Miles Straume
Encyclopedia
Miles Straume is a fictional character
played by Ken Leung
on the ABC
television series Lost
. Miles is introduced early in the fourth season
as a hotheaded and sarcastic medium
as a crew member aboard the freighter called the Kahana that is offshore the island where most of Lost takes place. Miles arrives on the island and is eventually taken captive by John Locke
(played by Terry O'Quinn
), who suspects that those on the freighter are there to harm his fellow crash survivors of Oceanic Airlines
Flight 815 and expose the island to the general public. Miles is on a mission to obtain Ben Linus (Michael Emerson
); instead, he tries to cut a deal with Ben to lie to Miles's employer Charles Widmore
(Alan Dale
) that Ben is dead.
The writers created the role of Miles specifically for Leung after seeing him guest star on The Sopranos
. Leung was the only actor to read for the part. They chose his name because it resembles "maelstrom
", another word for a powerful whirlpool. Reaction to the character has been positive.
and develops his ability so that he can access specific information from the deceased. In early December 2004, when he is twenty-seven years old, Miles is hired for $1.6 million by Charles Widmore to go on a freighter called the Kahana to an uncharted island to retrieve a mass murderer named Ben Linus, as Widmore believes that Miles will be able to communicate with those whom he had killed and gain information regarding his location. Before he leaves, Miles is briefly abducted by Bram (Brad William Henke
) and his team. Bram claims to know about Miles's father and the source of his superpower and he warns Miles not to go on this mission, instead trying to convince Miles to join him.
Flight 815, who are believed to be dead by the world at large. Hostile and distrustful of the survivors for killing his colleague Naomi Dorrit (Marsha Thomason
), Miles is taken prisoner by 815 survivor John Locke
(Terry O'Quinn
) and kept in a boathouse near a Barracks on the island. The next day, Miles temporarily escapes and bargains with Ben, who has also been taken prisoner: Miles will tell Widmore that Ben is dead in exchange for $3.2 million, double what Widmore was paying him. The Barracks are ransacked on December 27 by a mercenary team from the freighter, who murder six people. Miles leaves with Sawyer, Claire and Aaron for their beach camp. On the way, Miles stumbles upon the dead bodies of Karl and Danielle Rosseau. Later that night Claire disappears into the jungle and Sawyer initially blames Miles.
Miles arrives on December 30, shortly before eight are rescued not far from the island, the freighter explodes and the mercenary team is killed by the Others, the island's indigenous people under Ben's leadership. Also that day, Ben moves the island through spacetime by turning a large frozen donkey wheel underground.
(Jeremy Davies
), none of the past is changed because their suddenly appearing in various times is what had always happened. The survivors settle in 1974, by which point only Miles, Faraday, former Other Juliet Burke
(Elizabeth Mitchell
) and 815 passengers James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway
) and Jin Kwon
(Daniel Dae Kim) remain; Rose Henderson
(L. Scott Caldwell
), Bernard Nadler
(Sam Anderson
) and Vincent the dog (Pono) also survive, but they are physically separated and do not meet any of them again for three years until July 1977. Miles and his group move into the Barracks and pseudonymously join the DHARMA Initiative
, an organization conducting scientific research while living there that would eventually be purged in 1992 by Ben and the Others. Despite the option to board the DHARMA submarine and "go back to the real world", the survivors from 2004 stay on the island together in the hope that they can somehow return to the time that they knew. Miles becomes a security officer. He discovers that his mother and father Dr. Pierre Chang live on the island as part of DHARMA and his father is even the man in the organization's station-specific orientation films; however, Miles does not approach or befriend his father, continuing to harbor resentment for his absence from much of Miles's life.
In July 1977, both thirty-year old security officer Miles and three-month old infant Miles are living on the island. Four survivors, Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sayid from Flight 815 who had been rescued nearly three years earlier on December 30, 2004 arrive on the island in 1977 after flying near the island in late 2007 and also join DHARMA, Sayid being a prisoner on suspicion of being an Other. Miles still stays distant from his father, but, after talking to Hurley during a late-night chore, witnesses a peaceful moment between his younger self and his father. Three days later, the groups from the future are exposed as liars. The next morning, Faraday comes clean to Chang that they are from the future and warns of a catastrophic "incident" that is due to occur at the building site for the Swan, DHARMA's planned island station dedicated to electromagnetism. He instructs Chang to evacuate the island of non-essential personnel, which he does, ordering his wife and baby Miles to leave him, shortly after finding out that adult Miles is his son and confronting him about it. Here, Miles realizes that he himself caused his father to order his mother and his three-month old self to leave. Faraday theorizes that if "Jughead" – a hydrogen bomb that is buried on the island – is detonated at the Swan site by the underground electromagnetic pocket of energy, the timeline will be altered, preventing any of the group from the future from ever having come to the island in 2004, saving everyone who had died after they arrived. The plan proceeds as planned, even though Miles expresses skepticism. The antagonistic DHARMA members engage in a gunfight with Jack, believing him to be an Other, and Miles, Sawyer, Juliet, and Kate come to his aid. When the Swan site goes haywire, Chang's arm is caught in the debris and Miles rushes to his side, saving him and calling him "Dad". After he tells his father to run as far as possible from the site, the bomb is detonated and everything goes to white, leaving Miles's status uncertain.
of Season 6, Miles is revealed to have been returned to the future along with the other survivors. When Kate, Jack, Hurley and Jin go to the temple to save Sayid, Sawyer asks Miles to remain behind to help bury the now-deceased Juliet and to use his power to find out what she was trying to tell him before she died. He reluctantly agrees, and after a few seconds, tells Sawyer "it worked."
He and Sawyer are captured shortly after by the Others. At this band of Others' headquarter, the Temple, he stays with Hurley, Jack, and Sayid, while Kate, Jin, and Sawyer escape. A few days later, after Jack and Hurley too escape, Miles is left behind with the "infected" Sayid and the Others when Claire Littleton
, too "infected," shows up to talk to the Others' spokesperson, Dogen (Hiroyuki Sanada
). Kate, meanwhile, returns, hoping to find Claire. Miles tells her Claire is held hostage. Later that night, the Man in Black
, in the form of the Smoke Monster
, ravages the Temple, killing anyone in its path. Miles and Kate flee but get separated; Miles shuts himself in a room, until Ilana, Frank Lapidus
, Sun-Hwa Kwon, and Ben burst in to help him. They go through a secret passageway safely just as the Smoke Monster enters the room.
Miles uses his gift of medium to discover how Jacob died, and revealed to Ilana that Ben killed him. They arrive at the beach where the Oceanic Flight 815 survivors spent their struggle for survival, using it as shelter. When confronting Ben later, Miles refuses the offered $3.2 million
in exchange for freeing Ben from Ilana. Ben is spared, however, and Miles then digs up Nikki and Paulo
's diamonds where they had been buried with them to compensate for his lack of money on the Island.
When Hurley, Jack, and Richard join their group, Miles is particularly happy to greet Hurley. A few days later, Richard decides their mission is to stop the Man in Black from escaping; they are to destroy the Ajira Airways Flight 316 on the other Island, dubbed "Hydra Island," so that the Man in Black stays trapped in the area. However, Hurley destroys the remaining dynamite from an old ship shipwrecked on the Island, thinking it will save everyone. An irate Richard and Hurley split the group up: one will go talk to the Man in Black, led by Hurley, while the other will search for more explosives, led by Richard. Miles decides to follow Richard and Ben, telling Hurley that he has seen "that thing
in action," and that it doesn't want to talk.
Miles, Richard, and Ben go back to the barracks to get some C4 that Ben secretly kept in his closet behind the bookcase. When they get there Miles hears the screams of someone who has died. Richard says it is Ben's daughter Alex and says he buried her there after they left. They get the C4 but when they come out they are confronted by Widmore and his geologist Zoe. Widmore says he needs a hiding place because the monster was coming. Ben reluctantly says he can hide in his secret room. When The Man in Black comes Richard says he can talk to it, claiming all he wants is for Richard to join him. Ben goes with him but Miles; saying he is sticking to surviving, decides to leave them and run back into the jungle.
He then finds Richard Alpert in the jungle and radio's Ben on a walkie talkie that he gave him. When Richard gets up he says to Miles that they need to get back to Hydra Island and destroy the plane with the C4 that they still have; saying they have to finish what they started.
Miles and Richard get to the boat they left at the dock. As they are undocking the boat he reveals to Richard that he is starting to age. When they are rowing to Hydra Island they spot Frank Lapidus drifting in the water in life vests. When they get him on the boat Frank proposes they leave the island on the plane before The Man in black comes. Richard and Miles agree. Miles then radio's Ben again, saying they have made it to Hydra Island and about his plan about the plane. As he is talking though Claire comes out from the bushes and shoots two warning shots to tell them not to come closer. Richard manages to calm her down but she refuses to go on the plane with them. Miles radio's a third time. Kate picks up. He says to her they are patching up the plane and getting ready to take off. He tells Kate about Claire not wanting to come with them. Kate then smashes the radio she has. Miles asks Frank how the plane was doing. Frank says he has to check the electrical outlet before they take off. Frank tells Miles to patch up the hydraulics of the plane. Miles goes off with two slips of paper and tape. Miles fixes the hydraulics with Richard. Richard tells him if he can fix it. Miles claims he does not believe in a lot of things, but he does believe in duct tape. Miles and Richard then rejoin Frank in the cockpit.
With Richard and Miles in the cockpit Frank manages to turn the plane on the third time he tried to turn it on. Miles heads to the back to watch out for Sawyer and the others who want to come. Miles announces they are clear for take off. Miles closes the door to the plane. Frank then tells Richard and Miles to open the door back up again when he sees Kate and Sawyer. Miles opens the door and lets in Kate, Sawyer and Claire. After that Miles sits in the back with the others. Miles and the others smile at the sight of the island getting smaller and smaller in the distance.
, he is an officer of the LAPD
along with his partner, James Ford. A comment by Miles indicates that his father is still alive in this reality, working at a museum with Charlotte, who Miles sets up on a blind date with Ford. Although working well with James, Miles feels he lacks trust from him. He later gains access to James' credit card account and learns his partner did not go to Palm Springs
like he said, instead going to Australia. Angrily demanding answers, Miles make James eventually informing him of Anthony Cooper
's con. Miles objects to James' intention to kill Cooper, until a car crashes into theirs. The two cops pursue the hit-and-run driver, who is revealed to be Kate
.
After receiving a surveillance tape showing Sayid Jarrah
leaving the scene of a crime
, Miles informs James of this and together they go to the location of Sayid's whereabout, the home of his sister-in-law, Nadia. While Miles blocks the front door, James catches Sayid and arrests him at the back.
). But he, too, is disrespectful of Naomi after she dies, telling Kate, "Sure I'm affected [by Naomi's death]. She was hot and I dug her accent." Upon learning that Miles has been captured by Locke, Frank informs Sayid that "that guy's nothing but a pain in my ass."
Miles sarcastically nicknames his acquaintances, prompting critics, fans and characters to compare him to the character Sawyer and give him a nickname of his own: "mini-Sawyer". Ken Leung claims that he is often approached by people who like the character and he assumes that it is because of Miles's "sardonic wit" and "devil-may-care sort of attitude." Leung surmised that "Usually when people are like that, just … kind of throwing off quick [and] quirky remarks … they're hiding something, so he's definitely hiding something." Asked if Miles is much like him, Leung responded with "I don't think I'm that similar. Um, I don't know—I guess I have moments." Leung said that "Miles doesn't know how to be social, which is great, because I don't know how to be social." He has also stated that Miles "trust[s] the dead more than the living" and is intrigued as to whom Miles grieves for. Leung stated that "He seems haunted by something, that—that's for sure … one of the first thoughts I had [was that his] communication with the dead … can't be a great thing … it's not a happy skill to have."
Both Miles and Hurley can speak to the dead—a similarity noted by Hurley; however, their manners of communication vary. While Miles is able to access a person's mind as it was before death, Hurley physically interacts with apparitions of the deceased. Executive producer/writer Edward Kitsis
has commented that "they both have unique abilities, and that very question of how they differ may be explored by the end of the series."
" aired, Lost' s co-creator Damon Lindelof
met with fellow executive producer/writer/show runner Carlton Cuse
and said that "there's an actor on th[e] show [last night]—I'm not going to tell you who he is—and I wonder if he has the same impression on you that he had on me". Cuse correctly guessed Ken Leung, who had guest starred as one-time character Carter Chong, a young and angry mental patient. In mid-May, they contacted Leung's agent and were informed in July that he was available and interested in working on Lost. To limit the leak of spoiler
s, Lindelof and Cuse auditioned Leung with a character and scene created specifically for the audition that would not be used in the show but was "analogous to the role [that they] really want[ed]." Leung believed that he was auditioning for the role of Russell, a "brilliant mathematician" in his late thirties with immense knowledge across various scientific fields, limited social skills and broken personal relationships. Leung was the only actor who tried out for this part, as writers had written the role of Miles for him; had he not accepted the job, the character would have been completely rewritten. The name Miles Straume was simply chosen because the writers thought that "it would be cool if his name sounded like 'maelstrom' ".
Leung relocated from New York to where the show is filmed in Oahu, Hawaii, which Leung described as "so dreamy". He was initially contracted as a guest star with "potential regular status in [the] future", which came to fruition. At first, Leung struggled with the show's secrecy, not knowing much about his character's background or motivations, but he found some understanding with his character's clothing. Costume designer Roland Sanchez based Miles's wardrobe choice after that of The Rolling Stones
member Keith Richards
; specifically a picture in which he wore a sleeveless vest. Sanchez believed that Miles fit the haggard look and bought an Armani Exchange jacket, cropped the sleeves and added a hood.
The writers planned for the ninth or tenth episode of the fourth season to focus on Miles's backstory; however, this was pushed back to the thirteenth episode of the fifth season as a result
of the Writers Guild of America strike
. The revelation that Miles is Chang's son was not confirmed until Miles's flashback episode; however, this plot point had been speculated by the Internet fan community as early as Miles's first appearance on the show. Further speculation occurred following the broadcast of the fifth season premiere
, in which Chang was seen tending to a baby boy. This influenced the way that it was revealed in the show, as the writers looked for a way to present the information in a way that would both be interesting to those who had not guessed it and not insulting to viewers who had been predicting it. What resulted was Miles and Hurley discussing Chang with Miles plainly saying, "That douche is my dad" before a cut to a commercial break.
Asian Excellence Award in the Supporting Television Actor category, but he lost to Rex Lee
, who plays Lloyd on HBO's Entourage
. According to Jon Lachonis of UGO, Miles and the other new characters have been well received by fans. Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune said that Leung is "terrifically intense" in his portrayal. Paige Albiniak of the New York Post
praised the cast addition. Diane Werts of Newsday
thought that "Ken Leung and Michael Emerson may be the two current most interesting actors in this mix". Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger
commented that "Miles the dustbusting ghostbuster is easily my favorite [of the characters introduced in 'Confirmed Dead'] … why not throw in a medium [among the show's science fiction phemonena] … I love the sarcastic energy he brings. Sawyer and Ben can't be the only ones getting the good one-liners". After Miles' introduction in the second episode
of the fourth season, Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly
wrote that Leung made "a strong impression" and was well cast. Chris Carabott of IGN
stated that "Leung does an adequate job of getting Miles' arrogant brand of confidence across."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
played by Ken Leung
Ken Leung
Kenneth "Ken" Leung is an American actor best known for his role as Miles Straume in the ABC television series Lost and roles in such films as Shanghai Kiss, Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Saw.-Early life:...
on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
. Miles is introduced early in the fourth season
Lost (season 4)
The fourth season of the American serial drama television series Lost commenced airing on the American Broadcasting Company Network in the United States, and on CTV in Canada on January 31, 2008 and concluded on May 29, 2008...
as a hotheaded and sarcastic medium
Mediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
as a crew member aboard the freighter called the Kahana that is offshore the island where most of Lost takes place. Miles arrives on the island and is eventually taken captive by John Locke
John Locke (Lost)
John Locke is a fictional character played by Terry O'Quinn on the ABC television series Lost. He is named after English philosopher John Locke...
(played by Terry O'Quinn
Terry O'Quinn
Terry O'Quinn is an American actor, most famous for playing John Locke on the TV series Lost. He made his debut in a 1980 television movie called F.D.R.: The Last Year. Since then, O'Quinn has had minor supporting roles in films and TV movies such as Young Guns, All the Right Moves, Silver Bullet,...
), who suspects that those on the freighter are there to harm his fellow crash survivors of Oceanic Airlines
Oceanic Airlines
Oceanic Airlines and less frequently Oceanic Airways are fictional airlines used in several films and television programs.The most famous use of this brand is in the TV show Lost, where Oceanic Airlines is featured branded with a highly-stylized logo depicting an Aboriginal dot painting that...
Flight 815 and expose the island to the general public. Miles is on a mission to obtain Ben Linus (Michael Emerson
Michael Emerson
Michael Emerson is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his roles as Benjamin Linus on Lost and fictional serial killer William Hinks in The Practice.-Early life:...
); instead, he tries to cut a deal with Ben to lie to Miles's employer Charles Widmore
Charles Widmore
Charles Widmore is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost, which chronicles the lives of over forty people after their plane crashes on a remote island somewhere in the south Pacific. He is primarily portrayed as an older man by Alan Dale; Tom Connolly and David S...
(Alan Dale
Alan Dale
Alan Hugh Dale is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale developed a love of theatre and also became a rugby player. After retiring from the sport he took on a number of professions to support his family, before deciding to become a professional actor at the age of 27. With work limited in New...
) that Ben is dead.
The writers created the role of Miles specifically for Leung after seeing him guest star on The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
. Leung was the only actor to read for the part. They chose his name because it resembles "maelstrom
Maelstrom
A maelstrom is a very powerful whirlpool; a large, swirling body of water. A free vortex, it has considerable downdraft. The power of tidal whirlpools tends to be exaggerated by laymen. There are virtually no stories of large ships ever being sucked into a maelstrom, although smaller craft are in...
", another word for a powerful whirlpool. Reaction to the character has been positive.
Arc
Miles was born in March 1977. As a child, he lives with his mother Lara Chang (Leslie Ishii) in Encino, California. Miles does not know his father, only being told by his mother that he is dead and did not care about them when he was alive, forcing them to leave him when Miles is a baby. Miles resents his father for never having been around and also has disdain for other fathers who mistreat their children. At seven years old, Miles discovers that he can hear the thoughts from before their death of those who are dead. He becomes a professional spiritualistSpiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
and develops his ability so that he can access specific information from the deceased. In early December 2004, when he is twenty-seven years old, Miles is hired for $1.6 million by Charles Widmore to go on a freighter called the Kahana to an uncharted island to retrieve a mass murderer named Ben Linus, as Widmore believes that Miles will be able to communicate with those whom he had killed and gain information regarding his location. Before he leaves, Miles is briefly abducted by Bram (Brad William Henke
Brad William Henke
Brad William Henke is an American actor.-Biography:Henke was born in Columbus, Nebraska. He starred in October Road and in the movies Around June with Samaire Armstrong and Jon Gries, The Amateurs with Jeff Bridges and Tim Blake Nelson, In the Valley of Elah with Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize...
) and his team. Bram claims to know about Miles's father and the source of his superpower and he warns Miles not to go on this mission, instead trying to convince Miles to join him.
Season 4
Miles is flown via helicopter from the freighter to the island on December 21 as part of a science team. The next day on the island, Miles encounters the survivors of the September 22 Oceanic AirlinesOceanic Airlines
Oceanic Airlines and less frequently Oceanic Airways are fictional airlines used in several films and television programs.The most famous use of this brand is in the TV show Lost, where Oceanic Airlines is featured branded with a highly-stylized logo depicting an Aboriginal dot painting that...
Flight 815, who are believed to be dead by the world at large. Hostile and distrustful of the survivors for killing his colleague Naomi Dorrit (Marsha Thomason
Marsha Thomason
Marsha Lisa Thomason is an English actress, who is known in the United States for playing Nessa Holt in the first two seasons of the NBC series Las Vegas, for her recurring role on ABC's Lost as Naomi Dorrit, and for playing FBI agent Diana Berrigan on USA Network's White Collar.-Early...
), Miles is taken prisoner by 815 survivor John Locke
John Locke (Lost)
John Locke is a fictional character played by Terry O'Quinn on the ABC television series Lost. He is named after English philosopher John Locke...
(Terry O'Quinn
Terry O'Quinn
Terry O'Quinn is an American actor, most famous for playing John Locke on the TV series Lost. He made his debut in a 1980 television movie called F.D.R.: The Last Year. Since then, O'Quinn has had minor supporting roles in films and TV movies such as Young Guns, All the Right Moves, Silver Bullet,...
) and kept in a boathouse near a Barracks on the island. The next day, Miles temporarily escapes and bargains with Ben, who has also been taken prisoner: Miles will tell Widmore that Ben is dead in exchange for $3.2 million, double what Widmore was paying him. The Barracks are ransacked on December 27 by a mercenary team from the freighter, who murder six people. Miles leaves with Sawyer, Claire and Aaron for their beach camp. On the way, Miles stumbles upon the dead bodies of Karl and Danielle Rosseau. Later that night Claire disappears into the jungle and Sawyer initially blames Miles.
Miles arrives on December 30, shortly before eight are rescued not far from the island, the freighter explodes and the mercenary team is killed by the Others, the island's indigenous people under Ben's leadership. Also that day, Ben moves the island through spacetime by turning a large frozen donkey wheel underground.
Season 5
The group on the beach begin flashing through time, landing in fourteen different times throughout the Island's past and future in the span of about a week before the wheel is turned again; however, according to fellow freighter science team member physicist Daniel FaradayDaniel Faraday
Dr. Daniel Faraday, often referred to as Dan or simply by his surname, Faraday, is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Jeremy Davies. Faraday is introduced in the season four premiere as a physicist, suffering from memory loss, and is part of the team aboard the ...
(Jeremy Davies
Jeremy Davies (actor)
Jeremy Davies is an American film and television actor. He is known for portraying the interpreter Cpl. Timothy E. Upham in the film Saving Private Ryan and the physicist Daniel Faraday on the television series Lost. He most recently appeared in the FX series, Justified, as Dickie Bennett.-Early...
), none of the past is changed because their suddenly appearing in various times is what had always happened. The survivors settle in 1974, by which point only Miles, Faraday, former Other Juliet Burke
Juliet Burke
Dr. Juliet Burke is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Elizabeth Mitchell. Her character was introduced in the third season premiere.- Prior to arrival on the island :...
(Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth Mitchell , is an American actress/modelwho is known for her roles as Dr. Juliet Burke on ABC's TV series Lost and as FBI agent Erica Evans on V. She has starred in such films as The Santa Clause 2, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, and Gia.-Early life:Mitchell was born Elizabeth...
) and 815 passengers James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway
Josh Holloway
Joshua Lee "Josh" Holloway is an American actor and model from Free Home, Georgia. He is best known for his role as James "Sawyer" Ford on the American television show Lost.-Early life:...
) and Jin Kwon
Jin-Soo Kwon
Jin-Soo Kwon, better known as "Jin," is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Daniel Dae Kim.- Prior to the crash :...
(Daniel Dae Kim) remain; Rose Henderson
Rose and Bernard
Rose Nadler and Bernard Nadler are fictional characters on the American Broadcasting Company television series Lost, played by L. Scott Caldwell and Sam Anderson respectively. Rose and Bernard visit a faith healer on their honeymoon in Australia, in the hope of healing Rose's cancer...
(L. Scott Caldwell
L. Scott Caldwell
Laverne Scott Caldwell is an American actress known for her role as Rose on Lost.This Chicago native started her career in 1978 as a member of the famed Negro Ensemble Company, making her Broadway debut two years later in the Tony Award nominated play Home...
), Bernard Nadler
Rose and Bernard
Rose Nadler and Bernard Nadler are fictional characters on the American Broadcasting Company television series Lost, played by L. Scott Caldwell and Sam Anderson respectively. Rose and Bernard visit a faith healer on their honeymoon in Australia, in the hope of healing Rose's cancer...
(Sam Anderson
Sam Anderson
Sam Anderson is an American actor.-Early life:Anderson was born in Wahpeton, North Dakota. He is a graduate of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. During the 1970s, Sam taught drama at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California.-Career:Anderson is perhaps best known for his roles...
) and Vincent the dog (Pono) also survive, but they are physically separated and do not meet any of them again for three years until July 1977. Miles and his group move into the Barracks and pseudonymously join the DHARMA Initiative
DHARMA Initiative
The Dharma Initiative, also written DHARMA , was a fictional research project featured in the television series Lost. It was introduced in the second season episode "Orientation". In 2008, the Dharma Initiative website was launched. Dharma's interests were directly connected with fringe science...
, an organization conducting scientific research while living there that would eventually be purged in 1992 by Ben and the Others. Despite the option to board the DHARMA submarine and "go back to the real world", the survivors from 2004 stay on the island together in the hope that they can somehow return to the time that they knew. Miles becomes a security officer. He discovers that his mother and father Dr. Pierre Chang live on the island as part of DHARMA and his father is even the man in the organization's station-specific orientation films; however, Miles does not approach or befriend his father, continuing to harbor resentment for his absence from much of Miles's life.
In July 1977, both thirty-year old security officer Miles and three-month old infant Miles are living on the island. Four survivors, Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sayid from Flight 815 who had been rescued nearly three years earlier on December 30, 2004 arrive on the island in 1977 after flying near the island in late 2007 and also join DHARMA, Sayid being a prisoner on suspicion of being an Other. Miles still stays distant from his father, but, after talking to Hurley during a late-night chore, witnesses a peaceful moment between his younger self and his father. Three days later, the groups from the future are exposed as liars. The next morning, Faraday comes clean to Chang that they are from the future and warns of a catastrophic "incident" that is due to occur at the building site for the Swan, DHARMA's planned island station dedicated to electromagnetism. He instructs Chang to evacuate the island of non-essential personnel, which he does, ordering his wife and baby Miles to leave him, shortly after finding out that adult Miles is his son and confronting him about it. Here, Miles realizes that he himself caused his father to order his mother and his three-month old self to leave. Faraday theorizes that if "Jughead" – a hydrogen bomb that is buried on the island – is detonated at the Swan site by the underground electromagnetic pocket of energy, the timeline will be altered, preventing any of the group from the future from ever having come to the island in 2004, saving everyone who had died after they arrived. The plan proceeds as planned, even though Miles expresses skepticism. The antagonistic DHARMA members engage in a gunfight with Jack, believing him to be an Other, and Miles, Sawyer, Juliet, and Kate come to his aid. When the Swan site goes haywire, Chang's arm is caught in the debris and Miles rushes to his side, saving him and calling him "Dad". After he tells his father to run as far as possible from the site, the bomb is detonated and everything goes to white, leaving Miles's status uncertain.
Season 6
In the first episodeLA X
"LA X" comprises the 104th and 105th episodes of the American Broadcasting Company's Lost, marking the premiere of the sixth and final season. It was written by show runners/executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and directed by executive producer Jack Bender...
of Season 6, Miles is revealed to have been returned to the future along with the other survivors. When Kate, Jack, Hurley and Jin go to the temple to save Sayid, Sawyer asks Miles to remain behind to help bury the now-deceased Juliet and to use his power to find out what she was trying to tell him before she died. He reluctantly agrees, and after a few seconds, tells Sawyer "it worked."
He and Sawyer are captured shortly after by the Others. At this band of Others' headquarter, the Temple, he stays with Hurley, Jack, and Sayid, while Kate, Jin, and Sawyer escape. A few days later, after Jack and Hurley too escape, Miles is left behind with the "infected" Sayid and the Others when Claire Littleton
Claire Littleton
Claire Littleton is a fictional character played by Emilie de Ravin on the ABC drama television series Lost, which chronicles the lives of the survivors of a plane crash in the South Pacific. Claire is introduced in the pilot episode as a pregnant crash survivor. She is a series regular until her...
, too "infected," shows up to talk to the Others' spokesperson, Dogen (Hiroyuki Sanada
Hiroyuki Sanada
is a Japanese actor.-Life and career:Sanada was born in Tokyo. Originally aiming to be an action star, starting with shorinji kempo, he eventually took up Kyokushin kaikan Sanada began training at age 11 with actor and martial arts star Sonny Chiba's Japan Action Club where he developed good...
). Kate, meanwhile, returns, hoping to find Claire. Miles tells her Claire is held hostage. Later that night, the Man in Black
John Locke (Lost)
John Locke is a fictional character played by Terry O'Quinn on the ABC television series Lost. He is named after English philosopher John Locke...
, in the form of the Smoke Monster
Mythology of Lost
The television show Lost includes a number of mysterious elements that have been ascribed to science fiction or supernatural phenomena, usually concerning coincidences, synchronicity, déjà vu, temporal and spatial anomalies, paradoxes, and other puzzling phenomena...
, ravages the Temple, killing anyone in its path. Miles and Kate flee but get separated; Miles shuts himself in a room, until Ilana, Frank Lapidus
Frank Lapidus
Frank J. Lapidus is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Jeff Fahey. Frank is introduced in the second episode of season four as a pilot hired on a mission to the island where Oceanic Flight 815 crashed. He aids the survivors of the crash against mercenary Martin Keamy ...
, Sun-Hwa Kwon, and Ben burst in to help him. They go through a secret passageway safely just as the Smoke Monster enters the room.
Miles uses his gift of medium to discover how Jacob died, and revealed to Ilana that Ben killed him. They arrive at the beach where the Oceanic Flight 815 survivors spent their struggle for survival, using it as shelter. When confronting Ben later, Miles refuses the offered $3.2 million
Eggtown
"Eggtown" is the fourth episode of the American Broadcasting Company's fourth season of the serial drama television series Lost and 76th episode overall. It was aired on February 21, 2008 on ABC in the United States and on CTV in Canada...
in exchange for freeing Ben from Ilana. Ben is spared, however, and Miles then digs up Nikki and Paulo
Nikki and Paulo
Nikki Fernandez and Paulo are fictional characters on the ABC drama television series Lost, which chronicles the lives of over forty people after their plane crashes on a remote island somewhere in the south Pacific...
's diamonds where they had been buried with them to compensate for his lack of money on the Island.
When Hurley, Jack, and Richard join their group, Miles is particularly happy to greet Hurley. A few days later, Richard decides their mission is to stop the Man in Black from escaping; they are to destroy the Ajira Airways Flight 316 on the other Island, dubbed "Hydra Island," so that the Man in Black stays trapped in the area. However, Hurley destroys the remaining dynamite from an old ship shipwrecked on the Island, thinking it will save everyone. An irate Richard and Hurley split the group up: one will go talk to the Man in Black, led by Hurley, while the other will search for more explosives, led by Richard. Miles decides to follow Richard and Ben, telling Hurley that he has seen "that thing
Man in Black (Lost)
The entity referred to most frequently as the Man in Black is a fictional character on the American ABC television series Lost, and is the main antagonist of the...
in action," and that it doesn't want to talk.
Miles, Richard, and Ben go back to the barracks to get some C4 that Ben secretly kept in his closet behind the bookcase. When they get there Miles hears the screams of someone who has died. Richard says it is Ben's daughter Alex and says he buried her there after they left. They get the C4 but when they come out they are confronted by Widmore and his geologist Zoe. Widmore says he needs a hiding place because the monster was coming. Ben reluctantly says he can hide in his secret room. When The Man in Black comes Richard says he can talk to it, claiming all he wants is for Richard to join him. Ben goes with him but Miles; saying he is sticking to surviving, decides to leave them and run back into the jungle.
He then finds Richard Alpert in the jungle and radio's Ben on a walkie talkie that he gave him. When Richard gets up he says to Miles that they need to get back to Hydra Island and destroy the plane with the C4 that they still have; saying they have to finish what they started.
Miles and Richard get to the boat they left at the dock. As they are undocking the boat he reveals to Richard that he is starting to age. When they are rowing to Hydra Island they spot Frank Lapidus drifting in the water in life vests. When they get him on the boat Frank proposes they leave the island on the plane before The Man in black comes. Richard and Miles agree. Miles then radio's Ben again, saying they have made it to Hydra Island and about his plan about the plane. As he is talking though Claire comes out from the bushes and shoots two warning shots to tell them not to come closer. Richard manages to calm her down but she refuses to go on the plane with them. Miles radio's a third time. Kate picks up. He says to her they are patching up the plane and getting ready to take off. He tells Kate about Claire not wanting to come with them. Kate then smashes the radio she has. Miles asks Frank how the plane was doing. Frank says he has to check the electrical outlet before they take off. Frank tells Miles to patch up the hydraulics of the plane. Miles goes off with two slips of paper and tape. Miles fixes the hydraulics with Richard. Richard tells him if he can fix it. Miles claims he does not believe in a lot of things, but he does believe in duct tape. Miles and Richard then rejoin Frank in the cockpit.
With Richard and Miles in the cockpit Frank manages to turn the plane on the third time he tried to turn it on. Miles heads to the back to watch out for Sawyer and the others who want to come. Miles announces they are clear for take off. Miles closes the door to the plane. Frank then tells Richard and Miles to open the door back up again when he sees Kate and Sawyer. Miles opens the door and lets in Kate, Sawyer and Claire. After that Miles sits in the back with the others. Miles and the others smile at the sight of the island getting smaller and smaller in the distance.
Afterlife
Oceanic Flight 815 does not crash on the Island, resulting in a different background for Miles. Instead of a professional mediumMediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
, he is an officer of the LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
along with his partner, James Ford. A comment by Miles indicates that his father is still alive in this reality, working at a museum with Charlotte, who Miles sets up on a blind date with Ford. Although working well with James, Miles feels he lacks trust from him. He later gains access to James' credit card account and learns his partner did not go to Palm Springs
Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a desert city in CaliforniaPalm Springs may also refer to:* Palm Springs, Florida* Palm Springs, Hong Kong, a residential development in Yuen Long, Hong Kong* Coachella Valley, also known as the Palm Springs area...
like he said, instead going to Australia. Angrily demanding answers, Miles make James eventually informing him of Anthony Cooper
Characters of Lost
The characters from the American drama/adventure television series Lost were created by Damon Lindelof and J. J. Abrams. The series follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island, after a commercial passenger jet crashes somewhere in the South Pacific...
's con. Miles objects to James' intention to kill Cooper, until a car crashes into theirs. The two cops pursue the hit-and-run driver, who is revealed to be Kate
Kate Austen
Katherine Anne "Kate" Austen is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost, played by Canadian actress Evangeline Lilly. She is the de facto female lead...
.
After receiving a surveillance tape showing Sayid Jarrah
Sayid Jarrah
Sayid Hassan Jarrah is a character from the ABC show Lost portrayed by Naveen Andrews.-Season 1:Sayid fixes the transceiver recovered from the cockpit, and leads a group into the jungle in order to send out a distress signal. Instead, he picks up a looping message . He tries to locate the...
leaving the scene of a crime
Sundown (Lost)
"Sundown" is the sixth television episode of the American Broadcasting Company's sixth season of the serial drama television series Lost and 109th episode overall. The episode aired on March 2, 2010 on ABC in the United States...
, Miles informs James of this and together they go to the location of Sayid's whereabout, the home of his sister-in-law, Nadia. While Miles blocks the front door, James catches Sayid and arrests him at the back.
Personality
Miles is hotheaded and initially hostile toward the survivors, after one of them kills his colleague Naomi Dorrit (Marsha ThomasonMarsha Thomason
Marsha Lisa Thomason is an English actress, who is known in the United States for playing Nessa Holt in the first two seasons of the NBC series Las Vegas, for her recurring role on ABC's Lost as Naomi Dorrit, and for playing FBI agent Diana Berrigan on USA Network's White Collar.-Early...
). But he, too, is disrespectful of Naomi after she dies, telling Kate, "Sure I'm affected [by Naomi's death]. She was hot and I dug her accent." Upon learning that Miles has been captured by Locke, Frank informs Sayid that "that guy's nothing but a pain in my ass."
Miles sarcastically nicknames his acquaintances, prompting critics, fans and characters to compare him to the character Sawyer and give him a nickname of his own: "mini-Sawyer". Ken Leung claims that he is often approached by people who like the character and he assumes that it is because of Miles's "sardonic wit" and "devil-may-care sort of attitude." Leung surmised that "Usually when people are like that, just … kind of throwing off quick [and] quirky remarks … they're hiding something, so he's definitely hiding something." Asked if Miles is much like him, Leung responded with "I don't think I'm that similar. Um, I don't know—I guess I have moments." Leung said that "Miles doesn't know how to be social, which is great, because I don't know how to be social." He has also stated that Miles "trust[s] the dead more than the living" and is intrigued as to whom Miles grieves for. Leung stated that "He seems haunted by something, that—that's for sure … one of the first thoughts I had [was that his] communication with the dead … can't be a great thing … it's not a happy skill to have."
Both Miles and Hurley can speak to the dead—a similarity noted by Hurley; however, their manners of communication vary. While Miles is able to access a person's mind as it was before death, Hurley physically interacts with apparitions of the deceased. Executive producer/writer Edward Kitsis
Edward Kitsis
Edward Lawrence Kitsis, also sometimes credited as Eddy Kitsis, is an American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on the popular American television series, Lost and Once Upon a Time.-Life and career:...
has commented that "they both have unique abilities, and that very question of how they differ may be explored by the end of the series."
Development
The day after the April 22, 2007 episode of The Sopranos titled "Remember WhenRemember When (The Sopranos episode)
"Remember When" is the eightieth episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos. It is the third episode of the second half of the show's sixth season, the fifteenth episode of the season overall. It was written by Terence Winter and was directed by Phil Abraham...
" aired, Lost
Damon Lindelof
Damon Laurence Lindelof is an American television writer and executive, most recently noted as the co-creator and executive producer for the television series Lost. He has written for and produced Crossing Jordan, and wrote for Nash Bridges, Wasteland, and the MTV anthology series Undressed...
met with fellow executive producer/writer/show runner Carlton Cuse
Carlton Cuse
Carlton Cuse is an AmericanEmmy Award winning screenwriter and producer, most famous as executive producer andscreenwriter for the American television series Lost for...
and said that "there's an actor on th[e] show [last night]—I'm not going to tell you who he is—and I wonder if he has the same impression on you that he had on me". Cuse correctly guessed Ken Leung, who had guest starred as one-time character Carter Chong, a young and angry mental patient. In mid-May, they contacted Leung's agent and were informed in July that he was available and interested in working on Lost. To limit the leak of spoiler
Spoiler (media)
Spoiler is slang for any element of any summary or description of any piece of fiction that reveals any plot element which will give away the outcome of a dramatic episode within the work of fiction, or the conclusion of the entire work. It can also be used to refer to any piece of information...
s, Lindelof and Cuse auditioned Leung with a character and scene created specifically for the audition that would not be used in the show but was "analogous to the role [that they] really want[ed]." Leung believed that he was auditioning for the role of Russell, a "brilliant mathematician" in his late thirties with immense knowledge across various scientific fields, limited social skills and broken personal relationships. Leung was the only actor who tried out for this part, as writers had written the role of Miles for him; had he not accepted the job, the character would have been completely rewritten. The name Miles Straume was simply chosen because the writers thought that "it would be cool if his name sounded like 'maelstrom' ".
Leung relocated from New York to where the show is filmed in Oahu, Hawaii, which Leung described as "so dreamy". He was initially contracted as a guest star with "potential regular status in [the] future", which came to fruition. At first, Leung struggled with the show's secrecy, not knowing much about his character's background or motivations, but he found some understanding with his character's clothing. Costume designer Roland Sanchez based Miles's wardrobe choice after that of The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
member Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
; specifically a picture in which he wore a sleeveless vest. Sanchez believed that Miles fit the haggard look and bought an Armani Exchange jacket, cropped the sleeves and added a hood.
The writers planned for the ninth or tenth episode of the fourth season to focus on Miles's backstory; however, this was pushed back to the thirteenth episode of the fifth season as a result
Effect of the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike on television
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, which began on November 5, 2007, was a labor conflict that affected a large number of television shows that were due to be broadcast in the United States during the 2007-08 television season...
of the Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
. The revelation that Miles is Chang's son was not confirmed until Miles's flashback episode; however, this plot point had been speculated by the Internet fan community as early as Miles's first appearance on the show. Further speculation occurred following the broadcast of the fifth season premiere
Because You Left
"Because You Left" is the television season premiere of the American Broadcasting Company's fifth season of the serial drama television series Lost. The episode is the 87th episode of the show overall, and was written by executive producers/show runners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and directed...
, in which Chang was seen tending to a baby boy. This influenced the way that it was revealed in the show, as the writers looked for a way to present the information in a way that would both be interesting to those who had not guessed it and not insulting to viewers who had been predicting it. What resulted was Miles and Hurley discussing Chang with Miles plainly saying, "That douche is my dad" before a cut to a commercial break.
Reception
After four appearances, Leung was nominated for the J. C. PenneyJ. C. Penney
-External links:*...
Asian Excellence Award in the Supporting Television Actor category, but he lost to Rex Lee
Rex Lee
Rex Lee is an American actor. He is best known for his role on the HBO original series, Entourage, as Lloyd Lee.-Early life:Lee was born in Warren, Ohio...
, who plays Lloyd on HBO's Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
. According to Jon Lachonis of UGO, Miles and the other new characters have been well received by fans. Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune said that Leung is "terrifically intense" in his portrayal. Paige Albiniak of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
praised the cast addition. Diane Werts of Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
thought that "Ken Leung and Michael Emerson may be the two current most interesting actors in this mix". Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
commented that "Miles the dustbusting ghostbuster is easily my favorite [of the characters introduced in 'Confirmed Dead'] … why not throw in a medium [among the show's science fiction phemonena] … I love the sarcastic energy he brings. Sawyer and Ben can't be the only ones getting the good one-liners". After Miles' introduction in the second episode
Confirmed Dead
"Confirmed Dead" is the second episode of the fourth season and 74th episode overall of the ABC's serial drama television series Lost. It was aired on ABC in the United States and on CTV in Canada on February 7, 2008. The episode was written by co-executive producer Drew Goddard and co-producer...
of the fourth season, Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
wrote that Leung made "a strong impression" and was well cast. Chris Carabott of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
stated that "Leung does an adequate job of getting Miles' arrogant brand of confidence across."