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Lost Season 6 Series Finale *LIVE* Thread
http://www.lostseason6.com/ ^

Posted on 05/23/2010 5:07:40 PM PDT by Lucky9teen




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The Women of Lost


4 8 15 16 23 42 - Official Lost Season 6 Thread



TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: finale; lost; season6; theend
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To: All

Si Fi channel has a great compilation of fan-made Lost videos to help us get past the ending of a great show. Almost all are very well done (I would skip the “What” one), but the smoke monster tribute IMHO is exceptional. But hey, I always liked him anyway, best star of the show, ha ha ha.

http://scifiwire.com/2010/05/our-15-favorite-fan-made.php


181 posted on 05/26/2010 5:57:41 AM PDT by Gothmog (I fight for Xev)
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To: Gothmog

And if anyone cares, there’s some hilarious Lost parodies on You Tube, it looks like about 12-13 of them. Very funny mixing in Lost w/Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Star Trek, Heroes, Batman, etc., here’s the link to Parody #5:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJAoH5I-f64&feature=channel


182 posted on 05/26/2010 7:44:53 AM PDT by Gothmog (I fight for Xev)
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To: dead

Just a thought.

The ALT timeline this season proved to be the world in which the characters lived after their deaths. In that world, Widmore and Eloise (Faraday’s mother) knew that they were dead, but were choosing not to move on. Faraday himself had begun to “see” his life on the island, but had not figured out that he was dead. Eventually he will see that his own mother shot him.

Desmond was the catalyst who was going around facilitating the main characters awakening—the fact that they were dead—and quickening their “moving on”. He was helping them see their deaths, without breaking the rules by telling them outright. I think not telling them also made it easier for them to accept the truth. Eloise, wanting to spend time with her son, didn’t want Desmond to wake up Daniel yet.

That explains the ALT timeline, but the writers never explained anything about the island. Obviously Widmore and Eloise knew about the island, knew about its properties, and how to find it. But, since they never told us any of those mysteries, it makes me ask, “Who the hell cares?”


183 posted on 05/26/2010 10:18:37 AM PDT by Skenderbej (No muhammadan practices his religion peacefully.)
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To: pgkdan

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1936291


184 posted on 05/26/2010 3:34:43 PM PDT by wally_bert (It's sheer elegance in its simplicity! - The Middleman)
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To: carton253
I agree, it was a fantastic ending. The flash sideways being after they had all died, I never saw that coming. Whatever they did to keep that under wraps apparently worked because all sorts of other spoilers got out. I just wish the episodes leading up to it had been better - the meeting with Jacob and Jack/Kate/Hurley/Sawyer was very needed but all too short. Across the Sea was a failure in my mind. Some things totally left out or didn't make sense - why was Michael trapped on the island while Ben wasn't?

Yet the ending was great, I loved it, and it made sense to me. Epic Fail to anyone saying the whole thing was purgatory...my God, watch the show.

185 posted on 05/27/2010 2:59:33 AM PDT by Citizen of the Savage Nation
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To: carton253

If you look closely, you can see footprints around the wreckage. It was just for ambiance that they showed the wreckage, sort of to show how far the show came. It was a nice touch.


186 posted on 05/27/2010 4:14:09 AM PDT by Citizen of the Savage Nation
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To: ßuddaßudd; acad1228; Anitius Severinus Boethius; Anti-MSM; babyfreep; BallyBill; BelegStrongbow; .
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE - This week in unnecessary censorship - LOST addition

And more recaps to follow in the next post....
187 posted on 05/27/2010 8:36:50 AM PDT by Lucky9teen (I'll just say the 2nd amendment to the Constitution is there for a reason!)
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To: Lucky9teen

RECAP TIME!!!



Things I Noticed - "The End" by Vozzek69
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THINGS I NOTICED - THE END

There are no words, really.

Nothing I can say here will compare to the thoughts, feelings, and rush of emotions I'm sure everyone is going through right now. For us the ride has finally ended. The lap bar has come up. There's nothing left to do now but stagger away from LOST's roller coaster, move forward, and try to burn the amazing image of this six-year ride into our hearts and minds forever.

I've often said that LOST is a perspective-based experience, and the series finale proved this point more than anything. For some people, they simply need more. They yank down on the lap bar in frustration, defiantly hoping there's something else to this ride. Maybe they expected a full disclosure of the island's blueprints, or comprehensive answers to everything. Or perhaps the answers they got weren't satisfactory to them, or the story's conclusion didn't fit their preconceived mold of how the show would end.

If there's one thing everyone should realize by now, it's that all of this is totally okay. We knew from the very start that this would happen - that no single ending would satisfy everyone. It should be no surprise that some fans absolutely loved the conclusion of LOST, while others felt sad, angry, or even cheated by how things played out. For those people I can't help but feel a bit sorry, and I sincerely hope they don't let it spoil their overall ride.

There were two things that really mattered to me when it came to how the show should end. First, I needed a sense of closure; a conclusion to each character's storyline, both on and off the island. More importantly however, I wanted the writers to stay true to their original ending. I needed to see that ending more than anything else in the world, because I've always viewed it as the inarguable foundation upon which the entire show has been built.

I'm one of those people who was wholly, completely, and utterly awestruck by the finale of LOST. For me it ended beautifully, in the most bittersweet and satisfying of ways. Just about every big question I wanted to know was answered, and everything I wanted to see was shown. The alternate universe was closed out in the most elegant of ways, delivering on a heartwrenching Sixth Sense twist. As for the island timeline, the circle was completed exactly as we always knew it should be: with a shot of Jack's eye slowly closing.

I was also fortunate enough to be invited to the Jay & Jack event in LA, where I got to watch the finale surrounded by 2000 cheering, screaming, and ultimately, crying LOST fans. I can't describe how much more this added to the experience for me, and how grateful I was to have been there.

Below you'll find my thoughts and feelings on the series finale, along with some general interpretations on LOST's ending. Remember that these are only my perceptions. They might very well differ from yours. The cool part is that although the show did have an ultimate ending, enough of the island's story is, and always will be, still up for interpretation. That said, let's get moving... because I'm looking just as forward to hearing what you guys think as you might be looking forward to reading this recap. Things I Noticed:


Where Are We? The LA X Truth - Finally Revealed

If my recap doesn't seem traditional this week, don't fault me. I've always been a theorist, and it's hard to theorize about what happens next once you've finally been handed the answer key. For the island's story, there are a good many things we can still talk about. There are theories, ideas, and concepts that will always vary from person to person. Even now, with the last second of our story finally told, there will be widespread disagreement as to what exactly the island was, how real it was, and how it managed to affect each of our characters - both in this life and the next.

Yet when it comes to the alternate universe, things are a lot more etched in stone. We know now that for the entirety of season six, we've been watching a sort of Purgatory or after-life; a gathering place where our characters are both placated - by being given the things they always believed they wanted - and educated - by being allowed to further develop in the direction of enlightenment. This isn't revealed to us until the end, when Jack finally realizes that he's dead... but it's hinted at numerous times throughout the finale, by all different characters.

"Who died?" Kate asks, just over a minute into the episode. As Desmond sees to the delivery of the empty coffin that ultimately turns out to be the last piece of Jack's puzzle, we're given a touching montage of our LAX_based character's lives. In many cases, like Sawyer's, they're still filled with frustration. It's no secret that these people are having trouble letting go. They've looked into mirrors and yet, instead of seeing the truth, have chosen to smash them instead. These characters are still moths in the cocoon, still developing, not yet strong enough to free themselves of the confines of their past lives' struggles.

Other characters, like Desmond and Hurley, have either stumbled upon enlightenment or been led to see things as they really are. For these people, the truth has been hidden for a while. People like Ms. Hawking have been counterproductive at times, attempting to keep the knowledge of where they really are a total secret. We find out later that her motives are purely selfish: she wants Daniel to stay with her for as long as possible. Yet her selfishness as a mother is forgivable. In this in-between realm, Ms. Hawking merely wants to give her son what he was never able to have in his past life: a mother who loves him without an agenda, and the opportunity to finally choose his own path.

"No one can tell you why you're here", Desmond tells a still-bewildered Kate. "Certainly not me." For some reason or another there are still unbreakable rules, even in the afterlife. Hurley confirms these rules later on, in talking to Sayid. Yet Desmond drops the first big hint by saying: "Here, Kate. Not at the church, but here." And coincidentally enough, just like the man in black, Desmond's ultimate goal is to finally leave the place he's currently at.

What made the finale so awesome was the perfect mix of touching connections and infamous LOST-humor, both peppered throughout. Watching Hugo's reaction to seeing Charlie again was heartwarming, but before you could reach for a tissue you were laughing your ass off as he ineptly tranq'd him with that dart gun. The business-like mannerisms of the enlightened were always offset by things like Hugo unceremoniously dumping Charlie into the back of that Hummer, or by the wry, knowing smiles that Sun and Jin give Sawyer after experiencing their past life's flashes together.

The Jack and Locke parallels were perfect too. Jack's "Well there's always the chance I could kill you" line right before surgery was hilarious in stark contrast to the seriousness of the same two characters in a much darker on-island situation. The yin-yang dynamic between John and Jack has been one of the most well-developed themes of the entire show, and the writers did a great job paying tribute to their relationship in both realities. John's "See you on the other side" also makes perfect sense by the time we reach the final scene, sewing up that loose end rather nicely.

I thought Juliet's return was both triumphant and welcomed. We finally learned that she's the mysterious mother of David, and I'm sure this pissed certain shippers off to no end. I have to say, the shipper world was always something I never could understand. Of all the cool shit we saw on the show, these romantic relationships were just a small piece of the overall story for me. I was amazed by the overwhelmingly juvenile and horrific fights that broke out over who got Kate, Sawyer, or Jack, as well as the websites dedicated solely to these less than mysterious relationships. Before I even knew what 'shipper' meant, I already knew that most of the bullshit associated with the term spawned nothing but negativity and fighting. It was a strange corner of LOST for me, and one I'm happy I stayed away from.


New and Improved Jacob - Now With Even More Crying!

The island scenes open with Jack, still reeling from his ascension to power as the newly appointed Jacob. In a reverse of what Jacob did last episode Jack is washing the island onto his hands, not off of them. He's standing in the water, basking in it, trying to drink in his new role. He tells Sawyer that physically he feels no different, but whether or not Jack inherited any true power doesn't really matter. The only thing that matters now is that Jack believes.

On another part of the island, we see Desmond. Rose and Bernard have checked back into the game temporarily, to help their friend. This leads of course, to Locke finding them. Because they've become eligible to give help, they've also become eligible to be hurt. Maybe.

Rose and Bernard don't look all that afraid to me. Even after Locke's evil threat, they're still in the know. In a way, I think this makes them somehow untouchable, in a Ben Kenobi "If you strike me down, I really don't give a shit" kind of way.

"You don't have to go anywhere with him", Rose tells Desmond defiantly. She's reminding Desmond that he has a choice here and it's his to make - no one can make for him, not even the man in black. But as any good friend would do, Desmond decides to spare his friends any pain or misery by agreeing to go with Locke.

What happens next is pretty revealing: Desmond knows exactly where they're going, and this takes the man in black completely by surprise. "I assume it's a place with a very bright light", Desmond tell him without any hesitation or reservation. This seems to indicate that he has full knowledge of both timelines, front and back, from beginning to end... something he may have gained (and forgotten until he flashed) when he first turned the failsafe key.


They're The A-Team of Comic Relief

Miles finding Richard alive and well was not all that surprising. Even after Ab Aeterno his story seemed unfinished, and I was holding out hope that he'd eventually live up to his title as "he who would save us all." Instead, Richard does very little this episode, yet I still forgive him for it. He's had a tough gig on the island, and he deserves to live out the rest of the life he never had, grey-haired as it might be. It's also interesting to think about what Richard will do once he gets back to the modern world. Just wait until he sees television.

What was surprising however, was that Frank survived the sinking of the submarine. The very second I saw him floating there, I knew my worst fears had been realized: Lapidus was definitely flying that airplane off the island. I had instant visions of him sweating down the runway, skimming the treetops, and letting out a triumphant Waylon Jennings yell once the plane finally got airborne.

I have to say, I was wrong about that scene. Once I saw Frank alive, I fully accepted and embraced the fact that some of our heroes were going to make it off the island on Ajira 316. I hoped it wouldn't be campy, and that Frank wouldn't spoil the finale with some God-awful one-liner. He didn't. The liftoff scene would actually turn out to be pretty cool, and the visual of the airplane escaping from the island would lock snugly into place during the final scene of the show.


Sun and Jin-Soo Kwon

Sun and Jin's story has been over for three episodes now, missing only the formality of full-blown enlightenment. Fittingly, this takes place over Ji-Yeon - the one unifying factor in their often tumultuous relationship. With Julet's sonagram as the catalyst, these two characters join the full disclosure team, finally remembering everything about their time on the island.

I've always enjoyed this couple over the course of the show. Sun displayed early strength and adaptability, while Jin's loyalty allowed him to recapture an innocence lost during his service to Mr. Paik. The two of them came together over Sun's pregnancy, and recognized - much like Rose and Bernard - that everything they really needed could be found within their own relationship.

At the same time, there's a good many people still upset about Ji-Yeon. The Kwon's daughter is left hanging out there in the debatably mistaken realm of the Oceanic Six timeline, never to see her parents again. And while I agree that this is sad, I also have to say that it still feels right to me. These characters have been separated too many times, and for far too long. Jin's pact to never leave Sun again is upheld even through death, and this brings a tremendous amount of meaning to the overall development of their relationship. Seeing him break it - even for Ji Yeon - would've cheapened their bond.

In all honesty, Ji-Yeon is a side note when compared to the emotional growth these characters both achieved over six seasons of LOST. Sun and Jin's story was always about them, just as Jacob told them at their wedding. It makes perfect sense that it should end that way.


"So it's you."

The semi-final showdown between Jack and Locke was a thing of beauty. Watching their groups converge from the two sides of that clearing made me realize just how far we'd come... and how close we were getting to the end. For once, Jack knew exactly what he was going to do. And even better, he knew Locke's plan as well.

"I'm gonna kill you." People around me cheered wildly as Jack delivered this line. We see the first real concern begin registering in Locke's eyes here, because just as with Desmond the man in black is sensing something he's not used to dealing with: Jack's absolute fearlessness. For thousands of years he's grown accustomed to everyone cowering before him or running in the opposite direction. But not here, and not now.

"How you gonna do that?" Flock asks, half-smirking. Although he's trying to be tough, his expression betrays an complete lack of confidence. "It's a surprise" Jack tells him, and the look on Locke's face is totally priceless.

DAMN it's good to see Jack finally be on the giving end of things for once. Not knowing his plan scares the shit out of Locke. The man in black has made the biggest of all bad guy blunders: totally underestimating his opponent. He assumes that Jack is clueless here, when really he's not. He also assumes that Jack is Jacob's successor, when ultimately it turns out to be Hurley. Jack is only an intermediary - a sacrifice necessary to take Flocke down. The dark man doesn't notice this however, because he's too busy gloating and pointing out how obvious it was to him that Jack would end up as the final candidate.


Claire... Still Not Sure What The Hell She Wants

If there was anything I didn't like about this episode, it was the continuation of Claire's wishy-washy storyline. She shows up just long enough to wave her rifle around, making everyone real nervous. Then she whines, cries a little, screams about something, and runs back into the jungle again.

I genuinely disliked the entire crazy-Claire storyline. The sickness was something they really didn't need to revisit, but it seemed as good an explanation as any for why Claire disappeared for a whole season. Squirrel-baby aside, Claire's done nothing but bitch and moan about always being left alone... even when she's running away for no reason at all.

One thing I did like however was Richard's sincere appeal for Claire to come along, with all of them ditching the island together. He's come a long way from the mysterious immortal we once knew nothing about, and he now seems more like one of us.


Sayid Jarrah and Shannon Rutherford

Right before the big Shannon reveal, we get more cryptic clues as to just how much LAX_Hurley now knows. Even better, we get a glimpse into Sayid's one last hurdle to redemption: himself.

"You're a good guy Sayid", Hurley tries to convince him, echoing Nadia's words from season one. "I know a lot of people have told you that you're not, and you've heard it so many times that you're starting to believe in it."

Perhaps out of all of our characters, Sayid has endured the worst identity crisis. Even in the afterlife, he's still struggling with past misdeeds. His time as a torturer in Iraq was capped with violence and killing, even after returning home. Cross-reference this with his on-island existence and you can add neck-snapping expert and notorious assassin to Sayid's resume. Because of these things, he now has very little faith in the man that he's become.

And although Hugo assures him that no one can tell Sayid who he really is (something his superiors Ben and Kelvin have both repeatedly done), he still refuses to assign himself an identity all his own. "You clearly don't know anything about me" Sayid tells Hugo, displaying a complete lack of moral confidence. Hurley's all-knowing response has a golden shine to it, especially considering the role he ultimately ends up with.

Seeing Shannon again was pretty cool, and not something I figured would ever happen. It made a lot more sense however, that these characters would end up in each other's arms. In Sayid's perfect little afterlife, Nadia was a dead end. She'd married his brother, and was inaccessible. Enter Shannon, another of Sayid's true loves (as much as you can really say true love occurs after a smooth picnic and a sweaty tent-romp). The two of them flash each other up to speed, and we get a cool look at some very retro S1 and S2 scenery.

I started wondering if this is who Sayid meant when he made his pact with the dark man. Maybe he did, without even really knowing it. Despite what happens to the MIB, his bargain ends up being fulfilled. Either by accident or destiny, Sayid once again gets to see the girl he loved and lost: Shannon. And in turn, she gets reunited with the one guy she allowed herself to love unconditionally, and without manipulation.


Boone Carlyle

Seeing Boone was awesome again as usual, but it was also very telling. We learn right away that Boone is in on things, having pried Shannon away from Australia and conspired with Hurley to take a fall during the bar fight. He's fully enlightened, and his willingness to help Shannon find her own way shows that he's completely "let go" of any past thoughts or misgivings that he had about his sister.

Our course we have to ask ourselves the next natural question: how long has Boone been set free? Was he just playing stupid on the plane during LA X, or did he somehow achieve enlightenment via Hurley, Desmond, or even all by himself sometime during this last season?

Judging from his "pulling my leg" comments to John Locke on Oceanic 815, and the line: "This thing goes down, I'm sticking with you", I think it's more fun to believe that Boone has known all along. Maybe he was toying with Locke on the flight - trying offhandedly to jog his memory as Rose and Bernard did to Jack. It's cool to look back on that scene and imagine that Boone already knows where he is, finally giving him one up on John after a whole season of playing the clueless sidekick.


Just Like Old Times

When we're finally shown the cave, it's not nearly as bright as it once was. I took this to mean that perhaps some of the light got trapped within the smoke monster during its creation. Maybe that's also why it's so important that the monster never leaves: the heart of the island has accidentally been tied up within him.

Locke continues taunting Jack as they lower Desmond into the cave, glibly reminding him of the season two similarities. "Desmond going into a hole in the ground? If there was a button down there to push we could fight about who would push it." Jack responds by fiercely defending John Locke, and this is an indication of just how far his faith has come. I was reminded of the conversation in which Locke had told him: "You do believe in destiny Jack, you just don't know it yet." And to take the journey between these two characters even further, the next shot is a mirror image of them peering into the hole during Exodus.

Down in the golden cave, Desmond passes the skeletons of those who've gone before him. Maybe these were past guardians of the island, lonely and bored, who finally stepped into the light out of sheer curiosity. Maybe they were the remains of those who, like Desmond, have played out the same cycle before. The skeletons could even be mortal men who stumbled upon the light and tried to take a big juicy slice of it... but who ended up with a lethal dose of electromagnetic energy for their troubles.

We see the Cerberus vents, dog-doo stalagmites, and a giant pool of radiant light. Desmond pulls the plug on the island, and we watch the light blink out. The water stops, and without water flowing into the vents the inner core of the island overheats. In seconds, there's a magma problem. Earthquakes abound. Chaos and destruction take place... all of that fun stuff that always speeds up the plot line.

The end result: Jack totally Scooby-Doos the monster into becoming mortal again, exactly as Superman once did to general Zod's entire crew during his second movie. Apparently, this old trick works every time. With the lights out, the man in black is now nothing more than a human being. Somehow Jack had advanced knowledge of this, just as the monster's mother had passed on the knowledge needed to brain people with giant rocks.


Ms. Hawking and Daniel Faraday/Widmore

During the abysmally-sounding fusion concert, an important reunion occurs between Desmond and Ms. Hawking. She questions his understanding: Hawking thought she made it very clear that Desmond is not to encourage or continue to help with his friends' enlightenment. Desmond on the other hand, makes something else equally clear: he's way past the point of giving a shit.

Finally, at long last, these two characters are on equal terms - both on the same level playing field. It's chilling to think that perhaps Hawking has been here all along; even when we saw her in the ring shop or the Looking Glass station, she was just as enlightened as she is now. Remember that her two appearances also took place within off-island realms: one during Desmond's failsafe flashback, and the other in the Oceanic Six world. She could easily have been reaching back to those places from the ALT/Purgatory universe, where we now know that time means very, very little.

By the same token, Charlie's appearance to Hugo during The Shape of Things to Come could be similarly explained. "You died", Hugo told him back then, and Charlie solemnly agreed with him. That was Hugo's own conclusion, and it turns out he was more right than he ever knew. Since time has no relevance in that universe, it could've easily been a fully-enlightened Charlie who visited Hurley at Santa Rosa.

"Are you going to take my son?" Hawking asks Desmond, looking painfully upset. Her genuine sorrow really struck a chord with me here, and for the first time I saw her as who she was: a scared, powerless old woman trying to hold her position - and Daniel's - in this gathering place of an afterlife.

Sadly, Ms. Hawking never had a real life with her son. While they were alive, she forsook all connections with Daniel and even sacrificed him to serve the island. So here, now, in this place? She's holding onto him for as long as she can, and experiencing as much with him as possible. THIS is why she wants to keep things status quo. THIS is why she wants to keep our characters in the dark for as long as she can, out of fear of them taking Faraday with them when they go.

I thought it was especially kind the way Desmond placed his palm over Ms. Hawking's hand reassuringly. The best part of Daniel's life didn't take place with the Oceanic heroes, and therefore there was no reason for him to go with them. This is why Danny's not at the big end dance, swinging it with Charlotte. Perhaps the best times of their lives lie elsewhere, and one or both of them are not yet ready to move on.


Claire Littleton and Charlie Pace

To be brutally honest, I wasn't looking forward to watching Claire give birth for a third time. Despite all the clever repetition in LOST, this is one storyline that's more than a little played out by now. Thankfully they made it quick. Aaron gets born in like 3 big pushes, which is not bad considering it's Claire's rookie season.

Charlie shows up with the blanket, and all flash-hell breaks loose. Claire and Charlie remember each other, the island, and the bond they shared over the birth of Aaron. It's probably a good thing she didn't remember the kidnapping, heroin-abuse, and impromptu baptism Charlie tried to give her son in the ocean, but what the hell - that's all water under the bridge at this point. Let's let bygones be bygones.

At the same time, through the baby's birth, Kate is also enlightened. Desmond looks at her expectantly, as if knowing that this event would pull Kate's trigger. Her full disclosure sets the stage for the future enlightenment of the most stubborn of all 815 survivors: Jack Shephard.

The Claire/Charlie love story was always strange to me. For several seasons it seemed all she wanted to do was bitch at him and push him away. By the time she finally came around, Charlie had died sacrificing himself for her and the baby. Talk about guilt trips.

Although the ending for this couple was sweet, it leaves a pretty significant loose end: Desmond's helicopter vision. For some reason or another, Claire and Aaron never really did get into a helicopter. My take on that? The writers pulled an outrigger-shootout. They had good intentions when they planned the first part of this event, but bailed out before closing the circle. And you know what? That's completely okay with me. Because just as with the canoe chase, I'd rather they leave something unexplained or open-ended than try to mold some shitty story to fit around it. The fact that they took things in another direction means very little to me, and so does Desmond's unexplained vision.

"No Vozzek, screw that! Charlie died for that vision! I want a damned explanation!"

Alright, then here it is: Jacob was trying to kill Charlie, to prevent the freighter from ever getting to the island and taking his candidates away. He's the one who kept putting Charlie in harm's way all those times: drowning, lightning, arrows and all.

On the other hand, the MIB wanted Charlie to live long enough to flip that jamming switch. His goal was to get rid of the candidates, and allow them to leave the island. Therefore, he was responsible for all of Desmond's precognitive visions. He kept showing Des exactly how to save Charlie, so that the freighter could ultimately find the island.

Desmond's last vision however was a false one: the dark man knew Charlie would need to sacrifice himself in order to achieve his goal. Just as he did with his other recruits, he gave Charlie the one thing he thought he'd want more than anything else: the promise of Claire and Aaron's freedom. He planted the last vision in Desmond's head because it was the one thing that would drive Charlie to succeed in his mission... even if that mission was suicidal. Fiendishly, the MIB knew that Charlie would put their own lives above his own.

Good enough?


Two Players, Two Sides... One Is Dark, and One Is Light

The confrontation between Jack and Locke was nothing short of EPIC. The cliffs, the rain, the cymbal crash and the stunning visuals... if you didn't get goosebumps watching this scene, you should probably just switch over to Dancing with the Stars.

Some amazing imagery was captured here: Jack now looking black, Locke now looking white - good vs. evil personified. The whole thing was one final nod to the game Jacob and his brother started nearly two thousand years ago, and that game came to a violent end right here atop this cliff.

We need to realize that the realm of the island has been under Jacob's direction for a very long time. As the man in charge, he's the one who has made the rules, just as his brother one day said he could. To Jacob and the man in black, the island's jungles have been a tremendous gameboard. The black and white motif is a visual representation of their childhood senet game - a game started centuries ago when they set the very first two pieces down on the board.

Over hundreds of years, their game has evolved into using people instead of playing pieces. The stakes have gotten higher. Jacob's sworn protection of the island has been balanced precariously against the dark man's overwhelming desire to leave. They've fought against each other, disagreed with one another, and placed life-or-death bets over whether mankind is inherently good or bad. To them, the island is exactly as our main characters have seen it: a black and white battlefield pitting destiny against free will. Jacob has struggled to keep the dark man down, and he's struggled to find a loophole in the rulebook... just as Jack finds his own loophole here.

Their fight scene is incredible, made even more climactic by the violent storm. In the struggle for the knife, the origins of Jack's neck would are revealed. Even slicker? Locke stabs Jack exactly where his appendix would be... if it weren't already removed by Juliet. This answer the question as to why Jack got suddenly and inexplicably sick on the island back then. It also mirrors the situation in which Locke survived Ben's gunshot by having an empty cavity where his kidney used to be. One final parallel is represented between these two characters; men who by all definition are every bit the brothers that Jacob and the man in black once were.

Kate killing the man in black was a shocking twist, but it justified her overall role as a potential candidate. Perhaps this is why Jacob touched her as a child, making sure Kate was kept around this far into the end game. I loved the visual of Jack kicking the dark man off the cliff's edge, just as the man in black had kicked Jacob into the fire. Everything about this scene was absolutely perfect, and it was a tremendous way for Flocke to go out.

Afterward, Jack can't let the island sink. Even now, he has to save just one more thing. As he and Kate say their final goodbyes, they confess love for each other and kiss one last time. And did you hear that sound? It's a hundred-thousand Skater-blogs shutting down all at once.


John Locke

One of LOST's most reverent scenes is finally mirrored, as Locke begins wiggling his toes for the first time since being paralyzed. Jack's astonishment immediately parallels his wife Sarah's own miraculous recovery, and I thought for sure they were going to both flash here. I figured maybe they'd even regain their island memories so quickly that they'd jump right back into a bitter struggle for survival, hands locked each other's throats, each trying to strangle the other to death. But I was probably being a little melodramatic there.

Locke flashes. Hard. We're treated to some of John's best scenes in all of LOST: from his Walkabout toe-wiggle to his orange peel smile. The music for these flashes was pure awesome, by the way. It really added impact to what these characters were going through. I tried to imagine remembering your whole life in a single moment, and then having the rush of those experiences happen all at once. Unbelievable.

John's flashes give him full knowledge of everything. Nearly crying, he asks Jack if he also remembers. This causes Jack to flash quickly to a single scene - looking down into the Swan hatch with Locke - before bringing him back to the hospital again. Jack resists. He's still not ready. He pushes the image out of his head, denying it, much like he's always denied Locke's attempts at getting Jack to see things as they really are.

Jack is famously stubborn, and it's going to take more than just Claire, Desmond or Locke before he finally sees the truth. But as for John Locke, he's all in. He tries to get Jack to come with him, but Jack balks. Subconsciously perhaps, he clings to the one thing he's really got going for him in this alternate universe - his son. He even retreats from the room, blurting out: "I have to go see my son." And that's when Locke gives us another huge clue as to what's really going on, telling Jack: "You don't have a son."

"Jack", Locke tells him before he leaves, "I hope somebody does for you, what you just did for me." Watch Jack's face as he says this. His eyes are glassy, because Jack is crying. And while Jack crying isn't exactly an uncommon event on LOST, he's crying because inwardly he knows that Locke is right. He doesn't have a son. And not only does Jack not have a son, but somewhere in the back of his mind Jack has always known it.


James Ford and Juliet Burke

Right behind Desmond and Penny, one of the better love stories on the show has been between Sawyer and Juliet. Their reunion in the ALT was actually the most predictable, based upon island events and dialogue we saw as Juliet died in the Swan hatch. Most of us suspected they were going dutch for ALT_coffee all the way back in the season premiere.

Skaters and haters aside, the two thousand people I watched LOST with seemed to love this scene. They cheered almost as loudly here as when Jack finally told Locke he was going to kill him. There's not much in the way of analysis to do, but we did learn one important thing: how to get your stuck candy bar out of a vending machine. And to think all this time I've been using the rock forward and drop method.


Kate Takes Jack To The Prom

As Jack arrives late for the fusion concert, a fully-enlightened Kate is there to greet him. But before we continue, we have to stop for a moment here and acknowledge that Kate totally rocks that black dress. No two ways about it.

Jack's struggles with remembering his time on the island have taken place slowly over the course of the entire season. Locke just chipped away at his resolve by telling Jack he doesn't have a son. Here, as Jack somewhat remembers Kate, we get one of the last pieces of the puzzle. She tells him, using the past tense: "I've missed you so much."

Jack flashes but is still not ready. He's at the brink, though. The last thing he needs to see is the coffin, and Kate offers to take him to it. That final visual - seeing his father's coffin as empty - is what ultimately brings Jack to the realization of what's truly been going on.


Redemption, Forgiveness, and Wanting to Still Kick Around the ALT for a While

In John and Ben's final scene, their story is closed out with heartfelt honesty. Ben admits his faults, and genuinely apologizes for the things he's done. Locke graciously forgives him. But before allowing John to roll into the church, Ben hands him the very last key needed for Locke himself to fully let go, telling him: "I don't think you need to be in that chair anymore."

For Locke, the ALT world has been all about him clinging to his paralysis. This was a form of self-flagellation - although he had Helen, happiness, and everything else, John still didn't feel he deserved to walk again after what he'd done to his father. Ben helps him to realize that he can walk, and he can let go. Learning what we do about the alternate timeline however, Anthony Cooper's inability to move or speak now seems to have sinister karmatic undertones.

John walks into the church, leaving Ben behind to "work some things out". Translation? A hot little french connection with Danielle, and a slow, mundane, normal life as Alex's stepfather - at least for a while. These were things Ben could never have, because the island's agenda always interfered with them. But here in the afterlife, Ben can finally enjoy these relationships... and possibly wait for these people to want to move on with him into the next world.


You Have To Lift It Up

It was more than predictible that Jack's story would end with him eventually sacrificing himself to save everyone else. His hero complex was nearly terminal, but with episode titles like Greater Good this is a role you could see Jack taking from miles away.

Jack's second-to-last act of sacrifice is to save Desmond. With Penny and little Charlie to go back to, it seemed obvious that Des would make it out unscathed. He'd played his role, and served more than his fair share of time on the island. He deserved to leave, and to finally be happy.

From here, Jack reboots the island by plugging its drain with that giant stone carrot. No, I don't pretend to understand it either. We'll never know the origins of this chamber, what the heart of the island truly is, or how the hell it got there in the first place. I'm pretty sure I don't even care. Jack's sacrifice is what really brings the island back, and this is much more relevant than any physical aspect of how it happens.


One Day You Can Make Up Your Own Game, and Everyone Else Will Have to Follow Your Rules

In guessing who would take over the island, I have to admit that I was way, way off. Hurley seemed too pure a soul to be placed in charge of such a dangerous place, and I'd scratched him off my own mental list. I just couldn't see him manipulating, killing, or pushing anyone in a certain direction. Yet here Jack appoints him as the new Jacob, assuring Hugo that he believes in him. Quite fittingly, to take control of the island, Hurley must drink from a filthy, crumpled-up Oceanic bottle.

Hurley and the bottle are both tremendous symbols of things to come. Jacob and the man in black are finally gone. Their game of black vs. white is over. The survivors of Oceanic are still here, and this is now their story. The island no longer has to be dangerous, as we saw it become during Jacob's reign. Maybe, as Ben suggests, it can be a place where Hurley actually uses it to help people. And in retrospect, that's still really what it's been all along.

I noticed that the cave was back at full brightness after Jack's sacrifice. Maybe the light energy released after the smoke monster's demise restored it to full glow. Ben agreeing to join a very lost and uncertain Hugo in ruling the island was a pretty good pairing, and I found myself wondering if the writers knew of this ending when they wrote the shared candy bar scene in Cabin Fever. The scene cuts to outside the church in the afterlife storyline, where we find out that both Hugo and Ben did a great job in running the island. Past tense of course, because time at this point is irrelevant.


Amen That Frank Only Said 'Amen'

There were a lot of funny lines from Miles, Frank, and even Ben this episode. But the thing that made me laugh the most? Watching Richard hold the duct tape and landing gear schematics. Yes I know he's been alive for two centuries, and yes I know he's probably up to date with a lot of modern technology. Still, I think it would've been even funnier if he were holding them upside down.

It takes Kate to finally convince Claire to come with them. Again. This time for real, I guess. She mentions being crazy, and not wanting Aaron to see her that way. I have some interesting thoughts on Aaron, and I'll talk about them in a little while. But for now the important thing is that everyone gets on the plane, it screams down the runway, and Frank gets everyone off the island one last time.


Late For His Own Funeral

Jack's journey of self-discovery ends at the church. The coffin he's chased for so long rests in a small peaceful chamber, complete with stained glass images of Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, and Hindu symbols - all the major religions are represented. Reverently Jack opens the coffin, expecting his father's corpse, and I honestly thought Jack would see himself in there. Instead, he sees nothing... and that's when his father calls out from behind him, ready to give Jack the one final push that he needs.

The idea that Jack is dead is really nothing new. Since the show's inception, a good majority of people have guessed at a Purgatory-type explanation for LOST. I've long theorized that Jack originally died in the plane crash - "He walks among us, but is not one of us" - and yet was somehow still able to go on. But here, we're given an even cooler twist: everyone is dead. The alternate universe is a nothing but a gathering place, a type of limbo where people can work things out while waiting for their loved ones to catch up before finally moving on.

Now I've been beaten up a lot for suggesting LOST would end with a Sixth Sense twist. Quite honestly, there's nothing more Sixth Sense than Jack finally realizing - a la Bruce Willis - that he's been dead the whole time. The only difference here, is that Jack's been dead since he sacrificed himself at the cave. He didn't die in the plane crash... or so, Christian Shephard would have us believe.

Jack's realization comes after some pretty cool flashes. These flashes start at the plane crash, and depict many of the times Jack has helped people. Upon realizing "I died too", the heartfelt hug between Jack and his father was a long time in coming. He finally lets go, tells his father that he loves him, and receives the same love in return. It was perfect and fitting.

"I'm real, you're real, everything that's ever happened to you was real..." - This isn't just Christian Shephard talking here. These are the writers and producers, explaining to us exactly what happened. Everyone in the church is dead too. Some died before Jack, some afterward. The place they're at now is timeless... there's no past, present or future. The only stipulation before moving on is that everyone must come to terms with their past life's issues, and that they need to do it on their own - without being told.

"Where are we, dad?" Jack asks, echoing Charlie's infamous question from season one. "This is a place that you all made together, so that you could find each other", Christian explains (note his use of the word 'you' and not 'we'). In so many ways, it's a lot like the island. The island also became a place made by Jack and his friends, filled with whatever real-world baggage they brought in with them. Just as they did in this place, our characters had to work out their past issues before being allowed to leave. Looking at it this way, the island becomes just another level of enlightenment - a more interactive layer of reality in which our characters could grow emotionally and spiritually before moving on.

One aspect of the ALT is different however: the door to the laser light show can't be opened until everyone is ready. All of the people in the church are there because they shared the best part of their lives together. They need to move on as a single group; a sort of afterlife version of live together die alone. Jack, ever the stubborn ass, was the last holdout. Still clinging to a life of saving people and ignoring his own needs, he was the only one holding up the trip.


Okay, Let's Talk About The Prom

The final church scene was amazing, but I have some very distinct thoughts on it. While we saw many of the people we've come to know and love, there were also others that were missing. Richard is an easy one: the best times of his life were spent with Isabella. She had to wait 200 years to dance with him again, and that must've sucked. Miles and Frank... they went on to live beyond the island. Although they shared time with our main characters, it's likely that the more important parts of their lives happened later on.

Michael. We already know where he is. The island has literally become Purgatory for him, stuck alongside all of the other poor souls who can't move on. Now that we know the ending of LOST, the whisperers make a lot more sense. I still think they rushed the explanation, but I like the concept of those spirits being trapped in the jungle, perhaps unable to move on until they've achieved enlightenment or served a penance of some kind.

Notably absent from the final scene is Walt. Maybe he's waiting for Michael. Or maybe the best parts of Walt's life are still way ahead of him, with a wife and a family of his own. Let's sure hope so. And for Michael's sake, let's hope he gets to leave the island and attend church once Walt passes on.

Okay, here's where things get sticky. Aaron is at the church. I can't grasp the idea that the most important part of Aaron's life occurred on the island... unless the entirety of Aaron's life took place there. I've often talked about Aaron's existence being questionable, and we've seen him disappear from sonograms and supermarkets. Perhaps he's there because Claire and Charlie - and everyone else - brought him. After all, as Christian says: this is a place that our characters made together. All of them had a part in Aaron's existence... he didn't even kick until Jin fed Claire that first time after the crash. Maybe, just maybe, this is why he can't be raised by another. Maybe this is why Aaron is so special.

Let's move on to Ji-Yeon. She's not in the church, and was never on the island at all. If she was truly born, her life is an off-island one. Yet remember the miracle circumstances surrounding her conception: Ji-Yeon was always a baby that was never meant to be. To add fuel to the fire she was born in the Oceanic 6 timeline; and if you've read any of my other recaps you already know I believe that whole storyline to be suspect. So was Ji-Yeon legit? If so, let's say she spent her better years beyond the parenting of Sun or Jin. It would make sense then, either way, that she's not in the church.

Finally, Christian. He never spent the better part of his life with all these people, so why is he there? Actually, he's not really there for the prom at all. He's there for Jack's benefit - just as he's always been. Christian is there as a shepherd, herding his son into the next life. He doesn't actually sit down, he just makes sure everyone is seated. Then he leaves.

When all is said and done, the church reunion was a beautiful way to end LOST. It enabled our characters to come together one last time, fully aware of each other, to embrace the deep connections they've developed over these last six years. This is the other side... yet what's beyond the glowing double doors? Heaven? Reincarnation? Another life? It feels great not to know. The only thing that really matters is that our heroes get to walk through those doors together, and to me at least, that's always seemed the most fitting way to end things.


The Ultimate Ending Has Always Been Closing The Circle

There were two ways I could envision LOST's final scene. One involved the new Jacob and new MIB (who I really thought would be Jack and Locke). They'd be sitting on a beach, possibly playing backgammon, and a ship would come over the horizon... or maybe the roar of a plane's engines would be heard overhead.

The other ending was even more obvious but no less excellent: Jack's eye closing. We've all thought about it. We've all considered it. Here, the writers made this ending a reality - and in the greatest and most poignant of all possible ways.

Jack's slow, painful journey down memory lane was intermixed with scenes from the church, and this gave it even more meaning. Leaning on the bamboo shoots for support, we watch him struggle past his father's beat-up tennis shoe, back to his place of origin.

It's both fitting and awesome that LOST should end exactly where it began - right in the clearing where Jack first woke up. The Ajira plane flying overhead completed the picture, mirroring the crash of Flight 815. Jack's smile was indicative of hope: he'd saved his friends as well as the island, and his sacrifice had not been in vain. And to see Vincent lie down next to him? That was just an amazing touch.


THINGS I NOTICED - My Final Thoughts

Why are we continuing to play this little game, when we all know it has moved to the next stage?
- Mikail Bakunin


Whether you believe the island was a truly magical place or just another level of the afterlife, that's entirely your call. Despite Christian's assertions that everything was real, an argument could easily be made that all of our characters actually died in the crash of Flight 815. Their adventures on the island would represent a journey to find and correct their past issues, before finally moving on to the next plane of existence.

In all honesty? I'm not entirely sure that's how LOST wasn't originally conceived.

Going back to season one and the beginning of season two, and you'll find TONS of references to everyone being dead. "We shouldn't have survived... Three days ago we all died... There are no survivors of flight 815..." Early on, these things smacked us right in the face. Maybe these clues were a little too obvious, and the intelligence of the audience was sorely underestimated. At this point, admitting that everyone guessed the plot of the show simply wouldn't be an option. The answer? A very long con: one that involved time travel, a critical event, and a newly modified version of the Purgatory/afterlife ending... the season six ALT timeline. The very fortunate victims of that con? Us. :)

But I'm not here to argue for (or against) the Purgatory theory. Whether or not it happened this way, LOST was a magnificent show. It had superior writing, an amazing cast, and the most beautiful location in the entire world. These are things I'm not sure we'll see again very soon, and that should only add to its legacy. LOST was an incredibly special and unique experience, just like the enormous community the show spawned to support it.

I'll forever keep my own ideas and reservations about the island, and you should too. Don't let anyone tell you what those should be. Just as the writers closed out one storyline, they left another one forever open. And no one, especially not me, should be able to completely define the rules and reality of exactly what we just watched for the last 120+ hours.

I want to thank everyone one last time for reading my recaps, my book, and my constant ramblings. Right or wrong, they were always fun to share. Special thanks to Andy for creating this site, and for giving my recaps a place to live. He took a lot of responsibility on his shoulders these last five years or so, and I'd bet good money he's looking forward to some well-deserved time off.

I'm sure I'll still be around in one capacity or another, so keep an eye out. You can also write me if you get the itch, and I'll try to respond as best I can.

A final thanks to everyone else who's shared their own ideas and theories, putting them out there for all to see. This part of LOST has always been the most fun for me. Discussing the show with others who love it just as fanatically is how every single one of us originally got started. I've made friendships here that will carry on well beyond the scope of the show, and I hope that many of you have done the same. It's weird the way stuff like that happens, but it's also very, very cool.

To all of my LOST friends and followers... It's been real. Sort of. ;)

Vozzek

All Roads Lead Here: "The End" - Recap by Robz888
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"It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress." - Jacob


What we just saw was not that solitary "end" that Jacob spoke of. The true end lies worlds beyond whatever awaits our characters on the other side of the door in the church. The story of Lost has always been about the progress made along the way. When Oceanic Flight 815 crashed on an island in the Pacific, the characters moved from their world to another, better world. Tonight, they moved from that better world to the next one, which will be even better.

Though we won't be shown any more of their adventure, the adventure isn't over. It's up to our imaginations to fill in whatever form their story takes from now on. In any case, I will elaborate on this theory (and provide some pretty good support for why I really think it's the correct one) down below.

Now, while I've seen plenty of support for the finale so far in the comments, I've also read through a considerable amount of resentment. Let me be clear: I've had problems with season 6. I've been frustrated by the way some storylines have been more or less completely abandoned, and I've groaned at having had to spend a lot of time in a reality where the characters didn't seem like they were really the characters I knew.

That said, this finale was fantastic -nearly perfect, even. For those of you who didn't like it, I'm sorry that Lost ends on such a low note for you, but I certainly don't agree.

Then again, what I was looking for in an ending may be different than what other people wanted. Others may have wanted sweeping answers about the purpose of the island, the Man in Black, a definitive timeline or ordering of the various realities, etc. All I wanted was to know that these characters, who mattered so much to me, mattered in some other sense, too. And this was answered; yes, they do matter. They mattered to each other.

It's going to be difficult to assess the finale in a chronological order, so I'm going to start by completely explaining my theory on the ending and providing support for it. Then I'll try to apply it to the characters and hopefully cover the events of the finale.

THE NARNIA-OZ THEORY

That's probably what I should call my theory, because it draws heavily on these two works of fantasy, both of which I've read and loved. NOTE: If you want to know absolutely nothing about Narnia or Oz, you may have to skip, like, the whole recap. I'm going to talk about the general themes of these books (which have MAJOR implications for Lost), not specific plotlines, so I really don't think you'd feel spoiled for reading this, but I thought I'd post a warning just in case.

Anyway, my immediate reaction to the ending of the episode was, "Oh, this has a lot in common with The Chronicles of Narnia. I wonder if the writers are conscious of that?" They did name Charlotte after C.S. Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, so it seemed likely. But after only about three seconds of browsing on Lostpedia, I found this little interview with Darlton where they said the following: "So much of LOST is based on our shared love for the great stories of our childhood (Narnia for Carlton, Oz for Damon)." And the events and themes of Oz really line up with Lost's ending, too.

Concerning, C.S. Lewis's work, Narnia is a magical world that acts as a sort of escape for many different people from our world. Narnia is often in need of protection from these people, but it also teaches them much about themselves and offers them second chances to grow as individuals. The point, though, is that the version of Narnia that the characters visit is not the definitive Narnia. There is in fact a more perfect Narnia beyond it. And beyond that, it's implied that there exists an even more wonderful Narnia. As they continued to move in, each world is bigger and more beautiful than the one before it.

Oz echoes the same theme, though a little more simply. While in the movie, Dorothy comes back to Kansas, in the books, she eventually goes back to Oz along with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, and they reside there permanently. In both cases, the characters could be said to have "died" and moved on to the next world, but whether they actually did die or not is sort of unimportant. They've traveled from one reality to the next - call it death, or whatever you wish.

This is exactly what happened on Lost, and has been happening since the beginning. The first world that we were shown was the characters' lives before the crash. They were weighed down by many struggles and disappointments and issues. Then the crash happens and they move to the next world. Some will say that the vehicle of this transportation was death - they all died in the plane crash, and were moved to the next world, a sort of Purgatory Step One, or something. But it doesn't really matter whether they actually all died in the crash or not, because they next world - the island - is real to them, alive or dead.

The island is a more perfect world than their previous one. Note: it's not perfect, it's more perfect. Their lives are for the most part better. They gain a sense of place and community. Many apply the skills and personalities from the former world while letting going of the baggage that weighed them down. They do this by first remembering the other world. What do you think the flashbacks that we were shown all of seasons 1, 2and 3 actually were? We were watching the characters reflect on their previous lives and let go of the bad parts in order to move forward with the good parts, just as they did in the flash-sideways last night.

I would like to suggest that the island is "magical" in order to facilitate a more perfect world. There is an energy on the island. The science people, like the Dharma folk, will explain it as electromagnetic anomalies, the mythological or religious will explain it as the heart of the island, etc., but its fulfills a role. It heals John Locke's paralysis. It allows Jin and Sun to have a baby. It gives Jack something worth protecting, saving and fixing.

I think the finale makes the argument that at some point, every character is ready for the next world. Some take longer than others. Some may even regress to a worse world, now and then (as I believe may have been what happened to the Oceanic 6 when they left the island). Some may be forced to repeat a world in a different role (as I believe could be a more proper explanation for the whispers - they are people who aren't quite ready for the next world, and will only let go of the necessary baggage by aiding and guiding others to the next world). But eventually, everyone gets there.

The flash-sideways timeline (that name doesn't really fit anymore, but I'll use it for convenience) does, I think, fit my definition of a more perfect world than the island reality. The characters are for the most part happier and more well-rounded. I know what you're thinking, "But how can the flash-sideways be more special than a magical island?" To which I answer, "the flash-sideways is absolutely magical, too." And I'm not just saying that because it's inhabited by dead people. This reality has been breaking the rules of a normal universe all season. At least a week elapses for John Locke, Desmond, Kate, Sawyer, Claire and Hurley between 815 landing and the concert happening. Sayid, Jin and Sun, though, only go through one or two days. Sun and Jin are apprehended by Keamy the morning after arriving in Los Angeles. That same day, Sun is accidentally shot. She arrives at the hospital at the same time as John Locke, who was run over by Desmond at least a week after getting back from the flight (John couldn't have been fired, gone to the temp agency, been placed as a substitute teacher and substituted for a variety of classes all within 24 hours of getting back to LA).

Also, when John agrees to the surgery it is already the day of the concert. There is no way he could have gone through all the prep work and actually undergone the surgery that same night. Remember how long Jack prepared for his surgery on the Italian Guy in the flashbacks of "The Hunting Party"? I'm not trying to point out continuity errors, I'm just arguing that the flash-sideways has a magical timelessness to it that makes it special.

Maybe the flash-sideways wasn't a proper next world. Maybe it was more of a waiting room of sorts. But in order to progress through it, the characters had to do basically the same thing that they did on the island: have flashbacks to the previous world. And then, once they've used these memories to correct the flaws that made them unworthy and unready for the next world, it's time to move on.

We don't know what the next world is like. Or any of the worlds after, for that matter. What we've seen was just progress - a process of perfecting flaws, growing closer together, and moving into a better and better life.

It doesn't really matter, then, how rigidly you classify these worlds. It would be possible to call the island hell (as Richard and the Man in Black did), the flash sideways as purgatory and the world beyond the door in the church as heaven. You could take a less spiritual approach, too, and say that everyone was still alive until their natural death during the show, and the flash-sideways was some sort of reincarnation and the world after will be another. The important thing, I think, is that Lost is understood as a constant process of moving from one special, unique place with people you love into a more special and unique place with people you love even more.

DESMOND, FARADAY, HAWKING


I guess I'll tackle the character who's hardest to fit into this view first - Desmond. In looking at how Desmond may have been moving from one world to another, I think it becomes evident that not all the characters were on the same... what's the right word... level, maybe. It's always been clear that Ms. Hawking, for example, knows more than she should. She's been telling Desmond, Faraday, and just about everybody else, what they're supposed to do, for a very long time. She may have been giving them directions that slowed them down in their own quests to reach the next world; indeed, it seems like that's her role in the flash-sideways, as she attempts to deter Desmond's mission. It could also be that that's her main goal -to hold back those who aren't ready, yet. She could have been unwilling to let Faraday go with Desmond because she wasn't ready to part with him, or it could have been that Daniel wasn't ready for the next world, yet.

Think about it. Daniel, as evidenced by his conversation with Desmond in "Happily Ever After", still thinks he caused an alternate reality by setting off a bomb. He might appear like he's in the same world as everybody else, but for him, it could be a level below. He's still wrapped up in the science without seeing the bigger picture. That could be why someone like him isn't ready to move on yet.

But anyway, I said I was talking about Desmond. I think he's been a step ahead of everyone else all along. It could be because he came to the island years before the plane crash survivors. Maybe that's why he received so many special powers and "the rules don't apply" wild cards. He was more special because he was on a higher level. And whereas leaving the island was probably a step back for the Oceanic 6, for Desmond, it was most certainly an improvement. But the island was in danger, and Jacob had no choice but to recall one of its most special characters in order to save the island and insure that everyone else would be able to move on. So Desmond is forcibly brought back to the island, but he's clearly thinking on a more advanced level. He knows about the next world - the flash-sideways, which he received a taste of in the strange generator - and he just wants to get back there.

Super Island Protector Jack and the Man in Black both know that Desmond's specialness is a sort of "secret weapon". As it turns out, he grants both of their wishes, as if he were the Magic Box. He begins to destroy the island like Flocke wants, and he makes Flocke mortal, like Jack wants. And for a considerably chunk of the finale, Desmond finds himself down a hole with some special energy while Jack and a John-esque entity watch him from above the shaft. I loved Jack's words to Flocke here; he basically says, "You're not John Locke and you are insulting a great man by wearing his face." Awesome dialogue.

RICHARD, MILES AND FRANK



I was surprised that Richard was still alive, and I was absolutely shocked that Frank made it, too. Richard's first gray hair was certainly noteworthy. The literal reason for why he was starting to age seems to probably be because the last remnant of Jacob was finally gone for good, thus removing Richard's protection. But beyond that, Richard is aging because it's time for him to move on. He's been in the island world for 150 years. The reason we didn't see Richard in the flash-sideways world is because he got to skip right past it. He logged enough island time to jump ahead. He's already in the world the waits beyond the door of the church.

I have to say that during the canoe ride over to Hydra Island, I was quite sure the infamous "The Little Prince" shootout was about to occur and probably kill or at least wound Miles. The shootout never happens, so I guess we'll never know for sure exactly who got shot by Juliet in that episode. It doesn't seem like it was anyone we cared about, though.

Miles is present at the concert, but I'm quite sure he didn't make it inside the church. Maybe he wasn't ready? Or he has to redo something? As for Frank, we don't see any of him in the flash-sideways, so it's hard to speculate. It would seem that they go on to continue their lives in the real world, but that's not an adventure that we will be in on. (Or... they didn't go back to the real world. More on that in the next section.)

KATE, CLAIRE, SAWYER



Though I was almost entirely happy with the finale, it seemed strange to me to send Sawyer and Kate off on that plane. What would they do, back in the real world? Obviously they wouldn't have gotten together, because that would have made the reunion in the church, um, awkward to say the least. I don't know what Kate would have done for the rest of her life, or Sawyer. I'm more accepting of the notion of Claire going back because of the whole Aaron thing, but I can't help but wonder if that plane really did make it back to civilization, especially in light of the fact that the last image was one of the wreckage of a plane crash. Since I'm viewing Lost as this progression from one world to next, I don't necessarily care what the specific circumstance of it was (whether the plane simply crashed and sunk, blinked out of existence, etc). But to me, it's entirely possible, and maybe even preferable, that the next step for those characters (maybe Kate and Sawyer, specifically), is the flash-sideways, with no trip back to the off-island of the island reality in between. That's the next place they go.

This could be what happens to Claire, too, since she does get Aaron back, in a sense, by giving birth to him in the flash-sideways. The circumstances of the birth are of course mostly the same - Kate delivers the baby with Charlie providing limited assistance. Of all the "remembrance" scenes, this one probably made me cry the second-hardest.

Sawyer and Juliet's moment was touching, too. It was terrific how they worked in the lines she uttered before dying at the start of the season, but her "it worked" didn't end up meaning at all what we thought it did. In other words, it wasn't proof that they had reset anything, just proof that her consciousness crossed over to the next world at that moment.

A WORD ON THE MAN IN BLACK


So far, I've heard complaints that the finale was so character-based that it really ignored the need for answers on the mythological magical island front. The Man in Black for instance, didn't turn out to be such an important threat, and I'm still not sure why he absolutely had to stay on the island, etc. Leaving a great deal of ambiguity around the mythological aspects might have been more acceptable had Lost not harped on them so fervently this season. In this sense, I'm not sure that "The End" made for a terrific season 6 finale (since the season was so focused on Jacob and the Man in Black), but overall it was a great finale for Lost (which is, ultimately, character-based).

As for the Man in Black, I don't know exactly what rules he operated under. I don't know to what extent the rules were mandatory. I said in my last recap that I thought a lot of the "you can't do that" rules were made up on the spot and were nothing more than cons to get people to do or not do certain things. But certainly there were some unbreakable rules, and why Flocke was suddenly mortal after Desmond uncorked the island is anybody's guess.

I was happy to see Jack receive that neck wound, though, and I was also amused that in the end, it was Kate who took down the big bad guy. Kate had been so dismissed by Flocke (by viewers, too, and myself as well at a lot of times), and it was nice to see her make him pay for ignoring her.

Ultimately, though, I felt bad for the dead man in Locke's guise sprawled across the rocks. I truly wonder what world his soul would move on to.

BEN AND HURLEY


Simply put, I loved everything about how the finale treated Hurley and Ben. Hurley's loyalty to Jack moved me, as did the survivors' insistence on rescuing Ben from that log (though I'm not sure why we didn't see how that was resolved, but meh).I was half-expecting Ben to stage a coup right when Jack passed on the leadership to Hurley, but Ben has evolved as a character, after all. He was delighted to be able to serve Hurley and help him rule the island.

Many fans probably feel disappointment that we didn't see more of Hurley's reign. It was good to at least learn that Hurley doesn't have to run things like Jacob - he can let people leave the island (starting with Desmond, we hope). I would have liked to see at least a little more indication of where this was going. For instance, it would have been a useful scene, I think, to see Hurley and Ben come across Cindy and the kids (who get no proper resolution at all - why keep them around all season? We don't even know where they went), and for Hurley to let the kids leave the island and finally go see their mother.

In the flash-sideways, Hurley tells Ben that he was a great number 2, meaning that they did indeed rule the island together for an indeterminate amount of time. Was it ideal not to give us more of a glimpse of what this was like? Maybe not. But we can infer from Hurley's character that island life would have involved a lot more golfing, cooking, and all-around good times than it was under Jacob. It also seems likely that Hurley would impose a less strict limitation on traveling to and from the island. Maybe he visited his friends across the sea (and his mother!), if indeed they did return and lead normal lives their.

JOHN LOCKE


Ah, my favorite character. A positive of having everyone regain their memories was that all the dead main characters received de facto resurrections, including John. No one deserved it more than him, that man who was frustrated by failure, used and abused so many times. Ben says that he was jealous of John being special, and John replies by wondering whether he really was special, in light of the fact that it was John himself who told Richard himself via time-travel that John was special, and the MIB clearly took advantage of him. But John is special, because he was right after all. He knew from the start that the island was no ordinary place - that they had come to a better world. He is rewarded for his on-island faith in the flash-sideways, where he's able to part with his bad job and spinal injuries in order to move through the door a much happier person. I cried my eyes out when John was able to move his toes, causing him to remember everything.

The door isn't for everyone yet, though. It was interesting that Ben chose to stay behind to "work some things out". Though Ben did plenty of good in the flash-sideways, he also did a lot of bad on the island. Ben was on the road to redemption, but he wasn't quite ready to go there, yet.

JACK


And lastly, we come to Jack Shephard, the main character of this beloved show. Flash-sideways Jack, like every other Jack, has trouble letting go. While most of the characters give in to the flood of memories immediately, Jack resists. He doesn't understand what's happening. John disturbs Jack by telling him he doesn't have a son, which was a difficult line to interpret. David may have just been a manufactured figment of Jack's personal world, existing in order to help him resolve some of his lingering daddy issues. Or maybe, David will be waiting for Jack on that other side, too.

Having put things back in order on the island, but dying from a knife wound, Jack finds himself curling up in the same bamboo forest he first arrives in. Vincent joins him. The conditions of "Pilot" are duplicated, but in reverse. Jack closes his eyes as a plane takes off. Vincent's loyalty to him was certainly a tear-jerker. It was impossible to be too sad, though, because we knew that in the flash-sideways, Jack was ready for realization.

He has to be guided into it, though, by his father, who serves as a literal "Christian shepherd". He explains that everyone dies eventually, and then they move on to the next thing. They do this by letting go. That's what the characters did last night, and that's what we have to do now.

THE END?

No, I don't know who the original Henry Gale was. I don't know why the pallet drops continued even in 2004. I'm not even sure when the Statue of Tawaret was actually built or why there were fertility problems on the island. These lingering questions are for us to dream up answers to and debate for all time. That's the beautiful part about leaving some open-ends to a story. I for one believe that the Man in Black caused the fertility problems due to some remaining anguish about his own mother situation. It's up to us to answer these questions, now.

What is the shape of the world that waits for our characters? Will it be a heavenly island? Will they get there through flashes, time travel, moving islands or plane crashes? That final image of the wreckage of a plane flight might be a clue. There are a couple ways to interpret this image.

1) It's the familiar wreckage of Oceanic 815 as some sort of tribute. That's totally fine by me, but if you look closely, the words Oceanic Airlines never appear on the wreckage discernibly. I did spy Jack's original medical tent in the corner, though.

2) It's Ajira 316, which never made it back to the real world. If the plane crashed, though, our friends flashed off the plane and into the next world before the actual crash.

3) It's whatever plane crashes on the island next, during Hurley's reign. These survivors should expect a warmer welcome than the 815ers received.

4) It's the world that comes after the flash sideways. This is the explanation I like the most. After Christian opens the door in the church, our friends move to the next island, which is more beautiful and perfect and magical and special than anything they've yet seen.

However you took it, note that there are no dead bodies lying around, just as Christian's dead body ultimately never showed up in any reality and was not inside the coffin at the end. In the end, we aren't burdened by death. We all move on with those memories.

This recap was more of an overarching one - I may write another recap processing individual moments once I rewatch the finale. You are also welcome to friend me on Facebook, where I'll publish my magazine articles starting in mid-June and anything else I write. But in case this is the last time we meet, let me thank everyone who read and commented on my recaps. You've encouraged and helped me more than you know.

To Dark and all the people who make this the greatest Lost site on the Internet, thank you for your tireless efforts to create a central hub for everyone who loves this show. I can't even imagine how much less fulfilling the last six years would have been without DarkUFO. And to all the other recappers, contributors, moderators, etc., you've all done one hell of a good job.

Thank you to my family and friends, particularly my parents, my brother Ryan, and especially my wonderfully supportive girlfriend, Carrie. I've loved taking this journey with all of you.

As for you, Lost. I've only got one thing left to say. See you in another life, brotha.

- Robby "Robz888" Soave

188 posted on 05/27/2010 8:41:23 AM PDT by Lucky9teen (I'll just say the 2nd amendment to the Constitution is there for a reason!)
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To: justsaynomore

If not for baseball I’d get rid of mine tomorrow.


189 posted on 05/27/2010 8:45:47 AM PDT by pgkdan (I Miss Ronald Reagan!)
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To: rlmorel

My condolences to all you “Lost” addicts out there...I can imagine it is like reading a really good book you don’t want to end, and when you do get the end, you feel a disappointment that it...ended!


That’s exactly what it’s like! Reading each page faster and faster to get to the end to see what happens but all the while hating the fact that you’re getting to the end!


190 posted on 05/27/2010 8:50:46 AM PDT by pgkdan (I Miss Ronald Reagan!)
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To: pgkdan

Best Recap Here from a writer on the staff (supposedly):

http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=102576&view=findpost&p=1867136

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumbsup.gif)

Good stuff on here! I can finally throw in my two cents! I’ve had to bite my tongue for far too long. Also, hopefully I can answer some of John Adam’s questions about Dharma and the “pointless breadcrumbs” that really, weren’t so pointless ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif)

First ...
The Island:

It was real. Everything that happened on the island that we saw throughout the 6 seasons was real. Forget the final image of the plane crash, it was put in purposely to f*&k with people’s heads and show how far the show had come. They really crashed. They really survived. They really discovered Dharma and the Others. The Island keeps the balance of good and evil in the world. It always has and always will perform that role. And the Island will always need a “Protector”. Jacob wasn’t the first, Hurley won’t be the last. However, Jacob had to deal with a malevolent force (MIB) that his mother, nor Hurley had to deal with. He created the devil and had to find a way to kill him — even though the rules prevented him from actually doing so.

Thus began Jacob’s plan to bring candidates to the Island to do the one thing he couldn’t do. Kill the MIB. He had a huge list of candidates that spanned generations. Yet everytime he brought people there, the MIB corrupted them and caused them to kill one another. That was until Richard came along and helped Jacob understand that if he didn’t take a more active role, then his plan would never work.

Enter Dharma — which I’m not sure why John is having such a hard time grasping. Dharma, like the countless scores of people that were brought to the island before, were brought there by Jacob as part of his plan to kill the MIB. However, the MIB was aware of this plan and interferred by “corrupting” Ben. Making Ben believe he was doing the work of Jacob when in reality he was doing the work of the MIB. This carried over into all of Ben’s “off-island” activities. He was the leader. He spoke for Jacob as far as they were concerned. So the “Others” killed Dharma and later were actively trying to kill Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley and all the candidates because that’s what the MIB wanted. And what he couldn’t do for himself.

Dharma was originally brought in to be good. But was turned bad by MIB’s corruption and eventually destroyed by his pawn Ben. Now, was Dharma only brought there to help Jack and the other Canditates on their overall quest to kill Smokey? Or did Jacob have another list of Canidates from the Dharma group that we were never aware of? That’s a question that is purposley not answered because whatever answer the writers came up with would be worse than the one you come up with for yourself. Still ... Dharma’s purpose is not “pointless” or even vague. Hell, it’s pretty blantent.

Still, despite his grand plan, Jacob wanted to give his “candidates” (our Lostaways) the one thing he, nor his brother, were ever afforded: free will. Hence him bringing a host of “candidates” through the decades and letting them “choose” which one would actually do the job in the end. Maybe he knew Jack would be the one to kill Flocke and that Hurley would be the protector in the end. Maybe he didn’t. But that was always the key question of the show: Fate vs Free-will. Science vs Faith. Personally I think Jacob knew from the beginning what was going to happen and that everyone played a part over 6 seasons in helping Jack get to the point where he needed to be to kill Smokey and make Hurley the protector — I know that’s how a lot of the writers viewed it. But again, they won’t answer that (nor should they) because that ruins the fun.

In the end, Jack got to do what he always wanted to do from the very first episode of the show: Save his fellow Lostaways. He got Kate and Sawyer off the island and he gave Hurley the purpose in life he’d always been missing. And, in Sideways world (which we’ll get to next) he in fact saved everyone by helping them all move on ...

Now...

Sideways World:

Sideways world is where it gets really cool in terms of theology and metaphysical discussion (for me at least — because I love history/religion theories and loved all the talks in the writer’s room about it). Basically what the show is proposing is that we’re all linked to certain people during our lives. Call them soulmates (though it’s not exactly the best word). But these people we’re linked to are with us duing “the most important moments of our lives” as Christian said. These are the people we move through the universe with from lifetime to lifetime. It’s loosely based in Hinduisim with large doses of western religion thrown into the mix.

The conceit that the writers created, basing it off these religious philosophies, was that as a group, the Lostaways subconsciously created this “sideways” world where they exist in purgatory until they are “awakened” and find one another. Once they all find one another, they can then move on and move forward. In essence, this is the show’s concept of the afterlife. According to the show, everyone creates their own “Sideways” purgatory with their “soulmates” throughout their lives and exist there until they all move on together. That’s a beautiful notion. Even if you aren’t religious or even spirtual, the idea that we live AND die together is deeply profound and moving.

It’s a really cool and spirtual concept that fits the whole tone and subtext the show has had from the beginning. These people were SUPPOSED to be together on that plane. They were supposed to live through these events — not JUST because of Jacob. But because that’s what the universe or God (depending on how religious you wish to get) wanted to happen. The show was always about science vs faith — and it ultimately came down on the side of faith. It answered THE core question of the series. The one question that has been at the root of every island mystery, every character backstory, every plot twist. That, by itself, is quite an accomplishment.

How much you want to extrapolate from that is up to you as the viewer. Think about season 1 when we first found the Hatch. Everyone thought that’s THE answer! Whatever is down there is the answer! Then, as we discovered it was just one station of many. One link in a very long chain that kept revealing more, and more of a larger mosiac.

But the writer’s took it even further this season by contrasting this Sideways “purgatory” with the Island itself. Remember when Michael appeared to Hurley, he said he was not allowed to leave the Island. Just like the MIB. He wasn’t allowed into this sideways world and thus, was not afforded the opportunity to move on. Why? Because he had proven himself to be unworthy with his actions on the Island. He failed the test. The others, passed. They made it into Sideways world when they died — some before Jack, some years later. In Hurley’s case, maybe centuries later. They exist in this sideways world until they are “awakened” and they can only move on TOGETHER because they are linked. They are destined to be together for eternity. That was their destiny.

They were NOT linked to Anna Lucia, Daniel, Roussou, Alex, Miles, Lupidis, (and all the rest who weren’t in the chuch — basically everyone who wasn’t in season 1). Yet those people exist in Sideways world. Why? Well again, here’s where they leave it up to you to decide. The way I like to think about it, is that those people who were left behind in Sideways world have to find their own soulmates before they can wake up. It’s possible that those links aren’t people from the island but from their other life (Anna’s parnter, the guy she shot -— Roussou’s husband, etc etc).

A lot of people have been talking about Ben and why he didn’t go into the Church. And if you think of Sideways world in this way, then it gives you the answer to that very question. Ben can’t move on yet because he hasn’t connected with the people he needs to. It’s going to be his job to awaken Roussou, Alex, Anna Lucia (maybe), Ethan, Goodspeed, his father and the rest. He has to attone for his sins more than he did by being Hurley’s number two. He has to do what Hurley and Desmond did for our Lostaways with his own people. He has to help them connect. And he can only move on when all the links in his chain are ready to. Same can be said for Faraday, Charlotte, Whidmore, Hawkins etc. It’s really a neat, and cool concept. At least to me.

But, from a more “behind the scenes” note: the reason Ben’s not in the church, and the reason no one is in the church but for Season 1 people is because they wrote the ending to the show after writing the pilot. And never changed it. The writers always said (and many didn’t believe them) that they knew their ending from the very first episode. I applaud them for that. It’s pretty fantastic. Originally Ben was supposed to have a 3 episode arc and be done. But he became a big part of the show. They could have easily changed their ending and put him in the church — but instead they problem solved it. Gave him a BRILLIANT moment with Locke outside the church ... and then that was it. I loved that. For those that wonder — the original ending started the moment Jack walked into the church and touches the casket to Jack closing his eyes as the other plane flies away. That was always JJ’s ending. And they kept it.

For me the ending of this show means a lot. Not only because I worked on it, but because as a writer it inspired me in a way the medium had never done before. I’ve been inspired to write by great films. Maybe too many to count. And there have been amazing TV shows that I’ve loved (X-Files, 24, Sopranos, countless 1/2 hour shows). But none did what LOST did for me. None showed me that you could take huge risks (writing a show about faith for network TV) and stick to your creative guns and STILL please the audience. I learned a lot from the show as a writer. I learned even more from being around the incredible writers, producers, PAs, interns and everyone else who slaved on the show for 6 years.

In the end, for me, LOST was a touchstone show that dealt with faith, the afterlife, and all these big, spirtual questions that most shows don’t touch. And to me, they never once waivered from their core story — even with all the sci-fi elements they mixed in. To walk that long and daunting of a creative tightrope and survive is simply astounding.

And awesome stuff, as always, from everyone on here over the past few years! You guys rock!


191 posted on 05/27/2010 8:54:05 AM PDT by Wright Wing
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To: pgkdan

Us too. Braves.

“V” is looking interesting (just nowhere near the level of LOST)


192 posted on 05/27/2010 9:02:06 AM PDT by justsaynomore (The Hermantor - 2012 - www.hermancain.com)
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To: carton253

I feel after reading the thread that I’m in the minority, but I couldn’t have a better ending.


I agree. I thought the ending was great. I always felt that the characters really drove the show and all the cosmic/sci-fi stuff was secondary to that. I loved these characters and loved seeing them find each other and finally find love and peace. I thought it was great. I’m a big blubbering Irishman and this show surely had me blubbering at times. I would have liked to have had more of the questions about the island answered...maybe in a movie?


193 posted on 05/27/2010 9:04:24 AM PDT by pgkdan (I Miss Ronald Reagan!)
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To: Wright Wing
I think the guy who wrote this is fanwanking, while trying to give himself more credibility by pretending to be a writer on the show. While I think he has some good theories and interpretations, his ruse is transparent by not even knowing how to spell some of the names of the main characters. An actual writer on the show would certainly know the actual names of the characters and their correct spelling.

Roussou = Rousseau
Lupidis = Lapidus
Whidmore = Widmore
Hawkins = Hawking
Anna Lucia = Ana Lucia

Some of his theories that I disagree with:

The Island keeps the balance of good and evil in the world.

Why would the writers have Jacob lying to Richard (in the Ab Aeterno episode) about the real purpose of the island, which he plainly stated was to act as the metaphorical “cork” in the wine bottle, keeping unbridled evil from escaping the island and wreaking total annihilation on the world? They wouldn’t.

He [Jacob] created the devil and had to find a way to kill him

Jacob didn’t create the devil. As Jacob’s Fake Mother told him, the light in the cave is “the Source of Life, Death and Rebirth”. Smokey was always part of the light, contained within the light, until Jacob threw his brother into the cave, at which point the Death part of the Source subsumed MIB’s soul and became an independent entity that wanted to escape the island and destroy the world. This is more in keeping with God casting Lucifer out of Heaven. Carlton Cuse (one of the head writers/creators of Lost) is Roman Catholic and probably contributed most of the Christian underpinnings to the Lost mythology.

Remember when Michael appeared to Hurley, he said he was not allowed to leave the Island. Just like the MIB. He wasn’t allowed into this sideways world and thus, was not afforded the opportunity to move on. Why? Because he had proven himself to be unworthy with his actions on the Island. He failed the test. The others, passed.

Michael killing two people on the island in his near-psychotic desperation to rescue his son from certain death was a worse sin than a young Ben killing every living person in the Dharma village, including women and children? I don’t think so. As for why Michael’s soul wasn’t allowed to leave the island when he died, yet Ben’s soul was, I don’t have a definitive answer. I think it could be partly because the actor who played Walt, Michael’s son, had to be written out of the script when he grew too fast and too tall to continue playing the character. As a consequence, Michael was also written out of the script as an abandoned story line (other than his brief reappearance to blow up Widmore’s freighter). Also, Michael and his story line were wildly unpopular with Lost fans, and the Lost creators were often responsive to fan feedback. Same as when they gave Ben, originally supposed to have only 3 episodes, a hugely prominent part in the story line when his character really resonated with the fans. It could also be theorized that Ben redeemed himself by helping to kill MIB and get Desmond off the island and back to the flash sideways to move on. As well, he spent the remainder of his island life (could have been decades, centuries, or even millenia) serving the island as Hurley's right-hand man.

Ben can’t move on yet because he hasn’t connected with the people he needs to. It’s going to be his job to awaken Roussou, Alex, Anna Lucia (maybe), Ethan, Goodspeed, his father

Christian Shepherd told Jack that the people in the church, moving on together, had been the most important people in each other’s lives. I hardly think there’s any reason to believe that Anna Lucia, Ethan or Goodspeed were hugely significant people in Ben’s life. But, yes, Alex and Rousseau were. Ben’s work in the purgatory of the flash sideways isn’t complete until Alex’s and Rousseau’s island memories are awakened, they remember the horrible injustices perpetrated upon them by Ben, and Ben has asked for and received their forgiveness. Just as Ben needed Locke’s forgiveness outside of the church for having been so jealous of Locke’s “specialness” that he killed him.

Those are just my thoughts today. Mostly I felt an unreasonable need to defend my beloved Lost from someone who’s probably pretending to be a writer on the show, even if he has some good theories and interpretations.

194 posted on 05/27/2010 11:20:42 AM PDT by lonevoice (If Fox News is the only outlet reporting it, did it really happen?)
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To: Pride in the USA; Lucky9teen
Finally, it's Vozzek's Lost recap! As usual, his is the best. I'm sure going to miss his perspective on all things Lost.

Also, a special thank you to FReeper lucky9teen for maintaining this thread through all these seasons. You've been awesome.

195 posted on 05/27/2010 11:56:43 AM PDT by lonevoice (If Fox News is the only outlet reporting it, did it really happen?)
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To: hocndoc

BRAVO!!


196 posted on 05/27/2010 11:57:08 AM PDT by Fudd Fan (I LOVE SARAH PALIN! HOW ABOUT THEM APPLES!)
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To: Lucky9teen

OMG that was hysterical!!


197 posted on 05/27/2010 12:11:05 PM PDT by Fudd Fan (I LOVE SARAH PALIN! HOW ABOUT THEM APPLES!)
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To: Lucky9teen; Pride in the USA; All

OMG! Can you spell...excited?

Lost Epilogue With Hurley and Ben Revealed!


Wed., May. 26, 2010 3:15 PM PDT by KRISTIN DOS SANTOS

One more reason to love Michael Emerson [Benjamin Linus]: He just spilled the goods on an amazing surprise for any Lost fan planning to buy the final DVD collection of all six seasons. (And trust me, now there is very good reason.)

There will be more Lost. There is more to the story, and we will get to see it! Praise Jacob! Or should we say...Hurley?!

“For those people that want to pony up and buy the complete Lost series, there is a bonus feature,” Michael just told our Kevin Pereira of Attack of the Show!, which airs tonight at 7 on E!’s brother network G4. “Which is um, you could call it an epilogue. A lost scene. It’s a lot; it’s 12 or 14 minutes that opens a window onto that gap of unknown time between Hurley (Jorge Garcia) becoming number one and the end of the series.”

Michael says this extra footage is not the premise for a spinoff. “It’s self-contained. Although, it’s a rich period in the show’s mythology that ‘s never been explored, so who knows what will come of it.”

http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b183100_lost_epilogue_with_hurley_ben_revealed.html


198 posted on 05/27/2010 1:01:57 PM PDT by lonevoice (If Fox News is the only outlet reporting it, did it really happen?)
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To: Lucky9teen

Oh my gosh, where did you get that picture?

I have a Juliet question. In the scene where she and Sawyer and remembering each other, she says something (it was inaudible to me) and then it skips the memory of her saying the same thing, and again, I couldn’t make out her words. In the memory she is dying in his arms. What did she say?


199 posted on 05/27/2010 1:04:04 PM PDT by diamond6 (Pray the Rosary to defeat communism and Obamacare!!)
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To: diamond6

I think it might have been the line about getting coffee together or what Miles said she was saying “It Worked!”

I’ll have to watch it again and see.


200 posted on 05/27/2010 1:23:43 PM PDT by Lucky9teen (I'll just say the 2nd amendment to the Constitution is there for a reason!)
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