That might have worked, or it could have come out schlocky. SciFi is tough to pull off really well, and bad scifi just goes all silly.
The writers really drew in a huge mix of people watching it for different reasons, some for the stellar acting (Ben was by far my favorite), some for the love stories, some for the plot intricacy, some for the spiritual hints, some for the sci-fi hints, some for the action, some for the humor.
They couldn't make everybody 100% happy, but I was thrilled with the whole show and loved the ending.
I watched it for the steller acting (agree with your assessment of Ben) and the writing.
You nailed what I was thinking...I am not a huge fan of science fiction, but the mixture of the character development and the mysteries kept me hooked for the whole six seasons.
I think it was a great cornucopia of elements that snagged a wide range of viewers who might have just given up the show it is was a strict adherent to the sci-fi genre. That was the secret to the show’s success.
I can honestly say in my whole life I have never been as faithful to watching a show as I was to ‘Lost.’ Maybe it was the fact that it had the things you mentioned—humor, love, spirituality, and a kicking story line—that kept me going with it.
BTW, I loved the ending, and the whole scene with Claire giving birth backstage and then interacting with Charlie just made me lose it :) That, and Vincent keeping Jack company at the end.