In the past month I have posted a couple of theories that implied a new group of characters would be introduced in season 6. A common response I received goes something like this: "That's crazy talk. We only have 17 episodes left. That isn't nearly enough time to introduce new characters." Some went so far as to threaten to stop watching the show if new characters are revealed! This post is a rebuttle to that line of thinking and posits the theory simply that there will be new characters introduced in Lost's last season.
To begin with, the writers thought it perfectly fine to introduce new characters in Jacob and Blackshirt with only 18 episodes left (technically 19, if the two parts of The Incident are treated as two separate episodes). We may or may not see J & B again, but it is hard to argue that they are not critical characters to the Lost story. If such important characters can be introduced so late in the series, why would it be strange to believe that other important characters would follow?
Part of the brilliance of the show lies in the economical sense of the writers, directors, and actors. They have shown again and again an extrodinary talent for communicating much in a very short time. Think of S2,E7 "The Other 48 Days" - in one episode we have a full story that joins the 815 survivors together. Think of S5,E8 "LaFleur" in which, in just a couple of brief scenes, a full loving relationship between Juliet and Sawyer is uncovered; it is remarkably believeable due in large part to Mitchell's and Holloway's performance. Think of the previously-mentioned scene between Jacob and Blackshirt (S5,E16 "The Incident") - it only took three minutes and 45 seconds for the Lost production team to introduce a brand new context with these characters, turning the Lost story on its head.
Seventeen episodes? That's an ample amount of time for storytelling with this production team.
In addition, while not all the remaining loose ends will be answered, it seems likely that a few key items referenced previously will be part of season 6:
Considering the economical sense of the Lost production team, and some important mysteries that are likely to be revealed in season 6, it is easy to believe that new characters will be introduced, further expanding the context of the Lost series.
To begin with, the writers thought it perfectly fine to introduce new characters in Jacob and Blackshirt with only 18 episodes left (technically 19, if the two parts of The Incident are treated as two separate episodes). We may or may not see J & B again, but it is hard to argue that they are not critical characters to the Lost story. If such important characters can be introduced so late in the series, why would it be strange to believe that other important characters would follow?
Part of the brilliance of the show lies in the economical sense of the writers, directors, and actors. They have shown again and again an extrodinary talent for communicating much in a very short time. Think of S2,E7 "The Other 48 Days" - in one episode we have a full story that joins the 815 survivors together. Think of S5,E8 "LaFleur" in which, in just a couple of brief scenes, a full loving relationship between Juliet and Sawyer is uncovered; it is remarkably believeable due in large part to Mitchell's and Holloway's performance. Think of the previously-mentioned scene between Jacob and Blackshirt (S5,E16 "The Incident") - it only took three minutes and 45 seconds for the Lost production team to introduce a brand new context with these characters, turning the Lost story on its head.
Seventeen episodes? That's an ample amount of time for storytelling with this production team.
In addition, while not all the remaining loose ends will be answered, it seems likely that a few key items referenced previously will be part of season 6:
- "There is a war coming". Widmore's prognostication will certainly come to fruition in the story, perhaps as the ultimate climax for the series. It may be that the war is a fight among a small group of people requiring no new character introductions, but I think that when Widmore says "war", he means something on a much larger scale. He sent a full team of mercenaries (Keamy and company) to the island on a freighter just to capture Ben - one man. Widmore is not a stranger to the military, and if he sent such a large, well-trained and heavily-armed team for a one-man extraction mission, it is fairly safe to assume that "war" to him means something much bigger. A big war means new characters.
- The Temple. We've seen its front door, we've seen underneath it. We know several of the Others are currently there. When the Temple is revealed, are we ! expecting that we'll only see Others we've seen before? I am guessing there are new characters we'll meet at the Temple that will, like Jacob and Blackshirt, expand the context of the series.
- The Black Rock. It may be that Richard's ship-in-a-bottle and the flashback of Jacob awaiting the Black Rock's arrival are the last images we'll see of the ship. On the other hand, the writers may choose to tell that story over several episodes, or in as few as one. If the story is told, and there are enough known family connections to the crew of the ship to make its telling likely, it will require new characters and introduce us to some we've only heard about thus far.
Considering the economical sense of the Lost production team, and some important mysteries that are likely to be revealed in season 6, it is easy to believe that new characters will be introduced, further expanding the context of the Lost series.
