Letting Go.....

[ianarrow]

I am one of the disappointed ones. I invested my life into Lost over the last 6 years and try as I might over the last week I have not been able to let go. This is my attempt....
I watched the finale again this week with my wife who was moved by it. I have to admit after taking a more detached and retrospective view, so was I. I took some closure from that, but still, I have anger and a sense of loss (not sure of that is a pun or not!).
To me, season 6 was contrived. Whilst there was "character closure" it was done within the confines of a storyline created over the season.
At the end of my first viewing of the finale, I just sat there in stunned silence. Really, I shouldn't have because the whole finale had been building up to this. If the mysteries of the previous seasons were really going to be addressed in season 6, then they could not have waited for the finale.
Don’t get me wrong, there were answers in season 6, but none that really addressed the whole arc of the story. Some, like the whispers seemed to be just thrown in simply to try to satisfy the pent up frustration of the viewer in search of answers. In my opinion, this just added to my feeling that it was all contrived.
From seasons 1 to 5, each program generally ended with a cliff-hanger. In most cases, these cliff-hangers were not resolved next program (or any program beyond) and subsequently fueled the mythology (and why Lost was such a great TV series). To not provide resolution to these myths was just plain wrong.
As mentioned, the finale did provide character closure, but I would argue there were lots more explain for the characters. Do we really know why Ben was as he was? What did Juliette know that made her switch sides from the others? I really could go on and on with this, but there is no point.
Lost was what it was. It was actually a great TV series for 6 years. It promised more than it could deliver. I have fond memories of it, but will not be investing my time and energy in a TV show again.

[Uncle Igmar]

Hmmmm - what did Juliette know??? She knew that she wanted to get the heck off that island. Actually - she probably knew nothing more than we know - but she was being kept there on the island against her wishes and had evidently had enough of The Others that she was willing to take a chance with the LOSTies and maybe get off of the island.

From the Sci-Fi geek standpoint - I totally agree - we needed more answers - how did DHARMA originally find the island? How did the US Army find it for that matter? How did Charles and Eloise get there? Why did The Others not get all that PO'd at the LOSTies when all of their members were getting killed? Was it simply Richard telling the that Jacob didn't want them to kill any of the LOSTies? Was Danny the only one who wouldn't listen to that command?

There are tons of questions - and who knows - maybe someone will make an attempt at answering them - maybe in a comic book (that might be cool) - I doubt that there will be a movie or another TV series.

[spinaltumor]

The DVD of season 6 is to have extra bits to help answer some loose ends. Same goes for the encyclopedia.

But the two questions you pose about Ben and Juliet...I honestly don't see how's there's more to tell on those aspects. Ben was beaten, abused and ignored by his father. Even if he didn't remember being shot, he nevertheless was. These occurrences shaped Ben into the person he became. He never grew up properly. His mind was intelligent, but his behavior always juvenile.
Juliet didn't know any big secret. She just knew she had stayed on the Island far longer than she had been told, and she knew Ben would never let her leave. And she really wanted to go. Ben put Goodwin into a dangerous situation that got him killed and Juliet knew this. Ben said she was his, like a possession. Wouldn't you want to get as far away from that as possible?

[David]

I wasn't dissappointed, although prior to May 23 I was worried that I would be (6 years of my lfe down the drain!).

I would have liked to know more too but overall I was satisified with the story told.

the story line developed over years, during that time they added and took away elements for a number of reasons. Some things we didn't get the answers to were intentional (like what was Smokey's real name?) some were likely omitted or removed because of the series time line. Onnce they agreed to an end date (6 seasons) they likely had to give up some of the stories. perhaps if we had a 7th season we would have had answers to more questions.

Like that pesky Dharma Initiative and why if it had ended did they still manage to deliver food?
How did Jacob react when Ben moved the Others into New-Otherton?

D/C always maintained that this was a story about characters and I belive their ultimate goal was telling a story about the central character (Jack) and those closest to him.

I'm ok without all the answers. I think the best part about that is that it gives me an opportunity to think about the show, continue to discover parts of it that I missed, or was unclear on and I'll be able to do that for a long time. If all questions were answered then the show would truly be over.

(Like last week I realized that not only did Eloise know exactly where she was, but Bernard too knew exactly where he was.. and like Ben he didn't want to leave just yet).

David
~

[Uncle Igmar]

Ya know - I wonder if Eloise - all of the times we saw her off of the island - was actually dead. That was something that popped into my head when I saw her at the concert.

[spinaltumor]

Bernard and Rose may have known where they were, but they were ready to move on with Jack and everyone since they were at the church.

I think Eloise wanted to stay with her son longer to live out the fantasy and give herself time to forgive herself for killing him. Just like Ben needed to stay for Alex.
I don't she was dead in the Island timeline, though.

[Uncle Igmar]

Jun 1, 2010 13:54:34 GMT -5 spinaltumor said:

Bernard and Rose may have known where they were, but they were ready to move on with Jack and everyone since they were at the church.

I think Eloise wanted to stay with her son longer to live out the fantasy and give herself time to forgive herself for killing him. Just like Ben needed to stay for Alex.
I don't she was dead in the Island timeline, though.

No - I meant all of the times we saw her - from the very beginning in the jewelry store - to seeing her under the church in the Lantern Station - she was popping in from the "afterlife". When she was on the island - she was very much alive and carrying the son that she had just shot.

And I totally agree with you that she wanted to stay so that she could have her time with Dan.

[spinaltumor]

Nah, I got you. I was just saying that I don't think she was dead in the Lamp Post station.

When she was the ring lady, Desmond could have been popping into the afterlife, though. That, I can believe.

But her being dead otherwise would mean that Desmond, Jack, Sun, Ben, Widmore, Penny, and probably a few others I can't remember would have been talking to a ghost. I really believe Hurley is the only one with the ability, which is why Jacob said it made him special. Just my thoughts!

[markedman]

Now that you mention it, her whole "you can't change the future" as ring lady schtick may have been from an earlier time in her afterlife, when she was still working out the guilt of killing her son.