So tonight's episode of Lost is the last one finished before the writers strike. We'll now have a mini break and the show will return with five new episodes on April 24.
Let's take this time to talk about one of the past mysteries on the show that has never been explained (yet, anyway): the four-toed statue that some of the islanders found in the season two finale. What the hell was that all about? What did it mean? How come no one has pointed a gun at Ben and asked him, "oh yeah, what the heck is that statue with the toes?" In some ways it's more mysterious and funky than the black smoke and Jacob.
Now Lost producer Damon Lindelof explains why we haven't seen the statue on the show since then.
At the annual Paley Festival being held in Hollywood, CA, Lindelof explains that after ABC saw the episode with the statue, they got a note back from ABC execs saying that they thought it was "too weird." They actually wanted them to change the statue from being four-toed to being six-toed. And yes, like the rest of us, Lindelof has no idea why a six-toed statue is less weird than one with four toes.
So who knows if we'll ever get an answer as to what that was all about. I hope we do, since it was a big event that came in a major episode. Maybe the last line in the series can be Sayid saying "wait a second, we never did find out what that statue was..." And then the screen can fade to black and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin' " can play.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-20-2008 @ 2:33PM
Ryan said...
Has anyone checked if Ben has four toes?
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3-20-2008 @ 2:44PM
mjp said...
THAT was too weird? Dead people walking, lost time, black smoke monsters, disembodied whispers, invisible, possibly time-traveling men in rocking chairs living in creepy moving cabins are okay... But a 4 toed statue... too wacky.
It'll get explained... I'm sure of it.
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3-20-2008 @ 3:32PM
Tim Dorr said...
You're talking about TV execs here. The rules of logic go out the window in their realm.
3-20-2008 @ 2:54PM
Regula said...
I remember reading sometime ago that at comic con damon lindelof said that the 4 toed statue mystery would be solved, and that was after season three ended. If I remember correctly it was supposed to be answered this season but who knows what they chooped out because of the writer's strike so we may never know and honestly everytime I watch that episode and he Sayid Say those famous lines I crack up, and I really wouldnt care if we never find out because there's bigger things to be explained than a statue.
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3-20-2008 @ 2:55PM
Chip Douglas said...
Lindeloff and Cuse have also said that they were going to try and answer all of the mysteries of the island. It is quite possible that they will not answer every one of them. What was the deal with the cow that Lupidis almost ran in to earlier this season? I know they have chickens on the island, but I did not know they had livestock? I also want to know why Alpert does not seem to age.
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3-20-2008 @ 3:10PM
John Howard said...
There was a cow at the communications station where Mikhail was. I assume it wandered off after Locke blew it up.
3-20-2008 @ 8:45PM
Keith McDuffee said...
In one of the Lost podcasts, it was said it was Mikhaik's cow: http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/02/19/lost-audio-podcast-recap-february-19-2008-video/
3-20-2008 @ 3:35PM
Bob said...
that's the four-toe'd foot that's left after the rest of the statue jumped the shark.
damn, i love this show! there are far too many good, juicy little tidbits like this that are just being left behind. Lindelof just thinks it's really funny to add that stuff in. big jerk. ;-)
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3-20-2008 @ 3:56PM
Rocketboy said...
They make it up as they go along...
There, mystery solved.
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3-20-2008 @ 4:00PM
Kim said...
Although things are rarely simple on Lost, the statue could simply be the remnants of a Lost civilization that once populated the island. Right now we only know that the island has been populated since the late 1800's ship wreck of the Black Rock (? hope that's the right name). It would be nice to think that it has been populated since ancient times. Alot of ancient statues have features that are misshapen if not grotesque distortions of human anatomy. A four toed statue would fit right in.
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3-20-2008 @ 4:20PM
ac said...
The four toed statue is suposed to reveal the big truth: They're on Simpson Island!
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3-20-2008 @ 4:46PM
gagan dhillon said...
man now dis is just getting a lot betta den eva bfore...........
i just want answers from ben.....he is d real guy.......he knows a lot a bout d island.......ben rocksss.........losssssttttt forevaaaaaaaaa..........
3-20-2008 @ 5:19PM
Franklin said...
Use a little common sense and imagination here: It's a remnant of an ancient civilization that originally resided on the island. The statue is probably of an anthromorphic animal god, like the kind that the Egyptians idolized.
Remember: When we last saw The Others, they were heading to "The Temple" (whatever that is, it sounds like an ancient setting). Secondly, Charlotte (the redhead from the freighter) is an archeologist. I imagine that it will be next season in which the four-toed statue is answered -- there are probably smaller versions of it throughout the grounds of The Temple.
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3-20-2008 @ 5:30PM
willy the impeached said...
Its almost obvious. If you don't get that this show is about time travel at this point you're probably too dumb to figure out how to change the channel. Baby toe is simply lost in some future evolution.
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3-21-2008 @ 5:54PM
Dave said...
I agree 100%.
3-20-2008 @ 6:03PM
Oreo said...
Wasn't there a minor spoiler for the season saying we will be seeing it again this season?
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3-20-2008 @ 6:53PM
burl said...
check out this take- (adult lang- my favorite blog)
http://what-sucks.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-sucksthings-that-suck-about-lost.html
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3-20-2008 @ 7:17PM
Jussup said...
Wow, a Bob Sassone article that made me smile. Go figure...
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3-20-2008 @ 7:22PM
George Glass said...
I think the four toed statue came from Walt's imagination. Just like he was reading a comic book about a polar bear and a bear appeared, he imagined a statue with the wrong amount of toes (which is the way a kid might draw such a thing.)
Walt has magic powers!!!
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3-20-2008 @ 7:33PM
Marek Hryc said...
I nearly choked of laughter at the Journey reference.
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