Casting Director Renee Godbout talks about the show's highest and lowest points

Having worked in the entertainment industry, I know that first impressions are everything. When I meet new talent for the first time I usually know whether they have potential. Similarly, when I see a TV show for the first time, I know if it will hold my attention. But, just as casting can be spontaneous, so can storytelling…

From day one I was a fan of Lost: The characters are interesting and J.J. Abrams' style of story telling is brilliant. He knows how to weave a story that keeps you guessing. When the show first came out, I couldn’t help but wonder how it could sustain itself over several seasons. I have to admit, J.J. Abrams almost lost me during Season 3. Thankfully, things got interesting again with the invention of the flash-forward: This mode of story telling breeds spontaneity and mystery that keeps you guessing.

Lost was appointment television for me the first two seasons it was on. Then, something happened during the third season and I drifted to other shows in television land. Maybe it was the scheduling, or that I hadn’t discovered the superiority of DVR yet, but I gave up on the show. I did record the season finale, however, and that was enough to get me hooked again. From start to finish, the finale brought you on a crazy adventure that ended in an unexpected death and the first flash-forward of the series. With five words uttered by Jack - “We have to go back” - I was hooked again.

When the news came out that Lost would be airing the whole season in one swoop during the spring, I wasn’t sure I could wait that long. As time went on, the ache for the show started to fade away. Next came dreaded writer’s strike, and I practically stopped watching TV altogether. I had found other things to do with my evenings. When the strike was over, work got insanely busy. I didn’t even have time to go back to my DVR and watch what I had missed. Before I knew it, time had gone by so quickly that the season was over. My number of recordings on my DVR was at an all time high and it was time to revisit them. So, last weekend I had my own little Lost marathon, spreading season four out between Saturday and Sunday. It was worth the wait and I couldn’t have been more excited to finish each episode--knowing I wouldn’t have to wait another week to see what happens next.

The flash-forwards were better than I could have possibly imagined. I watched the refresher episode first and felt surprisingly caught up on what I had missed the prior season. Lost had brought us back to the original characters we had grown to love during season one. With the wonderful additions of Desmond, Juliet, and Ben, the show had returned its focus to the core characters. The flash-forwards didn’t just show what their lives were like off the island, but also how their lives changed in the years following their rescue. The final scenes with the military men, freighter explosion, and the dramatic arrival on land, kept my eyes glued to the screen.

It’s already been revealed that Lost will be ending its run in two years so you can only guess how things are already mapped out with that end date in mind. Emilie De Ravin, who plays Claire, has been put on a holding contract which means we won’t be seeing her again until season six.

In Spring of 2009 Lost will be back. We’ll have to wait until then to see if all the survivors who left the island will be heading back. All of the Oceanic 6, those that got off the island have been getting messages from other survivors, both living and dead. I’d like to say I’ll have the patience to watch them all at the same time again. It would be the smart thing to do, but I just don’t see it happening. Lost has gotten that good!

Renee Godbout - Freelance Casting Director. Renee Godbout recently worked on the first season of The CW's popular teen show Gossip Girl at Grant Wilfey Casting. Some past projects include 2 seasons of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, the pilot for Dirty Sexy Money, and the upcoming Jonathan Demme-directed Dancing with Shiva.

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