Well, the journey is over. I watched the finale of Lost last night, and I hope you did too. Some people around the web have complained about it (there will always be complainers), but I loved it. If you are looking for answers to Lost, you have come to the right place. At least I hope so, because I am happy with the show based off of my answers, so if I am wrong don’t tell me.
First, let me just say I think this is the best T.V. show in history. The cast and characters, the scenery, the music, the plot lines and mystery, the themes, and everything worked together so well I could go on for days about it (and probably will).
Second, I want to hit on what I think is the primary message of the show, then I will move into some more specific thoughts.
I think the most important part of the finale was when Desmond said to Jack, When I put out that light, I am going to a place where everything is good and that nothing we are doing here matters.
Jack’s responded by saying something like, “no, this is the only thing that matters. There are no shortcuts or easy way outs in life.”
Sorry Desmand, no easy way out of this one
I think this was the main theme of the show. There is no easy way out, life is going to involve struggles, but ultimately they are worth it. If the people never experienced those struggles, they never would have been brought together. If they had not lived together, they would have died alone. But as we saw, they may have died in different times and places, but in the end they were not alone.
I think back to Jack and Locke’s argument in Season 2, “Why do you find it so easy to believe?” “It’s never been easy!”
It’s not supposed to be easy. But it is worth it because it changes us into who we are meant to be. I love this theme because it lines up so well with my beliefs about God. I believe wholeheartedly that God is all good and loving, but often He allows us to go through suffering. It is never fun, and it is never easy. In suffering we have a choice: will we choose to accept it and persevere, or will we choose to become selfish and take from others? When we choose to persevere, our character changes for the better. And we don’t have to suffer alone because God gave us a community of people to walk with through the hard times.
The man of faith
Do we always understand why we suffer? No. Did the characters in Lost? No. Will we know every little mystery about the show? No. And I don’t think we are supposed to. There are bigger things in this world at work than our minds. As much as we hate to admit it, it is true. We cannot know why everything happens, but we can have faith that there is a plan, and that God is in control.
But, there are some questions that have been answered for us. Here are some questions about Lost you may have that I will attempt to answer (I will continue to research and let you know more as the week goes on). Bear in mind that some of the answers will be simple, you may want more details, but I don’t think they are necessary.
1) Was the Man in Black really evil? And why was everyone brought to the island?
He doesn't look so bad, does he?
Yes. The man in black was evil. Stopping him is the reason they were all brought to the island. The real Locke was right, they were brought to the island for a reason, and until they accomplished their purpose they would forever be drawn back. The stakes were high, imagine the smoke monster taking out buildings in NYC and having his way. Why was he evil? Ultimately, it was his selfishness and pride. He wanted to get off the island so bad that he would do anything for it. He worked with evil people, killed his “mother,” used and killed anyone who got in his way. All he cared about was himself, and he did not see the need for anyone else. He was a tempter, he seemed to want to do good and be honest, but he was neither. Some argue that honesty is the most important part of being a good person, but this is not the case. Hitler was pretty honest about his feelings towards others, but he was certainly not a good person. As we have seen, community is vital in LOST, and the black smoke rejected it. He was a loner, seeking after his own power and will, and was therefore evil. He had to be stopped. (As a side note, I thought it was one of the most intense moments in the show ever when Jack challenged Locke and then later attacked him on the cliffs. Woah.)
2) What’s the point of the Island?
I think it does what Jacob says, contains evil. At first I thought he was just referring to the smoke monster, and maybe he was, but I think it is more than that. The smoke monster is definitely the manifestation of this evil, but the island holds a special power. Men, in their pride and arrogance, constantly seek power. But as we have seen throughout history, power corrupts. We can take good things, like an island with healing powers, and seek to use it for our own good. We twist good things and so they become evil. That is why the island needed a protector, to keep man from attempting to take it’s power and becoming like the smoke monster, or worse. The power corrupted him absolutely, and it would do it to others as well. I see the island as a sort of Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
3) Was everything on the island real? Or just part of their “afterlife”?
The light!
Everything on the island had to be real. No way around it. Their afterlife experience is only seen in the flash “sideways” moments. Hurley told Ben he was a good number 2, for instance, because in real life he had been a good number 2. If we say it was all part of the afterlife, than the whole show is undermined because none of it mattered on an epic scale. As it stands, however, Jack really did have to save the world and all of their character change was legit.
4) Where did Jacob’s powers come from?
Being the Island’s guardian came with a special understanding of its power. I think Jacob was given some privileges to it because his purpose was to protect it from others. Through this power he was able to heal others and give them long lasting life and set rules for the island. His powers, however, were limited.
5) What about Ben? Is he dead yet?
Yes, but he still has some things to work out before he can go on to final rest. As do Ana Lucia, Daniel Faraday, C.S. Lewis, and the rest of the gang who didn’t move on.
Ultimately, it was the characters that made this show for me
I may have some more thoughts later. Post your comments here, I would love to hear some questions and get some debate going. I thought the finale was great, and I thought they focused incredibly well on what has mattered to me most about the show: the characters. Did I like the stained glass window with every religion’s picture on it? No, not really, but I expected it. I don’t think all faiths are the same nor do they lead to the same place. If you disagree, what about someone who put their faith in the smoke monster and followed him no matter what? But that is the pluralistic culture we live in I suppose. I am just glad that their stance on suffering was so refreshing. In modern culture, we always want the easy way out, and quite frankly, they don’t exist. When we pursue them, we will never find closure (i.e. the first escape of the island) and we will never grow and we will never find peace.
Thanks Lost, for being the best tv show I have ever seen.
