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Lostis considered one of the biggest and most revered science fiction adventure series of all time. Created by Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelof, the ABC show was a combination of supernatural, time-traveling, mystery, and character-driven drama, which captivated audiences with its intricate storyline and complex characters.
While its enigmatic plot had enough perplexing mysteries to resolve, one of the show’s most mysterious elements was the character Walt. A boy with psychic abilities, Walt drew the attention of viewers since season 1 but was soon left unattended, raising questions that even the creators admit they were never fully prepared to answer.
LostCo-Creator Damon Lindelof on the Biggest Unanswered Mystery of the Show
Lost’sperplexing plot, set on a mysterious island, has kept viewers on the edge of their seats and sparked countless fan theories and discussions, despite it ending years ago. While the series is praised for its innovative storytelling and ambitious narrative structure, there arequite a few mysteries it has leftunanswered.
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Out of all these mysteries, one stands out as particularly challenging: the character of Walt. While fans were certainly intrigued by the boy with seemingly psychic abilities, from the moment Malcolm David Kelley was cast as Walt,Damon Lindelofand his team were aware they had entered some precarious territory (viaVox).
In fact, casting an actor who — I think Malcolm was maybe 12, maybe even 13 when we cast him — was sort of right on the cusp of blooming, we were in dangerous territory… we wanted to tell the show in real time, as opposed to over a period of many months… We knew right out of the gate that we were going to have a Walt problem.
Despite being aware of the huge issue they had created for themselves, the first season featured some prominent Walt scenes, making fans grow attached to the character with time. And so they made their own beds when they did thus, leading to the inevitableWalt problem.
The team quickly realized they needed a solution to this problem, leading to Walt’s abduction by the Others at the end of the first season. Yet, this take never really resolved the problem at hand, leaving one ofLost’s most compelling mysteries partially unanswered.
Walt Not Getting a Proper Storyline was Partially ABC’s Fault
Initially, after Walt’s abduction, Damon Lindelof and other creators had planned for him to leave the island along with his father, resolving the mystery before it could even begin. However, the plan never really worked out, and the show found itself facing a huge issue that remains unsolved even now.
According to co-creator Lindelof, Walt’s story remaining incomplete was partly due to decisions made by ABC, the network that aired the show. By the end of season 2, the creators were at their wit’s end since ABC refused to let them know the end date of the show for it wanted to keepLoston the air as long as itremained a ratings success.
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This uncertainty left the creators in a difficult position, where they were compelled to stretch the narrative, introducing new mysteries without resolving existing ones, with Lindelof even planning to leave the show for good. While that never happened, the Walt storyline was revisited when the show was finally given an end date midway through the third season.
While the bonus episode of season 6 ofLostsomewhat resolved theWalt problem,his narrative arc still remains one of the most regrettable missed opportunities in the show’s history.
Lostis available to be streamed on Hulu.
Maria Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2703
Maria Sultan is a dedicated News Content Writer at FandomWire. With over five years of professional experience and hundreds of published articles, she brings a wealth of expertise to her coverage of Marvel, K-dramas, and the latest on streaming platforms.Her work is not just about reporting news; it’s about providing insightful perspectives on the entertainment trends that matter most.
