"The End ..."

"The End ..."

 

    Though season six of LOST gave us so much to talk about, I found myself unable to write much.  I honestly did not know what to think about the events leading to the climatic final episode, simply titled "The End."  Now, having seen the conclusion, I find myself slightly unsettled with the final message of the show.  I enjoyed every second of it, and I was speechless when the word "Lost" floated on the screen at 11:30, but I found myself wondering how I was supposed to react.  Was it a happy ending?  Cheerful?  Pessimistic?  Like so many shows before it, the finale of LOST has left fans torn between praise and disgust and gratefulness and disappointment.

    I can't help but feel like audiences are too tough on season finales.  While much of the blame is on the network for hyping their finales so much, our expectations have surely changed.  Consider the historically praised endings of shows like St. Elsewhere or Newhart.  How would we react if the entire series was the imaginative story of Jack's son, David, or if Hurley woke up on the set of Becker claiming to have dreamed about being on an island?  The creators would have to call David Chase for advice as to where to hide.  People still carp on The Sopranos creator for not giving the audience at nice, tie-up-all-the-knots ending.  Yet, LOST has given us a definitive ending, and yet, so many of us will debate it until the next big series ends (I hear Fringe is good ...)

    The wonderful thing about the finale was the culmination of the main themes: redemption and community.  These characters had nothing in 2004, but fate (or Jacob) brought them together and showed them how they needed (and had) a purpose.  Most importantly, they needed someone.  Each one of them needed that other person to help them move on.  But ultimately, each member needed the entire group to get to where they were going.  The interesting thing about this doorway to the beyond was not the characters who were present, but the characters who were not.  While we see Ben Linus decide that he is not ready (or worthy enough) to go yet - he still has some things to finish with his daughter and possibly new lover -, we do not get this from Rose and Bernard, Michael and Walt, or Charlotte, Miles, and Daniel.  Did these characters not deserve heaven?  Obviously, a ticket on Oceanic Flight 815 was not the ticket needed to get into heaven, since Desmond, Penelope, and Juliet appear to be apart of this community. 

    While some of the moments seemed self-mockery (Kate asking about the name "Christian Shephard"), the episode was a beautiful collection of religious symbolism, yet so brilliantly never got preachy.  The heaven that these survivors experience in clearly their own, despite their diverse backgrounds.  After six years, we walk away with the lesson that heaven is made on Earth with the people and experiences that matter most to us.  When we love others, we are rewarded, such was shown by Hurley, who escaped unharmed and happy simply for being our ultimate symbol of love.  Though many religions were used throughout the series (as shown in the stained-glass window behind Jack as he observes his father's coffin), it was the popular Christian (get it?) religion that dominated the episode, with Jack as our ultimate Christ figure who dies for the community, being led by a need to please his father, the man who finally opens the doors to heaven.  This may have been overdone with the Communion scene between he and Hurley.  The dialogue might have well been, "drink this; this is my blood; do this in memory of me."  Though there were clever moments, such as Fake Locke stabbing his side where Jesus has been scarred by the whip of the Romans. 

    In the end, it seems most of our characters get to spend eternity with those they love.  Even our Jesus gets to be with his Mary Magdalene, the self-admitting guilty Kate with a heart of gold.  But I can't help but wonder: where is Walt?  Michael?  Why doesn't Locke get to be with Helen?  Perhaps the writers felt they needed to be so honest as to say, "Sometimes we can't get everything.  Literally, some things get 'lost' and we just aren't meant to get them back."  Okay!  I'll buy that!  Was it the best finale of all-time?  Nope.  But for an allegory-filled series, it surely gave the common viewer the neatly-wrapped package they wanted, while still giving the theory-craving viewers something to think about for years to come!

    Thank you, LOST.  For six years, you were a constant in our lives.  You filled us with so much debate, discussion, and analysis.  You challenged audiences to think, which I so much admire.  Thank you for the future years we have of re-viewings and re-debating!  It has been, and will continue to be, a pleasure!