What do you think about the ...
Question: What do you think about the death of Eko on
Lost? I realize that the writers are trying to keep people guessing, but come on, why did they have to kill off one of their strongest characters? They brought on three new regulars last season. They took all this time to show their backstories, how they struggled on the other side of the island, how hard it was for them to fit in with the other survivors, only to have them all killed off? I realize that Ana Lucia was a hard pill to swallow; I wasn't that upset when she died. I was disappointed when they killed off Libby. Her character had barely scratched the surface. But now Eko? To me, he was one of the most interesting people on the show. His backstory broke my heart, and he instantly became my favorite character. Even more frustrating, in the same episode in which he's killed off, they introduce two new characters who (so far anyway) don't hold a candle to Eko. Even if they did, why should we care? They'll probably be dead in a few months. Also, this death didn't seem to have the same impact as earlier ones. People were sad about Boone. People were shocked about Ana Lucia and Libby. People are just mad and confused about Eko. If they have to kill a character, make it one whose story line isn't going anywhere. If the writing is good, it can still be sad and shocking (like Shannon's death). I would much rather watch Eko do anything than listen to Charlie make his usual sarcastic comments in the background (Hurley can do that). Plus, wouldn't it pack more of a punch if they weren't getting rid of characters so often? Now I just come to expect it, which means I won't get fully invested in the show or its characters anymore. I just don't trust where it's headed.
Answer: As always, it's damned if you do, damned if you don't where
Lost is concerned. Tiffany's rant contains most of the complaints I've been fielding in my mail since Eko's death, which I accepted as I do most things that happen on this show. I plan to address
Lost's hiatus and the "fall finale" in Monday's column, but I've already decided to move past this initial six-pack of episodes, which I'm thinking we'll all look back on as a bit of a letdown. I loved the opener, with its reveal about the Others' village, and I am fascinated by Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet, one of the most intriguing additions to the show since the beginning. But I haven't enjoyed watching Jack, Kate and Sawyer stay in lockdown for so long, and an episode of Sawyer being tortured isn't my idea of fun. (As for Locke's hallucinatory trip into
Twin Peaks territory, I put that episode in the category of a favorite show having a very off week. It happens.) I thought the way Rodrigo Santoro and Kiele Sanchez were introduced was awfully clumsy, but I'm certainly not going to judge their characters until there's more of a reason to. As for the death rate of characters on shows like this (and I'll add
24 to the discussion, just because): It comes with the territory. At least Eko's story had an interesting arc and a powerful finish. I don't know about the impact on the islanders — the fact that he was so silent and remote may account for their lack of grieving — but if the character made an impression on you, dead or alive,
Lost did its job. I don't blame
Lost for ABC's promotions, which made it too obvious that this would be Eko's swan song. But the idea that we could or should become
less invested in the characters because we assume or maybe fear that they could be killed off is pretty illogical to me. That just sounds like more fan whining, which
Lost breeds like no other.
Lost is an adventure series in which peril waits around every corner, especially during sweeps months. If we didn't think valuable characters could meet their maker at any moment, as we have become accustomed to seeing on
24, it would be a much lesser show.
