On an island

After watching LOST, I skimmed through Mittell’s article on narrative complexity.  And while it probably goes without saying, LOST falls under the umbrella of a complex narrative.  Mittell writes that what distinguishes a complex narrative, in terms of television, is the breaking away from the episodic.  A complex narrative is one which most likely will not have a tidy ending at the conclusion of each episode.  He writes that a staple of the complex narrative is “rejecting the need for plot closure within every episode that typifies conventional episodic form, narrative complexity foregrounds ongoing stories across a range of genres.”  Given that definition, it can be said that LOST is tops among complex narratives.  Throughout the duration of the series, LOST has not gone the route of episodic closure at the conclusion of each episode.  It would seem the show makes a point of ending each episode having done little to bring the viewer closer to any kind of closure, and instead leaves the viewer with more questions than when the episode began.

            In terms of the narrative of LOST, it contains many aspects commonly found in other “stranded” narratives, such as Lord of the Flies and Robinson Crusoe.  I tried to get students to see this connection during one of my student teaching stints, but they couldn’t seem to get over the fact that there was a character named Jack in both LOST and LOTF.  A few examples include the debate over whether hunting or a signal fire deserves more attention (Episode 4), and Jack beginning to feel the pressures and burden which goes along with being dubbed the leader (Episode 5) as does Ralph in LOTF.  The loss of hope and the presence of an unseen “monster” are also present in both LOST and LOTF.  So while the way the story is told differs, LOST is telling a very familiar story.

            The idea of controlling your own narrative is one which continues to show up; and it can be seen in LOST.  Each of the characters has their own distinct narrative, given to the viewer primarily through flashbacks.  However, the more episodes one watches, the more it is seen that the narratives of the characters are connected with each other.  There is also the claim that the island itself has a narrative, and it is controlling the narratives of the characters.  The argument between Jack and Lock early in the series debates the validity of the island’s narrative and who is really in control of what happens.  Like in Zodiac, there is the impression that there is something larger at work in the narrative than simply the characters; and the characters all become caught up in this and have their stories changed because of it.

            Mittell mentions flashbacks as being tools in both complex and not complex narratives.  With LOST, a majority of the action in each episode is seen through flashback.  However, keeping LOST in the realm of complex, the flashbacks are not used to wrap up a neat episodic story —  i.e. “And that was the story of our first date”  Instead, LOST uses the flashback to help explain past events and character motivation.  Without flashbacks, the viewers would have to rely on character interaction to learn any back story.  For example, the viewer would have had to wait until Jack told someone else that he and his father were surgeons and they had a fight over his father operating while under the influence of alcohol.

            LOST is one of, if not the most complex show currently on television.  The proof of that being that if someone completely unfamiliar with the show were to ask an avid viewer just what the show is about and what happens, even someone who has seen every episode would have to stop and think before giving an answer.