So everyone is clear: this post is my response to the LOST finale and frustrated place to vent about how some people just don't seem to get what happened.
So: if you're a LOST fan- SPOILERS.
If you're not a LOST fan- sorry, this blog will suck.
So: if you're a LOST fan- SPOILERS.
If you're not a LOST fan- sorry, this blog will suck.
Begin rant:
Did other people just not get it? People seem to think that the characters were dead all along, or there was no plane crash, or they all died when the nuke went off, or that the island was purgatory. No, no, no, and no!
The island is/was decidedly NOT limbo or purgatory. As Christian (Jack's father) said, everything that happened in life and on the island was real. The plane crashed, the oceanic 6 went home and went back, everyone time traveled. All real. Jack fixed the Well of Life, that last bunch of people got off the island, and Hurley/Ben took over guarding it. Jack died on the island. All real. Thinking anything else is simply not understanding what happened on the show.
The ONLY THING that was them being dead/in purgatory was the sideways world that we STARTED TO SEE after the bomb went off at the beginning of the season. In "real life" the bomb exploded, brought the characters into present time, but the island/life never "reset." The writers simply started showing us the sideways purgatory world at the same time.
"What was the point of the sideways world?" you ask.
It allowed the show to essentially give us, the viewers, half of a season of character resolution. Having the sideways world be the characters post-death was perfect. It allowed us as viewers to see what each character truly thought of themselves at their core and then reconciled those feelings with the happenings and conflicts of the tumultuous lives they had with each other on the island. We got to see Sawyer be the good man he knew he could be and always wanted to be as a cop in LA. Jack became the father and family man he never had. Kate was no longer a murderous fugitive, but an innocent fugitive. Locke lived a life where he loved others and, most importantly, loved himself without feeling shorted for being in a wheelchair.
The characters being "touched" (by Desmond or otherwise) and remembering each other was them remembering their REAL LIVES and being able to then grow and move on (which is what happens in purgatory). How could it get any better?! Ben stayed outside the church because he was not contented with himself and the life he led, hence him not moving forward. People you didn't see in the church? All people who had either moved on individually (as I suspect Richard had- he knew what he wanted- his wife) or weren't ready yet, such as Daniel Farraday and Charlotte (this is what Desmond and Eloise were discussing at the concert. Desmond was not "taking" Daniel because he wasn't ready).
((Fun Did-You-Remember Moment: Sideways (aka dead) Jack looks in the mirror and asks his mother where he got that scar on his abdomen because he doesn't remember. She says he had his appendix out. We know better than that now. StabbedbyFakeLockeduringtheEpicLastBattletoSavetheIsland.))
((Fun Did-You-Remember Moment: Sideways (aka dead) Jack looks in the mirror and asks his mother where he got that scar on his abdomen because he doesn't remember. She says he had his appendix out. We know better than that now. StabbedbyFakeLockeduringtheEpicLastBattletoSavetheIsland.))
The only people who will be truly upset are the ones who don't understand what happened (but now hopefully they do with my explanation) or those who do not accept that the show is about the characters more than the mysteries (which it always has been). People will ask about Michael/Walt and other characters, or other mysteries on the island (the numbers- etc), but I respond: we KNOW answers for most of them and for the others- who cares? Will it make any difference knowing those details? We know Michael has become a "whisper" on the island- which is what happens to people who die on the island but are not finished. We can assume Walt has gone on to lead a normal life. The numbers relate back to Jacob's master plan of bringing the candidates to the island to save and protect it. They stem from the lighthouse, as each candidate had a number (1-108). 4,8,15,16,23,42 were the numbers of Locke, Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, Kwans, etc.
It comes down to this: Did you enjoy watching a thought-provoking, well-made program, that is and will be different than anything on television?
For me that answer is a resounding YES. Well done. Fantastic finale.
Thoughts? Comments?
End Rant. End of LOST. Sad face :(
Until next time.
Until next time.
4 comments:
I agree with you entirely. That said, two things:
1) It would have been better if it were just a "second chance world" for everyone that they created with the bomb (which I think is the case) and they left out the after-life bit altogether — especially that weak sauce, vague scene with Jack and his Dad.
2) What were they trying to say with that shot of the wreckage they gave us during the credits?! I couldn't prevent myself from freaking out and scouring the sand for footprints! Is the wreckage still on the island? I feel like we haven't seen it forever. Worst-case: no one survived the plane crash and this whole story was a là Pan's Labyrinth (which was awesome for that movie). Best-case: "Wow. Let's just sit back and reflect on how far we've come since this plane crash by peacefully watching this wreckage that we haven't shown for several seasons". Eh?
I came to the same conclusions about the finale. The Alt-LA-verse was a sort of purgatory/waystation for the 815ers (and their loved ones). Matthew Fox even said as much in the interview with Jimmy Kimmel.
Christian explained it all, although it was a little vague.
He told Jack that the most important time of his life was spent with these people, so it makes sense that the preparation for the next life be done with those people (I of course disagree with the theology of it, but it makes for a great story).
As for all the other characters, you were right, Matt. Assumptions can be made, and real answers can be found by rewatching the show.
All that being said, it was an outstanding end to the greatest TV show yet. I cried several times, especially when Claire and Charlie were reunited. Jaw-dropping emotional performances by all of them. Like Jimmy Kimmel said, if Matthew Fox, Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson don't get nominated for major awards, it's a travesty.
hum,, there was a show called "LOST", missed it. When was it on?
From my point of view, everything makes sense for the most part. Jacob had been trying to find a replacement for many many years and he finally found some candidates that could do it. Detail wise however, when Sayid comes back to life in the temple with a new evil soul, how is that possible? The temple in the beginning of Season 6 was supposed to be evil-spirit resistant however Sayid still got infected.
However, this doesn't matter to me. The Dharma initiative, the temple, the island moving.. they are all just stepping stones for the characters to get in the right places at the right times. Some of my friends don't understand the logic of a smoke monster amidst other phenomenons on the island however I think Matt said it best when he said that the show is about the characters and their lives. And also: As in any good work of fiction, the main characters changed. They changed in their core set of values. Everyone became better in some way i.e. less lonely and depressed.
The finale was a fantastic ending to a fantastic show and I am glad I watched it.
Oh! one thing that did bother me. The episode where a random couple gets bit by those weird spiders and they get buried alive. They are mentioned in the finale by miles because they had diamonds, but they did nothing for the plot of the show.
But, as Matt said and as I will resonate: absolutely incredible.I already miss it.
Jon
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