The New Man in Charge
Encyclopedia
"The New Man in Charge" is the epilogue
of ABC
's serial drama television series Lost
. It was written by Melinda Hsu Taylor
, Graham Roland and Jim Galasso, and directed by Paul Edwards
. The epilogue was released on August 24, 2010 on both the Complete Sixth Season DVD and the Complete Collection boxset. Prior to its release "The New Man in Charge", was leaked online on August 6, 2010, 18 days before the official release.
The epilogue focuses on the actions taken by the characters of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia
) and Ben Linus (Michael Emerson
), after the events of the series finale, "The End
". "The New Man in Charge" incorporates answers that were intended to be part of season 6, but were not included due to running time. Also, Malcolm David Kelley
reprises his role as Walt Lloyd
, who was absent from the entire season 6, excluding archive footages, and was not seen since the seventh episode of season five
.
", Ben visits two Dharma Initiative workers
, Hector (Ted Rooney) and Glenn (Ray Porter), in a warehouse in Guam
. Ben dismisses the two workers from their job of loading the food pallet as he is "tying up loose ends", and after paying them, Ben reveals that the DHARMA Initiative has not been in existence for over twenty years. Before Ben can leave, the workers request some answers and he complies by showing them the Orientation film of the Hydra Dharma Initiative Station. The video reveals that Dr. Pierre Chang (François Chau
), was not using an alias at the time, as his name had not been "leaked to a third party." The video explores the nature of the Hydra Station's experiments on hybrid birds and time travel experiments on polar bears, as well as the purpose of Room 23, which was created to interrogate "The Hostiles
" regarding Jacob (Mark Pellegrino
).
and executive producer Carlton Cuse
intended some of the storyline and the answers in the epilogue to be part of season 6. However, the running time caused the creators to remove some of the intended moments from season 6 and incorporate them in "The New Man in Charge".
In an interview, Michael Emerson stated "The writers weren't dealing with procedural mysteries in the finale. They were bringing the show to kind of a spiritual conclusion, and that was the right emphasis I think ... I'd have to say that this DVD extra feature thing is lighter-spirited and a little more mechanical in the best sense of that word. And we do have the satisfaction of seeing what happened to some of the people whose storylines were not resolved in the finale" In a later interview, Emerson said that the epilogue scene seems to set up a new spinoff series. However, he denied that the writers were actively developing a spinoff project, explaining ""I don't think it was their idea to leave such a door open" Following the completion of the epilogue, Lindelof wrote on his Twitter
page, "I'm so glad we made ‘The New Man in Charge.’ I was starting to miss getting yelled at."
Entertainment Weekly
writer Jeff "Doc" Jensen gave the epilogue a mixed review, stating "I accept 'The End' as the conclusion to the final chapter of Lost that was season 6. So I choose to view 'The New Man In Charge' as the official epilogue to that story, not a new final chapter, as it conforms best to most definitions of 'epilogue' that I’ve found."
Epilogue
An epilogue, epilog or afterword is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work...
of 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...
's serial drama 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...
. It was written by Melinda Hsu Taylor
Melinda Hsu Taylor
Melinda Hsu Taylor is an American television writer and producer. She has worked in both capacities on the series Lost. She was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for best drama series for her work on the fifth season of Lost, as well as a 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for the series'...
, Graham Roland and Jim Galasso, and directed by Paul Edwards
Paul Edwards
Paul Edwards may refer to:*Paul Edwards , Welsh shot putter*Paul A. Edwards, American cinematographer, camera operator and television director*Paul Edwards , English flyweight boxer...
. The epilogue was released on August 24, 2010 on both the Complete Sixth Season DVD and the Complete Collection boxset. Prior to its release "The New Man in Charge", was leaked online on August 6, 2010, 18 days before the official release.
The epilogue focuses on the actions taken by the characters of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia
Jorge Garcia
Jorge García is a U.S. actor and comedian. He first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show Becker and later for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the television series Lost. Garcia also performs as a stand-up comedian.-Early life:García was born...
) and 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:...
), after the events of the series finale, "The End
The End (Lost)
"The End" is the series finale of the ABC television series Lost, consisting of the 17th and 18th episodes of season 6. It is also the 120th and 121st episodes overall...
". "The New Man in Charge" incorporates answers that were intended to be part of season 6, but were not included due to running time. Also, Malcolm David Kelley
Malcolm David Kelley
Malcolm David Kelley is an American teen actor. He starred in the 2004 film You Got Served as "Li'l Saint". He also appears in the television series Lost as the character Walt Lloyd. A regular cast member in the show's first season , he has appeared only occasionally since due to a dramatic...
reprises his role as Walt Lloyd
Walt Lloyd
Walter "Walt" Lloyd is a fictional character portrayed by Malcolm David Kelley in the American ABC television series Lost. The series follows the lives of over forty survivors of the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. Walt is introduced in the pilot episode as one of the survivors aboard the plane, which...
, who was absent from the entire season 6, excluding archive footages, and was not seen since the seventh episode of season five
The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham
"The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" is the seventh television episode of the fifth season of ABC's Lost. The 93rd episode of the show overall, "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" aired on February 25, 2009 on ABC in the United States, being simulcast on A in Canada...
.
Orote Peninsula, Guam
Some time after the events of "The EndThe End (Lost)
"The End" is the series finale of the ABC television series Lost, consisting of the 17th and 18th episodes of season 6. It is also the 120th and 121st episodes overall...
", Ben visits two Dharma Initiative workers
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...
, Hector (Ted Rooney) and Glenn (Ray Porter), in a warehouse in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. Ben dismisses the two workers from their job of loading the food pallet as he is "tying up loose ends", and after paying them, Ben reveals that the DHARMA Initiative has not been in existence for over twenty years. Before Ben can leave, the workers request some answers and he complies by showing them the Orientation film of the Hydra Dharma Initiative Station. The video reveals that Dr. Pierre Chang (François Chau
François Chau
François Chau is a Cambodian-American actor. He is known for his role as Dr. Pierre Chang in ABC's Lost, and as The Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze....
), was not using an alias at the time, as his name had not been "leaked to a third party." The video explores the nature of the Hydra Station's experiments on hybrid birds and time travel experiments on polar bears, as well as the purpose of Room 23, which was created to interrogate "The Hostiles
The Others (Lost)
The Others are a group of fictional characters who inhabit the mysterious island in the American television series Lost. Most serve as antagonists to the series' main characters, although more recently they seem less hostile to the survivors of Flight 815 and have become their allies to overcome...
" regarding Jacob (Mark Pellegrino
Mark Pellegrino
Mark Ross Pellegrino is an American actor of film and television. He is best known for his work on Lost as Jacob and for playing Lucifer on Supernatural.-Career:...
).
Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute
Ben arrives at Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute and visits Walt. Ben approaches and reminds Walt that he is special, and that back on the Island, he will be able to help Michael, even though he is dead. Ben tells Walt that the Island is his home and he has to go back. Together, they leave Santa Rosa. When Ben and Walt reach a DHARMA van, they find Hurley waiting for them. Walt confesses to Hurley that he had long waited for the survivors to come back for him, and that he had been labeled crazy because no one believed his story. Hurley reassures him that he's not crazy at all, and attributes Walt's existential duress to his separation from the Island. He tells Walt that the Island is his home, and that he intends to talk to Walt about a job. Hurley then suggests they all go home, and the van drives away into the night.Production
The epilogue answered some of the series' long-running questions, such as the supply drops, the "Hurley bird", and Room 23. Originally, co-creator/executive producer Damon LindelofDamon 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...
and executive producer 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...
intended some of the storyline and the answers in the epilogue to be part of season 6. However, the running time caused the creators to remove some of the intended moments from season 6 and incorporate them in "The New Man in Charge".
In an interview, Michael Emerson stated "The writers weren't dealing with procedural mysteries in the finale. They were bringing the show to kind of a spiritual conclusion, and that was the right emphasis I think ... I'd have to say that this DVD extra feature thing is lighter-spirited and a little more mechanical in the best sense of that word. And we do have the satisfaction of seeing what happened to some of the people whose storylines were not resolved in the finale" In a later interview, Emerson said that the epilogue scene seems to set up a new spinoff series. However, he denied that the writers were actively developing a spinoff project, explaining ""I don't think it was their idea to leave such a door open" Following the completion of the epilogue, Lindelof wrote on his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
page, "I'm so glad we made ‘The New Man in Charge.’ I was starting to miss getting yelled at."
Reception
"The New Man in Charge" received generally positive reviews from critics. Sam McPherson of TV Overmind graded the epilogue an A, deeming "If you didn’t like 'The End', you’ll probably love this. And if you liked 'The End', well, you’ll still probably love it." Alan Sepinwall of Star Ledger was also satisfied with the epilogue, stating "I went into 'The New Man in Charge' not expecting some crucial missing chapter from the Lost saga, but a chance to spend a few more minutes with Benjamin Linus and Hugo Reyes, and to maybe get a few blanks filled in ... And since that's what I got, I was satisfied.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...
writer Jeff "Doc" Jensen gave the epilogue a mixed review, stating "I accept 'The End' as the conclusion to the final chapter of Lost that was season 6. So I choose to view 'The New Man In Charge' as the official epilogue to that story, not a new final chapter, as it conforms best to most definitions of 'epilogue' that I’ve found."