'Lost' to Us

Image credit: Lost: Mario Perez/ ABC

All About

Lost

Get the latest photos, news, and more

Although Somerhalder understands the creative reasons for his alter ego's demise, he feels Abrams and Lindelof ''boxed themselves into a corner'' by telling the press someone was going to die — statements which left the cast anxious. ''We didn't really appreciate that,'' he says. ''They already fooled the audience twice,'' with the apparent deaths of Shannon (a dream) and Charlie (Dominic Monaghan, revived after much CPR). ''It's like, 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, I'm going to stop watching your show.''' Lindelof doesn't disagree: ''That's completely fair. In our defense, if we don't kill someone off, the stakes just aren't real.'' (That same reasoning helped sell ABC, which initially had an ''if it ain't broke, why kill somebody?'' attitude.)

Talking about his brief life on Lost, Somerhalder yo-yos between criticism and resignation, cynicism and gratitude. ''It's been emotional hell. That's why I started smoking again,'' says Somerhalder, whose previous acting credits include The Rules of Attraction and Life as a House. He takes a puff. ''This is the last cigarette I'm smoking. Can't smoke anymore.'' Now he wants movie roles, quality projects — more Ian McKellen than Ian Ziering. Nothing is lined up yet; while he works on that, the biz-savvy Somerhalder will be tending to his real estate venture and production company — that is, when he's not hanging in Hawaii with the Lostmates who have become dear friends: Fox, Grace, O'Quinn, Josh Holloway.

Like the actor, Boone fans don't have to say goodbye just yet: He'll appear in the two-hour season finale May 25, during a flashback to the flight that brought everyone to the island. ''I'll always have a place in Hawaii,'' says Somerhalder. ''Trust me — life is great. It's f---ing great. And you know what? This show has made it that much better.'' A little more time, and he may actually believe that.