EVIL PUPPET MASTERS

I found this article mainly because Damon Lindelof was one of the television producers who participated in this roundtable discussion regarding dealing with networks, cable bosses, ratings and the FCC. It was both enlightening and hilarious, so of course, I must share it Alongside our beloved Nomad are Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies), David Shore (House), Matthew Weiner (Mad Men), and Craig Thomas (How I Met Your Mother).

I hope UrbanDictionary.com gets money for all those hits

With all the articles posted this week about the LOST Season 4 finale, Parts 2 and 3 of which air tomorrow night, I found this piece from the L.A. Times regarding the excessive use of curse words in the LOST scripts to be highly amusing - and a refreshing something different. Having read a few scripts from that club of writers, I was aware of their fondness for the use of the “f-word” especially, but it was interesting to read Damon’s explanation - as well as Michael Emerson and Jorge Garcia giving their takes on reading said salty scripts.

Yes, LOST is a complicated and twisterrific television show, but understanding EVERYTHING that is going on is NOT necessary to enjoy the show or keep up with the plot. For those who may feel a little “lost” - Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse offered up this handy dandy guide to the show during a conference call with TV reviewers.

A sample from the guide:

ON JOHN LOCKE
Cuse: “Locke is a man who’s on a journey. And that journey, like many biblical characters, is one that has periods of doubting and uncertainty and frustration.”
Lindelof: “And the occasional Emmy win.”
Cuse: “And the occasional Emmy win.”

Ahhhh…love those Darlton boys. ONE WEEK UNTIL THE (rest of the) FINALE!!!

If you are still mind-frakked over last week’s Lost episode, then you should go HERE to read Watch with Kristin’s interview with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. The Darlton boys are doing interviews aplenty these days - pretty typical for the Season Finale build up.

Assume there be spoilers in the article.

According to The Hollywood Reporter (and as ganked from SciFiWire) - we will be getting our FULL serving of LOST episodes as originally contracted last Summer. ABC announced that we will get 17 hours of LOST in Season 5 and 17 hours in Season 6, rather than 16 per.

So here is the math:

Pre-Strike Deal: 16 hours per remaining three seasons (4-6) = 48 hours

Post-Strike Season 4 actual hours = 14 (was 13 until Darlton fought for the extra hour for the finale)

Difference = 2 hours

This announcement essentially means that we will get those missing hours - one in S5 and one in S6.

Post-Strike Episode Division: 14 (Season 4) + 17 (Season 5) + 17 (Season 6) = 48

Now all is right with the world

The Fans4Writers site has finally opened up the new auction items. Along with the LOST S1 Card Set and autographs I told y’all about HERE, my good friend BOBBAAYYY has donated his Shannon Action Figure by McFarlane, still in the box, that was signed by the lovely Maggie Grace at the LOST Weekend Fan Party held last Spring.

To start bidding, go HERE.

Bid high and bid often. Bidding is live now and ends next Monday, January 21st.

I should wax poetic on Damon’s contribution (posted on 1-2-08) to the fantastic Why We Write blog…

But the piece speaks for itself.

Okay, I’m sure all of the LOST fans are giving a big “Well, DUUUUHHHHH!” to The Futon Critic’s pick for the number 1 television episode to air in 2007, but still - that is quite the honor. At least it is to people like me, who blog about how awesome everything that Bad Robot touches is, and who gets peeved on a regular basis when the awards shows turn a blind eye to brilliance they can’t quite comprehend.

That link takes you to the Top 10 (the entire list is for the Top 50 of 2007), which includes some pretty amazing television in and of itself. For “Through the Looking Glass” to get the top spot is pretty damn special. Congrats.

I wanted to give y’all a heads’ up on an auction item that I am donating/arranging for the Fans4Writers Silent Auction. All the proceeds are now going to the Writers Guild Foundation Industry Support Fund - can’t beat that cause, so I am coughing up a piece of swag that was given to me a couple of years ago.

I am donating a COMPLETE set of LOST Season 1 Trading Cards, still in the Inkworks shrink wrap. And if that isn’t enough to make you want to bid, I contacted a few people and managed to arrange for personalized autographs for the winning bidder from JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.

Cool, huh? The next round of the auction starts Friday, January 11th and the bidding will go for 7 days.

Bid high and bid often. And don’t say I never gave you anything

Congratulations to Damon Lindelof and the Ultimate Drew Goddard, whose episode “Flashes Before Your Eyes” garnered a nomination in the Episodic TV Drama category of the 2008 Writers Guild Awards. I don’t remember much about that episode, due to my BRAIN EXPLODING after it aired

Dear LOST fans,

Please join us and support all the writers of your favorite TV shows. So many of you guys have asked what you can do to help and this is it! Send PENCILS!!!

We’re gonna offer three prizes (chosen at random) — Every box you buy gives you one shot at the raffle.

GRAND PRIZE: A personal thank-you call from us (Carlton and Damon) AND Matthew Fox where we shall do our bestest to answer your questions about the show’s mysteries AND a Season 3 DVD set.

FIRST PRIZE: A signed finale script by writers Damon and Carlton and a surprise cast member!

SECOND PRIZE: Signed Season 3 DVD Set (standard and blu-ray!) by the entire writing staff!

The site to buy the pencils is http://www.pencils2mediamoguls.com

We love and miss you all and can’t wait to get back to work!

Best,

Damon and Carlton

****If you know me at all, you know that this is 100% legitimate. SO GO BUY THOSE DAMN PENCILS AND SUPPORT YOUR LOST WRITERS!!! Put “LOST” in the spot where you name the show you are supporting to be entered into the raffle.****

There were a lot of television showrunners and writers commenting on the series finale of The Sopranos, which caused quite a controversy with its “fade-to-black” non-ending. Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse made a promise to LOST fans that they won’t do that to us.

Quotes from the article:

“Obviously, we can’t wait to the 48th hour to say, ‘Here are all the mysteries of the show,’ ” Lindelof said. But Cuse also noted the reality of the sometimes vociferous and heavily engaged viewership of the show…

“I’m not sure there is any ending that will satisfy everyone,” Cuse said. “Our hope is that the ending will be … the logical conclusion of the story.”

I’m okay with that, but I’m sure that they have set themselves up, much like The Sopranos did, to tick off some boisterous sect of fans due to the greater-than-reasonably-legitimate expectations the show has garnered.

The article goes on to quote the Darlton boys on plans for the hiatus — those long ago promised “mobisodes” are set to finally appear this Fall, though not in the format they were originally presented in. Darlton said they’ve learned their lesson from “Bad Twin” and Lostaway Barbie and Ken. Good on them.

No comments on the S3 finale though. In case you are not aware, Lost Labs has issued a moratorium on talking about just what the heck we saw and what it all means. The moratorium will be lifted at San Diego Comic Con.

I am going to call this “speculation” as opposed to “theory” — after watching last night’s episode, I am nowhere NEAR ready to actually theorize yet. I need to rewatch it a few dozen times to do that!

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN THE LOST S3 FINALE YET, GO NO FURTHER!!!

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I think that Locke is in the coffin. Most of the board spec has said they think it is Ben, but I honestly can’t imagine them EVER getting Ben off the Island, dead or alive. And it would make sense — there were NO attendees of his funeral, yet Jack felt compelled to be there and was upset when he read the obit. Plus, Jack and Locke are yin and yang — they are each other’s antagonist. They have both been leaders of the Lostaways, but both have continually led the groups in opposite directions. IF their being rescued was some kind of life altering mistake, then that means Locke was RIGHT. Locke dying before Jack could make it right again would be devastating to him.

Second speculation (which is more theoretical) regarding Jack’s allusion that his father is alive in this futureflash — right now, I’m leaning towards alternate realities. Desmond was told by Ms. Hawking that “the universe has a way of course correcting.” Desmond did not alter his decision to leave Penny, because of what Ms. Hawking said to him — but on the Island, he repeatedly tried to stop Charlie’s death…even though he knew it would alter things and would become an inevitability. What if their rescue disrupts this natural course? And either sets them back to a time right before the crash, or changes what happened before the crash.

So so so many things to play with for the next 8 months, eh? Must go rest my brain now…

It’s a good thing that Doc Jensen is married and I am married or else there would be some serious proposing going on I’m going to have to give him a category now, since I post his articles so much…

Doc asks EVERY QUESTION that I had in my head or had read elsewhere in conjunction with ABC’s announcement regarding LOST ending in 2010 — directly to Damon and Carlton — and THEY ANSWER (almost) EVERY ONE. Run, don’t walk. Vague spoilers, but y’all can handle it.

Noteworthy phrase:

“Rattlesnake in a mailbox”

DO NOT CLICK BELOW IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED ON THE SEASON FINALE!!!

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