Lost: The End

So most people on planet USA know that the sci-fi/action adventure show, Lost, finished its 6 year run last night. I was among the millions who watched the finale and I have to say, I was deeply impressed. It's not often that a show can be about time travel, polar bears, smoke monsters and plane crashes can be so universally enjoyed, but Lost figured out how to do it. I think it owes its success to the strong characters on the show. Good guys and bad and everyone in between had their moments. We sympathize with criminals and con men, doctors and rock stars, mothers and fathers (or fake mothers and fake fathers at that). There are no (or at least very few) shallow one-dimensional characters in Lost. Everyone got a chance to show the good and the bad about themselves. With that in mind let's examine (as best we can without giving too much away) the last episode of Lost: The End.

The biggest strength of the Lost finale was that it was about the characters. Over six years this show has raised a lot of questions and introduced a lot of mysteries. It would be foolish to try and answer all of them in the last episode. Many of the big questions of the series have been answered in the last season (what are the numbers, what is the black smoke, why did Oceanic 815 crash on the island), but still several were left unanswered. If the writers wanted to just answer questions the finale would have been a lot of talking and not as effective. They chose instead, wisely, to focus on the characters and Jack in particular. By doing this the writers let us say our goodbyes in the most poignant and meaningful ways. We get to see them interact with each other and come to terms with their destinies. The reunions expected and unexpected were sweet and charitable. Bad guys get some redemption and the good guys get their just reward. It was a surprisingly Christian/Spiritual ending for a mainstream TV show with lots of elements of forgiveness, redemption, and even resurrection. Two moments that stick out in my mind: Jack to the Man in Black: "Locke was right. I wish I could've told him that while he was alive." and Someone to Someone else (names hidden in case those who haven't finished it yet read this) "For what it's worth, I forgive you." "Thank you [name], that means a lot. It means more than you know." Powerful stuff for primetime television.

Lots of reconciliation happens in the finale. Not least of which is the reconciliation between the sideways world and the island world. Since the beginning of the last season audiences knew that there was some relationship between the two, but not until the last moments do we understand why. All I can say about the last few minutes is, "WOW!" I was floored when I realized what had happened and how it was all going to end. I never considered that it would end this way, but in retrospect I realize it was the only way it could end. It was so complete and final that it wrapped everything up nicely. We still have questions, but at the same time everything feels resolved. Maybe my religious background helped me appreciate the sweetness of the ending, but whatever the case may be it was touching.

Well finishing this show was like leaving at the end of a long family vacation. It was fun and you know you have to go back to regular life, but you're just going to miss everyone. Sure it may be silly, it's only a TV show, but as someone going into this field for a career it's nice to think the things your doing could have some meaning. Lost was great, the ending was pitch perfect for me and I'll miss it, but hey, there's always Lost on DVD!