#darlton

Location: Ford Theatres, Los Angeles, CA

If you’ve known me for longer than a day, you know my favorite TV show is Lost. And while the networks have tried for years to copy the best show of all time, most of their efforts have crashed and burned (no pun intended). There just hasn’t been a show that captures my imagination the way Lost did, and I would take any opportunity to go back and visit the Island once again.

Destiny came calling in the form of “We Have To Go Back: The LOST Concert 2018.” They had an event like this two years ago, but I decided not to go for money reasons. After seeing pics and articles, I regretted not being there. How could a major Lost fan like me not attend such an event? It’s tailor-made for me. Thank God they decided to get the band back together again!

As I walked through the gate, sporting my new Lost t-shirts, I heard the Smoke Monster roaring in the trees. I had a quick snack, checked out the merch table, then headed inside. My girl knows me well, so she surprised me by getting us two perfect seats months ahead of the show. The icing on the cake: I was sitting in Seat #108. If you’ve seen the show, you’ll understand the significance of that number.

  We were sure to get there early for the Q&A with composer Michael Giacchino and showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, or as Losties call them, Darlton. These guys are basically my writing heroes. As I try to make the transition from post production to writing, I soak up all the knowledge I can from the people who wrote my favorite things. I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to or watched every interview that Damon and Carlton have given.

I debated if I should ask them a question as a line formed at the mic. I had a question in mind, so my girl convinced me to go up (I had already tested this question at a Comic-Con fan panel a couple months earlier). Unfortunately, the last question they took was from the person right in front of me, so that will teach me not to hesitate again. People were asking a lot of dumb questions, either stuff I already knew the answers to, or just hogging the mic. Still, I had the advantage of watching the whole Q&A very close to the stage. And when special guests started coming out, I was able to get some great shots.

One by one, cast members entered and took a seat: Josh Holloway (Sawyer, one of my favorites on the show), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Rebecca Mader (Charlotte), Andrea Gabriel (Nadia), and Emile de Ravin (Claire, actually pregnant like her character in the pilot). This was a completely different crew from the PaleyFest panel I witnessed four years ago. You never know who’s gonna show up to these things!

After a brief break, the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra took the stage, their instruments swelling together in that familiar tone. Then Michael Giacchino came back out, and the show began. At the very beginning. Suddenly, we flashed back in time, fourteen years ago. The opening scene of Lost was projected on the screens, while Michael conducted the orchestra through the music of the pilot.

Over the next three hours, the orchestra played many of the most recognizable pieces from the show. Themes of love and loss, adventure and mystery, action and suspense. The absolute highlight for me was “Parting Words” which was played along with the Raft Launch scene from the end of Season One. I’m not an outwardly emotional guy, but I always tear up during that scene. I’ve always told people, if I can just write one scene as good as that, my writing career will be a success.

Of course, that scene has almost no dialogue, so the scripting wasn’t even the most important part. It was the music that made it something truly special. Damon and Carlton both cried when they heard that piece for the first time. They also talked about the advantages of having Michael compose for Lost. His music was so iconic eventually they would just write his name into the script.

To explain, Emile de Ravin read us a scene from the Season Three Finale “Through The Looking Glass.” An explosion goes off in the underwater hatch, which is now filling with water. Charlie is about to die a hero’s death. “…And Giacchino starts to play…” The other cast members read excerpts from the show as well, a nice supplement to the orchestral score.

The concert wrapped up with music from the emotional final scene of Lost. We watched all our favorite characters embrace each other in the church. The plane took off from the Island successfully. Jack closed his eye for the last time, and it was over. Except for a couple bonuses: a track that was almost cut for time, and a never-before-heard piece from Michael’s brand new movie Bad Times at the El Royale.

After the applause, we rushed the stage to get a good position for pictures and autographs. I was able to score autographs from several of the cast members, as well as Michael and Damon. I nervously told Damon what an inspiration he’s been to me over the years. He was very gracious with his time and made sure we got a decent photo. Here’s proof:

Unfortunately the crowd was too thick, so I didn’t make it to Carlton in time. Oh well, I’ll get him at the next concert. Here we are with Michael. Just look at those smiles!

I can definitely say this night is one of my top ten favorite experiences. It made me want to go home and binge all my Lost DVDs for the millionth time. It also sparked my creative imagination, and I’ve been on a roll with my writing. How can we ever top this concert? I guess we’ll just have to fly to Hawaii and put our feet in the sand where this all started!

I leave you with the beautiful Raft Launch…

NB: Bleachlists has strict no-incest ship rules, however that’s much harder to maintain in a series like Code Geass, where half the major characters are from the same family...and they are all shipped rabidly with each another. Lelouch saying that Euphemia was his first love was kind of the go-ahead, thus, beware: incest ships ahead.

Guilford: YES PLEASE!

Cornelia: Guilford?

Guilford: Your Highness, with all due respect, I really thought you would have noticed by now.

Guilford: I mean, I went into the blast range of a nuke to save you.

Cornelia: What? I was never in the blast range of a F.L.E.I.J.A..

Guilford: ...No, I’m pretty sure you were.

Lelouch: [stifled laughter]

Darlton: What, so just because I’m in her service I have to be sleeping with her? 

Darlton: Awesome.

Alfred: Dad,what the hell?

Darlton: Apparently you’re adopted, so I might not actually be married. It’s fine!

Suzaku: I pledge my love for Euphemia, so you ship me with her sister?

Euphemia: I pledge my love for Suzaku, so you ship me with my sister?

Lelouch: I am weirdly okay with incest for some reason. However, she is a member of the Britannian royal family and thus my enemy.

Lelouch:  Even if I was a little turned on when she outsmarted me at Saitama!

Suzaku: ...Dude.

Lelouch: So maybe I have a thing for strategy.

Schneizel: Cornelia and I always did get along splendidly!

Schneizel: We had a falling-out toward the end, but we just bit the bullet and got through it!

Schneizel: Well, she did anyway.

Lloyd: She liked my machines, and I liked her funding.

Lloyd: To me that sounds like a solid basis for a relationship!

Marianne: I hear she idolised me, but she was just a child when I knew her! 

Marianne: Can you imagine being into someone you watched grow up? That would be so strange!

C.C.: ...

Marianne: Um, if you’re not immortal, I mean!

V.V.: She watched me come back to life after throwing a knife in my head. If I say so myself, she looked like she thought it was kind of hot.

Cornelia: Try “disgusting”.

V.V.: Or hot.

Nunnally: I heard Cornelia confronted Schneizel about lying to me. That was really nice of her!

Nunnally: But um, that’s about it, really.

Jeremiah: I would be honoured to be shipped with a princess of the empire, if saving people equals love!

Suzaku: ...God, I hope it doesn’t.