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Finding closure with 'Lost'

Devoted fans await the final season of the obsession-creating show.

By Joey Vergara

Published March 19, 2010

Imagine if Gilligan had found a polar bear on his island. Or a Smoke Monster. Perhaps a gargantuan four-toed statue? Instead, he only had to deal with weekly hi-jinks and a perpetually annoyed Skipper. How carefree the '60s were.

"Lost," too, is a reflection of its time. Although time travel might not yet be a method of transportation, the interconnectedness of today's world is crucial to the show's context. The characters were miraculously brought together — was it really Jacob's doing or just by coincidence? — and now must untangle themselves from this shared history.

As "Lost" comes to a close, fans find themselves in an awkward position. This is a six-year-running obsession coming to an end, a passion that will only find release on six color-coded DVD sets. On the bright side, the pieces of the puzzle will finally fit into place. The pieces will no longer shift like a time-traveling island come May.

There's plenty about "Lost" that makes it like other shows: love triangles, plane crashes, even the time travel and some of the other more unusual plot devices. What separates "Lost" from the rest, though, is its literary and cinematic scope. There are layers upon layers of philosophy, religion and metaphysics within what is at first glance a simple premise — the downed Oceanic 815 and a seemingly lonely island. "Lost" takes basic human relationships and puts them in extraordinary circumstances, revealing the unexpected connections that entwine people.

The characters might not be aware of their import at all times, but they have glimpses. Locke sees the ruthless hand of Fate; Jack has been wishy-washy but also has his moments of almost clarity. Gifted in their own special ways, from Hugo's and Miles' conversations with the dead to Desmond's Billy Pilgrim-like otherworldliness, many of the characters bring in additional special elements to the show.

This final season of "Lost" is certain to disappoint even some of the most devoted of fans. What else can a show with so much hype and so many remaining unanswered questions do? (Trust me, I still want to know how Kelvin got to the Island too.) Executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof ("Darlton") have promised an ending befitting of both the show's convoluted nature and fan's emotional attachments, bringing the story to where it began.

So far, this season has done just that by yet again altering the show's format and inverting the audience's expectations. In retrospect, each season has been tinted by a certain tone. Season 1 left everyone curious and unsure, Season 2 brought in us-versus-them conflict. Season 3 faltered halfway before delivering some of the series' greatest hits. Season 4 took an incredibly dark tone, giving the writers the leverage necessary to unveil in Season 5 the sci-fi elements that had been there all along.

Season 6 should be the show's greatest, as the writers ask not only, "What will be" but "What if?" It's the opportunity to reveal the uncertain footing beneath the show as what you once thought was certain becomes something completely unexpected. "Lost" has always been a matter of interpretation and a conflict between science and faith. For the show's faithful, questions will always remain.