I already know I won't be let down with the show, or the finale.
Because not at any given moment did I ever think or say "It has to be/should be/will be/needs to be science."
I've always taken the show for what it is - fun to watch and entertaining. And that's what every episode has been for me.
Also, something I thought of the other day:
Flocke's mom tells him at a young age that he can't leave the Island, fueling his desire to leave the Island, just because he "Can't". Which I find a nice tie in to the fact he took John Locke's body, especially after Locke's whole "Don't tell me what I can't do" stuff.
__________________ Fingerbang:
1.) The sexual act where a finger is inserted into the vagina or anus. Headbang:
1.) To vigorously nod your head up and down.
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Re: LOST FINALE!!!!
Good episode for narrative and character arcs.
Bad episode for giving us answers we so desperately desired.
The show started with one question "What is this crazy island" and then the writers are all like, "we refuse to answer that question".
I thought it was an amazing episode.
I like the fact they didn't directly answer how or why, and left it to interpretation.
I thought the Island didn't so much matter, because it was more just about Jack. Which is why the 'storyline' stopped when he died - despite the fact things on the Island carried on after his death, as proven when Ben said Hurley was a great number 1.
I also liked the fact 'universe 2' was essentially Purgatory until they could come to terms with the fact they died, and then let go of 'life'. It came down to the people you love being with, and the people who make you what you are.
Great episode, great show.
I'll be watching it again.
__________________ Fingerbang:
1.) The sexual act where a finger is inserted into the vagina or anus. Headbang:
1.) To vigorously nod your head up and down.
So it was purgatory afterall? Which the writers denied? They could have created a much better narrative if it was all going to lead up to them meeting up and being enveloped by a white light. Time travel, electromagnetism, polar bears...all pointless.
Quote:
When all else fails: sappy music, tears, white light, and a dog.
I agree with Typhoid. The questions and the mysteries were just a way to propel the story arcs of the characters ... when we didn't know much of the background of the characters, the questions were the focal point of the show, but as we began to relate to and empathize with the characters, they became the focal point.
LOST, at its core, was a love story, and if you aren't one for love stories then I could see some cause for displeasure. However, probably should have seen it coming - it was always about love.
Also, the island was certainly not purgatory. Perhaps the sideways universe was purgatory, or it was a concocted universe by the castaways as a way to find one another before moving on. Jack was the last to *find* the church, but he was not the last of the castaways to die. I would assume Hurley and Ben lived to a ripe old age. It was interesting that Ben did not feel comfortable entering the church: perhaps he still felt as though he had not properly redeemed himself? Or perhaps he was waiting for Alex to move on? I quite like the latter option.
Edit: If you watch this TED talk by J.J. Abrams (entitled Mystery Box), the creator of LOST, you might get a better idea as to why there wasn't a need for concrete answers. The talk is captivating and engaging, but Abrams fails to reveal just quite what is truly inside the mystery box, but does it matter? I don't think so. At a point, the answer becomes irrelevant, and the journey and struggle is far more important ... kind of like life.
Lost at its core wasn't a love story. It's what it got twisted into it. If it was a love story about the characters why not just take place in LA without the mysteries?
Abrams is also big on puzzles, and very big on letting you figure out the puzzle yourself and not giving out the answer. (He edited a Wired issue with this theme a few months ago.) For any puzzle, the journey and self-discovery is what is the real fun and of importance, not the final answer. A simple example is using cheats during video games -- sure if you're stuck, you can look up the answer or use a cheat to make the game easier, but then you miss the self-accomplishment of it all. Or another example -- looking at the answers of a crossword puzzle without trying to get them for yourself. There's some satisfaction in getting the answers, sure, but it doesn't match the satisfaction of discovering them for yourself. This I think probably comes directly from his thoughts on mystery boxes.
That is likely where he left Lost. Many of the questions are puzzles that are given enough clues to let you decipher. The others are left as mystery boxes, for you to never know the true answer of what's inside, but with your imagination, leaving infinite possibilities.