'Lost': Letters from the Flame, Volume 8.2

OK, as promised, here's the second half of this week's "Letters from the Flame." It's only question, but it's a rather long answer, but the question necessitated such a response. And let's be honest: it's not like it's a chore for me to drop a few thousand words about Lost on a weeknight. It's kinda sorta what I do. I know my mother would prefer "surgery" to be the thing I do, but life's full of disappointments, sadly.

Here's the final question of the week:

Most people agree that by trimming the fat out of Season 4 and just telling the essentials, the storytelling got a much needed kick in the ass. So based on the shorter episode orders (let's say 16 or 17), what are the six or so episodes from each of the first three seasons that could easily be pulled out to make those seasons tighter?
Sambob

This might be one of the all-time great question on "Letters from the Flame," because not only is it a pretty original one, but gives me the excuse to pour over all the episodes and make countless lists instead of conversing with fellow human beings. So this is right up my alley.

Now, before giving my lists, let me just clarify that in cutting these episodes, I assume absolutely vital character/mythology information would be doled out in subsequent episodes. There are a few episodes in my lists that contain vital info, but per Sambob's point, I assume such info would come out in later episodes. In fact, I'll even suggest how Lost might have done so.

OK, so here we go...

Episodes Cut from Season 1:

House of the Rising Sun
The Moth
Confidence Man
All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues
Whatever the Case May Be
Do No Harm
The Greater Good

That leaves us with a season of the following:

Pilot
Tabula Rasa
Walkabout
White Rabbit
Solitary
Raised by Another
Hearts and Minds
Special
Homecoming
Outlaws
...In Translation
Numbers
Deus Ex Machina
Born to Run
Exodus

The 2-hour Pilot sets up the cast of characters and the premise. "Tabula Rasa" and "Walkabout" establish both that people are not as they seem, with "White Rabbit" confirming the sci-fi stuff established in Locke's flashback. "Solitary" through "Special" establish character while introducing some Island mythology, with "Homecoming" still containing the first "we're not alone moment."

It's also a time to finally get into the back stories of Charlie, Sawyer, Sun/Jin, and Hurley, with consolidations of their flashbacks to get Charlie's drug addiction, Sawyer's cons, and the couple's fractured relationship addressed in swift, non-repetitive ways. "Deus ex Machina" now contains the best of that ep with the best of "Do No Harm," with events in "Born to Run" paving the way for the 3-hour finale, which takes anything still held over at the expense of 18 minutes of Arzt complaining. Done and done.

Episodes Cut from Season 2:

Adrift
...And Found
Collision
The Hunting Party
Fire + Water
Dave
S.O.S.

That leaves us with a season of the following:

Man of Science, Man of Faith
Orientation
Everybody Hates Hugo
Abandoned
The Other 48 Days
What Kate Did
The 23rd Psalm
The Long Con
One of Them
Maternity Leave
The Whole Truth
Lockdown
Two for the Road
?
Three Minutes
Live Together, Die Alone

The elements inside "Adrift" are sprinkled across "Man of Science..." and "Orientation." We get the in-water squabbling, we get the shark, we get back to shore, period. There's nothing in "...and Found" that couldn't go in other episodes, and Ana Lucia's flashback can be self-contained inside of "Two for the Road" quite easily. The two big events in "The Hunting Party" (Michael escapes, Tom gives Jack and company a warning) now slide into the first third of "The Long Con," and we just forget that "Fire+Water" ever, ever happened. Just tie in Charlie's drug use into increased concern on Claire's behalf for Aaron, helping prompt flashbacks to her time in the Staff.

Next, slide Dave's appearance into "Everybody Hates Hugo," and tease out Hurley's relationship with Libby in the same slow burn as already exists. Finally, while I love "S.O.S.," put Rose's mysterious line to Locke in any episode after Ben leaves and you've got mission accomplished.

Episodes Cut from Season 3:

The Glass Ballerina
Further Instructions
I Do
Stranger In A Strange Land
Exposé
Left Behind

This leaves us with a season of:

A Tale of Two Cities
The Cost of Living
Every Man for Himself
Not In Portland
Flashes Before Your Eyes
Tricia Tanaka is Dead
Enter 77
Par Avion
The Man From Tallahassee
One of Us
Catch-22
D.O.C.
The Brig
The Man Behind the Curtain
Greatest Hits
Through The Looking Glass

OK, this is the trickiest one yet, naturally. We essentially condense the first 6 episodes into 3. The first alternates between the Hydra stuff and sailboat stuff, so by episode's end Jack wants Sarah to be happy and Sun has killed Colleen. Next up, air "The Cost of Living" before "Every Man for Himself," to get Locke's voice back and get Eko to meet his maker before people get all antsy about those two crazy cats. "Every Man" and "Not in Portland" contain the essential elements from each episode, and incorporate necessary plot points from "I Do" into the mix This way, the plot moves more quickly and we eliminate Kate's unnecessary flashback from "I Do." Juliet's "trial" is shortened and included inside "Not in Portland" as well, along with everyone leaving for New Otherton.

This shortened season leaves no room for new, extraneous characters, so Nikki and Paulo never exist. (Huzzah!) As such, "Exposé" never exists. Finally, take the best of "Left Behind," feed it into "One of Us," and you have clear sailing for a shortened season!

***

Now, obviously this is all a theoretical exercise, one I realize is exceedingly easy to do from my comfy spot here on this couch, thousands of miles away from the writing room. I'd prefer twice as many episodes of Lost as opposed to half as many if I had my druthers, so long as quality was maintained throughout. I also imagine had the powers that run Lost known the exact number of episodes from Day 1, they would have structured things differently themselves. But hey, this is all in good fun, and I know I had a blast working through all of this.

So now it's your turn: what episodes would you excise from the season in order to streamline the storytelling? Feel free also to mix and match plots from episodes as I've done above.

Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude, then peruses Zap2It's Guide to Lost Facebook group. He also encourages you to join the all-new Zap2It's Guide to Lost Twitter feed. Pretty soon he'll have as many platforms as John Locke has ways to blow up things on the Island.

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