So -- when did they all die? Was it the jughead explosion? In the flash sideways (afterlife) timeline, the island was at the bottom of the ocean, but now we know that Jack stopped the island from destroying itself. If what happened on the island actually happened (as Christian put it), then how was the island destroyed in the alternate timeline?
I'm still trying to wrap my head around some of the timeline stuff, but it was a great episode. Spoiler I'm still really confused about why they needed their memories jogged by Desmond if they were all dead...
well christian stated that everyone died on their own at their own times, and when they reached this alternate world/afterlife they all sorta reverted back to this 'best time of their life'- as he stated, the afterlife is timeless, so it was obvious ben and hugo had been through a lot on the island after, and i think we're to assume either (a) it still got destroyed somehow and they died or (b) they died and passed it on to someone else
The final scene in the church was awesome. They all look collectively relieved and happy for the first time ever. The smile on their faces, especially Jack's, really showed that it was a happy ending. They all finally realized how much they love and need each other, and how happy they are to be with one and other. I loved it and agree with others here. It was very satisfying. Yet my post-lost depression has started kicking in
I took it as everyone died in thier own time some by old age. Hurley & Ben spent a long time on the island as #1 & #2 after Jack saved it and died. To me the finale only answered the sideways flashes and nothing about the island. But I'm fine with that it was an awesome show & finale.
I'm surprised by how many people liked it. In a vaccum, I thought it was a pretty good episode, but as a finale after 6 seasons, it felt like it was tailored to an audience that started watching the series during mid-Season 5. As an aside, now that we know why Desmond was brought to the island, what exactly were Widmore's intentions? The confrontations between Flocke and Widmore don't make much sense if they were ultimately both interested in destorying the island. Widmore was the bad guy long before Flocke ever came into play, so its probably safe to assume that he didn't have the same intentions as Jacob's crew when it came to the light emanating from the island's core.
I really enjoyed the first hour and last scene. The middle was ok to me. Looking at the final episode was a stand alone I mostly enjoyed it. Putting it with the rest of the series I don't think it holds up since it still failed to answer important questions. But whatever I enjoyed the series evrn if it left me frustrated many times.
Since I wasn't expecting many answers in the last episode, I think it does stand up with the rest of the series. I do wish they explained a few more things. Like the damn statue and the babies dying thing. The only thing that frustrated me about the ending was, Spoiler "Why didn't Jack become the smoke monster?"
I think a better question might be: Spoiler How did MIB become the smoke monster in the first place? Its not like the river led directly into the light pool at the bottom of the cave. In fact, there were skeletons scattered along the side of the walkway that led to the light pool.
I like how it ended overall. I think everyone has their own dream ending that would be spectacular to them, but when you're trying to satisfy millions of people, you have to pick one way that would work best. I was wondering about the skeletons also. I also thought Jack would turn into smokey while he was down there. Didn't understand how Hurley could be the new guy because Jack didn't bless the water the way Mother and Jacob did. Thought it ended well overall. Now what am I gonna watch?
why do you think he didnt? MIBs body died, and yet the smoke monster was some kind of piece of him i guess... but MIB himself was dead... Spoiler whos to say smokey didn't come out with jack's body and thats how Jack ended up where he did? They showed the scene of Jack waking up and he was exactly on the log that MIB's body landed on... i think there was a reason for that im guessing the cycle continued with a smoke monster and hurley/ben now playing the Jacob role.. another thing i heard was that Plane Jack sees overhead, isn't the plane that Lapedis/Richard/Kate/Sawyer/etc are on because the timing is off, he sees a different plane that probably is about to crash on the island as well and again the cycle continues...
I thought he didn't because Spoiler when he died on the island he went to "heaven" in the flash sideways. So I took that as his soul wasn't stuck on the island. I have come the conclusion that for my sanity the Island is Pandora's Box.
Spoiler another thing i heard was that Plane Jack sees overhead, isn't the plane that Lapedis/Richard/Kate/Sawyer/etc are on because the timing is off, he sees a different plane that probably is about to crash on the island as well and again the cycle continues... My response Spoiler The plane crashed in the first episode b/c of the electromagnetism. Since that doesn't exist anymore, why would another plane crash on an island that moves? I mean, what are the chances planes crash on the island, people survive each time, and then the whole process goes through the motions again? There isn't anyone left on the island except for Ben/Hurley (maybe Desmond). Widmore is dead, the MiB and Jacob are dead. I'd think the only person who would know anything about the island at that point would be Faraday's mother. But what could she possibly want to do with the island anymore?
As far as the question everyone wanted answered, what is the island? The producers have stated they never had intentions of answering that question. They wanted the audience to accept the island as a mystical place in the world that could do the seemingly impossible. Much like the Force in Star Wars. They knew they couldn't ever really explain what the island is and didn't want to do what the star wars prequels did and give a scientific explanation. Some will be annoyed with it, others won't. The one thing I can say I really hated was Jacob/MIB. At one point, Jacob says the island is a cork stopping evil from escaping in the world. The MIB was an *******, but was he pure evil? He did evil things, but is he himself pure evil? I thought that was one aspect of the show the writers did really poorly.I would of preferred a Jobe (SP?) story where Jacob was God and the MIB was Satan and they were using the island as a place to test humans. Once the losties saved the day, they go home and the game starts again. Instead, they were random people with random rules that make no sense whatsoever.
I would have prefered a story line where Jacob remained "good" and MIB remained "evil." Greying that up actually took away from the series, IMO.
That would have been really good. They could have kept it going and every year bring in some new people to challenge them.
Can't say I didn't enjoy the ride but I also can't shake the lingering feeling that I've been had. It was much ado about nothing, but heck, it was kinda fun.
I'll admit that the whole church scene did absolutely nothing for me. I don't have anything against melodramatic handkerchief endings but at least let me, as the audience, know what the heck they're happy about. So they managed to save the island and kill the evil smoke thingy but why that was a particularly good thing - or, say, made them happy to be freaking dead - isn't explained. I don't need answers to everything but I find it hard to become emotionally involved when someone is happy to die because he saved a piece of land without knowing why.
Michael was probably missing because he wasn't the castaways friend after he killed Libby and Ana Lucia and thr cast really didn't have a strong connection to Walt. That's probably way Ben didn't go in the church, since the cast wasn't fond of him. Also he was probably going to a different place than they were due to his evil deeds on the island. That's also way Eko and other characters weren't present since the characters there all had a strong common bound with each other during the series. I will say I wish Walt came back and wish his storyline was explained a little more.
Here's what I think about LOST, and the writers would never admit to this, so it's pure speculation. If I remember correctly, the show was originally only supposed to be a mini series. It then became hugely successful and the writers had to figure out a way to stretch it out. The first guess everybody had about the island was that it was purgatory. They were all dead from the plane crash. I think if the show hadn't become the hit that it did, that would have been how it played out. I think the flashbacks would have shown that all the characters lives were intertwined in the past and they would come to this realization in the afterlife of the island. When they all became aware and we became aware through the flashbacks, then they would be able to "move on". I think both because of it's success, and the fact that people very quickly guessed purgutory, the writer's had to abandon their original plan, but not completely. They just had to make the island "real" and change the afterlife to a place after and outside the island. You can see this in the earlier episodes as the flashbacks started to show the ways their lives prior to the island intertwined. Sawyer and Locke's dad, Claire and Jack, etc. etc. This would help account for some of the filler episodes and unanswered questions and storylines. I always had a thought that the idea of purgatory had something to do with the show no matter how much the writers denied it. I think the fact that they chose this ending to the show might help confirm that fact that purgatory was the original plan.
Because he couldnt let go, neither could Anna Lucia. Faraday wasnt at the church either because his Mom didnt want to lose him. I think you are wrong on all accounts.
I believe Faraday wasnt at the church because he wasnt connected to the core group of losties. Like Desmond said to Eloise, he is going to go, but he isnt going with me. He wasnt a part of the "family" as it may be. That church was a place they made to be with each other. As for Michael didnt he say in "Everyone Loves Hugo" that it was his fate to be on the island always? i dont think it was that he hadn't let go.
While I'm not sure this is exactly what happened, I'd be more inclined to side with MB on this one, given the presence of a thought-out argument and attempt at back-up evidence. really though, i doubt this is 'exactly' what they wanted to happen all along, even if they had originally had some sort of plan. if you have a tv series, you need to be able to adapt to many things, the least of which are the happenings of the actors themselves (quitting, stinking, DUIs etc), the changing wants/needs of the masses/audience, and so forth. there's no way you can have a 120 hour long show completely planned out from the beginning and expect no changes. look how much they change a 2 hour movie over the course of a film shoot, and thats with little viewer feedback
Just saw the finale... I wasn't a big fan of the end, the realization that it was Jack's death playing out. Did anyone catch the Jimmy Kimmel show afterward? His theory that the whole thing was a test for Jack so he could move on. I guess I don't see it that way. Jack did have a test, but he wasn't the entire show. The end and the flash sideways was him though. I don't understand the significance of Desmond in the flash sideways. Clearly he was the one getting everyone together, but why him? That was never explained. And what exactly did he do on the island, why did Whidmore bring him back? I should have seen it coming... the whole purgatory thing, that's where it ended, even though the show wasn't about THAT. I did see it before the final scene with Jack and his father. The shoe on the bamboo forest... the many different religious symbols on the church window... still though, it's all over now. Too bad as I'm not entirely satisfied. I will admit to welling up when Sayid met up with Shannon... and Charlie met up with Claire. Flash sideways... should have seen it coming with everyone's revised view of themselves. Kate saying she's innocent. Sawyer being a cop. Hurley being lucky. Was Miles in the church at the end? Richard?? Lapidus???
You know what would have really made the finale incredible? so they claimed seasons ago to have an idea about where this might end up. Knowing this, if they had filmed a scene in secrecy of Walt (when the actor was still young) in the church. Granted, they wouldn't have been able to include him in the massive scene at the end, because they probably weren't sure exactly which characters would be around and everything, but even just a shot of maybe him standing the the corner just smiling and nodding in approval. man, i'd have lost it, no pun intended. It wouldn't have given anything away to film that scene years ago, because someone standing in a church nodding would mean nothing out of context for this show. and it would have added so much more to the finale.
I'm not sure I would call the flash-sideways purgatory. Perhaps limbo is a better word to describe what they created. As for your post, I agree. Although Lost was never suppose to be a mini series. TPTB thought it would get a season at best and be like a mini series. Once the show got picked up, the stories had to keep coming and did the best they could. In the end, they got the story they wanted. I'm satisfied. There's a few issues I have, but really, what show doesn't? Lost is simply held to a higher standard because of the quality throughout the first few seasons and some gem episodes later on. One thing I did like, was the castaways making changes to their limbo life. Sawyer became the cop he was in Dharmaville, Kate was innocent, Ben saved Alex instead of taking what he wanted, Sayid stopped caring about what others thought of him, etc...