Lost: Series Finale 'The End' Review & Spoilers

[UPDATE: If you're feeling like the series finale left a ton of unanswered questions, check out our in-depth Lost Finale Explanation.]

This is it. The day that Lost fans have been waiting for. After six years, we now know the whole story of what happened to the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 on its way to Los Angeles. Never before has a crash on a mysterious island been, well, so mysterious.

For now we're putting this up for you to discuss the Lost season/series finale and we'll update it with our in-depth review shortly after the the show airs.

Considering Lost is such a unique show, it’s only appropriate that the final episode be as unique. With two-and-a-half hours to wrap up the series, all your questions should have been answered. Alright, maybe not all of your questions – finale or not, this is Lost after all.

Of course, when it comes down to it, it’s not about whether all your questions have been answered or what exactly happened to Hurley’s CD player when the batteries died, it’s about the journey and whether you loved the series finale or hated it, you can’t deny one thing… this has been one hell of a journey.

That being said, if you’re posting comments here, assume that anyone in the conversation has seen the series finale of Lost – if you haven’t seen the episode, what are you doing here? Get to your TV and watch one of the most talked about finales in television history.

In all honesty, if you’ve yet to see the finale, I would highly recommend that you don’t read these comments here until you have. You’ve been warned.

Review -

The screen has cut to black for the final time on Lost. The epic conclusion to one of the most critically acclaimed television shows in history has aired, leaving only one question - did creators Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof give fans a finale worthy of all the anticipation?

Okay, maybe that's not the only question that remains.

It's been an incredible season, with a solid mix of shocking moments and deserving reveals, but Lost definitely saved the best for last.

locke lost finale

Of course, some viewers will still be frustrated by the amount of interpretation (or lack of irrefutable answers) sill left in the wake of the finale, but I thought the balance between closing up the plot, while refraining from spelling-out every imaginable answer, was well handled. Though Lost has become popular on the basis of the hook, "what's going to happen next" - the primary focus of the series has always been the characters.

Ultimately, the finale did a great job of completing these stories. There were a number of especially powerful moments - Jack and Christian's reunion, Locke's post-surgery recovery, Ben and Hurley teaming up to run the island, and Locke and Jack watching from above as Desmond is lowered into the heart of the island (a throwback to the season 1 finale). Both Locke and Jack's deaths felt like natural conclusions - moments they'd been led toward from the start of the series (i.e. handled significantly better than the death's of Jin and Sun).

lost series finale jin sun

The off-island reunion, which could have felt forced, ultimately ended up serving as nice opportunity to reunite with characters we hadn't gotten to see in a long time: Boone, Shannon, and Juliet (though, where was Mr. Eko?) - giving closure to some of the character's who were sacrificed along the way. The flashes to the island also did a great job of not only allowing viewers a glimpse at how far we have come, but also provided a few of the most touching moments of the night - especially Charlie and Claire's reunion.

The on-island drama did a solid job of clarifying a few of the more subtle points developed over the series, while also driving the characters toward the inevitable show-down between Jack and Locke - as well as the fate of the island. The dialogue between Locke and Jack was especially poignant - drawing from years worth of personal history and summing up the evolution of Jack's movement from a man of science to a man of faith.

The passing of the torch to Hurley was also great. Though having to watch the group fumble around for a water bottle to complete the initiation ritual made what was a surprising and enjoyable moment - sort of awkward.

One question that wasn't answered - and the only thing that felt like a missing piece of the puzzle was the lack of closure to Sawyer's "Anthony Cooper" plot-line (brought up early in the off-island sideways).

Sure there are numerous questions that haven't been resolved, but this particular plot-thread was the only one re-emphasized this season - and then completely dropped. Maybe it's just the fact that the Juliet/Sawyer relationship has always felt a bit rushed (from the viewer's perspective) - and their moment at the vending machine was all the closure we ended up getting for Sawyer - one of the most interesting characters on the show.

Then of course, the show ended. Given the fact that Lost has shot multiple endings in the past, (coupled with speculation over the "endings" that aired on Kimmel), there's been a lot of theorizing about whether or not Cuse and Lindelof had other ideas for how to end the series - theorizing the creators have repeatedly dismissed.

The "moving on" reunion was the only ending envisioned for Lost. While it may not be the definitive, end-all, that some question-eager fans would have liked, it offered proper closure to the story of the characters we were introduced to with the crash of Flight 815.

Final Thoughts -

The Lost series finale succeeded in the same way as the literary works that inspired it. It may not have answered every mystery or attempted to tie-up hundreds of years worth of island mythology but, like any great work of storytelling, the finale made us think.

Lost has carried viewers excitedly from episode to episode and sparked countless conversations around the water cooler, challenging viewers with subjects ranging from spirituality to time-travel - some of the greatest questions of the the universe.

Ultimately the biggest question that remains, at least for me, is: just how long it'll be before Disney announces a Lost spin-off feature film or television series. Cuse and Lindelof have been adamant about not being interested in telling any more Lost stories but, ultimately, Disney owns the franchise.

Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse and the cast of Lost talk about the series

The Target commercials that aired during the finale definitely hint at a dark future for the franchise.

Personally, I hope this is the last we see of Lost - instead of having to watch the show get tarnished by a series of money-grabs (especially if Cuse and Lindelof aren't at the helm).

What did you think of the Lost series finale? How do you interpret the ending? Are you hoping for more Lost (in the form of a film or new series) or are you ready to let go?

Confused by the ending? Check out our in-depth Lost Finale Explanation.

Follow me and Anthony on Twitter - @benkendrick and @anthonyocasio

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