Why on earth did they kill off Arzt????

When he said to Hurley "I'm sorry I'm not cool enough to be part of your merry band of adventurers!!" That could have opened a whole new avenue for the show. After all if I was one of the minor character like whichever one of Scott and Steve is still alive I'd be annoyed if all the decisions were being made by a handful of the survivors. It's almost as if there is the beginning of a class system on the island, if you're not one of the 'chosen few' you don't count!!

lifes not fair

I'm with you. I loved Arzt. He was hilarious. I would have loved to see him interact with more of the Lostaways (and Desmond).

I miss Arzt so much - he brought tons of comic relief, while making a valid point about science lessons, cliques, etc. What a great character. I wish the writers had made more use of him.

well considering 'the cool group' consist of 14 it would be hard to introduce many more characters as anything other than supports. If the writers try to look into every other survivors life they would get off track + the show would have us less hooked because we wouldn't identify as much with the characters.

on an Artz note I thought it was pretty funny when he blew himself up whist talking about how dangerous the dynomite was!

on an Artz note I thought it was pretty funny when he blew himself up whist talking about how dangerous the dynomite was!

You almost guarantee that was going to happen once he started to tell everyone to be careful with the dynamite!!!:biggrin:

I think in the short time Arzt was around we learned alot. I also think some things got by us about our not so wonderful science teacher. Was it just bad luck and stupidity that caused Mr. Arzt to blow up? Or was there something more sinister there, and he did bring up good points in the short time we were around him, plus. If anybody was qualified to understand just exactly what we saw a few days back, wouldnt it be a scientist or teacher of some sort? When Mr. Arzt met the monster, just how close did he get to it? Was there a confrontation like Mr. Eko had? Or did he run screaming as soon as it started tearing thru trees? Did he even confront the same beastie Mr. Eko did?

I may be the odd one out, but I didn't like him...he was mean to one of my favorites - Hurley!

He reminded me of all the people I ever knew who were just clueless, social retards who thought people didn't like them for any other reason that the simple fact that they were not very personable. If you recall Hurley's flashback in Numbers when he is running through the airport, Arzt is there. He is giving lip to some guy in the line in front of him at the security gate. "You're getting your laptop out NOW??"

He's rude, he's blunt and he thinks the world is biased against him..it's UNFAIR! WHAAA!! I thought he was funny.

Reminded me of a guy in my town who starts in on all the unfairness of his life. No one seems to REALIZE that he was a state champion wrestler and give him his props!! Even though that was 30 years ago and he's done nothing of note since except drive his truck into the watertower because he fell asleep. He is even more hilariously upset about his lack of respect and placement in the popular crowd after you get a few drinks in him.

He reminded me of all the people I ever knew who were just clueless, social retards who thought people didn't like them for any other reason that the simple fact that they were not very personable. If you recall Hurley's flashback in Numbers when he is running through the airport, Arzt is there. He is giving lip to some guy in the line in front of him at the security gate. "You're getting your laptop out NOW??"


In the multi-flashback at the end of the season one where we se people getting onto to the plane in slow motion I seem to recall Arzt helping someone, possibly Claire, with their luggage

The trouble is 'cos Arzt is we won't get a flashback that might allow us to see why he was like he was. It could be that he wasn't very personable because he felt left out of the cool crowd rather than the other way round

I may be the odd one out, but I didn't like him...he was mean to one of my favorites - Hurley!

To be fair he was only mean to Hurley cos he was there, he would have been mean to whoever was sitting next to him, more so if they were one of the beautiful people..

BTW Have you ever realised that the only people who say "looks aren't important" and "beauty is only skin deep" are good-looking people who don't suffer socially 'cos they haven't been hit by the "ugly stick"???

He reminded me of all the people I ever knew who were just clueless, social retards who thought people didn't like them for any other reason that the simple fact that they were not very personable. If you recall Hurley's flashback in Numbers when he is running through the airport, Arzt is there. He is giving lip to some guy in the line in front of him at the security gate. "You're getting your laptop out NOW??"

He's rude, he's blunt and he thinks the world is biased against him..it's UNFAIR! WHAAA!! I thought he was funny.

I loved that little scene with him at the security check. Reminded me very much of a member of my family who complains when people paying by cheque in a shop only start writing the cheque once they've finished putting their shopping into bags! (Not that said member of family is anything like Arzt aside from that! lol)

I just don't think Arzt was ever going to be a serious player in the group (because of his insecurity) and maybe it was his destiny not to survive on the island because he was a constant complainer. I agree with the view stated above though that a teacher would have been of use on the island (although maybe the limit of that use was the dynamite, and after that there was no need for him to remain there alive?)

Lost is just like High School. It's filled with cliques. Think about it, Jack's the leader, Kate's the girl people want to be, Sayid's the smart one, Hurley's the funny kid that things always happen to, Shannon and Boone were the Abercrombie wearing preps, Michael is the kid that stayed after Shop class, Sawyer is the motorcycle riding bad boy, Charlie is the druggie that smokes in the bathroom during study hall, Sun is the girl who's does what she's told, Jin is the quiet foreign exchange student, and Claire is the hippy dippy girl who always offers to do your tarot. And Arzt and all the other extra 30 some people who survived are the nameless population of the school. It should be called Totally Lost High instead of Lost. :rolleyes:

Lost is just like High School. It's filled with cliques. Think about it, Jack's the leader, Kate's the people want to be, Sayid's the smart one, Hurley's the funny kid that things always happen to, Shannon and Boone were the Abercrombie wearing preps, Michael is the kid that stayed after Shop class, Sawyer is the motorcycle riding bad boy, Charlie is the gie that smokes in the bathroom during study hall, Sun is the who's does what she's told, Jin is the quiet foreign exchange student, and Claire is the hippy dippy who always offers to do your tarot. And Arzt and all the other extra 30 some people who survived are the nameless population of the school. It should be called Totally Lost High instead of Lost. :rolleyes:


Does that make the Others the kids from the high school in the next town along who we always have fights with and where does Danielle fit in??

Does that make the Others the kids from the high school in the next town along who we always have fights with and where does Danielle fit in??


I think she meant the Red Shirts are more like what I called "The Shadow People" in high school. They go to your school, you see them in the hallways but they are forgetable. They are not in any major clubs, sports teams or stand out in any way. They aren't noteworthy for academics, music, art, athletics or anything. They don't dress super fashionable, way-out-weird, or in anyway unique.

Just the kids who go to school everyday, do their homework & fly under the radar. The kids that you go to school with that, when you look at your year book or are talking with old friends, no one remembered them even being there.

I think she meant the Red Shirts are more like what I called "The Shadow People" in high school. They go to your school, you see them in the hallways but they are forgetable. They are not in any major clubs, sports teams or stand out in any way. They aren't noteworthy for academics, music, art, athletics or anything. They don't dress super fashionable, way-out-weird, or in anyway unique.

Just the kids who go to school everyday, do their homework & fly under the radar. The kids that you go to school with that, when you look at your year book or are talking with old friends, no one remembered them even being there.

I meant the mysterious Others that kidnapped Danielle's baby not the others/Red Shirts such as Arzt and Sceve. I like your description of The Shadow People. I can definitely see myself as one of them :mad:

LOL... I think Danielle is the kid who's getting her GED at the local community college but hangs around on campus when she's bored. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

I meant the mysterious Others that kidnapped Danielle's baby not the others/Red Shirts such as Arzt and Sceve. I like your description of The Shadow People. I can definitely see myself as one of them :mad:


:) The only reason I had a name for them is because I actually DID notice them. I still notice people like that because they make me curious. I have always had a very inquisitive and observant nature (probably why I am so enamored of Lost), so I was fascinated by them. (I also remember who they all are from school and had/have friendly relationships with them to this day.)

I was a driven person, both by self and by family, so I was in everything, acheived a lot, got the scholorships, etc. I was always a bit jealous of the kids who were never the center of some controversy, were never to topic of gossip and seemed perfectly happy to just float along.

To this day, I envy people who are content with things "as is" or, at least, they appear to be. Rather than going kicking and screaming into situations or bemoaning fate, regretting past opportunities, they just carry on. I think it takes a certain amount of self control, self esteem and basic guts to be a Shadow Person.

It's always someone like that who wins Survivor. No one notices them because they aren't pissing anyone off, they aren't looking like a threat...they are just there. Helping when they can, staying out of the way when they can't. Then one day, everyone asks "who are you?" Oh crap! She's smart, she's strong..why didn't I ever notice her before and here is your one million dollars. :)

And I am way off topic here.....to go back to that, I wouldn't consider Arzt to be a Shadow Person. He WOULD stand out, with his rude behavior, his chip on his shoulder. In my school he would have been either ignored and laughed at behind his back or actively picked on. Damn, high school was nasty!

Well said Danger Kitty! Shadow people....I like it!

LOL... I think Danielle is the kid who's getting her GED at the local community college but hangs around on campus when she's bored. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Haha! So true!

Does that make the Others the kids from the high school in the next town along who we always have fights with?

Oh yes! I think myothercarisflight815 covered the Danielle thing...:rolleyes:

I was a driven person, both by self and by family, so I was in everything, acheived a lot, got the scholorships, etc. I was always a bit jealous of the kids who were never the center of some controversy, were never to topic of gossip and seemed perfectly happy to just float along.

To this day, I envy people who are content with things "as is" or, at least, they appear to be. Rather than going kicking and screaming into situations or bemoaning fate, regretting past opportunities, they just carry on. I think it takes a certain amount of self control, self esteem and basic guts to be a Shadow Person.



I was definitely what you'd call a shadow person. although I was sometimes jealous of the cool crowd. I think the best people are those who are neither Cool Crowd or Shadow People.

I would slightly take issue with your defintion of a Shadow Person, I was one because I basically had no self-esteem and the social life of a piece of three-week old roadkill:undecide:

And I am way off topic here.....to go back to that, I wouldn't consider Arzt to be a Shadow Person. He WOULD stand out, with his rude behavior, his chip on his shoulder. In my school he would have been either ignored and laughed at behind his back or actively picked on. Damn, high school was nasty!

However we don't know why Arzt got to be the way he was. I can see him as the sort of teacher that both the other teachers and the kids don't like. It may have been that that caused the chip on his shoulder.

You don't need to tell me about high school being nasty. I was bullied on and off from 1980 until 1989 because when I started middle school 1980-1984 for the first few months I had a plaster cast on my left leg and school-brats always pick on the different:frown:

I was definitely what you'd call a shadow person. although I was sometimes jealous of the cool crowd. I think the best people are those who are neither Cool Crowd or Shadow People.

I would slightly take issue with your defintion of a Shadow Person, I was one because I basically had no self-esteem and the social life of a piece of three-week old roadkill:undecide:

But see, that's the point. Perception is everything. Everyone thinks that other people have it better somehow. I remember thinking that I wished I could just go to school, do my work and go home. None of the drama, none of the pressure. So, I guess I would have been jealous of you. :)

But see, that's the point. Perception is everything. Everyone thinks that other people have it better somehow. I remember thinking that I wished I could just go to school, do my work and go home. None of the drama, none of the pressure. So, I guess I would have been jealous of you. :)

I would suppose that if you are a member of the cool crowd you are under pressure to keep cool whereas no-one expects a Shadow Person (which is a great phrase by the way) to ever be cool

LOL... I think Danielle is the kid who's getting her GED at the local community college but hangs around on campus when she's bored. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Being an ignorant Brit I have to ask, what is a GED??

GED=General Education Development

A lot of people think it's general education diploma though. It's for kids, or anyone really, that didn't finish high school as usual and get their regular diploma.

Kid's that drop out at 16 or for whatever reason never finished high school can go, take classes and take a test. If they pass the test, they can go on to college or other pursuits that require a high school diploma.

I know a couple people who quit at 16, took the GED and then started college early.

GED=General Education Development

A lot of people think it's general education diploma though. It's for kids, or anyone really, that didn't finish high school as usual and get their regular diploma.

Kid's that drop out at 16 or for whatever reason never finished high school can go, take classes and take a test. If they pass the test, they can go on to college or other pursuits that require a high school diploma.

I know a couple people who quit at 16, took the GED and then started college early.


Funnily enough I got to university in a similar way. My A-level (high school exams taken at 18) results weren't good enough for university so I had to go into the real world. A few years later I felt like having another try for university so someone recommended that I take an Access Course. This is a general course that British universities accept as an equivalent to the A-level results necessary to get a place at uni.

I can be a shadow adult at times. :eek2:

However, many times it's those shadowy parts of me that seemed to come in handy as good survival skills. :cool: