23 May 2010
Many people looked at tonight’s final episode of Lost as a last ditch hope for the show’s numerous questions to finally be answered. I can understand how you might feel that way. This show has built a tremendous following built on top of a rickety pyramid of unanswered questions and theories. For a time, I too needed these questions answered. The storytelling methods of Lost redefined how a television program can be presented and created ten more questions for every one they answered.
Recently, during the many discussions I’ve had with friends about how this show will end, I realized that these questions started meaning less and less to me. It became clear to me that these questions were created for one purpose, to provide us with situations for our characters to react to (I know, this is the very essence of a plot, but stay with me here). What is important is the character’s reactions, not the questions. I can easily dismiss an unanswered question here and there, as long as I see a new aspect of the characters I’ve been following for years now.
Having said all that, let me share my thoughts on tonight’s finale (spoiler free of course). As each minute ticked by, I found myself rewarded over and over again with seeing the characters I love go through the most inexplicable things ever. Were questions left unanswered? Possibly. More importantly, the characters grew in ways in the last episode that was not only incredible, but also very satisfying. Lost was the best show of all time. Its greatness will most likely never be repeated.
