Reflecting on "Lost"

I wish just once in the last 2-3 years I’d been willing to think about “Lost” as anything but a puzzle to be solved. Assuming I was like everyone else, I was tantalized by the rabbit hole we dove deeper and deeper into each week. At some point, you would have thought I’d at least have chuckled to myself that there was no way they could answer all of it in one season, or even one finale as it inched closer. Instead, my criteria for judging the show and my enjoyment were all wrapped up in how well it answered questions. I assumed I’d be somewhat disappointed that not all of them would be resolved and some of my favorites would be left out. I guess I just never considered that they would end a show like that without bothering to answer the vast majority of them.

I’m still pissed I don’t know what that number was all about and answers to around 300 other very specific “mysteries,” but I’m equally pissed at myself for being such an irrational viewer. I’m usually very good at setting expectations for something like this. A part of me had such high hopes for this show after the strength of its first three seasons, but I was down on the show for much of seasons 4-6, especially the last 25 or so episodes. I didn’t even watch last year’s season finale until this season started, having basically given up hope and begrudgingly resuming because I had already invested 100’s of hours and I had to see it end. I’m glad I did.

At some point, it should have occurred to me that this show is about the journey more than the ending. When viewed as an adventure show that was great at building characters and emotional connections without necessarily making a ton of sense, “Lost” is successful beyond belief. It maintained a delicate balance of incredible cliffhangers, adventure, and mystery with genuine human drama and character development. The production value, writing, and acting were unprecedented for a show like this and it played successfully in every genre it attempted.

In retrospect, it’s amazing it stayed believably cohesive as long as it did. I’m not sure if watching it again would make me angry at the plot holes or cause me to enjoy the ride because I’d be freed of those daunting and perhaps unreachable expectations we all had. As I reflect on the ending, I think viewers fall into two camps:

Camp #1: That Ending Sucked!
These folks, probably my camp, cared about solving the mysteries and wanted the comprehensive solution. They were NOT happy with the level of ambiguity and were blindsided by the sudden ending. They want to know how Camp #2 doesn’t feel like their trust as a viewer was betrayed. They want their willing suspension of disbelief back and think they are suckers. Unfortunately, the mystery did not close with a cackling villain revealing everything in one big speech. Most of Camp #1 would probably prefer that to what actually happened.

Camp #2: It WAS All About the Characters
These guys may have a little bit of disappointment in how things were resolved, but were focused on the journey and character enough to find the ending emotionally satisfying anyway. They’re happy and may even ultimately see the ambiguity as a plus. Let’s interpret for ourselves, they say. Camp #2 thinks Camp#1 needs to chill out and should have had the epiphany long ago that “Lost” never really had a high probability of making a ton of sense. Camp #2 really felt attached to the characters and is also probably more willing to focus on the other things the show did extremely well than its disappointments. These guys will also have a better chance of enjoying the replay value of another run through.

So where do I lie? Who knows where I’ll be tomorrow or the day after that, but an hour after finishing the finale, I’m smiling at “Lost” a hell of a light more than I thought I would. I am jealous of those all the way in Camp #2, they are the lucky ones, but I can appreciate “Lost” and its success on that level in retrospect a lot more than I could along the way. The show was a hell of a ride and it may not have been perfect, but almost everyone flubs the ending.

That’s the difference with most movies and TV shows with incredible concepts and vision behind them: how do you sustain that success when introducing an artificial plot or storyline into the ecosystem? That’s what separates the good ones from the truly greats, especially in genres like science fiction. Even comedies are subjected to the “last 20 minutes sucked” treatment despite being it incredibly hard to resolve a laugh vehicle. “Lost” did a better job than most and I have to give credit where credit is due, but it’s just impossible for me to call it an all-time great.

I think it’s telling in and of itself that during the course of this review, not once have I had the urge to divulge details and dive into that ambiguity searching for clarity. I don't really feel the need to discuss the ending beyond the emotional imprint. Ultimately, I don’t think the details seem that important anymore.

Finale: B

Series: B+