A group of travelers isn’t the only thing missing when it comes to Lost: 18 minutes of footage from the 104-minute series finale are gone from the version available on Netflix, according to EW. Show co-creator Damon Lindelof told the publication he was “befuddled,” but he believes it was an “honest mistake” — one that he wants to see corrected.
“The finale that aired is the definitive finale and to alter it in any way defies explanation,” Lindelof said in a statement to EW. Although there were times when Lost episodes had to be edited down for later airings or international markets, the writer-slash-producer doesn’t think that should be the case when it comes to streaming. “As the show lives on in DVD form and on Netflix, there is ZERO [sic] reason to have the shorter version out there,” he said.
Polarizing as the finale may have been, the co-creator wants people to be able to “love it or hate it in its entirety.” However, he doesn’t blame the streaming service. “Something tells me that this isn’t Netflix’s fault … something got miscommunicated,” he speculated.
It’s not clear exactly what went wrong, but Netflix revealed in a tweet later on Thursday that there was “an unintentional glitch” and they are “working on correcting” the issue. It looks like Lindelof may get to see the finale as it was intended to be on the streamer soon.
Since Lost, Lindelof has gone on to co-produce ABC series Once Upon a Time, Star Trek, Tomorrowland, and more. His writing credits include Cowboys & Aliens, World War Z, and Star Trek Into Darkness, among others. Lindelof currently serves as showrunner on HBO’s The Leftovers, which is going into its third and final season.
