Lost

[LouisvilleGreg]

Did anyone else read that ABC added those unnecessary and confusing images of 815 at the very end as the creadits rolled? Apparently it was done in an attempt to soften the transition from the emotional ending into the nightly news. Way to fuck with us and the show ABC. In regards to the 15 or so million who watched the last epsiode, I wonder what those numbers would've been if so many people didn't watch the show in groups? I couldn't bare the thought of watching with anyone else, but everyone else I know who is a fan watched with multiple people. Also curious if LOST was your favorite show, what is your new favorite? Hard to even compare the two, but I'm really feeling the early episodes of Treme, looking forward to Boardwalk Empire this summer.

[Analogman]

Did anyone else read that ABC added those unnecessary and confusing images of 815 at the very end as the creadits rolled? Apparently it was done in an attempt to soften the transition from the emotional ending into the nightly news. Way to fuck with us and the show ABC. In regards to the 15 or so million who watched the last epsiode, I wonder what those numbers would've been if so many people didn't watch the show in groups? I couldn't bare the thought of watching with anyone else, but everyone else I know who is a fan watched with multiple people. Also curious if LOST was your favorite show, what is your new favorite? Hard to even compare the two, but I'm really feeling the early episodes of Treme, looking forward to Boardwalk Empire this summer.

 

I think all I have left is the NBC comedy shows on Thursday nights, NCIS, American Pickers (and some other such like shows), and some of the cartoons on Sunday nights. 24 is also finished as of last night. I have not caught anything yet that will replace LOST, or 24 so far.

[bleedorange]

Chuck is a great show.

[TCP]

Now that I have had 48-hours to let the finale sink in, I have a few more thoughts.

The final episode was the producers saying that the most important part of Lost was the characters. I disagree. Why did we all tune in every week? To watch Sawyer develop as a character? No. We watched in the hopes of some mysteries being revealed. At the end of the day, that's what Lost was about. They had a terrific way of having their answers only lead to more questions. That's not to say the characters weren't interesting or important.

It just seems wrong to leave so many questions unanswered... I knew everything wasn't going to get explained in the final episode but this could have been stuff we learned earlier.

Who was doing the Dharma food drops? At the beginning of the series obtaining basic needs was very important... and it just fell from the sky. Why? How? Did it mean Dharma was still around?

The Others and The Hostiles... where did they come from? Obviously Jacob brought them to the Island but when and why? They were a big the antagonists of the first four seasons and they deserved to have some answers.

Eloise, how much did she know? How did she know it?

I could keep going but what's the point? I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the final, but I think it was a missed opportunity.

[Good Old Neon]

Unanswered questions

 

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1936291

[u2roolz]

I loved and felt completely satisfied with the series finale. It was the perfect ending.

 

I waited a bit to come on here and write up something because I hate having all of these thoughts in my head and then trying to have them spill out in here in some logical fashion. Also, I don't feel like defending my views or making anyone feel bad. This may get a bit long, so I'll break it up by titling each section.

 

The Day Of: I had a complete sense of calm over me. I knew that the end had come and wasn't really too sad about it because I own all of the dvds and in actuality for me the show isn't going anywhere, it's just finished broadcasting new episodes. Obviously. I also felt happy more than anxious. Why was I feeling these emotions? Well, because Lost really changed for me. And I didn't change for Lost. Meaning: I knew that everyone's questions wouldn't be answered and it didn't bother me because ultimately the show really revealed itself to be about its' characters and not the mysteries. Even though that did pull us in in the beginning. Which leads me to my 1st point.

 

Is This The Show (Finale) You Wanted? :

Ext Day Jungle

Sawyer: Son of a bitch. (picks up paper) Will you look at that. It's a receipt from UPS for the Dharma Food Drops.

 

Sawyer: (trips over a film reel) Son of a bitch. Will you look at that. It's a film about the Others made by the Dharma Initiative. Hey Doc, let's find a place to watch this. It's been buggin' me!

 

Seriously, this is how it would have been, since the majority of people's questions really had nothing to do with the characters left on the show. It would have been 150 minutes of forced revelations that people most likely would have shit on. Did you expect the MIB to tell Jack his name before he killed him? As I stated before on the episode where Michael explains the whispers to Hurley, it felt forced and spoon fed and most of all: Check Mark List-y. Although, Hurley has always been the proxy for the audience, so it made sense for him to hear this.

 

The Final Scenes: 1st let me say that I always thought that the show would come full circle. Although, I thought that somehow Jack would wake up in the jungle and it would begin again. Then I thought that the Island timeline would cease to exist in the finale and then they'd reunite in the "Sideways" world like we had seen with Hurley & Libby. I was completely surprised by what the "Sideways" world actually was and loved the concept of it. I will admit that upon 1st viewing I thought that they were dead all along because my mind shut down for a nanosecond and it was the point where Christian explained to Jack what this place was (more on that later). I let the tears come (lots of them too) and then watched the ending again. What wrecked me was the circularity of Jack dying where his journey began and Vincent coming over to greet him and possibly "guide" him onto the next "plane" of existence. It was a beautiful image tastefully and thoughtfully done. And it was made more amazing by the juxtaposition of him in "that place".

[u2roolz]

I really wish I could project my thoughts onto a type writer then have them show up. Or I should make notes.

 

Hurley created the "afterworld": My best friend Vin thought this because he was the one to make up the rules now that Jacob & Jack had died. This didn't cross my mind because I thought that we were seeing a singular perception (Jack's) in the end even though it was quite collective all season. (more on that in a bit). Hurley seems like the good natured type to be able to reunite everyone, since Ben's last conversation with Hurley (on Island) was about returning Desmond back home. I like the concept and it may be true. Or it may not. No big deal. Edit: (It makes sense since Hurley, Ben and Desmond probably all wanted to be reunited with Libby, Alex, and Penny).

 

Christian's words: While we may take his words for face value to gain closure on our show, it may be a projection of what Jack wants his dad to tell him while he is dying (is dead). This could be explained by why he sees Aaron as a baby. It's how he wants to remember him.

 

Irony Man: It's quite fantastic to see Jack get this ending because of how he was portrayed on the show as a man of science. By the end of the show he gained more faith. His journey is complete.

 

What Lost Was Really About: Life & Death. Or better yet: it doesn't matter about getting answers to life's mysteries and questions. It matters who you spend your time with, who you love and coming to terms with yourself. And no that's not a big middle finger from Damon & Carlton to the "Answer Hounds". It's what the show was always about, but we finally understood this by it's end.

 

Starting With The Wo/Man In The Mirror: Remember all of the mirrors in the "Sideways" world? I think that ultimately represented their own perceptions of how they wanted to see themselves. Like Sawyer who wanted/chose to be a man on the side of the law.

 

Lost = All Things Meta: It's quite amazing how the show pulled people along on this journey so that they could find out "the answers" and ride the ride until the very end. Hmm. Sounds like life? No? It's kind of like a litmus test on how you respond to its' overall impact. Are "the answer hounds" that concerned with all things mysterious and concerned about death? While it's obviously not fair to box everyone like this (no pun intended), it does make for an interesting breakdown of people's thoughts and priorities. Edit: (It's interesting how I felt so calm. Much like you hear about people on the day that they die.) (In the end it should matter what you believe about your own personal experience. And that doesn't just include religious stuff.)

[u2roolz]

One Singular Sensation?: Could the "afterworld" have been really all in Jack's mind on his journey to the next "plane"? It began with him. It ended with him. But so did the show. All season this world was multicentric and included people that Jack would not have known about. So it is possible like Christian said that they created this world together. And when we see Jack's revelation about his situation it is similar to what we "see" when we see the flashes that the characters have. They know that it is time to "move on".

 

Jack The Savior (Another Interpretation On The Above): It really is somehow all in Jack's dying mind. He brings salvation to those on the Island. He's saving everyone much like we've seen him do since the 1st few minutes of the show. That's quite the ultimate way of saving someone: by saving their soul. And in fact, on the other hand, he could be the only one on this journey: he may want them in his mind to cross over with him.

 

Dead Since The Plane Crash Theory: I will admit to liking almost every theory that you can come up with because it can be traced back to something that you can research on or have heard a little about. And you got to (although not everyone does) love something where you can interpret anything anytime and still be happy with it. Much like Jimmy Kimmel (who looks exactly like Jack's son David) said, it could have been Jack's test to move on. While in one instance I would argue that they were in a place similar to the "sideways" world on the Island, I would say that they were in an in-between place. Yes, it sounds complicated, but how could 46 people have survived the plane crash? So for me it can work on that level too where they're not aware of being "Dead" and in/on this mysterious place. So "the Ocean 6" is kind of like a metaphor for going back to the "life" side. This theory is rooted more in Eastern religions which were represented in that church. And I also find it fascinating that people do believe and are taught about reincarnation etc. I wonder how differently they live their life than those who do not believe in that.

 

It's Complicated (Being Visual): I think one of the beauties of writing a book is that you can get away with something like Lost. Unfortunately, on tv or in film it's tougher to pull off this type of work because you're telling the story with images and people can tend to take that literally and not want to do the legwork of distinguishing between what's what and what's that.

 

Art doesn't answer questions...it raises them.

[tongue-tied]

So why did they forget their real-life island selves in this after-life/time-free/hurley's-party world? Does everyone go into a state of denial upon death?

 

I have no qualms about sub-plots and details going unexplained (though there was still a lot of material that would have made for good television if they had spent time on it), in fact I felt this season was cringe-worthy at points for obvious exposition, but the more I think about the very end, the more I feel it dodges conceptual questions in favor of a story that's more (...) black and white. It's difficult to point out where it fails in that sense, it's certainly open-ended enough to still consider fate/free will, science/faith, etc., but the show seemed to progressively reduce itself into "The Story of Jack's Moving On". Of course it needed to end with Jack, and this ending was appropriate as any in terms of his character, but it undermined a lot of the show's development. The finale was great television, well-written, emotional, dramatic. It played with expectations as well as in any season, it was fun, impressive in how it handled so many character interactions naturally, and in that sense it was a satisfying ending. It was also a bit of a cop-out.

[u2roolz]

So why did they forget their real-life island selves in this after-life/time-free/hurley's-party world? Does everyone go into a state of denial upon death?

 

Well, to answer with a basic knowledge of Eastern religions I think that with each rebirth and the next death there is a place in between known as the Bardo (Buddhism) where within that there are different stages. I think in Buddhism they believe that with each rebirth there is a completely new dynamic soul as opposed to Hinduism and Christianity who believe that the soul is eternal. So by kind of fusing all religions they create this "world" where these "enlightenments" occur to bring them to the next level of existence.

 

So if you want to call the "Afterworld/Sideways" world a place of rebirth then what gets carried over from each prior existence? And what triggers those memories to come back, if they ever should? {Of course, we can also talk about dreams too. I've had some weird dreams that I can't explain. Mostly about places that I think I've never been.}

 

Anyways, I believe that in this show you could say that in this next "stage" of life/death they were living in they had no prior memories of their "past" lives. They were kind of "reborn" and like we saw some event either a love connection or coming to terms with yourself led to that "a-ha" moment.

 

Edit: In fact, I'd love to hear from people about other religions (who actually practice it) other than Christianity about the ending. Sad indeed to ponder this because of a show. But you've got to start somewhere right. And I did back in season one with the word "dharma". In fact the "Frozen Donkey Wheel" looks exactly like the Dharmachakra in Buddhism.

[Good Old Neon]

 

 

What Lost Was Really About: Life & Death. Or better yet: it doesn't matter about getting answers to life's mysteries and questions. It matters who you spend your time with, who you love and coming to terms with yourself. And no that's not a big middle finger from Damon & Carlton to the "Answer Hounds". It's what the show was always about, but we finally understood this by it's end.

 

 

If there are answer hounds among us, it probably has something to do with the writers being red herring hounds. Sure, the show was about the characters, but I would include the Island among them. As others have pointed out, the characters were great and all, but if the show did not incorporate the mysteries surrounding the Island, Dharma, etc – we’d be watching something a little bit closer to Grey’s Anatomy meets Gilligan’s Island than what the show eventually became.

[u2roolz]

If there are answer hounds among us, it probably has something to do with the writers being red herring hounds. Sure, the show was about the characters, but I would include the Island among them. As others have pointed out, the characters were great and all, but if the show did not incorporate the mysteries surrounding the Island, Dharma, etc – we’d be watching something a little bit closer to Grey’s Anatomy meets Gilligan’s Island than what the show eventually became.

 

Well, I like to think of Lost as something like religion and well I'll stop there. Sure, there's the Bible, but what you choose to believe in it is up to you and what they choose to include in it is up to "them". Everything they left out makes us wonder even more. I'm talking about the Bible here. Are you calling God a cop out?

[u2roolz]

If there are answer hounds among us, it probably has something to do with the writers being red herring hounds. Sure, the show was about the characters, but I would include the Island among them. As others have pointed out, the characters were great and all, but if the show did not incorporate the mysteries surrounding the Island, Dharma, etc – we’d be watching something a little bit closer to Grey’s Anatomy meets Gilligan’s Island than what the show eventually became.

 

I'll present you with another question scenario:

 

I see that you're quite the reader. Probably like I watch films. Does a book upset you when they lead you down a certain path and leave you with more answers? Would you go back and read it to seek for answers? Is it tougher to do this on a book than a film? A different question: do you enjoy books that are vague yet fantastic. What about pop songs? Aren't the best pop songs the ones that aren't specific but vague enough to create the feeling of a universal theme such as heartbreak? You don't hear anyone crying to Sting (sorry) about who this song was about and in what instance?

 

One of my favorite films of all times is Mulholland Drive by David Lynch. Every time I watch it, I get something different out of it. I notice something different than before to bring me to a different, but somewhat similar conclusion. The abstract quality of it's resolution is what brings me back to it. Why watch The Hangover when I know how that ends? To laugh.

 

So I wouldn't say that Damon & Carlton are lazy creators. I'd say that they give their audience enough respect and care that they let us decide what to make of certain unanswered questions that maybe are actually "answered" throughout the course of the show in small detail.

 

 

 

 

Would certain people feel the same way about the show if they were handed all 6 seasons to watch instead of it being for 7 years? It raises interesting questions about audience, story and its medium.

[Good Old Neon]

Are you calling God a cop out?

 

As a vehicle to answer all of life’s big questions/mysteries? Yes. Invoking god doesn’t answer questions or invite inquiry, on the contrary, imo, it does the opposite, it boils existence and all its complexities down to one, one size fits all answer to just about any question you’d care to raise.

[u2roolz]

I can agree with your viewpoint. But I found it funny that you picked out my satirical question to answer to. I really would like to know about your reading.

[Good Old Neon]

I'll present you with another question scenario:

 

I see that you're quite the reader. Probably like I watch films. Does a book upset you when they lead you down a certain path and leave you with more answers? Would you go back and read it to seek for answers? Is it tougher to do this on a book than a film? A different question: do you enjoy books that are vague yet fantastic. What about pop songs? Aren't the best pop songs the ones that aren't specific but vague enough to create the feeling of a universal theme such as heartbreak? You don't hear anyone crying to Sting (sorry) about who this song was about and in what instance?

 

One of my favorite films of all times is Mulholland Drive by David Lynch. Every time I watch it, I get something different out of it. I notice something different than before to bring me to a different, but somewhat similar conclusion. The abstract quality of it's resolution is what brings me back to it. Why watch The Hangover when I know how that ends? To laugh.

 

So I wouldn't say that Damon & Carlton are lazy creators. I'd say that they give their audience enough respect and care that they let us decide what to make of certain unanswered questions that maybe are actually "answered" throughout the course of the show in small detail.

 

I’m a big fan of difficult fiction and fiction and stories that do not provide easy answers or resolutions. But It struck me as little late in the game, and a little too convenient for the writers to suddenly insist that in the end, the mysteries they wove for six years really didn’t matter, because, like, life is a mystery. Which, is true of course, and all well and good, but as writers and a storytellers, I think they have (had) a responsibility to provide answers to some of the questions raised – for example, Walt’s specialness and why children could not be conceived on the Island. These circumstances, among many others, were employed as plot devices for the better part of six years, and then suddenly, they just ceased to matter?

 

The characters were compelling enough I guess, but had the show lacked all that other stuff, I for one, wouldn’t have watched it. On the whole, I think the show succeeded, but it many ways, it is a total (effing) mess, if a well told and enjoyable one. And I cannot shake the feeling that many of Lost’s mysteries amounted to little more than red herrings, little carrots designed to keep us watching. If I come across as overly harsh it is not intended, I really loved the show, and I’ll miss it dearly, but it certainly has its faults.

[u2roolz]

I’m a big fan of difficult fiction and fiction and stories that do not provide easy answers or resolutions. But It struck me as little late in the game, and a little too convenient for the writers to suddenly insist that in the end, the mysteries they wove for six years really didn’t matter, because, like, life is a mystery. Which, is true of course, and all well and good, but as writers and a storytellers, I think they have (had) a responsibility to provide answers to some of the questions raised – for example, Walt’s specialness and why children could not be conceived on the Island. These circumstances, among many others, were employed as plot devices for the better part of six years, and then suddenly, they just ceased to matter?

 

The characters were compelling enough I guess, but had the show lacked all that other stuff, I for one, wouldn’t have watched it. On the whole, I think the show succeeded, but it many ways, it is a total (effing) mess, if a well told and enjoyable one. And I cannot shake the feeling that many of Lost’s mysteries amounted to little more than red herrings, little carrots designed to keep us watching. If I come across as overly harsh it is not intended, I really loved the show, and I’ll miss it dearly, but it certainly has its faults.

 

Thanks for the response.

 

I think that that boils down to Jacob's "Rules". He must've come to the realization that his actual mother came to the Island pregnant and was murdered while he was 1 minute old. So in an act of rage he decided that no woman shall ever give birth again. It seems a little bit out there, but anything can be true. Also, it could be due to the electromagnetism. (Edit: Or if this place is a type of purgatory, it wouldn't make too much sense to give birth. Although, we do see Claire give birth in the "Afterworld".)

 

Walt was told that he was special much like John Locke who really wasn't special at all. Or was he? I just don't see how he could have fit into the final season. I think it was just an exploration of what "being special" is and "being told you're special" is. Obviously, it led a lot of focus on Walt right up until the end of the series. People weren't wondering about other characters like him. (Edit: OR Walt obviously was the youngest character and probably the least conflicted/least prone to do bad things. So if you believe in the purgatory/Island theory then it would seem that Walt doesn't belong here/his time came too soon and in some weird way that manifested itself on the Island as Walt "being special" and The Others trying to take him away.

 

And as far as the Island goes: well Michael did say that he was "stuck there" whispering. Which can make you ask a whole series of questions about that place. Such as, did that whole statement really reveal what the place was in an understated type of way but once you realized the "end" does it make you rethink what you saw over 6 seasons?

[Analogman]

10 awesome Lost prequels and sequels you know you'd watch

[LouisvilleGreg]

i think i'd watch any of those.

[KevinG]

10 awesome Lost prequels and sequels you know you'd watch

 

Where is my Hurley and Ben run the island for 2000 years sequel? I picture a odd couple like sitcom. Cause that would be awesome.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Bumping this because I still feel a bit adrift.

[okp greg]

Bumping this because I still feel a bit adrift.

 

It is funny how quickly discussion died down. I think ultimately people were fairly divided on their opinion of whether they were happy with the finale or wished they finished it with a different direction, and just got tired of arguing over it.

[u2roolz]

I know what I forgot to write about. Damn.

 

Well, the whole Series Finale episode was the most surreal television or film experience I think I've had in my life.

 

To have all of these theories etc. and then know that this was it. And keeping an eye on the clock to see how much time was left.

 

I think it ultimately had to do with the notion that once we find out how Lost ends we'll never be able to have that sense of not knowing. So it was like this weird filling in of that gap right before our eyes in real time and being really in the present moment.

 

It was quite amazing when the final scene was unraveling and I was crying because it was perfect and everything came full circle. I hate to think how my death comes about. Will I be thinking about something trivial like "Gee, I wonder how they make staples?" Then I drop dead?

[anthony]

Bumping this because I still feel a bit adrift.

Best wrap-up that I have seen...

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Best wrap-up that I have seen...

 

I don't want to get overly dramatic or emotive here, but we will never see the likes of LOST again.