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A transcript is a retrospective written record of dialogue, and like a script (a prospective record) may include other scene information such as props or actions. In the case of a transcript of a film or television episode, ideally it is a verbatim record. Because closed-captioning is usually written separately, its text may have errors and does not necessarily reflect the true Canonical transcript.


Transcripts for Lost episodes up to and including "Enter 77" are based on the transcriptions by Lost-TV member Spooky with aid of DVR, and at times, closed captions for clarification. She and Lost-TV have generously granted us permission to share/host these transcripts at Lostpedia. Later transcripts were created by the Lostpedia community, unless stated otherwise below.

Disclaimer: This transcript is intended for educational and promotional purposes only, and may not be reproduced commercially without permission from ABC. The description contained herein represents viewers' secondhand experience of ABC's Lost.


Jackdavinci is responsible for this transcription. It is one in the series of the Official Lost Podcasts.


Kris White: Claire tries to swim with the fishes, fate puts a death sentence on Charlie, and Desmond goes back in time - or does he? We'll have commentary on all that and more coming up in today's official Lost podcast, hosted by abc dot com.

[Opening Lost Theme]

Kris White: Welcome back to the podcast. I'm your host Kris, and in today's installment we'll take some time out to chat with actor Henry Ian Cusick, who plays our elusive time traveling hero, Desmond. And later in the podcast, executive producers Damon Lindeloff and Carlton Cuse will "flash back" to the episode "Flashes Before Your Eyes". They'll also share their own premonitions about next week's episode, "Stranger in a Strange Land". That airs on Wednesday, February 21st, from ten to eleven p.m., only on ABC, and the next day on abc dot com.

[Theme music]

[Lost clip of Desmond meeting Charlie in his flashback from "Flashes Before Your Eyes"]

Kris White: Born in Peru, raised in Trinidad, and now living in England. We're not talking about the history of Desmond, but rather the world traveling Henry Ian Cusick, his real life counterpart. Ian, as he prefers to be called, has had a long history of working in both theater and television. One of his recent roles was on last season's 24 as the German agent, Theo Stoller. Though, with the way Lost works, perhaps it was really Desmond in disguise. we discover, though, joining Lost for him, wasn't that big a deal.

Henry Ian Cusick: My life changed completely. I've, I now live in Hawaii with my family and um, you know, my life is, is all about being outdoors and on the beach and swimming and completely different from England.

Kris White: When you first joined Lost, I mean, when, when we introduced your character in the beginning of season two did you have any inkling that your character would be a series regular -

Henry Ian Cusick: No.

Kris White: - and be as big as he is now?

Henry Ian Cusick: No. No, not at all. I was a three episode arc. And, and uh, and that was it. That's all I, I uh, I knew and - but when I arrived in Hawaii, I just thought what a great job this would be and, and um, I kind of - as it, as it went on, I thought hang on, this character's not being killed off, maybe. And maybe, he could come back. And then there was talk of him coming back, and then that, that sort of went flat for a while. And then, when I did find out I was coming back in uh, in December, of 2005, it was like, you know, there was, it was fantastic, and uh - But, uh you know, at the beginning you have no idea, you can only hope or wish or dream. And maybe I dreamt hard enough and made it happen, I don't know. I'm delighted. I really love the character of Desmond. Just the fact that he keeps on going, he's quite um, heroic in that way, he just uh, you know, head down and he's walking up a hill step by step, you know, he's taking on his knocks but he, he keeps on going, and um, yeah that's, it's nice to play a heroic character like that. You know, with - without being, you know, traditionally, you know, the hero, he's quietly heroic, I think.

[Lost Clip of Charlie confronting Desmond from "Flashes Before Your Eyes"]

Henry Ian Cusick: When you do your episode, it's um, it's full on. You're, you're there every day and then so your turn arounds, you don't get much time off, as opposed to when you're featured, well you know, in, in one of somebody else's episodes, so - It was, um, it was, it was tiring you know, it was relentless, you're finishing late and starting early and, and, and, because of where the character was emotionally and mentally, uh, it, kinda, I think it took it's toll a little bit. Uh, uh, I, you know, I don't usually get uh tired but at work, in that one I, I kind of, thought gee, like I'm tired today, even though I'm done. But I think it was - it kind of creeps up on you, you know, the, the sort of emotional and, um, psychological places you are. You don't - think - that it's gonna affect you as much as it does. And, it did a little bit I think. It, it was um, it was intense, you know, but it, but it's, that's what you want, you know, you want the intense stuff. You wanna - And working with Jack is great, he doesn't, you know, he pushes you to, to try and go a little bit further than you, than you think you can. And uh, so it, it was great uh working with him to do uh, you know, to have him direct that, so -

[Lost clip of Desmond revealing his flashes of Charlie's death]

Henry Ian Cusick: That was the most surprising thing. That was, uh, definitely the most surprising. You know, because, if his, if his psychic abilities are correct, then, then what? Charlie is, is Charlie out? I don't know. Or, or, or how long, I supposed you can spin that out for a long time but, actually that was probably the most surprising thing.

Kris White: Now that the universe has it out for Charlie, there's only a couple of people out there who can give him a reprieve - the writers. With that in mind, we turn it over to executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.

[Podcast Theme Music]

Carlton Cuse: Hello folks, this is Carlton Cuse.

Damon Lindelof: Hello folks, is that your (Carlton laughs), your new, your new probably back in 1948. uh-

Carlton Cuse: I've got my banjo.

Damon Lindelof: Wonderful! Now that's actually true. Um, hi, this is Damon Lindeloff along side Carlton Cuse. With his banjo.

Carlton Cuse: On my knee. And I'm going to Alabama.

Damon Lindelof: I -

Carlton Cuse: Louisiana!

Damon Lindelof: I-

Carlton Cuse: That's Louisiana.

Damon Lindelof: This is going well already.

Carlton Cuse: Well here we are. We're here to talk about, um. "Flashes Before Your Eyes". The last, this last episode of Lost.

Damon Lindelof: Wow! It seems like we wrote it only yesterday, and now it's been on the air, and everyone has seen it.

Carlton Cuse: And uh, it kind of, caused a lot of furor, this episode.

Damon Lindelof: Like the, like Adolf Hitler you mean? Or -

Carlton Cuse: (Laughs) No, no I think people uh -

Damon Lindelof: Oh furor!

Carlton Cuse: Furor!

Together: Furor.

Carlton Cuse: God.

Damon Lindelof: Uh, people got ex -

Carlton Cuse: Don't make me play this banjo!

Damon Lindelof: People got excited about how (laughs) - That, that should be a show on ABC,

Carlton Cuse: Don't -

Damon Lindelof: "Don't Make Me Play This Banjo". It would be a reality show. I don't know what the premise is precisely but -

Carlton Cuse: Right after "Knights of Prosperity".

Damon Lindelof: It will -

Carlton Cuse: "Don't Make Me Play This Banjo".

Damon Lindelof: That will be your catch phrase.

Carlton Cuse: That would be good. I mean, I think actually it's kind of the natural extension of "American Idol" isn't it - just people coming on and playing instruments badly or well?

Damon Lindelof: Yeah, not wanting - you have to, really - don't, don't make me play this ban - it sounds like actually a catch phrase for like Arnold on "Different Strokes", it's (Carlton laughs) but-

Carlton Cuse: Exactly.

Damon Lindelof: Either or, so

Carlton Cuse: Uh -

Damon Lindelof: None, none, of this has anything to do with "Flashes - "

Carlton Cuse: Talk about -

Damon Lindelof: - "Before Your Eyes"

Carlton Cuse: So talk about Dam- uh Desmond's flashback, Damon. I can't say Damon and Desmond in the same sentence so. Did he really go back, or is that still questionable? What are the implications of his vision? And will he be able to harness this power?

Damon Lindelof: Yeah, I guess it wasn't really quite a flashback in the, in the conventional sense of the way that we do flashbacks on the show, you know, the reality of it is, this is more the experience that he had when he turned the fail safe key and obviously as evidenced by certain future memories that he's having during his flashback. Uh, for the first time in the history of the show we actually allowed a character to have an opportunity to make a different choice than they make before and, uh, Desmond doesn't. He is, he's, he, he is, he is course corrected by, by a certain mysterious, uh, older lady in a ring shop. So uh, uh what, what was your question?

Carlton Cuse: No, that was fine, that was -

Damon Lindelof: Does that cover it?

Carlton Cuse: When it comes to an answer, that pretty much covers it. Well, we're - I suppose people want to know what does this mean?

Damon Lindelof: Was it really - did it really happen?

Carlton Cuse: Yeah did it really happen?

Damon Lindelof: Uh, yeah! I think it really happened. I mean -

Carlton Cuse: I think it did to.

Damon Lindelof: You know, one of the things that we've tried very rarely to do on the show is to, to play something as only having been imagined or dreamed. And you know, I'd, I would, I would say that in the global sense of things, that Desmond, back in, you know back in the, the year 1996, actually had that experience. Now, I would venture to guess that in future flashbacks of Desmond's, that they would be, treated as traditional flashbacks where he doesn't really have any awareness of his destiny, but in this particular instance, uh, we went outside the box a little.

Carlton Cuse: Right, I mean I think it's, uh, it's entirely possible he can have a traditional flashback story as well.

Damon Lindelof: Absolutely, but I think what's interesting is there are, there are certain things that happen the way that they used to happen, that he changed as a result of being in the past, that might sort of resonate over time, you know. Like getting hit in the face, instead of the bartender, or the fact that the photograph of he and Penny got take uh - got, got taken the day that he broke up with her. Maybe, maybe in a, in another incarnation there were two photographs, you know. Maybe they, maybe they've, maybe there was a two for.

Carlton Cuse: You -

Damon Lindelof: That would explain how she got one.

Carlton Cuse: You seem a little somber today, maybe a little banjo music would cheer yuu up.

Damon Lindelof: (Laughs) Don't make me (Carlton laughs), don't make me ask you to play that banjo. (Laughs)

Carlton Cuse: Here we go!

[banjo plays]

Damon Lindelof: Wow! He - Wow Carlton you're good on that thing!

Carlton Cuse: Thank you, thank you very much.

Damon Lindelof: I uh, I had no idea. You're like that incredibly disfigured kid in Deliverance.

Carlton Cuse: I (laughs) I -

Damon Lindelof: And oddly enough that has nothing to do with your banjo playing. (Carlton laughs)

Carlton Cuse: I grew up with a banjo on my knee.

Damon Lindelof: I uh - I have little doubt that that is true.

Carlton Cuse: Um, should we just jump into some questions cause, people have a lot of questions about this episode, and we might as well, the questions are really the fun part anyway. [Damon mutters]

[Fan question Theme music]

Damon Lindelof: They are and no one really wants to hear us yammering about each other anyway so, let's get to it!

Carlton Cuse: Alright so this is uh, from uh, jilltar, she's only posted one time in the last 90 days.

Damon Lindelof: And, and, that - Wow! And she, she threw the dart board, she threw the dart and she hit the bulls eye on the first post.

Carlton Cuse: Exactly! Well, I thought that this was a question that we could actually answer, as opposed to just sort of avoiding answering.

Damon Lindelof: Okay.

Carlton Cuse: And it was a plot - she - it was under the category of plot contradiction, and maybe she's the one, but maybe other people are confused as well. In a previous episode when Desmond got out of prison the guard said he was a disgrace to the Queen's army and I think a deserter. Now that Desmond was interviewing with the father of Penelope, he said he had no military experience. I think this is a contradiction. And I like the show and think it's well written. But they are trying to have too many subplots. By they, that means us.

Damon Lindelof: Mmm Hmm

Carlton Cuse: And it will be hard to tie it all together if the show goes on, um, without conflicts and mistakes being made.

Damon Lindelof: Right.

Carlton Cuse: So the, I guess the question is, what's up with that? Was that a contradiction?

Damon Lindelof: Well Jill, it was not a contradiction, and in, in fact, you know, this story takes before Desmond joined the military, and our, our effort to sort of try to show that is, before he breaks up with Penny there is a short scene as he is walking by a recruiting station. And he sees a poster that basically says, you know, uh, something about honor, and, and decency, and that, that, that was our version of when he breaks up with Penny he is going to go join the military, which is a, which is a flash back story to come.

Carlton Cuse: Right, and in fact, um, we also were trying to sort of make it be known that, you know, Pen, Penny's father's comment about "have you any military experience" actually might be one of the things that motivates him wanting to join the army. That, you know, he - that Desmond starts to think that maybe that's something that will sort of make him a man of more substantial character. And, you know, that, that would be something that other people would value.

Damon Lindelof: So Jill, in this case, it was a set up, and not a contradiction. That should be another game show - "Set Up or Contradiction".

Carlton Cuse: (Laughs) That's good, I like that.

Damon Lindelof: OK, here, speaking of gaffs, uh, regarding that, Carlton, I'm going to put you, uh, I'm going to put you on the spot here.

Carlton Cuse: Okay.

Damon Lindelof: Major clue or production slip? By mynameisunique42. (Carlton snickers) Twenty posts in the last ninety days.

Carlton Cuse: What was that voice?

Damon Lindelof: I just think if you're gonna go around saying "my name is unique" you should do, you should move your head around and sort of be, add a little flavor as they say.

Carlton Cuse: Awesome.

Damon Lindelof: When Desmond looks at the recruitment is says "honor". However, that is the American spelling. The correct English spelling is with a "u". I.E. h-o-n-o-U-r. Is this a major clue that Desmond was not really back in England? Or is it a production slip?

Carlton Cuse: I think somebody in Hawaii needs an ass whoopin'.

Damon Lindelof: mynamisunique42, you've just got somebody fired, congratulations! (Carlton laughs) I hope you're happy.

Carlton Cuse: There is an entire family of people who are now miserable. Now that -

Damon Lindelof: Yeah, exactly.

Carlton Cuse: That was a mistake, our bad, you caught us. And, um, if we had any

Damon Lindelof: There shan't be a 'u'.

Carlton Cuse: If we had any prizes or gifts to send we would send one to you, but we don't.

Damon Lindelof: But what you don't know, is that, in London in 1996, there was a shortage of 'u's, (Carlton snickers) um, so, that might have had something to do with it, although highly doubtful.

Carlton Cuse: (Laughs) It was a good try though.

Damon Lindelof: It was.

Carlton Cuse: Two questions, Damon, from mistereko.

Damon Lindelof: Oh! Well, Adewale!

Carlton Cuse: Adewale!

Damon Lindelof: Adewale, how are you!

Carlton Cuse: Check it, six posts, in the last ninety days.

Damon Lindelof: Good to hear from you.

Carlton Cuse: Two questions, both about the ring lady.

Damon Lindelof: Yes.

Carlton Cuse: One, is this the same actress who played a ghost slash maid in the Nicole Kidman movie "The Others"?

Damon Lindelof: Oh, "The Others" hmm, we should check out that movie. Yes, that is, uh, I, I have trouble pronouncing her first name but I believe it's Fionnula -

Carlton Cuse: Fionnula -

together Flanagan

Damon Lindelof: -is her last name, yes that is the same actress, correct.

Carlton Cuse: And two, when said ring sales lady said, if Desmond doesn't go to the island and push the button, it will kill all of us, does she mean everyone - humanity - or does she just mean people like her? (Laughs)

Damon Lindelof: Uh, wow! Uh, everyone as in like, o- older matronly British -

Carlton Cuse: Is that like, all the, all the elderly and matronly British women of the world -

Damon Lindelof: I -

Carlton Cuse: - were at stake in that story.

Damon Lindelof: I think what mistereko is really asking is, does she mean *you*, mistereko? Yes, everyone! As in the entire populous of this planet and the, and, and any other to be discovered planets in future seasons.

Carlton Cuse: Exactly and, and, (Damon snickers) Adewale thank you for checking in, and we've got your stick.

Damon Lindelof: (snickers) If you need it. Uh, alright Carlton, what does Rousseau really know, by nerdylostname, two posts in the last 90 days. Hello, Damon and Carlton. I really enjoy your podcast. It's clear that Carlton wears the pants in the relationship. (Carlton breaks up laughing) I think it's just clear -

Carlton Cuse: Not today!

Damon Lindelof: I think it's just clear that Carlton wears the pants period. I was just wondering when the losties were gonna wake up and realize that Rousseau knows a lot more than she's told them. When are they going to press her for answers? And even more tantalizingly, when could we possibly see a Rousseau flashback?

Carlton Cuse: Wow. I think that's a very good observation. I mean, Rousseau does know a lot. But they kind of think Rousseau's a nutter and she hasn't really been giving them too many details that, she hasn't really said anything that's been of enough value for them to really wanna press her for more answers, but, probably if they did press her she could tell them some stuff, but, maybe it's cause, maybe it's her, her weird sort of, uh, Croatian accent, maybe that makes them not want to ask her questions.

Damon Lindelof: I think that might have something to do with it.

Carlton Cuse: And as for Rousseau's flashbacks, um, that's very much on the table for year four. We won't be doing that this year. But I think next year would be a good time to do a Rousseau flashback.

Damon Lindelof: You might be seeing Rousseau pop up in someone else's flashback in year four though.

Carlton Cuse: Indeed yes, I mean I think -

Damon Lindelof: It's possible.

Carlton Cuse: Yeah, I mean, kind of getting to know a little more about Rousseau's, uh, sixteen years on the island I think is something which we would love to, that's a story we would love to tell as writers.

Damon Lindelof: A whole season worth of stories.

Carlton Cuse: An entire - yes, exactly!

Damon Lindelof: I just want to -

Carlton Cuse: I think that season four-

Damon Lindelof: I-

Carlton Cuse: -is all Rousseau!

Damon Lindelof: We've always wondered how Montand lost his arm, I think, America deserves to know.

Carlton Cuse: God.

Damon Lindelof: Uh -

Carlton Cuse: And Montand was also a very famous banjo player before he lost his arm.

Damon Lindelof: And, really?

Carlton Cuse: He was.

Damon Lindelof: Wow, that must have been fairly limiting as a banjo player, I hope that wasn't his, I hope it wasn't his picking hand. (Carlton snickers)Although I guess either hand -

Carlton Cuse: It is -

Damon Lindelof: If you lost it -

Carlton Cuse: Pretty much -

Damon Lindelof: If you lose it -

Carlton Cuse: Pretty much -

Damon Lindelof: Your banjo playing days -

Carlton Cuse: Your -

Damon Lindelof: Are over.

Carlton Cuse: Your banjo - your banjo playing is challnging. Um, alright Damon, here's a question for ya.

Damon Lindelof: There was that guy in Def Leppard who had one arm and he was a pretty awesome drummer.

Carlton Cuse: That's true but - guitar is a little harder to play with one arm.

Damon Lindelof: Really? Why don't you give it a, (Carlton laughs) why don't you give it a whirl right now?

[banjo plays]

Damon Lindelof: Wow! Hey that's not bad.

Carlton Cuse: [?]

Damon Lindelof: That's not bad Carlton, that's pretty impressive.

[banjo ends]

Damon Lindelof: Not everybody can point to Kris and have him drop in a banjo cue (Carlton laughs) like you either. [jacues?]!

Carlton Cuse: Kris didn't do that, that's all me. Um, Damon, the old woman is Juliet, by janko - fa - jank of o bas? janko of bas? Maybe, I don't know.

Damon Lindelof: *jan*ko-ba - *jank*obas - jank*o*-fabas.

Carlton Cuse: jank*o*-fabahs, woah ok.

Damon Lindelof: *jank*o-fabas.

Carlton Cuse: Maybe you'll write back and explain what that is all about. Remember the last episode when Juliet asked whose organs were in the pictures? She said the woman could be about 70 years old. The man answered that the woman's age was about 30. Then Juliet asked what had happened to the woman. I think that was - she looking at her own pictures, but she didn't realize it. She would get old because of time travel. True?

Damon Lindelof: False! (Carlton laughs) I love questions like that, they're easy. False. With a capital F.

Carlton Cuse: Okay, alright, well thank you that's - you know what, that's been pretty good, we haven't really been dodging a lot of questions today.

Damon Lindelof: And, we've been really answering.

Carlton Cuse: I think it's been pretty, pretty much answering questions.

Damon Lindelof: So I, I think I've got one last question for you here, Carlton. This is by Danny Laws

Carlton Cuse: Danny Laws

Damon Lindelof: Danny Laws Lost, one post in the last 90 days. Dear Mr. Cues and Mr. Lindelof, very formal. I have a few questions that I would like to ask you both. Firstly, could you please tell me any of the ideas that you've had that will not be included in the show, that were originally supposed to be. For example, was there a character called Phyllis who secretly sold secrets to the Germans during the war? My second is -

Carlton Cuse: There's a leak.

Damon Lindelof: How long -

Carlton Cuse: There is a source leak -

Damon Lindelof: They know about -

Carlton Cuse: We have to find it.

Damon Lindelof: They know about Phyllis. (Snickers)

Carlton Cuse: Phyllis God dang it. How did that get out there?

Damon Lindelof: My second is, how long before you write a storyline do you know you're going to do it? For example, when we first see Desmond in the hatch, did you know that he would come up back, that he would come back and blow it up and then would gain powers from it, as we saw in last night's episode? Keep up the brilliant work, Danny Laws, Jarrow, which is where Patrick Stewart is from, I know that means nothing, but hey there it is, England.

Carlton Cuse: We love Patrick Stewart, Okay.

Damon Lindelof: We do.

Carlton Cuse: Let's just start right there.

Damon Lindelof: Yes.

Carlton Cuse: So that's cool.

Damon Lindelof: We should end there as well. So let's -

Carlton Cuse: I think, I think -

Damon Lindelof: - start with that idea -

Carlton Cuse: I think Patrick Stewart should be saying that he comes from where you're from, that, that would be better.

Damon Lindelof: That would be awesome, although he might be slightly older than Danny.

Carlton Cuse: Yeah.

Damon Lindelof: In which case time travel is involved.

Carlton Cuse: He's -

Damon Lindelof: How great would that be if you found, like, an interview from him, in like 1983, and he's like "I'm, I'm from Jarrow, which is where Danny, Danny Laws hails from" and you weren't like even born yet.

Carlton Cuse: That's fantastic, that's, that would be really cool, we should do that.

Damon Lindelof: We should.

Carlton Cuse: That should be our show after we do the banjo show.

Damon Lindelof: After we do the "Don't Make Me Play This Banjo."

Carlton Cuse: Um, so, uh yeah, so the question there was what?

Damon Lindelof: Oh! How, uh how much advanced warning do we do -

Carlton Cuse: Oh how much -

Damon Lindelof: Like when we first introduced Desmond, did we know that eventually he would be fail-safeing and -

Carlton Cuse: We -

Damon Lindelof: - having powers and all sorts of insanity?

Carlton Cuse: We have to, yeah, I mean, the, the big picture mythology stuff we have to figure it out ahead of time, I mean it would be crazy to, you know, introduce a character like Desmond, and not really know too much about what he was gonna be doing. I mean, we don't figure out every single beat of what goes on with the characters, but the sort of big mythological beats, those are planned, and plotted, and -

Damon Lindelof: Well we knew a lot about Penny, because you know, uh -

Carlton Cuse: Yeah.

Damon Lindelof: We showed her picture when we first saw Desmond leaving the hatch, way back in the beginning of season two, and we didn't pay that off until the end of season two, and we certainly knew that there was a fail safe, because that was going to be the only way to eventually get out of the hatch, and the, the implications of what happened when he turned the key, um, specifically hadn't been worked out yet, but, um

[phone rings]

Carlton Cuse: It, but we knew -

Carlton Cuse: We knew what the idea of it was.

Carlton Cuse: Exactly. He's calling for clarification on that.

Damon Lindelof: Just like the rest of America.

Carlton Cuse: Um, and -

Damon Lindelof: and England.

Carlton Cuse: Yeah, and, obviously, you know, putting Penny in the final scene of season two was also, you know, part of the bigger picture of their relationship, which will play out over the rest of the show.

Damon Lindelof: [Yawning] Awesome.

Carlton Cuse: That's cool, I got -

Damon Lindelof: Wow.

Carlton Cuse: I got one last one for you.

Damon Lindelof: Oh, please.

Carlton Cuse: And, um, then I think you need a cup of coffee and maybe a little stretch.

Damon Lindelof: Boy do I - or some banjo music. You -

Carlton Cuse: Okay -

Damon Lindelof: You're -

Carlton Cuse: Here's a little more more banjo music for you .

[banjo music]

Damon Lindelof: That did it!

Carlton Cuse: Fantastic.

Damon Lindelof: I'm feeling much better!

Carlton Cuse: Good, I'm glad.

Damon Lindelof: Thanks.

Carlton Cuse: That's one of my favorite pieces.

Damon Lindelof: Thanks Carlton, it's a piece of something. (Carlton laughs)

Carlton Cuse: Um, ok, so to 'da man' and Carlton.

Damon Lindelof: Oh!

Carlton Cuse: D-A-M-A-N.

Damon Lindelof: Nice.

Carlton Cuse: So.

Damon Lindelof: Oh wow!

Carlton Cuse: That's cool, cause you are da man.

Damon Lindelof: I'm gonna... cry. (Carlton snickers)

Carlton Cuse: I have a question looking back to the second season. I believe it was the episode "And Found". Jin and Eko are hiding under a bush as The Others walked along, across, walk across the camera barefoot. The last to walk by is dragging a little teddy bear. The first time I saw this episode it reminded me of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan. Where the youngest boy Michael is always dragging a teddy bear through the woods. Is there any connection to that? And thanks for a good season so far, especially the Desmond episode the other night.

Damon Lindelof: Uh, you're welcome, and no, uh, there was no conscious effort on our part to, you know, we'll always take credit for something that we try to do, but in that case, um, although it's cool they're the Lost Boys, and our show is called Lost, and it was the Others with the teddy bear, but uh -

Carlton Cuse: The -

Damon Lindelof: I seem to remember from the, uh, from, from the cartoon of Peter Pan that, you know, that the youngest kid carries around a teddy bear, but, I think that's a fairly common motif.

Carlton Cuse: Yeah, we didn't consciously, I mean some - sometimes obviously we are very conscious about sort of borrowing from, uh, other literary works that we admire, but, in that case that was an inadvertent borrow.

Damon Lindelof: And, and, and in all likelihood that's not a nuclear teddy bear like ours is.

Carlton Cuse: Exactly. (Damon laughs) There's not a incen - incendiary nuclear device in that teddy bear.

Damon Lindelof: Yeah.

Carlton Cuse: In Peter Pan.

Damon Lindelof: But, there may be.

Carlton Cuse: There might be. Anyway by that -

Damon Lindelof: And our [?] more bad ass.

Carlton Cuse: I forgot to say that was under the heading of Lost Boys and that was by rockforever772, three posts, last ninety days.

Damon Lindelof: Carlton, you rock forever.

Carlton Cuse: Well, thanks Damon, and I'm gonna play you a little banjo music -

Damon Lindelof: No, don't sign off

Carlton Cuse: To sign you off.

Damon Lindelof: Don't play that banjo. Should we just do a quick pre-hash of "Stranger in a Strange Land"?

Carlton Cuse: Oh yeah, let's talk about that for one second.

Damon Lindelof: Very, very quickly, uh, this episode, uh -

Carlton Cuse: Who's that hot chick that uh, they keep showing in the promos with Jack?

Damon Lindelof: That would be a Bai Ling.

Carlton Cuse: And why, why is she in this episode, is she on the island?

Damon Lindelof: Uh, I don't know, she, uh, it looks from the promos that she is on the island but you never know with Lost.

Carlton Cuse: That's true.

Damon Lindelof: Um, but I think that the ABC promo people have promised that there will be three huge mysteries revealed in this episode.

Carlton Cuse: Why do they do that? That just sets us up for, you know -

Damon Lindelof: Carlton and I -

Carlton Cuse: Ridicule.

Damon Lindelof: We're pretty, we're fairly sure that there is one big mystery revealed, which is how Jack got his tattoos.

Carlton Cuse: The other two might just be, sort of, you know, promo mania.

Damon Lindelof: Yeah I'm not exactly sure, that uh, I would, I would color that as a big mystery revealed.

Carlton Cuse: [?]

Damon Lindelof: Although we'll see some familiar faces, um, as you have been watching in promos for the last nine months, we might be seeing -

Carlton Cuse: Cindy?

Damon Lindelof: - a certain member of the tail section, uh -

Carlton Cuse: Cindy?

Damon Lindelof: Yes, Cindy.

Carlton Cuse: W- w- was I being, were you being c- much coyer than I was?

Damon Lindelof: And speaking -

Carlton Cuse: It's C- Cindy!

Damon Lindelof: Speaking -

Carlton Cuse: The flight attendant.

Damon Lindelof: And speaking of teddy -

Carlton Cuse: From Australia.

Damon Lindelof: We might be seeing that nuclear teddy bear again, as well.

Carlton Cuse: That's fantastic.

Damon Lindelof: So -

Carlton Cuse: When, when are, when will people on Lost know that it's a nuclear teddy bear.

Damon Lindelof: When it's too late. (Carlton laughs). The nice thing

Carlton Cuse: That's fantastic.

Damon Lindelof: - about having a nuclear teddy bear on the island is that it can go off at any time. Just when we write ourselves into a corner. There's something 24 has shown us this year is there's nothing like a good old fashioned nuclear blast to arose excitement.

Carlton Cuse: I don't know what they have against Valencia, I mean, they, they must have something against Valencia in the same way that, you know, people in Tallahassee think we have some problem with Tallahassee.

Damon Lindelof: We do have a problem with Tallahassee. (Carlton laughs)

Carlton Cuse: Do you want to clear that up, once and for all, what the problem is with Tallahassee? Or should we just leave that as an unsolved mystery?

Damon Lindelof: We don't have a problem with Tallahassee. Tallahassee is a wonderful, wonderful city, in the -

Carlton Cuse: If you like waffles.

Damon Lindelof: - wonderful state of Florida. If you like waffles. No, Tallahassee's great, it just happens to be a nexus point where many of our characters have crossed paths. Which forces -

Carlton Cuse: Like a hellmouth?

Damon Lindelof: Yeah, like a hellmouth (Carlton laughs), which forces them to, to uh, to, to, and Sayer has negative, negative uh, negative feelings about Tallahassee, so -

Carlton Cuse: We'd like to hear from any of you fans from Tallahassee about what are the, sort of the, strengths and weaknesses of Tallahassee.

Damon Lindelof: I do feel like we're not doing a good job of arguing both sides of, of, of -

Carlton Cuse: Tallahassee's, uh, we haven't had the episodes yet where we've really seen the virtues of Tallahassee.

Damon Lindelof: There is an episode of this season coming up called "The Man From Tallahassee".

Carlton Cuse: But that one really won't make Tallahassee look any better will it?

Damon Lindelof: It probably won't. (Carlton laughs) It will only make it look worse.

Carlton Cuse: I'm sure people like Tallahassee.

Damon Lindelof: They're just like any, like any town or city in the entire world, there are bad people that come from that town, and it doesn't mean that they are bad because they're from Tallahassee, but it's possible that that's why they're bad (Carlton laughs) I'm just saying.

Carlton Cuse: Okay, (Damon laughs) let's just make sure we don't go driving through Tallahassee any time soon. I'm sure it's nice. It's, I'm sure it's a nice town. Um, alright, uh, can I just ask you one more question? Can you talk about, um, uh, what, no never mind.

Damon Lindelof: Uh, alright. (Laughs]

Carlton Cuse: I'll just play the banjo instead.

[banjo plays]

Damon Lindelof: Alright. Thanks Carlton, I'm just. What a, what a great podcast.

Carlton Cuse: We'll see you guys -

Damon Lindelof: We'll see you next week -

Carlton Cuse: - next time.

Damon Lindelof: - and god we'll make sure that Carlton does not bring that banjo back.

Carlton Cuse: Bye!

[music]

Kris White: Thanks for joining us for another edition of the official Lost podcast. We'll we back again next wee,k with more commentary and insights from the writers and actors of Lost. Until then you can always experience your own lostian flashbacks by visiting abc dot com to stream any of the episodes from this past season. "Stranger in a Strange Land" airs Wednesday, February 21st from ten to eleven p.m. only on ABC.

[Lost end music]

28:40

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