The epic Lost post
Jun. 28th, 2011 11:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
next_to_normalLost feelings. I haz 'em.
Okay, first order of business - I have heard that there is some sort of epilogue thingy? Which is apparently on the DVD but available neither via Netflix Instant Watch or Hulu. Is it worth getting the DVD in the mail to watch it? That goes for all the Lost extras, actually. If there's anything I shouldn't miss, tell me which season/disc it's on so I can rent it.
Second, I think Lost and BSG made the same mistake in setting themselves up as "mystery" shows, where the fans expect answers, and then making the mystery into some epic Meaning of Life, Spirituality, Foundations of the Universe mythology. Because let's be honest - people have been crafting stories to explain those things for millions of years and none has ever been totally satisfactory. What makes a showrunner think that he can do it in five or six years? I appreciate that both shows are willing to tackle the "big questions," but they're kind of setting themselves up for failure because it's a story that ultimately has no easy answers. Or even ridiculously complicated answers. Allison Janney was rather prophetic when she said, "Every question that I answer will just lead to another question."
That said, I think Lost still manages to tell a compelling story, thanks to some brilliant actors who were given well-developed characters and heart-wrenching emotional moments to play. And the unanswered questions that bothered me the most weren't the "workings of the universe" questions; it was the questions that would shed light on the characters that I felt needed to be explained.
So, let's talk about the characters. Starting with the action on the island, I wasn't in the slightest bit surprised that Jack turned out to be Jacob's successor. Of course it's Jack - but what is surprising is that the reason why it has to be Jack is (for once) not that he always has to be the self-sacrificing hero or is incapable of letting others lead. We've seen him relinquish that role over the last two seasons. We've also seen him abandon his Man of Science routine and adopt Locke's Man of Faith posture - and that's why it has to be Jack. Because it's always been Jack vs. Locke, only now they've swapped roles and traded their humanity for some kind of demigod status. If anyone is going to go up against a monster wearing Locke's face, it's going to be Jack. They even call it back with the joke about looking down a hole with Desmond at the bottom - "Maybe there's a button down there and we can argue over whether or not to push it."
And I love the way it brings Jack full circle. In a way, it makes me like early-seasons Jack a lot more in retrospect, knowing that the hero schtick isn't just him being a pompous ass we're supposed to root for anyway because he's in the lead role. Because over time, that role has been subverted almost entirely. His whole experience on the island was to prepare him for this moment, to break down his God complex and teach him to follow someone else's lead, so that ultimately he could submit to the higher power of the island and do what needs to be done. (And yes, the sublimation of one's own desires to serve a higher power is a religious metaphor that I think is entirely deliberate.) And we see him going even further, sacrificing his relationship with Kate (sending her off with Sawyer, of all people!) by making sure she gets off the island when he must stay, and then not coveting his new status as protector, but willingly passing the mantle on to Hurley - who has also been groomed for leadership this season, much of it with Jack's encouragement. It was a little slow on the upstart (I could've done without most of S3!Jack's nonsense), but that's a damn impressive character arc.
That's really been the purpose of the island for everybody, hasn't it? As Jacob says, he chose them because they were all "flawed," and each of them needed to learn something about themselves or seek redemption for something they'd done. Which is why it's important that they always had free will and could choose their own paths and make their own mistakes. (It kind of cracks me up, though, that they have free will to do anything except kill themselves, apparently.)
That's also why I really liked the moment when Jacob says, "It's just chalk on a wall, Kate." After all the cockamamie theories about who and why and how the candidates were chosen, the explanation is elegant in its simplicity. And it's a moment that really defines the series' approach to these mysteries as a whole - so much is made of the "rules" but what it really comes down to is choices. Rules can be broken, lines can be erased, even time can be folded in on itself, and it seems rather ridiculous now to think that so many of the rules that were thought to govern the island were somehow set in stone, when they're really just the product of other people's choices.
Does it answer all of the questions and wrap up the dozens of loose plot threads this show has left in its wake? Not in the slightest. But as a conclusion to the narrative about these characters, it's fantastic.
So, the sideways universe. I had mentioned toever_neutral that "everybody's dead" was one of my working theories, so I wasn't shocked that it turned out to be an afterlife of sorts. (I admit, though, given a choice between the "normal" world where the plane never crashed and the fantastic events on the island, I'd probably have picked the island as the afterlife 'verse.) I don't really feel that I understand how the sideways universe operates, though, and that's where I have some issues with unanswered questions.
I know I said no "workings of the universe" questions, but this universe is apparently a construct of the characters' minds, which makes it a character question. On the one hand, it's a good thing it's all made-up, because it means I can completely ignore some of the wonky passage of time, and the seemingly bizarre coincidence of all of these people running into each other was deliberate so they could find each other in the afterlife.
On the other hand, because it's completely a construct, it sort of reflects on the characters who created it. I'm kind of interested to go back and think about what each character's situation reveals about how they see themselves (assuming that each one subconsciously crafted his or her own circumstances). But I don't understand (aside from the obvious actor availability issues) why only certain characters seemed to exist in the sideways universe (where were Michael and Walt, for example? Or - I can't believe I'm saying this - Nikki and Paolo?) and even fewer were "ready" to move on at the church (Ana Lucia, Daniel, Charlotte, Miles, Lapidus, and then Ben staying to be with Alex, like, why couldn't she go with him?). Is it just that those people weren't important enough to the main characters that they'd want to be reunited? They're not cool enough for the dead kids' table? And yet Penny - who wasn't even ever on the island - gets to be part of the club? Since it doesn't seem to matter when, where, or how they died, it seems like an arbitrary and possibly callous exclusion on the part of the characters who "found each other" and moved on.
On the other hand (er, how many hands is that...?), the reunions in the sideways universe were fabulous. It was exactly the closure I was missing for a lot of characters and relationships - it was especially great to see Juliet FINALLY show up, and Sun and Jin together again, and Locke making peace with Jack and Ben. It was pretty cliche that most of the characters found their "soulmate" in the sideways world, though - and also WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS WITH SHANNON AND SAYID? How is she possibly more important to him than Nadia?? And why does Boone get totally, incredibly shafted in the afterlife? I also kind of lol'd at how easily Jack and Juliet just abandoned their son. Granted, he's technically imaginary, but you'd think they'd still kind of feel bad about it.
So, I guess what I'm saying is that, while I'm okay with the idea of the sideways world and appreciated the goals, I think it occasionally worked for individual character moments - and for setting up the possibility of some hilarious spin-off series - but overall the execution could've been much better. Even if it's not 100% satisfying, though, I certainly don't think it takes away from the island storyline or the series as a whole.
For those of you who either don't want to be spoiled or don't care to read the entire review, here's the bottom line on Lost: The writing was, as promised, very frustrating at times (S3 I am looking at you), but I loved it way more than I hated it. I absolutely think it was worth watching, and I do not regret the time I spent on it.
Okay, first order of business - I have heard that there is some sort of epilogue thingy? Which is apparently on the DVD but available neither via Netflix Instant Watch or Hulu. Is it worth getting the DVD in the mail to watch it? That goes for all the Lost extras, actually. If there's anything I shouldn't miss, tell me which season/disc it's on so I can rent it.
Second, I think Lost and BSG made the same mistake in setting themselves up as "mystery" shows, where the fans expect answers, and then making the mystery into some epic Meaning of Life, Spirituality, Foundations of the Universe mythology. Because let's be honest - people have been crafting stories to explain those things for millions of years and none has ever been totally satisfactory. What makes a showrunner think that he can do it in five or six years? I appreciate that both shows are willing to tackle the "big questions," but they're kind of setting themselves up for failure because it's a story that ultimately has no easy answers. Or even ridiculously complicated answers. Allison Janney was rather prophetic when she said, "Every question that I answer will just lead to another question."
That said, I think Lost still manages to tell a compelling story, thanks to some brilliant actors who were given well-developed characters and heart-wrenching emotional moments to play. And the unanswered questions that bothered me the most weren't the "workings of the universe" questions; it was the questions that would shed light on the characters that I felt needed to be explained.
So, let's talk about the characters. Starting with the action on the island, I wasn't in the slightest bit surprised that Jack turned out to be Jacob's successor. Of course it's Jack - but what is surprising is that the reason why it has to be Jack is (for once) not that he always has to be the self-sacrificing hero or is incapable of letting others lead. We've seen him relinquish that role over the last two seasons. We've also seen him abandon his Man of Science routine and adopt Locke's Man of Faith posture - and that's why it has to be Jack. Because it's always been Jack vs. Locke, only now they've swapped roles and traded their humanity for some kind of demigod status. If anyone is going to go up against a monster wearing Locke's face, it's going to be Jack. They even call it back with the joke about looking down a hole with Desmond at the bottom - "Maybe there's a button down there and we can argue over whether or not to push it."
And I love the way it brings Jack full circle. In a way, it makes me like early-seasons Jack a lot more in retrospect, knowing that the hero schtick isn't just him being a pompous ass we're supposed to root for anyway because he's in the lead role. Because over time, that role has been subverted almost entirely. His whole experience on the island was to prepare him for this moment, to break down his God complex and teach him to follow someone else's lead, so that ultimately he could submit to the higher power of the island and do what needs to be done. (And yes, the sublimation of one's own desires to serve a higher power is a religious metaphor that I think is entirely deliberate.) And we see him going even further, sacrificing his relationship with Kate (sending her off with Sawyer, of all people!) by making sure she gets off the island when he must stay, and then not coveting his new status as protector, but willingly passing the mantle on to Hurley - who has also been groomed for leadership this season, much of it with Jack's encouragement. It was a little slow on the upstart (I could've done without most of S3!Jack's nonsense), but that's a damn impressive character arc.
That's really been the purpose of the island for everybody, hasn't it? As Jacob says, he chose them because they were all "flawed," and each of them needed to learn something about themselves or seek redemption for something they'd done. Which is why it's important that they always had free will and could choose their own paths and make their own mistakes. (It kind of cracks me up, though, that they have free will to do anything except kill themselves, apparently.)
That's also why I really liked the moment when Jacob says, "It's just chalk on a wall, Kate." After all the cockamamie theories about who and why and how the candidates were chosen, the explanation is elegant in its simplicity. And it's a moment that really defines the series' approach to these mysteries as a whole - so much is made of the "rules" but what it really comes down to is choices. Rules can be broken, lines can be erased, even time can be folded in on itself, and it seems rather ridiculous now to think that so many of the rules that were thought to govern the island were somehow set in stone, when they're really just the product of other people's choices.
Does it answer all of the questions and wrap up the dozens of loose plot threads this show has left in its wake? Not in the slightest. But as a conclusion to the narrative about these characters, it's fantastic.
So, the sideways universe. I had mentioned to
ever_neutral that "everybody's dead" was one of my working theories, so I wasn't shocked that it turned out to be an afterlife of sorts. (I admit, though, given a choice between the "normal" world where the plane never crashed and the fantastic events on the island, I'd probably have picked the island as the afterlife 'verse.) I don't really feel that I understand how the sideways universe operates, though, and that's where I have some issues with unanswered questions. I know I said no "workings of the universe" questions, but this universe is apparently a construct of the characters' minds, which makes it a character question. On the one hand, it's a good thing it's all made-up, because it means I can completely ignore some of the wonky passage of time, and the seemingly bizarre coincidence of all of these people running into each other was deliberate so they could find each other in the afterlife.
On the other hand, because it's completely a construct, it sort of reflects on the characters who created it. I'm kind of interested to go back and think about what each character's situation reveals about how they see themselves (assuming that each one subconsciously crafted his or her own circumstances). But I don't understand (aside from the obvious actor availability issues) why only certain characters seemed to exist in the sideways universe (where were Michael and Walt, for example? Or - I can't believe I'm saying this - Nikki and Paolo?) and even fewer were "ready" to move on at the church (Ana Lucia, Daniel, Charlotte, Miles, Lapidus, and then Ben staying to be with Alex, like, why couldn't she go with him?). Is it just that those people weren't important enough to the main characters that they'd want to be reunited? They're not cool enough for the dead kids' table? And yet Penny - who wasn't even ever on the island - gets to be part of the club? Since it doesn't seem to matter when, where, or how they died, it seems like an arbitrary and possibly callous exclusion on the part of the characters who "found each other" and moved on.
On the other hand (er, how many hands is that...?), the reunions in the sideways universe were fabulous. It was exactly the closure I was missing for a lot of characters and relationships - it was especially great to see Juliet FINALLY show up, and Sun and Jin together again, and Locke making peace with Jack and Ben. It was pretty cliche that most of the characters found their "soulmate" in the sideways world, though - and also WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS WITH SHANNON AND SAYID? How is she possibly more important to him than Nadia?? And why does Boone get totally, incredibly shafted in the afterlife? I also kind of lol'd at how easily Jack and Juliet just abandoned their son. Granted, he's technically imaginary, but you'd think they'd still kind of feel bad about it.
So, I guess what I'm saying is that, while I'm okay with the idea of the sideways world and appreciated the goals, I think it occasionally worked for individual character moments - and for setting up the possibility of some hilarious spin-off series - but overall the execution could've been much better. Even if it's not 100% satisfying, though, I certainly don't think it takes away from the island storyline or the series as a whole.
For those of you who either don't want to be spoiled or don't care to read the entire review, here's the bottom line on Lost: The writing was, as promised, very frustrating at times (S3 I am looking at you), but I loved it way more than I hated it. I absolutely think it was worth watching, and I do not regret the time I spent on it.
no subject
Date: Jun. 29th, 2011 03:45 am (UTC)Allison Janney was rather prophetic when she said, "Every question that I answer will just lead to another question."
L
M
F
A
O
I think Lost still manages to tell a compelling story, thanks to some brilliant actors who were given well-developed characters and heart-wrenching emotional moments to play.
100% word.
They even call it back with the joke about looking down a hole with Desmond at the bottom - "Maybe there's a button down there and we can argue over whether or not to push it."
I LOL'D SO HARD.
And I love the way it brings Jack full circle. In a way, it makes me like early-seasons Jack a lot more in retrospect, knowing that the hero schtick isn't just him being a pompous ass we're supposed to root for anyway because he's in the lead role. Because over time, that role has been subverted almost entirely. His whole experience on the island was to prepare him for this moment, to break down his God complex and teach him to follow someone else's lead, so that ultimately he could submit to the higher power of the island and do what needs to be done.
THIS. THANK YOU. GAH. See, this is why I have such a hard time with people explaining why he's my favourite male? There are plenty of other characters I LIKE more consistently, but their character arcs don't even touch this shit. And actually, this is sort of what I was expecting from Jack's arc all along? I never read him as being a Voice of Truth so much as a really flawed human stumbling along, so I was always in a "just you wait" mode of thinking.
Aaaaand complete word also about the show being far, far better with character narratives than the big ~mystery~ business. I mean, the characters are why I invested in the first place, so I was one of those who was mostly happy with the finale.
it seems like an arbitrary and possibly callous exclusion on the part of the characters who "found each other" and moved on.
Yeah, agreed. I try not to think about the Sideways verse too much.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS WITH SHANNON AND SAYID? How is she possibly more important to him than Nadia?? And why does Boone get totally, incredibly shafted in the afterlife?
FFFFF- PREACH, WOMAN. Haha, is it totally shallow for that to be my one big beef with the finale? Like, really? Boone gets to be BEAT UP IN AN ALLEY SO HE CAN REUNITE THE GIRL HE LOVES WITH SOME DUDE SHE LIKED FOR A WEEK? Hysterical. And depressing. Ian S. is so my woobie.
The writing was, as promised, very frustrating at times (S3 I am looking at you), but I loved it way more than I hated it. I absolutely think it was worth watching, and I do not regret the time I spent on it.
*glomps you*
no subject
Date: Jun. 29th, 2011 05:55 pm (UTC)Hahahaha, yeah, and it's kind of hard to explain without spoiling it, I suppose. I'll admit, I was not confident that this is what they had in mind for Jack all along - particularly in S2 and S3 when the show seemed mired in the mud. But the more I watched, the more I trusted them to handle things, I guess?
I mean, the characters are why I invested in the first place, so I was one of those who was mostly happy with the finale.
Yeah, that seems to be the divide in fandom - it depends on what kind of show you thought you were watching. But - and Lindelof actually says this in the interview I just linked - I kinda think the people who were expecting all the answers have no idea what the process of writing a TV show is like. I mean, there is NO WAY they could anticipate precisely how things would go, which actors would be available, which characters would be popular, how many episodes they'd have to tell their story, how SF/F they could make it without losing the audience, etc. So even if they had a basic arc mapped out, with a planned mythology, there was a lot of floundering around in the middle to connect the dots, particularly before they were given an end date. That's not to say they couldn't have done better (I'm not sure what the excuse is for the first half of S6), but to expect that there won't be ANY dead ends is kinda unrealistic.
no subject
Date: Jun. 29th, 2011 09:57 pm (UTC)I think this is exactly why the finale works for me. As much as I love a good plot, and as much as I would have liked to have seen more of the mysteries solved, the show has always been all about the characters for me. And I found the resolution to the storylines of the characters I cared about incredibly emotionally satisfying - which is rare in a TV show these days.
I can understand why some fans of the show were disappointed, but I definitely wasn't one of them. And it's the only finale I can ever remember watching several times in a matter of days after first airing - and still finding it just as effective each and every time. In fact, I couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks after I first watched it, it made that much of an impression on me.
I'm glad to read you were mostly happy with the way the show ended. It was definitely one rollercoaster of a ride, wasn't it? :)
no subject
Date: Jul. 6th, 2011 06:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Sep. 11th, 2013 08:35 pm (UTC)I liked it a HUNDRED MILLION times more than the BSG finale! Like, LOST never pretended to be making a whole lot of sense, so the fact that it ended up going for the emotional and allegorical worked fine for me.
JACK, WAAAAAAAH. I started out skeptical and ended up really into him too, I think he was my favorite by the end.
why does Boone get totally, incredibly shafted in the afterlife?
I...actually liked this? Boone was so codependent and externally-defined in his life, it felt very satisfying that he finally learned to stand on his own in death.
no subject
Date: Sep. 12th, 2013 04:23 pm (UTC)HOW DID JACK END UP MY FAVORITE? IDEK. I've never seen a show so brilliantly break down the hero complex, though.
Oh Boone. You will forever remain my woobie.