Lost - Should I have finished it?

FARGO said:
I really, really like it. An amazing journey and similar to Twin Peaks in regards to the reception of the last few episodes.

Not for everyone but you won't know until watch it all ;)
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Quoted for the truth it is and yes I watched it all to the end and thought they ended it brilliantly. Granted it jumps around like crazy and at some points you're really left wondering what the **** happened there but that just adds to it all imo. Noticeable mentions must go to Michael Emmerson who played the part of Ben Linus brilliantly:

Especially the scene where he's forced at gun point to dig his own grave - he's still in shock at killing his own daughter and cracks saying he'll "go to Locke" because "No one else would have him"

Another mention has to go to the utterly gorgeous Evangeline Lilly in her little (tiny) black dress :p
 
It's a cliche but the journey was more important than the destination.

Lost stands up as a great show no matter how it ended. In some respects they might have been better off just getting cancelled and not ending it at all, it would probably be higher regarded than it is.

So what if you didn't find out why everything happened, you had a great time wondering along the way.
 
Morfik said:
It's a cliche but the journey was more important than the destination.
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This should have been true, but the writers even seemed to lose track of this. Introducing new characters that had a poor, or non-existent back story. Plodding along with weak episodes that did nothing to strengthen the 'journey' of the main characters.

Lost would have been so much better if they'd dispensed with 50% of the last 3 series and instead focussed on expanding the handful of truly great episodes that they had.

I was a huge fan, but it's blatantly obvious that the writers either lost their way or deliberately watered down the content to prolong the show as long as possible.

So to come back to the OP's question - is it worth watching to the end? No, I don't think it is. The most significant parts of the 'journey' are told in the early series, that is where you really engage with the characters. There are a handful of excellent episodes towards the end, but that's all.

The ending just ties the journey off, but it would have worked at just about any point in the show, as it just relies on you having an emotional tie to the main characters - which Lost achieved very early on.
 
cm1179 said:
tbh i thought the ending to twin peaks was quite simply .......... genius
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But it wasn't an ending :p There were plans for a third season but Twin Peaks was never renewed after failing ratings during the second season. Fire Walk With Me was supposed to cap it off but ended being more of a prequel. .... Back to Lost folks ;)
 
Weazle said:
But it wasn't an ending :p There were plans for a third season but Twin Peaks was never renewed after failing ratings during the second season. Fire Walk With Me was supposed to cap it off but ended being more of a prequel. .... Back to Lost folks ;)
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I think there are some parallels that can be made between the two shows; especially relating to the White and Black Lodge's... but yes, back to LOST! :p
 
cm1179 said:
this moment was one of the most incredible bits of tv ever

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Agree. There were quite a few moments like that early in the show. Setting up all the "WTF?" questions was totally gripping and when the show was at its best. There were some fantastic individual episodes later on, but those early seasons were incredible TV.
 
I worked with 2 guys who watched this religiously, every episode and then did all the "fan" stuff afterwards on the message boards etc. trying to work out the answers for all the questions.

They still twitch nervously to this day when anyone mentions the ending to Lost :p
 
I watched it all the way through. I wish I hadn't. I can accept the 'it's more about the journey than the destination' argument, but it doesn't work for me. It was completely unsatisfying and retrospectively tainted the rest of the show. I suppose if you know that there isn't a satisfying ending coming, then sitting through the whole series won't feel like such a waste of time. But for me, it did.

That said, however, it is worth watching for a certain episode which occurs at some point before season 5. I won't tell you which one it is as knowing it's a good episode will spoil it, but for me it ranks up there with West Wing's Two Cathedrals as one of the best bits of television I have ever seen. In spoilers for those who have seen it:

Through the Looking Glass, the final episode of season 3, where we find out the flashbacks have suddenly switched to flash forwards, and Jack says to Kate 'we have to go back'. I have never been so shocked at a twist. Top writing.
 
Masterdog said:
I watched it all the way through. I wish I hadn't. I can accept the 'it's more about the journey than the destination' argument, but it doesn't work for me. It was completely unsatisfying and retrospectively tainted the rest of the show. I suppose if you know that there isn't a satisfying ending coming, then sitting through the whole series won't feel like such a waste of time. But for me, it did.

That said, however, it is worth watching for a certain episode which occurs at some point before season 5. I won't tell you which one it is as knowing it's a good episode will spoil it, but for me it ranks up there with West Wing's Two Cathedrals as one of the best bits of television I have ever seen. In spoilers for those who have seen it:

Through the Looking Glass, the final episode of season 3, where we find out the flashbacks have suddenly switched to flash forwards, and Jack says to Kate 'we have to go back'. I have never been so shocked at a twist. Top writing.
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I agree (also completely agree with the spoiler comment). I felt that the writers just got in over their heads with the numerous arcs and story lines, and by the beginning of the final series they just accepted that they couldn't cover everything off so just went for an ending which was mutually acceptable for most of the characters.

I've not watched any of it since the day the finale aired - this thread has made me watch the final two episodes again!
 
gettothechopper said:
jack dies on the island in about the same spot he woke up in s1e1 hurley becomes the new island protector, with ben as his helper, kate, sawyer and claire escape the island on a plane, years later after everyone has died (naturally or otherwise) they meet up in limbo with everyone else, kate looks hot in little black dress, then they all move onto the next phase of the afterlife
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Thanks

but that's a bit lame! And in limbo? Such a easy exit! Better to have the island blow up and kills everyone....

How did Jack die? I guess trying to get the others onto the plane.

What is the role of the island protector? Protect from what? What was the Dharma project?
 
Raymond Lin said:
Thanks

but that's a bit lame! And in limbo? Such a easy exit! Better to have the island blow up and kills everyone....

How did Jack die? I guess trying to get the others onto the plane.

What is the role of the island protector? Protect from what? What was the Dharma project?
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everything that happened on the island actually happened, its just some other stuff you see in series 6 which is the limbo stuff and its not really connected with anything going on in the other 5 series, it makes sence when you watch it

jack gets stabbed by the bloke who is the smoke monster (who at this point has taken the form of locke :-) )

island protector bloke is to protect the island from people who want to exploit it / anyone that arrives (like oceanic 815) the others were doing this, but in a nasty bad way, hurley takes over and does it in a nice friendly way instead lol

dharma was a bunch of hippy scientists investigating the strange things that happen on this island, they all got wiped out by the others in the early 80's
 
gettothechopper said:
everything that happened on the island actually happened, its just some other stuff you see in series 6 which is the limbo stuff and its not really connected with anything going on in the other 5 series, it makes sence when you watch it

jack gets stabbed by the bloke who is the smoke monster (who at this point has taken the form of locke :-) )

island protector bloke is to protect the island from people who want to exploit it / anyone that arrives (like oceanic 815) the others were doing this, but in a nasty bad way, hurley takes over and does it in a nice friendly way instead lol

dharma was a bunch of hippy scientists investigating the strange things that happen on this island, they all got wiped out by the others in the early 80's
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and what was the island? why did they decide to start showing limbo? why did people meet up again in limbo after they had all died naturally or otherwise?
 
toshj said:
I agree (also completely agree with the spoiler comment). I felt that the writers just got in over their heads with the numerous arcs and story lines, and by the beginning of the final series they just accepted that they couldn't cover everything off so just went for an ending which was mutually acceptable for most of the characters.

I've not watched any of it since the day the finale aired - this thread has made me watch the final two episodes again!
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I just don't agree. The ending was the conclusion of the entire emotional artc of the series. Everyone gets hung up on where they all end up, and people seem to forget the fact that it spends a great deal of time resolving all the stories of the main characters.

Lost is a show all about emotion and characterisation. The final episode brings this to a conclusion perfectly.
 
THMRK said:
Lost is a show all about emotion...
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I agree with that. When I saw the finale I was filled with all kinds of emotions. Rage, incomprehension, horror that I had wasted so many hours for that. etc, etc.
In my opinion, they didn't so much 'jump the shark' with Lost, more like take a dump in the water and walk away giggling like schoolgirls whilst they count the cash.
 
toshj said:
I agree (also completely agree with the spoiler comment). I felt that the writers just got in over their heads with the numerous arcs and story lines, and by the beginning of the final series they just accepted that they couldn't cover everything off so just went for an ending which was mutually acceptable for most of the characters.

I've not watched any of it since the day the finale aired - this thread has made me watch the final two episodes again!
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THMRK said:
I just don't agree. The ending was the conclusion of the entire emotional artc of the series. Everyone gets hung up on where they all end up, and people seem to forget the fact that it spends a great deal of time resolving all the stories of the main characters.

Lost is a show all about emotion and characterisation. The final episode brings this to a conclusion perfectly.
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You're both right I think ;) The showrunners probably wanted to do more of the island but decided with the limited time they had to focus on the characters while fitting as much mythology as possible. TBH, I wouldn't have it so that everything is explained .... a lot of shows had tried to explain things on a finale that really didn't quite meet the expectations the whole series had built up (eg. Battlestar Galactica & Fringe).

I'd rather have no answers (leading me to speculate, debate and think about it) rather have it handed to me on a platter and then going "is that it?".
 
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