I have to admit a few things here ... one ... believe it or not I'm very cynical. I don't tend to like mainstream media much. I don't have a single favorite song or band ... though I played small college football and was kind of a jock growing up ... I am not a sports fan as an adult ... I don't watch much TV ... other than gaming I just sort of reject pop culture. There are little flashes here and there where like most American's I get pulled into this or that but usually if I perceive something as a pop culture phenomena I reject it and actively try to avoid it. I don't say that out of superiority in fact it might even be seen as a flaw ... I'm just stubborn and relish being a grumpy loner I guess ... I like to think that rebelling against the system is a good thing though.
With LOST though I have to admit that I did get pulled in ... and I'm not sad or embarrassed about it. I consider the show the best thing I've ever personally experienced on network TV (not counting things I've years later in syndication ... so MASH fans, etc. don't get all upset at that statement). With LOST though in the begining I
wrote the show off as just another network mainstream POS show ... on par with Brittany Spears and Wal-Mart ... more consumer culture BS. A friend was persistent though and kept telling me how good the show was. I tried watching it ... the pilot just didn't pull me in (don't get mad at that statement .. I now look back fondly on that episode and think it was very well done) ... I tried 3 times and on the third try I made it all the way to the hatch ... and I was hooked.
I won't recant details about the entirety of the show or even reveal who my favorite character was. I'll give my two cents about the ending of the show though. I think that the ending is supposed to be a permanent enigma. I think the entire concept for it was to tie things up ... yet leave alot to the individual viewer to fill in on their own. To me the coolest thing about LOST was its mystery ... and the ending preserved much of that. I think the ending ... as the series ... gave individual viewers as much or as little as they wanted. I don't understand at all how anyone can be upset at the ending ... it was faithful to the entire show. I think any anger about the ending ... is likely anger that the show is now over.
Of course with a show that was such a cultural phenomena ... that had such deeply emotionally invested fans ... there are bound to be endless "they should have done it this way or that way" Monday morning QBing. Well they didn't ... the show is over ... I personally am very happy that they did such a daring, mold-breaking series ... yes it has its blemishes and inconsistencies here and there ... but overall for me it was the most memorable network Television experience I've ever had (and probably will ever have). For anyone out there who doesn't like this ending ... hopefully you watched Jimmy Kimmel and the spoof alternative endings. I don't think that was all comedy ... don't forget how the Soprano's ended ... I think LOST was always something that was supposed to be an "eye of the beholder" type of experience.
What I got out of the series is likely different from what others took away from it ... to me that is the beauty of the show. Its a personalized experience with something for anyone who was willing to let themselves experience it. As for watching the last episode ... though the commercials broke up the feel of it I have to admit there were some funny LOST themed commercials, etc. The Jimmy Kimmel special was kinda cool ... too bad it wasn't a bit longer and they didn't get the entire cast to show up ... it will be interesting to see whats on the complete collection DVD set.
One reason I really felt compelled to mention the end of LOST here on the blog is also I think there are many things I take from LOST ... but one thing is inspiration for gaming. I'm sure LOST will influence many future RPG storyline whether consciously or not ... anyway ... good bye old friend ... its been a wild ride that I'm glad I had a chance to take.
2 comments:
I'm going to miss it as well--but I'm glad it got an actual ending, as many TV shows stumble on way past any relevance. Of course, some will complain the ending was ending enough, but as you suggest it ended in a way thematically in keeping with what the show was about.
I loved it for two seasons, left it for a season, came back for another season or two...
Somewhere during season 4, where I really realized they were making up a lot as they went along, it started going downhill for me. When Sawyer and others showed up at 70's Dharma, I was pretty much out. I think the final ep was weak and unsatisfying. But at least the pain is over for me.
I would cite "The Shield" (and I don't like cop shows) as a great example of a show that went the whole 9 yards and ending with a perfect and satisfying conclusion.
Final season of Lost, final season of The Sopranos...so many beloved shows let me down. Aw well, enough pop culture bitchin...
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