ohhhhhhhhhhhh, lost.

[krickets]

MALE death count, not comprehensive:
Main: Boone, Karl, Charlie, Tom, Michael, Eko (6)
Smaller roles: Goodwin, Ethan, Mikhail, Keamy, Edward (the marshall), Anthony Cooper, Dr. Artzt, Paulo, Christian, Pickett (10)
Alive (in the current timeline): Jack, Sawyer, Daniel, Locke, Ben, Miles, Aaron, Desmond, Sayid, Richard, Bernard, Charles Widmore, Hurley, Walt, Frank (15)
Unknown/Sidelined: Jin (1)

FEMALE death count, not comprehensive:
Main: Libby, Shannon, Ana-Lucia, Alex, Danielle (5)
Smaller roles: Nadia, Susan (Walt's Mom), Colleen, Nikki, Greta, Bonnie, Naomi (7)
Alive (in the current timeline): Kate, Sun, Rose, Penny, Juliet (5)
Unknown/Sidelined: Claire*, Charlotte** (2)

*Based on casting spoilers about Emilie not returning to the show next season and her story at the end of s4.
**Based on casting spoilers about Rebecca not being billed as a regular, as well as promo spots of her character seemingly dead.


So what?
Now I have to admit that the tally of the "dead" is based on my shaky memory at best. I'm sure there are others that I'm forgetting and probably countless unnamed/insignificant guest-spots that I haven't taken into account. (And I don't think we really should.) And personally, I'm not all too concerned with what's already happened. But I am concerned with what we're left with.

The thing I'm actually annoyed about is these two figures:
Females Living (in the current timeline): Kate, Sun, Rose, Penny, Juliet (5)
Males Living (in the current timeline): Jack, Sawyer, Daniel, Locke, Ben, Miles, Aaron, Desmond, Sayid, Richard, Bernard, Charles Widmore, Hurley, Walt, Frank (15)

I'd guess that out of those fifteen men, at least 9 of them are "regulars." (And characters like Aaron & Richard may be around a lot next season, that remains to be seen.) Out of those five women, only 3 of them are currently regulars.

I happen to really like both Claire and Charlotte. Everybody knows about my disdain for Juliet. And Rose gets like 2 lines per season. So far we haven't truly seen that much of Penny, though her character is integral to the story and now that she's reunited with Desmond, we would hopefully see more of her, but based on promos, I'm guessing we won't. Woo hoo, for Kate and Sun sticking around. But seriously? Seriously?

I do take issue with the clear imbalance here, though not as much as I probably should. More than anything I take issue with them killing off characters with a lot of potential before they have a chance to explore them. The first time this happened, the first time it really pissed me off, was when Charlie killed Ethan. I'm still not quite over that.

My favorite of the "new characters" that weren't in the original cast were Charlotte, Alex, Daniel, & Miles (a little bit). So why do the dudes get to stay and the chicks gotta go? I know it's an unpopular opinion but I really think Charlotte had a lot of potential. Why stir up the whole going-back-to-her-birthplace crap if you're just going to kill her off? Ugh, LOST. You're lucky we have fanfic or I would so break up with you! (Maybe.)

Comments

[elliotsmelliot.livejournal.com]

This is something that annoys me incredibly too and I have ranted about before in my journal. In addition to the uneven deaths and cast lists which you have mentioned, I think the male characters are generally more developed, have stories beyond being a love interest/parent, and are more likely to be considered "special" to the island.

I'm also totally with you on how silly it is to introduce characters only to kill them off before their story is told. For me Rousseau is the ultimate example of this. Her story and Alex’s were ended so abruptly, just to further Ben’s story. But as you said, the complete marginalization of Claire and the now the sidelining of Charlotte are also good examples of this. (Plus what about Libby?) Even if those two return with some big bang in the last season, making them disappear for a while suggest they are more interesting gone, then they are present.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

You're right they really are more developed. At least for the most part. Kate, Sun, and Juliet have gotten a lot of development though, much more than any of the other female characters, including Claire. A lot more of the male characters have been developed by comparison.

And wow I completely agree when you say that making them go away and then come back suggesting that they're way more interesting when they're not around than when they are. That's so what it is. It reminds me of soap operas when the rich parents send their kids off to boarding school for a few years, so the writers can get them out of the way and deal with the real stories.

Blech.

And the wasted potential thing is so frustrating. But Lost does that with everything, its plot-lines and its characters.