Way back when I first started watching Lost, I was drawn to the show because of all the mysteries. While the characters were somewhat interesting, I watched because I wanted to find out more about the Island. As the seasons progressed, sure, I liked the characters, but I wanted to learn more about things like the DHARMA Initiative, the smoke monster and the frozen donkey wheel.
Well, tonight was Lost’s final episode. And not all of my questions have been answered. But the finale was so emotionally satisfying, especially for the show’s characters that I find myself not caring about the mysteries.
Funny how these things work.
So thanks to Desmond and Hurley, everyone in the Sideways Universe got together for their big group flash. Meanwhile on the Island, fLocke used Desmond to uncork the source at the bottom of the magical mystery cave, which made the light go out and bad things happen on Island. Richard (who was alive) and Miles find Lapidus (who was also alive) and they go to Hydra Island to get the Ajira plane ready for takeoff. Jack and fLocke fight on the cliffs, where Jack is able to hurt fLocke and eventually throws him off a cliff, but not before getting wounded himself. The plane leaves with Kate, Sawyer and Claire. Hurley, Ben and Jack go back to the cave, where Jack makes Hurley his successor. Jack re-plugs the source, which makes the light come back and stops the Island from coming apart. Hurley offers Ben a job as his number two. Jack hobbles to the place where he first landed on the Island and is joined by Vincent, where he witnesses the Ajira plane leave the Island as he dies.
Back in Sideways-world, Jack joins the Oceanic group at the church where everyone seemingly has their Island memories. Before meeting with the group, Jack talks with his father, who reveals that they’re all dead and are currently inhabiting a world they created. Jack then joins the group for a happy reunion as light fills the church.
Kind of a weird ending, one I didn’t see coming. My interpretation? They’re all dead. They didn’t all die at the same time. Some died shortly after Oceanic 815 crashed (Shannon, Boone), others died throughout the series (Sayid, Sun, Jin, Jack), and others we haven’t seen die yet (Ben, Hurley (who could have lived another thousand years), Desmond and Penny). Sometime after they died, their consciousnesses traveled to another world/dimension/universe, created by them (perhaps by Hurley, in his position as Island protector where he got to make his own rules). In this world/dimension/universe, they never crashed because the Island was underwater. The world/dimension/universe was created for one purpose: so they could be with each other one last time before they crossed to the other side.
Lost the series was about the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. The Island existed a long time before them and will exist for a long time afterwards. The survivors of the story are a much smaller group than we started out with: Hurley, Ben, Desmond (on the Island), Richard, Miles, Frank, Kate, Claire and Sawyer. Sure their lives will go on, but with the Island’s resident source of evil eradicated, the story is over.
I’m sure at some point, I’ll want to know a lot more about the questions that weren’t answered. But now, I’m satisfied. Even the Sideways universe at the end of the season was fulfilling. Perhaps the best part of The End was the moments in the Sideways story where characters reconnected. Even though we never got to see some of them (Boone) I have to admit the ones we saw choked me up, particularly Charlie and Claire (even if I couldn’t shake the thought that childbirth in movies/TV is unrealistic). Those connections are what made the Sideways stuff worthwhile. In the beginning of this season, I wrote:
It makes everything that we’ve seen over the past five years not matter. Some of these characters we’ve watched grow go back to square one. And the rest of the season can be filled with awesome in every episode, but will you get to have characters mature and change over the course of 15 or so episodes?
Well, they didn’t need to grow. Their consciousnesses just needed to catch up with them. Or, as Desmond said, he just needed to show them something.
Unfortunately, we’ll never know what happens to the Island under Hurley’s leadership (with Ben as second-in-command). I’m sure things will be a lot more easy-going and laid back. And maybe some of his old friends will be paying him a visit. But the story of the Island is over.
Some other thoughts:
-I’ve been a fan of Ben since his first appearances in season two. But tonight made me an even bigger fan. Whether it was his actions on the Island (willing to go down with the ship, or submitting to Hurley’s rule) or his awesome apology scene with Locke outside the church, Ben was great tonight.
-I have to admit Jack was also great tonight. Maybe finally realizing that he was there for a reason put some sense in his head, but tonight, Jack did all the right things. Maybe except agreeing to let Desmond uncork the Island. But that was probably the only way to make fLocke mortal again. So good for Jack.
-Guess I was wrong about “you have to lift it up.” Oh well.
-I’ll never say this any other night, but I even liked Kate tonight.
-I finally figured out why we haven’t seen Richard in the Sideways universe. He never died.
-Even though this was the end and people died, at least they got a happy ending. Especially John Locke. After two seasons of having his persona used by the Smoke Monster, it was nice to see the original believer have a few moments of triumph.
-There are still a lot more thoughts about The End flying through my head, but these are all the ones that made sense.
And with that, this five-year obsession of mine is over. I’m sure there will be more to write about Lost in the future. But it was a great experience. Thank you to all of those involved with making this great show.
I wanted more answers but I loved it. Damon and Carlton have said there won’t be any sequels, movies or spinoffs, but they left themselves open to continue the story- like what happens under Hurley’s leadership, or about the next group of people who find the island. But the story is over. Perhaps it’s best this way.
Any spinoff would have to be about Frank, Miles, Alpert and Sawyer. Comedy gold, I tell you.
I thought this was a great way to end the series. Somewhat frustrating that a lot of the material didn’t matter at all. But all things must end and at least lost went out the way it was meant to.
I know I’ve said in the past I wouldn’t mind spinoffs involving pairings like Sawyer/Miles or Ben/Locke. But I think what we’ve gotten is enough. (Not counting the 12-14 minute Ben/Hurley scene that’ll be on the DVD)
I read somewhere else (don’t remember where) that Sideways Rose, Brenard and Boone always knew. It puts an interesting slant on their earlier appearances this season.
[…] Man in Charge is a nice little wrap up to the series, it would have been totally out of place in The End. The series was about the Island and what happened once the survivors of Oceanic 815 arrived. […]