Recap: LOST - "THE END"

Lost – “The End”

I am writing this much later then I expected. Between life interfering and just wanting to gather my thoughts. I knew this would take awhile. I might as well start with my initial thoughts. At this point everyone has watched it…

I loved it.

LOST was never intended to be about this mysterious island. It was always about this group of people that came to this mysterious island. The characters have always been what ultimately mattered. These people are who we were ultimately invested in for 6 seasons. Every character got a final resolution. Every major mystery that mattered in the sense of getting us from point A to point B was resolved.

LOST was never going to answer every question. Honestly I’m glad it didn’t. My imagination and intrigue in the mystery was always more satisfying then the actual answer (most of the time). Every question answered would have killed all those great theories that we all have come up with through the years. It would not have killed the legacy of the show. But it wouldn’t make it quite as fun. I’ll give a perfect example for myself: the 4 toed statue. As soon as it was revealed that this statue was of an Egyptian Goddess that had to do with pregnancy, I immediately thought “oh my God, the statue being destroyed totally has some sort of magical curse with the island and the pregnancy issue!” I was dying for this reveal. Like everything on LOST, to some it was intriguing, to others it wasn’t. I never once considered that the destruction of the statue could be something that could (technically) happen in real life.

And that’s exactly what did happen. A ship in a big tsunami-like storm hit the top of the statue and it crumbled. No magic powers, no pregnancy issues, nothing. There is nothing wrong with this answer whatsoever. In fact, it was kinda cool that they killed 2 birds with 1 stone. We saw how the Black Rock ended up landing inward and how the statue crumbled. My point is: I had this crazy expectation and theory on what happened to the statue. Suddenly I found the answer I was given was not as much fun as wondering about the mystery. Just like there are mysteries in life, there will forever be mysteries in LOST. And I am glad there are…

The Flash sideways storyline: What I think I loved most about the LOST series finale was that it was pretty simple and straightforward. I think we were all expecting this big twist and turn at every corner. Sure we got one at the end but it made total sense. The sideways world was a place that the Oceanic 815 survivors and other island inhabitants made together. Looking back at the season it’s pretty intriguing to look at the sideways world in this whole new light. Each character created a life for themselves that they had been yearning for in their real life. Until they were finally ready to let go and move on. Jack created his son David, a great son who was proud of his father because of the relationship he had with his father. Desmond had always wanted Charles Widmore’s approval in his life with Penny. In the sideways world he had it. What I think is really interesting is that Locke both had a life where he finally got to spend quality time with his father, but also one in where his dad was pretty much a vegetable. Almost as if being punished for how horrible of a man he was. Talk about one’s conscience creating a situation for ones self. There were hints throughout the episode of what was going on in the sideways: Desmond telling Kate he wants to leave THIS place. Jack telling Locke he’ll see him on “the other side” before the surgery, etc. We then see each of the characters go through their island awakenings…

Jin/Sun: See Ji Yeon during the ultra sound and remember their real life with the aide of Juliet.

Sayid/Shannon: Lot of people complained about this. I personally really dug it. Life with Nadia had always been more of a dream then a reality for Sayid. When he finally got to be with her she was run down on the day that Jacob touched him. Although it was brief, he had feelings for Shannon when they met on the island. I found it very interesting that even in a world he helped create Sayid was not with Nadia. Even in this fake world him getting involved with her got him into trouble. It was never really meant to be. I found it very interesting that his true love was this stranger that he only knew for a few months. Boone had clearly been awoken at some point by either Hurley or Desmond as well.

Kate/Claire/Charlie/Aaron: Claire goes into labor and it first triggers Kate’s memory when she helped assist Claire with Aaron’s birth. Claire then begins to remember. Then Charlie does as they touch. I’ll dive into Aaron at the end.

Locke: After the surgery with Jack, Locke is able to wiggle his toe. This is similar to Jack’s ex-wife Sarah’s experience after surgery. Locke then remembers his happy adventure with his fellow survivors on the walkabout that was the island. This moment with John happens to be the first flash for Jack as well. When we see Jack and John looking down the hatch it’s Jack who is remembering, not John.

Sawyer and Juliet: At the vending machine in the hospital. Before they both fully remember we get to see Juliet’s final words that she was saying to him before dying: about getting a cup of coffee, “going Dutch, it worked”.

Jack: When he finds Kate at the concert and they kiss. But still he is not 100% there yet. He is the last to truly “let go.”

I’ll touch on the last few scenes of the sideways at the end.

Island storyline: Again, very straightforward. Jack has now become the new protector and has been told of the MIB’s intentions: To put out the light at the source and destroy the island, which would lead to the end of the world. Desmond is a weapon/fail safe in case the candidates failed. Both sides want him for their gains.

While I never suspected Ben would truly align with the MIB, he is still Ben. Yes, he gave Miles a walkie so he could communicate with him to fool the MIB. But by holding Sawyer at gunpoint and bringing him to the MIB this was Ben’s way of not keeping all his eggs in one basket. I don’t think Ben truly remains with the “good guys” until the MIB reveals to him that he really does plan to destroy the island. The MIB is either very confident that his plan will work or he is worried that Sawyer is trying to con him by saying they are no longer candidates and he fears what might happen to him by breaking the rules and attempting to kill Sawyer. Either way he allows Sawyer to go because if he is able to sink the island everyone dies anyways.

Rose/Bernard and Vincent alive and well! Not much to say, when everyone flashed from 1977 (due to the bomb) they flashed again too. They rescued Desmond and broke their own rules of not getting involved in any more drama to help him. MIB leaves them alone when Desmond quietly agrees to go with him. Desmond has seen “the other side, he doesn’t care what the MIB wants him for. He even correctly assumes he is going to a place with a bright light. He knows he is being used as a pawn. He knows he’ll end up in this happy place regardless of what happens.

The two groups then meet. As soon as MIB says he is surprised that Jack is the new protector since he seemed like the obvious choice you just knew some sort of twist was coming. It’s also important to note that Jack says he wasn’t chosen, but that he chose. That he was able to use freewill to choose his own destiny. MIB and Jack and company peacefully agree to go through the bamboo grove and to the source together, since they both want to do the same thing: lower Desmond into the source and put the light out. MIB believes this will bring destruction. Jack believes it will allow him to kill the MIB.

Before Desmond goes into the source, he and Jack discuss this “other happy place” that Desmond had been to. Jack mentions that he tried to make a shortcut once before, there are no do-overs that “whatever happened, happened.” By the end of the episode this is all confirmed accurate. The bomb did NOT create the sideways world. Miles was right: By trying to prevent the incident, the survivors created the incident. All the bomb did was contribute to the incident and flash those stuck in 1977 back to 2007. Whatever happened, always happened!

As Jack and MIB begin to lower Desmond down to the source one of my favorite moments of the entire episode takes place. We have seen Jack had been embracing faith/destiny, we’ve seen him bring up John Locke and how he was right the past few weeks. But nothing was quite as awesome for me as seeing Jack defend Locke’s memory and knowledge like he did to the MIB in this moment. It was the ultimate moment of respect. Loved it.

I found the interior of the source to be a very interesting place. I am under the belief that “Mother” had gone in there and was a smoke monster along with being a protector. So I wasn’t surprised to see other skeletons in there. It turns out that Jacob’s cork metaphor was actually literal as well. There really was a “cork” that was keeping the balance of the underworld and the light. If you look closely at this stone you can see hieroglyphics on it. So we know it’s man made and that this area had been messed with. Most likely the plug had been made to keep everything stable. Notice also how Desmond, a dude who can stand major amounts of electromagnetic energy was thriving in pain while trying to move the source. This clearly was the most powerful pocket of energy on the island.

I found it very interesting that the MIB grabbed a rock and used it to knock Jack out before heading toward Desmond’s old boat. “Mother” had knocked him out in human form against the stone down by the wheel. Not important, just found it interesting. Turns out both Jack and MIB are right. With the light removed the island is starting to be destroyed. But MIB has been turned mortal. I’m assuming Jack, like Jacob, was also ageless when he became the protector. No longer the case anymore. Once the light was removed it was like hitting reset on your Nintendo.

I have not mentioned the other island storyline going on during all of this: Richard/Miles and Frank! Turns out Frank survived getting knocked out by that sub door. Chalk this up to the island not being done with him yet. I was certain we would finally see the mysterious group that shot at the time travel losties back in season 5 when Richard and Ben rescued Frank. Alas we do not. I have my theories on just about everything including this. I’ll save it for another time. The trio head to Hydra Island to get the Ajira plane off the island.

I really dug the Richard Alpert getting his first gray hair. You can say this has to do with Jacob’s spirit officially moving on and the light going out. Love that when Richard finally became mortal is when he finally started enjoying life.

MIB gets to the cliff by the candidate cave to start his descent to Desmond’s boat. The final battle happens. Liked that Kate was able to use that final bullet. Out of everyone I think she was the least likely pick to take out the MIB. Jack pushes him over the cliff and he’s dead. Pretty strong visual: The MIB so desperately wanting to get off the island, ends up dead at the very bottom of one of the Island’s cliff. The boat he was going to use is right there to finally take him across the sea.

Jack and Kate have their final moment before she leaves with Sawyer to Desmond’s boat. When she gets to Hydra island, she is able to convince Claire to come with them on board the Ajira plane. The “Ajira 6” if you will: Frank, Richard, Miles, Sawyer, Kate, Claire prepare to take off from the sinking island. Ben doesn’t have a life outside of the island so it makes sense for him to stay. Hurley didn’t really have much of a choice due to his size.

The final 20 (or so) minutes of LOST: I had to combine both the final sideways and island moments together for this.

John arrives at the Eloise Hawking church that was once operated by the Dharma Initiative. Ben apologizes to him, admits he was jealous because John was special. John has let go at this point. The man who was obsessed with finding his purpose and figuring out what the island was simply just didn’t care anymore. He, like the other survivors had made peace with his life. He is just ready to see everyone again and move on. Despite all the manipulations, the gunshots, the strangles, John Locke is able to forgive Benjamin Linus. AMAZING. In his final moment before entering the church, he stands up from the wheel chair and sends it flying back.

On the island, a dying Jack now realizes what his real destiny is: To plug the source in and bring the light back. I read a cool theory that when Juliet told Sawyer earlier in the episode how if you unplug the vending machine and plug it back in, that the candy bar just falls right down. This was a hint at how to defeat the MIB and also bring the light back. I totally dig it. Because when Sawyer did unplug the machine the power in the room briefly went out and turned back on when he plugged it back in.

Jack explains to Hurley that this is what is supposed to happen. His destiny is to die while saving the world. That Hurley must take the responsibility of being protector of the island. Great touch that the cup used to make Hurley the next protector was an old Oceanic water bottle. Personal opinion: Since Jack made Hurley protector while the light was not on and since he didn’t whisper anything over the cup of water like Mother or Jacob did, Hurley is a mortal protector of the island.

Jack goes down into the source and tells Desmond he has done enough and to go back to his family. He feeds Desmond that infamous line from their past: he’ll see him in another life. Hmmm, very interesting. Hurley and Ben lift up the rope and find an injured Desmond, not Jack. Ben advises a nervous Hurley that he should do what he does best: take care of people. He can start by getting Desmond better and back home. Prediction: Desmond will leave the island in the very boat that got him there, the Elizabeth. His race around the world will end up be him leaving the island to return to his family.

Ben tells Hurley that people were not supposed to leave the island was one of Jacob’s rules. But maybe Hurley can make his own rules, better rules. This was the best indication we were ever going to get about the rules. The protector of the light is given the power to establish certain guidelines on the island. In Hurley, Jacob ultimately wins the battle that people are not bad. Hurley truly has never really shown a bad bone in his body and will probably be the greatest protector of all since he cares most about others. He asks Ben to be his right hand man, aka his Richard Alpert. Ben is honored. I thought that was a great resolution for Ben. The man who was so obsessed with his power and has been on a slow path of redemption is humbled and honored to now step into a different type of role that suits him much better.

Ben sitting outside the church shortly after John has entered: Hurley and him compliment each other on being a great team. This scene is clearly placed here to show us that the island and everything on the island was real.

Jack finds the plug and places it back into the source. He succeeds and the light and water returns. Like Jacob’s brother body after his soul was ripped out, Jack awakens in the creek outside the source. Why is Jack still alive and not a smoke monster? I read a cool theory that after “Mother” was killed her rules died with her. So when Jacob shoved his brother down the source he actually did kill him when his head hit the rock. So since he was dead that is why his soul was ripped out and turned to smoke. Jacob then put this rule back into play when he become protector. I thought this was interesting to mention. Personally I just think the light senses the type of person that you are. Jack passed the test.

Kate brings Jack to the church and explains this is where they will have his father’s funeral. He can go in the back and she will be in the front waiting for him. Jack is confused. He enters the back room of the church. Notice: All the different religions that are represented in the church. Jack sees the coffin and when he touches it, he is finally ready to let go. He sees memories of the day of the crash, of his conversation with Locke where John tells him he has to be the leader, of the day when Sawyer told him he met his dad in a bar in Australia, and memories of Kate, etc.

Christian Shephard then appears. Everything that comes out of his mouth I 100% believe is true. The sideways world is revealed to be a timeless place that the survivors made together. This church in the real world helped find the island, in this world it helped them find each other. It is a place for them to remember their lives, and realize these other more “perfect” lives that they created for themselves were not perfect at all. The most important time was the time they spent with each other. As powerful and magical as that island was, the most important thing it did for all of them was bring them together. These “lost” people all got a clean slate and “found” themselves through their experiences. When they were truly ready they would all remember and finally let go. No longer lost they would move on together.

Jack walks into the church as Christian walks towards the front doors. He is first greeted by John who utters the last line of the series “We’ve been waiting for you.” They smile and shake hands. Their relationship has gone full circle. Jack was no longer a doubter, but a full believer. The man of science and the man of faith had fully become one. Jack then shakes Desmond’s hand, hugs Boone, the man he tried so hard to save but couldn’t, Sawyer, etc. The group then sits down in the church arranged in a similar way to sitting in an airplane, which is fitting. Christian opens the doors let’s the light pour in on all of the survivors.

As this is happening we get our final moments on the island. This is where the show truly comes full circle. A wounded Jack staggers out through the very same bamboo grove where he first woke up the day Oceanic 815 crashed. He passes his father’s old tennis shoe, which is still sitting on a branch three years later. He lies down and touches his side where he was stabbed. Think back to season 5 when in the church Jack was looking at the painting of Thomas the apostle who could never believe in the resurrection of Christ. It wasn’t until he touched the wound himself. Jack was stabbed in the same spot. I’m not at all saying Jack is Jesus. Just that this was another way of drilling home that Jack is now no longer the doubter, but a believer. We’ve been getting a hint all season that Jack was dead. Every part of his body in the sideways world where he was seen bleeding was where he got cut by the MIB. The final wound on his side was represented in the sideways world by the appendix scar that he noticed for the first time.

In the pilot, the camera came down on Jack as he laid in the bamboo grove. Now it moves up and away from him. In the pilot, Vincent walked out of the jungle and woke Jack up to begin his journey. Now he comes and lies next to him so he doesn’t die alone. In the pilot, Jack looked up and saw just the sky. Now he sees the Ajira plane fly away from the island. He smiles, he did what he had always wanted to do: fix things. The last shot of the series echoes the first shot of the series: a close-up of Jack’s eye. To signify the beginning of the story Jack's eye was seen opening. To signify the end of the story we see it close. The story is complete, the end.

As for the shots of the Oceanic 815 parts sitting on the beach during the end credits. ABC admitted that this was not part of the show. Just final images that they thought would help segway into the news. They did not die when the plane crashed. The island was real. Everything Christian told Jack in the church is accurate. I took those final images of the plane crash in a whole different way anyways. When Jack and company started exploring the island and discovered hatches, orientation films and broken statues, etc. They wondered who these people were that came before them on this island? These final shots of the plane crash will be the same exact thing for future visitors to the island. They will wonder who these people were.

The sideways world was not purgatory. Purgatory implies that you are going to be judged. No one in the sideways was being judged. It was simply a place that they went because they were not ready to move on yet. They all needed to remember their lives together. Also purgatory = Christianity. The church shows that all faiths were together in this place. So where did the survivors go? Heaven/afterlife, etc? Mother said the light represented life, death and rebirth. Perhaps they become part of the light. It’s for us to decide. I do think this though: if the light went out on the island, then it would go out in every person and all over the world. Not only would everything cease to exist, but also without the light there would be no place for us to move onto.

Here is a breakdown of what I think every character left alive goes on to do. I’m going to assume everyone who left the island remains in contact somehow.

Sawyer: leaves the island and makes up for lost time with his daughter. Somehow goes on to live an honest life.

Kate: helps Claire get better and raises Aaron with her.

Claire: See above.

Miles/Frank/Richard: Miles has those Nikki and Paolo diamonds! He shares the wealth! I actually was really intrigued with Richard. I think everyone predicted he would die and we’d see some reunion with his wife. I think it’s very interesting that gets to leave the island no longer needing to do any work for it and just appreciate life now that he is mortal.

Desmond: gets better and sails home to be with his family.

Hurley/Ben: Help get Desmond better. Give Jack a proper burial next to John Locke and the other people buried at their beach camp. Rebuild the island community peacefully with those that are left: Rose, Bernard, and Vincent, the few others who are still alive. Establish better rules and guard the light. There will be an epilogue on the season 6 dvd about Hurley/Ben rumor is Walt will be in it and it will answer more questions.

I believe they were trying to tell us you move on with who you are suppose to move on with. Who mattered most for you. Daniel Faraday was awake in the sideways. He was waiting for Charlotte to remember before moving on. Desmond told Hurley not to bother Ana Lucia. Because she was not ready yet. Even Eloise Hawking, who has been aware for a long time was not ready to move on yet. She finally had what she wanted in this limbo world. Miles would move on with his father and probably the rest of the freighter crew. Eko with his brother, Richard with his wife, etc. That is why they were not in the church. Ji-Yeon would go with her grandparents and other family members. Aaron’s most important time was with all these people as a baby. Christian had waited for his son before moving on.

As for Ben not entering the church. He still has to come to terms with the horrible things he did in his life. He also wants to make up for time without Alex in his life. He will probably wait for her and Danielle to be ready. It’s a similar situation to Eloise Hawking.

MY only issue with anything is Michael. Why can Charles Widmore and Ben exist in this other realm but Michael is forever part of the whispers on the island? He tried to redeem himself on the freighter. I’m hoping if Walt is indeed going to be seen in the epilogue that more will be said on this. Personal theory: Walt returns to the island and gets to spend his days with his father. Walt becomes the next island protector after Hurley. Just a theory that I highly doubt we will ever be given enough evidence to prove it real or not. But this way Michael has a happy ending in a way.

I’ll be back with my own rebuttal to college humor’s video of Lost’s unanswered questions. In which I will answer every question they present. I’ll eventually be writing the entire story of lost out in chronological order. This will take a long time and I won’t even start it until after the epilogue chapter is released. This will most likely be the last thing I write about the show. I will attempt to lay out every plot point and question the show has presented. Basically an extremely detailed synopsis. Based on the show, minisodes and other things considered part of the story and things the creators have said.

Namaste!