In 3 days, LOST will be over for good. For the more casual fans and those who never understood, it is a welcome end to the endless questions, many of which will never be answered in the show itself. But for more devoted fans like myself, this is a tough pill to swallow.
In most aspects of my life, I would consider myself a “man of science”, but within the context of LOST, I have always been a “man of faith”. Ever since that moment in the season 1 episode Walkabout, when I saw John Locke stand up and walk amidst the wreckage of Oceanic Flight 815 after realizing he had been a paraplegic prior to the crash (along with Michael Giacchino’s incredible score), I have had total unwavering faith in this show.
I’m not ashamed to say that that was the first time the show made me cry. Not like a sad cry, but the type that happens when something is just “too cool” or awe inspiring. The kind where you’re laughing at the same time. That’s the type of show LOST has been to me.
And just because it’s ending on Sunday, I firmly believe that the discussions about it will continue for years to come. JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse, and the rest of the writers created something incredible with this show. They created a world that is so rich in untapped mythology, that I would be very surprised if there aren’t copious novels, comic-books, tie-ins, and possibly spin-off shows in the same way the original Star Trek series spawned a whole universe that continues to expand 40 years later.
Making this more impressive is the fact that the pilot episode was developed, written, casted, filmed, and edited together within the span of 12 weeks. Most shows have year long development times. That LOST has not only lasted this long, but also accomplished the unprecedented feat of ending on the terms of the writers instead of fading away into cancellation despite the short development time is pretty incredible.
As Jacob and The Man In Black’s fake mother so aptly put it last week: “Any question I answer will simply lead to more questions.” This is the aspect of the show that most people overlook. The appeal of LOST isn’t the hope that mysteries will be answered, it’s the mystery itself. The mystery is what gets people on the phone with their friends immediately after the episode is over to figure out where those polar bears came from or what the numbers mean. The mystery is what caused us to huddle around with co-workers at lunch to hash out the significance of Desmond’s time jumps or what Benjamin Linus had up his sleeve. And the mystery is what has driven the incredible online community for this show, really the first of its kind to truly benefit from the internet.
Some people will say that nothing will be answered and it will all be a waste, but I can’t just dismiss the entire ride like that. LOST did something really special. It allowed people from all walks of life to connect with each other much like the characters in the show itself, and encouraged us to sit around with our friends and family to share a common interest. It’s a show about connections, both fictional and real. No other show has ever created that experience for me and I know there are others out there who feel the same. So no matter how many answers we do or don’t get on Sunday night, I have been thoroughly entertained and intrigued every single week for the past 5 years, and I really couldn’t ask for any more from those who have put forth the enormous effort to create that experience, and nothing can take that away.
So let’s grab some fish biscuits, Dharma beers, and a box of tissues for all the Jears; and journey, once more, into The Hatch.
Namaste.
[If you have 18 minutes to spare, check out this fantastic video of J.J. Abrams, co-creator of LOST explaining the various "mystery boxes" of our lives and why they appeal to us]