'Lanterns' Won't Go on Too Long Like 'Lost' Did, According to Damon Lindelof

Damon Lindelof has been associated with multiple acclaimed TV shows, including The Leftovers, Watchmen, and Mrs. Davis. But as he was promoting his latest streaming release—the DC Comics adaptation Lanterns, which just premiered on HBO Max—he was asked about another title that probably comes up a lot when he’s talking about his previous work: ABC’s six-season mystery epic Lost. We mention the six seasons because anytime Lost gets mentioned, the conversation almost always turns to how the show started off incredibly strong, then started dragging, and then culminated in one of the most polarizing TV finales ever. Lindelof is well aware of the criticism that’s lobbed at the show he co-created and was co-showrunner for. And if you look at his subsequent series, you see he’s kept that in mind ever since. In a press conference timed to the Lanterns premiere and reported on by Polygon, he explained how this new show will avoid the issues that made audiences turn on Lost. Looking back at that show, which ran from 2004 to 2010 over 121 episodes, Lindelof recalled the network’s reluctance to let go of one of its biggest hits: “For a show that had a mystery engine, the audience was saying, ‘W