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Righters Untie

Type of website

Fan-fiction

Date Launched

19th May 2008

Status

Active

URL

Righters Untie!

Righters Untie! is a website that hosts a Season 5 scriptwriting contest started by Dan Hoger. It was developed in light of the Lost hiatus between Season 4 and Season 5. It was inspired by the Lostpedia Season Four Writing Contest.

Lostpedia decided against doing a season 5 contest. However, users who wished for a second contest started it up on the Righters Untie! website. It began after the airing of "There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3".

Centric characters for each episode are decided by user votes. Centric characters for the premiere and finale episodes are guaranteed to be author's choice. On occasion, episodes include a writer's challenge - a storytelling objective of some sort that every writer must incorporate into their scripts. A create-a-character contest was also held to determine a new major character for season five.

History Of The Contest

The Best Laid Plans

The Best Laid Plans is the first episode of the Righters Untie! Season Five Writing Contest and was selected as the winning script on June 25, 2008. In it, Locke and the Others deal with the surprising appearance of an oil rig, which was encased by the Island when it moved across the ocean. Eventually, tensions rise between Locke and the Oil Rig members and they are detained. Locke seeks Jacob, who delivers some final orders. In the future, Locke approaches each of the Oceanic Six in a bid to persuade them to return to the island. Ultimately, He meets his death at the hands of Abaddon, fulfilling a plan set forth by Jacob earlier.

The contest opened with the writing of the premiere episode on May 19, 2008. The deadline for all entries was June 19th, and voting for the 31 submissions began the following day. The public voting placed Left Turn at Albuquerque as the favorite. However, on the 25th of the same month, the voting subsided and The Best Laid Plans (by C.S) was named the winner of the first episode of the contest. Left Turn at Albuquerque, The Man Who Would Be King, and Something Wicked This Way Comes received honorable mentions.

Miles From The Grave

Miles From The Grave is the second episode of the Righters Untie! Season Five Writing Contest and was selected as the winning script on July 7, 2008. The aftermath of moving the island is shown from the beach camp's perspective. Miles gets a haunting message from a dead Michael and decides to travel with Charlotte to the DHARMA grave. There, they uncover a small information tablet containing the Valenzetti Equation. In flashbacks, we learn more of Miles' complex ability and how he came to work for Widmore Industries.

26 entries were submitted for the second episode, which featured Miles as the centric character. Writing began on June 25, 2008 - with the deadline set for July 2nd. This episode featured the first writer's challenge: which stated that Miles had to have a significant conversation with a previously deceased character. Voting subsided and the winner was picked. The episode Miles From The Grave (by HeDoesntLoveYourRobot) won episode 2. Next, One Side Is Light, and Miles To Go Before I Sleep received honorable mentions.

Kinship

Kinship is the third episode of the Righters Untie! Season Five Writing Contest and was selected as the winning script on July 19, 2008. In the future, Aaron is kidnapped by Widmore, forcing an estranged Jack and Kate to work together. On the island, Sawyer and Juliet agree to go to the Barracks with Locke. In flashbacks, we learn what Kate's errand for Sawyer was.

20 submissions were sent in for the third episode, which featured Kate as the centric character. Submissions for episode 3 scripts opened on July 7, 2008. Voting for the best episode began July 14th. The script Kinship (by NickN67) was announced as the winner. Bondsman, Change of Plans, and Things We Lost In The Fire received honorable mentions.

New Recurring Character Contest

A sub-contest was held alongside Episode 3. The premise was to create a "casting call" for a new recurring character to be introduced in the next episode. Out of the 20 characters submitted, the top three (decided by popular vote) were Kenneth Montand Birch (played by Powers Boothe), Elena Santos (played by Mia Maestro), and Elena Jameson (played by Alexa Davalos). Kenneth Birch became the official character after Escape from Ogygia won.

Escape From Ogygia

Escape from Ogygia is the fourth episode of the Righters Untie! Season Five Writing Contest and was selected as the winning script on July 31, 2008. Off the island, Desmond and Penny flee to a private Mediterranean island owned by Penny's ex-fiance. But Desmond will no longer be a coward confined to an island, so he makes a deal with Widmore to kill Ben, and he leaves Penny behind. In flashbacks, Desmond and Kelvin Inman confront the Monster in the Swan.

22 episodes were submitted for the fourth episode. During the voting for the episode 4 centric, two characters tied: Juliet and Desmond. Writers were given the ability to pick either of these two characters. This episode featured the second writer's challenge, in which one of the top three winners from the New Recurring Character contest were introduced into the show as a new major character. Submissions for episode 4 scripts opened on July 19, 2008. Voting for the best episode began on July 26th, and for the first time, the voting for favorite episode and the centric character for episode 5 was "blind". On July 31, The script Escape from Ogygia (by Mark Monack) was announced as the winner, and introduced Kenneth Montand Birch as the new recurring character. Hyakuhachi Bonnou, To Save One Life, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Ouroborous received honorable mentions.

The Woman in the Flashes

The Woman in the Flashes is the fifth episode of the Righters Untie! Season Five Writing Contest and was selected as the winning script on August 12, 2008. Daniel arrives back at the beach after a terrible encounter at sea, and seeks Miles and Charlotte’s help for answers. Meanwhile, a ghost of Sawyer’s past is brought up again when he, Juliet, and Locke arrive at the Barracks. In flashbacks, we see Dan’s relationship with Eloise and how it drove him mad.

11 scripts were submitted for the fifth episode. During voting for the best fourth episode, voting occurred for the centric for the fifth episode and Daniel was selected as the centric character. This episode featured the third writer's challenge: if the script occurs in the present and off-island, Daniel must meet Kenneth Birch; if it occurs in the present and on-island, the Valenzetti Equation plot and/or the oil rig plot must be progressed; or if it occurs in the past, Daniel must meet Pierre Chang. Submissions for episode 5 scripts opened on July 31, 2008. Voting for the best episode began on August 7, 2008. The script The Woman in the Flashes (by chubbychickenz431) was announced as the winner. Le Voyageur Prudent and A Long Holiday received honorable mentions.

The Art of Deception

The Art of Deception is the sixth episode of the Righter Untie! Season Five Writing Contest and was selected as the winning script on August 24, 2008. Sayid is separated from the Oceanic Six in an accident arranged by Kenneth Birch. He seeks out Charles Widmore in London, only to find he may have been double-crossed. Meanwhile, as Desmond and Sun travel to Los Angeles, Sun reveals she has no intention of returning to the Island.

16 scripts were submitted for the sixth episode. During the voting for the episode 6 centric, Sayid received the most votes and was selected as this episode's centric. Submissions for episode 6 scripts opened on August 12, 2008. Voting for the best episode began on August 19, 2008. On August 24, the script The Art of Deception (by mreko) was announced as the winner. Betwixt the Devil and the Deep Sea, No Matter the Cost, The Treehouse and Cat and Mouse received honorable mentions.

Too Close To The Mark

Too Close To The Mark is the seventh episode of the Righter Untie! Season Five Writing Contest and was selected as the winning script on September 5, 2008. After a catastrophe at the Barracks claims lives, Sawyer's interrogation of Bergson intensifies as he attempts to extract the answers from him. Locke ventures to Jacob's cabin for definite answers, but discovers an unwarranted surprise. Flashbacks detail the Tampa Job, and why it left bad blood between Sawyer and Bergson.

13 scripts were submitted for the seventh episode. During the voting for the episode 7 centric, Juliet and Sawyer tied for the most votes. Accordingly, submissions were to use either of these characters as the centric. Submissions for episode 7 scripts opened on August 24, 2008. Voting for the best episode began on August 31, 2008 and will continued until September 5, 2008. On this date Too Close To The Mark was announced as the winner. Un Bel Di Vedremo, Den of Thieves, The Basement and Home Is Where The Heart Is received honorable mentions.

The Greatest Of All Games

The Greatest Of All Games is the eighth episode of the Righter Untie! Season Five Writing Contest and was selected as the winning script on September 21, 2008. Widmore needs Jacob to convince Sayid that he is telling the truth, but Jacob refuses to talk. Widmore, fueled by both this and revenge, must force Jacob to cooperate. Right under Widmore’s nose, Birch and Sayid conspire. Meanwhile, Jack makes a trip to Ogygia. In flashbacks, we learn the history between Widmore, Jacob, and Ben.

12 scripts were submitted for the eight episode. Being the episode before the hiatus, there was no poll to decide the centric character of this episode and instead it was a judges choice. Alongside the reveal of the episode seven winner, it was revealed that Charles Widmore would be the focus of episode. The judges' challenge for this episode was to answer five unanswered questions from prior episodes. Unlike other rounds, writers were given a 5 page extension to the usual 20 page limit. Submission for episode 8 scripts opened on September 5, 2008 and continued until September 15, 2008. Voting for the best episode began on September 15, 2008 and continued until September 21, 2008. On this date, The Greatest of All Games by sir692 was announced as the winner. The Better to See You With and A Penny for Your Thoughts received honorable mentions.

Box Art Contest

A sub-contest was held alongside Episode 8. This contest asked contestants to submit art to be included on the hypothetical DVD box set for season 5. Out of the 7 entries submitted, NickN67's sample was voted as the winner. This entry can be seen above.

Episode Nine

8 scripts were submitted for the ninth episode. Being the episode after the hiatus, there was no poll to decide the centric character and instead the contestants could choose a centric for their own episodes. Submission for episode 9 scripts began on September 21, 2008 and continued until October 1, 2008. Voting for the best episode began on that date and will continue until October 5, 2008.

Plotlines in the Contest

As the contest has progressed three distinct plotlines (one of which with three distinct subplots) have emerged.

The Oil Rig

When the Island moved at the end of season 4, it picked up an oil rig that Widmore had been able to place where he knew it would end up on the Island. The rig's drill pierced the Island's core causing a "breach" that is slowly causing the Island to die, which has caused earthquakes, and made the Monster both sick and unpredictable. It killed several people at the Barracks, including Cindy. The rig was run by Leon Bergson, a con artist who worked with Sawyer and Hibbs on the Tampa Job. Just before Bergson and the rig's crew committed suicide, he told Sawyer that the breach could be stopped if the rig was set to self-destruct. Unfortunately, this had to be done manually, which would make it a suicide mission.

The Island's move has caused other issues. The beach camp has been submerged, and the remaining survivors, including Juliet, Sawyer, Bernard and Rose have all been forced to join the Others in the Barracks. Jacob's cabin has also been destroyed, preventing Locke from communing with Jacob (who isn't around anyway -- see below).

The Linus/Widmore War

Since his exile at the end of Season 4, Ben and Widmore have engaged in a cloak-and-dagger war in which each tries to undermine and destroy the other. This War now involves three distinct subplots:

Jacob

Ben and Widmore want to return to the Island. (Widmore has been revealed as Ben's predecessor as leader of the Others and, like Ben, was exiled when he moved the Island to prevent it from being relocated by the DHARMA Initiative after the Purge.) When the Island moved, Widmore somehow managed to extract Jacob. Jacob, it is revealed, is a powerful psychic upon whom the DHARMA Initiative performed experiments, before he escaped and became spiritual leader of the Others. Widmore has been torturing Jacob to get him to agree to return to the Island and has Jacob imprisoned in his London offices.

Meanwhile, Ben has been killing the other 7 people who can talk to Jacob, in the belief that once Ben is the only person left who can speak to Jacob, Jacob will agree to take Ben to the Island. The 7 are Avellino (whom Sayid killed in Season 4), Widmore, Kenneth Montand Birch (aka, the Economist), Matthew Abaddon, Paik, Richard Alpert and Alvar Hanso. (Even though Birch is on Ben's hit list, Birch has been revealed to be a double agent, pretending to work with Widmore but actually allied with Ben.

Penny

Ben wants to kill Widmore's daughter (and Desmond's love) Penny in revenge for Keamy killing Alex in Season 4. Penny and Desmond were warned to flee by Penny's ex-fiance Proci Hekatoctis. Proci is a millionaire and owns Ogygia, a private Mediterranean Island. Proci has also been revealed to be an associate of Widmore, and the man who (along with Henry Gale) was to replace Kelvin Inman and Desmond in the Swan. Desmond could not take the isolation of Ogygia and made a deal with Widmore: he would kill Ben in return for Widmore's blessing. Sun and Desmond are en route to Los Angeles where they believe Ben is or will be (even though he is actually en route to London).

The Oceanic Six

Both Ben and Widmore have been lying to and manipulating the Oceanic Six, telling them that not all need return (though that may also be a lie). The Oceanic Six's current status is:

• Aaron had been kidnapped by Birch on behalf of Widmore and united in London with his father Thomas, who has been revealed to be Widmore's nephew. Recently, Sayid grabbed Aaron and fled.
• Hurley is in London to help rescue Aaron. He is still uncertain what is real and what is not and does not want to return to the Island.
• Jack was manipulated by Ben into seeking out and finding Desmond. He found Ogygia, but may have unwittingly led Ben or his agents there. At the same time, Walt showed up on Ogygia.
• Kate is in disguise and on a plane to London with Ben to rescue Aaron.
• Sayid has been working for Ben but balked when asked to kill Penny. He briefly joined Widmore in London. Then Jacob telepathically communicated with him, and Birch revealed he was a double-agent and helped Sayid grab Aaron and escape.
• Sun is en route to Los Angeles with Desmond in a plan to kill Ben who she blames, along with Paik and one other unidentified individual, for Jin's death. Although she told Desmond that Ben cannot be killed until after the Oceanic Six return, she has also said that she will not be returning.

The Valenzetti Equation

Back on the Island, Miles, under instructions from the ghost of Michael, went to the mass grave to retrieve a red cube from Olivia's corpse. This cube is one of a pair that contains the Valenzetti Equation. The other cube is currently in the possession of Ben (and used to be in the possession of the man that was watching Hurley, and who Sayid shot at the end of Season 4). It is unclear for what the cubes are to be used, but Daniel believes that if both cubes are not brought to the island soon, everyone on the Island will die. Somehow, Charlotte's parents (who were in the DHARMA Initiative when the Others killed them all) are also involved in these events, though it is unclear how.

Character Appearances

Main Characters

Main characters are listed in the following chart in the order their first centric episode appears, and then by number of appearances (and alphabetically if characters have equal numbers of appearances). The chart uses the same format as the Character Appearances page.

Minor Characters

Minor characters (any named characters who have appeared in aired episodes and aren't considered major characters) are listed in the following chart in the order their first centric episode appears (to the extent any recurring characters are given centric episodes), and then by number of appearances (and alphabetically if characters have equal numbers of appearances). The chart uses the same format as the Character Appearances page. Some characters introduced in this contest that the judges deem significant may also be added here.