Lost Online Studies, Vol. 1, Issue 1
"ABANDONED REMIX"
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IntroductionBy J.M. BergerLike many LOST fans, I found myself discontented with "Abandoned," the episode in which Shannon died. I wrote a critique of the episode, but I remember that critics are -- too often -- those who cannot do better than those with whom they find fault. Therefore, I decided to offer my take on the episode. "Abandoned (Remix)" follows the main outline of the original in terms of major plot development. I hope it provides a better window into Shannon -- and how her character came to be so alienated, bitter and reluctant. I did not feel the episode, as written, provided enough backstory to illuminate Shannon's sometimes extreme misanthropy. While what happened to Shannon in the "Abandoned" flashbacks was unfair, I had trouble mustering a lot of sympathy for a rich girl who got cheated out of her inheritance -- especially in light of her hostility toward everyone, her attitude of helplessness and her willingness to employ her sex appeal as a manipulative tool against men. I believe the remix provides a better basis for understanding what shaped the character as she was depicted throughout the show. I had other goals as well -- I wanted to shed light on why Sayid might find Shannon attractive, a dynamic which was never satisfactorily explained on the show. I also wanted to up the stakes for Shannon's death. In addition to making Shannon a more sympathetic and relateable figure, I also wanted to invest viewers with plot-driven reasons to regret her death. Sympathy for Shannon (in both my version and the original) is subjective. By adding an important piece of the puzzle to Shannon's past, I believe her death has much more impact -- even if you can't stand the character. Finally, I wanted to leverage Shannon's death as an event with important future ramifications -- an implication that her death could be important beyond simply illuminating one of Ana Lucia's character traits. When Boone was killed, his death served a function beyond his simple expiration. Boone's death raised questions someone whose life on the island would continue -- John Locke, who he is, what he believes and how far he might go to act on those beliefs. I hope that "Abandoned (Remix)" raises similar questions about Ana Lucia. I wrote this script before seeing "Collision." I believe the script does not actively conflict with that episode, although the writers again took a direction I would have avoided myself. I attempted to craft "Abandoned (Remix)" in such a way that it could potentially hold up over time in terms of continuity as an alternate version of the episode in the minds of readers (you'll see what I mean). I will talk a little more about that in the Afterword. For now, let's roll tape.... |
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LOST SEASON TWO, EPISODE SIX "ABANDONED (REMIX)"
BY J.M. BERGER BASED ON A SCREENPLAY BY ELIZABETH SARNOFF TRANSCRIPTION OF ORIGINAL EPISODE BY SPOOKY FOR LOST-TV.COM ABOUT THE AUTHOR J.M. Berger is a freelance writer based in Massachusetts.
FADE IN: INT. PARLOR -- DAY A younger SHANNON is sitting on a couch, looking exhausted. PEARL, an older woman in flowing clothes, enters with DAMON, slightly dangerous looking, dressed in black, light Germanic accent. PEARL Shannon, this is the man I wanted you to meet. Damon, this is Shannon. DAMON Hello, Shannon. I understand you have a problem. SHANNON He won't leave me alone. I can't eat, I can't sleep. I need protection. Pearl said... DAMON It's not right. He shouldn't do that. You have a right to be safe. SHANNON Can you help me? DAMON I'm happy to help. (to PEARL) You did not tell me she was so lovely. SHANNON smiles tentatively. The Flashback F/X sound is heard and we cut to... EXT. ISLAND BEACH -- DAY SHANNON is watering VINCENT. SAYID approaches. SHANNON You thirsty, dog? Yeah, you're always thirsty, aren't ya? So drink. SAYID Come on, gather your things. SHANNON Where are we going? Sayid? SAYID Right over here.
SHANNON I don't like surprises. SAYID (shrugs and smiles) Who does? EXT. TENT NEAR BEACH -- DAY SAYID has built a tent for SHANNON. SAYID (CONT'D) What do you think? SHANNON What is it? INT. TENT -- DAY They enter the tent, which SAYID has fixed up for her. SHANNON When did you do this? SAYID It's all yours. SHANNON A place of my own. (pause) My first. Believe it or not. (pause) Why would you do this for me? SAYID (smiles) You're welcome. He moves to kiss her, but she pulls back. A wall goes up behind her eyes, and the flashback sound F/X is heard. CUT TO: INT. SMOKEY HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT DAMON is lounging in bed with SHANNON; they have clearly just had sex. Her hair is different -- time has passed snce the last flashback. He is shirtless with tattoos of Mayan pictographs on his arms and shoulders, He lights a cigarette. She coughs asthmatically. SHANNON You know I can't breathe when you do that.
DAMON (light Germanic accent) If you don't like it, go outside. She puts a pillow over her head, but coughs at the smoke anyway, but she is trying to suppress it. SHANNON All my clothes smell like smoke. DAMON Get your own room, if it bothers you. SHANNON You know I don't have any money. DAMON Ah, yes. I had forgotten. SHANNON Why do you have to be such a jerk? She gets out of the bed and pulls the sheet around herself. She goes to the window, looks out, it's Amsterdam. Garish lights, near the red light district. SHANNON (CONT'D) When do we meet them? You've been promising we'd meet them for weeks. DAMON Not long now. Try to relax. This is what you wanted, remember? SHANNON (stiffly) I am relaxed. I just need some sleep. CUT TO: INT. TENT -- DAY SHANNON and SAYID fall into an embrace. Their clothes are scattered. Camera pulls back; on a handmade table, SAYID'S gun lies forgotten... almost. CUT TO:
LOST OPENING CREDITS
FADE IN: EXT. JUNGLE 1 -- DAY The Tail Survivors are taking a break from their trek. SAWYER looks bad. CINDY Ana, it's got to be over an hour. Shouldn't we start moving again? ANA Let them rest a little while longer. CINDY Yeah, but what if they come? SAWYER She's lost. ANA I'm not lost. SAWYER Then tell me, Ponce de Leon, which way are we supposed to go? ANA All right then, genius, where would you go? SAWYER Hey, I'm with you -- sit tight and wait for Mr. Eko to show up and guide us. ANA If your friend didn't run off, Eko would still be here now, wouldn't he? You sure didn't have any problem leaving him behind, though, huh? SAWYER Mike only cares about himself and his kid, and neither's got squat to do with me. MICHAEL (appearing from the jungle) Glad you feel that way.
SAWYER Didn't expect to see you again. JIN (Speaks Korean, gestures at Sawyer's wound.)
SAWYER Yeah, yeah, Chewie, I know. My arm's about to fall off. ANA (to Eko) You okay? EKO Yes, but we have to go. I saw them. CINDY What? BERNARD What do you mean, you saw them? CINDY How many were there? LIBBY Did you see the kids? ANA Libby. EKO We need to go. Now. ANA All right. We're moving out. Now. INT. TENT -- DAY SHANNON and SAYID lounge after sex. SHANNON So, does all this -- the tent, flowers -- mean that we're serious now? SAYID Quite definitely not. I do this for all the girls I meet on deserted islands.
SHANNON (laughing) Don't go anywhere. SAYID Where are you going? SHANNON To get some water. SAYID Let me. I'll be right back. SAYID exits. A gust of apparent wind extinguishes the candle in the tent. SHANNON That was quick. WALT, soaking wet, speaking backwards. SHANNON screams. COMMERCIAL EXT. ISLAND BEACH -- DAY SHANNON on the beach, SAYID comes out of the tent. SAYID There's nothing -- no one there. SHANNON I am telling you I saw Walt. SAYID It was a dream, Shannon. SHANNON He was here. I saw him. He went into the tent. SAYID I was only gone a few moments. You must have fallen asleep. SHANNON This was not a dream! I saw Walt! SAYID (beat) All right. CHARLIE (entering) Hey, what's going on?
SAYID Nothing. It's complicated. SHANNON EXITS, upset. SAYID follows. SAYID (CONT'D) Shannon... CLAIRE (enters with Aaron) What's wrong? CHARLIE Shannon had a nightmare. Why's he up? CLAIRE I woke him. CHARLIE Woke him? CLAIRE I heard screams -- I got worried. Why, would rather I had left him over there alone? CHARLIE You heard screams so woke up the baby and ran toward them? CLAIRE Okay, it sounded like she needed help. CHARLIE Well, he's going to need feeding now. He's going to be up all night and fussy all day. CLAIRE Sorry. CHARLIE Alright, well, no harm done -- give him here then. I got him. CHARLIE takes AARON. CLAIRE is not happy. INT./EXT. TENT -- DAY SHANNON grabs a bag, then exits. SAYID Where are you going?
SHANNON To look for Walt. SAYID I don't think... SHANNON Do you believe me? SAYID Let me come with you. SHANNON That wasn't an answer. Flashback sound FX rises as SHANNON stalks off. EXT. RED LIGHT DISTRICT -- NIGHT SHANNON and DAMON walk down the street. SHANNON tense in an expensive showy dress.DAMON relaxed in black turtleneck. Women display in windows. Haze in the air, suspicious sounds all around. A tall, gorgeous Brazilian prostitute, CHEL, grabs DAMON and kisses him. She wears a pendant featuring a wheel with eight spokes (looks sort of like the wheel of a ship). SHANNON Hey! CHEL (breaking off) Darling! DAMON Been a long time. Shannon, this is Chel. SHANNON stares at CHEL hostile at first, then penetrating. SHANNON You're not a woman. CHEL ("her" Adam's apple bobbing) And you're no lady. But we all like to dress up, so we have that in common. Come inside. SHANNON We're not... DAMON Hush.
SHANNON (whispers to Damon) Why are we doing this? DAMON When you have a problem, you need a specialist. Chel is a specialist. shannon Are we talking about the same problem? DAMON You are a most ungracious girl. I don't know why I try to help you. SHANNON You love me. DAMON (laughs heartily) You're living in a dream world. The sting shows only as a shadow in her eyes. The F/X kicks in. CUT TO: EXT. JUNGLE 2 -- EVENING The Tailenders travel party continues. ANA How much further to their camp? EKO A day -- maybe more, maybe less. ANA Thanks for being so specific. EKO Never having been there, it is difficult to estimate. SAWYER falls to his knees. SAWYER Damn it! LIBBY goes to check his arm. SAWYER (CONT'D) Okay, okay. I'm fine.
LIBBY Let me just take a look at your shoulder. I'll give you a lollipop. SAWYER What, are you a doctor? LIBBY A clinical psychologist. SAWYER You're a shrink? Well, maybe you ought to cheer my shoulder up, Madame Freud? LIBBY How'd you get shot, anyway? SAWYER With a gun. MICHAEL He got shot when they took my kid. SAWYER It's bad, right? LIBBY Yeah, it's bad. But it's not real bad. C'mon, let's go. MICHAEL goes to help SAWYER; he pushes him off. SAWYER I'm fine. Get off. (groans, then to Libby) Where's my lollipop? BERNARD (to Sawyer) Let me give you a hand, okay? SAWYER ignores him. EXT. ISLAND BEACH -- DAY ROSE and HURLEY on the beach doing laundry. HURLEY Um, tell me again why we're doing this here when there's a dryer in the hatch? ROSE I don't like the hatch.
HURLEY Oh. It's because of the doomsday button, isn't it? ROSE I wouldn't know anything about that. HuRLEY Well, I could ask Jack, if you wanted, maybe you could watch the movie. But Jack likes to keep things... well, you know... secret. ROSE I'm sure Jack will tell us what we need to know. HURLEY Uh, yeah. Sure. SHANNON (entering, Sayid hangs back) Hey, do you guys know where Michael and Walt left the stuff they didn't take with them on the raft? HURLEY What kind of stuff? SHANNON Their clothes. HURLEY I think their stuff's still on the beach back where their tent is. SHANNON Thanks. ROSE Poor thing, it can't be easy losing the one person you love on the island. INT. MICHAEL'S TENT -- DAY SHANNON tries to give VINCENT the scent from one of Walt's shirts. SHANNON Here, smell this, that's his, right? Come on, get a good whiff of it. You're always trying to run off and find him. So find him.
VINCENT heads off, SHANNON follows. SAYID follows, at a respectful distance. SHANNON (CONT'D) Good dog. Find Walt. EXT. ISLAND BEACH -- DAY VINCENT leads SHANNON to Boone's grave. COMMERCIAL BREAK NEXT PAGE |
@2005 drabauer
The Society for Lost Studies