Wednesday, May 26, 2010

LOST Correction: Ben and his motives

Yesterday I wrote my theory as to why Ben stayed behind (instead of "moving on"). I incorrectly assumed that meant he was waiting on Danielle and Alex Rousseau to die, too. In reality (the Island reality, that is), Alex was already dead, as was Danielle, if I'm not mistaken.

So, the Rousseaus are already dead, as is Ben, in the Sideways World. Maybe he's just waiting on them to have their "awakenings" or maybe he just wants to have a life with them, even if it is in the Sideways World.

Either way, consider this my correction of yesterday's flawed conclusion about Ben and his motives.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Reaction: The Lost Series Finale

It's been less than 12 hours from the time we learned the fate of the Losties. And the more I think about it, the more I am OK with it.

At first, the whole sort-of-Purgatory thing was contrived. The producers said way back when that the Losties were not dead and not in Purgatory. They should have added a "...yet." But I supposed that would have spoiled the surprise(s).

Either way, the finale worked for me. Sure, there were a few other things I would have liked answered, but I supposed I would have to turn in my Lost Lover Card for asking for answer to EVERYthing.

Here's what I would have liked to know more about:

> Vincent (so, he really was just a dog?)
> Walt (he was special but never to return?)
> Eloise Hawking (she knows all the answers and can live in both worlds?)
> What, exactly, is the Smoke Monster (and why so mechanical-sounding? was that supposed to be something we could/should know?)

My thoughts on the ending. The Sideways World was the sort-of-Purgatory, and the Island was the real world. Just like Christian explained to Jack, everyone died ... eventually. Whether they were on the plane with Lapidus, already off the island or hanging out with Hugo, they all had to die; that's life. Once each person died, he or she started their own Sideways life. So, when we saw Jack and Rose talking to each other on the plane after the turbulence stopped, they were already dead. I'm not suggesting they died in the crash in the "Pilot." The crash and the non-crash are completely unrelated; they just happen to be a similar moment in both lives.

The part that clinched (né explained) the ending for me was Ben and Locke's conversation outside the church. The fact that Ben stayed back signaled that it was the "In Waiting" world. Ben, ultimately, is waiting for Alex and Danielle Rousseau to die, so he can "move on" with them, as one, big trigger-happy family.

All of this, of course, occurred to me after some thought on the subject, given that my jaw was dropped in confusion/slight anger immediately following the closure of Jack's eye.

I guess what I am saying is that, for all the questions it left hanging, this was still one of the better, more memorable series finales I have ever seen. Maybe because it was the only appointment TV I've had in years, or maybe just the 5.5 hours worth of show and fanfare. Either way, this blows the more recent event finales (Friends comes to mind, 24 still to come) WAY out of the water.