So the producers told us it wasn't an alt universe

[kuhbr]

And the entire Lost community pretty much said "Whatever, what the hell else could it be?"

They got us one last time, and with an idea that had been around since season 1 no less. God I'm gonna miss this show, lol.

[LockeRulez]

they also told us that one wasn't any more important that the other. Yet everything that happened in The Sideways was actually pointless (IMHO). All the characters' lives up till The Church were thrown away as they realized who they really were. What was the point of giving Jack a son? What was the point of sinking The Island? None of that really mattered, as they tossed it all away after they realized who they really were and just took back on their old lives.

I would say that there was one of these more important than the other, and the ending clearly showed that while we got a "happy ending" in a church, the rest of The Sideways was pointless.

[kuhbr]

The point of giving him a son is that one of his major issues in life was that he was worried he would end up a bad father like his dad. He never got the chance to have a son in life and find out.

Hurley's issue in life was feeling cursed and he got to feel lucky instead

Sun and Jin never got to fully escape from Sun's father and just live how they want, but they got the chance to do that.

Sayid and Shannon got a chance to be together.

Hurley and Libby got to be together.

Sawyer and Juliet.

Charlie and Claire.

etc etc.

They all got a chance to make peace with their lives and the problems they had and the things they missed out on, so they could move on.

[lostin420]

i dont feel like the sideways was pointless... it was what had to happen for all the losties to remember and "find" themselves. Also they were all given a chance to redeem themselves and have a better live in the sideways and i think based on the choices they made their destination is determined (im not saying heaven to avoid religious differences and views), like ben wasnt ready to move on because he still needed to fix things with alex and rousseau

[cindy]

At first I was annoyed by the whole thing, but the idea has been growing on me. All of the characters had some pretty screwed up lives and survived a lot of trauma. If the flash sideways were a kind of chicken soup for the wounded soul, so be it. It seemed the characters who were the last to realize it was a collective fantasy construct were the ones who "needed" to believe in their imaginary happily-ever-afters the most. Jack, Kate & Sawyer seemed to be the holdouts, but they also had to cope with a lot too (losing the one's they loved after just realizing it or because they died just when they found out what they were living for).

There were other things that were/are nagging me about the finale, but this wasn't one of them and I'll save the others for other threads, but overall I did enjoy the episode (and series) as a whole.

[greengrown713]

The island being on the floor of the sea is huge. It shows, in retrospect, the true "stakes" of the show. Literally the end of the world and I'd argue the end of everything, including the place they "moved on to" after it was all done. Same light. And it goes out everywhere. When you look at it like that, MIB is beyond evil by the end of his life and he gave up his own humanity via his rage. He shouldn't have been named because for the purposes of our story he was the literal embodiment of darkness that Jacob made him out to be, he was trying to destroy everything. Even "heaven" so to speak.

[dawnmarie]

It took me a while to wrap my head around the finale. I am actually terrified by the thought that someday a dead relative will walk up to me and tell me it's time to go!

The sideways for me, was like falling in love. When you really know someone so well that you look at them like Deja Vu'. You can feel, it balls to bones. When you fall in love with someone and feel "home" or "safe" you know the persons heart already. Sawyer and Juliet were hands down where you could see it. I know they may not have answered all the questions but by the end, I really didnt care where Walt was or what the numbers meant (maybe I should) but I don't.

I am definetly in for the re-watch.
Jay & Jack - you are the best! Thanks for keeping me thinking

[danieladamsmith]

The funniest bit of mis-direction was calling it a flash-sideways...when it was actually a flash forward.

[monsterjester]

Not technically--there is no "now" there, remember?