Libby at Hurley's mental institute - and this is used as the end of Lost episode 'OMG' cliffhanger moment - to leave this unanswered is a bit of a cop out. But am I just being a bit pedantic and hoping for too many answers?? As a Lostpedian, the word pedantic is pretty much your middle name.... but are some questions just sacred ground to us? Are there any questions that you guys would be outraged about if they weren't answered on the show? Are there any questions you wouldn't really care about learning the truth about or not? Are we being a little too glass half full believing all our questions will be solved when he hit the end of Lost days?
51 comments:
I think i may be the only person on the planet who could care less about Libby's story. I hated her on the show.
I always found Libby's implied story sufficient: that she was devastated by the death of her husband and therefor institutionalized. Would I appreciate a more LOST-like explanation (for example: that Jacob is her husband)? Of course, but there are more crucial questions I'd like answered.
Well when you bring her up with the whole 'Libby says hi' the writers are opening up a can of worms all over again - her story line needs more explanation.
I would also like to have more explanation concerning Walt's 'specialness'. Surely that is high up on the writers To Do list?? Surely he has to go back to the island too??
Is it possible they're just saying that about Libby to get us to stop asking about her and to surprise us with something later? Have they ever done something like that before? (Not that I've noticed, but just curious.)
What if Libby's back story will be used to reveal important LOST secrets and they want it to be a surprise... wishful thinking - I know.
I'm with NickB23-
It wouldn't be such a big deal if they hadn't made it as such in that episode. Like Valerie said, bringing her up again in The Lie was a poor choice, if they don't intend to ever mention her again. Saying that they have other, higher priorities that they must cram in also sort of bugs me, as TPtB have repeatedly stated that they have this whole thing planned out. It doesn't bother me very much right now, but I think that when this show is over, any questions that they left hanging are really going to drive me crazy.
Yeah - Libby backstory not anywhere near the top of the list of things I want to see expanded upon in the remaining 20 or so episodes.
One of the goals of the Dave episode was to get the audience thinking that it was possible that everything on the island was in Hurley's head. And I think Libby's presence in the hospital at the end of the Dave story was designed solely to add a little more "umph" to that notion. Analagous to the upturned metal on the plane wing at the end of that Twilight Zone episode when the guy thinks there's a monster on the wing.
Maybe the mental issues that placed Libby at the hospital were going to be a big part of the overall Lost story at some point (in the minds of the writers). But given the lack of attention paid to it in seasons 3 and 4, I don't see how it could be relevant now.
And I think Ana Lucia's line about Libby is not that big a deal. Hurley interacts with dead people.
It's not that I would necessarily mind seeing more Libby backstory. But with all of the loose ends left to tie up I think the writers/creators have to prioritize.
Man, you posted this blog entry at the same time I was writing a comment on the previous entry about this very subject!
I hope you'll forgive me if I repost my comment here:
Well I love the Darlton, but I gotta say I'm really quite disappointed at how offhandedly they've dismissed the Libby storyline. They did, after all, spend a whole season developing those tailies. The least they could do is give us that one bit of closure.
They say you could ask a thousand fans what questions they want to see wrapped up and you'd get a thousand different answers, but it seems to me, as a reader of multiple LOST forums and a die hard fan within a circle of die hard fans, that A LOT of people would answer "How did Libby end up in that institution with Hurley?"
For crying out loud, we just spent a whole terrific hour, in the second to last season, dealing with MILES' daddy issues and Hurley writing Empire Strikes Back! Are we really going to try and make the argument that as good as the writing on the show is, that it's as tight as Damon and Carlton want to make it sound? That it's too tight to take five minutes of an episode and even just show us visually some connective tissue to put our minds at ease about Libby's storyline?
I mean, this all begs the question of why they were so adamant about setting the sixth season as the definite last season, or 16 episodes at the definite number of episodes. Why not make the number 17 or 18, and let yourselves breathe a little? I mean, geez, I love the show this season, but the Jeremy Bentham episode was super rushed. And Ben's confrontation with Penny was a huge buildup to a really fast payoff.
It reminds me of when people would say to George Lucas "so... why did you decide to start the prequels off with Anakin as a child?" or "Why Jar Jar Binks?" and his answer would always be something like "That's the story. I had no choice. I had to tell the story."
Yeah, like he didn't have the freedom to change the story.
Point is, Damon and Carlton are in the PERFECT position to give us a satisfactory conclusion to Libby's story. They are the HEAD WRITERS.
It is ok to leave somethings unanswered. Personally, as a fanatical follower of LOST, I would prefer most things to go unanswered. But I recognize that I am in the minority on this.
I think that it is fine to leave one or two of these questions unanswered. They reason we all watch this fantastic show is, after all, for the mysteries. The reason we all read these blogs and reviews it to get are selves thinking about all the possible solutions. I for one would love the very final scene of the show to be a massive WTF moment like in Lost Via Domus. When the show is finished in a couple of years time from now I would live to think that there are still some mysteries left unanswered.
For HeyJude71:
At one time the writers claimed there would be no time travel in the show. So yes, they have tried to deliberately throw us off the trail of something in the past. Whether that's the case now....
My problem with the Libby story is the cliffhanger. Why show her in the mental institution at all? It causes a problem of coincidences for me. She happens to give her boat to Desmond, then she just happens to be in the same mental institution as Hurley, and then she just happens to be on Hurley's plane? It sounds incredible and absurd without an explanation. I also don't like how we are starting to get the whole, "well we just have to prioritize what we are answering because we only have a little time left". TPTB have spent 4 years building up all of these major and minor mysteries/questions, and for what? Don't tell me that some questions don't matter, TPTB. You put them there! If it doesn't really matter to the overall concept of the show, then don't put frivolous stuff in the show! I'm getting tired of their cop-out answers.
I agree that some questions should be left unanswered, but I disagree that Libby's is an unimportant story. In fact, the most burning questions for me are Libby's backstory and Walt's specialness. Personally, I love Lost because its a character driven show. So to leave questions unanswered about key characters is a bit of a problem for me. Focusing on the "overall" mythology I think is a bad move from a writer's perspective - by losing strong characters you are losing one of the best characteristics about the show.
Just do some mobisodes, for the fans! We need more info on Ezra James Sharkington.
Yes i want Libby answered. We were promised that and i'd like to see them deliver on that.
i also want more answers around Walt, as well as what in the heck is going on with Rose and Bernard. We haven't seen them since the fire arrows at the beach and i miss them.
i'd also like some more info on Charlotte, even if she's gone now.
As for what i don't care about? How about "Who will Kate choose"? Keep Sawyer with Juliet and get Kate and Jack out of the middle of everything. i'm probably in the minority but i've enjoyed *not* having either of them around a whole lot lately. Give us more of Richard Alpert and his sexy non-eyeliner, more info on the Others, DHARMA... leave all that Jack and Kate angsting out of the picture, thanks.
Yea.
Its not so much about being outraged, but in my trust in their ability to close this mystery out satisfactorily. Basically, I have been fallowing this show religiously to find out what is going on. While I might not find out in scientific detail, I do hope that I get a fantastic close.
However, I am left with some weird feelings about the structure of this show: 1) Libby's end of show cliffhanger. 2) Kate's wonder-woman like powers when searching for her model plane. 3) Does Ben really know what's going on?
If the answers to these questions are: 1) meh, it was just filler 2) She REALLY missed Tom. 3) Nah, Ben is a simple baddy, with no special puzzling skilz. Well, then I think the show failed. I'll still watch it, but frankly, I'll be disappointed.
Sure, you may say it means little, since LOST will already have gotten me to watch the show, but I am waiting for then end before I decide to buy the DVDs.
Seriously, how can you trust those authors when they are being interviewed ?!
They're the guys who created Ben !!
;)
Nick I completely agree with you. The writers shouldn't shove that off as if it never happened. They introduced us to Libby, put her in the mental facility - and just leave that unanswered? I have been wanting Libby's backstory for a LONG time. I think the writers put her in "Meet Kevin Johnson" and thought that was 'good enough' to appease Lost fans -- it isn't.
I agree. But I think they could wrap her story up without the actress (which might be part of the problem-they can't schedule it right). I really do feel like they need to address it in some way, because you're right--they ended the episode with this huge, awesome moment, but never followed up. I hope they are lying about not wrapping her story up, but I guess we'll have to see.
i do not care so much about mysteries surrounding any of the characters as individuals.
here are just a *few* of the answers i would prefer to learn BEFORE we find out why libby was in hurley's mental instituion...
- did the others find their way to the island or were they always there(descendents)?
- what is the reason for their devotional relationship with the island and/or jacob?
- who is jacob?
- who created "smokey"?
- what was the original catalyst for the dharma initiative to try to find the island?
- why did the others(or jacob) let dhamra stay on the island?
- what is the true purpose of the dharma stations(science of science fiction)?
- when and what was the incident?
- what was the true purpose for the dharma purge?
- who ordered the dharma purge?
- did anyone from 1977 truly know the losties would arrive in 2004?
- why were the supply drops still arriving more than 12 years after the purge?
- what does sun's father have to do with widmore?
- how did penny know to hire the listening station
- how did she know to have them look for an electromagnetic anomoly which would allow her to find desmond?
if i had the answers to these questions, i could let my mind make up answers to any remaining questions and be very satisfied with the show.
i am sure i could think of several more if i came back to this post after dinner, but dinner calls!
It would be good to get closure on Libby's story and I think we will, it's too important not to, I think Darlton are lying. I agree with Chuck when he said that the writers said there would never be time travel in the show and now look at what we have got.
Libby is the one character that leaves me still scratching my head. Why was she on 815? Was giving Desmond the boat just a coincidence? What was she doing in the mental institution? I would really like these questions answered. She interacted with very important characters so I think an explanation is justified.
But to answer the blog post question "Are some things best left unanswered?", I would have to say yes. If they leave the show open to a possible comeback in the future by not answering all questions then that would be fantastic.
I've always said that I wouldn't mind the numbers going unanswered. I can't wait to find out about the black rock, the smoke monster, jacob, the 4 toed statue and other things but with the numbers I think people will remember them fondly if they are never fully explained. They will always be this omnious sign hanging over the series, always there and always mysterious. It will give people something to talk about once the series is over as well.
I have to agree with Darlton in that Libby’s back-story isn’t much of a priority for me either. I really don’t care about her.
However, I do take issue with them not addressing the POINT of the question. Which was: sense you won’t be giving us Libby’s story in-show anyway, how ‘bout you just tell us now and be done with it. Instead we got some canned response about them not answering it on the show again. We already knew that.
does anyone know when lost will return next year. since it is the final season is it coming back sooner than january??
Speaking of answering questions, I'm getting antsy about the fact that they have been in Dharma time for multiple episodes and we still really don't have any idea about what Dharma really DOES! We just get these hints. I'm hoping for three really explosive episodes to conclude the season, because it's crazy that we are still virtually clueless about them.
The Libby things really frustrates me. I am watching the series from the beginning and just saw "Dave." I am hoping that Darlton's caginess means we might see her again, but I bet we won't.
REALLY???? Libby?????
Okay. I was sad when she died. I felt for her and Hurley. I got that.
I'm glad that she's not on the priority list of the writers... and confused why more fans don't have more reasonable priorities.
Would you rather another season of kick-butt episodes, or a random breakoff in the middle of more important things for something that is ancient history.
My priorities are the main characters, the main supporting characters, the island, Smokey, the DHARMA group.... not Libby and certainly not Ana Lucia bringing her up. She's dead. Maybe if we figure out why the other dead people keep popping up around the island, we'll have a better clue. As for the fact she was in the asylum with Hurley? Just another one of those off-plane connections people had with the other passengers. Some of them we may or may not ever know about (the Others said Juliet looked "just like" someone from Ben's past when she came to the Island... anyone bothered by this?)
I am, however, on a moderately low priority level, concerned about Rose and Bernard... but they were seen less than 3 seasons ago. And concerned about Walt and his abilities, but I doubt that sideline will get any play either.
I am willing to make sacrifices for good storyline/episodes. Some of this ancient history just wouldn't fit in anymore.
I want every question answered! That's why I'm watching the show, why else would I?
Darlton are starting to annoy me with these 'priority' bollucks.. I agree with most people here, if it was put in the show why pretend like it wasn't? I can only hope they're lying to surprise us, or at least perhaps some mobisodes will be released concerning mysteries which they won't solve in the main show..
Guy above I think Richard means Juliet looks like Eloise Hawking (ellie in the 50s) who Ben must get to know in is time with the others, or perhaps even his mother.. Both are blonde and are connected to Ben.
When I first heard that Libby's storyline would go unanswered, I was surprised and disappointed. I read all of the interviews with Team Darlton and they made a HUGE deal about Libby's story being answered "soon." If they hadn't said that, I'd probably be less upset about their choice now. Don't get me wrong, I know where they're coming from, and they have a ton of OTHER questions to wrap up. But it seemed as if they had a definite end to her story that they wanted to tell and now, for some reason, they're not. It almost seems too suspicious, as if they're going to blow our minds with a Libby-related revelation at the end of this season or sometime during the last. But then again, the actress may just not want to be a part of it anymore. Who knows?
If what they're saying NOW is true, though, I agree with the people who have said that Libby's name drop shouldn't have happened in this episode's "The Lie." As a hardcore fan, I'd never forget about her that easily; casual viewers, however, probably dismissed her story and have moved on. Saying her name again just brings back all of her character for everyone watching, so I assume most people - after that name drop - thought the same thing: OH YEAH, LIBBY, whatever happened with her in that institution? It just reflects poorly on the writers later if they do decide not to answer it.
This may sound strange, but I'm more concerned with TPTB answering these smaller questions rather than the larger ones. I almost don't want to know exactly what the island is or what the smoke monster's purpose is - those things are more accessibly ambiguous for me. But the Libby thing has nagged at me since season 2. Also, what about Desmond's vision? He saw Claire boarding the helicopter, but she never did. I hope the reason why his vision didn't happen is discussed because while it may not sound like a huge deal to some, think about it: Charlie DIED because he thought Claire would get off, and she didn't. So what does that make his death? Pointless? Maybe it was because Christian intervened, I don't know. But I definitely enjoy answers to the smaller questions than I think I would answers to the larger ones.
Yes, I always wonder about Libby and about Jin being at the hospital when Sun was giving birth. I hope they don't just pretend it didn't happen.
My guess is that Libby probably could have answered the question "What lies in the shadow of the statue?" and Darlton are trying to do some hand-waving to distract us from figuring that out.
Just a guess.
I feel bad for those that think everything is going to end like a completed puzzle, with every question answered and every misdirection explained.
Perhaps I'm tainted from too many mediocre TV shows, but from the start I've said the show was really only about a big magical Island.
Just think about a-l-l the time-wasting characters and scenes over the years that as far as we can tell added nothing to the story.
These guys are good storytellers, but at their core, they're TV writers out to make a buck. Long after the dissapointing finale has passed they'll be writing books, sequels or big screen movies cashing in on all those "unanswered questions".
I think we got enough information about Libby; she played her part in the destiny end game to get Desmond to the Island. Perhaps if the writers strike hadn't happened TPTB could have told her story in a bit more detail; however I don't think there's reason now to go back and re-visit it.
Sorry, it's official, they're not going to address it:
BE: Will we ever find out why Libby was in the mental institution and if she knew Hurley pre-island?
CC: No, we feel like we resolved Libby’s fate, and for the fans that are still obsessing about Libby, maybe at some point someone will write sort of a “Star Wars”-like novel about the story of Libby, but we don’t consider that to be a major story thread for us.
From here: http://www.bullz-eye.com/television/interviews/2009/lost.htm
Is it genetically possible for two blue-eyed parents, Charles Widmore and Eloise Hawking, to have a brown-eyed child, Daniel Faraday? Is Eloise really Daniel’s mother or is she a foster parent raising him as her own child? We are all aware that the characters of LOST do not always tell the truth especially when they can gain something important by lying or concealing facts. If Eloise is truly Daniel’s mother, his death by her hand takes on a biblical/mythological connotation. The supreme sacrifice a person can make is not taking his/her own life. The supreme sacrifice is causing the death of one’s only child to make things right in the world.
Also, we do not know if Daniel is truly dead. He definitely has been shot and is dying. I did not see him take his last breath and “give up the ghost”. He may be “just a little dead”, an expression that was used in the movie The Princess Bride. He may be saved from death by the Others or Jack may use his brilliant surgical skills to save Daniel.
Flickmybic -- YES -- I was cheering reading your list of pressing unanswered questions....all NEED answering and why not? These guys write fiction, it's up to them. Fingers crossed we get a resolution to most if not all on your list....
I assume that many of things that happened up until the point where they made the deal with ABC on an end date, were frivolous filler stories. I think if they could have arranged an end date from the beginning LOST might be 5 seasons long, with fewer episodes per season. It seems to me that Libby was just one of those things.
that is excactly the main reason that i have really given up watching lost...for the first 4 seasons i was an avid watcher and couldnt wait for the next episode and what surprises it might bring...i was especially looking forward to season 5 when i heard that there was only going to be 6 seasons...i figured there were going to start answering all the questions...this has not been the case and i am getting the feeling that many of the answers i want will not be explained. a good example is the libby story, that was one of my fav lost cliffhangars when she was in the asylum with hurley, there are many more things unanswered like adam and eve (which were the skeletons in the cave in season 1.. i still dont know what the smoke monster is and how the people with russo got sick and what excactly are the others and dharmas purpose
I agree 100%, Libby's story was made out to be HUGE! She gave Desmond the boat that sent him to the Island! She was in the institute with Hurley, she should have been HUGE!
It seems SO unnecessary to have introduced her character with such a pivotal role only to have her killed off and never spoken of again! They easily could have not shown her in Hurley's institute and had another character give Desmond a boat, e.g. Eloise Hawking or Richard Alpert!?
In terms of another thing I hope they don't leave unanswered is the REAL HENRY GALE! Why did he have a Widmore Industries logo on his balloon? Was his death more sinister than once thought? Did Ben know he (may have) worked for Widmore and hence killed him?
Other unanswered questions:
Why did Desmond wake up naked after the implosion?
What happened to Charlie's ring?
Why did old Danielle not recognize Jin?
(I hope they answer this last one ASAP)When did Daniel write his journal?
I think the Desmond/boat thing was just an example of a character connection. Lots of those have happened and we don't demand some crazy answer for all of them, just Libby.
I'd also like to note that there have been many 'OMG' endings that eventually fizzled and went nowhere. Examples:
1. "How long do you think it will take to train an army?" - Jack in S2 to AL, were still waiting for that one.
2. "He said 'we're next'" - Locke after smokie killed Eko
3. Charlie kidnapped sun, and Sawyer has the guns! Oh no!
For Jeff and Jenn: I think the episode in which we saw Sun giving birth and Jin going to a hospital doesn't need an answer. . The scenes in which we saw Jin were flashbacks of his time working for Sun's father. The aim was to get us all confused during the epiosde. It was clear at the end of it. While Sun was giving birth, Jin was on the island. This is what I think. I may be wrong. :)
Hey people the forums won't load... whats going on???
BTW nice interview.
i agree that they shouldnt have put it in if they werent going to answer it. i hope theyre just trying to mislead us, i reckon it would be cool if they had hurley going home (leaving the island for good) and finding a photo of him in the institution and maybe libbys in the background
Agree with most of you, would love to hear more about Libby, I always found her story intriguing.
A few other questions I would like to get answered:
1) What really happened to Rousseau's team? What was the sickness? How did she survive?
2) What happened to Walt after he was taken? Was he in room 23? What exactly is the purpose of room 23?
3) Is there a connection between Sun's father and Widmore, and what would that be? There have been a couple hidden clues here and there.
4) If the incident occurs circa 1977, and the purge in the 90's... what happens during those 15 years? How is life in Dharmaville post-incident and before the purge? Who is around? And that's around the time Rousseau arrives by the way...
If we don't get the answers regarding The Smoke Monster I will be go postal on Damon and Carlton's #ss. As for Libby, I think her character was more important dead than alive. She really didn't bring any thing to the show's theme, plot, etc. So I'm okay with her story never being finished. It leaves us to fill in the holes with our imagination.
There's a simple answer to this..I want it all, I want it now (or in at least approximately 1 year)! As an avid viewer, and as part of the base of the audience that has propped this show up while other similarly ambitious TV projects have gone under, I ask..no I demand that LOST is tied up as neatly as a drill Sergeant's boots.
If that means that seemingly forgotten storyline threads such as Libby's are given due dilligence by the writers, then so be it.
We all deserve it!!!!
You are spot-on about Libby. The jaw-dropping scene of her in the institution requires some explanation.
Also, they need to explain the Numbers and it needs to be good.
And it would be nice if they don't go the entire season without addressing Jacob.
I want to know more about the two that were buried alive back in season 1 or two... they were bitten by spiders that paralyze them, then the lost folks (sorry, can't say losties) thought they were dead and buried them.... an entire episode was dedicated to that and we never got a resolution about it's significance!
I'm MUCH more concerned about Rose and Bernard right now. And Vincent. If we never find out what happened to them, I'll be mad, but I don't really think Libby is that important.
Besides, any threads left hanging we can fix in the fanfic.
TOTALLY AGREE WITH THIS POST: YOU CAN'T END AN EPISODE WITH LIBBY IN A MENTAL INSTITUTION AND THEN NOT EXPECT THE FANS TO ASK FOR SOME GOOD EXPLANATION!!
THE WRITERS SHOUDN'T RUN AWAY FROM THIS!
I will be disappointed when they don't answer all the questions that they've asked. It's a really cheap move. It's all these small questions in conjunction with the obviously important ones that keep us Lost fans coming back and it's totally ridiculous for them to basically say that they were just in the story to keep the viewers intrigued and the ratings up.
If you really think about how insane a course this show has ran in the past season, whose to say all of the above topics won't be re-hashed and concluded?
I find interviews with Lindeloff/Cuse to be very interesting and entertaining....but it goes no further. Do any of you think they are going to honestly lay out what is to come?? All these guys do is throw us off course.
I've spent over 100 episodes now trying to figure out who the "main" character is on this show. Is it Linus?? Locke?? Jacob?? Who ties all of this together?? It may very well be the last person we might guess. Maybe it's Libby. Or perhaps somehow Nikki and Paulo. Even Vincent could be "the one" (I know, that's a stretch).
The point is, we will have our answers......starting in 8 months!!!! What am I going to do??
Couple things.....
1. I keep going back to Desmond and Penny's baby. That kid is going to play a big part. At first, I was convinced the baby, Charlie, was going to end up actually being Charles Whitmore. Now an idea of him being Drive Shaft Charlie is floating in my head. With all the time travel, Charlie could end up somewhere else too.
2. I hated Nikki and Paulo and I hope they aren't ever explained or brought back on the show.
3. My big WTF for season 5 is Claire. I was glad to get a Rose/Bernard fix and to get some actual substance with Jacob. However, where is Claire??
In my opinion, it won't be anyone else in season 6 that ties this thing together completely except her. Explain Claire's entire history and whereabouts, and the show will somehow (I sure hope) make sense.
one of the questions I asked myself was why Ben as the Boss of the island should be caught by Russo's trap ?
I'm not checking here , I would thank you if you press your answer here : Farshid.ekrami@gmail.com
Post a Comment