The End of LOST

On Sunday, the end of an era of television came as LOST aired its series finale. By now it's clear that heavily serialized dramas like LOST aren't in fashion, which is fine because no series ever really managed to capture the elements that made LOST special. Some of those elements were on display Sunday night.

I have been hooked on the show since Sept. 22, 2004, when it premiered with a pilot that introduced us to a handful of great characters through one of the most unique television spectacles in history. There were so many questions, and it was clear the show as going to take viewers on a journey unlike anything they'd experienced before.

And it did.

But LOST wasn't always great. There were times — OK almost all the time — when it didn't make sense. There were weird plot twists, a lot of weird theology, and a number of mysterious plot devices that just sort of disappeared. And, of course, despite all the build up for the final season many of those questions were never answered.

But what I liked best about LOST were the interactions between the characters. The dense sci-fi elements, the new age theology, and the odd mythology weren't what kept me coming back, especially though what's been a weird final season. It was the characters.

That was the part of the finale I liked best. The emotional resonance of the characters finding each other, some after being separated for long periods, was gripping. Even if the ultimate explanation for how they "found" each other was beyond far fetched.

Of course, being a Christian, a lot of the "religious" aspects put into the show ran false. The idea of purgatory — though they never called it that and tried to dress it up as something nicer — is ridiculous. The fact that those ideas weighed so heavily into the explanation of events does somewhat cheapen the story, but the performances and the characters endure.

Someone asked me today what I thought of the finale. I have been somewhat hyper-critical of LOST this season because too often it was just plain weird. The finale was somewhat similar, but at least the writers showed some heart in the way they played out the interpersonal character dynamics, even if the ending was dumb.

After six years I can't say I totally understand LOST — I am not sure anyone can — but I did enjoy the journey.