Libby's Story

Anima

I've just been reading an interview with the writers, Carlton and Damon, and they said the following in answer to this question:

Alex: One mystery that you said a month ago, in a Sky One interview, you were not going to show us is basically Libby's backstory, yet two seasons ago you basically said there was one significant missing piece from her story which is how she got from Desmond to the mental institution, and you also added that to know that answer, you had to show her story through another character's flashback. So, now that you've said that her story is done on the show, can you now tell us her missing piece and which character would you have told it through?

Carlton: Uhh, you know, again, these are not questions that we are going to answer. I think the point we were trying to make with the Libby story is that everything is graded in terms of importance for us, and, as we are doing the last season of the show, it's not going to be sort of a didactic, you know, here's a list of a thousand questions that we're going to answer. That would not make for a very entertaining show. We are focusing on what we consider to be the significant questions, and mysteries, and character relationships. That's the story that we're gonna tell. I think that the reference to Libby was more illustrative of the fact that I think, we accept the fact that in the end of the day there will, probably, you could ask a spectrum of a thousand different fans “Well what question did you not get answered?” and there might be a thousand different answers, but we are focusing on what we consider to be the main questions of the show and the main narritive. It's impossible to tie up every loose end, and we don't really consider, honestly, Libby's story is incredibly tangential to the principle action on the show. For us, the focus of the final season really has to be on the main characters and what would generally be acknowledged as the most significant mysteries.

I know its not very important to the central story but really, what was the point of having Libby then? I remember the episode where we found out that she was also in the mental institution with Hurley and where she met Desmond, and it seemed like those scenes had a purpose. Its a total cop out now that they're not going to explain why she was there or why she met Des. It sounds like the writers were just generating needless, filler storylines until they found out when the show was going to end and they're just dumping them now. You could probably say that about the vast majority of the last 3 seasons but... I don't want to believe it!

I really hope they don't do this with other, older questions, that really would be bollacks.

speedboatchase

If they're not going to answer it in the show, just answer it for us now?

homerun_homer

Agreed, they should answer in an interview but they may not be doing in case it's linked into something else that could be spoiled on us. For instance, what if her story was to be finished through a Widmore flashback? If they tell all in an interview now then it may spoil something we've yet to see or learn.

I also think when the show is done and dusted that they wouldn't say no to fan fiction, like Star Wars novels. People writing their versions of what may have happened that had not been properly answered.

Personally I hope they still explain why the Others kept stealing "Good" people along with the other 1000 things that needs answering.

me-skywalker

I prefer it left unexplained. I dont want it handed to me on a plate.

There are instances in life that you meet people and and you have a shared experience with them, how large an impact it had on you at the time it doesnt fully make you as a person and youll never know everything about all the people you know. ie a conversation with a stranger on the airplane, a work colleague or an accidently bump in street...

Sad Professor

I think some of Libby's backstory was a victim of the strike last season. They had planned for her to appear in a 2nd episode.

Agamemnon

It would be nice to have it tied up, even if it's through a few lines of dialogue. Could it be that the actress doesn't want to come back?

Psychedelic

Showing Libby in the mental hospital was a massive cliffhanger and talking point to that episode at the time. It was a big enough plot point to deserve an explanation further down the line, so it's very disappointing that the writers won't explain it.

I understand that they might not have time on the show to explain it, but they could explain it in a podcast or interview, even if it it's after the show ends. Actually I think there'll be a few less important things like that they'll need to clear up for fans after the series has ended.

Sad Professor

Agamemnon wrote:

It would be nice to have it tied up, even if it's through a few lines of dialogue. Could it be that the actress doesn't want to come back?

Waltros came back last season so that's not it. If it was they'd say so.

I think they're just limited for time and telling Libby's backstory properly would require a flashback from a new character. I reckon they were planning to tell it via Dan's flashback last season but then the strike happened. At this point it's not really worth the hassle. Although the fan demand is certainly there so I reckon they'll probably end up having to make some reference to her next season.

Tbh I think we learned enough to roughly piece together that Libby went crazy after her husband died.

madrab

I had actually forgotten about libby :-)

kronsington

it would be very unsatisfactory not to have libby's story explained. Her showing up and giving Des her dead husband's boat and for him to subsequently end up on the island- massive!

her appearance in the mental hospital needs to be explained

this ties in with my beleif that the writers have themsleves with too many mysteries/questions to try and resolve/answer in a cohesive and satisfying manner.

me-skywalker

no big deal really, libby was in the same mental hospital as hurley cant be that many in LA(cough cough)

peoples lives can interact with strangers many times and they would never know it.

imagine you met a girl and fell in love with her and married then it turned out subsequently that you both took the same train to work every day. just took different roads for them to someday come back and intersect each other again.

akin to a common occurence of you knowing someone that your borhters friend also knows.

i just think its not really huge and it leaves it open for interpretation like many of life's little mysteries.

*ps they coudlnt explain it in podcast, because not everyone listens to them or bothers with them. Ive watch Lost since day 1 and ive missed 3 episodes in all them years, and ive only ever listened to 1 podacst, i know the exact same as everyone else who has listened to every single one.

Sad Professor

Maybe I was wrong about Waltros. According to Eonline this is what Damon said about Libby:

"I have learned that if you kill someone off the show, they are less likely to cooperate with you."

So that's that. She won't come back or is looking for loads of money to do so.

leggo

It sounds like the writers were just generating needless, filler storylines

They call them sub-plots in the industry

If anyone expects them to answer EVERY question, they're in for a long wait. That much was obvious by the end of Season One when we knew this was all one hella big mystery show. They'll give us the main answers then leave the rest for fans to figure out their own theories...and that's the best way they can do it. It leaves the show a lasting legacy and a fanbase that'll discuss it for years...re-watching DVDs to try and find any missing pieces of the puzzles.

They'll probably do a few podcasts, DVD extras, release a book or something along those lines answering questions like this.

eddiehead

Sad Professor wrote: »

Maybe I was wrong about Waltros. According to Eonline this is what Damon said about Libby:

"I have learned that if you kill someone off the show, they are less likely to cooperate with you."

So that's that. She won't come back or is looking for loads of money to do so.

But didn't she appear in "Meet Kevin Johnson" last season?

Sad Professor

eddiehead wrote: »

But didn't she appear in "Meet Kevin Johnson" last season?

She's obviously changed her mind since then or is doing another show and isn't available.