Lost Crazy Theory

[Celephais]

So I'm way behind on lost, WAY behind, I watched seasons 1-2, and then parts of season 3, and that's it. Last night I caught the recap and part of the premeire. I got a kind of weird theory on how the show is really mirrored on itself, again and again.

I can't really describe it very well but in each cut they make there's something the same, and something different, and as an overarching theme they are sort of mirrored from the center and again in the center of that, and the center of that, etc.

So to see how well it fit I thought I'd start in the center and work my way out. The Mobisodes (Mobile episodes) are actually the center of the series, and there are 13 of them. I took the 'icon' images for each of them and arranged them with 1-6 going down the left, 7 at the bottom, 8-13 going up the right (forming a U).

Not everything gets mirrored, but something does, in every one. Compare the light/dark theme of each, the eyes of each person, and the emotion they are displaying.

http://i46.tinypic.com/28tfgur.png

Am I stretching a little too far? Could I make these kinds of comparisons with anything, I dunno, sure, but it kind of struck me as odd the way they lined up so well. (Don't ask me to explain Artz in the center episode...).

I'm kind of surprised no one made a reaction to the premiere thread...

[Sean of the Thread]

This explains it all.

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1928556

[Celephais]

I like the Onion's take.
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/final_season_of_lost_promises_to?utm_source=videoe mbed

Also my theory doesn't exactly explain anything in the actual plot, it's just something I noticed with the camerawork, wanted to know if anyone else noticed it. The whole black vs white thing is nothing new, and the camerawork could just be commenting on that.

[TheEschaton]

We definitely need a LOST season 6 thread. WTF was up last night.

[inso]

At first I was thinking that (during the alt-timeline) Jack saying he could fix Locke's paralysis was going to mean:

1. Alt timeline happens: everyone lands normal, Jack eventually fixes Locke's back.
2. ????????????????????
3. S1 starts, Locke can walk because of Jack but he and everyone only remember up until their flight together. They were brought to the island later to cause the whole series of events/conflict between Jacob/Mib.
4. Everything happens as it did in the show, with the s6 regular timeline being current time and the "alt-timeline" just being a flashback.

But a few things really seem to go against that possibility:
1. Jack's graying hair in the alt-timeline seems to indicate it happens later.
2. Showing the Barracks and stuff sunk during the alt-timeline indicates this came later (but who knows when you introduce time travel)

I found it interesting that MiB/Flocke was able to know exactly what Locke was thinking as Ben killed him. That's exactly the same "power" that Miles has (knowing what Juliet wanted to tell Sawyer+s4/5 stuff). I wonder if Miles is more powerful than he thinks, or if Miles' powers come from MiB, or if they just both got a similar power from being born on the island.

Anyway, just rambling.

[TheEschaton]

I think that MiB/FLocke just takes over where the dead person left off. It seems obvious to me that he was playing the role of Christian as well, and he knew enough about Jack to cause disternation. That's why he knows Locke's last memories. It seems like he can only occupy the body of dead people arriving on the island (which is the loophole: as long as the person has a soul, no matter how corrupt, MiB can't occupy it). This is an interesting thing here: Jacob dies, and now, maybe he was looking to occupy someone else's body. Who died on the island that he could occupy? Juliet, and Sayid, but only Sayid seems to have come back to life. WHAT THE HELL, is Sayid Jacob now?

Another question: Rose and Bernard were living in the cabin in '77 Island which eventually becomes the same cabin in '04 island where Locke meets Christian (IE MiB), and the same cabin in '07 where Jacob's acoloytes burn down and put ash around, which we now know protects against the MiB. Was the cabin the dwelling place of MiB? Was the ash meant to keep him in, as opposed to keeping something out? WTF?!?!?

It seems obvious to me that the MiB is Lucifer-ish. When he says he wants to go home, I assume that means heaven. It brings up memories of Milton's Paradise Lost (Lost?!?) where the devil is really a tragic figure, corrupted and yearning for the ability to go back to heaven, but doomed to wander the earth alone.

That's off the top of my head.

-TheE-

[Hips]

Our favorite part of watching LOST is "predicting" stuff and then having it actually happen in the show. Desmond sitting next to Jack on the plane... Evil-Locke being the smoke monster... I forget what else.

But yeah, I don't even bother trying to discuss the "physics" or whatever of the show and the multiple timelines and whatever, I leave the intelligent discussion to my fiance. :)

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/2329/fishbiscuitsanddharmabe.jpg
Our fish biscuits and Dharma beer...

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/7551/nommingthefishbiscuit.jpg
Me looking dumb and nomnoming a fish biscuit

http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/2008/lostbingo.jpg
Everyone (minus me) and their LOST bingo cards!

Found here: http://scifiwire.com/2010/02/print-our-lost-bingo-card.php

[radamanthys]

Whenever I hear someone talk about the plot of Lost, I think that they are on drugs.

"It's like, the world is mirrored on itself, man, like over and over again, starting from the center on out. You get what I'm saying, man?"

[Celephais]

Whenever I hear someone talk about the plot of Lost, I think that they are on drugs.

"It's like, the world is mirrored on itself, man, like over and over again, starting from the center on out. You get what I'm saying, man?"
Yeah I know :( I didn't want to say the theory because it was terribly terribly stoner sounding. I even get annoyed by lost fans (what with not having watched from 3-now) and all the sudden, one fucking recap, one stupid theory, and I'm one of them.

[EasternBrand]

Yeah I know :( I didn't want to say the theory because it was terribly terribly stoner sounding. I even get annoyed by lost fans (what with not having watched from 3-now) and all the sudden, one fucking recap, one stupid theory, and I'm one of them.

Are you the guy complaining on the Stoners' Corner about how your neighbor's condo smells like truffles all the time?

[AnticorRifling]

Are you the guy complaining on the Stoners' Corner about how your neighbor's condo smells like truffles all the time?

This is so fucking win. He should probably call the cops, or food network imo.

[Androidpk]

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/2329/fishbiscuitsanddharmabe.jpg

This picture is so full of win.

[Celephais]

Oh right, you honestly think that a guy whose making truffles all day doesn't have a bunch of knives? You say I should knock on his door, but next thing you know he pulls a knife on me, no thanks.

[Latrinsorm]

It seems obvious to me that the MiB is Lucifer-ish.But is it too obvious? What other supernatural being do we know that is immortal, has evinced callous disregard for individual human lives for vaguely defined transgressions, seems to take great joy in manipulating people, leads an arbitrary set of people who are defined simply by being not part of other major groups (the Others), potentially has a plan that not only tolerates but actively seeks out suffering for humans, is bound by superstition, and took corporeal form to wrestle with someone named Jacob?

[AnticorRifling]

Oh right, you honestly think that a guy whose making truffles all day doesn't have a bunch of knives? You say I should knock on his door, but next thing you know he pulls a knife on me, no thanks.

Don't be a bitch it's just chocolate, knowing nothing about him it's safe to assume you can go tell him to knock it off.

[ElvenFury]

I'm with Rob on this one. The only thing I could think of after reading the OP is "Holy shit, Cel's lost his mind". Camera shots tend to be pretty formulaic (e.g. Over the shoulder during conversations, or close up with the character's face slightly to one side, with them looking in the direction of greater negative space), so any collection of character shots is probably going to fit in with that group.

[Celephais]

I'm with Rob on this one. The only thing I could think of after reading the OP is "Holy shit, Cel's lost his mind". Camera shots tend to be pretty formulaic (e.g. Over the shoulder during conversations, or close up with the character's face slightly to one side, with them looking in the direction of greater negative space), so any collection of character shots is probably going to fit in with that group.
I'm completely aware that I've gone crazy. Oh well.. it was a good run.

[Celephais]

Don't be a bitch it's just chocolate, knowing nothing about him it's safe to assume you can go tell him to knock it off.
Hey, truffles are a gateway man, first it's just truffles, then there are cakes, and next thing you know you're on souffles. If I'm smelling the truffles all over the complex we can be pretty sure he's got some enterprising business going on.

[ElvenFury]

The patterns in the chaos are out to get you.

[AnticorRifling]

Hey, truffles are a gateway man, first it's just truffles, then there are cakes, and next thing you know you're on souffles. If I'm smelling the truffles all over the complex we can be pretty sure he's got some enterprising business going on.
All the more reason to not knock on the door, he is obviously bat shit crazy and will fuck you up with a waffle iron or some sort of rolling pin. Call Guy Fieri or Alton Brown and let them handle it. Or write a well thought out letter asking him to use flour in a different location.

[Androidpk]

If the smell of truffles is that strong i'm sure they've gone past the flour and have started abusing powdered sugar.

[AnticorRifling]

But it's just sweets, there can be no harm, go knock on the door and tell him to maybe consider getting an ezbake for his car and do it there instead.

[TheEschaton]

More crazy LOST theories, less sniping!

[Androidpk]

http://baptistplanet.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/easy-bake-oven_purple.jpg

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Whenever I hear someone talk about the plot of Lost, I think that they are on drugs.

"It's like, the world is mirrored on itself, man, like over and over again, starting from the center on out. You get what I'm saying, man?"

Try talking to people about Heroes. It's like a cocaine/acid combo.

[AnticorRifling]

More crazy LOST theories, less sniping!

Your show is dumb, you will not ruin our fun!

[radamanthys]

I'm with Rob on this one. The only thing I could think of after reading the OP is "Holy shit, Cel's lost his mind". Camera shots tend to be pretty formulaic (e.g. Over the shoulder during conversations, or close up with the character's face slightly to one side, with them looking in the direction of greater negative space), so any collection of character shots is probably going to fit in with that group.

Rob hasn't posted in this thread... wait, did you just confuse Rob and I? Rob deserves an immediate apology! That's just harsh! hehe.


Try talking to people about Heroes. It's like a cocaine/acid combo.

Haha, it's not as loony this season as it was before, I don't think... thankfully. I was one of them, there, for a bit.

[ElvenFury]

Dude, you're names are like mirror images of themselves! I smell a plot spoiler...

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Haha, it's not as loony this season as it was before, I don't think... thankfully. I was one of them, there, for a bit.

Oh, I was referring to myself, haha. I had a friend who didn't get all the references we were making to Spock cutting off Kirk's had in the Star Trek movie, and trying to explain about Heroes and Sylar specifically was making me sound crazycakes.

And yeah, the plot hasn't been as hinged on Hiro and his time traveling, which makes things less convoluted.

[Kuyuk]

This thread is awesome because it talks about truffles.

[Sean of the Thread]

Seriously I've never watched the show.

But after watching that collegehumor video today I truly am curious how the fuck they explained a smoke monster and all that Egyptian shit all over the place.

Smoke monster? Really?

[waywardgs]

Locke is Creed from The Office... link made, story solved.
http://www.derok.net/derok/images/entertainment/lost%20terry%20o%27quinn.jpg
http://static.tvguide.com/MediaBin/Galleries/Shows/M_R/Oa_Oh/Office/season5/office-creed-bratton153.jpg


Therefore by the transitive property, The Office IS Lost.

[Stanley Burrell]

I knew it.

[Hips]

Locke is Kree from The Office... link made, story solved.

I think you mean CREED.

[Jorddyn]

I like Chuck.

[waywardgs]

I think you mean CREED.

edited, noted.

[TheEschaton]

Man, epic bump for WIN. LOST has been craaaaaaaaaaaazy this season. I've enjoyed it thoroughly so far, including the character who's coming back at the end of last night's episode, who is my favorite character ever (besides Charlie, but he seems to be relegated to nothing now that he's on FlashForward).

[Hips]

WHYYYYYY

WHYYYYYYY?!

NOOOOOOO!

[Rimalon]

WHYYYYYY

WHYYYYYYY?!

NOOOOOOO!

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK.

HEARTLESS BASTARDS, THE WRITERS ARE!

[Misun]

ugh

[Latrinsorm]

I think the one guy deserved better than a Three Stooges death scene.

[Hips]

Yeah, I was a little upset with that (Frank). It was nice to see Sayid had at least one redeeming quality, though. Naveen Andrews is gorgeous. <3

BUT WHY JIN AND SUN. RIGHT AFTER THEIR REUNION. WHYYYY?

I cried. :(

[TheEschaton]

Man, that was a blow. Damn.

[BigWorm]

Obviously some of the main characters were going to die. They have been putting it off all season, so its about time IMHO.

And from what they showed on the preview for next week, it better be a really good episode. They need to actually answer some questions already!

[Misun]

They need to actually answer some questions already!

I don't know how they are going to answer all my questions in the few episodes left.

[BigWorm]

Yeah I definitely feel like the ending is going to be very unsatisfying, like the original Prisoner.

[TheEschaton]

Notice how all the ethnic people are dying? Unless Hurley's the last one standing, something fishy is happening!

[Cephalopod]

Dharma's new immigration laws?

I'm still wondering how the sideways mindfuck universe works with all this...

[TheEschaton]

yeah, seeing Jin at the end with the flowers was like, yo, wtf. And of course, Charlie's always been in the Sideways mindfuck Universe.

[TheEschaton]

11 short spoofs of how LOST might end: http://www.atom.com/spotlights/lost/

[Rimalon]

Last episode was so good. Ben FTW.

I also loved Jack's face after he drank Jacob's cup of water.

He's either been filled with the Knowledge of the Island's Mysteries, or else he got instant dysentery from the stagnant creek.

[TheEschaton]

Anyone think Jack's reign'll be super short? Two things that indicated that:

1) He asks Jacob how long he has to do this, Jacob says "as long as you can."

2) Hurley says, "I'm glad it's not me." There are no throwaway lines on LOST.

[Sean]

Anyone think Jack's reign'll be super short? Two things that indicated that:

1) He asks Jacob how long he has to do this, Jacob says "as long as you can."

2) Hurley says, "I'm glad it's not me." There are no throwaway lines on LOST.

I hope so because honestly.. fuck Jack. He's the most bitchey character on the show. As soon as he stepped up I became less interested about that reality and more interested in the alternate. Not only that but I'm somewhat disappointed that after all these seasons the shows ending has become more about Jack v Smoke Monster than anything else.

[Cephalopod]

Good episode last night.

I'm wondering how that sideways-mindfuck-universe scratch on his neck is going to factor in later.

[Cephalopod]

http://i.imgur.com/1R0Hy.jpg

[Hips]

Hahahahaha. LOVE IT.

[Cephalopod]

You know that animated GIF Methais posts of Sony shitting on a bunch of customers?

I feel kinda like I'm in that crowd of people right now.

[TheEschaton]

I loved it, I thought it transcended pop culture to become art. Sure, it left a bunch of stuff unanswered, but in a way I think part of the point is the letting go of all that.

[Cephalopod]

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l2weqofG3Y1qzpwi0o1_500.jpg

[Hips]

I was expecting something more than a show about heterosexual relationships and poorly executed metaphors for christianity.

thanks, lost.

[TheEschaton]

Anyone think Jack's reign'll be super short? Two things that indicated that:

1) He asks Jacob how long he has to do this, Jacob says "as long as you can."

2) Hurley says, "I'm glad it's not me." There are no throwaway lines on LOST.

LOL, btw, I win.

[Tea & Strumpets]

Did anyone see the pre-show where they did a recap and interviewed a few of the main characters? It was weird when Sayed started talking with that British accent, but I figured he just puts that on to throw people off. You're not fooling anyone, Sayed.

[Allereli]

I was disappointed in the fact that Ben followed them around on the island and did NOTHING. He's a great villain, has done so much wrong to the survivors, and in the end he just stood there like he was inconsequential

[SHAFT]

i've never seen the show and can't say i want to sit through 6 seasons of it, could someone briefly explain what happened?

[Abilene]

i've never seen the show and can't say i want to sit through 6 seasons of it, could someone briefly explain what happened?


Here's my generic nutshell.
First 3 seasons, very cool show. Next few seasons were a jumble of what I think, is their interpretations of the fan-base, to try to mix it up. Horrible waste of time, and at that time I only continued watching Lost to see how it ended.
Ending last night.. contradicted itself and left it open for everyone to make their own conclusions on Faith Vs. Science.
If you feel like being philosophical after years of a series, get into it. Otherwise, meh!

[TheEschaton]

I swear the American attention span is worse than that of a gnat. If shit doesn't blow up and everything isn't answered, people are unhappy.

[Abilene]

I swear the American attention span is worse than that of a gnat. If shit doesn't blow up and everything isn't answered, people are unhappy.

I watch tv to satisfy my short attention span, if I wanted to write a show, I would! :)

[Sean]

I swear the American attention span is worse than that of a gnat. If shit doesn't blow up and everything isn't answered, people are unhappy.

I don't know about that the whole I'm going to write a shitty ending to leave things open to interpretation like The Sopranos finale or the unanswered questions in LOST just isn't fun for someone who has invested over 120 hours into a show.

[Latrinsorm]

The answer to all of the unanswered questions in Lost is that they were for the most part making it up as they went along. George Lucas did the same thing, but instead of racing around in the last 15 minutes and giving clumsy post facto rationalizations for everything they did, the Lost people went out gracefully. Everything that happened was real. There were a million opportunities to Shyamalan in a big plot twist, but they didn't need to or (apparently) want to - I say kudos to them.

On heteronormativity - yeah, but wasn't it obvious in retrospect? There weren't any other sort of relationships for the entire show, why start now?

On Christianity - I thought they went out of their way to avoid Christian overtones. The "church" was an interfaith structure of some kind, they showed that stained glass window with Islam and Judaism on top for about 20 minutes.

On Ben - I mean, the guy's been through enough. He's been working his way to the good side for awhile, it makes sense he ended up there.

.

I give the final episode 9 out of 10.

[TheEschaton]

I'm not so sure so much was left open for interpretation. We found out that the way things are on the island were pretty much because Jacob wanted them that way. If you were looking for an objective truth, and were presented with that subjective reality, then yeah, maybe that's disappointing. I thought it was very reality-affirming.

[Cephalopod]

I've been discussing this a lot with my wife and friends, and I think I'm going to rewatch the finale this weekend and see if I don't feel as ass-fucked by the last 15 minutes.

[Abilene]

I've been discussing this a lot with my wife and friends, and I think I'm going to rewatch the finale this weekend and see if I don't feel as ass-fucked by the last 15 minutes.

I kept it as well, so I can see if I missed something, since we're prone to do in Lost--you know the caption shows where they point out all the links you should have made for the past 6 years.

Someone shared this with me today, I find it very helpful in giving some sort of explination to Lost.




Good stuff on here! I can finally throw in my two cents! I've had to bite my tongue for far too long. Also, hopefully I can answer some of John's questions about Dharma and the "pointless breadcrumbs" that really, weren't so pointless ...
First ...
The Island:

It was real. Everything that happened on the island that we saw throughout the 6 seasons was real. Forget the final image of the plane crash, it was put in purposely to f*&k with people's heads and show how far the show had come. They really crashed. They really survived. They really discovered Dharma and the Others. The Island keeps the balance of good and evil in the world. It always has and always will perform that role. And the Island will always need a "Protector". Jacob wasn't the first, Hurley won't be the last. However, Jacob had to deal with a malevolent force (MIB) that his mother, nor Hurley had to deal with. He created the devil and had to find a way to kill him -- even though the rules prevented him from actually doing so.

Thus began Jacob's plan to bring candidates to the Island to do the one thing he couldn't do. Kill the MIB. He had a huge list of candidates that spanned generations. Yet everytime he brought people there, the MIB corrupted them and caused them to kill one another. That was until Richard came along and helped Jacob understand that if he didn't take a more active role, then his plan would never work.

Enter Dharma -- which I'm not sure why John is having such a hard time grasping. Dharma, like the countless scores of people that were brought to the island before, were brought there by Jacob as part of his plan to kill the MIB. However, the MIB was aware of this plan and interferred by "corrupting" Ben. Making Ben believe he was doing the work of Jacob when in reality he was doing the work of the MIB. This carried over into all of Ben's "off-island" activities. He was the leader. He spoke for Jacob as far as they were concerned. So the "Others" killed Dharma and later were actively trying to kill Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley and all the candidates because that's what the MIB wanted. And what he couldn't do for himself.

Dharma was originally brought in to be good. But was turned bad by MIB's corruption and eventually destroyed by his pawn Ben. Now, was Dharma only brought there to help Jack and the other Canditates on their overall quest to kill Smokey? Or did Jacob have another list of Canidates from the Dharma group that we were never aware of? That's a question that is purposley not answered because whatever answer the writers came up with would be worse than the one you come up with for yourself. Still ... Dharma's purpose is not "pointless" or even vague. Hell, it's pretty blantent.

Still, despite his grand plan, Jacob wanted to give his "candidates" (our Lostaways) the one thing he, nor his brother, were ever afforded: free will. Hence him bringing a host of "candidates" through the decades and letting them "choose" which one would actually do the job in the end. Maybe he knew Jack would be the one to kill Flocke and that Hurley would be the protector in the end. Maybe he didn't. But that was always the key question of the show: Fate vs Free-will. Science vs Faith. Personally I think Jacob knew from the beginning what was going to happen and that everyone played a part over 6 seasons in helping Jack get to the point where he needed to be to kill Smokey and make Hurley the protector -- I know that's how a lot of the writers viewed it. But again, they won't answer that (nor should they) because that ruins the fun.

In the end, Jack got to do what he always wanted to do from the very first episode of the show: Save his fellow Lostaways. He got Kate and Sawyer off the island and he gave Hurley the purpose in life he'd always been missing. And, in Sideways world (which we'll get to next) he in fact saved everyone by helping them all move on ...

Now...

Sideways World:

Sideways world is where it gets really cool in terms of theology and metaphysical discussion (for me at least -- because I love history/religion theories and loved all the talks in the writer's room about it). Basically what the show is proposing is that we're all linked to certain people during our lives. Call them soulmates (though it's not exactly the best word). But these people we're linked to are with us duing "the most important moments of our lives" as Christian said. These are the people we move through the universe with from lifetime to lifetime. It's loosely based in Hinduisim with large doses of western religion thrown into the mix.

The conceit that the writers created, basing it off these religious philosophies, was that as a group, the Lostaways subconsciously created this "sideways" world where they exist in purgatory until they are "awakened" and find one another. Once they all find one another, they can then move on and move forward. In essence, this is the show's concept of the afterlife. According to the show, everyone creates their own "Sideways" purgatory with their "soulmates" throughout their lives and exist there until they all move on together. That's a beautiful notion. Even if you aren't religious or even spirtual, the idea that we live AND die together is deeply profound and moving.

It's a really cool and spirtual concept that fits the whole tone and subtext the show has had from the beginning. These people were SUPPOSED to be together on that plane. They were supposed to live through these events -- not JUST because of Jacob. But because that's what the universe or God (depending on how religious you wish to get) wanted to happen. The show was always about science vs faith -- and it ultimately came down on the side of faith. It answered THE core question of the series. The one question that has been at the root of every island mystery, every character backstory, every plot twist. That, by itself, is quite an accomplishment.

How much you want to extrapolate from that is up to you as the viewer. Think about season 1 when we first found the Hatch. Everyone thought that's THE answer! Whatever is down there is the answer! Then, as we discovered it was just one station of many. One link in a very long chain that kept revealing more, and more of a larger mosiac.

But the writer's took it even further this season by contrasting this Sideways "purgatory" with the Island itself. Remember when Michael appeared to Hurley, he said he was not allowed to leave the Island. Just like the MIB. He wasn't allowed into this sideways world and thus, was not afforded the opportunity to move on. Why? Because he had proven himself to be unworthy with his actions on the Island. He failed the test. The others, passed. They made it into Sideways world when they died -- some before Jack, some years later. In Hurley's case, maybe centuries later. They exist in this sideways world until they are "awakened" and they can only move on TOGETHER because they are linked. They are destined to be together for eternity. That was their destiny.

They were NOT linked to Anna Lucia, Daniel, Roussou, Alex, Miles, Lupidis, (and all the rest who weren't in the chuch -- basically everyone who wasn't in season 1). Yet those people exist in Sideways world. Why? Well again, here's where they leave it up to you to decide. The way I like to think about it, is that those people who were left behind in Sideways world have to find their own soulmates before they can wake up. It's possible that those links aren't people from the island but from their other life (Anna's parnter, the guy she shot --- Roussou's husband, etc etc).

A lot of people have been talking about Ben and why he didn't go into the Church. And if you think of Sideways world in this way, then it gives you the answer to that very question. Ben can't move on yet because he hasn't connected with the people he needs to. It's going to be his job to awaken Roussou, Alex, Anna Lucia (maybe), Ethan, Goodspeed, his father and the rest. He has to attone for his sins more than he did by being Hurley's number two. He has to do what Hurley and Desmond did for our Lostaways with his own people. He has to help them connect. And he can only move on when all the links in his chain are ready to. Same can be said for Faraday, Charlotte, Whidmore, Hawkins etc. It's really a neat, and cool concept. At least to me.

But, from a more "behind the scenes" note: the reason Ben's not in the church, and the reason no one is in the church but for Season 1 people is because they wrote the ending to the show after writing the pilot. And never changed it. The writers always said (and many didn't believe them) that they knew their ending from the very first episode. I applaud them for that. It's pretty fantastic. Originally Ben was supposed to have a 3 episode arc and be done. But he became a big part of the show. They could have easily changed their ending and put him in the church -- but instead they problem solved it. Gave him a BRILLIANT moment with Locke outside the church ... and then that was it. I loved that. For those that wonder -- the original ending started the moment Jack walked into the church and touches the casket to Jack closing his eyes as the other plane flies away. That was always JJ's ending. And they kept it.

For me the ending of this show means a lot. Not only because I worked on it, but because as a writer it inspired me in a way the medium had never done before. I've been inspired to write by great films. Maybe too many to count. And there have been amazing TV shows that I've loved (X-Files, 24, Sopranos, countless 1/2 hour shows). But none did what LOST did for me. None showed me that you could take huge risks (writing a show about faith for network TV) and stick to your creative guns and STILL please the audience. I learned a lot from the show as a writer. I learned even more from being around the incredible writers, producers, PAs, interns and everyone else who slaved on the show for 6 years.

In the end, for me, LOST was a touchstone show that dealt with faith, the afterlife, and all these big, spirtual questions that most shows don't touch. And to me, they never once waivered from their core story -- even with all the sci-fi elements they mixed in. To walk that long and daunting of a creative tightrope and survive is simply astounding.



http://lostmediamentions.blogspot.com/2010/05/someone-from-bad-robots-take-on-finale.html

[Hips]

A friend sent this to me earlier today, I'm not sure where it's from, but it made me feel slightly better about the finale.


I live on a very peculiar island, and though I've been here for a long while now, I know almost nothing about it. I don't know the reason I am here, nor do I know if there's even a reason to be known. One day I opened my eyes, and here I was—knowing nothing and knowing no one, ignorant of all that had come before.

And I learned that this island was a place of strange science: I found out that I was spinning through space at thousands of miles per hour; my island hurls itself around a giant ball of light about a quarter of a million miles every day. And I learned that this island was a place of strange faith: ab aeterno, since time immemorial, men and women had put their trust in a man they couldn't see or hear, believing he had brought them here for a purpose. The faithful built temples and statues in his honor, they killed for him and they died for him. The scientists didn't believe he existed at all, declaring instead that they were only here as a result of a chain of meaningless circumstances—of accidents. Everyone who has ever been here has had the same questions: what is this place, and why am I here? People have tried to answer it in different ways; some have conducted experiments and dug into the earth in search of the truth, while some have put their faith in the belief that a higher power has rendered them special and purposeful. No one has ever come close to knowing, and many, many times we have gone to war to control this place. Knives, then guns, then bombs, in holy war.

And a man named John Locke told us that we were born tabula rasa, our mind a blank slate. He told us that nature demanded egalitarianism. A man named Carlyle said that “everywhere the human soul stands between a hemisphere of light and another of darkness; on the confines of the two everlasting empires, necessity and free will.” A man named De Groot debated fate and free will; when he died, his last words were this: “by understanding many things, I have accomplished nothing.” A man named Hume debated the same things, and determined that “a false sensation or seeming experience” could explain what we believe to be choices—only later do we realize that our choices were necessary all along. His rival, Rousseau, believed that man was a noble savage; before he went insane, he wrote of self-preservation that “patience is bitter but its fruit is sweet.” Some believed that a Good Shepherd laid down his life to save us, and that a Christian would rise again after death.

LOST was beautiful because it was about an island exactly like mine. Everyone dies, and one day I’ll die, like you, not knowing what this has all meant. We can ask the question (and Charlie put it best: “guys, where are we?”) all we want, but our existence is special because the earth is incomprehensible and magical, and no amount of faith and no amount of science will ever truly enlighten us. If you thought LOST was weird, well, it’s certainly no weirder than life. You think a sentient cloud of electric smoke is over the top? I think the fact that a screen in my apartment is currently showing me a live baseball game being played in Florida is, in a vacuum, no less incredible. Science fiction is relative: if you had never heard of the internet, or giraffes, or rainbows, you’d think those were science fiction too. Of course LOST was strange in its details, but those characters’ fears and moments of wonder were in many ways just like our own.

I love the way LOST ended. It resolved all questions the way they are resolved in our own lives. Dead is dead. Whatever happened, happened. Some things are irreversible, and you can’t fix the past. My favorite moment of the entire series came at the end, in the space between life and death, when Ben and Hugo told each other what a great job the other did as #1 and #2. Like Jacob and Richard, they must have protected the island for wonderful centuries together—and we never got to see it. And we never got to see it because we’re Jack. And the question we always wondered—the question we always will wonder—remained. What is this place, and why were we here? And they answered that too, in the most beautiful way imaginable: you don’t get to find out.

You don’t get to find out. There is fear, and death is a monster, and life is a monster, and there will always be others out there in the woods. But there is love, and we have friends, and as long as we are here we can believe whatever we like and make our choices and find the things that we can. But hail mystery! Some things can’t be found, because the most important things are lost. What is life? The reason we’re here? The thing we fight over, the thing we protect? What is death, and what happens after The End? You don’t get to find out.

So you can let go now, Jack.

[Stunseed]

It could be worse.

DON'T. STOP. BELIEVING.

[Ryvicke]

Thought it was a pretty great 2 hours of television and a fucking brilliant ending. Waiting for the fat guy/little guy Hurley/Ben Island Protectors spinoff series.

[TheEschaton]

I want that spinoff too! And the thing Mich posted sounds like Stephen King, though I don't know that he's officially weighed in on LOST.

BTW, did anyone see Marilyn Manson at Jimmy Kimmel's thing after the show? Awesome.

[g++]

I just wish Jack had died on 24 so that we could sum up like 500 hours of television with "Jack died".

[Misun]

They were NOT linked to Anna Lucia, Daniel, Roussou, Alex, Miles, Lupidis, (and all the rest who weren't in the chuch -- basically everyone who wasn't in season 1). Yet those people exist in Sideways world. Why? Well again, here's where they leave it up to you to decide. The way I like to think about it, is that those people who were left behind in Sideways world have to find their own soulmates before they can wake up. It's possible that those links aren't people from the island but from their other life (Anna's parnter, the guy she shot --- Roussou's husband, etc etc).

A lot of people have been talking about Ben and why he didn't go into the Church. And if you think of Sideways world in this way, then it gives you the answer to that very question. Ben can't move on yet because he hasn't connected with the people he needs to. It's going to be his job to awaken Roussou, Alex, Anna Lucia (maybe), Ethan, Goodspeed, his father and the rest. He has to attone for his sins more than he did by being Hurley's number two. He has to do what Hurley and Desmond did for our Lostaways with his own people. He has to help them connect. And he can only move on when all the links in his chain are ready to. Same can be said for Faraday, Charlotte, Whidmore, Hawkins etc. It's really a neat, and cool concept. At least to me.

I think this is supported by Faraday's mother asking Desmond if he was taking Daniel with him and Desmond said no. She looked very relieved. Also, Daniel and Charlotte see each other but don't 'awaken' so it is not time for that yet. I think Hawkins is the one who will be in charge of waking them up because she knows what is going on.

[TheEschaton]

I was actually kind of surprised we didn't see Widmore or Walt anywhere in the Sideways world. Especially after I read somewhere that Walt was supposed to show up.

[Hips]

I was actually kind of surprised we didn't see Widmore or Walt anywhere in the Sideways world. Especially after I read somewhere that Walt was supposed to show up.

Yeah, I had heard that the last scene of the show was Jack & Walt, or something like that.

[Misun]

I was actually kind of surprised we didn't see Widmore or Walt anywhere in the Sideways world. Especially after I read somewhere that Walt was supposed to show up.

Widmore was in the sideways world. He was Desmond's boss, Hawkin's husband and Faraday's dad in it.

[TheEschaton]

yeah, what I meant was that we didn't see him in the last episode.

[Misun]

yeah, what I meant was that we didn't see him in the last episode.

Ah, okay. Sorry.

[Atlanteax]

Not to necro, but had to post this...

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f37/JaiDubs/lost-ending.gif

[Ryvicke]

Necro'ing.

Season 6 DVD and Full Series DVD to feature epilogue detailing Ben and Hurley's Island Management.

Small clip here:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/here-is-your-first-glimpse-of-the-lost-epilogue-th,43833/

Sweet.