Lost

[Shadowpaw]

Yeah it was quite confusing. It's obviously a flash forward, but I imagine it's more of a Desmond-style thing where this is what WOULD happen if they get off the island right now. Maybe the audience got the entire story, and Desmond will get flashes and try to convince the people to not get rescued... of course the boat that's coming for them might be exactly what Ben feared, and we certainly "lost" a lot of others tonight so I guess we need some new villains. Though this theory doesn't really work if Desmond has lost his powers... the hit to the head seems to have prevented any flashes occuring this episode (he seemed a little surprised himself when Charlie asked him if he had seen anything) so I wouldn't be shocked if next season we discover Desmond is back to normal.

The other possiblity (as you mentioned and would be kind of neat) is if from this point forward, most of the flashbacks are actually flash forwards. So we get to see their journey to get rescued in the remaining seasons, but the flashbacks show stuff from the future but still have plenty of mystery just like the flashbacks (which, aside from some of the "Other" flashbacks, were pointless now). I mean, who was the funeral for? Who did Kate end up with? Why did Jack tell the Chief of Surgery to get his dad... doesn't that mean his father is, in fact, alive? So I could see a LOT of storyline potential by flashforwarding in the coming seasons, provided we still get plenty of flashbacks that are relevant... it would be a VERY unique way of telling the entire Lost story and provide perhaps the most complete story ever told, where we get the characters past, present and future all in one series... I'm definitely looking forward to next season.

A very good finale for what proved to be quite possibly my favorite season thus far... I'll try not to think too much about what this all means though. I remember I spent the entire summer between seasons 3 and 4 of Alias trying to figure out what the cliffhanger was all about and came up with what I thought was an excellent story, only to have that completely shattered and the story taken in a direction that seemed (and proved, by the displeasure of fans) to be a lot less satisfying. So I'll just enjoy this ride and come next February, tune in for what will surely be an exciting premiere.

[Elrohir]

yeah, I'm wondering/hoping the next season is gonna be done in the same format as "Through the Looking Glass". Because it didn't really seem like a "flash forward" to me. It seemed like the "future" scenes were what was happening in the present, and the island scenes were the flash backs. Notice the show ended with a non-island scene, which I don't think they've ever done before.

[Bennett]

yeah, I'm wondering/hoping the next season is gonna be done in the same format as "Through the Looking Glass". Because it didn't really seem like a "flash forward" to me. It seemed like the "future" scenes were what was happening in the present, and the island scenes were the flash backs. Notice the show ended with a non-island scene, which I don't think they've ever done before.

My thoughts exactly.

[Shadowpaw]

Interestingly the episode began and ended with a non-island scene (season 2's finale also ended with a non-island scene when Penelope is given a phone call about the island). I like the idea of mixing up the two flashback/forward methods. If we were entering the final season, I probably wouldn't mind an entire season of the losties in the present day recalling their final days on the island. But with 3 seasons left, it would likely get pretty excessive. Plus the more characters we see in the "flash forwards", the less suspenseful the series would become because we would already know most people's fate. So far we know that Jack and Kate live and they don't end up together... both things are fine with me, but the more we find out the less exciting some of the twists would be on the series. Then again, these writers are gifted.

I do have a few theories about where they could be going with the series though... Naomi is with Dharma and they've been searching for the island ever since the purge. Dharma are the bad guys and the Hostiles/Others are, as Ben likes to call them, the good guys. We saw the purge unfold and my guess would be in Ben's eyes, he did the wrong thing but for the right reason. Dharma arrived to the island and literally claimed it for their own, bringing weaponry and technology to a peaceful island that was hidden from the rest of civilization. Dharma tried to wipe out the natives of the land (presumably Richard is one of them) and the hostiles fought back, eventually getting a man on the inside who was sympathetic for their cause (Ben) and willing to use Dharma's own technology against them. The hostiles than took over most of what remained of the Dharma facilities and began using Dharma's boats/facilities etc... as a way to try and solve some of their own issues, such as why the natives can't have babies (thus they recruit medical people like Juliet from the real world). Dharma likely created technology to hide the island from the rest of the world (blocking signals and other things) and the Others continued using these facilities, preventing Dharma from coming back.

After the hatch exploded and the sky turned purple, the island was briefly seen by the outside world (which we know from the arctic group), Dharma then dispatched a team (maybe an entire army?) to search in that general area and, if they could find the island, take it back from the hostiles. Ben suspects Naomi is with this group and that she is going to enable her organization to return, in effect causing the Others (and pretty much anyone else on the island, such as the 815ers) to be killed in a violent take over. I could very well see the Others and 815ers joining up in some sort of alliance in season 4, trying to push Dharma back... it doesn't explain any of the island mysteries, but it does explain why Ben seems to insist they're the good guys and why he's so afraid of people finding out about the island. He probably wishes he COULD send Juliet, Jack and all the survivors back home, but he knows if he did that, Dharma would find out and come back to destroy everything he created. He can't take that chance. It's also important to note that the Hostiles were portrayed as constantly engaging Dharma in battle, yet they don't seem to care about the Losties ("lists" and pregnant women not included) very much at all. Like Tom said in season 2, if they stay on their side of the island and leave the Others alone, there's not going to be any problems.

But like I said, I really don't want to think too much on it... I came up with an even more detailed idea/explanation for Alias season 4 and beyond (as I mentioned earlier) and instead, the series went in a completely different direction which contradicted much of what had happened earlier and what had been "prophesized" earlier in the series. But from a storyline standpoint, my guess is that what I've suggested is fairly close to what actually is going to happen... they're obviously not going to get rescued (they can't milk a rescue effort out over 3 seasons) and Ben's a liar and manipulator, but when he's desperate he seems to tell the truth and he knows that keeping Dharma far, far away from the island is what is in the best interest of both the Others and the survivors. Having the Others working together with the survivors would be a nice change of pace and probably the best way for us to get even more answers about the island's mysteries.

[Elrohir]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=22839
interview of awesomeness!

[Bennett]

Sooo...anyone been watching season 4? Pretty amazing stuff, if you ask me...

[Elrohir]

Lost is like a serialized Twilight Zone. That's why it's so awesome.

Several other points I wanted to make:

1. Did anyone notice the new character's name Charlotte Staples Lewis (C.S. Lewis)?
2. What's with the title "Eggtown"?
3. In Eggtown, did you notice the judge was played by Allan Young? It was funny 'cause I had just heard the podcast with Allan Young before I watched it.
4. The thing with Locke getting conned all the time is getting really old and stupid.
5. I'm pretty sure Michael is the spy Ben has on the boat. For one thing they announce that he'd be back sometime this season. Second, they keep making a point to make a reference to the spy in such a way that it seems that the audience is supposed to know this person or at least get to know him when he's revealed.

[Bennett]

Lost is like a serialized Twilight Zone. That's why it's so awesome.

Several other points I wanted to make:

1. Did anyone notice the new character's name Charlotte Staples Lewis (C.S. Lewis)?

Yeah. And there's going to be a connection, I believe, to the real C.S Lewis.

2. What's with the title "Eggtown"?

Perhaps it has to do with the last of the eggs Locke fed to Ben.

3. In Eggtown, did you notice the judge was played by Allan Young? It was funny 'cause I had just heard the podcast with Allan Young before I watched it.

Wow! I didn't know that! Probably because it isn't true. The judge was played by Traber Burns, and looked nothing like Allan Young, nor did he sound like him.

4. The thing with Locke getting conned all the time is getting really old and stupid.

Well, I can only think of Locke getting conned one other time...and that was in the 2nd season. Enlighten me..

5. I'm pretty sure Michael is the spy Ben has on the boat. For one thing they announce that he'd be back sometime this season. Second, they keep making a point to make a reference to the spy in such a way that it seems that the audience is supposed to know this person or at least get to know him when he's revealed.

It could be Michael. But why would they pick him up on the freighter, and why would Michael chose to spy for Ben? And why would the freighter pick some guy up and agree to have him work with them?

[Elrohir]

Wow! I didn't know that! Probably because it isn't true. The judge was played by Traber Burns, and looked nothing like Allan Young, nor did he sound like him.

Oh I guess I haven't seen a picture of him in a while. And I thought he sounded like him.

4. The thing with Locke getting conned all the time is getting really old and stupid.

Well, I can only think of Locke getting conned one other time...and that was in the 2nd season. Enlighten me..

He got conned by his father 3 times, he got conned by Sawyer, and he's been conned by Ben at least twice.

[LizzieG]

So this thread hasn't been posted in since season 4 of this TV show. It's still an epic thread for an epic TV show, and it deserves to be bumped. It's been a long time waiting since last May, but the premiere of the final season airs tonight!

Anyone else excited? I'm wearing my Driveshaft shirt in honor of the occasion!

[Shennifer]

if I had a Lost T-shirt, I'd wear it today, especially since I'm watching the premiere live for the first time EVER.

[Shennifer]

*merged thread "Lost. The Series Finale and the rest"*

Okay, people; let's talk. About Lost. The Series Finale; were you happy or unhappy with how it ended???

I loved it; it was more emotional that climactic (though it was certainly that too,) both of which I loved. And I'm so glad it's over, because it came to a mostly satisfying conclusion.
I would've loved more detail, but I'm fine with speculating or even writing my own fanfic

Now, it's your turn!

[Elrohir]

I would have liked more answers, but it was still a great finale. Best parts:

"I was shot by a fat man."

Jack ninja leaps to punch MIB-commercial break. EPIC

Best Target commercials ever.

"I don't believe in a lot of things, but I do believe in duct tape!"

Christian Shepherd. Heart in my throat. *Tear*

So, why didn't Jack turn into a smoke monster?

[Shennifer]

why would he? I see no reason why he would turn into the smoke monster.

[Elrohir]

why would he? I see no reason why he would turn into the smoke monster.

Because the Man in Black turned into the smoke monster when he went into the light. So why didn't Jack?

[Shennifer]

ah yes. My sister pointed that out to me last night; I don't know...but I'm sure there's a good reason.

[snubs]

I didn't like the ending. It was very disappointing... I mean, I knew it was leading up to that. But there were some questions unanswered.

The first and second season were the BEST!!!

[LizzieG]

It's taken me awhile to sort through my thoughts about the Lost finale. On the one hand, it was emotionally satisfying, with all the character reunions and closure there. But what about all those unanswered questions? Was it a cop-out ending or not?

After a lot of thinking and processing, I've come to this conclusion: I was mostly satisfied with the finale, and found it a very fitting way for Lost to end. Sure, they could've connected the flash-sideways world with the island world, or answered a few of the more overarching questions, but ending it the way they did confirmed that Lost is, first and foremost, a character progression story. Sure, the mysteries have been a lot of fun to speculate on (and, for the most part, I think they did a good job with all the answers they did provide throughout the season), but, for me, it's more about the journey than the destination. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't have wanted a finale that was basically an "information download," especially since the "most important mysteries/questions" differ from person to person. It would've been impossible for the writers to answer everything to everyone's satisfaction, and, really, I don't know that I would've wanted them to wrap up everything in a neat little box ... especially since the answers to some of those questions aren't even important to the main narrative of Lost. I like that they didn't explain away all the mystery, and that we can still draw our own interpretations and conclusions.

I don't think it was a cop-out ending. Having listened to the Official Lost Podcast (the last three years, but this year specifically), I don't think they ended it this way as a last resort. I think they could've ended it in a shocking, mystery-answering way. Choosing to make it about the characters, and about the thought-provoking themes and issues and questions - spiritual and otherwise - that have long characterized Lost was a bold move that, inevitably, wouldn't satisfy everyone. No, it wasn't perfect, but it was appropriate, well-done and pretty poetic too.

Going back to the "Is Lost primarily a character show or a mystery show?" question, if you look at season 1 - widely considered to be the best season - it was very character-focused: We learned who everyone was, and how their time on the island and the people they met there changed them. The island was the backdrop, and almost a character in itself, with its tantalizing and intriguing mysteriousness, but not the most important character.

[Sherlock]

I think Lizzie summed it up quite nicely so all I have to say is basically repetition. LOST and the creators have always said that the show is about the characters and their lives and everything else, although cool, is ultimately secondary. I'm also convinced of this because when I think back to the first season, the entire reason I loved the show to begin with was because of the characters' stories. When they introduced the hatch and Dharma and all that in the second season it just made the show better but it was already good to begin with.

Oh, and I thought that the end with Jack was a great way to bring us back to the beginning of the show and made for an awesome conclusion.

[snubs]

Yes, the character building was great!