LOST...Season 6

[Scraps]

[BillsFanM.D.]

 

"I'm going to make sweet ass love to the island..."

 

that's hilarious. Very cool how the cats 'look' the part.

[merij]

>Well, I think the toothpaste is already out of the tube anyway.... Not quite sure why it was deleted. I would be pretty proud to have written that and be able to deliver some answers to people who are having trouble connecting the dots.

[merij]

Hi, I’m one of those who read tgreg’s post elsewhere and came here to see if he was legit. Luckily I came before all his subsequent posts had been deleted.

 

I wish to say thanks to Greg. I hope you didn’t get in trouble over this. But even if you did, I think you should know that a great many fans who felt betrayed by the finale -- and the entire last season -- felt differently after reading your post. Many, of course, are inconsolable at this point and are determined to hold onto their pain/anger/bitterness. But I’ve read quite a few posts all over the Internet where bitterly disappointed fans felt redeemed in their faith after reading your comments.

 

Darlton’s choice not to talk about the show was a brave one, but I think it has turned out to be a mistake. The conversations most people are having are the wrong ones, initially due to mass confusion about what happened, and then their belief that the ending made meaningless everything that had happened previously. (The discussion group where I've beem hanging out all this time at the Washington Post emptied out soon after the finale. It was shocking to me to have all my buddies suddenly disappear.) Your post counters that misunderstanding in a way that only the writers could have addressed.

 

Yes, I know you weren’t a writer on Lost, and may not have gotten every detail correct, but you spoke for them on the key fact that had to be said:

 

People need to know that everything that happened mattered -- to paraphrase Jack’s response to Des outside the cave. That even the ultimately clueless Dharma Initiative mattered.

 

The idea that the writers really did know where they were going is revelatory. It makes me want to rewatch every episode with new eyes.

 

My point being: you did those guys a huge favor. So thanks, dude!

[UConn James]

Just as a reminder that ABC is replaying the finale tonight (Saturday).

 

Since, in the run-up, I missed providing the TV listing, here it goes for the last time....

 

LOST 6.18 Series Finale | "The End" repeat | 8 p.m. ABC

 

In the series finale, FLocke continues his quest to escape the island --- and destroy it --- but Jack is equally determined to protect the island, with the help of Desmond.

 

Thanks for the thoughts, merij, and I'll offer my welcome to a latecomer. That sucks re: everyone abandoning the LOST discussion, but I suppose it has to happen sometime. Eventually, you've stayed in the pews for long enough and it's time to step into the light. That said, this series isn't quite over yet. That ~14 minutes of Hurley-reign epilogue has me pretty giddy, all over again.

 

I don't have the time... but did tgreg go back and delete all of his posts in this thread, or just the one that received all the interest? I, too, hope he didn't get into any hot water over it. He always walked the line perfectly; really a credit to Bad Robot. And after all, the series is over --- the toothpaste that was in the tube was expired. And in view of Cuse and Lindelof going all Jacob on us, it was/is nice to have tgreg's Richard there to at least point in the right direction.

 

So many of the people who are confused about what the Sideways world was, just DIDN'T LISTEN to ANYTHING Christian said in the coffin room.

[merij]

Thanks for the welcome, UConn_James!

 

As for my old stomping grounds, we all knew it would be ending soon. But this was different. The way it worked at the Post was that we’d wait until the columnists wrote their Wednesday morning analysis and then we’d talk to one another via the comments section. Normally the dialogue would go on strong for the next six days, until a new episode aired.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsa...tral/index.html

 

This time there was a blitzkrieg of newcomer posts for the first two days, basically saying they had this novel theory that the characters weren’t dead on the island after all (only in LA X). Then almost nothing since, at least from the longstanding community of commentators.

 

In the first two days, quite a few oldtimers posted something to the effect that they were too disgusted with the writers to even discuss the show, and then they were just gone. Poof. They thought the “LA X as purgatory” ending proved that the writers had been pulling a long con on fans who bothered to pay attention to the details -– that in fact, they never any clue where they were going and just threw something together to get out alive.

 

No goodbyes, no heartful thank-you’s to the two columnists who had spent so many years giving us this space to hang out together. Normally, off-base first impressions would be resolved over the following week. This time, the overall sense was pure outrage that people had devoted six years to a total mirage. If they had been strangers, I’d say to hell with them – they didn’t get it. But these were people I respected – fans who really did get the show and had spent many hundreds of hours researching and debating its meaning.

 

Personally, I loved the finale and thought it was clear as crystal. I re-watched it the other night and loved it even more. As it happens, I prefer enduring mysteries to getting answers on every detail, so focusing on closure with the characters felt just right to my taste. What bothers me is not having closure with my own community.

 

I wish they’d seen tgreg99’s post before they gave up hope.

 

Yeah, I know. Absurdly melodramatic… I guess I feel like Locke right now. Damn that Jacob for not speaking up!

[Lockport Bills]

I'm definitely more appreciative of the finale after a second viewing.

[UConn James]

Thanks for the welcome, UConn_James!

 

As for my old stomping grounds, we all knew it would be ending soon. But this was different. The way it worked at the Post was that we’d wait until the columnists wrote their Wednesday morning analysis and then we’d talk to one another via the comments section. Normally the dialogue would go on strong for the next six days, until a new episode aired.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsa...tral/index.html

 

This time there was a blitzkrieg of newcomer posts for the first two days, basically saying they had this novel theory that the characters weren’t dead on the island after all (only in LA X). Then almost nothing since, at least from the longstanding community of commentators.

 

In the first two days, quite a few oldtimers posted something to the effect that they were too disgusted with the writers to even discuss the show, and then they were just gone. Poof. They thought the “LA X as purgatory” ending proved that the writers had been pulling a long con on fans who bothered to pay attention to the details -– that in fact, they never any clue where they were going and just threw something together to get out alive.

 

No goodbyes, no heartful thank-you’s to the two columnists who had spent so many years giving us this space to hang out together. Normally, off-base first impressions would be resolved over the following week. This time, the overall sense was pure outrage that people had devoted six years to a total mirage. If they had been strangers, I’d say to hell with them – they didn’t get it. But these were people I respected – fans who really did get the show and had spent many hundreds of hours researching and debating its meaning.

 

Personally, I loved the finale and thought it was clear as crystal. I re-watched it the other night and loved it even more. As it happens, I prefer enduring mysteries to getting answers on every detail, so focusing on closure with the characters felt just right to my taste. What bothers me is not having closure with my own community.

 

I wish they’d seen tgreg99’s post before they gave up hope.

 

Yeah, I know. Absurdly melodramatic… I guess I feel like Locke right now. Damn that Jacob for not speaking up!

 

Well, to speak metaphorically, they are like the numerous people who continue "living" in the Sideways world. Totally oblivious, untouched, not able to let go of "unanswered questions" (whose answers 1. Don't really matter all that much, or 2. Will "just lead to more questions.") and not able to move on.

 

And, as Locke tells Jack... "I hope someone does for [them] what [the show] did for me."

 

That moment with Jack dying in the banyan trees and Vincent cuddling up to him got me again. It always will.

[Jukester]

I'm definitely more appreciative of the finale after a second viewing.

 

I actually had the opposite reaction. Although the finale was ok and 'feel good' i definitely didn't like the way they went to a spiritual explanation rather than the sci fi aspects. The thing that I always loved about this show were all the scientific pieces that seemed to exist and was looking for a conclusion that would tie them all together. As season six progressed i realized that wasn't going to happen. I also can't understand how regular viewers of this show could've been confused about the sideways world or if the island was real or not. Seemed fairly obvious to me.

 

Overall the series was without comparison to anything i've watched by far, and probably the only current show on tv that i considered can't miss tv.

 

P.S. I've been a lurker here for the past few years and want to thank all the 'regulars' that contributed to this thread weekly. You guys always came up with salient discussion that always added to the experience of the show. I will truly miss this show.

[UConn James]

I actually had the opposite reaction. Although the finale was ok and 'feel good' i definitely didn't like the way they went to a spiritual explanation rather than the sci fi aspects. The thing that I always loved about this show were all the scientific pieces that seemed to exist and was looking for a conclusion that would tie them all together. As season six progressed i realized that wasn't going to happen. I also can't understand how regular viewers of this show could've been confused about the sideways world or if the island was real or not. Seemed fairly obvious to me.

 

Overall the series was without comparison to anything i've watched by far, and probably the only current show on tv that i considered can't miss tv.

 

P.S. I've been a lurker here for the past few years and want to thank all the 'regulars' that contributed to this thread weekly. You guys always came up with salient discussion that always added to the experience of the show. I will truly miss this show.

 

This is a thing that's struck me for a while now... that so many people look at it as a science versus faith/God argument. As if it's some kind of ultimate ontological combat that can and will only have one winner. I don't view it that way at all. Much the way I'm a Compatibilist in the debate b/w Free Will and Hard Determinism, I stake a middle ground here as well.

 

Why is it that people assume that God/Allah/Jehovah/Flying Spaghetti Monster is separate from science and the things man figures out of the workings of the natural world? We discovered the building blocks of the chemical elements, DNA, etc. Cannot a higher power have brought on what we call "evolution"? Tho there are people who will steadfastly argue to the death (sometimes, quite literally ;-( ) that every word of the early Bible is God's direct word, those words were written by human minds and hands. Perhaps God intended us to slowly transition to a higher state of being/consciousness.

 

Perhaps it's making the point that discoveries of science lead back to the spiritual. Science and faith aren't in opposition, never were. They're just using different methods of discerning Truth.

[DrFishfinder]

This is a thing that's struck me for a while now... that so many people look at it as a science versus faith/God argument. As if it's some kind of ultimate ontological combat that can and will only have one winner. I don't view it that way at all. Much the way I'm a Compatibilist in the debate b/w Free Will and Hard Determinism, I stake a middle ground here as well.

 

Why is it that people assume that God/Allah/Jehovah/Flying Spaghetti Monster is separate from science and the things man figures out of the workings of the natural world? We discovered the building blocks of the chemical elements, DNA, etc. Cannot a higher power have brought on what we call "evolution"? Tho there are people who will steadfastly argue to the death (sometimes, quite literally ;-( ) that every word of the early Bible is God's direct word, those words were written by human minds and hands. Perhaps God intended us to slowly transition to a higher state of being/consciousness.

 

Perhaps it's making the point that discoveries of science lead back to the spiritual. Science and faith aren't in opposition, never were. They're just using different methods of discerning Truth.

Thank you. I've mentioned this a couple of times and have been referred to as a heretic by both camps.

[Jukester]

This is a thing that's struck me for a while now... that so many people look at it as a science versus faith/God argument. As if it's some kind of ultimate ontological combat that can and will only have one winner. I don't view it that way at all. Much the way I'm a Compatibilist in the debate b/w Free Will and Hard Determinism, I stake a middle ground here as well.

Why is it that people assume that God/Allah/Jehovah/Flying Spaghetti Monster is separate from science and the things man figures out of the workings of the natural world? We discovered the building blocks of the chemical elements, DNA, etc. Cannot a higher power have brought on what we call "evolution"? Tho there are people who will steadfastly argue to the death (sometimes, quite literally ;-( ) that every word of the early Bible is God's direct word, those words were written by human minds and hands. Perhaps God intended us to slowly transition to a higher state of being/consciousness.

 

Perhaps it's making the point that discoveries of science lead back to the spiritual. Science and faith aren't in opposition, never were. They're just using different methods of discerning Truth.

 

I don't - in fact, like you, i believe that science eventually supports the things that people take on faith. All i'm saying is that I would've liked to have seen a little more of that science explained.

[The Big Cat]

This is a thing that's struck me for a while now... that so many people look at it as a science versus faith/God argument. As if it's some kind of ultimate ontological combat that can and will only have one winner. I don't view it that way at all. Much the way I'm a Compatibilist in the debate b/w Free Will and Hard Determinism, I stake a middle ground here as well.

 

Why is it that people assume that God/Allah/Jehovah/Flying Spaghetti Monster is separate from science and the things man figures out of the workings of the natural world? We discovered the building blocks of the chemical elements, DNA, etc. Cannot a higher power have brought on what we call "evolution"? Tho there are people who will steadfastly argue to the death (sometimes, quite literally ;-( ) that every word of the early Bible is God's direct word, those words were written by human minds and hands. Perhaps God intended us to slowly transition to a higher state of being/consciousness.

 

Perhaps it's making the point that discoveries of science lead back to the spiritual. Science and faith aren't in opposition, never were. They're just using different methods of discerning Truth.

 

I don't mean to poop all over your LOST thread with a tangential argument about divinity's role in evolution, I'm just curious as to how anyone can revert back to giving the credit to magic. What part of any living creatures' evolution required supernatural intervention?

[merij]

When humans don’t understand a natural phenomenon, we perceive it as mystical. When we do, we explain it as science. Jacob as a child didn’t even know what a magnet was. He perceived the light as a soft glow filled with goodness. Dr. Chang perceived the same light as exotic matter with extraordinary EM properties.

 

I liked the way the show flipped back and forth on that.

 

However, the afterlife stuff is just plain spiritual. Personally, I don’t expect an afterlife, but I still felt comforted by the way they imagined it on Lost.

[SDS]

I don't mean to poop all over your LOST thread with a tangential argument about divinity's role in evolution, I'm just curious as to how anyone can revert back to giving the credit to magic. What part of any living creatures' evolution required supernatural intervention?

 

my guess would be the "living" part...

[The Big Cat]

my guess would be the "living" part...

 

[DrDawkinstein]

I don't mean to poop all over your LOST thread with a tangential argument about divinity's role in evolution, I'm just curious as to how anyone can revert back to giving the credit to magic. What part of any living creatures' evolution required supernatural intervention?

 

 

my guess would be the "living" part...

 

 

haha yes, was just going to reply the same thing. how about: the part that makes us go?

[The Big Cat]

haha yes, was just going to reply the same thing. how about: the part that makes us go?

 

Again, my sincerest apologies to LOST fans for the out right hijack, but:

 

Are you both suggesting that science has no answer for how/when life happened? Or are you both suggesting that in spite of science's efforts to logically explain the first appearance of life on Earth, you still refuse to accept that life happened without supernatural intervention?

 

If we're invoking magic in this discussion, I might as well incorporate Wikipedia, though all the pertinent information in this case is cited. LINK

[goonergaz]

Woot - I finally have the ability to post!

 

Firstly thanks to everyone who's posted here, since watching the last episode (and getting up at 5am to do so in the UK!) my head was spinning with lots of thoughts. A special thankyou to tgreg (IIRC) - I pretty much got it spot on...which makes a change for me! It was nice to use this place as a sort of therapy!

 

WRT the show, it's been a fantastic ride. I've enjoyed every minute of it - I was left thankful that it had ending, but also wanting it never to end. Watching the show the first time I watched with my 12yo son - fighting the tears throughout - however I've since re-watched and been able to 'let it flow'! What the writers did for me, was something incredibly rare. They took a story - made it last ~100hours and made me watch every last second...TWICE! (And no doubt a rewatch on bluray). Often a story is not about how it begins or ends, but the journey in between.

 

I don't quite get why people didn't like the finale, nor have complaints like "how lazy was the 'here drink this - now you're like me' writing" comments. This show had a man OUT OF A WHEELCHAIR from an early episode - that was the episode where I went from 'this is a pretty good show' to 'OMG I must see how this ends'. How anyone cannot imagine from that point there was 'magic' involved is beyond me...it even snowballed from there, cancer cured, polar bears, smoke monster, time travel (etc). From that moment I was watching a show that could tell me whatever it wanted (within believable reason)...I'm not a religious person, hell I don't believe in god (sorry) - but man, this was a beautiful show with a perfect ending...I was so happy they got to 'die happily ever after'...tho I sooo wanted the flash-sideways to be them alive...awakening to what had happened, but the island had given them a 2nd chance at life as a 'thank you'.

 

However the writers always said the island wasn't purgatory, they had crashed and those who died actually died for real on the island. So credit to them for sticking to that, but also being able to give us a happy ending, and oh how I loved each characters island 'flashes' - fantastic stuff. My only 'downer' is that it would have been 'nicer' if the island had made the flash-sideways for them rather than 'they all made it together' - other than that it was top stuff...and I can't wait for the epilogue!

[duey]

So after taking the long weekend off from Lost analysis, it sure was nice to come back and see the discussion continuing with lots of new blood. Welcome new and seldom-posting Losties...your opinions are just as interesting and insightful as those from the hardcore thread-mongers that post herely seemingly on an hourly basis.

 

I did not watch the rerun of the finale. This sounds odd, but I really needed a break. I'll be rewatching it via DVR in a week or two. I'm curious to see what a few weeks separation from the show will do when I watch the finale again.