If you were paying attention to pop culture in 2004, you’re bound to have experienced or at least heard about the Lost phenomenon. The series about a group of plane crash survivors on a mysterious island revolutionized the way we consume and even think about stories, and is often credited for changing television forever. Lost was an undisputable hit, but a new report suggests that the show’s edge didn’t come free of charge.

In her new book Burn It Down: Power, Complicity and a Call For Change in Hollywood, author Maureen Ryan uses the Lost behind-the-scenes environment to make the point that the movie and TV industries constantly enable toxic behavior that traumatizes writers, actors, and other professionals for years. In a harrowing excerpt of the book, Ryan revealed through Vanity Fair that the show’s working environment enabled episodes of verbal abuse, misogyny, and several levels of racism.

In order to write this section, Ryan interviewed former Lost cast members and writers, including Harold Perrineau (From) and screenwriters Monica Owusu-Breen (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Melinda Hsu Taylor (Nancy Drew). Perrineau’s account sheds some light on the destiny of his character Michael Dawson. Back in Season 2, Michael was absent for most of the episodes and abruptly written off when the season wrapped. Perrineau revealed in the interview that this happened after he reached out to showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse to talk about some racial stereotypes and the fact that he and other BIPOC actors were getting sidelined as the show progressed. In response, Lindelof and Cuse released Perrineau from his contract as a regular cast member.

The story gets even worse when Ryan talks to former screenwriters of the show. Owusu-Breen and Hsu Taylor report that racist comments, bullying, and power plays were common in the writers’ room, and that’s the reason why there was a high writer turnover across the series’ six seasons. The writers also say that the toxic work environment on Lost was well-known across the industry, but this kind of behavior was enabled because the show was a massive hit – especially for TV standards at the time.

What Damon Lindelof Has to Say About the Accusations

When approached to comment on his writers’ and cast members’ comments, co-showrunner Damon Lindelof admitted that “there was a high degree of insensitivity” during the production of the whole series, and that he “failed” as a boss to maintain a positive environment for all people working under him. He said:

“My level of fundamental inexperience as a manager and a boss, my role as someone who was supposed to model a climate of creative danger and risk-taking but provide safety and comfort inside of the creative process—I failed in that endeavor.”

Ryan stresses the point of her book is to demonstrate how “a foundational pillar of the industry is the fact that those responsible for huge hits often get enormous passes regarding their actions, attitudes, and management styles.” She complements it by stating that “very few people who are put in positions of power get the training or oversight they need to make the workplace a positive—or at least non-miserable—experience for everyone involved.”

Ryan’s book is set to expose behind-the-scenes stories from other popular shows like Saturday Night Live, The Goldbergs, Sleepy Hollow and Curb Your Enthusiasm, as well as interviews with Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld), Orlando Jones (American Gods), and more.

Burn It Down: Power, Complicity and a Call For Change in Hollywood hits shelves on June 6. You can read the full excerpt regarding Lost at Vanity Fair (TW: racism, verbal abuse, allusions to lynching).

You can remember the Lost phenomenon by watching the trailer below:

via Collider