The People vs LOST
Locke: ‘Why do you find it so hard to believe?’
Jack: ‘Why do you find it so easy?’
Locke: ‘Its never been easy!’
…having faith never is easy. It takes a strong person to give up control and submit themselves to fate. It took Jack 6 long years to complete this arc. When Jack first awoke on the island he demanded answers. Why? Why? Why? Why are we here? Why was Dharma here? Why must someone press the button every 108 minutes? Why? Why? Why? Jack never got all his answers before he closed his eyes did he? And neither did we. The difference between Jack and you is that by the end Jack didn’t need those answers to move on. He had faith and that provided all the answers he needed. The truly important answers. I have read post after post of pissed off viewers and I feel sorry for them. I feel like I’m Desmond awake in the Sideways trying to wake up everyone else. Its an almost impossible feate I fear. How could so many ‘fans’ miss the entire point of the show? So we didn’t get all the finer details. So what? We did receive all the info we needed to progress the story. In the end those answers didn’t matter and such is life. When we move on from this world will the answers we found matter? They didn’t save anyone. They didnt save the island. What happened happened. The writers didn’t con us, they didn’t cheat us. They created a story where the viewer was forced to evaluate their own lives and formulate the answers based on their beliefs. Are you a Jack or a Locke? Are you science or faith? It seems like the majority of the people who watched this show were all science all the way. Explain the food drops, they cry. Explain the smoke monster, they demand. Think about this, even if the writers did explain all the little details of the show would it have changed the ending? Would it have made it something more than it was? Or did what happen happen and nothing could have changed that? I stand inside church ready to let go and move on. You are Ben left sitting outside. Maybe you will find your answers on the extended DVD. Maybe that will give you what you need to let go and move on…but it probably won’t. In the end LOST is something different for every person. That is why the show was so great. Each of those characters in that massive cast reflected a part of us. Some of us were Jacks and some of us were Lockes. Hell, some of us were Hurleys and some of us were Bens. In the end each of us needs to find our own way, our own answers. Since day 1, the writers described LOST as a character study. It was always about the people. It was about living together or dying alone. We tuned in each week not to see the smoke monster or have it disected and explained. We tuned in to see this world through the eyes of the characters, to experience what they experienced. It was just a story folks and the smoke monster, dharma and the others were just plot devices to progress the story. The end would have been the end whether we got our answers or not. In the end LOST made us ask questions. It made us look at things from a different perspective. It made us think. So why stop now? For those of you who need the answers for closure, to move on, to be happy I wish you the best of luck but know this; you keep yourself in your own purgatories because you are unable to let go, because you demand answers…because you need them. The story of LOST is not perfect, there are holes everywhere, but the themes of the show (faith, love, destiny) fills those holes and lets us move forward…you probably disagree…you’re probably getting angrier and angrier as time rolls forward. You need those answers, don’t you? I can’t imagine how you people see other shows or movies. It’s because of people like you that George Lucas decided to define the Force with those damn mitochloriens…like we true fans needed that explaination. The true fans didn’t need the Fore defined. They had faith in it. Explain warp drive the trekkies cry! I feel that the answers in LOST could have ruined the story. The writers had faith that we would get to the end of this journey without those answers. Dont make them pull a Lucas and come back with answers we dont need…keep LOST pure…and let go for the love of God. The show was great. The characters were great, the ending is great…it is the viewers that are lacking. Wake up people! Did you seriously tune in each week to see a smoke monster or to have it explained? Really? …really?
dude for the hundreth time not all of us wanted answers. simple as that i wanted lost to stay true to what they were in seasons one through five . our jaws dropped saying wtf these writers are sick. instead they did sell out made some cheesy alternate timeline as the main goal instead of island mystery and character development on it. seasons one through five were all about the island and the people on it their past and history why they need to be there and so forth and yes faith vs science as pertaining to their beliefs, but it always had to do with the island to an exstent. and it may be u who does not understand lost if u tuned in each week to see the charecter meaning is kate gonna be with sawyer and crap like that. see how easy the reverse side of it is fans like u are the ones i truly feel bad for. u liked it so be it, quit trying to convince people it was a great season or ending. u have your beleifs and i hate to say it the majority of fans have their own beleifs and thought it stunk.
and yes george lucas sold out also. there was no need for the preqauls
I personally tuned in every week to see what was going to happen next, plain and simple. I never once tuned in for the sole purpose of seeing what smokie was. I know you’re being condescending, and that’s fine. I know a lot of people sound like their lives are ruined over this ending, I’ve done my fair share of complaining as well. Oh my God, we expressed our frustrations. Don’t blow it out of proportion.
You know damn well that every episode had you waiting on the edge of your seat for next week. Lost excelled in that department, and it wasn’t because of the faith/destiny/love aspect like you’re basically saying.
Did you really watch the show to see what theme they would expand on every week? I consider the “themes” to be a by-product of everything else. This show didn’t sway my faith/love/destiny beliefs in any way/shape/form. In other words, it was fun to watch the characters battle with their own beliefs on what to do in the given situations, and it was apparent that their own faiths were shaken at times. But I never lost sleep over it. If you did, wow.
Ryan – Every Lost fan watched for a slightly different reason, sort of like you mentioned. I’m quite amazed that you stuck with this show considering you don’t care about the questions or the mysteries. I’m telling you, there’s better TV out there if you’re just interested in the drama, or faith, or whatever. This show made you think. That’s what it did, and that’s why there’s a site like this.
I would never give anyone crap for liking the finale, or for loving everything about Lost. I’d really like to see the ones who liked it to shut their mouths. If you’ve “moved on”, then what are you doing here? Go watch the first season of “V” or something.
I’m interested in seeing if anyone has quality theories regarding anything about the show. It’s a shame we still get posts like this that try to sway people into liking, or disliking the show as a whole. Sure, I complain when I don’t like something. But my intentions are never to tell someone what they’re doing wrong, or how they should think. Whether or not you’re trying to Ryan, you’re making the thing you hate the most worse by posting things like this.
That entire comment was for Ryan by the way.
lol cheif i know that.
Ryan,
“I feel like I’m Desmond awake in the Sideways trying to wake up everyone else”
oh man that is freakin classic…
I really like the way you write..
I was, and kind of still am, one of those dissapointed fans.. like ar42 says, it’s not about getting answers. It’s about working in all the elements that were created from the beginning of the show to THE END. That includes the characters, and also all the other sci-fi elements.. No answers needed. I think..
But I’ve got to admit, THE END was an incredible episode, I can’t deny it. And because it didn’t work in any of the elements, we probably could have watched it mid season 1 or 2 or 3 or at the end, or not even seen any of the show, and it wouldn’t have mattered.
I think I’m getting it though. The writers seemed like they did this on purpose. They created a supreme story about all kinds of complicated science fiction and mythology, and in THE END, they threw it all away. They sacrificed the story for a greater purpose. Essentially the THE END was about nothing else matters, except for the lives that you share with the ones you love.
I wrote that last paragraph with grinding teeth, but now I feel more relaxed :)..
Thanks again for such a good post..
yes bobt in terms of the storytelling and stuff u hit the nail on the head.
to be honest the theories everyone had from the start, 99% of people tuned in to the finalie just to find out the 1 big answer to it all. end off!
I can’t say that I have ever encountered a more condescending, holier-than-thou group than the finale defenders. If you don’t get it, if you can’t just “let go”, you obviously just don’t get it. Why can’t we get it and still want/expect more?
The finale was beautiful. It was moving. It had some of the best scenes in TV history involving Ben at the church encountering Locke and Hurley. We get it. Honest.
But I challenge anyone to go back now knowing what we now know and watch all 6 seasons and count the amazing # of ONE-WAY, DEAD-END STREETS the writers give us disguised as mysteries. The number is staggering and the amount of time spent on all of them is staggering.
We men of science apologize profusely for our lack of faith….it’s just not our way, Ryan. But for my money, Lost could have taken its rightful place in the pantheon of all-time great theater (of any kind) by simply catering to both audiences….the incredibly enlightened people like yourself, Ryan, who see the show for what it truly is AND the poor, old, pitiable shmucks like us who just can’t see the light and “let go”. It didn’t have to be like this. I wish you’d have believed me.
boogah11, couldn’t agree more..
The thing is most shows are honest with what deliver.. I don’t watch “Greys Anatomy” not because I don’t like the Hospital-setting, drama, romance, or comedy – but because “Greys” is a show that puts these themes together in a way I don’t like..
However, given the success of the show – I imagine many Do in fact like it – just the way it is.
If they were to drop certain elements their fans would probably drop out as well.
That’s the way it works.
Now, in terms of briliant ideas – Lost will go down as one of the greatest.
Because Lost was about, Action, mystery, drama, romance, comedy(it has had it’s fair share of comedic pearls)and so forth – it choose to(like many shows these days)
combine themes.
And when Sci/fi-Fantasy is the one theme on your show that reaches into every other single element/event – then you can’t say in the End that they never mattered..
Now, when all is said and done – a dying Jack probably don’t give a shit about the Numbers – but Jack(and no one in the show)
wasn’t aware that the numbers have magically apperad around him all his life – that was shown to US – the viewers.
Jack doesn’t know that there was an entire ARG that was about tracking down a mysterious figure(Alvar Hanso)the founder of the Dharma Inititive – whose purpose was to change the “Valenzetti Equation”(the numbers)which was said to predict the End of mankind..
Jack didn’t know these things, it’s easier(though I can’t understand for the life of me – why the Losties – from the first night on the Island – haven’t been theorizing like we have..)
for the character who haven’t been exposed to all the mysteeries in the way we have – to swallow it all. Hurley was the only one really aware of the numbers – yet he didn’t see them as much as we did either – and finally after six years – they don’t matter at all – the job is still yours..if you want it..
As an episode – the End was awesome.. I’m a sucker for drama and tearful reuinions – I truly am.. but to end the show like that – HELL NO!
When the series were decided to go for 6 seasons I was happy to know that now we were going somewhere – and that the writers would bring most things together along the way – but instead they kept adding even more..
Do you know why..? Because unlike “Greys” Lost as a show is not honest..
If it never was about the mysteries but only the Characters – then why keep heading down that road..? Because if we the audience realized what was really going on(NOTHING) then we’d drop out.. So instead they decided to decive us – by adding more – what we thought to
be – clues – so that we wouldn’t abandon them(the very same way they abanded us)
Are you seriously Telling me that there hasn’t been a way to provide answers without it becoming a redicilous Q&A..?
How about Hurley asking the newly enlighted Jack any number of things(wouldn’t be strange or akward – but make sense and be long overdue..)
Want to explain the Island origins – the previous civilizations – how about a Mother Telling her children bedtime stories or something like that..?
No, instead we get a “One question simply leads to another..” Does that mean we’re supposed to stop asking – would anyone..?
And by that I’m talking about both us the audience and the characters…
Ryan,
Ok after writing that last sappy comment of mine, I’m starting to come to my right mind again..So before I drink your Kool-Aid and step into the church, I’ve got to ask..
WHY?WHY?!WHY-WHY-WHY?WHY?!!!
Not WHY are we here? Not WHY was Dharma here? Not WHY must someone press the button every 108 minutes? Those are just questions that lead to other questions.. I agree with your frustrations with George Lucas defining the force. Lost had it’s moment of explanation of the whispers when dead Michael appeared, and that completely fell flat..Why tell us that detail? There was no depth in that scene..
I understand Lost is mainly about the characters. My question is, WHY did the writers choose Lost to be solely about the characters in the end, and sacrifice the story of science fiction and mythology? WHY did they have to sacrifice it? WHY COULDN’T IT HAVE BEEN BOTH?!!!
Not to worry. These writers/producers drew upon decades of pop entertainment as did their predecessors before them. Now that LOST is a page in history too, its successes and failures are available for reference to the next gen. Famous line from the show for illustration “And now you’re like me” and we’ll add ‘but a little better’.
Evolution is good!
@boogah11
LOL. Nice comment!
@bobt
Yes, that’s the question that really matters! “WHY COULDN’T IT HAVE BEEN BOTH?!!!”
I believe that the theme of the flash sideways was meant to respond to the negative backlash. In the church, Christian says these certain people are here because Jack spent the most important times of his life with them. We spent our most important times with the characters, and those are the answers we got. We don’t need answers to things that happened years ago (Statue, Numbers, Dharma). That wasn’t OUR story. We got all the answers we needed for OUR story. Lastly, like Chief said, I don’t know why I am still reading this site even after the show is over. Wait, that was the point also. When all the haters go to their flash sideways maybe they will get some answers and be able to Let Go. Until then, try to take the lessons we learned on LOST and apply them to your lives.
@LOSTNole:
With all due respect, please don’t say “try to take the lessons we learned on LOST and apply them to your lives.” It makes it sound like some dumb message film. I hate message films.
You know what I learned from LOST? Always pack a toothbrush.
AngiveL —
Mother telling bedtime stories would have been an excellent way to explain the island, the light, the Egyptians, etc. Too bad the writers didn’t take that route.
There were so many missed opportunities for the writers to explain the mysteries. They could have used Dogen to explain the Temple and healing pool; they could have used Jacob at the camp fire scene to explain more about why he brought people to the island and what the numbers mean; they could have used Richard and/or Ben to explain why The Others did the things they did, etc.
Worst ending of a TV series in ages period. Cheesy, cheap, disconnected, way too loose and more than just partially alien to the previous 5 seasons.
LOST ended up being a huge waste of time in my opinion. Great characters, great mysteries but in the end the writers managed to prove that they didn’t know what they were really writing about.
Sawyer would pretty much define the show in two words “long con”, because in the end that’s how LOST felt and what is was really about.
To end the way it did in a cheesy Ghost like manner that renders all of the previous seasons and mysteries plus the entire LOST Experience useless/pointless they could have ended it in the first or second season at best and have shown some respect for the fans.
Without the mysteries LOST wouldn’t have lasted a single season and ABC would have pulled the plug on the very first season. The smart one behind LOST was J.J. Abrams. He made it become viral and as soon his made his name he left the show because he knew it would be a bomb in the end and the they wouldn’t be able to keep up with all the non-sense that they were writing.
Yes, I tuned in every week so that I would get answers to the questions that were raised throughout the series. What is the Island? What is the Monster? And so on. I didn’t find the intellectual battles over faith, fate, etc very fulfilling. I wanted answers to the worldly questions.
I think Lost is, as portrayed in the show with the light versus dark theme, a duality between character drama and mythological suspense. One would not exist (or be as successful) without the other. Some people watched more for one reason than the other and vice versa, but Lost was a great combination of the two.
Are there better dramas on tv? Sure, probably. Are there better sci-fi’s on tv? Yeah, perhaps. But I don’t think there is any show, perhaps in the history of television, that combined the two any better than Lost did. Some people are frustrated with the ending and I can see that, mostly because this is theoriesonlost.com and most of the people on here pay more attention to the details of the show than the writers do (guilty as charged), but is that really their fault? Or maybe it’s our own prison we’ve created when we have devoted as much time and thought to the show than anyone else.