Lost Finale (might have Spoilers!)

[radhak]

This is about the series LOST, which had its final finale yesterday. 2 hour long.

Seeing that my family doesn't watch, nor my neighbors, I'm here just to vent.

In short - it sucked. The last ten minutes felt like a Lifetime made-for-TV movie, everybody grinning like in a toothpaste advt and being nice and forgiving. And I mean it in the worst way possible .

If they wanted Lost to be talked about a lot after its demise, they might have succeeded. But not in a good way. While Sopranos was unexpected, there was nothing left unexplained there. Lost on the other hand, just glossed over everything it stood for all this long, and went out wimp.

Pity is, till that final stretch, the finale was gripping, even enthralling. The speed with which the plot moved was amazing. There was so much working for it, and then came the whimper. I wonder how many feel like I did - so foolish for having followed the series so closely : the writers never had a game plan; they just did not know how to end it, so they simply gave up.

I am not naive - I knew they could not explain all of the past puzzles. But I did expect them to state why The Island needs protection, or what big catastrophe could Smokey have wreaked if it had escaped. And of course, a better explanation for the 'sideways' universe than that it was just a mirage.

The one problem they built for themselves with such an inconsistent ending is, repeat viewing (syndication) is gonna be tough to garner. Who will worry about anything when you know none of it was real?

[atgcpaul]

I am not naive - I knew they could not explain all of the past puzzles. But I did expect them to state why The Island needs protection, or what big catastrophe could Smokey have wreaked if it had escaped. And of course, a better explanation for the 'sideways' universe than that it was just a mirage.

The one problem they built for themselves with such an inconsistent ending is, repeat viewing (syndication) is gonna be tough to garner. Who will worry about anything when you know none of it was real?

Finales are always about big reunions. The ending was so-so. I wanted the
same answers as you and didn't get them. But I am appeased and look
forward to a wide open summer of minimal TV watching.

The events on the island were real as Christian Shephard (never thought about
his name until last night) said. The sideways universe was less a mirage but
more a collective endeavor to be reunited after death (they were all dead at
this point, some earlier, some later). The writers weren't prescribing to any
particular theology (I think I saw 6 different religious symbols in the stained
glass when Jack talked to his dad) but in some interpretations of Christian
theology, they might have been dead for however long and then re-awakened
at the 2nd coming at which point they would all go spend eternity together.

Paul

[Shep]

I have mixed feelings towards the finale. Last night I was a little dissappointed that the ending was so simply stated. I had a suspicion all along that they were in Purgatory.

Second, this morning as I was still thinking about it, I seem to be more at ease with the finale. They had to end it and this was the easiest way to make it all go away.

[natausch]

The entire "sideways" plot was a narrative device to allow fans to say good-bye to their favorite characters over the entire run of the show.

My issue is that by creating this device the writers chose to walk away from the idea that setting off the H-bomb would influence anything. Is it significant that entire sub-plot in the last season is a big lead up to an afterlife kumbaya?

Yes, since this basically eliminates plot significance of anything that happens from the point where Ben turns the wheel to move the Island in time to when John reverses it.

Seriously, if your surprise ending takes two seasons of the show and throws them in the garbage then you haven't written a compelling series; you've provided an example of what happens when you rely on Deus Ex Machina to complete the story.

[crokett]

Ok so first I will admit that I've only watched a few episodes here and there. I watched the series finale last night and came away with this:

1. Everybody died in the plane crash
2. All the rest of it was them coming to terms with themselves dying. Some took longer than others. IIRC, the series premiere opened with Jack's eye and then a pan-out and closed going in the opposite direction.

[germdoc]

I haven't watched Lost much so I don't have any opinion about the finale.

However, a few years ago I did watch Twin Peaks religiously. Anyone who thought everything in this weird soap opera would be tied up by the end was sorely disappointed. Having seen David Lynch's movies before, I knew this wouldn't be the case--it would only get more and more surreal until you're brain imploded from trying to figure it out.

[JoeyGee]

I am also much more satisfied with the ending this morning than I was last night. As much as I loved the show and the mysteries, there was no way the finale could finish everything I wanted it to.

My only real gripe is the Man in Black's demise. Too quick and clean.

I do think the writers had a plan, and the arc ended exactly where they wanted it to. The middle got so huge and popular, we probably over-hyped it. I do think they wanted us to talk about the finale after, just as most of us talked about each episode--trying to figure out what it all means.

At least it was better than the Seinfeld finale...

[natausch]

At least it was better than the Seinfeld finale...

Which one, the Series stinker finale or the Curb re-write?

[bfrikken]

I thought the finale was great. I loved some of the quotes, specifically the one where Locke something to the effect of Jack being the obvious choice from Jacob and he expected more from that.

I don't think I missed a single episode, so I guess you can call me a die hard lostie. It was also nice to watch an episode that wasn't 45 minutes of commercials with 15 minutes of show.

[atgcpaul]

It was also nice to watch an episode that wasn't 45 minutes of commercials with 15 minutes of show.

Which finale were you watching? They extended the show from 2 hours to
2 1/2 hours just to fit in another 1/2 hour of commercials. During the show,
there were about 5 minutes of show and about 3 minutes of commercials at
some points--not to mention the Target ads that had lost references in them.

[JoeyGee]

Those Target ads were great. I really liked the barbecue sauce/boar one. That was good.

[herb fellows]

Yes, I agree, the commercials were worse than ever, particularly with the Lost references.

The other show that grosses me out with commercials is The Biggest Loser. The ones they do within the show under the guise of healthy eating are particularly annoying.

"Say Tubby, did you know that extra gum will replace several meals?'Not that one at Subway though, because they are also a sponsor." The contestants always look so earnest, as if they are really getting a life lesson.

[jussi]

Which finale were you watching? They extended the show from 2 hours to
2 1/2 hours just to fit in another 1/2 hour of commercials. During the show,
there were about 5 minutes of show and about 3 minutes of commercials at
some points--not to mention the Target ads that had lost references in them.

Which is why I DVR every show I watch now

[bfrikken]

Which finale were you watching? They extended the show from 2 hours to
2 1/2 hours just to fit in another 1/2 hour of commercials. During the show,
there were about 5 minutes of show and about 3 minutes of commercials at
some points--not to mention the Target ads that had lost references in them.

Are you sure, or did it seem that way? Reason I ask, this has been a sore point for me all season. So, when we were watching the finale, we DVR'd it. When we watched the first 30 or so minutes, I think there was a total of 3 or maybe 4 minutes of commercial breaks.

There was also a few long stretches of show that was a great change from the rest of these past 2 seasons.

[pelligrini]

I still have yet to watch 2/3rds of Season 5 and the rest. I prefer to watch it on Netflix without all the comercials and not waiting a week between shows.