I’m back…too lazy to make a pun about being LOST

I know, I know.  I’ve started a blog and didn’t keep at it.  But hey, what can I say?  The workload of my last semester had exacted its toll, in the form of me slacking off and not posting for more than two months.  I was recently approached by a friend who asked me, “What happened to your blog?”  I gave the only answer I could, “Oh yea, my blog…” I then resolved to continue this blog as a means of self-fulfillment, catharsis, minor intellectual stimulation and social engagement. So, to my faithful readers, I submit my humblest apology, for keeping you on seats end for more than two months.  I’m just as bad as any TV show season finale which leaves you impatient, yearning for its return.  This long hiatus has been noted and I can assure you that it will never happen again (in the event that it does, please feel free to bombard me with incessant emails to clamor for my return).

Phew.  With that out of the way, let’s just pick up where we left off, shall we?  I’ll fill you in to the events of the last two months in one sentence.  I turned 25, went to San Diego, stomached the rollercoaster of the Mets’ beginning to the 2010 season, completed course requirements my Masters Degree from Rutgers in Information and Library Science and joined a gym.  That’s pretty much it.  What an eventful two months it has been.  Now I can get back to writing about the things I love: reading, television, music, baseball, movies, video games, library issues, travel and everything else.

As a measure to shortening the length to this blog, I will attempt to only tackle one subject per post.  I know what you’re saying.  “Matt, didn’t you already cover one subject with your long-winded apology?”  Well yes, you’re right, so we’ll just have to make an exception.  So, with your acceptance of my argument of one post-one subject withstanding, here’s my take on the LOST finale:

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At 11:31 P.M. Sunday night, I joined my comrades in arms (better known as Losties) and posted a Facebook status highlighting my dismay for the series finale.  For those of you not friends with me on Facebook it read something to the degree of, “That’s it?  Thanks a lot Cuse and Lindelof!”  I then stayed up a little later, played some video games, and monitored to see if any of my friends had either a.) found the finale disappointing and b.) were so enraged they felt the need to post it on Facebook.  Slowly but surely the number grew to more than 20 friends.  Now I know that’s not a lot, but I only have about 350 friends.  Not a bad showing.  I must note that not all of the responses were bad. Some were very solemn, stating that they would miss the series.  Most of the statuses (stati?) were slanderous accounts of hatred declaring that they’ve just wasted six years of their lives.  I went to bed satisfied, thinking “Hey, if everyone else didn’t like it, maybe I’m justified in my hatred for it as well.”

Checking Facebook again the next morning, I saw one post that stood from the others.  It was a glimmering beacon amidst all of the hating.  My friend had said that she was quite satisfied with the finale and challenged those naysayers to submit a more suitable ending.  Of course, I was more than willing to object to her claim, but something strange happened overnight.  I was suddenly OK with how it all ended.  While I commented on her status, I remembered all of the investing in the characters I had done, and how far they had all come (only to eventually die and reunited in a church (in an alternate universe).  Well, at least it wasn’t Heaven and a battle between God and the Devil (Although I’m sure there will be plenty of those who can argue that it was).  Initially I was tempted to think exactly that.  It was all purgatory.  I remember that being an early theory that was hushed by Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, henceforth known as Darlton.

As viewers, we were forced to endure a lot.  Remember all of those characters we got too attached to and died?  I’m talking about Mr. Eko.  I loved that guy.  He lasted a good season and a half, survived a vicious polar bear mauling only to be killed by the smoke monster.  I remember being so angry.  I know there were others.  Among the list are Charlie, Boone, Shannon, Michael (early on), Libby, Juliet, and Tom Friendly (that’s a stretch).  I’m not mentioning certain characters because they shouldn’t’ have even been there in the first place.  OK, I’ll mention them. Ana Lucia.  There are you happy?  Sure, there were questions that were unanswered like Walt’s abilities, what the hell Dogen’s people were doing for about five seasons and why the fuck was Anthony Cooper on the island.  These are all legitimate concerns.  And there are countless more.

The writer’s strike certainly affirmed frustrations with the show and chased away a lot of viewers.  But there were those of us who stood our ground and stuck with it.  We were rewarded for our faith and given hope when we were told that it would all end after six seasons.

And yet, this is where I end my diatribe.  In spite of everything, I don’t look back in anger, but rather embrace the swift ending to this show.  I have more of a fondness for it than an utter dislike.  That’s why I kept watching it.  As most of you know, I’ ma sap.  They could have played Green Day’s Good Riddance in the background of the pre-episode show and I would have cried.  So yes, I am recalling all of this with a Seinfeld-esque sentimentality.

There are those of you reading this thinking that I really haven’t said anything about the episode itself, other than the fact that I thought it was acceptable.  Well, I was getting to that, hold on a second.  Sheesh.  This isn’t easy for me.  I’m trying to make sense of this atom bomb of a finale that was dropped on us all.

So Jack steps up and becomes the island’s new protector.  Great, who didn’t see that one coming?  I had often speculated with a friend of mine that he was all too obvious and that perhaps Darlton would throw us a curveball and enlist Hurley as Jacob’s replacement.  Well, it took three long episodes to see what would happen, and ultimately it was Hurley who got the call.  Jack served as a sacrificial lamb on the island’s (and presumably) humanity’s behalf.  This is all in no small part due to Desmond, who got the wheels turning (or island rumbling) and allowed Jack to kill the Smoke Monster, Man-in-Black, Not-Locke, restore the light and bring back peace.  But to what ends?

The remaining cast is still stuck on the island.  Hurley, unwillingly to fulfill his role as new protector alone, turns to Ben for assistance.  Nothing gives him greater joy.  Now he can run the island differently than Jacob did.  I think he actually uses the term “better,” which makes sense since Ben clearly did not like the way Jacob ran things (he sort of stabbed him in the heart, remember).

I think this was big because as the season pressed on, we see that Jacob, the man (or god) was not infallible.  In fact, he committed some of the most egregious acts on the denizens of the island.   In addition to committing fratern-acide, he let many innocent people die.  Often it was chalked up to the island being “done” with said causalities.  We still aren’t sure about the rules that he must follow, but he never levels with any one character.  That is to say, he never just sits a candidate down, talks to them and tells them the whole truth (until the very last episode).  Even then, his explanation seemed somewhat nebulous.

Later, a seemingly immortal Frank Lapidus arrives to pilot the downed Ajira airliner.  After Jack’s and Smokey’s respective demises, Sawyer, Kate, Miles, Alpert and Lapidus take off and leave the island presumably for good.  Side note, did anyone else think the shot of the wreckage during the credits was the plane that they were on?  It’s probably what was left from Oceanic 815, but I thought it’d be cool if it was the Ajira airliner.  Since everyone died eventually (some later than others) it very well could have been how the remaining characters died and went to the alterna-reality.

Meanwhile, Hurley and Ben run the island and stay there for a while (?).  Then we flash to the alterna-reality that I can only presume to be a limbo like purgatory, where characters are put there to remember their experiences on the island.  I may be interpreting this all wrong.  Chances are I probably I am.  But understand that I’ trying to rationalize what happened, and not submitting to the defeatist idea that I’ve just wasted six years of my life.

Darlton, I really do have a lot of gripes with the whole series.  To list them all here would prove exhaustive, as this entry is already pushing four pages.  So, suffice to say, I am going to put aside all of my apprehensiveness in the interest of time and my own sanity.  The ending was acceptable.  After letting it all sink in, I found that my investing in the characters to have them end up where they did (heaven or somewhere else shiny) was fine.  I could have done without Christian Sheperd explaining it all to him in the last few minutes.  Also, how did everyone just “know” where they had to go and what was going to happen.  Sun and Jin leave Sawyer with a playful “see you there.”  OK, I’ll stop.  These are just minor issues.

My point is, we’ve seen a lot.  We fell in love with many of the characters.  Darlton and Co. provided some of the most interesting character development I’ve seen on recent television.  The plot, given its mysterious nature, has to be taken at face value.  Obviously they didn’t know it would all end like this.  But I’m giving them a lot of credit for making it all pseudo-relevant to the first season.  If you given them that, then you can find the ending acceptable.  To the naysayers of Facebook, I hope your opinions changed.  My ramblings may not have swayed you one way or another, but if you think long and hard, this all couldn’t have been for nothing.  Maybe my take on this is all wrong, but I’m OK with that. If I am, then I’ve constructed an ending that makes sense for me.

Feel free to list your takes on the finale, your favorite LOST moments or even a rebuttal.  I’d be happy to hear any of them.   Also, if you could provide a new show for me, I’m all ears.  I’m about to start Deadwood, but that’s only a few seasons.  OK, I’m outta here.  Peace. -M