Carlton Cuse says: We want people to believe in the stakes of the show. The problem with alternative realities is that you never know when the rug is going to be pulled out from under you. We want the audience to believe that the jeopardy is real. Postulating alternative realities would be an escape valve that would be damaging that as a narrative value.
Damon Lindelof says: We’re not going to tell you that we’re against bending the time/space continuum. We are very for it. Carlton and I are PRO time-space continuum bending! But we’re ANTI-paradox. Paradox creates issues. In Heroes, Masi Oka’s character travels back from the future to say, ”You must prevent New York from being destroyed.” But if they prevent New York from being destroyed, Masi Oka can never travel back from the future to warn you, because Future Hiro no longer exists. Right? So when we start having those conversations at Lost, we go, ”This show is already confusing enough as it is.” To actually have characters traveling through time has to be handled very deftly.
Take that “Heroes” writers and your stupid plotlines! This is why I love “Lost”. Within all its impossible sci-fi plot, it feels real, it feels factual. I am THERE, each time I watch it.