So after six years of gripping entertainment, Lost has finally come to a close. Was it a satisfying ending? I think the answer to that depends on how much you expected from it. I assumed Across the Sea was the last of the mythology stuff we were going to see and I was okay with that. Were there other things that I was curious about? Sure. But Lost was never a show about straight answers. It was about interpretations, which both maddened and satisfied me over the years. Why should the finale have been any different?
I did expect more from the alternate universe storyline, but I suppose if they had gone too far attempting to bridge two separate realities they would have stretched believability even by Lost's standards. However, I really liked what they did with it by making it a type of limbo for lost spirits. I was really moved by Jack's realization he was dead and that his dad and his island friends were there waiting to help him move on to heaven. That idea spoke to me far greater than anything else might have. And that intercut sequence of Jack dying back on the island with Vincent keeping him company during his final moments was heartbreakingly sad and beautiful all at once. As someone who rarely cries at TV or movies, I will admit those final 10 minutes or so were worthy of tears. There were several poignant moments throughout this episode and to be able to maintain that kind of power after six seasons is a testament to Lost and its remarkable entertainment value.
After having some time to think it over, I liked how Locke ended up being special after all, the one goal he wanted all his life. Sure, getting strangled to death was brutal, but it was also critical as Jack would never have had the will to face down the Smoke Monster had Locke not died. It was one of the great aspects of Lost to see Jack, a man so staunchly rooted in science at the beginning, finally learn to let go and just believe. "I wish you had believed me." He does.
Though it's always been the case with Lost, the finale raises even more questions. Desmond has seen the ghost universe but since we know it's a form of afterlife, did Desmond actually die briefly when he was exposed to the huge electromagnetic magnets in season 6? Furthermore, why did that not send him time traveling like it did in season 3 and season 4? Also, did both Juliet and Jack see the ghost universe when they were in their final moments? Lastly, was it the Ajira plane that Jack sees overhead or is it another plane? (It's probably a safe bet that it's the Ajira plane, but who knows with Lost.) There are many other unanswered questions, of course, but those are some that tickled me after the finale.
Lost is one of those rare shows that can be rewatched many times over and still be intriguing. It was not everyone's cup of tea, but for those willing to give it a chance it was a journey well worth it. Smoke monsters, Others, Flash-backs -sideways and -forwards, ancient statues, and mysterious bones...all in just a good day of Lost.
