I remember the hype about ABC's Lost in its first season. Without a TV at the time, I was mildly interested in the premise of the show and I recall reading an article about the hunky men on the show in a gay magazine. The author wondered how an island could be inhabited by a plane full of survivors without a single one being gay.
Between the second and third seasons, I finally broke down and purchased seasons one and two on DVD and caught up quickly. Now, I am a certified Lost freak, although I don't frequent the blogs and message boards for speculation about the show's meaning.
I must admit, though, that I began to wonder about the complete lack of gayness on the show, especially as I began to understand that the show's frequent use of flashbacks, and now flash-forwards, expands the character base even more.
Well, that has all changed, but just a little bit. Last week's episode featured a flashback with a gay character. The only problem is that it felt like the most token inclusion of a gay character in a TV show since the 70's.
 Tom, a minor character and a part of the (ironically-named) group called The Others, is seen in his nice New York penthouse suite dismissing his boyfriend with a kiss on the cheek when Michael, the major character, shows up for the plot-moving orders.
Tom is best described as the thug of the show - a bear of a man who does the bidding of the show's assumed villain. The writers would be crazy (which may actually be true) to make Tom a dynamic character. The show has too many of those already. It just makes him seem so token as the only identified gay character on the show, so far.
Lost is quite possibly the most unpredictable television show since Twin Peaks. However, I believe that I can say with authority as a fan that we will not see Tom's gay lifestyle explored any further. He's a tool and hardly worth developing.
So, thanks Lost writers for throwing us a bone. Surprise me and develop a believable gay plot line. And don't tell me that including confirmed lesbian actress Michelle Rodriguez counts for anything. We just want one, just one, of your hundreds of wickedly well-written plot lines.
Info from Wikipedia:
Michael eventually goes to the penthouse where Tom is revealed to be in a romantic relationship with another man...Although slightly hinted at in season three, it was confirmed in season four that Tom was in fact homosexual. In season three, back on the island, Tom laughs at Kate's concern over showering in front of him. With a knowing smile, he assures her she's not his type.
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