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Although Lost has for the most part gotten good reviews since the Pilot, several different elements have been received much criticism.

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Nikki and Paulo were two of the most disliked characters on Lost.

In-Show Criticisms

Characters

Ana Lucia

Ana lucia

Ana Lucia's death was planned from the beginning.

"I was pissed off, I just signed on to the show, and everybody's going to hate me! What am I — the bad guy now?"- Michelle Rodriguez, actress [1]

When Ana Lucia Cortez became a main character in Season 2, producers found many fans against her. Her "tough girl" attitude turned many people off, along with her accidental killing of Shannon. [2] The producers claimed that her character would "arc", which she did right before she was killed off in "Two for the Road".[3] Long before the episode even aired, though, an insider claimed that the producers were fed up with Rodriguez's behavior, both on and off set and that she would be killed off, like Maggie Grace, who was also rumored to be difficult. [4] [5] Lost producers denied rumors that she was killed off because of Ana Lucia's unpopularity or that Michelle Rodriguez was frustrating to work with. The main rumor seemed to be that Ana Lucia (as well as Libby) were killed off because the actors who played them, Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros, were arrested for drunk driving in December 2005. [6] [7] Rodriguez pleaded not guilty, and was sentenced to five days in jail. [8] Michelle only served sixty-five hours of her jail sentence, before being let out due to jail overcrowding. Producers denied that Ana Lucia would be killed off because Rodriguez had a DUI and jail time even before she was killed off; they claim that Ana's death was planned when Rodriguez was cast to play the LAPD cop, because she had a "nomadic spirit" and didn't want to be on the show for more than a year. [9][10][11][12]

Nikki and Paulo

Nikki Paulo Pearl

Nikki and Paulo have never been well liked.

"People hated them before they even opened their mouths to say anything significant because it felt like they were crashing the party."-Damon Lindelof, producer [13]

Nikki and Paulo have been two of the least popular characters on Lost. One of the main criticisms have been that they appeared out of nowhere in "Further Instructions", although supposedly, they had just been in the background since Season One. [14][15] Damon Lindelof even admitted, "The audience rebelled against Nikki and Paulo [because] we introduced them in a way that they were supposed to believe they had been there all along." [16] The writing for the two characters was called "boring and flat" by many critics [17]. Professional critic Jeff Jensen even nicknamed Paulo, "Paulo Poops-A-Lot", in reference to the time Paulo spent using the bathroom in the Pearl. [18] Damon Lindelof claimed that Paulo was supposed to be unlikable at first and redeem himself later on.[19] Also, one episode was to be devoted to Nikki starring in "Exposé", after which, at the end of the episode, it would turn out that it was just a television show. [20] Kiele Sanchez claimed the negative criticism didn't bother her. [21] Many fans rejoiced when they were buried alive in "Exposé".[22] Soon after, producers admitted that the duo were killed off because they were generally resented by fans and critics alike. Producers were also frustrated people were talking about their dislike for Nikki and Paulo more than the episodes themselves. [23] Soon after their untimley death, Kiele Sanchez signed on to another ABC show, called Football Wives, an American version of the popular show from the UK, Footballers' Wives. [24]

Other In-Show Criticisms

Flashbacks

Sayid Officer

Sayid in a flashback.

"I just wonder, going forward, if the flashbacks will begin to seem like crutches, somewhat repetitive fare that occupies much of the hour while the Island stories go forward verrrry slowly."-Maureen Ryan, critic [25]

After the first season, many viewers of the show began to grow tired of the flashbacks. This is mainly because they are getting repetitive and using information we already know; flashbacks have gotten less important then they were in the first season, taking away from the on-island storylines.[26][27][28] The producers have found new ways to make flashbacks interesting, such as on-island flashbacks and in one case, a flash-forward. [29]

Lack of Answers

"There’s been a pervading sense that the creators really don’t know what the hell is going on, and that they’re just as surprised to find out what’s happening as the audience is."-Steven Simunic, critic [30]

Many complain that Lost is moving too slowly and there is a lack of answers in the show. This has turned many people off and even Lost fans over time. [31] Typically, Season Two of Lost has been under fire the most for having little or no action in most episodes. [32] [33] The season three premiere had twenty percent less viewers than the season two premiere, and many critics worry that the producers are just making it up as they go along. [34] Even Damon Lindelof is aware of this, saying in an interview, "There was unease that they were making an investment in a show that is complicated, without any sense of where it is going to lead them, Fans have been saying, 'Are you making it up as you go along?'" [35] However, many critics have been happy with the episodes leading up to the end of Season 3, because they claim there's been more action and things are getting resolved. [36]

External Criticism

Scheduling

10 p.m. Timeslot (US Only)

Season 3

Season Three of Lost struggled to gain viewers because of timeslot and scheduling problems.

"We literally saw a doubling between ['Lost' airing in] the 9 and 10 p.m. slot in TiVo-ing, more than double actually, I think that's a factor of it being on at 10; more people are DVR-ing it."-Stephen McPherson, ABC President [37]

Between the hiatus in Season 3 from "I Do" to "Not in Portland", ABC announced that it would move Lost from its usual 9 p.m. timeslot to a 10 p.m. timeslot in order to avoid a ratings battle from American Idol and Criminal Minds. [38] That was the third timeslot move that Lost had undergone in three years. [39] Many people were sceptical of this move, including Lost actor Naveen Andrews. In an interview, Andrews was quoted as saying, "I think they should make it sort of like what it was before, I liked it when it started a little bit earlier, because a lot of the audience are kids, aren't they?" [40] Reports claim that Stephen McPherson, ABC Entertainment president, claimed that he wants to move Lost to either an 8 or 9 p.m. timeslot. When McPherson was asked what timeslot he'd think would be ideal, he joked that it should be "Saturday morning, 7.30." [41]

Season Three Scheduling

"ABC's "Lost" has lost nearly half its live audience - more than 10 million people - from the days it was a sensation."-CNN.com [42]

In an effort to help Lost's ratings, in the 2006-07 television season, ABC aired six straight Lost episodes in a row in October and November 2006, then went on a thirteen week break, before coming back with sixteen straight episodes. Lost came back in February of 2007, only to find that many fans had left after the long wait. [43] Shows like "Heroes" and "Jericho" suffered similar problems. [44] By the end of the 2006-07 television season, Lost finished 17th in the series programming results. [45]

Other Outside the Show Criticisms

Sky One and Virgin Media (UK Only)

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Sky One

VirginMediaLogo

Virgin Media

"Barring a last-minute deal, Virgin's 3.3 million subscribers will not be able to watch Lost, The Simpsons, 24 and other popular shows."-James Robinson, media correspondent [46]

For a while, Sky One, the Lost broadcaster, and its parent company, Virgin Media, had been debating their contract. Virgin Media claimed that BSkyB wanted to double the price of carrying Sky One, and BSkyB claimed that Virgin Media was ripping them off. [47] On March 1, 2007, Sky One was dropped by Virgin Media, because of their inability to reach a new deal. [48] This meant that fans who wanted to watch Lost, along with other Sky shows, had to subscribe to Sky Digital. [49] Both TV providers launched advertising campaigns against one another and reports say that talks have not resumed. [50] Sky One is rumored to have paid £1 million an episode for the rights to air Lost in Britain. [51]

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