After six seasons on the airwaves, the worldwide television phenomenon "Lost" is currently in the middle of its final season. Tufts alumnus and blogger Chadwick Matlin (LA '07) writes about this complex show in his weekly column on Slate.com. As an undergrad, Matlin brought "Lost" into academia by co-teaching an Experimental College course centered on the show. The Daily talked with Matlin about his online blog, the life of a television drama and the complexities of one of TV's most dynamic shows. If you are at all concerned about "Lost" spoilers, however, then you might not want to read Matlin's insights until you are completely caught up.
Hanorah Vanni: What's your general impression of season six so far?
Chadwick Matlin: Oh, goodness. I've been pleased but … skeptical. I think watching it on DVD after the fact will be the best way of taking it in. I think the medium of watching it once a week is at times a disservice to the writers, who are writing the full season with the long view of what happened up to five to 10 episodes before. That can kind of get lost when you're watching it week to week.
HV: What types of things do you focus on in each episode when you blog about the show on Slate.com?
CM: I take notes during the episodes, but I think for me it's zeroing in on things referenced in past episodes. I think that's where the meat of things [is] explained. When something is referenced without a full flashback, all of a sudden you realize it's a red flag to pay more attention because a question from, say, season one is going to be answered. I also focus on character development, ironies and parallels between different characters or in a character's past, especially since we now have two different timelines on the show. A lot of that stuff is coming into play. I also just take down any funny quotes or something that I can use in my writing.
HV: In 2007, Lost producers announced that the series would end with season six. How do you think this decision to impose an end date so early on has affected the show?
CM: For the better. At that point in season three, [Lost] was a very ambling enterprise. I think they had their endgame in mind, but they didn't quite know when to start getting there. At this point, I think you can see other shows on TV that would have benefited from the same [restriction]. I don't see how you can tell a story without giving a clear beginning, middle and end.
HV: You co-taught a class at Tufts centered on "Lost." When you were teaching that class, what types of things did you explore in your curriculum?
CM: I taught it with a friend of mine, Ed Kalafarski, who graduated from Tufts in 2006. He and I put together a syllabus that was split into three parts. The first part was focusing on the business of TV and what it takes to create a show in a hyper-mediated age. The second part was treating "Lost" as a narrative entity. So, just like you would sit down in an English class and think about, for example, [James Joyce's] "Ulysses" or Philip Roth, there's no reason you can't apply [literary analysis] to a television program that takes itself moderately seriously. The final part was focusing on the community [of Lost] and all the ad hoc forums and message boards around the show, including Comic-Con and how these communities are formed.
HV: Here are a few theory-related questions; non-Losties, beware! What do you think the numbers mean?
CM: We're led to believe they're some kind of filing system for Jacob. If you've paid attention, which unfortunately I have, they were sort of answered to be coefficients in this thing called the Valenzetti Equation. That was answered in this very odd Internet scavenger hunt that ABC put together between seasons two and three. The reason [the numbers] have significance, and perhaps some unluckiness, is because this equation was supposed to predict the end of the world.
HV: Jacob's nemesis, who's been presented under the monikers "Flocke," the "Man in Black" and "Esau," has been called "evil incarnate" by some characters on the show. Do you think this is true? Where do you think the balance of good versus evil lies?
CM: Throughout the show, I don't think that "Lost" has presented us with a single inherently good or evil character, perhaps with the exception of Hurley or something. I think there's ambiguity on both sides, and they're both competing for what they believe to be their own "right" reasons.
HV: What do you think they're competing for?
CM: Control or power is the goal, I think. A lot of people may say that destiny and favor are central themes of this show, but I think for me, [the main theme] is power and the pursuit and loss of it.
HV: Do you think the questions about the numbers and other details will really matter with regard to the conclusion of the series, or will it pan out more with regard to the characters and the plot?
CM: I think certainly the latter. I take the position that [the numbers] don't matter that much; therefore, they won't matter for the story. Whether someone is upset that they didn't get answers is a separate question, but I think, in the large scope of things, [the writers] want to talk about redemption and destiny and power, so I don't think things like the numbers are going to really factor in that much.
HV: What are your hopes or expectations for the final few episodes of the series?
CM: I would really just like to understand where everyone's allegiances lie. I think with Widmore's arrival [in the most recent episode], we're on track to better understand where all the players lie. As time goes forward, I think one of my main expectations is to be able to understand who's fighting for whom and what each side is fighting for.
Join Chadwick Matlin tonight at 8:30 p.m. in the Mayer Campus Center Lounge for a viewing and discussion of this evening's episode of "Lost." The event, "LOST at Tufts: Watch and Learn," is sponsored by the Experimental College. Jacob wants YOU to be there.
