Lindelof & Cuse talk Claire, Richard Alpert, the Numbers, answers

It's hard to imagine how Lindelof and Cuse do it. Aside from the creative genius it takes to run the show, they've had to work round-the-clock to finish out the season - it's still not in the can yet - and they have to talk to the press constantly, too.

Luckily for us, that means we get to over-analyze an interview they just had with E!Online's Kristen.

On Claire:

C.C.: I think we want the fans to ask, "What's happened to Claire?" I don't think it's "Is she dead?" I think it's like, "Where is she?" and, "What's going on with her?"
D.L.: What's fascinating with Lost is there's a scene where Claire is in the cabin, and she is sitting next to a guy who is dead, and nobody is saying "What's up with that?" They're all asking "Is she dead?" I think the more operative question is "What is dead?" That's a good question to ask, and one you will certainly be asking over the long hiatus.

On Richard Alpert:

C.C.: Does Richard Alpert age? I think it's a good observation to say that Richard Albert has been observed in various time periods looking the same, but I think that's all we want to say at this point in time. However, you will learn a lot more about Richard Alpert as the show goes on. He is going to become more prominent in the future of the show.

On eventually tying up all the loose ends:

C.C.: The great virtue of the end date is that we will start wrapping things up, and we will be trying to tie up all the story threads. [...]
D.L.: There are some questions that are very engaging and interesting, and then there are other questions that we have no interest whatsoever in answering. We call it the midi-chlorian debate, because at a certain point, explaining something mystical demystifies it. To try and have a character come and say, "Here is what the numbers mean," actually makes every usage of the numbers up to that point less interesting.

He's referring to a plot point in the Star Wars prequels in which it's explained that the Force - the great mystical energy that surrounds us all - is actually nothing more than the result of microorganisms found in blood streams. Luckily, Cuse and Lindelof are much better writers than George Lucas had become by that point.

I'm excited that Alpert will be getting an expanded role, or at least an expanded importance. It's sort of similar to what happened to Michael Emerson (Ben) - he was initially hired for just a few episodes, but the inherent coolness of the character and actor led him to have a much bigger presence on the show. One of the reasons we didn't see much Alpert in the beginning of Season 4 was because Nestor Carbonell, the actor, had a major role on CBS's Cane, but that show is now unofficially canceled, freeing the way for Lost. (You can also see more of Carbonell playing the mayor of Gotham City in The Dark Knight.)

As for Claire, Lindelof dropped a conspicuous hint about the finale in his answer: that during the hiatus, we'll spend a lot of time wondering "what is dead." If "dead" means "Claire will still be on the show," then I'd feel better about it.

Again, you can check out the full interview here.

TAGS: Carlton Cuse, Claire, Damon Lindelof, Nestor Carbonell, Richard Alpert, The Numbers
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