ABC/Mario LopezAy carumba, tubers! There's so much misinformation running around these days, my head's in a bit of a spin. (Or maybe that's just from my recent go-karting encounter with Dave Annable—more on that on Monday.)
The latest sketchy-sounding rumor was served up by this week's edition of Life & Style magazine, which asserts:
"A set insider says [Dominic Monaghan] has already been told he won't be back for the next season—and he's not taking the news well. After all, girlfriend Evangeline Lilly is his costar."
Gulp.
Well, I just so happened to check in with Miss Evie herself, and let me tell you, this girl remains so un-Hollywood that when she tells you something, you know you can believe it. And here's what she tells me: "I can honestly say neither Dom nor I have any idea if Charlie will be killed off the show."Now, I don't necessarily want to call that good news, but it's a heck of a lot more promising than what Life & Style is alleging, is it not?
Of course, during my recent chat with producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, we broached the big subject of whether he would die, and while I shared a smidge of it in last week's Vine show, it seems only fair to give you the full transcript of what Damon and Carlton said, so you can get a bit more perspective on where things stand.
'Cause from where I'm sitting, Dominic Monaghan's Charlie remains a fan favorite who would be sorely missed if he were to leave. Exhibit A? The latest feel-good episode, in which Lost seemed once again to find its heart by focusing on the ever loved characters of Charlie, Hurley, Sawyer and Jin. And let's not forget that Charlie is half of the one Lost couple everyone seems to love (unlike the deeply fan divided Jaters vs. Skaters).
That said, based on the number of emails from concerned Charlie fans in my inbox, I think it's high time we let the producers know how we feel! So, I'm starting a little petition—right here...right now.
If you want Charlie to stay alive and kicking on Lost island, please tell me so in the comments section below (you have to sign in above to do so) and include your name and, if you like, a little message of support. I'll be sure to forward the list—very soon—to the producers themselves. (And it goes without saying that there is strength in numbers, so be sure to email this link to your friends!)
Speaking of the producers, the big question, of course, is whether or not they have already decided Charlie's fate. I can tell you the cast is currently shooting episode 18, and none of my sources connected to the show know whether Charlie will die, so it seems as though there could still be a little wiggle room on what will happen. (At least, let's hope!)
In my Vine show, I already shared with you some of my exchange with producers Damon and Carlton regarding Charlie's fate, but here's the full transcript of that portion of our convo, and you can pick out any possibly revealing morsels:
Carlton: Is Charlie going to die?
Kristin: Thanks for asking, Carlton! Because you know, I was a little, just a teensy bit curious after that episode.
Damon: I think that is the question. I'm really curious to see what the fans have to say about that. Because we felt it would be really interesting to do it this way. On the show, we have done all our character deaths sort of traditionally in a very shocking way. Boone dies or Eko dies or Shannon dies. Ana-Lucia and Libby get shot by Michael. This is a different kind of death, where a character is told that they are going to die. You actually get to see how that changes Charlie.
Carlton: Actually, that means...that means he can't die, then. Doesn't it? That would be the twist.
Damon: Yeah, I guess. Cause we'd never.
Carlton: Because we wouldn't just say he's going to die and then have him die.
Damon: But there is sort of a reverse psychology that could happen there. I think what's very tricky about it is that obviously, Dominic Monaghan is an awesome actor. And before we put out this script, we called him and said, "Look, this is what Desmond is going to say to you." And [Dom] was very excited about where we were going in season three. Just because, the idea of suddenly one day you're Charlie, and you care about Claire and the baby, and the next day you're Charlie, and you care about Claire and the baby, but you've got this massive Grim Reaper standing over you at all times, I think it has really given that character something he didn't have before. We've sort of moved on beyond the addiction, and now he has something really cool to play, which will be great.
Kristin: So, has Dominic been calling you every day just to check up what's happening in the writers' room?
Carlton: He, like all the actors, only sees the script for this week's episode. We told him this was going to happen, but he doesn't know what the character's ultimate fate is.
Kristin: So, then he doesn't know if Charlie is going to die.
Carlton: Nope.
Kristin: Interesting.
Damon: As of right now.
Okay, folks, you heard what the men said. They're "curious to see what the fans have to say." So, let's give it to 'em!