The writers ofLostoriginally planned to kill off their main character, Jack Shephard, in the pilot episode (and the show would’ve been much worse off if they had). WhenLostwas first in development,Michael Keaton was cast as Jack. In the original script, Jack had more or less the same role he had in the final product, but he wouldn’t survive the pilot. The idea was to shock audiences by killing off the biggest star in the cast — the one they were led to believe would be the lead character of the series — in the very first episode.
Ultimately,the writers decided against killing off Jack, because they feared that audiences would tune out if they became attached to a protagonist who didn’t even make it past the first episode. This caused Keaton to drop out of the role, since he didn’t want to commit to an ongoing TV series (one that would go on to last six years and 121 episodes). But despite costing the show its most famous cast member, this was arguably the right call.Lostwouldn’t have been the same without Jack leading the group — or Matthew Fox playing him.
It’s Impossible To Imagine Lost Without Matthew Fox’s Jack
Jack Became The Heart Of The Show
AfterLostran for six iconic seasonswith Fox taking center stage as Jack, it’s impossible to imagine the show without him. It’s like picturingThe Walking Deadwithout Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes orPeaky Blinderswithout Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby; they’re the charismatic star of the show, and the glue holding the sprawling ensemble together. Jack became the heart ofLost—he cared deeply for his fellow survivors and would do whatever it took to keep them safe, but he was also battling his own inner demons.
What Happened To Matthew Fox After Playing Jack In Lost
After playing Jack on Lost, Matthew Fox largely disappeared from acting and from the public eye but came back to television after many years away.
Jack was the closest thing thatLosthad to an everyman protagonist, but Fox brought enough depth and nuance to the character to keep him consistently compelling. In the hands of a lesser actor, Jack could’ve beenLost’s most boring character, butFox always ensured there was more to Jack than straightforward heroism. After Fox led the cast for its entire run, it’s hard to picture whatLostwould’ve been like without him — but it probably wouldn’t have been as great.
Kate Would’ve Become The Leader In Jack’s Place
IfLosthad followed through on its original plan and killed off Jack in the first episode, thenthe survivors would’ve needed a different leader to take charge. This burden probably would’ve fallen to Kate. She’s arguably the second-most important character after Jack and the second-best fit to lead the group. Season 1 Sawyer was too much of a lone wolf to galvanize everyone, season 1 Hurley was well-meaning but pretty incompetent, and season 1 Charlie was going through heroin withdrawals, soit would’ve been up to Kate to become the leader in Jack’s absence.
Season 1 Sawyer was too much of a lone wolf to galvanize everyone, season 1 Hurley was well-meaning but pretty incompetent, and season 1 Charlie was going through heroin withdrawals, so it would’ve been up to Kate to become the leader in Jack’s absence.
But this would’vemade Kate a much less interesting character. As soon as the rest of the survivors found out Kate was a fugitive who was being transported to a prison sentence on the flight, they were wary about trusting her. Kate had to spend the entire first season earning the trust of her fellow survivors. But if Jack was killed off in the first episode and the plot required Kate to step up and lead the way, then the writers probably would’ve taken a shortcut to building that trust and it would’ve made for a far less compelling storyline.
Killing Jack In Episode 1 Would Not Have Added Much To Lost
It Would’ve Added Shock Value, But Would’ve Hurt The Show In The Long Run
Killing off Jack inthe first episode ofLostwouldn’t have added much to the series beyond the initial shock value. In hindsight, the writers’ original reasoning for wanting to kill off Jack doesn’t hold much water.The idea was to show that anyone on this show could die, but that was neverLost’s biggest selling point anyway; shows likeGame of Thrones,Breaking Bad, andThe Walking Deadkept viewers on the hook with the promise that no character was safe, butLosthad its major characters defying death at every turn, so the show could keep them around.
This Lost Season 2 Death Had Catastrophic Repercussions For The Show
Shannon’s death in Lost caused a lot more problems than it should have. Ranging from audience disappointment, to underdevelopment of new characters.
Of course,Lostdid kill off a lot of main charactersalong the way and got some of its most shocking moments out of those character deaths, but it wasn’t such a signature part of the show that it needed to be set up in the pilot. The mysteries of the island were a big part of the show’s appeal, butLost’s popularity was really down to its lovable characters. If it had killed off those characters left and right, it would’ve been harder for the audience to make a lasting emotional connection with them.
Lost
Cast
Lost is a mystery drama series created for TV that follows a group of survivors of a plane crash and tells its story between the past, present, and future via flashbacks. When Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 crashes and lands on a mysterious island in the pacific ocean, the castaways discover their new temporary home may have a mind of its own, as strange supernatural events keep them locked to the island. From an unknown black smoke creature to dangerous islanders, the passengers must work together to survive the island’s seemingly deadly intentions.
