Live Together, Die Together? End of the Road for the Lost Saga
It should go without saying that if you’re reading this and you don’t want Lost spoiled for you, that this should be the last sentence you read.
Those that know me well know that I’m pretty critical of Lost. My whole family and a large group of my friends are religious followers of the show. And while they’re grinning from ear to ear at the end of a new episode discussing what’s going to happen next, I’m more often than not the guy sitting next to them rolling my eyes and groaning, “That was retarded.”
The truth is, I’d probably be sitting right next to them toting my very own Darma Initiative t-shirt if not for the fact that I felt betrayed as a fan beyond the show’s second season.
You must understand, it’s not that I don’t like Lost. It’s that I really liked Lost until I felt the writers began to insult my intelligence. I’ve jumped ship on shows that were sinking before. I haven’t watched an episode of Heroes, for instance, since the start of season three. But Lost always had just enough during what I’ll call “the bad seasons” to keep me intrigued.
Jack’s spinal surgery on Ben, waiting week after week to find out who the Oceanic Six were, the 1970’s darma station, and how could anyone forget, “WE HAVE TO GO BACK, KATE!” All signs of a pulse for a show that I still contend began as one of the best shows ever to be produced for television, only to be beaten within an inch of its life when they decided to turn a giant wheel that shot out beams of light and made an island vanish into thin air.
How could a show that let me down so many times do what it needed to do to provide a worthy ending to preserve the dignity of the first two phenomenal seasons? It couldn’t, and it didn’t. But that’s not to say it wasn’t good. You have to give the writers credit for the flash-sideways. Undoubtedly more interesting than what was happening on the island itself, seeing the characters meet for the first time all over again was extremely refreshing. And the closure the ending minutes provided was just about as perfect as it could be. Except for Eko! WHY NO MR. EKO?!
The Lost writers have been denying the “purgatory theory” for as long as it’s existed. And maybe they copped out by tweaking it just enough to get by, but I’m OK with it. Because that, unlike many things in Lost, I can get my head around. Sure they didn’t exactly hold true to their end of the bargain. Not everything in the show was explained, as promised. But all the holes they dug themselves in those middle years couldn’t possibly be filled. It wasn’t fair to expect it. And for all I know, they intentionally left enough controversy and debate in the finale to do what they do best- stir the pot and keep their fans intrigued and interested.
So I ask myself: Am I giving the writers too much credit? All they had to do to make a heart-warming finale was show some hazy archived flashback footage of earlier days on the island, play that sombre piano ditty, and have some slow motion embraces of the gang that everyone has come to love over the years. And yeah, all of that happened, but I do think they deserve credit. The show coming full circle with Jack and Vincent on the island, the plane overhead, and everyone together in what was the final end of their journey… I got the closure I was hoping for and they sparked a desire for me to go back and re-watch the series from the beginning. And what more could I ask from a TV show?
Comments
Well.. I have only watched since December since speeding through on Netflix. Personally.. I loved the ending. I did not really care all that much about having every single question answered. I can just hear the critics now.. well in season 4 episode 2 such and such happened…DON”T CARE. Just like I did not particularly care about the reason Jacob and his MIB bro got their start. At this point I wanted to find out what happens next.
I got much of my answer and heck.. call me a girl (Oh, I am one) but I sobbed and was thrilled when Sayid and Shannon had the moment of recognition. Same for my true love Sawyer and Juliette.
I am more than happy with the ending. And please, when Vincent lay down with Jack? We can all discuss the many possibilities of the unanswered questions. That is the beauty of the show. I may be just a bit lost for a while myself without LOST.
I’m with you on that. Yeah, I’ll call the writers out on their “EVERY QUESTION WILL BE ANSWERED” statement that they’ve made time and time again. But for that reason only. To call them out. I even said to Steve and Jackie right before the show started, “there’s no way they can answer every open mystery in two and a half hours.” In two and a half seasons? Maybe. Probably not. But I’m not disappointed – I don’t need to have every question answered. Wasn’t expecting it and don’t need it.
Enjoyed the finale… but I need you to agree with me here…
It’s no Dexter.
OH! Apples and Oranges…I only got hooked on LOST because of Jackie and Steve. I did totally enjoy it but if I had to watch it from the beginning WITH commercials I would have bailed a long time ago.
It was fun, interesting, and I will continue to debate all the possibilities for a while but where oh where is my man Dexter?
BTW.. Will, have you checked out United States of Tara? (See you Sunday.)
Ok, the ending was perfect. I have rewound and watched the last 10 minutes like 5 times now. Even though they did not answer every question, I think they made the best possibly ending that they could have.
Jack DIED for the island and the people he cared about. He died happy, which he never could have been if he had left with sawyer and kate on the plane.
I think people who didnt like the ending, (not to sound like a jerk) probably didnt understand it fully. So let me clarify.. the island, the things that happened, all were real. The only part of the whole show which wasnt “reality” was the sideways world. This was like being in limbo, before moving on to the afterlife/heaven/where-ever.
The characters created that world in their heads in order to come back together and “let go” and “move on” which they could only do with eachother’s help.
ALSO, when juliet said “it worked” right before she died to sawyer in the first episode of this season, she was having a flash of the “sideways world” when in the last episode she got the candy bar out of the vending machine and said “it worked” to sawyer, right before they remembered who they were on the island.
ok I am done rambling.
so glad it’s over.
As long as you have me and Jackie…it will never be over.
🙂
Okay, allow me to vent a bit. Although I have come around from my first reaction (utter and total disgust) I do believe the ending episode of what my Dad has come to call “The M.A.S.H of this generation” had too many plot holes to over look.
1. No resolution to the importance of Aaron.
2. Why is Penny in the church?
3. What happens to Jack’s son? Is he just stuck in purgatory?
4. Syiad’s ends up with Shannon, not Nadia?
5. The the biggest of all… How the hell did Ben get off that log???!!!
I’m sure there are more I’m overlooking or can’t remember. I love this show dont get me wrong. And I’m glad they made their best attempt to make a concrete ending, but was this not the ending we all saw coming? Also as Steve pointed out, they didn’t completely lie about the ending, but they stretched the truth a bit. I understand if someone predicts the right ending their not going to come out and say “ohh ya got us. thats how it ends” but they could at least say no comment or say maybe.
I liked that Ben didn’t get to go into the church. I liked how they ended the show the way they began it. I loved Hurley becoming the new jacob. Along with how the parallels between the waterfall and hatch were intertwined. I think after having so many cliff hanger endings I would of enjoyed them ending the show in the same vein. Like with Clarie giving birth to twins. Or something completely out of left field.
Maybe I don’t understand it fully like Jackie says or maybe I’m just too critical of what has been the most polarizing show of our generation. I still consider it the second best show Ive ever watched to The Wire. And probably the best network show Ive ever watched. I just think they could of ended it a better way.
End rant.
Hi Jeff
The early importance of Aaron was to the Others who wanted children. Beyond that he has no special importance other than he is Claire’s son. Yes, if Claire ended up with twins and all that it would’ve been cool but then that opens up a whole new can of worms or smoke monsters …
Penny was in the church because many years have passed. ALL have died and united in this scens. Remember, Hurley says to Ben , “yOu were a great 2nd in command”? Implying the time element. Also, Jack’s dad says some died before you and some after you. So many years have passed. Don’t we all hope that “heaven” is our state of greatest joy?
I do agree on the Sayid and Shannon thing but still went with it. I mean it is TV after all. A threesome perhaps? LOL
Ben and the log? HUH?
I see Ben as not feeling ready. He is still waiting for Danielle and Alex to “see the light” or the moment of recognition before he can move on.
And that is enough.
Sorry Ldav feels cheated. That is why books are better. They can do so much more than a screen.
the ending was stupid and cheesy… IT WAS THE EASY WAY OUT. sorry guys, but i really didn’t like it.
yeah, but what about that poor bastard that got sucked into the turbine and vaporized in the very first scene after the crash? It was a real hoot, but I bet he didn’t get to go to heaven.
jacks son didnt exist– THE WORLD WAS SOMETHING THEY CREATED IN THEIR MINDS none of it was real , so jack’s son didnt even really exist. it was a world they created before being able to “let go and move on” which they couldnt do until they met up and remembered what happened in their lives.
I was very surprised by the ending, I did not think the sideways world was a “limbo” type situation– i thought they would somehow like connect the two worlds and like everyone would live and get off the island.
love love love love love love love it, the only thing i didnt like about it was the fact it was the end and now i dont know what to do with my life.. I LOVE YOU JACKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!
http://perezhilton.com/2010-05-25-so-you-want-some-answers-from-lost
WATCH THIS!! hahaha
i hate you guys.
Ldav- I watched that so funny- and watching it made me remember a bunch of stuff I wanted answers to– like walt?why are you in the woods whispering..and why are you all wet? that was weird. I hated that big toothed bastard.Almost as much as I hated hearing Michael scream, “WALLLTTT WalllllllT!”
aahahahaha right! some of them i think were answered , but my fav part is “did anyone else think it was gross when hurley was eating that ranch dressing?” hahahaha i laughed pretty hard.
is it weird i keep looking at this blog?
Ldav.. I missyou! LOL.. is it bad that I am at work and really should not be doing this?
That vid’s hilarious. Oh and in the last episode Ben gets stuck under a log when desmond uncorks the island or whatever. Remember he’s stuck they’re trying to get the log off him… then out of no where he shows up right after kate shot the Mib? I guess Hurley is stronger than we thought? WTF??
Oh..a mere log? That’s nothing on that island! My big question and would love it on a t-shirt is, “Who’s watching the island now?”
It is obviously still there and Hurley and Ben have died and ‘moved on” so…?
I really hated the ending at first, but, like some of you I have grown to like it more and more as I think about it. LOST was all about the characters when it comes down to it. I feel like that was one of the main reasons for the flash sideways, it was more character development something that the show really thrived on. While I really would have apprecaited more answers especially regarding the birth of Jacob episode like : Why could Jacob leave the island and not MIB/Smokemonster? How was Jacob as a 12 year old wandering around the island? and Why did their adopted mother and the smoke monster believe that people are bad? while Jacob always believed they are good? I thought that episode really messed with my head more than anything else. Besides that, like I said the ending really focused on characters more than the plot itself which I think is what the writers were really trying to go for this whole time..
And to answer the question about EKO– I read in an interview that he was actually supposed to have a much longer/important role but the person playing him had to be written out of the storyline for “real life reasons” Keep in mind these people had to live in Hawaii for the entirity of filming so, when things out of the writers control came up they had to adjust the plot. Anyways I think his role was supposed to be like Desmond with the flash sideways or something..
also im pretty sure whoever watches over the island after ben and hurley is in the future because the flash sideways/church scene when they are all dead, jacks father said “everyone here has died, some long before you and some long after” so it’s not really a place where time is in the ‘present’ persay
^or where time even exists for that matter