Lost‘s use of the flashback formula is a unique method of storytelling, and the immense popularity of the first season allowed shoes (new and old) to expand outside the box and experiment with the typical, comfortable format. I also think it’s fair to say that the flashback formula played a rather significant part in the appeal and interest (not to mention overall mystique) in the show. Kicking the series off with your protagonist opening his eyes and realizing that the plane he was traveling on has crashed and he, along with a handful of other survivors, are now stranded on a deserted island, without offering any back story whatsoever sounds risky on paper. Nevertheless, starting the show like that, and slowly revealing why each person was on the plane in the first place throughout the season was ultimately a far more effective and enjoyable way to tell the story.
Overall, it seems that each season’s flashbacks have had a common theme. For the most part, season one was about showing us what events transpired that ultimately led to each character getting on that fateful flight. Season two focused more on events in each character’s past that helped shape them into the person they would later become. Season three, on the other hand, seemed to recall previous instances that have impacted the characters, helping them make a crucial decision in their current dire situation.
Now, with the series concluding it’s third season, one must ask: Has the flashback formula run its course?
Many fans have argued that the flashbacks have gotten very redundant. How many flashbacks do we need before they’re hitting certain points over our heads with a baseball bat? We get it: Locke is constantly betrayed, Michael’s distant relationship with Walt was a victim of circumstance, Jack must overcome his stubborn attitude, Sawyer is an ass but ultimately feels badly about it, Kate is constantly on the run, etc.
Some of that criticism is a bit harsh, but it certainly carries some weight. Personally, there have been several episodes this season that I found the flashbacks distracting, to the point that it was detrimental. A large part of that was because I found what was on the island very interesting (particularly the stuff with The Others), so I was less tolerant towards certain redundancies in the story telling.
Two particular episodes come to mind. The first is “Further Instructions,” in which we find out that Locke trusted somebody he shouldn’t have, again, and “Enter 77,” when Sayid paid the price was his torturous sins of the past. Admittedly, “Further Instructions” did provide us with a very interesting character development with Locke, namely that he lived in a marijuana planting community, adding a very interesting layer to his love/hate relationship with Charlie. Nevertheless, the remainder of the episode was much of what we already knew about Locke’s trust-turns-to-betrayal past.
Sayid’s flashbacks in “Enter 77” recall a time when he tortured a woman, who was later able to forgive him for what he had done. His immense regret resulted in him opting not to torture and kill Mikhail. That’s lovely, however we have already seen Sayid torture (to some extent) Sawyer, Ana Lucia, and Ben. In this case, new information provided to us by the flashbacks seems to contradict events that have already happened.
In hindsight, Jack’s flashback in this season’s premiere is perhaps the guiltiest example of redundant flashbacks getting in the way of the overall story. That episode gave further examples of his strained relationship with his father and ex-wife, but did it provide us with any new information at all? Not that I recall. Meanwhile, on the island, we were getting our first real glimpse of The Others’ society, which was a world different than we had originally anticipated. Like many instances this season, the flashbacks almost seemed to hinder the momentum of the island activities.
A while back, I wondered if the flashback formula needed to be retooled or, at worst, abandoned altogether. Abandoning the formula seems a bit drastic, however rethinking it seems like a viable solution, and to an extent they have already done this. “Flashes Before Your Eyes” is the prime example of this, in which nearly the entire episode was an uninterrupted flashback in which the character was conscious of the fact that he was in a flashback. “Expose” is another fantastic instance, where we not only flashed back to life before the island, but previous island activities were very creatively and effectively spliced to include the new characters. “Left Behind” used similar methods, providing us with pre-crash information and then continuing it into the current timeline. “Catch-22” not only showed the typical flashbacks, but also provided us with flash-forwards (a.k.a. glimpses of the future).
I also remain a huge fan of episodes that us an inside look at what happened during long character hiatuses, such as “The Other 48 Days” with the Tailies, “Maternity Leave” with Claire, and “Three Minutes” with Michael. The season finale is evidently going to be this sort of episode, where we find out what happened during Jack’s captivity with The Others. Clearly, these flashbacks can go in a lot of directions.
Allegedly, the creators have also recognized the need to re-evaluate the flashback formula. According to recent interviews, something will happen in the finale that will have a direct impact on this form of storytelling. While I haven’t the faintest clue what might happen that would change or eliminate the flashbacks, it’s good to see that the writers and creators are taking a pro-active role in ensuring that the final 48 episodes don’t get redundant.
– Lost airs on ABC on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET/PT with the third season finale airing on May 23.
– Lost airs on the CTV network in Canada on Wednesday nights….
