Official Podcast Debrief

Hello my dear friends -

Before I get into the audio podcast debrief, I wanted to mention that there is also a new video podcast on ABC.com. It focuses on one of the set directors, who showed scenes from the freighter and talked about the challenges of filming ALL scenes for the show from Hawaii (yep, even the ones that are supposed to be in London... or Berlin... or Manhattan). Very interesting. It's only five-and-a-half minutes, if that helps in your decision whether or not to check it out.

Now onto the 21-minute audio podcast with the producers. As always, I've cut out anything I deem to be too big of a spoiler (or too lame to mention), but have left in general comments about the show, as well as answers to specific fan questions about "The Shape of Things to Come."

Here we go... transcribed as best I could...

Q. How did Ben appear in the desert wearing a parka? Was he in the exact same spot the polar bear was found?

A. First off, the Dharkas will be available this fall for purchase. [e: They were joking, damn!] How Ben appeared in the desert will be answered over the course of the series. But this one is a long set-up. We see him in the desert, there seems to be some sort of vapor rising from him [e: I KNEW it!], he appears disoriented. No, it was not Vicks VapoRub. But we probably will see Ben in the Dharka again and then everyone will be able to piece together what was going on. He did land in Tunisia, and that's where the polar bear was found, too. Was it the exact same spot? I'm not sure. But I think that the fact they were both in Tunisia is not a coincidence. There are not many "coincidences" on this show.

Q. Does Ben have control over the smoke monster? And where did Ben go when he went into the secret room?

A. Obviously, Ben went into that room, and when he came out he had soot on him [e: once again, I knew it! And I don't even have HD] and then shortly after Smokey comes through the barracks. So was there a monster hotline in that room? [e: These guys SO read the message boards and blogs...] Was there a bat signal down there that Ben flashed for the monster? Hurley specifically asked if Ben called it. We can confirm that there was definitely NOT a bat signal that was shot up into the sky for Smokey. But it is reasonable to deduce that Ben did summon it. Although it's clear that Ben doesn't outright control the monster, because he still looked pretty nervous and was like, "Let's skedaddle." So Ben wasn't telling the complete truth when he told Locke that he doesn't know what Smokey is.

[They then broke from the question and answer format for a few minutes to talk about a few other random things...]

- The Widmore/Ben scene at the end was one of the only scenes we've ever shot outside of Hawaii in the entire series. This was actually shot in London because Alan Dale, who plays Widmore, couldn't make it to Hawaii because of another acting commitment. But even before when Des threw Penny's ring into the Thames, that was in Honolulu!
- This was our version of the Pacino-DeNiro scene from Heat. This was our climactic scene between two of the biggest forces on the show.
- They referenced "changing the rules" and the fact that Widmore "couldn't" be killed by Ben. So do they have rules between each other, or is there some larger force governing things?

[Then they went back to questions and answers.]

Q. Do fish and birds go through the time-warp when they fly or swim around the Island?
[e: What the...? Who in the hell is submitting these questions?]

A. If they are flying or swimming at the right bearing, then they'll be OK. But if not, then they'll be susceptible to time-warping. What about Ezra James Sharkington (the Dharma shark)? All we will say is this: he was born in the year 1805. That means he's 203 years old. That's a lot older than most sharks. [e: I couldn't tell if this was a clue or a joke?!?!] But in all seriousness, what does this mean for the carrier pigeon that Claire released last season? When and where will that show up again? [e: OK, now I feel like a jerk. I totally forgot about that bird. Good question, random fan.]

Q. Can you confirm whether or not Harper was the REAL Harper in the jungle when she warned Juliet about Daniel and Charlotte going to the Tempest in "The Other Woman"? Was she perhaps the Smoke Monster?

A. It was the real Harper. And the fact that people are thinking that she could've been the Smoke Monster is making me have pains. There were whispers before her arrival and after her departure, so maybe that's where the confusion is coming from.

[e: WHOA. They just acted like they were surprised that anyone thought Harper could've been Smokey in disguise. I certainly had considered that possibility! Now that they've just confirmed that it was the flesh-and-blood doctor, a whole new host of questions come to mind. How did Ben contact Harper? (Remember that he was tied up at that point.) How did he know about Daniel and Charlotte going to the Tempest? How did Harper find Juliet in the middle of the jungle? How did she come and go so quickly? And why WERE there whispers surrounding her appearance? ARRGHH!)


Q. Are we going to ever see anymore traditional Lost flashbacks... meaning flashbacks that are about any of the 815ers before they came to the Island?

A. All bets are off... we reserve the right to do flashbacks, flash-forwards, flash-sideways, and none of the above. We have some interesting things in store for the final hours of Season Four, and we wanted to make it so that you'll remain curious over the eight months between the finale and the next premiere, because we will be going into radio silence once again during those months. You'll be wondering, "What are they going to do for Season Five?"

And on THAT note... I leave you to ponder the possibilities!

Enjoy "Something Nice Back Home" Thursday night,
- e