As the end of “Lost” approaches — an extravaganza that will stretch from Sunday night into Monday morning on ABC — the natural urge is to join in the final frenzy of speculation. Who will live, who will die, and what did it all mean?
In recent months “Lost” has felt less like a television series than like a gigantic international parlor game, in which the goal is to find answers to questions that often have no real connection to what’s happening on screen. You need to take a step back, or 5 or 10, and look past this extraneous (if diverting) exercise to assess the actual show and its legacy.
Since “Lost” itself favors oracular pronouncements, here’s one more: The show had one good season, its first. It was very, very good — as good as anything on television at the time — but none of the seasons since have approached that level, and the current sixth season, rushed, muddled and dull, has been the weakest.
That’s a typical television trajectory, especially for shows set up as closed-end mysteries. The difference now is that as “Lost” has hit a new creative low, the attention paid to it (if not its ratings) has hit a new high. But that makes sense: there’s an organic connection between the show’s decline and the particular brand of obsessive interest it inspires.
Back in Season 1, as the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 explored the island, “Lost” was a beautifully functioning machine. The mystery was intriguing and had an internal logic (the questions were smart enough that the answers weren’t immediately important); the action was well directed; the actors were attractive; the locations gorgeous; the production values high.
But that model wasn’t sustainable. The elaborate mystery on which the show depended couldn’t be maintained at the same level, and the characters and their relationships had been conceived entirely in terms of that mystery; they had back stories rather than lives. (Television history held some lessons: “The Prisoner” called it quits after 17 episodes; “Twin Peaks” was essentially done after one season. “The X-Files,” an entirely different style of show that in its early years emphasized character development and chemistry in its many free-standing episodes, squeezed out four or five good seasons of its nine.)
To keep the story going, the producers of “Lost” resorted to inflation, adding more plot points and more characters at the cost of coherence. A spooky tale about plane crash survivors on a strange island increasingly became a labored allegory about free will and destiny, individualism and solidarity. Mystery began to give way to mythology.
As “Lost” bogged down and its audience shrank — its ratings in recent weeks have been about two-thirds of what they were in the early seasons — an interesting thing happened: a core of viewers emerged for whom the endless complications, which were ruinous in any traditional dramatic sense, were the basis of a new sort of fandom.
In this sideways universe, making sense of the show became the responsibility, and even the privilege, of the viewers rather than the producers. The compromises and continuity lapses and narrative backing and filling that characterize all broadcast network series became fodder for a kind of populist biblical commentary, and the logical gymnastics performed to read authorial intention into every word and image and in-joke began to feel religious in nature. Every question about the show had to have one true answer, and discerning it — or asserting your version of it the loudest — wasn’t the stuff of water cooler chatter, it was blood sport.
And this new proprietary “Lost” obsession grew symbiotically with things like mainstream entertainment blogs (and their comments sections) and Twitter, until now there is a vast body of shared commentary and speculation that often seems to overshadow the show itself. Why bother writing fan fiction when you can feel as if you had a hand in the real thing?
It’s clear that the rise of “Lost” geekdom has encouraged fans, and critics who should know better, to celebrate the mythology — the least important element of the show, from a dramatic standpoint — while glossing over things like pacing, structure, camerawork and acting. (With a few exceptions, notably Terry O’Quinn, as Locke, and Henry Ian Cusick, as Desmond, the performances have been undistinguished since the first season, which may have as much to do with the conception of the characters as with the actors themselves.)
And while we can’t know what’s in the minds of the executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, they’ve devoted a lot of screen time in Season 6 to providing the fans with answers (when they haven’t been introducing new questions). Some fans, though, might have been happy to make do with fewer answers if it meant they could have a simpler, easier to follow, more exciting final season.
In fact, the scenes set in Los Angeles in the alternate timeline Mr. Cuse and Mr. Lindelof concocted for this season — blasted by the commentariat because they haven’t yet yielded up their secrets — have been more stylish and interesting to watch than the island scenes that have focused on resolving the outstanding plot points.
Among the best evidence that something new is happening with “Lost” is the fact that so many people, if their online comments are true, will be willing to change their judgment of the entire series based solely on how well the final two-and-a-half-hour episode satisfies their need for answers. Forget the first 119 hours — if you don’t tell me what happened to Walt, none of it will have mattered.
Similarly revealing is the carping over whether Mr. Cuse and Mr. Lindelof knew from the start where they were going to take their story. It’s a meaningless question with regard to evaluating the show — all that matters is what they have actually put on screen. But that would mean paying attention to the show itself, rather than your feelings about the show.
The contract between author and audience is being rewritten throughout our culture. Certainly we have always expected the satisfaction of resolution and revelation in our fictional narratives, but we had to let creators provide it on their own terms and then judge the overall result. “Lost” is a sign that that’s not so true anymore, at least with regard to television. Now that the public conversation about how a work should play out can be louder, and have greater impact, than the work itself, the conversation will inevitably begin to shape the work in ways that earlier television producers — or, say, Charles Dickens — never had to reckon with.
“Lost” has turned fans into critics and critics, including this one, into semiprofessional fans, and in both cases you can sense that some exhaustion has set in. The mood among many of the show’s followers as they confront Sunday’s finale seems to be a mixture of regret and relief. Whatever happens to Jack and Kate and Sawyer on Sunday night, we’re getting off the island.
Also, another article from NYT about Damon Lindelhof and Carlton Cuse, too long to quote here:
part of me hopes nothing at all will be explained in the final 2 episodes. We have come this far, almost 6 full seasons with everyone, the audience and even alot of the cast not sure what the hell anything means, part of me wishes we not find anything out ever.
Part of the reason David Lynch is one of the best living directors is that his films explain nothing. lost highway, mullholland drive and inland empire are 3 of the most compelling and brilliant films ever created and part of the appeal is the fact that viewers and audience is left to interpret every single thing from frame 1 on. Nothing is explained.
On the flip side, i'd love to have the timeline explained if i could choose one thing. whats the present, whats the future. Whats the past? is there some parallel universe? I absolutely love that about the show, but its one of the most maddening aspects. We never know what we are watching, and what time frame it takes place in.
part of me hopes nothing at all will be explained in the final 2 episodes. We have come this far, almost 6 full seasons with everyone, the audience and even alot of the cast not sure what the hell anything means, part of me wishes we not find anything out ever.
Part of the reason David Lynch is one of the best living directors is that his films explain nothing. lost highway, mullholland drive and inland empire are 3 of the most compelling and brilliant films ever created and part of the appeal is the fact that viewers and audience is left to interpret every single thing from frame 1 on. Nothing is explained.
On the flip side, i'd love to have the timeline explained if i could choose one thing. whats the present, whats the future. Whats the past? is there some parallel universe? I absolutely love that about the show, but its one of the most maddening aspects. We never know what we are watching, and what time frame it takes place in.
With all respect, I have the exact opposite view: I like to have things explained. Now this is not to say I need everything hand fed to me. I'm fine with some things left up to interpretation or, even better, where we are forced to figure things out based on what's been given us. That's fine.
When I was really enjoying the show, I would say I didn't care what the actual explanation was because the ride was fun. Unfortunately the ride stopped being fun for me probably about the time of the time travel. At this point there is way too much left to explain so I am hoping they at least say what the island is.
part of me hopes nothing at all will be explained in the final 2 episodes. We have come this far, almost 6 full seasons with everyone, the audience and even alot of the cast not sure what the hell anything means, part of me wishes we not find anything out ever.
Part of the reason David Lynch is one of the best living directors is that his films explain nothing. lost highway, mullholland drive and inland empire are 3 of the most compelling and brilliant films ever created and part of the appeal is the fact that viewers and audience is left to interpret every single thing from frame 1 on. Nothing is explained.
On the flip side, i'd love to have the timeline explained if i could choose one thing. whats the present, whats the future. Whats the past? is there some parallel universe? I absolutely love that about the show, but its one of the most maddening aspects. We never know what we are watching, and what time frame it takes place in.
With all respect, I have the exact opposite view: I like to have things explained. Now this is not to say I need everything hand fed to me. I'm fine with some things left up to interpretation or, even better, where we are forced to figure things out based on what's been given us. That's fine. Otherwise (and this is where I have problems with Lynch's films) there is nothing holding anything together. People can change into other people, polar bears show up, numbers are pressed but we are never told what's going on so I am not engaged. This show would have been brilliant had all these things been tied together. At least with Lynch the films are interesting stylistically and creepy. With Lost, I feel like its lazy to throw all these story points in and never have to explain them. Viewers are captivated by these things thinking "How does this al fit together?" and keep watching. Cuse and Lindelof are already covering their asses saying "don't expect everything to be answered" lke it is wrong to expect resolution.
When I was really enjoying the show, I would say I didn't care what the actual explanation was because the ride was fun. Unfortunately the ride stopped being fun for me probably about the time of the time travel. At this point there is way too much left to explain so I am hoping they at least say what the island is.
Reading 2004
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016 Fenway 2, 2018 MSG 2022 St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023 MSG 2024, MSG 2024 Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
I thought seasons two and four were better than one, but everyone has an opinion.
I don't know if 2 and 4 were better than the 1st one but I do agree that 1, 2, and 4 were the best seasons. Season 5 had its moments.
Having been a fan of the show from the beginning, I also think the mythology has weakened it. I enjoyed it more when it was a show about a disparate group of people stranded on a weird place. The characters were complicated (for TV anyway) and the unexpected kept my interest level pretty high. When they kept adding more layers of the bizarre, it made it much less enjoyable for me. Time travel, moving the island, and especially the storyline of Jacob and the MIB--those things just aren't satisfying dramatic features to me. I could honestly live without knowing all the answers if Lost could only have maintained that "Woah, didn't see that coming" storytelling style that made it different from anything else.
I still love the show and the fact that I committed to watching it every week for 6 years is something in itself. I just don't stick with TV shows but this one has been so much better over the long haul than anything I can remember watching. Ever.
I thought seasons two and four were better than one, but everyone has an opinion.
I don't know if 2 and 4 were better than the 1st one but I do agree that 1, 2, and 4 were the best seasons. Season 5 had its moments.
Having been a fan of the show from the beginning, I also think the mythology has weakened it. I enjoyed it more when it was a show about a disparate group of people stranded on a weird place. The characters were complicated (for TV anyway) and the unexpected kept my interest level pretty high. When they kept adding more layers of the bizarre, it made it much less enjoyable for me. Time travel, moving the island, and especially the storyline of Jacob and the MIB--those things just aren't satisfying dramatic features to me. I could honestly live without knowing all the answers if Lost could only have maintained that "Woah, didn't see that coming" storytelling style that made it different from anything else.
I still love the show and the fact that I committed to watching it every week for 6 years is something in itself. I just don't stick with TV shows but this one has been so much better over the long haul than anything I can remember watching. Ever.
Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
I've finally almost caught up! only 2 or 3 episodes behind. I've been watching it late at night when I get home from work- and I must say... this season has been great! I will be sorry to see it go.
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
i'll say it now, because i know this is going to turn into a bitchfest.
i'm really happy with the way it ended. the answers that we didn't get don't really matter, because the way they chose to end it. such is life. that's how life really is.
i loved it. i liked the journey, and all the side trips. and i like our final destination.
best tv show ever. imho. the X-Files was what i thought was the best until now. this did its job.
i'll miss this show.
Peace, Love.
"To question your government is not unpatriotic --
to not question your government is unpatriotic."
-- Sen. Chuck Hagel
Little confusing towards the end. Still not quite sure what to make of the ending. Some heart wrenching scenes though. Kinda ended the way it always ends, with everyone scratching their heads. Good to see old faces return though.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
i'll say it now, because i know this is going to turn into a bitchfest.
i'm really happy with the way it ended. the answers that we didn't get don't really matter, because the way they chose to end it. such is life. that's how life really is.
i loved it. i liked the journey, and all the side trips. and i like our final destination.
best tv show ever. imho. the X-Files was what i thought was the best until now. this did its job.
i'll miss this show.
I completely agree. I had figured out a while back the 'reality' of the Lostie's situation. I don't see any other way that they could have ended it.
Make your life a mission - not an intermission. - Arnold Gasglow
Oh god I'm so tired, it's 6 in the morning here in germany... Loved the finale. At the moment nothing makes sense but there were some great moments in it and I think we just have a lot to discuss now. I think everybody will interpret it a little different.
But that's Lost
Comments
Cool. and where are they at again??? :roll:
"To question your government is not unpatriotic --
to not question your government is unpatriotic."
-- Sen. Chuck Hagel
I thought seasons two and four were better than one, but everyone has an opinion.
http://seanbriceart.com/
Part of the reason David Lynch is one of the best living directors is that his films explain nothing. lost highway, mullholland drive and inland empire are 3 of the most compelling and brilliant films ever created and part of the appeal is the fact that viewers and audience is left to interpret every single thing from frame 1 on. Nothing is explained.
On the flip side, i'd love to have the timeline explained if i could choose one thing. whats the present, whats the future. Whats the past? is there some parallel universe? I absolutely love that about the show, but its one of the most maddening aspects. We never know what we are watching, and what time frame it takes place in.
With all respect, I have the exact opposite view: I like to have things explained. Now this is not to say I need everything hand fed to me. I'm fine with some things left up to interpretation or, even better, where we are forced to figure things out based on what's been given us. That's fine.
When I was really enjoying the show, I would say I didn't care what the actual explanation was because the ride was fun. Unfortunately the ride stopped being fun for me probably about the time of the time travel. At this point there is way too much left to explain so I am hoping they at least say what the island is.
http://www.nycdailydeals.com/2010/05/lo ... hibit.html
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
Fenway 2, 2018
MSG 2022
St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
MSG 2024, MSG 2024
Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
I'm hoping for way over. i like being part of an even where everyone is watching.
Having been a fan of the show from the beginning, I also think the mythology has weakened it. I enjoyed it more when it was a show about a disparate group of people stranded on a weird place. The characters were complicated (for TV anyway) and the unexpected kept my interest level pretty high. When they kept adding more layers of the bizarre, it made it much less enjoyable for me. Time travel, moving the island, and especially the storyline of Jacob and the MIB--those things just aren't satisfying dramatic features to me. I could honestly live without knowing all the answers if Lost could only have maintained that "Woah, didn't see that coming" storytelling style that made it different from anything else.
I still love the show and the fact that I committed to watching it every week for 6 years is something in itself. I just don't stick with TV shows but this one has been so much better over the long haul than anything I can remember watching. Ever.
It probably should have been a miniseries then.
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di3w1yV4Ehg
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
They're just living it up in the middle of the jungle Blue lagoon style.
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
i'm really happy with the way it ended. the answers that we didn't get don't really matter, because the way they chose to end it. such is life. that's how life really is.
i loved it. i liked the journey, and all the side trips. and i like our final destination.
best tv show ever. imho. the X-Files was what i thought was the best until now. this did its job.
i'll miss this show.
"To question your government is not unpatriotic --
to not question your government is unpatriotic."
-- Sen. Chuck Hagel
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
I completely agree. I had figured out a while back the 'reality' of the Lostie's situation. I don't see any other way that they could have ended it.
Make your life a mission - not an intermission. - Arnold Gasglow
Clearly someone's never seen Ninja Warrior.
semi spolier below if you havnt seen the last ep yet
Vincent and Jack at the end made me weep like a little girl (and Im a guy
But that's Lost
not satisfied bbl.