Even though I'm not a huge Shannon fan, I'm bummed they killed her off. I'm not a big fan of killing off main characters - they're why I watch the show!

A friend of mine though LOVES that they kill off characters - she likes the tragedy of it.

So, how do most of the Fusies feel? Yeah or nay to killing off main characters?

Yea,

part of this show to me is the fact that we are most certainly going to lose the characters we have come to love.

I am utterly dissapointed that we have lost Shannon, just as I was last season when Boone died. However I understand it is a neccesity.

Plus think of what is gonna happen. I mean where we were left in Abandoned is gonna be insane following the next episode.

Killing Characters: Yes, but please take in the viewers love of them first. After all if you have to kill anyone don't have it not mean something. I found some meaning in Boone's tragic demise.

Shannon's death needs to mean something. It's certainly going to make life crazy for the lostaway's.

...just as long as they don't do it for each and every sweeps week- that would get a little old! Seriously though, occasionally I think it makes the show more interesting and real. It leaves you with that "the writers wouldn't do that would they-Oh yeah, they might because it's LOST" kind of feeling...so you're always on the edge of your seat knowing that just about anything's possible. And I, for one, have to admit to liking that aspect of the show! Now just as long as it's not Locke, Hurley, Jack or Sawyer...

Well main characters are gonna get killed off. Cause they on this weird island with a lot of stuff going on with guns, and people going nuts. I wish they wouldn't die. But it is more realistic. Although more extras should get killed off to make it more realistic.

Yea kill anyone...except my fave :)
I was against it, but now I have changed my mind and expect to see the characters I like or hate killed. Hopefully, the death will have big dramatic repercussions.

I just can't imagine Lost without Shannon. Although I thought the smae thing about Boone. I feel like i know these people. And that is how I know the writers are good.

i went with "not sure, sometimes it can work"... i thought boone's death was well done and drove the plot pretty well and lead to some interesting character developments in both jack and shannon... shannon's death for me is yet to be determined... i'll say one thing, Lost knows how to do their deaths... very well done

Now just as long as it's not Locke, Hurley, Jack or Sawyer...

Agreed :biggrin:

Although more extras should get killed off to make it more realistic.

Also agreed.

Seriously, it would be realistic that some folks would not survive. I have found myself wondering what happens to the people who need medication for everyday functioning (like for diabetes or blood pressure, or heart problems). These are the folks that wouldn't have survived this long in a real-world situation. However, there seem to have been some remarkably healthy people on that plane. ;)

Apparently on Craphole Island, people only die of major incidents (drowning, being stalked and killed by "others", falling off of a cliff).

And yes, I was sad to see Shannon go, much for the same reason I was sad to see Boone go: they were just starting to develop their characters, and I would have liked to see how much farther the writers would go with them.

Sometimes killing main characters can add to the drama, but that's only if it happens say, once. I don't know, I think by killing off many main characters they will lose the fan base. People watch because of the mysteries but its kept in tact because of the characters. We have all grown to love each and every one and they all contribute their own style and backstories to the main story. I hate to see any of them go :(

it's so hard to say because sometimes it can work...Boone's passing was so well done & I feel horrible for Shannon too :( We invest ourselves emotionally & time wise in these ppl, thus when we lose too many of those we bonded with, I think it makes the audience feel disconnected. It's going to happen sometimes, but particular characters drive the show imo. In reiterating an i.e. I've used before, I was a die hard XF fan, loved Scully just as much as Mulder, but when Mulder left-the paradigm changed & I just wasn't as interested. Jack is my Mulder, but there are several other characters I feel would be too big of a loss to the symbioticism of the show as well.

I think in order for LOST to move on in the way that we have all become accustomed to then there has to be deaths of the characters that we like. If we didn't feel some kind of connection to the characters then the show would not be anywhere near as good as it is. We wouldn't sit here day after day obsessing over what the ocean looked like when the tailies were walking along edge. Was there a message in the way the waves were hitting the rocks? Were they hitting in a way that 4 waves hit at the same time then 8 crabs crawled out of the sand, then at a 15 degree angle the sun hit the side a cliff and made the face of Ethan , could 16 of the others be bathing in the waves and we just don't see them, do I wish I was still 23, did 42 krill find their way out of a whale where parts of the flight 815 are sitting in the belly of Orca? You know those silly things we ALL look for.

I hate the idea, but mostly because I just get so darned attached to the characters ... even the ones I don't like much, I still don't want them die. Besides, I hate the stress it causes so many fans lol, everytime we find out someone else is on their way out ...

Killing off a main character is always unexpected... in the old days some of the drama was lost because you knew the main character wouldn't really be put in fatal danger. But the offing of main characters has to serve the story, not just be for shock value.

to tell the truth, i'm not too attached to any of the characters. though, i do like hurley the best, and hope his character continues on the show. however...

i think killing off characters is the "flavor of the month" thing: other shows are doing it and so - lost has to do it too. ho hum! it is cheap, easy drama. HEAR THAT, WRITERS?

it woulda been much more interesting to see how *the recently dead character* continued to adapt. (i don't feel like spoiler fonting the name... though it appears nobody else here is).

anyway, it woulda been COOL to see how this character developed. i really liked the b i t c h y princess act (keepin it fresh). but that would require really dedicated, long-term, subtle writing. which i fear is not happening on this show anymore. don't get me wrong, i dig the show! i dig it the the most...

but i've known about the big death plot for awhile, and was hoping it would be REALLY intense. as i saw it tonight, i just think it was a mistake, kinda blah. even if i didn't spoil, i'd have been like ... WTF? which my tv group agreed.

we are a diverse gang - there are 10 of us - and some are totally spoiled, some are spolier free; some have watched intently since the premiere of season one; some are new to the show this season; most are moderately interested.

i'm the only.. ummm -- 'addict", ha. but we all had the same opinion: eh? so, they killed her. too bad. ok commercial breaktime for another beer, oh that was it? invasion's on next, okay G'NITE.

nobody was shocked or intrigued - it was all like, ok well, that was sorta predictable, where do they go from there? the gang hates ana, except for me. maybe there will be some good stuff with her character, coming from this event. some true dramatic tenson. i just hope the writers don't treat the actors like kleenex, and i hope they don't confuse good drama with cheap plot twists.

sorry if i am rambling! i just hope they spin this out to something good and exciting. i know i'll be watching next week, even if i'm critical in my stance, tonight.:rolleyes:

Personally, I try to stay spoiler free but being the addict that I am, It's hard not to be spoiled to a certain extent when you spend as much time as I do on this board. That said. I don't put a lot of faith in the spoilers and have a bit different view of what happened tonight. First the character was shot but as far as I saw there was no pronouncement of death. One character went missing and another character is close to death also. It may turn out that the character that was shot does die but there could also be a twist and it may be 2 weeks before we find out since next week will catch us up on the "Tailies" time on the "Island".

As far as main character deaths, IMO if it is used to advance the plot then I'm OK with it, if its just for the sake of shock value then I'm against. I voted not sure because it all depends on the circumstances.

I know it's a drama, and I get that a death makes for good drama, but I hate worrying if the characters I love to see every week are going to be gone soon. It's like having your favorite show cancelled. You don't get to look forward to seeing them every week anymore. :(

I'm not sure this show has main charaters. It's more like everyones story will have it's turn while the other ones fade to the back ground. The people we think of as main charaters are just the ones we have been shown first. I wouldn't be suprised if we go weeks with out seeing Jack or Kate. ....... Just a thought.

It is a fine line. It can backfire and cause the death of the entire show if they are
not careful about it.

kill away - makes it exciting

With the setting of this show - being on an island, little medical care, poor living conditions, crazy bear-totting kids running around - TPTB have to kill off characters. Otherwise, it would just get too corny. And, they have to kill off major characters because if they only killed off minor (meaning red-shirt) characters, there would be no suspense.

I've voted for Not sure because in general I would say it's ok to kill of some characters that aren't that important to the whole plot but then again, if they killed someone off that I really like I would be very sad!

I also completely agree with Honbun26. It has to be realistic in some way and it wouldn't be if no-one ever died.

Killing off a main character in a series like this is upsetting especially when the show is still new and the viewers haven't even learned a lot about all the characters, but in the situation the Lostaways are in, deaths can be expected.

What bothers me, however, is that the writers seem to be using the deaths as a plot device when they haven't developed a character. And that they're conditioning the viewers to expect deaths. I've already formulated my own personal theory of who will be the next to go, and how. No it's not Sawyer!

I voted NO - I watch for the Characters

I know this may be unrealistic, but I resent the fact that they show Shannon's backstory, so I really feel like I KNOW her now, and what she has been thru to make her who she is today...and also Shannon and Sayid were finally connecting, and he BELIEVED her, which was a big step for him.

And to take her away so senselessly, I would rather her have gotten sick...or something, that would have been more believable...it really makes me angry.

Yes, I know it is just a TV show, but I really do watch it because of the characters, week after week, they have become the reason I watch, to see the interaction and what will come next, not necessarily to find out what all the BIG mysteries are on the island.

I'm probably in the minority here, and that's ok, I'm still very sad that Shannon is gone.

I think when the deaths of the main characters are done at the right time, it works well. I think it was time for Shannon to die. I was shocked at the time, but after I thought about it, I realized the writers know what they're doing. As I said in another post, Shannon was no longer LOST. Since her father's death, she was looking for someone's love and support. She FOUND it in Sayid, so her story was over.

No it's not Sawyer!

Thank god for your last sentence...:) . Lets hear your theory then...

Yes, definitely. The fact that no one is immortal adds a welcome edge to this show. I enjoy the breadth of characters and the fact that the plot doesn't center around just two or three. I like Jack and Locke, but if this show revolved around them (and Kate), it wouldn't be as interesting to me.

Banshee, from what I know of The X-Files, Mulder's character was pretty central to a lot of the plot developments (and he was one of two main characters, whereas on Lost we have 14 or so). So his absence made a huge difference to the fans and the writers, whereas on Lost, anyone can go, even Locke if there's a good enough story behind it.

I picked no. I'm afraid that all my favorite characters are going to be killed off!

I resent the fact that Shannon's backstory opened up even more questions about her character as well as Boone's but now that both characters are toast those questions will never be answered. Too bad...Shannon could have been a really interesting character if they cared to develop her any...I'm going to miss her sarcastic little quips.

Poor Vincent! Keeps loosing his keepers :( But if Walt wanted Shannon to be quiet - appearing in front of her was not the right thing to do - so maybe he wanted her out of the picture, lol. But just because you are dead, doesn't mean you are out of the picture. Remember Jack's dad appearing to him?

Shannon's death has proved something - main characters ARE safe. Characters who are ignored for the most part, or are minor/evil (like EVERY death so far) are killable, but the writers don't have the guts to kill Sawyer, Jack or Locke.

Trust me, if the episode had been spent with Jack running through the jungle chasing an apparation and getting shot randomly at the end, the fans would be booing like the show had just been canceleld. But now? It's like it's 'just Shannon'. Bleh.

I see that the show is already cutting back on the appearances of the original cast in favor of the new people. The new people are crossing the island, so they need more time. I understand they have more main characters and I did feel during the first season that people were shown, just to have them appear in the episode. No one person is the show and I think the more stories they have going ,the better.

I voted no, even though I do think sometimes it can work, because on this show the writers are too into it. How long has it been since Boone died in LOST time, maybe a week? two weeks at the most. That's just too fast to keep killing people off. And I don't think the Boone death (shannon is TBD) has really served the story. Jack wouldn't have trusted Locke even if Boone had lived, it wouldn't have mattered, he already didn't trust him and even if Boone had got better it would've been the same. And if the purpose of this is to set up conflict between Ana-Lucia and others, it certainly seems like THAT didn't need to be helped along...she can take care of that on her own...

Sometimes I think it can work, but not always. They also can't kill off too many characters too quickly or else depression will set in for the show's fans.

But whatever happens, I think that any future deaths should be kept TIGHTLY under wraps. Deaths have a lot less impact when there ar three weeks of ads going "who will die in the next new episode?" I watched hte episode and I knew someone was going to die. I wasn't shocked or surprised, I was WAITING for it. So when the moment actually came, the death had a lot less impact then shock of who caused it.

i went with "not sure, sometimes it can work"... i thought boone's death was well done and drove the plot pretty well and lead to some interesting character developments in both jack and shannon... shannon's death for me is yet to be determined... i'll say one thing, Lost knows how to do their deaths...


I totally agree about the plot developments. This will become very strang down the pike as the story(s) begin to unfold this season. But don't you think the deaths could have been more creative without the guns? I'm not a guns advocate in either direction. It just seems so city streets type of death and "gangs" now. Just my two pesos, that's all

...just as long as they don't do it for each and every sweeps week- that would get a little old! Seriously though, occasionally I think it makes the show more interesting and real. It leaves you with that "the writers wouldn't do that would they-Oh yeah, they might because it's LOST" kind of feeling...so you're always on the edge of your seat knowing that just about anything's possible. And I, for one, have to admit to liking that aspect of the show! Now just as long as it's not Locke, Hurley, Jack or Sawyer...
And Desmond! I hope they don't kill him off either!
I voted no, even though I do think sometimes it can work, because on this show the writers are too into it. How long has it been since Boone died in LOST time, maybe a week? two weeks at the most. That's just too fast to keep killing people off. And I don't think the Boone death (shannon is TBD) has really served the story. Jack wouldn't have trusted Locke even if Boone had lived, it wouldn't have mattered, he already didn't trust him and even if Boone had got better it would've been the same. And if the purpose of this is to set up conflict between Ana-Lucia and others, it certainly seems like THAT didn't need to be helped along...she can take care of that on her own...
Yes, it is too fast! And I totally agree with you on AL!

I think that it depends on who the person is and how it happens...I'm not too fond of Shannon because she was too whiny and just irritating, so I think that it would be worse to see someone else go...

I think that if they kill off someone every sweeps week, or to open a new season, it's going to get old. They need to have more up their sleeves than just death and creepy voices in the woods.

What I'm less happy about is the shift in focus from the people we know well to what happened to everyone at the other end of the plane. There was an immediate connection made for me to all the people we're familiar with, from the first episode that I saw. There was something about them that pulled me in, and I don't want the focus to switch off of them. They sort of have us hanging with Charlie and his heroin, but they only bring it up every so often so that we don't forget about it. I don't want him to vanish into the status of the extras--just showing up in group scenes or whatever. And the same goes for Jack and Kate and Sun: We didn't see them at all this past show.

So what I'm trying to say is, I guess, that I'd rather main characters died than just sort of faded into the background.

Well just a note they never said someone was going to "die" or be "killed" they simply said someone was going to be "lost forever".

I do agree that they should make killings more random like when Arnst blew up that was awesome everyone was tense but you really didn't think he was going to blow up.

I think it loses all purpose when it's announced in big words the week before -- I mean, unless the preview for last week said something like:

OMG SOMEONE IS GONNA DIE!

I'm never worried about characters. If they had actually off'ed charlie that one time, then yeah, maybe.

I put down not sure, sometimes it does work, but how many more characters are going to die. Because if they kill off more of the characters they started of with in favor of new characters they might alienate some of the viewers.

Shannon's death has proved something - main characters ARE safe. Characters who are ignored for the most part, or are minor/evil (like EVERY death so far) are killable, but the writers don't have the guts to kill Sawyer, Jack or Locke.

Trust me, if the episode had been spent with Jack running through the jungle chasing an apparation and getting shot randomly at the end, the fans would be booing like the show had just been canceleld. But now? It's like it's 'just Shannon'. Bleh.
There are plenty of folks bothered over Shannon's passing...but something else has to be taken into account.

Generally the characters who ppl latch on to are the ones that are most exposed, that we've gotten to know, or who are best identified with/loved so you're right there.. However, certain ones do play a larger part than others & pardon the pun but it's the nature of the beast. As a storyteller it's extremely difficult, especially on a show which is to an extent about Lockean philosophy of how human behavior is effected by our roles in civilization, to make everyone "even". I think they've done a great job splitting focus between the ensemble in spite of that.

As oneforsawyer said they just showed us the crux of Shannon, then she was taken away which made some folks resentful because we got to understand her at last min. Now knowing what we do, if she was still around :( , like Jin, she would have gained more fans over time & thus there would have been even more upset when she was killed.

I don't think it proves guts per se to kill off characters the audience has bonded with a great deal because there's more involved than story-there is television politics & logistics. At a point as a producer you're just shooting your own foot getting rid of specific people. The actors/characters of Lost are a marketed "product". It's why they do promos & ad campaigns for them both. And bottom line is some "products" sell better than others.

On this show particularly, the characters are the vehicle through which the plot/mystery is cohesively explored. Programs like the Twilight Zone & Amazing Stories for i.e., had a beginning, middle, end & no continuing mythology. You have to keep a nexus for the audience to follow the tale through like a bouncing ball. Otherwise things get disconnected & ppl just don't care to find out what happens. You have folks popping up in others FB's, & one person's decisions leading to anothers consequences eps later-it's a tapestry.

They can do whatever they want of course & kill off main characters left & right, but the show is in essence, a symphony. If one or 2 ppl play off key folks don't notice as much, but if you strike a certain universal chord euphemistically, you will hit a sour note & lose viewers. 2 person or 20 person show, it can change the paradigm.

I'm not saying it can't, won't, or should never happen, just that they need to use caution, not do it excessively, & be prepared there will be cause/effect.

I voted no, even though I do think sometimes it can work, because on this show the writers are too into it. How long has it been since Boone died in LOST time, maybe a week? two weeks at the most. That's just too fast to keep killing people off. And I don't think the Boone death (shannon is TBD) has really served the story. Jack wouldn't have trusted Locke even if Boone had lived, it wouldn't have mattered, he already didn't trust him and even if Boone had got better it would've been the same. And if the purpose of this is to set up conflict between Ana-Lucia and others, it certainly seems like THAT didn't need to be helped along...she can take care of that on her own...

Ditto. I've seen many character deaths in tv work very well, but I voted no in this poll because I think the writers of Lost are executing these deaths horribly. It is so obvious they are just killing off the most marginal, unpopular of the "main" characters. They aren't showing that all the main characters are in danger -- they're only showing that the minor, unpopular ones are. I also don't believe for a second that they're doing it because it's a natural progression of the characters and story. I think both of the deaths have been very unnecessary and contrived, done for shock factor and because it's an easy way to create drama and eliminate the characters they want to cut loose so they can bring in new characters they like. I refuse to believe it's just a coincidence that Shannon and Boone were the first ones killed off.

This show is supposed to be about character development and seeing how people adapt to the island, but the writers are killing off characters just as they've begun this process. It's very jarring and disappointing. I would like much more development for supposed "main" characters before they are killed. I don't object to character deaths in tv, but I do for these writers because I think they are just awful at doing it.

I think it lends to the suspense of the show. Not like a regular show where you know the main characters can't die. And if they do you know before the fact because E! tells us whose contract was not renewed or who "wants to do movies" etc. I love the secrecy and suspence of this show. Anything could happen. Even Sawyer could die, but if he does then I will watch whatever he is in next, even if it's a documentary about paint drying!

My two cents...

Part of why I like to watch shows is because of good characters and good story lines. People watch a show because they identify either with the story of the show or they like a certain character or characters.

Why do they think people watch the same Soap Opera day after day, week after week, year after year?!? People grow to love characters. They begin to create a "relationship" with - yes - fictitional characters!

It's not good TV to kill off major characters. Now, with that being said, I don't know HOW ER keeps the viewing numbers they keep!! There is not a single original cast member left but Susan! And we haven't seen her a lot lately. BUT - I still watch that show even after George Clooney left, Noah Wiley, Dr. Green, Elizabeth have left. I love that show!!

The one difference is that I am not attached to one particular character (although if they get rid of Luka...:ohwell: ). But with LOST, there really is only one character that I like. The others are good, interesting, etc. but the Sawyer character drew me into this show. I started watching because of Dom, but Josh plays Sawyer so well!!

I'm still not convinced that Shannon's dead! In the beginning she was my least favorite character - right up there with Jin! But now, it leaves a "weird" incomplete feeling to the show. The backstory - if this was to be her last - should have given us more. Not the best "kill off" I've ever seen. :ohwell:

It works when it is for a specific plot purpose or vital to the story. Not just to boost ratings at sweeps or trim the cast budget, but a death that you absolutely cannot do without. Boone's death was close to being important, Shannon's seems nowhere near it. Hers so far looks meaningless, pointless. A stunt to reel in viewers or cut the cast to make room for the Tallies. I hope eventually this turns out to be wrong.

My answer's yes, but not so much because it creates good drama, more so because I watch for the characters. Old and new.

Fact is, if Boone and Shannon (and others in the future), don't go, there's no room for Desmond, no time for Eko, no spot for Ana Lucia. It's compelling to keep getting introduced to new people and try to figue out how they relate to the island and what personal demons they have in their backstory. It's the island itself and the island's themes that are the real central character in this show, everyone else is just supporting. And the more supporting figures, the better the show gets. So I'll take any death provided its offset with the introduction of somebody new.

But I agree with the many that they shouldn't hype these deaths in advance. It took away all the suspense.

But I agree with the many that they shouldn't hype these deaths in advance. It took away all the suspense.

I wouldn't say it took away the suspense, but transformed it. Instead of the kind of suspense we're in now: "OMG what's going to happen next episode? There's so many directions it could take!" it was "OMG someone is going to die next episode! I wonder who it will be?"
So the suspense wasn't necessarily gone, just different. But it would have made Shannon's death much more shocking if they had said nothing about someone dying.
Though I agree about killing Shannon: I was shocked and sad at her death, but I was more shocked and sad for Sayid than for Shannon. I'm not still thinking about how they killed her, but rather what Sayid is going to be going through for the next several episodes.

And about "making room" for others, I find myself not nearly as wrapped up in AnaLucia's group as I am with the other group. In the first group, there were people who immediately jumped out at me as people I liked, but in the second, there is a lot more negative feeling. For instance, I really don't like AnaLucia, and I just don't care about the other characters. I feel like there's a connection being missed there.

I for one don't know what the writers have planned. I feel when discussing the effect of killing a character it is premature especially in this case because I didn't see Shannon pronounced dead yet. I saw that she was bleeding and lost consciousness but then Sawyer is also shot and lost consciousness. IMHO, we need to see how it plays out before we judge it. What would all that say it was too obvious say if they through in a twist and Shannon survived and Sawyer didn't. Oh, that's right the spoiler info doesn't support that.

As far as back-story there is a little left to tell about Shannon but it seems it would only encompass the 2-3 years from her father's death until the crash. How are they supposed to handle getting rid of a character if the actor decides to leave? Since they are on an "Island" there aren't a lot of options, it's not like a show set in normal settings where they can move or take a new job.

In any medium, be it books, cinema or TV the plot is always the main character and the individual characters support it. So if killing off a character enhances the story that's what happens. It may not become crystal clear immediately, in books it could take chapters, in a movie it could take hours and on TV because of it's nature it may take more than one season before it makes complete sense.

IMHO
LBL

Ditto. I've seen many character deaths in tv work very well, but I voted no in this poll because I think the writers of Lost are executing these deaths horribly. It is so obvious they are just killing off the most marginal, unpopular of the "main" characters. They aren't showing that all the main characters are in danger -- they're only showing that the minor, unpopular ones are. I also don't believe for a second that they're doing it because it's a natural progression of the characters and story. I think both of the deaths have been very unnecessary and contrived, done for shock factor and because it's an easy way to create drama and eliminate the characters they want to cut loose so they can bring in new characters they like. I refuse to believe it's just a coincidence that Shannon and Boone were the first ones killed off.

This show is supposed to be about character development and seeing how people adapt to the island, but the writers are killing off characters just as they've begun this process. It's very jarring and disappointing. I would like much more development for supposed "main" characters before they are killed. I don't object to character deaths in tv, but I do for these writers because I think they are just awful at doing it.

...therein is the problem to me also....however, as I agree to your observation/complaint about why they are doing the killing, personally I think the way they are doing it is fine...except that I also wish they would absolutely keep everything under wraps so no more leaks get out...and yes, I'm presently holding my breath:) .....or at least don't make it some huge hyped up promotional announcement....putting a premium on an unexpected and shocking death is a bigger payoff...

...I see that some of the more "marginalized" characters have larger fan bases than some of the ones that have been written, promoted, and designated the heavies by the powers that be...yet everyone knows when you get right down to it they are "safe", despite whatever's said....

...and really that's fine too, but that being the case, then the suspense is really about which side character is going next.....if you're killing characters to maintain that "edge" to the show well imo it's been defeated, or at least severly degraded, by playing roulette with only the undercards....sure there's some suspense but it's also cheap manipulation....it just makes their chosen ones seem more valuable whether the fans agree with it or not...

....with that said though I'm not advocating they play roulette with their own shows success by killing off their most popular character(s), but a suggestion would be say, space the killings out more...

I dunno man, it's a tough question, because being realistic you can't expect them to put everybody's name in the hat, just for shock value...but knowing you're only playing with the sideshows loses much of the impact imo....

...also I agree with one of the reasons being that the sheer numbers of characters dictates they remove others to make room....and although they relegated her to the peripheral for most of the show, I thought Maggie did her character justice last night with some superb acting....

I like the "realism" of possible death, even though only some are realistically in jeopardy, but it still sucks when any of them go because these are the original group that were there when you first became hooked on the show....

...btw my vote goes to hoping one of the Others goes next....let's meet some of them so they can join the fun of adding your name in the hat:-)

[I]Originally Posted by scope
Ditto. I've seen many character deaths in tv work very well, but I voted no in this poll because I think the writers of Lost are executing these deaths horribly. It is so obvious they are just killing off the most marginal, unpopular of the "main" characters. They aren't showing that all the main characters are in danger -- they're only showing that the minor, unpopular ones are. I also don't believe for a second that they're doing it because it's a natural progression of the characters and story. I think both of the deaths have been very unnecessary and contrived, done for shock factor and because it's an easy way to create drama and eliminate the characters they want to cut loose so they can bring in new characters they like. I refuse to believe it's just a coincidence that Shannon and Boone were the first ones killed off.

This show is supposed to be about character development and seeing how people adapt to the island, but the writers are killing off characters just as they've begun this process. It's very jarring and disappointing. I would like much more development for supposed "main" characters before they are killed. I don't object to character deaths in tv, but I do for these writers because I think they are just awful at doing it. [/I also voted no - my own post was earlier. For all the hype and talk from the creative team about "No one is safe! Everyone is at risk. Life threatening injuries will be sustained" there will always be a magic bullet for the, how shall I phrase this, really main characters (Sawyer will be cured by serum or something from the hatch) and the marginally main characters will be cannon fodder! My personal feeling on the next to go is Michael, cause without Walt around he really doesn't have a reason to be there.

BTW - the next major sweeps period is February 2006 2/2-3/1 to be exact. Want to bet there'll be spoilers aplenty starting in January?

I know it keeps the tension up, but I really hate that they kill Shannon just as we are finally beginning to understand her and start to like her. It seems to me that the writers are deciding, "ok, who's back-story is least interesting, or we've painted ourselves into a corner with Boone and Shannon, so let's kill them both" instead of coming up with fresh ideas to develop the characters. People change, and especially in their situation. It just seems like a cheap ratings stunt, especially the way ABC promos the episode.

Boone's death served a purpose - but it seems to me they killed Shannon 'cause MG
wanted out of her contract & the producers were tired of her attitude.
Her death leaves so many loose ends that will never be tied up now. Example: How did
Boone get to the point of being Shannon's "big brother" who makes sure her prescription is filled, etc? What did his mother do to him in the years he worked for her, that changed him into such a loser? (Sorry, Boone fans, but with the the exception of the radio incident,
which was his finest moment, He couldn't do anything without messing it up.)
I suppose they could still bring him back in flashbacks, but I dont see MG ever returning.
It would have been better to recast the role of Shannon. MG isn't the only actress who could play her!

I just remembered that last season, just a few weeks before the Finale episodes, there was an article in the NY Times about how the writers of both LOST and 24 were scrambling because the scripts for their finales hadn't been written.

Interesting, that at that time they didn't have finale LOST scripts, but they did know which character was going to be offed in the 6th or 7th episode of the new season.

Wonder if there's a chart somewhere in the bowels of the Hatch delineating who goes when?? :rolleyes:

I see no threat to Jack, Kate, Locke or possibly Hurley but I am losing hope for several of the characters I really enjoy and watch for. While a main character death does work on occasion, I think the writers are overdoing the "death of the week" trend and cheapening the show by doing so.

I just remembered that last season, just a few weeks before the Finale episodes, there was an article in the NY Times about how the writers of both LOST and 24 were scrambling because the scripts for their finales hadn't been written.


I think in Lost's case, it was because they got a full 2 hours for the finale, instead of 90 minutes. They had more time to fill in then they had thought.

I voted yes.....

I didn't really care for Shannon so it really didn't bother me. Now if they were to kill off Locke, that would really upset me.

I thought I read somewhere or saw on television that there would be two main character deaths this season. Did anyone else hear about this?

I think in Lost's case, it was because they got a full 2 hours for the finale, instead of 90 minutes. They had more time to fill in then they had thought.

That's exactly what happened also last year being it's first season only 13 episodes were orginally ordered. After the success the show had a full season was ordered and then they went from a 60 minute finale to a 90 min and then settled on a full 2 hours. This is what caused them to be scrambling a bit at the end. Scripts are written far in advance of the actual airing of episodes. The episode itself is shot, I believe a month prior to airing. They began filming Season 2 (at the end of July beginning of August) for the September 22 premiere.