Lost

Are the Characters in Lost, Metaphorical constructs, who are designed to make audiences question their own actions and choices?

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On the 22nd September 2004, “Lost” debuted on the American network company ABC. Its two part pilot episode was the most expensive in the networks history, reportedly costing between $10 million and $14 million compared to the 2005 average for an hour-long pilot of around $4 million. The series began development in early 2004 and was based on concepts from the novel “Lord of The Flies”, the movie “Castaway”, “Gilligan’s Island” and the popular American reality television show “Survivor”. The episode’s were, and continue to be formatted with a distinct structure. Each new episode has its own unique opening and while there is a continuous story arc, every episode relates to events concurrently with off island flashbacks, and subsequently flash-forward’s, centring on a particular character. Out of the 324 people on board, there were 72 initial survivors and out of this, in the opening season, 14 had regular speaking roles, which were seen as the “main cast”. As some people died, and new situations rose from the Island, the cast varied, taking over places within the body of the main cast. The diverse casting and differences between each character enabled the director/producer to bring a variety of issues, conflicts and problems to the audience’s attention. Within episodes, characters reflected on their lives before the island, the decisions they have made and the problems that are in store for them when they are rescued. Through the use of flashback and eventually flash-forwards in season 3 the audience is able to understand what these characters motives are and what