- Sam McPherson is responsible for this interview.
Jay (right) and dad Jack host a panel at Comic-Con 2008
Jay Glatfelter is a Lost fan, notable for creating and cohosting The Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack, one of the most popular podcasts dedicated to the show, along with his father, Jack Glatfelter. He is also a reporter on the subject for The Huffington Post. The interview, originally scheduled to be with both Jay and Jack, was ultimately conducted with just Jay due to scheduling conflicts with Jack. The questions were created by Sam McPherson and were asked in a live interview via AOL Instant Messenger on December 3, 2008.
Lostpedia: So, how did you and Jack first come to watch Lost?
We both wanted to watch it during the first season, but we missed the first few episodes. We decided to wait till re-runs in the summer, but ABC didn't do them in order, so we waited for the DVDs.
Lostpedia: So when did you come to the decision of "Hey, we could do a podcast about this?"
We watched the season one DVDs in three days over Memorial Day Weekend. I had been wanting to do some kind of podcast for a long time, and wanted to get Jack involved somehow, but he continually balked at the idea because he didn't even understand what a podcast was. But we watched season one in three days, then, on the night of the season two premiere, we totally jumped in the message boards and we took notes just so we could discuss what we found between ourselves (yes, we're dorks). That night, after reading Lost-TV's message board all night, the idea clicked, and I told Jack, "We are going to do a podcast about Lost." I read everything I could about how to do it, and we had our first podcast after episode two of season 2 (October 1, 2005). I had to drag Jack to my studio for the first couple of shows, but he eventually got on the podcaster bandwagon too.
Lostpedia: Were you surprised when your podcast took off?
Yeah, actually. It was crazy. I remember after our first episode, we had 80 downloads. Jack and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world that 80 people listened to us. Then when we had 2,000 a month later, we were like, "Woah, that's crazy!" And now, with over 40,000 listeners an episode, its surreal.
Lostpedia: Do you have any favorite characters or episodes?
I know Jack's are Hurley and "Super" Kate. Mine is John Locke. As for our favorite episodes, mine would be a "Walkabout" and "Dues Ex Machina," and I believe one of Jack's is "Numbers."
Lostpedia: So season one's the favorite season of the show?
Glatfelter works on the podcast
Actually, season four is pretty close to one. And we really dug three for the most part as well. It's only season two that we tend to overlook [laughs].
Lostpedia: What, to you, are the worst aspects of the show? What do you absolutely wish had not happened?
To me, there were only two things that were grossly misplaced. Wait, make that three: Nikki, Paulo, and Bai Ling. Nikki and Paulo were just forced on screen, to me. And "Stranger in a Strange Land" is the most boring episode in the history of Lost. I think that it's the only one where I looked at my watch.
Lostpedia: That seems to be the general consensus among fans as well. So, what are you looking forward to in season five? Anything you wanna see happen?
The continuation of the story, simply enough. I think both Jack and I, after a year or so of covering, reporting, theorizing, and analyzing the show, are really just looking forward to what the powers that be have in store. I really want to know what the hell Locke did to end up off the island and in a coffin. Damn Darlton for giving us answers with a million more questions! [laughs]
Lostpedia: Haha, so true. But when all the questions have been answered, at the end of the show, how much longer after that do you see the podcast surviving? What will be next for Jay and Jack?
As far as the Lost Podcast is concerned, we are in until the end of the show. And I think we are planning to maybe go until the Comic-Con post the series finale, then do a finale show there, and do specials every now and then for DVDs and whatnot.As for plans post Lost itself, there are some big, big things in the works, which will be surfacing soon. So Jay and Jack will live on.
Lostpedia: Happy to hear that. Well, thanks for doing this interview, and maybe we'll have another one after season five concludes.
Yeah, definitely.