"Lost" Perspective

Yes, I am going to join the millions who have already either commented or are writing their own comments, observations, and opinions on “Lost”, both the series as a whole but most especially dealing with the series finale which aired last night (05/23/10) as something of a spectacular event.

I have numerous friends, including my dear wife, who simply don’t get it. They do not understand how and why “Lost” got as big as it did or why many of its fans (me included) were so, well, fanatical. Some ask “What the hell is up with the damn polar bears on a tropical island?”, or “Did I hear somewhere something about some stupid smoke monster?” Yes. Yes, you did. And there are many convoluted strings and several storylines which cropped up and seemed to go nowhere. But this happens with all series’. If you, as a viewer, cannot engage your suspension of disbelief and try to enjoy it for what it is (i.e. escapist entertainment), then you really have no right to even consider watching. You are not the target demographic. “Lost” differed from much of what television has to offer by providing intelligent writing. What I mean by that is that the scenes, the dialog, and the varied storylines demanded that each viewer actually pay attention to what the hell was going on. You could not be a “casual” viewer of “Lost”; there was simply too much going on. I am a firm believer that if you didn’t catch the wave when it premiered – and followed through – then you truly would be lost.

“Lost” was so much more than just an annoying adventure drama taking place on some island. “Lost” – from the beginning – was always a morality play. Even during the first season, I recall telling Amy, “They are dead already. Watch. The island represents Purgatory and the trials and tribulations they will endure will be proven to be tests designed to help each individual to move on.” Whether Amy paid any attention to me when I said that is, perhaps, questionable given that she tend to fall asleep during anything – movies or TV – which tend to last longer than 30 minutes (except, of course, “Real Housewives of New Jersey” or “Top Chef”, et al).

Good vs. evil, technology vs. nature, unfathomable mysteries of the universe vs. logic. All of these concepts and battles require setting what you think you know about life and the world around you onto some high shelf, out of the way, in order for you to truly absorb what is going on and deal with it. “Lost” demonstrated these struggles in practically every episode, but did so much more than that by underlying not simply the frailty of human nature, but also its resilience and strength. Why did these people always seem to have some sort of pre-destined connection with each other? Why were they “chosen”? Because they shared perhaps the single most important moment anyone can have in their lives: Death. They were together in their final moments, melding their loves, their lives, their dreams, their fears, their joys, their…everything together into one fantastical voyage.

It is so very easy to be dismissive of “Lost”, especially if one simply does not have the time, patience, or – perhaps most importantly – the imagination to enjoy the journey and look just a little bit further beyond the surface. I commented last night to Amy that I have probably seen more of “Lost” than most people I know, having watched each original airing, each rerun, and each “enhanced episode”. And even I will probably strive to buy each of the seasons on Blu-ray because I know that even with all of that exposure; I had to have missed something.

So, as the weeks move forward and you get tired of all the wrap-up hype, try for a second to look beyond the obvious and just what is presented on the surface and attempt to understand that there really was so much more to “Lost” than just what you may have overheard at the water cooler. Get back to me after you check it out on your own. I am confident you will have come up with your own opinions and will have a much different perspective that will move beyond all of the hype and help you toward some better understanding.

Or maybe not…