Lost amongThe Walking Dead

Lost, Season 3 cast

It has been nearly a year since my friends Hurley, Sawyer, Jack, Sun, and Julia graced my Tuesday evening.  Oh, the fun we used to have...I could use a good "Son of a bitch" right now from Sawyer...This was what made my Monday okay, knowing I was one day away from greeting my friends at 8pm; my kids knew to not speak a word during the show, if someone called their call was ignored.  If someone dared stop by the house, they were promptly ushered to the door, if the door was even opened for them.

There has been much discussion about the ending of the series - did it answer all the questions we had, were we duped the entire series in believing they had survived even one moment on the island, and why would we have bothered watching the show in retrospect given what we know now.  To this, I can say no, no, and maybe.  No, I don't feel my questions were answered, but while watching "The End," it didn't seem to really matter.  Much like life, we don't always have our questions answered in a nice, neat, 22 minute sitcom scenario, or even after watching about 85 hours of Lost (that, my friend, would be 121 episodes at 42 minutes each).  Not all answers to our questions will be as simple as we would like, and not all our problems will have as difficult of answers as we expect.  And this is the kernel truth to everything we must face in life.

Hurley and Sawyer reunited, Season 6

So, if it was all mindless dribble, where strangers become friends only through tragedy, and are reliant upon each other for mere survival. Learning from each other, learning that material items like a cell phone, clothes and a comfortable mattress to sleep on may not be at the level of importance we place them on; the value of necessities like medicine and the knowledge of personal safety are more important than we realized.  The bonds formed between other people, the need to accept others, the need to work together and learn to live with how others act is ever more needed in our world.  While we do not suffer from issues with a smoke monster, polar bears, and "Others", we do suffer from our own problems that create chains around our hearts, and bars around our minds that prevent us from moving forward, pressing forward.  


When the show ended, I had a huge gap of time in my life suddenly.  That really makes me sound like I don't have much of a life at all - but Lost was more than just a television show - it was a culture, a reference to intellect, a source of joy, and a source of frustration.  Then, The Walking Dead entered my television viewing life.

Rick riding into an epidemic-filled Atlanta

The Walking Dead, a story about some mysterious epidemic that left people without soul; a body walking around that was willing to avenge at any point.  For those of the living with a soul that was still in tact, well, those people were left to hide out for fear of the walking dead.  As I was watching the show, I found eerie similarities to my old friends Jack, Sawyer, Hurley.  I found myself thinking and linking connections to how my old friends would survive based on my new friends and their issues...not too far off from the same plot, just a different setting.  

In an email to my guy containing a link to Lost being ranked #1 for television drama, he wrote back "Translation = the #1 rated show by hicks from the Midwest who think it's actually stuff that can happen".  I found this funny.  He is not a Lost fan, never really watched the show and for that I tease him about upcoming marathons of the show that he will eventually succumb to.  But he is a fan of TWD.  We have had long conversations regarding our plan of escape should this happen, where we will meet each other, and how we plan to survive.  So, to see his reply saying 'think it's actually stuff that can happen' gave me a huge smile on my face.
And my reply back within the string of emails was simply: "Hmmm...says the guy who has an escape plan with me in the event Walkers decide to attack...interesting!!"
And after a few minutes, he replied back:  "LOL.touche, dear Ruthe. damn it."

While he may not believe me, Lost is a parallel universe to The Walking Dead.  That, in and of itself is ironic due to the flash forwards, flash backwards, and flash sideways we experienced on Lost.  But, here is my reasoning why - the characters.  Each of the characters could be distant relatives of those on the island...and here is my list of those similarities.

Lost's Jack vs. TWD's Rick

Jack Shephard

Jack was initially and long-withstanding captain of the ever sinking ship the castaways were on.  He was the leader, the one who tried to maintain everything and everyone.  He was the one who would help if someone was sick, thanks in part to being a surgeon by trade.  He was the one people could talk to, listen to, and for some seasons, feel safe with having him around.  He was the ultimate man in the white hat (to those familiar with Lost, and the descriptions of white / black, good / bad, you will get this).  He was always trying to maintain safety of those who were "in his care".

Rick Grimes

Rick was the deputy injured shortly before the beginning of the epidemic.  How long before is not clear, but it is something that we have seen flashbacks of (again, Lost) while he was in the hospital.  Upon waking up in the hospital of the walking dead, he goes home to realize his wife and child are gone.  He then starts his journey to where he believes he can find them, in the process meeting others who are in his similar predicament.  Upon being united with his family, he becomes the person who starts making decisions, attempting to keep everyone safe, and taking them to other locations in an effort for that safety.


Lost's Kate vs. TWD's Lori

Kate Austin

Kate was the secret felon on the aircraft the day they were bound for LAX.  While on the island she may have redeemed herself for anything she did on the main land.  But Kate was never one of my favorites on the show.  She seemed to play the emotions of Jack and Sawyer as a yo-yo...To that I lost much respect for this character, and had a hard time watching her in the show.  In the end, she was not a shrew, but still played the game of "I love you, now get away".  I think she was afraid to be alone, during a tragedy, and needed that human connection we all need - but she took it to a new level.

Lori Grimes

Lori is Rick's wife.  Lori thought Rick was dead due to being told this by Shane.  Shane is Rick's partner...Lori and Shane started an affair when they thought Rick was dead, but then, Rick was not dead.  To this news, Lori told Shane she didn't want him around her family, and after a difficult scene at the CDC it was clear she is like Kate - too much like Kate for my taste.  The whole Lori/Rick/Shane story is the same as the Jack/Kate/Sawyer plot, and we all know where that went...


Lost's Sawyer vs. TWD's Shane

James Ford, a.k.a. Sawyer

 Sawyer, the rough-around-the-edges conman with an eventually seen heart of gold.  The man who started most sentences with "Son of a bitch..." to declare his disgust, excitement, interest, or general feelings of whatever he was talking about.  Sawyer was often seen as the "think for yourself-er" until later seasons revealed him as a key part for how the survivors would continue on the island.  Heck, he didn't even use his real name of James Ford...he used the name of a con who was the reason for his own parents untimely death as a child.  Sawyer, first thought of as a heart of ice, became the man with a heart of gold, ensuring those around him were taken care of. His past was a difficult past, but he made peace with being able to fall in love with the beautiful Julia, and showed us a side of a conman that was not only endearing, but overshadowed Jack in so many ways...at least to me.

Shane Walsh

Shane was introduced to us as the man trying to keep things together until Rick showed up...Rick, his partner, who's wife he bedded while thinking he was dead.  Rick and Sawyer may be on different sides of the law, but they both embody the heart of a man trying to overcome whatever life has not given them.  Both suffer from issues with anger management, and the need to love someone who can never be love them back - Kate and Lori.


Lost's Shannon and Boone vs. TWD's Andrea and Amy

Siblings Boone Carlyle and Shannon Rutherford

 Boone and Shannon were siblings...by marriage only, but none-the-less they were siblings.  Boone was always bailing Shannon out of sticky situations, helping her when everyone else saw her as the rich girl who didn't deserve help, including his own mother.  Their relationship was rocked with layer upon layer of emotion that neither could really comprehend.  Shannon was the weaker of the dynamic duo.  But in the end, Shannon was the one surviving on the island longer, and eventually coming into her own as she learned she was important to the grand scheme of life.

Siblings Amy and Andrea

Andrea and Amy were siblings, but with Andrea being older than Amy, they never really grew up together.  Both strong in their own rights, they also suffered from issues of trying to figure out what their sisterhood really meant with the vast age difference between them.  Andrea was the stronger of the two, but only due to having more experience in the world.  And Amy, similar to Shannon, may not have realized how important she was to her sister.  In the end, it was Andrea that held her after being bit by a walker.  It was Andrea who cried over her death, and eventual uprising as a Walker.  But it was also Andrea who decided to be there for her in the end and not allow any further pain to befall upon her younger Walker sister by shooting her in the head to end the misery.


Lost's Hurley vs. TWD's Glenn 

Hugo "Hurley" Reyes

 Hurley - that guy everyone needs for compassion, for understanding, and for comedic relief.  Hurley was a strong friend when needed, with the heart that felt he would never be rid of bad luck due to winning the lottery with the infamous numbers of 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42.  He had a way of looking at life that would win over any person watching the show...and offer laughs as he combated the mockery of Sawyer.  In the end, it was Hurley who became top man, and in the end, the one who believed beyond reasonable doubt in abilities of his survivor friends.

Glenn

Glenn is the guy who found Rick, helped Rick, and maintained composure as he tackled tough assignments given to him.  He is the one on the show to offer that comic relief we all need while Walkers are attacking our beloved cast of the Living.  He and Hurley share a common bond of enduring protective acts of bravery for those they are forced to live with. 


Lost's Hatch vs. TWD's CDC

Hatch calculator to detonation to evil

 The Hatch...who could forget that clicking time bomb...It was the place that oddly had electricity, books to read, games to play, a record player, and most importantly, food.  It was the central nervous system for preventing disaster, but also the possible reason for why the plane crashed on the island in the first place.  For survivors who helped in the hatch, it was necessary to enter the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 into a computer every 108 minutes to prevent the world from falling apart...and the very numbers Hurley used to win the lottery.  In the end, the hatch imploded when the numbers were not entered.  It was a test to see what would happen, but more than that, a test of faith and the lessons learned that faith lost is the most tragic of scenarios to befall any human.

Entrance to the CDC

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) was supposed to be the safe haven for our Living.  After the treacherous trip to get there, they were almost not allowed into the hallowed halls.  However, once inside they found electricity, books to read, games to play, a CD player, and most importantly, food.  Sound familiar?  While there wasn't a computer that needed numbers to be entered in every 108 minutes, there was a countdown clock that no one knew about until it was almost too late.  The clock that would force the building to blow up...hmmm...sound familiar again?


I am awaiting the next season of The Walking Dead, and hope it proves to be just as satisfying as the first season.  While nothing will replace my old friends, I am able to see kindred spirits within these new friends...