I think that it's more than fitting that I'm posting my first blog entry
the day after the single greatest network television event in my life
came to a close. You're asking yourself if that's even possible, aren't
you? (Did he just say the "single greatest network television event of
his life?" What a weirdo...). Fair enough question, I'll give you
that. I think that if you would have told me before this show started 6
years ago that I would make the above statement on May 24, 2010 I would
have laughed in your face and said something to the effect of you being
crazy (unless you told me that you have just traveled back in time form
an island that may/may not exist where it is actually 4 years in the
future; I might have listened then). But it is indeed 5/24/10, I have
indeed made above said statement and now I'm here writing about it.
Why? Good question, and I'm actually really glad you asked. I need
some kind of closure anyway, so lets see if we can hammer this out.
Hooked from Episode 1, this show commanded my complete, total and
undivided attention for the last 6 years (probably for some of the same
reasons as other viewers, others not so much. I thought one of true and
very real reasons this show was so beautifully done was the way that it
appealed to its viewers). Like millions of other captivated fans, this
show was a part of my life (again, really? Did he just say the show was
a part of his life? I did, and I know it sounds crazy; just let me
explain). It became must see tv, an hour on your couch that took you to
a place unlike anything you had ever seen or experienced before. It was
a place that left you with more questions than answers at the end, which
will undoubtedly become a topic of heated debate when discussing the
show's place in the Pantheon of tv greatness, but that's ok. I was one
of the ones who became enthraled with the mysteries of the island and
the idea that it could be something more than just a place in the
middle of the ocean (in retrospect, I really do believe that the writers
have left it open to interpretation of just what indeed the island is as
I believe it could represent something different to everybody). I was
guilty of getting caught up in the "science-fictiony" tangent that the
show took off on and really, really wanted some of those answers
explained. Did they get answered? No, they didn't...and again, I'm ok
with that as I sit here and write this (I'm ok with this for several
reasons, but we'll get to those in a minute). The real genius of LOST
however, were the stories within the story. Why were these people on
the island and what were they doing there? Those were the immediate
questions that the show begged, but it became much, much more than that.
Like a line drawn in the sand that's being washed away by the surf, it
became increasingly more difficult for us to see that line that
separates good/evil. We were forced to look at these people that we had
grown to love/hate in ways that we didn't necessarily want to see them,
but in doing so it deepened our connections to them and ultimately made
us feel like we were there right along side each and every one. (The
establishment of the characters on this show was unlike anything we have
ever seen on television, I whole-heartedly believe that. If you watch
this show in its entirety, look me in the eye and tell me that this was
NOT some of the best acting you've ever seen, I'll either 1) I'll call
you an liar or 2) call you an idiot). We found ourselves wrapped up in
these characters and their need to "find" themselves. You see, I
finally realized last night (I know some of you are going to say "what
took you so long to realize that? I knew that in Season 1") that the
title of the show isn't referring to the physical state of the survivors
and the islands inhabitants, but a reference to their spiritual and
emotional state instead. Perhaps yet another reason why it became so
easy to love/hate and watch these people for 6 years was the fact that
we could actually relate to them; were right there with them. But what
I think was most important was that we were able to see them as broken
and damaged human beings, weak and vulnerable.
After 6 years, I now know that LOST was not a show about polar bears,
electromagnetism and time warps, but about the triumph of the human
spirit and what we as people are capable of when we're able to find
ourselves. It's about not only receiving second chances but also being
able to give them as well. It's about self reflection and
accountability, sacrifice and commitment, atonement and finding peace
within yourself. I mentioned earlier that I wasn't upset with the 8,000
unanswered questions and because of the reasons just listed, I truly am.
If you really are a true fan of the show, then I really believe that
you feel the same way. We as viewers were led on a journey of
self-actualization, and in turn taken along on our characters different
paths they had to take in order to get there.
I can use a ton of words to describe this show, we all can. That's
another amazing aspect of LOST; we can all take something profound away
from it. I think that maybe the word that best describes the show for
me however, is "redemption". I didn't really realize it until just
before I sat down to write this, but I've come to the conclusion that
the one thing that brought me back week after week after week was to see
if/how our Losties could ever redeem themselves for the pain they had
caused, the mistakes they had made and the damage that they had done. I
wanted to know because, well, haven't we all done some of this damage
ourselves? Don't we all have demons that haunt us from time to time,
reminding us of whatever it is we've done? I got to thinking that maybe
we're on our own "island" right now (sounds crazy, but this is my soap
box). Maybe we have a chance to make things right and redeem ourselves
wherever we are in our lives right now, no matter what it is or where we
are. Maybe we need to forgive and forget? Ask for forgiveness or mend
some fences with loved ones? Do we need to get right spiritually? I
can honestly answer yes to ALL of those questions without a doubt, and
maybe that's the why this show has meant so much to me. Again, you're
probably asking me if a tv show can really mean something...I know, I
know. Can it be possible for a tv show to have the ability to have such
an impact on a person/group of people? Well, the answers to both
questions are yes and yes. I know this because they have had that
effect on me and even if I'm the only one then the statement holds true,
does it not?
After the show (as Brandi finished drying her eyes and I sat staring at
the tv, wondering what the hell just happened), the felt the initial
wave of disappointment start to creep in over me. I thought, "what a
cop-out! Are they really going to end it like this?". It started to
eat me so bad that after a couple of minutes, I rewound the last 15
minutes of the show and re-watched the conversation/reunion of Jack and
his father and listened to the dialog between the two over and over
(until Brandi had to leave the room due to the cut scenes of Jack's trek
to his final resting place; she couldn't take watching him die again she
said). I watched it probably 3 or 4 times, enough to realize the
intense gravity of that conversation; enough to finally realize that
this 2 minute talk summarized the 6 year journey that we had all been
on. And just like that, it was over.
As I lay awake in bed, long after Brandi had gone to sleep, suddenly
everything made sense. The show had ended as brilliantly as it had
begun, and the journey that it had taken us on had reminded me of the
power of the human spirit. It reminded me that we can endure and
overcome, that our life is 100% what we make of it and perhaps most
importantly, that it's never too late to change. No matter what we've
done, we have the ability to make things right. We can get knocked
down, but we also have the ability to get back up. We make our own
choices, some better than others, some not so much, but its how we deal
with the consequences of these actions that defines us. Though it can
be an incredibly long and arduous journey, we have the inherent ability
to find ourselves when we become "LOST", and to get back where we need
to be. It's what makes us human.
So I guess this is goodbye, LOST...you had an amazing 6 year run. It's
going to be hard to find another show as captivating, engaging and
inspiring as you, there is no doubt; you'll be greatly missed I won't
be sad though, because I know you had to end sooner or later. Like
Christian Shepard said, we all die sometime.
