As I frantically tried to catch up on the LOST series finale, having started it over an hour late due to work, I received a text from my brother and a phone call from my father. Both of them were watching the finale, in real time, from northern Wisconsin, on a vacation I was unable to attend. I, using the discipline I've acquired in my life, ignored them both as I finished the show. Finally, after everything was said and done, I opened the text message:
"I'm happy ... Amber's a little annoyed but ok, and dad is confused. How do you feel?"
Without hesitation, I responded:
"Beautiful. Simply Beautiful."
And that, in a nut shell, describes the ending to this fantastic series. I have a bad habit for hyperbole, but I feel the same way walking away from this finale that I did walking away from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. As I walked away from the theater having watched the final installment of the trilogy, I knew deep inside that it was the best movie I had seen on a variety of levels. Tonight I can say with total confidence that this show is the greatest show I have ever seen, and again it hits on a variety of levels.
LOST, at its core, is a show about characters. We spent hours of our lives learning the back story of over a dozen characters, down to seemingly needless facts, such as the history behind Jack's tattoos. You know, come to think of it, that episode ("Stranger in a Strange Land") just plain sucked. But we learned these details, and we built this ... rapport with the characters. And tonight's show, at its core, gave us complete closure on those characters that we had grown with.
LOST also is a show about a mystery, and for a show that has always been built on its ability to leave you hanging, tonight's finale left me with surprisingly few questions remaining, and seemingly none of consequence. We know what the Island is. We know what happens to each major character in the show. We know what happened to the vast majority of characters, and we have a pretty good idea what happened to others. Outside of the importance of Walt I don't think a single major mystery remains, and for a show that opened so many questions wrapping it up in this manner is impressive.
Without going into too much detail, because I certainly hope that any of you who haven't watched this show will do so, I can only echo my brother's words tonight: "Greatest. Show. Ever." This show has ... had ... everything you could ever want. Mystery. Intrigue. Compelling Characters. A dominating storyline. The finale delivered everything I could have asked for. I would encourage all of you who haven't done so to delve in. It's well worth your time.
Showing posts with label LOST. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LOST. Show all posts
Monday, May 24, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
The End
"It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress." ~ Jacob
When Jacob said that at the end of Season 5 I'm thinking he probably was mentioning the exact set up that we find ourselves with heading into the granddaddy of all series finales this Sunday. LOST, which has been among the most critically acclaimed and debated shows in TV history, will reach its conclusion this Sunday night, and there is only one thing that I know for sure: they will leave us wanting more.
It's just the style of the show to leave you with your head spinning and your heart wanting more. I would be shocked if we find ourselves with a nice, neat conclusion that makes everyone happy. I think this will end much the same way that the Soprano's did: the way the creator wanted, not the way the fans wanted. This year has already been a controversial year to say the least, with some serious missteps in the eyes of many fans. From the third-of-a-year story arch taking place in the temple, to the seemingly needless introduction of characters such as Zoe, Dogen and Island Lennon, and even through the less than satisfactory placement (and perhaps execution) of the long anticipate Jacob/Smokey backstory, it seems that the writers have been stepping on landmines every step of the way.
But the great thing about this show, and about all the work that they have put into it, is that with one episode all of that can change. Last spring, after the season 5 finale, I told my dad "they have set themselves up with Matrix like potential, only for TV." What that meant was very simple: it was either going to go down in history as the greatest show of its kind, or as a colossal disappointment. With some of the episodes this year (most noticeable "Dr. Linus," "Ab Aeterno" and "The Candidate") having knocked it out of the park, I'm fairly certain that the finale will make the season, and therefore the show, a success. Lost is the rare show that can succeed when revealing huge answers (Richard's backstory in "Ab Aeterno") as well as delving directly into the inter-personal relationships of the characters (the sinking of the sub, and subsequent deaths in "The Candidate"). I get the feeling that there is very little backstory/answers left to be revealed in the minds of the writers; now we are just going to find the resolution of the characters, as well as the ultimate meanings of the flash-sideways.
And, to that end, I'm not going to over think and try to predict what is going to happen. I've tried to predict the ultimate meaning of the show, but while I've gotten close a number of times, it is clear that the intentions of the creators are far more complex than what I was wanting. Instead, I'm going to sit back, and watch the ending of a show which will likely never be replicated again: a network television drama with a large ensemble cast, filming at expensive locals, with total creative rights given to the writers rather than the TV executives desires. This will not happen again, at least not anytime soon. And for that reason alone we should appreciate the ending of LOST. Maybe it would have been cooler, in my mind, if Richard had been a more central character this year, and maybe it would have been nice if they had killed Jack off early to prove a point (although, I have to admit, his 180 this year has been fun to watch). But I'm not in control of the story development, and I don't want to be. I've always loved the fact that LOST shocked me, and kept me on my toes. Now there is two and a half hours left for them to blow my mind. I'm confident they'll get the job done.
When Jacob said that at the end of Season 5 I'm thinking he probably was mentioning the exact set up that we find ourselves with heading into the granddaddy of all series finales this Sunday. LOST, which has been among the most critically acclaimed and debated shows in TV history, will reach its conclusion this Sunday night, and there is only one thing that I know for sure: they will leave us wanting more.
It's just the style of the show to leave you with your head spinning and your heart wanting more. I would be shocked if we find ourselves with a nice, neat conclusion that makes everyone happy. I think this will end much the same way that the Soprano's did: the way the creator wanted, not the way the fans wanted. This year has already been a controversial year to say the least, with some serious missteps in the eyes of many fans. From the third-of-a-year story arch taking place in the temple, to the seemingly needless introduction of characters such as Zoe, Dogen and Island Lennon, and even through the less than satisfactory placement (and perhaps execution) of the long anticipate Jacob/Smokey backstory, it seems that the writers have been stepping on landmines every step of the way.
But the great thing about this show, and about all the work that they have put into it, is that with one episode all of that can change. Last spring, after the season 5 finale, I told my dad "they have set themselves up with Matrix like potential, only for TV." What that meant was very simple: it was either going to go down in history as the greatest show of its kind, or as a colossal disappointment. With some of the episodes this year (most noticeable "Dr. Linus," "Ab Aeterno" and "The Candidate") having knocked it out of the park, I'm fairly certain that the finale will make the season, and therefore the show, a success. Lost is the rare show that can succeed when revealing huge answers (Richard's backstory in "Ab Aeterno") as well as delving directly into the inter-personal relationships of the characters (the sinking of the sub, and subsequent deaths in "The Candidate"). I get the feeling that there is very little backstory/answers left to be revealed in the minds of the writers; now we are just going to find the resolution of the characters, as well as the ultimate meanings of the flash-sideways.
And, to that end, I'm not going to over think and try to predict what is going to happen. I've tried to predict the ultimate meaning of the show, but while I've gotten close a number of times, it is clear that the intentions of the creators are far more complex than what I was wanting. Instead, I'm going to sit back, and watch the ending of a show which will likely never be replicated again: a network television drama with a large ensemble cast, filming at expensive locals, with total creative rights given to the writers rather than the TV executives desires. This will not happen again, at least not anytime soon. And for that reason alone we should appreciate the ending of LOST. Maybe it would have been cooler, in my mind, if Richard had been a more central character this year, and maybe it would have been nice if they had killed Jack off early to prove a point (although, I have to admit, his 180 this year has been fun to watch). But I'm not in control of the story development, and I don't want to be. I've always loved the fact that LOST shocked me, and kept me on my toes. Now there is two and a half hours left for them to blow my mind. I'm confident they'll get the job done.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Remember When It All Used To Be Simple?
Some thoughts on LOST having just watched the most recent episode from an Econolodge just outside of Greencastle, IN. This is an all Lost post; if you don't watch the show, would like to avoid spoilers, or just don't care feel free to pass and check back in for the next post. Otherwise, read on and let me know what you think ...
- the theory which makes the most sense regarding the flash sideways (a theory which now has so much steam it is almost commonly accepted) is that it is a coda of sorts showing us what will happen after the island is no more. My brother accepts (or professes) this theory; other critics have begun pushing it as well. It makes enough sense: as they are showing us how the island meets its' doom they are also showing us what happens in the lives of our favorite characters if the island never had the impact on their lives.
We now know that the island was existing in the 1970s courtesy of the Ben Linus flash-sideways. We have also seen it, in the first flash sideways, underwater in 2004. This would seem to indicate that the island was submerged between these times, perhaps due to the H-bomb going off at the end of season 5. I was hopeful that they would take the flash-sideways in another direction entirely and look at parallel universes; it seemed plausible given the writers fascination with upper-level physics throughout seasons 4 and 5. Still, the "coda" idea seems to be the most plausible, although the H-bomb explanation doesn't seem to fit in with the "present" timeline we're seeing now.
- We've now had a direct contrast between the Sayid episode last week and Ben Linus' this week. Last week we saw Sayid, in both timelines, struggling with the inner battle to remain "good," but ultimately submitting to his ultimate nature: "evil." He tried, in both timelines, to convince himself that he was, as he put it, "a good man." In both times, however, he ended up killing again and seemed to come to grips with his nature in the present timeline at least.
This week, in contrast, we saw Ben Linus, the ultimate Machiavellian character, be given the opportunity for power and control in both timelines. In the present he was presented the opportunity to lead the island once again if he followed The Man In Black. In the flash sideways he was given the opportunity to take over the school he teaches at. In both instances he was presented with the reality that damages would be done, most directly to Alex in the flash sideways, should he pursue power.
Now, throughout the time we've known Ben he has done nothing but put his own well-being and power ahead of the concerns of others (although he would probably argue that he was only doing what Jacob wanted). Suddenly, in both timelines, Ben chooses to do what is right rather than what benefits his power base the most. From what I can see this leaves us with two distinct possibilities:
- Finally, Richard. How nice to see you again Richard, out of those chains. After thinking this through a bit I believe that my father is probably more correct than I am regarding Richard's origin (a matter that intrigues me a great deal). Here is what I have pieced together:
- the theory which makes the most sense regarding the flash sideways (a theory which now has so much steam it is almost commonly accepted) is that it is a coda of sorts showing us what will happen after the island is no more. My brother accepts (or professes) this theory; other critics have begun pushing it as well. It makes enough sense: as they are showing us how the island meets its' doom they are also showing us what happens in the lives of our favorite characters if the island never had the impact on their lives.
We now know that the island was existing in the 1970s courtesy of the Ben Linus flash-sideways. We have also seen it, in the first flash sideways, underwater in 2004. This would seem to indicate that the island was submerged between these times, perhaps due to the H-bomb going off at the end of season 5. I was hopeful that they would take the flash-sideways in another direction entirely and look at parallel universes; it seemed plausible given the writers fascination with upper-level physics throughout seasons 4 and 5. Still, the "coda" idea seems to be the most plausible, although the H-bomb explanation doesn't seem to fit in with the "present" timeline we're seeing now.
- We've now had a direct contrast between the Sayid episode last week and Ben Linus' this week. Last week we saw Sayid, in both timelines, struggling with the inner battle to remain "good," but ultimately submitting to his ultimate nature: "evil." He tried, in both timelines, to convince himself that he was, as he put it, "a good man." In both times, however, he ended up killing again and seemed to come to grips with his nature in the present timeline at least.
This week, in contrast, we saw Ben Linus, the ultimate Machiavellian character, be given the opportunity for power and control in both timelines. In the present he was presented the opportunity to lead the island once again if he followed The Man In Black. In the flash sideways he was given the opportunity to take over the school he teaches at. In both instances he was presented with the reality that damages would be done, most directly to Alex in the flash sideways, should he pursue power.
Now, throughout the time we've known Ben he has done nothing but put his own well-being and power ahead of the concerns of others (although he would probably argue that he was only doing what Jacob wanted). Suddenly, in both timelines, Ben chooses to do what is right rather than what benefits his power base the most. From what I can see this leaves us with two distinct possibilities:
- Ben was doing "what was right" all along, so he, much like Sayid, is what he always has been.
- Ben suddenly "got it" and realized that his own power was worthless if it went to the wrong ends.
- Finally, Richard. How nice to see you again Richard, out of those chains. After thinking this through a bit I believe that my father is probably more correct than I am regarding Richard's origin (a matter that intrigues me a great deal). Here is what I have pieced together:
- Richard came to the Island on the Black Rock
- The Black Rock was the ship that Jacob and The Man In Black were watching during their talk on the beach at the end of season 5
- Richard was imprisoned on the Black Rock, not an officer on it. This is supported by the "out of chains" comment by the Man in Black, as well as by Richard's looking at the shackles
Friday, February 26, 2010
How To Bite Off More Than You Can Chew ...
"I've got a feeling that the guys in the temple are going to bite it real soon." ~ Random Co-Worker
Well, random co-worker, all I've got to say is that I hope you're right. Here's why:
Season six of LOST might have been the most anticipated event of my life. Actually, starting there, let's just go through the top ten most anticipated events in my life, off the top of my head:
10. The Release of Madden Football 2008 (for the PS2) - because, coming off the Super Bowl loss, I was psyched to return kicks with Devin Hester for the first time. Let's just say that the fact they changed the game to make kick returns very difficult, and punt returns impossible might have been a bit of a letdown.
9. The Release of "Stand Up" by Dave Matthews Band - It had been a number of years without an album, I had just driven my sister to prom (chauffeur for the night), and the album had been released that day. I was psyched. I bought it. I tried to talk myself into it. It's still not very good. Because of this album I was extremely hesitant to be excited for 2009's "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King." Which was awesome. So, really, "Stand Up" ruined two experiences for me. Thanks for getting overly political guys...
8. ROAD TRIP!!! - I was pretty excited to drive across the country with three of my best friends following high school. With multiple car breakdowns, a right hook to the face, and the successful convincing of one member that we had a mail order bride awaiting him in Vegas ... let's just say that this one probably lived up to expectations as well as could have been expected.
7. 2nd Date, 2007 - We'll leave it vague for obvious reasons. A huge success at the time, things looked promising, and then went all 8th inning, game 6 2003 on me ... now this is steadily moving down the list. But it's still doing better than my anticipation for the Cubs season in 2003 ... I've already forgotten about that (Alex Gonzalez ... ugh)
6. Leaving for College - Getting into the "I had trouble sleeping the night before" territory. Little did I know how much my life would change in those four years, but even through the ups and downs it was generally a success.
5. Jr. High - Now, the night before Middle School? ... that was a "I can't sleep!!!" moment. I was so psyched, so nervous, so unsure ... little did I know that the roughest years of my life would ensue. Man, Jr. High sucks. I agree with a girl I went out with, who said "they should just let kids stay home starting in sixth grade, then let them come back in High School." She's a teacher, by the way...
4. LOST Season 6 - More on this in a minute...
3. Christmas 1993 - Or it could have been 1992 or 1994 ... but it was when I was still living in South Bend. On Christmas Eve of whatever particular year it was I COULD NOT SLEEP. I saw every hour, on the hour, waiting for Christmas morning. And I got a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle play set. One of the few things on this list that unequivocally lived up to the hype.
2. The Release of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in theaters - I camped out, saw the midnight show, went back the next night, saw it again ... ended up seeing it somewhere in the neighborhood of seven or eight times in the theater. This one surpassed the expectations. Sheer brilliance.
1. Bears - Colts Superbowl - Two weeks of buildup, of analyzing the game, of figuring how exactly how the Bears could beat the ponies ... all thrown away because: A) Cedric Benson is a wuss, B) Rex Grossman sucks, and C) Lovie Smith is incompetent. I'm getting sick... (at least my Tracy Porter jersey has finally shipped!!!)
Anyway, back to LOST (with it now properly placed in my pantheon of buildup) ... seriously, what the heck? The following five seasons had set up a riveting tale, with all the pieces in place for an epic finale, and what have they accomplished through four episodes?
1: They have introduced a ton of new characters, confusing the plot when they need to be simplifying it towards the end.
2: They have begun dividing the world into good versus evil, but only by confusing who is good and who is not.
3: They have split into what they are stupidly calling a "flash-sideways," but what I will intelligently call a parallel universe.
4: They have completely discarded the three most intriguing characters by either killing them off (Jacob) or seemingly forgetting about them (Ben, Richard).
So, in other words, they have completely let me (use your Teddy KGB voice) unsatisfied. The parallel universe aspect seems to be overkill; after successfully using a flash-back, then seamlessly transitioning into utilizing flash-forwards it seems that they have just gotten greedy, thinking "hey, we've never done this before." To steal the words of Ian Malcolm (of Jurassic Park fame) they were so caught up on if they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. Seriously guys, all we really want is answers, not more questions. You keep telling me that "the time for questions is over" on every stinking promotion ... and then you give me more questions!
Beyond the parallel universe issues, they have centered the plot around characters that nobody really cares about anymore: primarily Jack, Kate, and Sayid. All three of these characters have run their course, but because they are the show's "big stars" they don't have the guts to do what needed to be done and kill one of them off to stir the pot. They've done it before; R.I.P. Charlie; but for some reason they seem slow to do it again. Let's not forget that Charlie, along with Jack and Kate, was prominently featured on the case to Season 1 ... and now he's gone. It could have been done again, and it should have been done again at the end of Season 5 (now enter a bunch of "but Sayid did die" complaining. I know he "died." I wanted his character gone, though, not just "I'm dead, I'm back" junk).
All of this aside, there are still 12 episodes to salvage this, and we know that it is pretty likely, as random co-worker reminded me, that quite a few people (particularly new characters) will bite the dust. Also, Josh Holloway has turned in some of the finest TV acting I've seen in a long time this year, which has made the show quite a bit better when he's on screen. Give the man an Emmy now, please. I still have hope that things can be salvaged, and that we will see Richard and Ben factor back in, and that the questions will have answers ... but this is starting to feel like Matrix II to me. When the first Matrix ended I wasn't enthralled, but I gave it a pass due to the possibility there would be two more to make sense of it all. When Matrix II ended I withheld my judgment knowing that a third would probably make sense of it all. When I left the theater following Matrix III ... well, let's just say I hope that I don't leave Season 6 of LOST with that same feeling. I've said for the past year and a half that the show has set itself up to be the greatest TV show of all time, or the biggest disappointment of all time. Perhaps they are just setting us up, reeling us in, only to blow our minds. I hope they do. If they don't I might be inclined to bust the windows out of the lighthouse.
(Editor's Note: After reviewing the list of top ten most anticipated things in my life, I have concluded that very rarely do things I eagerly anticipate end up working out as well as I had hoped. In fact, by my count, my top ten only went 3 for 10 on an outright win scale. Ain't life funny?)
Well, random co-worker, all I've got to say is that I hope you're right. Here's why:
Season six of LOST might have been the most anticipated event of my life. Actually, starting there, let's just go through the top ten most anticipated events in my life, off the top of my head:
10. The Release of Madden Football 2008 (for the PS2) - because, coming off the Super Bowl loss, I was psyched to return kicks with Devin Hester for the first time. Let's just say that the fact they changed the game to make kick returns very difficult, and punt returns impossible might have been a bit of a letdown.
9. The Release of "Stand Up" by Dave Matthews Band - It had been a number of years without an album, I had just driven my sister to prom (chauffeur for the night), and the album had been released that day. I was psyched. I bought it. I tried to talk myself into it. It's still not very good. Because of this album I was extremely hesitant to be excited for 2009's "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King." Which was awesome. So, really, "Stand Up" ruined two experiences for me. Thanks for getting overly political guys...
8. ROAD TRIP!!! - I was pretty excited to drive across the country with three of my best friends following high school. With multiple car breakdowns, a right hook to the face, and the successful convincing of one member that we had a mail order bride awaiting him in Vegas ... let's just say that this one probably lived up to expectations as well as could have been expected.
7. 2nd Date, 2007 - We'll leave it vague for obvious reasons. A huge success at the time, things looked promising, and then went all 8th inning, game 6 2003 on me ... now this is steadily moving down the list. But it's still doing better than my anticipation for the Cubs season in 2003 ... I've already forgotten about that (Alex Gonzalez ... ugh)
6. Leaving for College - Getting into the "I had trouble sleeping the night before" territory. Little did I know how much my life would change in those four years, but even through the ups and downs it was generally a success.
5. Jr. High - Now, the night before Middle School? ... that was a "I can't sleep!!!" moment. I was so psyched, so nervous, so unsure ... little did I know that the roughest years of my life would ensue. Man, Jr. High sucks. I agree with a girl I went out with, who said "they should just let kids stay home starting in sixth grade, then let them come back in High School." She's a teacher, by the way...
4. LOST Season 6 - More on this in a minute...
3. Christmas 1993 - Or it could have been 1992 or 1994 ... but it was when I was still living in South Bend. On Christmas Eve of whatever particular year it was I COULD NOT SLEEP. I saw every hour, on the hour, waiting for Christmas morning. And I got a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle play set. One of the few things on this list that unequivocally lived up to the hype.
2. The Release of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in theaters - I camped out, saw the midnight show, went back the next night, saw it again ... ended up seeing it somewhere in the neighborhood of seven or eight times in the theater. This one surpassed the expectations. Sheer brilliance.
1. Bears - Colts Superbowl - Two weeks of buildup, of analyzing the game, of figuring how exactly how the Bears could beat the ponies ... all thrown away because: A) Cedric Benson is a wuss, B) Rex Grossman sucks, and C) Lovie Smith is incompetent. I'm getting sick... (at least my Tracy Porter jersey has finally shipped!!!)
Anyway, back to LOST (with it now properly placed in my pantheon of buildup) ... seriously, what the heck? The following five seasons had set up a riveting tale, with all the pieces in place for an epic finale, and what have they accomplished through four episodes?
1: They have introduced a ton of new characters, confusing the plot when they need to be simplifying it towards the end.
2: They have begun dividing the world into good versus evil, but only by confusing who is good and who is not.
3: They have split into what they are stupidly calling a "flash-sideways," but what I will intelligently call a parallel universe.
4: They have completely discarded the three most intriguing characters by either killing them off (Jacob) or seemingly forgetting about them (Ben, Richard).
So, in other words, they have completely let me (use your Teddy KGB voice) unsatisfied. The parallel universe aspect seems to be overkill; after successfully using a flash-back, then seamlessly transitioning into utilizing flash-forwards it seems that they have just gotten greedy, thinking "hey, we've never done this before." To steal the words of Ian Malcolm (of Jurassic Park fame) they were so caught up on if they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. Seriously guys, all we really want is answers, not more questions. You keep telling me that "the time for questions is over" on every stinking promotion ... and then you give me more questions!
Beyond the parallel universe issues, they have centered the plot around characters that nobody really cares about anymore: primarily Jack, Kate, and Sayid. All three of these characters have run their course, but because they are the show's "big stars" they don't have the guts to do what needed to be done and kill one of them off to stir the pot. They've done it before; R.I.P. Charlie; but for some reason they seem slow to do it again. Let's not forget that Charlie, along with Jack and Kate, was prominently featured on the case to Season 1 ... and now he's gone. It could have been done again, and it should have been done again at the end of Season 5 (now enter a bunch of "but Sayid did die" complaining. I know he "died." I wanted his character gone, though, not just "I'm dead, I'm back" junk).
All of this aside, there are still 12 episodes to salvage this, and we know that it is pretty likely, as random co-worker reminded me, that quite a few people (particularly new characters) will bite the dust. Also, Josh Holloway has turned in some of the finest TV acting I've seen in a long time this year, which has made the show quite a bit better when he's on screen. Give the man an Emmy now, please. I still have hope that things can be salvaged, and that we will see Richard and Ben factor back in, and that the questions will have answers ... but this is starting to feel like Matrix II to me. When the first Matrix ended I wasn't enthralled, but I gave it a pass due to the possibility there would be two more to make sense of it all. When Matrix II ended I withheld my judgment knowing that a third would probably make sense of it all. When I left the theater following Matrix III ... well, let's just say I hope that I don't leave Season 6 of LOST with that same feeling. I've said for the past year and a half that the show has set itself up to be the greatest TV show of all time, or the biggest disappointment of all time. Perhaps they are just setting us up, reeling us in, only to blow our minds. I hope they do. If they don't I might be inclined to bust the windows out of the lighthouse.
(Editor's Note: After reviewing the list of top ten most anticipated things in my life, I have concluded that very rarely do things I eagerly anticipate end up working out as well as I had hoped. In fact, by my count, my top ten only went 3 for 10 on an outright win scale. Ain't life funny?
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