YOU'RE LIKE, WHAT AM I WATCHING?

NOTES I TOOK ON THE EXPOSE' COMMENTARY - 8/24/10

- The writers say that the idea for "Expose''' started the first season of Lost, that they thought about that there would be a character like Nikki.

I find that interesting that they pictured one of the characters being an actor as early as the first season, since it fits in with our thoughts about how many things on the show have a staged quality (thinking back to the costumes that "the others" wore and so many off-hand comments that seem to point to showmanship). Considering how often people turn out to be "not what they seem" on Lost or disguised (Ethan? Man in black?), it fits that at least one of the characters would be an actor or acting out a part.

Apparently at the time of the commentary, the writers said they had broken 20 episodes of Expose'. (Eddie Kitsis mentioned at Bumbershoot that the writers had broken several seasons by the end of season 5.) It sounds like a lot of fun, but I think that the sheer number, plus that they're writing them at the same time as Lost, might support my weird theory that Expose' might actually semi-parallel the Lost series or contain clues to it.

- In The Man from Tallahassee, Locke is watching Expose' in his flashback (we mentioned this in other notes as one of our few Expose' sightings)

- Mr. LaShade (name seem sort of similar to LaFleur?) wears a hat with Lando Calrissian colors.

- Lando Calrissian is one of Adam Horowitz's personal heroes, even if he is fictional.

- Edward Kitsis: "And what's funny is that at one point we wanted to do the whole show, so that this scene you're seeing right now was the last scene of the flashback, and you think you are in this really bad--you know, you think, you're like, what am I watching???? She's a stripper who solves crimes? And then at the end you realize it's a TV show, but...we realized that there was too much ground to cover, so..."

Adam Horowitz: "It just became the jumping off point for the story of Nikki and Paulo and what they were going through."

- Howard L. Zuckerman is described by the writers as a "prolific producer" and the "creator of Expose', exec. producer, showrunner, mastermind" (This guy sounds like he has his fingers in all of the pots--also "mastermind"? Zuckerman is a mad genius?)

- Sawyer provides the audience voice.

- About Nikki and Paulo "meeting" at brunch, they say that the mislead in the scene is that this is their first meeting, when actually they know each other and work together. So if we assume that this situation with Nikki and Paulo point to other characters, I'm guessing these are not the only characters who appear to meet for the first time in front of us, but actually already knew each other previously.

- EK: "I'm fooled that they're in love."
AH: "Eddie didn't read the script."

- They mention the influence of one of our favorite topics to digress about, other movies--in this case film noir. They comment how these two have the perfect plan that seems to work out, but then it goes bad.

- Apparently the matrishka doll scene is a Pulp Fiction shoutout (haven't seen it myself). They say that we don't see until the end what was truly important to the characters.

- The challenge of this episode is that all the regular characters are trying to figure out what is going on.

- They say that they purposefully cast suspicion on Sawyer as a mislead.

- Mention of the background characters as "socks" again.

- On Shannon and Boone - "great to get to write for them again" / "Shannon yelling at Boone is always fun to write." They point out that Nikki/Paulo assume that Shannon and Boone are a couple.

- "We always knew we wanted to be back at the day of the crash." (AWESOME!)

- The return of Leslie Arzt

- mention of the characters' greed overcoming them

- They mention that there were other important points that they wished they could have had Nikki/Paulo visit, but they couldn't in the allotted time.

- On flashing off of Nikki and Paulo who appear to be dead. They "seemingly broke one of our rules which was that you only flashback off of living people" / "which, still is true." I was completely unaware of this "rule" before they pointed it out in commentary, but I still can't get over Naomi apparently being dead and having a flashback. They say that they hope to raise questions "What's going on? Are they changing things now? But also leaving a little clue for astute viewers."

- They point out that Sawyer looks around to see what's buried. Character commentary -- conman, knows a thing or two about human nature, realizes "something was buried."

- Talk about bringing back Ethan

- EK & AH met at the University of Wisconsin, so the sweatshirt was a shoutout "to us, really -- a self-indulgent thing that somehow we got away with" "Go Badgers!"

- "I love that Ethan was watching."

- Re: geography matching "We couldn't have a moment between Hurley and --" "Kate, wasn't it?" "Hurley was already standing somewhere because it had been shot two years earlier." "Hurley was where he was."

- More on Pikki's motivations: "They only care about their greed"

- Love for writing Sawyer, Hurley, and Jin scenes

- Jabonees -- a word Damon Lindelof uses, they thought it would be funny

- Dr. Arzt insight: "just a science teacher" "didn't feel that special" "love that he feels that she's impressed" [with his science knowledge]

- The inhaler gag that was cut and spawned many discussions between myself and the few others who care about the inhaler on the Fuselage

- "These characters found things before everyone" / "too focused on their own petty needs" (their undoing)

- They like having Hurley find the script and talk about the Cobra. AH: "I love Hurley's enthusiasm for Expose'."

- "As always, Sawyer is so smart -- he throws them off by finding the walkie-talkie"

- They mention that Arzt makes the Animal Farm reference, and comment that Arzt believes that no one asked Kate and Jack to be leader (i.e. that's not true, someone did? Jacob?)

- Mention of another cut scene where Boone and Locke appear with shovels and everyone in the scene is hiding something (reminiscent of the idea that everyone has secrets)

- Paulo lies to her, but he does it to protect their relationship, because he feels he will lose her.

- Charlie and Sawyer feel guilty for what they did to Sun. Charlie's dilemma: "He knows what he did, and he knows that is causing a misconception in Sun and everyone else." He is forced into the difficult situation of having to confess.

- "whole world going on in this show other than the hour you see"

- They say that the quote "things don't stay buried on this island" is a mislead, because Pikki stay buried.

- EK: "I think that's the main problem with these two. They keep lying and sneaking around, you know, it's unfortunately corrupted their relationship."

- They talk about the set up for the toilet hiding scene, how the first time you watch it it is a joke, but later you find out it has a serious meaning, too. Helpful phrase used to describe watching the same thing twice with more than one meaning: "other story running concurrently."

- Talk about how this is the first time Ben shows Juliet Jack Shepard, who would become so important in her life.

- EK: "Ben's basically in control, is what you have to understand."

- Comment about how Hurley going to Desmond is basically like if Hurley has exhausted all other avenues of investigation and goes to the psychic. I didn't think about how funny this was until it was pointed out -- hilarious and true.

- "It became more and more about our characters who were there all along."

- Vincent knows that Nikki and Paulo are alive, but the rest of the people just think that he's playing.

- Charlie is trying to clear his conscience and confess before he dies.

- Graveyard -- called "Boone (Boon?) Hill"

- EK confirms that this episode was made for obsessed fans (aw, like us! Thanks guys!)

- "I like Hurley being the tough cop here."

- Discussion of her philosophy about the diamonds and how they have no value on the island / "Has she given up hope of leaving?"

- State that if Nikki/Paulo hadn't found the gum, they might have made it

- Missing Thanksgiving scene "sense of -- people who are really sad, and they're missing their lives, and starting to question what they're doing and -- that's the tragedy we were trying to go for here." (sad)

- Say that the book Sawyer is reading is Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie (link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_Under_the_Sun). Title-wise, another reference to a Sun! Although this quote is likely a coincidence, I like this description that Wikipedia says that reviewer Maurice Willson Disher gave to the novel: Miss Christie casts the shadow of guilt upon first one and then another with such casual ease that it is difficult for the reader not to be led by the nose. Everybody is well aware that any character most strongly indicated is not a likely criminal; yet this guiding principle is forgotten when Miss Christie persuades you that you are more discerning than you really are. Then she springs her secret like a land-mine.

- Tough Sun is awesome and doesn't let Sawyer get away with anything. (Totally agree)

- Hurley is the one who leads in Jack's absence. Hurley is "always the optimist" and "looking for good things to say even though he thinks they killed each other" for greed

- If you put together the end with what you saw in the beginning that made no sense, it comes together.

- Paulo really loves her.

- Damon Lindelof came up with the idea to bury them alive. "Don't worry.You will not be buried alive because of a spider." Phew! Promise?

- Carlton = monster = Carson = Ted Danson (aw, sweet, little gifts at the end for listening all the way through)

- The writers play a lot of competitive ping-pong, and Damon is quite good. "Write what you know" "Ping-pong, burying people alive." "That's what we do at Lost" Ahaha.

- Maybe we'll find out the makings of the Cobra.