Looking Back on Lost

I absolutely loved the ending to Lost. It was beautiful, emotional, and I couldn't have asked for it to end in a better way.


Let me start off by saying that there has (disappointingly) been a lot of discontentment shown by many of the show's fans towards the ending. I guess they all wanted answers, and a succinct ending; which is of course the last thing the writers gave them, and rightly so.

Lost ended in a way that left a lot to your own imagination. It never gave definitive answers about the main mysteries of the show, for example: what the smoke monster was, what the light in the island meant, who built the four-toed statue, etc. It also left you to make up your own mind as to the fate of many of the main characters, like Hurley and Ben, who stay on the island as guardians, or Sawyer, Kate and Richard, who are last seen flying away from the island on Ajira flight 316 to an unknown destiny. Ultimately, and in true Lost fashion, the end left the audience with more questions then it gave answers. And I think that is one of the truly wonderful things about the finale (and Lost in general), that you are left wondering, enabling your imagination to run wild. It wouldn't have done the show justice, nor would it have been half as fun if the writers just packed the final 2 and a half hours of the show with answers. It's just not Lost.

They say that the most important part of a story is not how it ends, but how you get there. Lost was never about beginnings, or endings. It was always about the journey. The final scenes of the show summed this point up beautifully. In the end, everybody dies. It is the one single fate that all people suffer. It is the journey that is different - how you get to the end, that makes your life so distinct from anyone else's. Your journey - all the beautiful things you see, all the emotions that you feel, and most importantly, all the people you love - is what makes your life so special.

Lost was more than just a TV show. I know I hark on about it all the time, but now seeing the way it ended, I think can actually say that with a bit of fulfillment. I can understand why there is a certain amount of dissatisfaction among some of the more closed-minded fans towards the ending, those who only watched Lost for pure entertainment or face values. However to me, and all other fans who love the show for more than just what's on the surface, the ending was just about perfect. It doesn't mean to say that all of us fans agree on what the ending meant, and just like Jack and Kate, soon we'll all be laughing about that one final thing we couldn't agree on. Lost was a true epic, a modern day classic, and storytelling at its finest. The world wont soon forget...

L O S T

Our Mutual Friend

As I write this, there are 16 minutes to go until the final episode of Lost airs. For 6 years I have been following this show religiously. I have watched every season, every episode, every audio commentary, every deleted scene. Every wonderful minute. And I never want it to end!

In the show, Desmond, one of the favourite characters, finds himself in a similar boat (no pun intended Lost fans!). Des claims to have read every one of Charles Dickens' books, "every wonderful word", except for one - Our Mutual Friend. He's saving it, so it will be the last thing he ever reads, before he dies.

And this kind of got me thinking, maybe I shouldn't watch the final tonight? Maybe, I should go to bed early and miss it on purpose. Maybe, I should go ahead living my life, as if Lost never ended. I would go out and buy the season 6 dvds when they come out, and I would go on watching the episodes as I normally do. Except for the very last episode. I would save it, so it will be the last thing I ever see, before I die.

But doing that means I become like Desmond. Doing it means I become coward. I'm scared, scared of moving forward, scared of living a life without Lost in it. I have to watch it. I have to move on with my life. I have to laugh and cry and celebrate what has been one of the biggest parts of my life for the best part of 6 years, and then let go. That's why they call it a leap of faith...

Fast Car (Escaping the City Lights)

There's nothing like getting away from it all, jumping out of town and escaping the city lights. The vast plains of agriculture flash endlessly past, the fresh country air relaxes your every sense. You sit in silence with your closest of friends and you begin to wonder if life could be any better. 

The southern waters are icy-cold, to take the plunge you have to focus all your energies on facing that deep chill. Think like Bear Grylls. Make the decision. Go. You hit the waves, the salt and the spray and the crashing of the sea highten your senses, and what few troubles you had left drain away with the receding tide. Big salmon dart around your feet, the reef bursts into a life you didn't know existed, dolphins click and splash and play barely metres away. Sand brushes between your toes, the deep blue water surrounds you, and you realise in this perfection you wouldn't mind the sea swallowing you up and never giving you back. 

In the night the fire crackles; you stare unfleetingly into it's glowing abyss. It's wamth transfers around the room uninhibited, invigorating your very soul. The stars are singing, you tilt your head back and loose yourself in the milky way. The clouds roll over and dim the glow, but when you're lying on the sand, with the soothing sounds of the ocean roaring gently in your ears, you don't need the Southern Cross to help you find direction.

The dark Margaret River mornings are soft on your skin, the early rains sweep across and flush away the night. The green winter woodlands rush past, the kangaroos don't stir in the pastures as you press your face against the glass and drift away. The city lights beckon once again on the horizon, and home sweet home is a relief, even for your rested mind. But with the city lights your real-world problems come rushing back, and the longing for that sweet country air begins again.

Tunnel Vision

I'm surrounded by an ocean of beautiful people,

they dance, I dance back,

the sights, the smells and the sounds should rest my weary mind,

yet all I can think of is you.