LOST Post Finale Analysis…
**FINALE SPOILER ALERT**
There is no question about it, LOST is more than a television show, it’s a full blown epic experience, a cultural phenomenon. What kind of LOST fan or loyal blogger would I be if I didn’t give my final thoughts on the finale, and the series as a whole.
Personally, the appeal of LOST has always been the character study. The island created this unique environment where people from all sorts of races, religions, creeds, and colors were forced to work together for survival. Yes it’s true the island has a Black Smoke Monster, polar bears, a secret organization of people studying its weird magnetic/healing properties, and a man with too much eye liner that cannot age. Oh, and let’s not forget that it can jump through both space and time. But the appeal is the humanity. We get to see an adventure of epic proportions as each Lostie confronts past demons. We get to experience their darkest moments and greatest triumphs.
As a whole Season 1 was notably my favorite. Life was easier. Then it was about survival. Will or won’t the rescue planes come? We got to take the time to get to know our characters and their backstories. It was a fantastic meet and greet. In some cases we got introduced to characters just to have them be taken away as we were starting to like them. But once we got to know our Losties, there were far more powerful episodes. The final few episodes of Season 3 stick out to me. The Desmond/Penny saga combined with Charlie’s sacrificial and redemptive death left me with tear-streaked cheeks and a smile on my face. Then, the now infamous “We’ve got to go back, Kate!”.
Not that the show didn’t have it’s rough patches. I was never a fan of the tail section showing up in Season 2, though the Rose/Bernard storyline was sweet. I’m still not sure why Kate and Sawyer were kept in cages by the Others and given what we know now about the flash sideways not being flash sideways at all I really don’t understand why our Losties needed to be transported to 1974 other than to keep the viewer guessing. But I guess the show is like life. Without the low points you would never get to the highs.
For the finale entitled “The End” our team of writers decided to focus more on our cast-aways themselves than answering all the what, why and wheres of the series. We got all we were going to get throughout the final season, but the finale, “The End” was about people. Characters we have come to know and love. I think this was the right move. I think I teared up about 3 times, and when Charlie and Claire found each other I just lost it. The tears were flowing (I have a bit of a soft spot for Charlie). I wasn’t a huge fan of Sayid and Shannon, but I can go with it. The point is our characters found each other, and in doing that, they found the truth. I was loving it, I was 100% full on board that this was the greatest finale in the history of television… until we see Christian Shepard.
Learning that the flash sideways wasn’t real was a big let down for me. I get it, and I get the message, but still, I wanted more. And an episode of Lost wouldn’t be a real episode if it didn’t leave me with a few questions. Questions like, why didn’t Ben choose to go inside the church? What about those who weren’t in the church at the end? Did they do something greater/different with their lives (Michael/Walt)? I think it was fitting that we don’t get to see what happens to the group that leaves the island on the Agira flight because we are living Jack’s story and he doesn’t get to find out himself, but I am interested in knowing in their fates.
As to the what, why, and where questions. Yes, I’ve still got then. I think we all do. And yes, there are questions I wanted answered, but look what happened when we got the origin of Adam and Eve. People were beyond upset about it. One of the greatest aspects of this show is that it always keeps you guessing. What a wonderful gift the writers have given us that the speculation can continue long after it’s over.
Life's Little Revelations 