Since Lost, one of the most successful TV shows in recent times, came to a dramatic finish at the end of the sixth season, many fans have been wondering whether the last episode could have possibly left any options for a sequel. In the following interview, Pat Lawson chats with Matthew Fox, Dr. Jack Shepard in the show, and tries to find out how truly final the end was.
Pat Lawson: Hellow, Matthew, thank you very much for accepting to chat with us about a TV show that has already become a legend for a lot of people.
Matthew Fox: Thank you, Pat, for inviting me and for giving me the opportunity to chat with your listeners about Lost, even though I think the word legend is probably a little too much.
Pat Lawson: Well, I don’t know about that, Matthew. If we look at the number of websites and forums that even now stay active talking about the show, I think it is truly amazing.
Matthew Fox: That is true. I can’t believe it myself! After the show finished I thought people would lose interest very quickly and move on to other shows, but it’s been months now since the last episode aired and there’s still a lot of speculation going on among the fans.
Pat Lawson: Tell us a little bit about these speculations. What do fans talk about?
Matthew Fox: All sorts of things, actually. Some people were really happy with the end while others were terribly disappointed. A lot of fans are trying to find hidden clues in the last episode about the possibility for a sequel. There are even some people who are convinced that the entire show was a secret message from extraterrestrials!
Pat Lawson: Well, I don’t imagine that’s true…or is it?
Matthew Fox: Ha-ha! No, no, it isn’t true, unless the entire crew was abducted by aliens but we never knew it! It is just fascinating to see that something you have been a part of and helped create has become such a source of discussion for so many people.
Pat Lawson: So, if there was a sequel, would you be happy to participate in it?
Matthew Fox: First of all, there is NOT going to be a sequel. And I know that anything I say here will be the object of much discussion and speculation as soon as it’s published, but, even if there was one, I don’t think I’d be part of it.
Pat Lawson: Could you explain why?
Matthew Fox: Well, as you can imagine, Lost has been a turning point in my acting career and in my life in general. None of the people who participated in the show could ever have imagined that it would become as huge as it did. But I also think about it as a completed stage of my life. And I think most of the actors who were part of the show feel the same way.
Pat Lawson: Certainly a sequel of Lost without Dr. Shepard or Hurley, for example, wouldn’t be the same.
Matthew Fox: Exactly, and that’s why I don’t think there will be a sequel. What we created with Lost was a really unique thing, not just the show itself, but all the interest it generated, the discussion forums, the theories about the island, the serious interest in aspects like time travel. I am afraid a sequel would ruin all of that.
Pat Lawson: You mentioned before that there were opposing opinions about the resolution of the show, in the last episode. How do you feel about that?
Matthew Fox: Personally I find the last episode very appropriate. The progress in the story line had become so very complicated that there was no easy way to finish all the open threads in one final episode. So, while it is true that many questions remained unanswered, the idea that the characters had crossed the line between life and death seemed like a good way to wrap it all up.
Pat Lawson: That’s actually one of the things a lot of people criticized, isn’t it? The fact that the end was not very, how shall I say, realistic.
Matthew Fox: It’s true, but then again, what’s realistic about a tropical island inhabited by polar bears, smoke monsters and people who live hundreds of years? There was always an element of unreality in the show and that’s why I think the end was in line with that.
Pat Lawson: Exactly! And that’s why some of us liked it so much! Well, Matthew, it’s been a pleasure talking to you about Lost. Even though you’ve made it quite clear that there will not be a continuation, we will keep our fingers crossed and hope that we get some more episodes of Lost in the future and, of course, we expect Dr. Shepard to be in it!
Matthew Fox: Thank you, Pat. It’s been great to be here and talk to you about Lost. As I said, I don’t think there will be any more Dr. Shepard, but who knows…