“Lost” Series Finale Proves to be a Masterpiece

On Sunday many viewed what will easily be one of the most talked about series finales of this decade and that was the series finale of the ABC television show “LOST.” For six years “LOST” captivated audiences across the world with its mysticism, sci-fi mumbo jumbo, and more than anything its characters. We watched as Jack became the tragic hero, as Sawyer went from jerk off to leader, as Sayid flirted with the dark side in the final season, and much more.

What made the series finale most enjoyable to me was watching the characters reconnect in the flash sideways. While those particular scenes were part of the flash sideways for the shows characters it was more of a flashback for me. Characters who died early in the series were brought back to “life” and memories of the past were summoned by the slightest touch between characters.

I consider myself a pretty dedicated fan of “LOST” so going into the series finale I had a really strong feeling that the ending would be open to various interpretations. Following the closing scene I was of course a little lost (no pun intended) and it took a few minutes for everything to sink in but I suppose I eventually got it.

When going into a series finale for a television show fans normally hope for closure, a definite ending. The characters live, the characters die, etc. But is that really a satisfying ending? Personally, I don’t think so. And I’m pretty sure Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse (the shows head writers) would have caught hell if they decided to kill everyone off or opt for an unrealistic picture perfect ending. Fans of “LOST” have argued over the show since day one so it would seem kind of odd for the writers to choose an ending that was crystal clear.

Oddly enough, the ending of “LOST” reminded me of the poems I had to read and write about in AP English back in the day. At first it’s a little confusing but when it sinks in it’s quite satisfying. The flash sideways was a kind of afterlife, not what you would typically expect in an afterlife, but an afterlife none the less. And what happened on the island was clearly reality although I’m sure some fans (the more deranged ones) might find that debatable.

What stood out to me the most during the final scene (which was amazing in my opinion) was Jack’s conversation with his father Christian. Christian revealed that the flash sideways was a place the Oceanic flight 815 survivors made so they “could find one another” as their time spent with each other on the island was the highlight of all their lives. It’s quite powerful when you’re touched by a group of people so much that you create an afterlife to reunite with them. And although it was sad to see our hero Jack go in the end at least we can all live with the satisfaction that he didn’t have to “die alone.”

Thanks Vincent.