The Lost Room on SciFi today.

[blockaderunner]

I'm watching it now. The first time since it first came out. I have to say it's good. Almost too good for the Mansquito and "White guys with night vision cameras shooting up their noses in the dark while they say 'what was that?' every 3 seconds" channel. Like many of you, I was hoping it would have gone to series.

But looking at it now, and knowing how most series with a mystery arc turns out, I think it should be let be. Here's why.


What made the miniseries work for me was that the antagonist, thrown into a fantastic premise, had a very human motivation. He wasn't worried about the nature of the Room or the Objects or the Event that started it all. He was trying to find his daughter. As a dad, I can identify with that. How can a human premise like that or any could be stretched out as a long series?

Most likely the main premise of a series would be for a protagonist (not the one from the mini. His goal was to find his kid) to find the various objects before one or several protagonists find them. That sounds alot like Friday The 13th: The Series and that could get old reeeeeal fast.

The mystery of the Lost Room is probably the best set up of a mystery I've ever seen before Lost came along. Over the course of a series, as an explanation of the nature of the Room, the Event, and the Objects are revealed, that cool mystery won't be as cool anymore and an inevitable finale would end up pissing off everyone.


That being said, The Lost Room was a great one shot, but that's about it.

 

[Harvey]

I'd go for another miniseries, but that's mostly because I thought the concept was fun and I enjoy Peter Krause.

 

[blockaderunner]

Actually, the occasional mini would be nice. It can stretch it out without wearing it out. Maybe have a different lead with the same supporting cast.

While we are on the subject, here's my one and only theory of the whole shebang, ready to have holes punched into it.

I think the Event was caused by a combination of private industries the U.S. government. Their objective was to prove the existence of some kind of intelligent force governing the universe, conducting their experiment in a nondescript hotel room in the middle of nowhere. They succeeded, but with serious consequences. In trying to bring this force into our reality, they essentially shattered it and its pieces fused with the various objects in the room. In other words, they broke God, and its primary essence, its soul, if you will, fusing with the Occupant, the Prime Object. When brought together, these Objects will bring back the being of this force and probably allow those who found them to control it. As to the other theories like why the Objects don't work in the room, I'm still working on that.


Does anyone know if it's out on DVD yet?

 

[Harvey]

It is out on DVD--I rented it some time ago and watched it with my mum. She enjoyed it.

I can't really speculate about the event. The details in the miniseries are too thin, and it's been too long since I've seen it.

 

[Lindley]

Up until a few months ago, I was really hoping that "The Event" and "The Incident" on Lost were one in the same.

Ben's talk about a "magic box" that Locke's father came out of was rather reminiscent.....

 

[hyzmarca]

It would make sense for the series to be primilary about Joe Miller dealing with the consequences of his decision to take The Occupant's place, how his immortality affects his life, the fact that there are now multiple powerful yet not-quite-sane conspiracies after him, and that he can feel the other Objects no matter what they are, and is drawn to them.

Miller may be invulnerable now, but he's not invincible, and his greatest weakness is his daughter. The cabals know this, and would happily use her to get to him. There is no one they can go back to a normal life now.

 

[Praetor]

I'd go for another miniseries, but that's mostly because I thought the concept was fun and I enjoy Peter Krause.

Me too.

 

[js]

Agreed this mini was way too good for the SyFy Channel. I wish it had gone to series, but oh well...

I really should buy this dvd at some point.

 

[CommodoreKong]

I loved the Lost Room and would take anything else at this point, a mini or a show, but I'm not holding my breath. Still what we got was one of the best miniseries ever made, and I can enjoy it on DVD whenever I want.

Honestly leaving the Room and the Event a mystery is probably for the best.

 

[Kaijima]

The core mystery of the Lost Room that isn't fully explained at the end is very alluring and elegant, and I always liked the Twilight Zone-esque thematic device of setting these strange events in middle American iconic locations rather than in some science fiction or fantasy world.

I vote for a sequel miniseries dealing with Joe's post-immortality trials and troubles, though maybe with a secondary lead character woven into the story to act as a hook to spin off another miniseries later that doesn't have to star Joe - Joe's great and all, but it would wear out the character and the mystery of the Room itself is strengthened it's clear that it's a world-wide phenemonon that is affecting countless people's lives.

In fact I wouldn't mind it if Joe became a shadowy, mysterious figure - "the Motel Man" - who is always on the move, but might appear from time to time to help people who are either trying to escape from danger related to the Objects and the conspiracies surrounding them, or to hinder those who are up to no good.