Damon Lindelof has disclosed that the dramatic ending of the Lost Season 3 finale drew direct inspiration from the horror film Saw 2. The revelation came in a recent interview where the showrunner explained the creative choice behind the series' first flash-forward sequence.
In the BuzzFeed interview Lindelof stated that the third season finale of Lost was stolen from the movie Saw 2. He noted that the twist in Saw 2 tricks viewers into believing events unfold in the present when they actually occur in the past. Lindelof and co-showrunner Carlton Cuse applied this technique to introduce flash-forwards in Lost. The two-part episode Through the Looking Glass initially appeared to continue the show's flashback format before revealing the time jump in its final scene. Lindelof described the writing process as emotionally powerful. He recalled feeling peace upon completing the scene where Jack meets Kate off the island after the group had secured an end date for the series.
