LOSTblog Theories Interview: Gary from AfterLOST.com

Gary is a fan of LOST, an obsessed fan that at 22 years old has a lot on his plate. He currently is a post-graduate student in Lancashire, England and he manages the DarkUFO’s IRC channel as well as the DarkUFOlogy podcast. He also writes and creates unique bits for Glass of Orange. One of best pieces that he is a part of however is his After LOST web-comics that are always fun to read through. You can also follow Gary on Twitter @glassoforange. Thank you Gary for doing this interview and being a LOST fan!

1. How long have you been watching Lost? If you’ve been watching since the Pilot, can you remember your initial reaction to it?
My very first introduction to the show was accidental; I had downloaded an episode for the show while in search of (I think) a Cold Case episode. Much to my confusion, I saw Sayid trekking through the jungle, and I guess I had probably downloaded season one’s Solitary. I ignored this, and only about a year later did Lost appear on UK screens.

I remembered originally downloading the show, and I guess for some reason I had a negative association with it, however I found myself watching the pilot episode on TV, and I thought it was pretty cool. I then sought out the entire first season and watched the episodes in about the space of two or three days, quickly surpassing the rate at which they were being shown on TV over here. Each episode was better than the last, and it was probably the finest example of television I had ever seen.

Once season one had finished, I went looking for season two. And that’s when I realized I had just finished watching as the hiatus began, and so I shared in the frustration of the rest of the web-community as we struggling to deal with the obvious questions that season one left us with. I rejoined the show in season two and watched weekly since then.

2. How did Lost get its polar bear claws into you? What about it got you hooked?
I guess it was the mystery aspect to the show; the island, the monster, the polar bears, the hatch, etc.

I enjoyed the character-aspect of the show initially, too. However this started to wear off after about two seasons, and then it became a case of, “well, this week is about Kate, damn!” or “awesome, another Locke episode”. In season one that didn’t really exist, I was always happy about whoever the episode was about.

However the one thing that has kept me watching, and the one thing that has been consistently great has been the mythological aspects of the show–I don’t think I could recall a time in which that has been dull.

3. What or who do you think is really behind the mystery of LOST or the island?

In terms of the production? I don’t think you could pin it down to one person. People like to attribute Darlton for their love of the show, and I suppose that is somewhat justified, but I just don’t think it would be what it is without some of the great actors on the show, or the work that people like Michael Giacchino and Jack Bender do to make the show what it is.

In terms of the story, I’ll be surprised if Jack and Locke don’t have a central bearing on the story by the end.

4. Do you think Jacob or MIB (Man in Black) are definitively good or evil?

I have a hard time accepting terms like “good” and “evil” in relation to any show, especially /Lost/. It’s thrown around quite flippantly, as if there are clear definitions of what makes a character “good” or “bad”. These are people that we’ve seen grow over about a 6 year (on-screen) period; they’re multi-layered, they have personalities, and most importantly they have /motives/. I think you can only judge a character by two things: his/her actions and the outcome of that action; not by some imposed label.

5. Who is one character you believe will not die by the end of LOST?

Something inside me hopes that /all/ of the characters are killed /[haha];/ I’m not being cynical; I just hope that the show is left in a position where it can’t be easily hijacked by ABC at a later date for some revival.

Realistically speaking, I think Hurley would be a tough character to write off the show.

6. What do you think the numbers mean or what they represent?

I don’t think there is one definitive answer to what the numbers ‘mean’. I think each time we see them they’re in a different form, whether it’s Hurley’s lottery choice or imprinted on the side of the hatch; I suspect a lot of the appearances will be pegged to simple coincidence, and maybe some fun on the part of the producers.

However, do I think there are correlations to some of the appearances (for example our candidates numbers, and the numbers that were being broadcast on the island)? Maybe.
7. Do you think the Losties will have resolution or do you believe they are trapped in an eternal time loop?

That’s hard to say right now. I think, depending on the seemingly important decisions that are being made right now, there will be different fates for each of our Losties.

8. If certain questions do not get answered by the end of the show, will you be upset? What questions are they?

For me the show isn’t about a list of answers that I can check off a list after the finale. I’m in it for the ride, and I love being in the dark.

With that said, however, I feel that there are some things that have been highlighted as things that the story will rely on being explained, the biggest question being: ‘/what/ is the island?’

9. Which character do you believe will have the most impact on the resolution of the show?

I’ve always had a special (totally plutonic) place in my heart for Desmond. His conversation with Faraday outside the hatch last season–I feel–almost guaranteed a huge weighting on that character as a central figure in the story.

10. Tell us a bit about your site/blog/podcast, i.e. why you started it, how it runs, your post-season 6 plans for it, etc.

AfterLOST.com started simply by being left in a state of shock after most episodes. As soon as that *L O S T* impacts the screen, there’s a moment of emptiness, usually after some huge dramatic moment. I think I started to fill that void with comic-relief in my own head, and one week I just decided to write it up as a web-comic.

After the show, I suspect that updates will wind down, but there have been a huge backlog of episodes that I didn’t cover, so there’s a lot of room for more material.
11. What are you favorite online Lost communities, blogs, podcasts, etc.?
I’m a huge reddit fan, so I lurk on http://reddit.com/r/lost — but mostly I hang out on IRC. #darkufo at irc.rizon.net is definitely something to witness on episode nights!

12. Has watching Lost sparked any creative inspiration in your life, i.e. writing, media, art, etc.?

Absolutely. Aside from the web-comic–whether it’s perpetuating memes or working on YouTube parody videos–I find myself constantly working on something Lost-related.

13. How do you plan on combating PLDS (Post Lost Distress Syndrome) or do you think we’re all destined to end up continuously re-watching our LOST: The Complete Series Ultimate Box Set for the rest of our lives?

Haha, well–I have my eye on a few shows; namely /Treme/, which starts this year. I love David Simon’s work, and I think one of the few shows that is better than /Lost/ (shock!) is /The Wire/, so I’m eagerly anticipating what he’s working on next.

As much as I love the show, I don’t think I’ll be too sad to see it go. I’m ready for the conclusion now, I think. But I suppose that could all change depending on how this season plays out!
14. What do you think will be LOST’s legacy?

Vincent, of course!