‘Lost’ Finale Explained: Answering the Unanswered Questions
May 24, 2010 by Kofi OutlawIn our Lost Finale Explanation we address the questions that left fans confused and/or upset by how Lost ended its run.
[Update: We've added even more Lost explanations!]
If you’ve visited our Lost series finale review and discussion, you know that opinion is sharply divided over how one of the biggest TV shows of the last decade came to a close.
Some people thought the ending couldn’t have been any sweeter, while others are either frustrated or disappointed with how Lost ultimately wrapped.
However, there are those out there who are currently feeling confused about how Lost came to a close and ‘what it all meant.’ So to help these (snicker) lost souls out, we thought we’d at least try and offer some quick explanations of some of the lingering questions. Hopefully it helps and doesn’t just further confuse.
It must be noted that unlike sites like Lostpedia, I haven’t done years and years of research on this. I’m just a moderate Lost fan who happens to have a good mind for literary analysis. So here goes nothing. And in case you haven’t guessed already:
[MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!!]
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THEY WERE NOT “DEAD THE WHOLE TIME”
I don’t know why people are having trouble understanding this, as it is CLEARLY explained in the final minutes of the finale episode by Christian Shephard (Jack’s dad). The original Oceanic 815 plane crash happened. Everything on the Island through seasons 1-6 happened. The “flash sideways” universe introduced in season 6 was a sort of stop-over point between life and afterlife (referred to here as the “purgatory universe”).
Each person in this “purgatory universe” created a reality for themselves based on their lingering issues in life – that which they could not “let go” of. For Jack it was Daddy issues; Kate, the guilt of murder; Sawyer, the quest to find “Sawyer” and be a better man; Sayid, the unrequited love of Nadia; Charlie, looking for something “real” in his hollow life of fame, etc…
Everyone was still attached to their Earthly concerns (we’re getting very Buddhist here, bear with me) – but when they made contact with those people they’d met on the Island, they remembered the journey and growth they had experienced because of the Island, and could finally understand the connections and “purpose” brought into their damaged lives by being there. With that greater understanding of themselves, they were each ready to “leave” or “move on” to the next phase of existence – i.e., the true afterlife.
WHAT WAS THAT FINAL IMAGE OF THE CRASHED PLANE?
Some people are convinced the final image during the end credits of the Lost finale was the “clue” to the characters being dead the whole time. OK, let’s think about this: The image appears during the closing credits, after the final appearance of the “LOST” logo. That means that the story had officially ended. Saying that the biggest reveal came while the end credits were rolling is like saying a movie’s climax happens during the end credits. Not bloody likely.
The image of the plane crash (if you look closely) has memorabilia from the Lostie’s time on the beach where they first made camp. Shacks, towels, etc… it was one part nostalgia (remember where it all began?) and also one part commentary on the circular nature of the Island.
Like the Black Rock ship that brought Richard to the Island (“Ab Aeterno“), or the downed plane with the heroin that had Mr. Ecko’s brother’s corpse inside of it (“The 23rd Psalm“), the remains of Oceanic 815 and the evidence of a small community built on the beach are just more monuments of the Island. The next time somebody crashes there, they’ll see that stuff and wonder what the “mystery” behind it is…
Then they’ll whine and complain about how unsatisfying the answer is. (“What? That’s how that mystical guy “Hurley” came to the Island? LAME.”)
WHAT WAS DESMOND’S POWER?
One of the biggest things people seem to be questioning is how Desmond was able to “wake up” from the purgatory universe and how he had the know-how to “wake up” the other Losties. For that answer, you really just have to look back over the history of Desmond.
Desmond (specifically through his connection to Penny Widmore) is a sort of “constant” in the show. No matter what happens, when, or where, Desmond seems somehow immune to the Island’s energy (which has electromagnetic properties) and has a sort of awareness that can transcend space and time (his consciousness shifts seen in episodes like “The Constant“). These “shifts” and Widmore’s explanation that Desmond is special because of his resistance to the Island’s energies, imply that Desmond would even be able to “shift” his consciousness back and forth between this universe and the purgatory one, catalyzed by Widmore’s team placing him in that huge electromagnetic machine in the season six episode, “Happily Ever After“.
So, it does stand to reason (at least Lost reasoning) that Desmond – after having his consciousness “shifted” to the purgatory reality – would “wake up” after encountering HIS constant, Penny. It’s another fast and loose metaphysical explanation, but one that (for me) still works within the framework of the show.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH THE ISLAND’S “RULES?”
Over the course of the show people have wondered about the mythology of the Island – where it came from, what it is and what are the “rules” that govern it and its mystical protectors? Admittedly, this is an area where the showrunners played things fast and loose, hoping that the momentum of the characters’ story arcs and the whole “good vs. evil” showdown would be enough to appease most fans. Alas, not so.
Season six of Lost did a great deal to semi-explain what the island was – a sort of container for a very important energy that seemingly links this world with worlds beyond… or something. That energy is represented by light and water, and if that light goes out and the water stops flowing, the world is basically screwed. Everything magical or fantastic about the Island stems from this energy, and many of the technological oddities found on the Island (the Swan Station from season 2) are a result of the Dharma Initiative trying to harness and control that energy (i.e., man trying to bend magic and mysticism to the will of modern science).
However, there are some things that were definitely left unexplained: Why did the Man In Black become a smoke monster when he was exposed to the light (was it a manifestation of his corrupted soul)?; What is the nature of the “rules” that governed certain aspects of the Island – who could come and go, who could kill who, who was healed from injury (Locke, Rose), who lived forever (Richard). How were these rules established and maintained?
The Jacob/MIB origin episode, “Across The Sea”, attempted to fill in that aspect of the Island mythology, but what we came away with were a lot of vague pseudo-explanations. The protector of the Island basically makes up the rules and once those rules are established they are set until somebody (a new protector?) changes them. This is the reason why the MIB was obsessed with “finding a loophole” in order to kill Jacob; it’s also why Jack was ultimately able to kill the MIB. Smokey was connected to the energy source, and when Jack had Desmond “turn off” that energy, Smokey lost his powers and was merely flesh and blood again.
Makes sense…doesn’t it?
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE BABY MAMA DRAMA?
One of the earliest sub-plots of the Lost mythos was the notion that pregnant women died on the Island before they could successfully give birth. This was especially important during season one, back when Claire was pregnant with Aaron and got kidnapped and experimented on by Ethan, a memeber of The Others (“Raised by Another” & “Homecoming“). Of course we now know that Ethan was likely working with baby-doctor Juliet to help Claire – that is before Charlie killed Ethan (oops!) – and that Aaron was likely born on the Island without incident because Claire was already far enough along in her pregnancy before coming to the Island (just like Jacob and the Man In Black’s mother).
However, the pregnancy issue popped up again in season 3 when Sun learned that she was pregnant (“The Glass Ballerina” & “D.O.C.” ) and was a the prominent focus of Juliet’s flashback arch (“One of Us“). So whatever happened to the mystery of the baby mama drama?
Simple answer? Story developments made the issue a moot point in later seasons. Aaron was born fine, Sun eventually gave birth OFF the Island and Juliet died, even after she had no more pregnant patients to tend to. So really, when you think about it, there was no more of this story left to tell.
But does that excuse the fact that we never found out why pregnant women were dying on the Island? It might be bugging you, but I’m chalking this one up to being another random “rule of the Island.” Or maybe electromagnetic mystical lights just aren’t good for fetuses. Either way.
WHAT WAS WITH THE STATUE?
This is one Lost mystery I don’t really need answered. Who built the statue, why they built it and what did represent are all things you can probably find out with some historical research on ancient cultures. People who have done the research claim the statue represents a goddess or fertility or something along those lines, linking the broken statue with the Island’s baby mama drama. Personally, I can neither confirm or deny the historical relevance of the statue - if you’re curious, you should do the research.
As for the relevance of the statue to the Lost mythos: to me was evidence that the Island had been around for a long, long, time, and that people had been coming to it throughout history. So basically, it was a way to let viewers know, “This place plays a pivotal role in mankind’s existence.”
I’m not trying to look much deeper than that.
Continue to Lost contradictions and missing characters…
THE WIDMORE/LINUS CONUNDRUM
Ok… so there’s implication of what the Island’s “rules” are, but that gets a bit problematic when you think back to season 4 of Lost – which is basically about Charles Widmore sending operatives to the island to do what he cannot (get revenge on Ben Linus). There was that whole sub-plot about how it was ‘against the rules’ for Widmore to return to the Island, and how Widmore “changed the rules” by killing Ben’s adopted daughter, Alex. But why would the “rules” of the Island’s protectors apply to these two guys?
In the end, I think the showrunners went for an “It is what it is,” approach with the mystical rules governing the Island; they are convenient plot devices that support the story at various points, but don’t really hold up when looked at in conjunction with the entire series. The Widmore/Linus conundrum is simply one of those holes – a weak point of the Lost mythology, for sure.
WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE?
Remember when Lost had African-Americans as part of its “groundbreaking international cast?” Yeah, I vaguely do too. One friend of mine (and I’m sure of yours) watched the finale chanting “They better bring back Walt!” over and over – but no such luck.
Walt and his father Michael did make latter season Lost appearances: Locke visited Walt off the Island in the season five episode “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham” and Michael appeared to Hurley as a ghost in season six, explaining the whole “whispers on the Island” thing. Still, many fans wondered why Walt, Michael and the “tailie” priest, Mr. Eko, didn’t reunite with the other cast members at the purgatory all-faith church in the finale.
Well, Michael we know is stuck on the Island as a “whisper” because he can’t move on, due to his killing of Libby and Ana Lucia in season two. Walt was freed from the Island early on, so the journey that bonded the Oceanic passengers in the purgatory universe was one that Walt was never really part of.
As for Mr. Eko, his death in the season 3 episode “The Cost of Living” showed that Eko had come to peace with his life. When told by the ghost of his brother Yemi to “Confess his sins,” Eko refused, saying that he had no guilt to confess; in his life, he did what he had to do to survive. The smoke monster evaluated Eko, who stood resolute about himself, his sins and the faith and redemption he’d ultimately found. After smokey beat Eko to pulp, Eko’s last vision was his young self walking away with his brother, holding the soccer ball they used to play with.
In short: Eko, by finding his faith and coming to peace with himself, had no reason to be in the purgatory world with the others. Wherever his soul was going, it was prepared for that journey – unlike the other passengers, who still had to come to peace with themselves and their deaths.
That all sounds deep, sure, but I’m sure off-screen conflicts with the actors and the fact that Macolm David Kelley (the kid who played Walt) hit puberty were also major factors.
WHAT ABOUT THE POLAR BEARS?
If you’re asking this question, you weren’t really paying attention to the show. Go rent Lost season 3 on DVD and see if you can’t figure out the polar bear “mystery” when the rest of us did… back in 2006. I’ll give you a hint: Dharma Initiative experiments.
WHAT ABOUT THE NUMBERS?
In the season six episode “The Substitute” Un-Locke takes Sawyer down to “Jacob’s cave” on the cliff (where Jack ultimately killed MIB) and in that cave, Sawyer observes that Jacob’s list of “candidates” for his replacement – our Losties – have numbers by their names. The list of candidates (Sawyer, Jack, Locke, Hugo, Sayid and “Kwon”) equate to the numbers 4-8-15-16-23-42 – the numbers that both steered Hurley to the Island in the first place (he went to Australia to find out about them), and served as the code for releasing the Island’s tapped energy in The Swan station. The numbers also showed up again and again throughout the show (Danielle’s papers, on medicine Claire and Desmond take, on Mr. Eko’s stick, etc…).
So in the end the numbers had to do with fate, and were a nice little numerology motif for the showrunners to play with (and a mathematical mystery for fans to agonize over). THE END.
BEN CONTROLS SMOKEY?
In the season 4 episode “The Shape of Things To Come” Ben Linus witnessed the murder of his daughter Alex at the hands of Charles Widmore’s mercenaries. Ben then accessed the secret room in his Dharma house and disappeared into a secret passage covered in hieroglyphics. When Ben returned, he brought the smoke monster with him, which murdered the team of Widmore’s assassins. Now we know the smoke monster was the Man In Black, but some viewers are still confused why Ben was able to “control the monster” in this season 4 episode, but not later in season six.
However, it is never said that Ben “controls” the smoke monster – the best word would be “summons.” This makes sense to the story, as Alex’s death is the event that makes Ben turn to the MIB for a favor – a favor which he later repays in season 5 by killing Jacob for the MIB. It’s the ultimate corruption of Ben Linus – the moment where he goes from being a blind servant of Jacob to serving evil. So I don’t quite consider this a loose end – just another case of misinterpretation by some viewers.
JACOB vs. THE DHARMA INITIATIVE
Ok, so this is MY major question. In one of my favorite Lost episodes, “The Man Behind The Curtain“, we learn all about Ben Linus’ childhood with the Dharma Initiative. The episode ends with the chilling revelation that Ben – conspiring with Richard – betrays “his people” in the initiative and mass murders them using nerve gas – including his own father. Ben then reveals to Locke what ultimately became of the Dharma Initiative: The Others threw their bodies into a gruesome mass grave.
Looking back from the series finale and the “Across The Sea” episode about Jacob’s past, I can’t help but wonder: did Jacob murder the Dharma Initiative?
We know that Richard is an emissary of Jacob – that is, Richard does Jacob’s bidding. So if Richard instructed Ben to kill the Dharma members, doesn’t that imply that Jacob instructed Richard to do so, much the same way Jacob’s “mother” slaughtered the men on the Island when the Man In Black got to close to them?
I find it hard to explain the death of the Dharma Initiative any other way, and that’s a huge narrative problem when you consider that our Losties – many of whom lived with and befriended the Dharma Initiative in the 70s – ultimately serve Jacob as well. They’re serving the man who most likely gave the order to murder their friends and co-workers!
It also blurs the lines between good and evil. Mass murder is never a good thing, so the fact that Jacob at least allowed the mass murder of the Dharma Initiative (it’s his role as “protector,” right?) is pretty ghastly when you think about it. This is the embodiment of “good” we’re supposed to root for? Makes you think the Man In Black wasn’t ALL bad…
WHAT ABOUT THE BOMB?
For me this is also a major problem of the Lost mythology. For much of season 6, many fans assumed (based on the opening to the season six premiere, “LA X“) that the bomb that Jack and Co. detonated in the 70s (the season 5 finale) resulted in the Island sinking and an alternate timeline being created, in which Oceanic 815 never crashed, and things were slightly different in the lives of the passengers.
Now we know that the “alternate timeline” was actually purgatory where the Losties all met up when they were dead, and the whole “alternate timeline” bit was a red herring. So what, exactly, did the bomb do?
The obvious answer is that the bomb propelled the Losties back through time to the present day, where the the Swan station (a.k.a. “The Hatch”) was now a slightly different version of its former imploded self (see the photos below).
Hatch Implosion 1
Hatch Implosion 2
Like most time travel narratives, the situation with the hatch raises a ton of logistical questions, such as: Would Desmond still be on the island if the hatch had been destroyed in the past? Wouldn’t that alteration to the time stream have a ripple effect that disrupted everything else regarding the Oceanic 815 crashing? And so on…
Instead what we got was a time travel scenario where that one location, the 70s Swan station, seemed to “overlap” on its present-day self, while leaving the rest of the time stream unaffected (or something like that). It’s confusing and very problematic – yet another reason why time travel is something you probably want to stay away from as a storyteller…
In the end though, the outcome is the same: Whatever conduit to the Island’s energy source that the Dharma Initiative tapped when they made the Swan station was ultimately exhausted. Whether it was exhausted by the bomb Juliet set off, or the the moment in season 3 when Locke lost his faith and refused to push the button (“Live Together, Die Alone“) the energy was released, and The Swan was destroyed. The Losties made it back to the present, and there was never two timelines, apparently.
Try not to think too hard about it, I guess… But it certainly is a major thread left dangling.
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These are just some of the lingering question Lost has left us with. Did our explanations make sense or are you just as confused as before? For those of you who feel cheated by the finale – did any of these explanations help?
[Check out this video of the unanswered questions of Lost]
Sound off in the comments.
Source: Lostpedia
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Can I just say there is no reason to be such a jerk while answering these questions. Okay we get it you are oh so smart, congratulations. This show had SIX seasons, let me repeat SIX seasons, things get’s confusing with that many episodes to keep track of, watching it for months. Everyone turns the internet into such a hostile place. Someone asks a question and people reply with “wtf you dumba$$ it’s so obvious” when we all know you searched the same exact stuff only a bit earlier. But hey if it makes you feel better about yourself, have at it.
I like this comment cos I was thinking exactly the same too. nobody is stupid cos they don’t entirely get the show. Alot of people just don’t have enough time in the day to reflect on the mystery of lost!
Yay Sarah, Yay Vex770… my sediments exactly.
I wish they showed the DOG more in Lost. They should have developed that character more.
Can I just say your a Goon
I don’t see him as a jerk. He just is being direct and to the point. I appreciate his viewpoint.
If you are going to claim to be more intelligent than what someone may imply, you should learn to spell correctly when trying to make that argument. I believe what you meant was “sentiments” and not “sediments.” I assume you know the difference, correct?
http://enjoytherandom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/207441_1812857055533_1663240727_1749061_2106402_n.jpg
^Grammar Nazi…the most cowardly kind of response on the internet. Ya blew it.^
Lost what a Mad show that was. I swear I was sent to the island, however I ant found my bitch yet. Just need to let Go.
But on the Baby Mom Dharma issue.. Doesn’t Ethan’s mom survived when giving him birth? It was Horace’s son and hers, and we know she conceived on the island because she had a previous husband (Paul 3years ago when they met LaFleur aka Sawyer) and she never left the island .
@Notaloser…
AWESOME!!! It’s what I’ve always wanted!!! A life consisting of spending my time insulting complete strangers on the internet sounds like a marvelous existence. I’d be so proud of myself if learned how to do that!!! Sadly I have hobbies that I use to escape my boring life… I see I should stop doing it and just make fun of people I don’t know… this will obviously make me feel better about my own!!!! BRILLIANT!!!
Even better!!! I’d love to be a hypocrite!! They’re extremely entertaining… I’d some how inexplicably find my way to sites, spend my time reading other posters comments, then I’d post my own!!!
And the more I posted the more hypocritical I’d become!!! It’d be like a never ending circle of hypocritical life!!! When can I start!!! Oh please teach me… you’ve got it all figured out, I want to be a cyber bully to!!! So classy, mature, and something to inspire to. 
Sure, I’ll help.
1. Grows some balls
Thats about all of the help you need.
Oh, and “cyber bully!” I mean really?
You have spent weeks having nerdy conversations about a nerdy tv show. And who uses the word “classy”???
And you put a lot of work into that paragraph(infact, you probably looked up how to spell each word, I mean you did look up explenations for the lost season fanale)…and in the end, you still sound like LOSER!
And whats up with all the smiley faces? CAUSE THAT ISN’T GAY!
Sounds like you are the true cyber bully that others could take lessons from! Everyone else is asking questions, making comments, and having discussions…intelligent stuff like that. You, however, are the person who wants to put down the intelligent to feel smart yourself! How do I know this?
…hmmm, let’s see… Your last rant about wanting “something to inspire to”…you don’t inspire to something, you aspire to it!
Are smiley faces gay?
Homophobic much…
Actually sweetheart it’s rather effortless to respond to someone of your obviously high stature… the hard part is trying to dumb it down enough in a feeble attempt to help you understand it. And I didn’t look up anything… I didn’t need help with explanations. I was interested in what the folks at Screen Rant and others thought about the ending. And seriously pal what’s your damage? What’s the point of coming on here and insulting a bunch of strangers? Not that I care, it’s pathetic… it shows what a weak human being you are but hey, someone has to represent the world’s lower class… so, well done. You say that what we’re doing here is nerdy? Really? Then what would you call what you’re doing – spending your time insulting strangers? Seriously think about that for a second? … Ha, talk about “growing balls”? Are you serious? You insulting us “nerds” is extremely macho. lol… Boy, you’re tough… you should be very proud of yourself buddy. Not that you’ll take it, but my advice to you, don’t insult people you don’t know – eventually it’ll get you in trouble. It makes you appear ignorant and uneducated – plus you’re just really bad at it. “Stop trying to be charming”… You don’t know me pal… so if you don’t have anything positive to add. Shut up – or continue to make yourself look like a bigger ignoramus if you wish. If nothing else it’s entertaining, however… sad that you represent what’s wrong with much of the world… it’s still rather funny. Can’t wait to hear back from you!!!
Though we should try to stay on topic, there really isn’t any place for this banter here. But in honor of your maturity, “you started it!”
Spell much….its EXPLANATION and FINALE, pretty elementary if you ask me.
It’s “explanation” and “finale”. and you’re giving him grief about spelling?
dude, your calling him a nerd and looking up a nerdy tv show, yet here you are on the same page, probably looking up the show yourself..
Oh, And like I care what you “nerds” think about me? I mean seriously, Just short comments about the show would have been good, but you guys are having long in depth conversations about a T.V. Show? Oh and if you were just looking to see other’s comments and feelings toward the show, Why would you go to a forum about expelenations? Just Curious.
To answer your question in how I got here… even though I sort of already did… but here goes…
Play-by-play of how I found this thread…
Was at work
Waiting for word on changes to a project
I checked out Screen Rant (as I often do to burn time) for fun and to read news entertainment wise
Saw the Lost article and was interested in what Screen Rant had to say, so many have different perceptions of what went down
I read the article and some of the comments
A lot of the comments were questions… so I decided to answer some of them
So yeah, it sort of just accidentally turned into this epic discussion that was never planned… just like a conversation that happens in a bar or anywhere else (though most of us are sober, I think?), you start to get to know these people and the conversation just continues… it is crazy, how long it’s gone??? But for me that’s a testament to Lost. It’s longevity is pretty impressive. That’s what you want as show, to stay alive long after it’s over. We’ve even had Vic from Screen Rant chime in a time or two. I’ve actually made two friends from the whole thing. (No worries I have many friends that are actually tangible). I admit it’s sort of crazy and YES there are better things people can do with their time… but what we choose to do with our time is our prerogative and in no way should any of us be ridiculed for it. Your initial comment was simple out of line and uncalled for.
I like that I’m apparently a “nerd” all of a sudden for partaking in this thread… though just because I’m on here doesn’t mean it’s all I do. And honestly it was probably a nerd that has enabled us to even do this in the first place… nerds are responsible for just about all the cool things on the planet. I bet it was a “nerdy” cave man that invented fire. Nerds FREAKIN RULE… to be called a nerd is actually a compliment. But just to break the stereotype. This isn’t all I do… I work 40 hours a week as motion graphics artist, illustrator, and animator (yup that means I like cartoons and drawing naked people in life drawing classes) but WAIT… Crazy thing is I’m an athlete too? Yet another break in the stereotype. I weight train 6 days a week – sometimes 7 but I know that’s no good for my 28 year old frame, I break-dance (yup spinning on my head is way nerdy), I play men’s league basketball, and I also partake in a bi-weekly poker league, and yes some of my time goes to television, movies, and books… I enjoy stimulating my mind, GOD FORBID. I’ve always loved puzzles (so dorky?) I also keep my girlfriend happy, I don’t cook, but I do take care of the dishes. As for Lost, I love it and I’ll continue to… I got tied up in helping people understand somethings they were having trouble with. I decided to lend a hand where I could. Then a few of my pals I met on here decided to start a rewatch… For some of us it’s fun and some sort of escape – just another thing to do is all.
So there, now you know a little more about how I got to this point and bit more.
… furthermore…
Short answer, Lost can be perceived many different ways. I was curious to how Screen Rant perceived the ending.
Also, you contradicted yourself yet again, saying, “and like I care what you “nerds” think about me?” … Tell me than kind sir, why would care what you think about us? You’re the one that jumped in to insult us as if we care what you think? … Doesn’t make much sense does it?
Does nerd mean intelligent? Sorry not up with the lingo.
If so, does this mean by comparison your calling yourself stupid?
Hey Cyber Bully,
I’ll throw in my two cents.
At this point in the history of the world, about 90% of people are nerds or geeks or dorks or whatever. So labeling people as such, especially in a slightly derogatory way, is a waste of time. Would I consider myself geeky? Well, hell, I write for TV and film, so yes, I am. But I’m also in shape and lift weights 3-4 times a week … so I don’t get the point of labels anymore. One of my best friends is MUCH geekier than me and he’s into playing football and boxing and weight lifting. How else would you classify a society where so many people are waiting for the newest iPhone or iPad or superhero film?
Besides, what is the difference between people spewing their love (or hatred) of a show online in the form of diatribes and those who watch football and baseball incessantly and can tell you every player’s background and stats? It’s called obsession and, for the most part, it keeps us healthy and entertained. And in the recession and world crap we’re in right now, any kind of distraction is a good one.
So you came to this site and were actually surprised at what you found? You could go to ANY movie site and find the exact same thing. In fact … you might think it’s a waste of time, but I found a site once where all the members had occupations like brain surgeon and nuclear physicist (I am NOT kidding) and one of their conversations was a breakdown of a Clint Eastwood movie … and the discussion went on for about ten pages and I couldn’t understand half of it.
You see, people like you come to a website like this and immediately judge people because they’re doing something that you think is silly. But we can’t turn the tables on you and ask why you do certain things because you won’t reveal anything that we could use against you. You could be one of those people who watch Jersey Shore or American Idol … or you could read Twilight and LOVE it. lol All of those things could be attacked and questioned, but since your desire is to keep the insulting one-sided, your likes are shrouded in mystery.
Honestly, you might think Lost is just a “TV show”. And you’re right. But that could be said about ANYTHING. Football is JUST a sport. A movie is JUST a movie. A band is JUST a band. A book is JUST a book. Anything taken by its individual merits, even if those merits elicit an emotional or psychological response, can still be whittled down to its most basic components and scrutinized and simply labeled as inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.
In other words, what you are doing is a much bigger waste of time than what people on here are doing because the synapses in their brains are firing with pleasure every time they discuss something they love … which I really doubt happens to you when you turn around and insult that pleasure. And if you DO get pleasure out of it, you have some pretty big issues that you might want to have checked out.
I guess when you invest that much time watching a show and have a lot of ideas still running around in your head, it isn’t too hard to get into an in depth conversation. If the conversations aren’t related to explanations of the show, then I’d agree: go to a Lost forum for all other ideas and stuff. Just reading a little on this last page I saw a whole bunch of stuff on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This doesn’t seem like the place for that.
JIM…
Extremely well put. It’s funny I was going to post the same thing about the blurry lines that divide what used to be rather solidified stereotypes. I’m actually posting this from my gym right now. I weight train 6 to 7 days a week, I break-dance (yup spining on my head is super nerdy), I’ve torn my right ACL twice doing it… nerds fixed me right up!!! I play poker, I play men’s league basketball, I also find time to make my girlfriend happy and do the dishes.
On top of this I spend 40 hrs a week making a living as an artist/illustrator/motion graphics animator… Yup, I went to art school… I stood out for sure cause I’m not your average artist (or so I was told by my recruiter) not many animators skip class to train. 
… whoops. Damn OBSESSIONS!!!
Anyways, I LOVE television, technology, movies, and books… hell, you should see my collection of Dragonball Z collectibles – TALK ABOUT NERDY!!
But then again I can also curl more than most people can bench press. … So yes the lines are blurry. All of us have an inner nerd. I’m proud of mine… he’s entertaining. Glad to hear from a fellow HYBRID. 
… Take care.
Jim. Absolute legend.
I see what you mean, and for the most part, you have a point. I am wasting my time doing all of this. I am wasting my time taklin to you. Kinda like you wasted your time typing that load of something I wasted my time reading. Right? Anyways, point is I have accepted that maybe I can’t really call these people nerds, when I don’t know them. I based what I said on these people’s comments, but I am entitled to my opinion, as are you, and Travis and Sambo. I guess I am a nerd too, because I actually do many nerdy things. I LOVE Comic Books, and one day dream to publish my own, even though im only A 15 YEAR-OLD KID!!! So, I Apologize.
@Jim: ” But that could be said about ANYTHING. Football is JUST a sport. A movie is JUST a movie. A band is JUST a band. A book is JUST a book. Anything taken by its individual merits, even if those merits elicit an emotional or psychological response, can still be whittled down to its most basic components and scrutinized and simply labeled as inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. ”
Epic man. Epic.
OK, OK! I understand that what we were doing was really stupid. We all have a “nerd” characteristic in our personalities. I am man enough to admit that I have my own just like you did with your whole “drawing naked people job” haha. So lets just end this whole argument. Im sorry for being rude even though I still believe in what I said. But like I said, we are all entitled to our opinions. Anyways, I’ll also admit that I’ve done exactly what I critiziced you for on screen rant before, just a different subject, and definetly not as long. haha
Uh, ok. well, I still think your creepy. If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do with your life? Are you a brain sugeon, graphic designer, rocket scientist, etc???
What’s Your second name?
Well, Travis, I’m not nearly as manly as you are. I just do enough so that I look good and stay healthy. But I’m not overweight at all and definitely not a stringbean (which I used to be when I was younger). Most guys my age look terrible … just out of shape and have apparently given up, whereas I look better than I ever have, yet I’m geekier now than I have ever been. To illustrate this, my girlfriend (who is 14 years younger than me) and I got drunk last Friday and streamed the Buffy musical thru Netflix and had us a little sing-a-long. We were going to switch to Dr. Horrible, but passed out before we could.
I spend a lot of my time writing, since that’s my profession … more or less. I have a bunch of specs written and am now working with a producer at Paramount, where one of my scripts is in “development.” Which is fancy talk for “We would like to produce this once you dumb it down a bit so that we can copy some other movie that was successful.” lol I’m also being read by William Morris and UTA, although William Morris seems to be lukewarm about a script I gave them (despite being unique and cool and everybody else loving it) because it wasn’t a big sci-fi spectacle.
When I’m not writing, I’m usually reading Vonnegut or Crichton … my goal is to read all of Vonnegut’s stuff in order, which I’m hoping to start today.
And I also play a crapload of GTA online.
Travis, (not sure you’ll even read this as you posted 5 months ago), men who do the dishes rock!! When my hubby does them, (for no other reason than to help me) it’s better than any jewelry or gift he could give me, so go for you! In my book that makes you an awesome nerd, (and btw, if that is what constitutes a nerd, sign me up, nerds are awesome!)
So I don’t mean to add to the stereotype here, but seeing as how you are a self-professed nerd, could you help me with a Lost question? If they did all die when the whole timeline split happened, how did they die? If it was from the bomb, wouldn’t the island be destroyed? And how about the people that were at the reunion, but not on the island when the bomb went off? I’ve already posted this question, and by all rights should be chastised for repeating myself and probably will be by cyberbully, but dang it this has been bugging me for way too long now! I can’t ask my husband which is a shame since he’s incredibly clever, very intelligent and would easily be able to explain the whole thing to me because alas, he hates Lost and will never watch it, (yet still he is the love of my life). Someone out there must know the answer to my question, even though it will probably be a very easy answer and I will look like a simpering fool. Oh well. I don’t care.
LOL… Jim…
Yup! My unopened Buffy the Vampire Slayer board game I have back home in my closet really speaks to my manhood!
… hahaha. No joke, I was the biggest Buffy fan. Funny thing is I only started watching it cause I thought Sarah Michelle Gellar was HOT!!! I was in my basement flipping through the channels… I saw Sarah and that as they say, was that. 
I got hooked on the show… it was quirky good fun.
Good luck with the reading… you’re gonna need it.
… And kudos for staying healthy. I definitely overdo it, but it’s a life style and we all have our obsessions… I just have a lot of them.
Dude… we grew up in a different age bro, if you’re 15 that means you were 2 YEARS OLD when that show came out… (you were watching Teletubbies – also released in 1997) You don’t qualify to have an opinion on the matter. Buffy was an awesome show with a HUGE cult following. You’re 15, you’re just baby. (I figured as much, it shows… I was going to say 16 earlier… give you the benefit of the doubt). Don’t worry though, in about another 15 years you’ll remember this and think differently about it… I wouldn’t expect you to understand. But seriously boy, every time you post you make yourself appear more ignorant… just stop while you’re ahead… I feel bad even lecturing you about it but you so obviously need the parenting.
As for Buffy… If you were my age back when the 1st season of Buffy was on you’d probably get hooked to – watching again now, yeah… I admit it doesn’t hold the same wonder for me… but I still loved it… PLUS, she was hot… and the show was fun – there really wasn’t anything else like it on TV at the time. And just look at how HUGE vampire based entertainment is with your age bracket right now!!! Buffy was WAY ahead of its time. It helped pave the way for many of the shows out there now. You know the ones… those that are popular with all the girls you hope to take to all your fancy high school dances this year.
Travis, you know that board game is probably worth a lot of money right now.
I’ll have to disagree with you a bit here, Travis. How weird, huh?
I think Buffy really does hold up. Of course, it does have a bit of cheese, especially in the beginning — actually a huge bit of cheese in the beginning — and the effects aren’t the greatest (it’s old, after all) — and the body doubles SUCKED … but that series really is one of the greatest. I just introduced my girlfriend — sorry, FIANCEE — to it and she absolutely loved it (of course, she HATES Twilight).
Watching it from beginning to end again after all these years just reinforced my feelings about how great the show was. The only thing I missed this time around were the multiple surprises, even the iconic pieces of dialogue like, “We will restore … your soul.” And what may be the best character return of all time when Giles says, “I’d like to test that theory.”
And hell, not only are The Body and Hush two of the greatest episodes of all time, of ANY show (though The Zeppo and Something Blue were two of my personal favorites), but there were so many twists and surprises in that show. The dialogue was often hilarious and once Whedon was given full reign to do whatever he wanted to do, he really pushed the limits. For god’s sake, the musical episode had a lesbian scene where Willow goes down on her girlfriend and makes her orgasm … and there was even a blowjob given by an invisible Buffy at one point. Take that, True Blood!
Jim…
Sorry if my comment was misleading. We most definitely agree.
Buffy is one of my all time favorites. And its re-watch value is outstanding. FUNNY – I’ve thought about getting my girlfriend into it to – Weird? What I meant by “doesn’t hold the same wonder for me” is simply because of the surprise factor… It’s a glorious piece of television work that blows way most all genre shows like even TODAY. I was more trying to put myself in Colt’s shoes in saying that Buffy was so cutting edge at the time, new, and fresh that watching it in today’s day and age may not have the same effect for some – especially at his age. So if I were Colt’s age and decided to give it a chance now I may find some of the effects dated and such – as you said. And he will have to embrace his inner CHEESE. 
… but that’s one of the things that makes the show so fun and quirky – yet balanced with such real death, danger, love, and drama. And to top it all off the humor was brilliant – is brilliant.
Buffy had the perfect balance of every element that makes a show so enjoyable and the proof is in the putting – a bad show doesn’t last almost a decade. I still get wide eyed when (spoiler) Buffy is forced to thrust her sword through Angels chest just after he gets his soul back… freaking epic emotionally ripping stuff. And that was just the beginning!!!
Travis,
Oh, I see. Yeah … that’s understandable, because one of the greatest things about Buffy were the surprises. My girlfriend was against seeing it at first (because she thought it would be dumb like Colt does), but she fell in love with it. She already wants to watch it again. Luckily, she didn’t know anything about it, so she got to experience those surprises and it was cool watching it again through her eyes.
I don’t want to turn this into a Buffy forum, but it’s not like we’re disturbing anyone. So let me just say that Joss Whedon taught me A LOT about writing. He taught me that I can go against the norm and not follow the “rules” so strictly. And he taught me how to take a convention and turn it on its head. So I have a lot of respect for the guy.
I didn’t get into the show until a friend told me about the whole Angel storyline in the second season. Then I started watching the third season and the episode that made me an obsessed fan was “The Zeppo.” That episode is still one of my favorites … with the “behind the scenes” apocalypse and all that. “Yeah, but being blown up dead isn’t the same as walking around with your buddies dead and I just don’t think you’re ready for that.”
It’s been awhile since I laughed so loud. Thanx yall!
seriously i just want to know what was taking so long foe all to realize they were dead
Its funny what you end up reading on the internet.
You could say taste in films, tv & books etc, are innate. But opinions aren’t.
Taste in films, tv and books are with you when you are born? Yet opinions are not?
Wha?
Any talk of something “geek” is going to inevitably include talk of other geekish things. Just the nature of the beast. lol
I thought this comment section was for further discussion of Lost. If you want to argue, exchange email addresses or something please.
I just finished the series and found this sight. I see that many were disappointed with the ending and I can honestly say that I wasn’t except for the fact that it was all over. I still want more!!! I enjoy reading the comments on here because most of you have so much to say and further the explanations of the questions that I have with the whole LOST experience. “Whatever Happens Happens” seemed to be an on going theme through out and that kind of put it all into perspective for me. All of the speculation that people have about what could’ve happened or what should’ve make it clear that it was meant to be as it ended. The writers intentionally left the loose ends for all to wonder weather liked or not. It is all left to interpretation and we all have something to say about it. Brilliant!!!
Hellcat… they weren’t all dead. Or do you mean during the purgatory scenes during the final season? That’s the only time we see them when they are dead is in the sideways universe.
I have just spent a happy half-hour or so, here in the beautiful South-West of the UK, reading through all of your comments, theories, arguments etc.
The point I would like to put across is that I have never seen the show and have no opinions on it whatsoever.
I am currently under the influence of alcohol and have to visit a psychiatrist once a month on the instructions of my doctor who has also prescribed Prozac for me.
Hopefully this clears up the entire “Lost” saga once and for all.
Hello!