Unbelievable. It’s been a day since I watched the LOST series finale, and I’m still thinking this through. I might review this baby twice – one emotional review (the one you’re reading now) and one later on, when I’ve digested it all. It was just so much to take in – it was incredible. And I still don’t quite get it. I understand, but I don’t get it. Yet. Ah, such is LOST. It offers answers when you least expect them. You just have to look. That’s the great puzzle, isn’t it?
The Episode…
I love LOST finales. What they tend to do is set up something exciting, watch that situation play out in the first half of the episode and then switch to an entirely different, more complex problem. In Season 1 we had to hide from the others but ended up blowing up the hatch door, in Season 2 we wondered what information Desmond would bring and saw the hatch blow up, in Season 3 there was the fight with the others succeeded by the rescue, in Season 4 we wanted everyone on the boat but not on the boat. Season five appears to be the only exception: everything was in place right off the bat. Season six continues the trend set by the first seasons: smokey dies about halfway through the episode. But saving the island is what needs to be done next. It’s great – it always leaves you wondering what’s next and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
It turns out the cave with the light is a metaphor for the island – and the thing actually has a fail-safe key. It’s a cork. For those who don’t remember: Jacob told us the island was a cork. So now we know how literal we have to take that. Very, apparently. I like the symbolism – even if the presence of a crafted chamber inside a cave was a bit weird. Where does it come from? Obviously, this is one of those questions leading to another question and can be answered when you consider things for a second, but still. Then again, it’s those little moments that make LOST’s mysteries into LOST’s mysteries.
The Flash Sideways…
They were the obvious question going into the finale – and the segments that showed us the emotional end to this saga. The revelation – that they shared a subconscious space in which they were waiting to move on together – is nothing short of breathtaking. Obviously, it seems corny at first. But imagining being together in death is just such a wonderful though, in my opinion. So peaceful. It works even better on a second viewing: you can sense that these people are finding each other again, but that rediscovery is also final, and as they are doing so, they are actually already saying goodbye.
So, for me, the flash sideways make perfect sense. Things that seem strange and illogical finally seem right. Jack has no son. He created him to let go of his daddy issues. And him being a “dural sack expert” is just another way of him being told to quit counting to five – he can do it. It’s nothing short of brilliant, and it delivered such an emotionally gripping final episode that it sends shivers down my spine when I even think about it.
There were so many little things. The flash sideways noise being the noise of the Ajira plane taking off. Jack’s wounds. Sayid leaving Nadia. Locke getting his back fixed. Rose telling Jack “You can let go now” right after the turbulence hit. The final piece of the puzzle is so pretty you can just stare at the picture over and over again. Even if it’s corny. I don’t care.
In All…
My first reaction is that there could not be a more fitting end to this show. We got delivered the craziest bunch of broken people, and what better way is there to end the show than to heal them all. At the moment, I don’t get why people would feel cheated for not being told certain mystery elements. Granted, they are exactly why I got into the show, but experience has taught me that answers to questions can be pretty damn disappointing (Horcruxes, for example).
It’s going to be hard letting go. I always have one series that complete eats me up. Before LOST, it was 20th Century Boys. After LOST… I don’t know yet. After I finish one of these obsessive series, there’s always a period of mourning. I just can’t get into anything else yet. There’s plenty of things I want to watch, but just… not now. Not yet.
I’m looking forward to watching it all over again in a few months. If I’m up for it, I might write down the questions I have trouble finding an immediate answer for, and seeing what I can come up with. I don’t need the instant gratification of knowing what every little detail means. I’d rather open the pot and taste exactly what kind of island stew is brewing.
What a crazy trip it’s been. Thank you for a great six years, LOST!
Favourite Quote: Locke: We’ve been waiting for you.
