TVSquad

i mean, yes, probably. the casmir effect was either directly or indirectly referenced on the show atleast once.
i just checked, its even on the wikipedia page for casmir effect. this is the quote "a Dharma Initiative doctor states that the island exhibits a "natural Casimir effect." now we all know how accurate wikipedia is so its basically a given now.

none the less, i thought the moving the island thing was lame and all references to Casmir effect are pretty lame as well.

I have never understood why this is a problem. Where exactly is it written in stone that the writers of Lost MUST have the entire story, from start to finish entirely written out? Do you also go to an author who is writing mid book and pronounce "If you don't know how this entire story is going to end, you aren't a good writer and you are just making this up!"

I just don't get it.

They had this season planned out, and the last two played out. They have the finale scene in their heads too. Of course they can change the ways until it is shown, but they do have a basic plan.

thinking its lame doesnt mean i think they have no plan (although that is what i think, but thats neither here nor there for this discussion). i just think psuedo-science is lame - either make it magic or make it real. a 'natural casmir effect' is pretty bullshit and i'd rather the island be magic through and through. im still hooked so im watching regardless.

and the few fiction writers i know do have an idea of the story halfway through. my biggest problem is the lack of internal consistency. they 'solve' the problem by claiming it will be explained later but that is just stalling until you can figure out what to say.

Just to let you know... Donnie Darko (which is a highly flawed film once you get past its initial coolness) was not the first to deal with time looping and the such the way it did.

A. It wasn't Dr. Hanso. It was Dr Candle (or what ever name he goes by at the time)
B. It wasn't ever mentioned in an episode.
C. It was mentioned in the Orchid orientation film that was played at the 2007 comic con and shown as a bonus feature on the season 3 DVD set.
http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Orchid_Orientation_Film

Exactly.

Television is not (usually) produced like a novel. The closest things ever come is a solid outline (ala Babylon 5's 5 year arc) or major defining points are set but everything else has room for flexibility in the story.

However the belief that "they are making it up as they go along" is ridiculous. Every story no matter what medium it is in is "made up as the go along."

As a writer I can tell you that most of the time I have no clue as to how my stories or novels are going to end. Even if I do plot them out in advance meticulously, something cool will occur to me in midstream and lead me to a completely different and often much better conclusion than I had originally plotted.

Babylon 5's much-lauded 5 year arc has done more damage than good to appreciation of quality sci-fi television, IMHO, as fanboys now use whether a show's writers have it all planned out in advance or not as the ultimate litmus test of quality. B5 came into existence during a particularly charmed time for genre television, where runs of at least five years were banked on as a given (or seven in the case of ST:TNG shows), whereas Lost could very well have had its plug pulled at the end of the first year.

That the Lost writers can craft a quality show with intricate plotting amid such constant uncertainty is a lot more impressive to me than sticking to a 5-year plan. Even after an extended hiatus they managed to pull me back in, which is more than I can say about the Sopranos.