I truly have “moved on” and “let go,” but I like “remembering.”  Plus, I feel like I want to put this out there. The six years I’ve devoted to the show deserve that.

I also want to give a shout out to Therese from Tubular.  They asked me to do a write-up on one of my favorite characters of LOST, and here is a link to that article!

Anyway, back to business…

I’m going to explain my views, just so you can add them to your collection. These are the views I had when I watched the show before discussing them with anyone else, and after watching it again, I still hold them dear to my heart. I’ve since found some people who agree with me, and others who believe differently.

For example, there are some theorists who think The Sideways wasn’t “real”…that it was a purgatory of sorts.

I disagree.  Kinda.  Let me explain.

Now, just because I disagree doesn’t mean I think people are wrong. I think that’s the beauty of LOST. None of us are wrong. It is what it is, and it all depends on who we are.

So, without further ado, here are some of my closing observations about LOST.

Is the entire Sideways a purgatory of sorts?
My view: No.

Okay, okay, let me explain. Some big names in the land of LOST Recaps have gone on record saying they feel the Sideways was a purgatory of sorts. That’s great. I respect that, and I can see where they’d come to that conclusion.

Personally, I see the evidence a little differently. I believe The Sideways and The Church are two different things.

As Desmond explains to Kate, “here” (meaning The Sideways) and “the church” (meaning the place they created together to remember each other) are two different things. He says, “No one can tell you why you’re here. I’m not talkin’ about the church. I’m talkin’ about here.”

To me, the church is a “gathering place” of sorts (some choose to use the word purgatory for this, and that’s fine, although that definition is rather limiting, in my opinion), but the Sideways really happened. I think Jughead was the boulder in the stream needed to divert the two timelines (like Daniel explained), creating the Sideways, and I believe what Christian told Jack about how they all created the church as a place to meet.

Add to this the fact that Christian explains to Jack that “Everything that has ever happened is real,” and that’s why I see a distinct difference in the two “places.”

Are they all dead?
To answer this question, I need to ask you this: Where?

Are they all dead in The Sideways? No. Are they all dead in The Church? Probably.  Yeah, okay, maybe.

Now, let me explain.

LOST is notorious for toying with the concept of “dead.” Does every one of them die? Of course, at one time or another. We all die.

Even Christian is careful not to give Jack a straight answer when he asks him point blank if “all of them” are dead. He says, “Everybody dies, kiddo,” and goes on to say that some have died before Jack and some “long after” him.

Is Jack dead? Yes, at the church. I can see that. To me, the conversation he has with his father proves that. It is interesting that Kate doesn’t go in the same door to the meeting place (church) as Jack does; Jack goes in the back.  Does this mean they are all just remembering Jack?  Maybe.  Are they really dead in the church?  I’ll get to this in a minute.

Are they all dead in The Sideways? Like I said, I really don’t think so. If Christian says it happened, I kinda believe it. If Desmond says it happened, I definitely believe it. In re-watching The End, I was reminded that Desmond tried to tell Jack about his Sideways Life, while ON the island. He tried to “wake him up” there. He told him he sat by him and the plane didn’t crash. He told him he was happy there.

I’m choosing to believe this means the Sideways really happened. I’m choosing to believe that Aaron was raised by Charlie and Claire.  Ji Yeon was raised by Sun and Jin.  Sawyer and Juliet get to live together.  Kate stops running.  Sayid and Shannon get to grow in their relationship.  Jack makes peace with his father’s memory, and so on.

I even have two views of the church.

First, I can see this:  They are all just subconsciously remembering everyone when they “go” to the church…

Or: When they are at the church, yes, all of them have already died.

Either way, we don’t know when this really is.

We don’t know when John arrives. We don’t know “when” any of them arrive. They all have on different clothes. Ben doesn’t have his arm in a sling. Hurley and Ben talk about their stint on the island after Jack’s death. We don’t know when this is. There is no now. Christian also explains that there is no “now” there. For some reason, I totally understand what he’s talking about. I mean, we don’t know “when” we’re looking at this place. 80 years could have passed, and this could be from 5 years ago, and it could be all at once.

That doesn’t mean the Sideways didn’t really happen.

Now, if you remember anything about the LOST observations I’ve had before, I’ve always been about trying to figure out the mysteries of the island. So, it would surprise you to realize that I don’t really care that they didn’t answer major questions.

Yes, I really am shallow enough that the moment Juliet and Sawyer kissed at the vending machine, aliens could have swooped in and turned the screen black, and I’d still be happy with the ending of LOST….because it means so much more to me than that.

So, there we have it. Those are MY views on how I’M interpreting the ending of LOST.

Part of me LOVES the fact that there is no clear-cut interpretation.  That is so LOST!

When I gave up looking for answers, the meaning just came to me: They all found each other. They all moved on. Does this mean they were all dead in the Sideways? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, the ending was beautiful.

As a shout out to all the remaining questions, I’m posting a link to a video. This video sums up the questions that are left, and it makes me laugh out loud.

AND!  If you’d like to see someone recap the entire series in less than 3-minutes, check this out!

Anyway, regardless of how you describe what they’ve shown us, and however you reconcile it in your head, we’ve come to the end. We know all we’ll ever know about LOST, and just like a good book, the meaning can shift and change as we do.  I’ll miss LOST terribly, but I was shocked to be happy at the end. I am truly happy for the characters.

I let go. I believed what they showed me. It was beautiful. The End.

Namaste & Good Luck!

I’ve had people ask me what I thought and I’ll say this:

I LOVED IT.

I love the fact that how it ended is just as much who the viewer is as what we saw. I’m taking a very simple approach to this, and I won’t spoil anything here…but my view is different than some and right on track with others.

And that’s okay.
That’s brilliant writing.

Was I satisfied?
Yes.
Were there major questions left unanswered?
Yes.
Am I actually okay with that?
Oddly enough, yes…but that’s because what I got from the ending trumps all of that.

*I* think it’s worth every minute I devoted to this show. *I* LOVED the ending. In true LOST style, there are people on both ends of the spectrum, and everywhere in between. The way they wrapped it up at the end was so unexpected and awesome that I haven’t stopped thinking about it. So…when someone asks me if watching the show was worth it or if they should continue or start, here is my LOST Disclaimer “Yes! Watch them…but you can’t blame me if it tortures you.”

Feel free to post spoilers in the comments. THERE WILL BE SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS. So, if you haven’t seen it yet, DON’T READ THE COMMENTS.

What did you think?

I’ve defended this show and its writers from the very beginning, and honestly, I’m finding that I need to defend it even harder toward the end.

Answers. I want answers. I don’t need answers to everything, but some of the key things would be nice. The fact that they’re throwing really cheezy things in at the very end is a bit frustrating, but it is what it is.

I’ve really tried to go with the flow this season and not map out what I think to be the perfect ending on my white board. Ha. Like it would all fit on one white board.

The ending is bittersweet for me. This show has been a huge part of my life for the last 6 years. That’s longer than my own daughter has been a part of my life.

Every once in a while, I get waves of sadness.
Yes, I know this is lame.

It’s just a show!

Right?
Right.

Anyway, I can’t wait to see what they throw at us tonight…and the Finale is Sunday. I can’t believe the end is so near.

And, as much as I want more answers, when feeling anxious, I remind myself that I’m just happy to know who was in the coffin!

I hope we see Libby and Hurley there.

…and it’s all LOST’s fault!

How will I remember which day is Tuesday after the Finale on May 23rd (which is a Sunday, by the way…SO confusing!)…?

Well, Tuesdays will be the nights I have my Lost Without LOST Support Group Meetings, of course.

I’m trying really hard to just watch the show. I don’t take notes. I’m not writing about my speculations in great detail. I’m just trying to soak up the show and see where it takes us.

It’s ending, and I’m very sad.

I do involve myself in some re-cap blog comment bantering, and I do participate in a LOST chat, if I have time, on the Wednesday following the episode.

I do have some theories, but I really am just trying to take it all in. That being say, here are some things I have bouncing around in my head:

I, for one, do not like Jacob. I don’t think he embodies all that is “good.” In my mind, he’s way too manipulative to be “truly good.” By that same token, I don’t think the Man in Black is “evil.” I don’t think either one of them is 100% of either thing.  BOTH of them have been behind people dying.  BOTH of them mislead people for their own gain.

I think they are a yin/yang. They are the black and white rocks sitting in the balance in the painting in Widmore’s office. They each have light and dark forces in them.

That being said, I think they are (or were?) the same being.

I could be totally wrong, and that’s okay.

I think the LOSTies need to band together to fight BOTH of them, or just let them duke it out while they make their escape.  “Live (fight them?) together, die alone” comes to mind. 

Also, I find it highly suspect that we get to the 6th Season to find out the show is about two random dudes who may or may not represent all that is good and evil? Really? I really hope it’s about more than that. (I do think the last episode “Happily Ever After” starts taking us in a slightly different direction than that, and for that I’m glad…and hopeful.)

Another thing that gives me pause has to do with when Desmond turned the fail-safe key.  Remember that?  The hatch exploded. The sky turned purple. The hatch door crashed onto the beach. Desmond shows up in the jungle totally nekkid, much to Hurley’s surprise.

And, the LOSTies go on as if nothing happened? Really? Who’s to say some time-wonkiness didn’t happen then?

Also, the Dharma Initiative people (and the Others, for that matter) have always referred to “The Incident.” They’ve never been specific in what that was. I’m thinking Jughead always went off….at least in some capacity. I’m thinking whatever happened to create the two timeline versions (2004B, the “sideways” we’re seeing now) could be related or could be something different altogether.

What happened, happened…right? I’m just losing track of which whats are what.

So, that’s what I’ve got bouncing around in my head. What about you? Are you a LOST fan? Are you analyzing it to death or just along for the ride?

All I do know at this point is that I will be lost without LOST. I’ll need to join a support group of some sort. Starting May 23rd, I’ll have time on Tuesday nights.

Finally, LOST is almost here:

(Thanks to my friend Michelle for enabling my obsession being a wonderful fellow Lostie and sharing the above widget.)

But, I do.
And, I’m not alone.

And somehow that makes it a little better.

So, until next year Losties!

Yes, I’ll do a Lost Observations post on the two remaining episodes when I get a chance…stay tuned!

Wait. What!?

And, odds are, I missed the episode last night, and I’m going to miss the finale.

I’m sorry…what!?

Yeah, when I scheduled this trip, the dates were what they were. There is no way to adjust for a television show.

It will be okay.
No, for real.

This vacation means more to me than any show ever could. Plus, we have DiVO. And, we’ll have a long, sad NINE MONTHS (The new season starts in January 2010, right!?) to watch them over and over if we so choose.

I hate being spoiled, but I’m not sure how to avoid it. The odds of me finding out who dies or doesn’t die or how they leave us hanging are quite high, but I’ve come to terms with it.

I would break out into hives, but I don’t think you can take Benadryl™ for Lost-induced emotional issues.

So, while you’ve already seen the next episode, here are my thoughts about the last one, The Variable:

• This episode was amazing in how nonchalantly they confirmed a bunch of information. For example, Widmore staged the plane at the bottom of the ocean. Widmore is Daniel’s father. Eloise Hawking is Ellie, The Other.

• So, is Dan dead-dead, as in really dead? You already know, so don’t tell me.  I would believe anything at this point.

• Did Ms. Hawking remember shooting her own son? It was, after all, her “past.” And, if so, how hard would it be to know that you eventually kill your own son?

• What are her motives for doing any of this?

• The previews eluded to Jack and Kate trying to follow through with Daniel’s plans. He’d said that if they changed things, Oceanic 815 would eventually land in Los Angeles. If that happened, what would become of JiYeon?

• And, if what happened, happened, but they changed things, what happened would still have to happen to change things, but it can’t happen if they changed things. Right?

Here’s a tissue. Your nose is bleeding.

To catch up with people who are actually present and accounted for regarding Lost discussions, be sure to check in at Therese’s blog.  You know it will be one of my first stops back when we return to civilization…but not after we’ve had a marathon 3-hour viewing session.

So, let’s get on with something I’ve wanted to talk about since watching Some Like it Hoth. I mean, we have what appears to be a 3rd party on the scene. I mean, who are the “Do you know what lies in the shadow of the statue?” people? Widmore? Ben? Original Dharma? And, I love episodes that have a lot of Hurley in them.

But, that’s not what I really want to talk about.
I want to talk about how you win some and you lose some…and what would that be?

Well, part of my Lost Time-Travel Theory was finally blown out of the water last Wednesday, but I’m okay with that. Wanna know why? Because I’d gladly be wrong about something if it means we get more answers.

Most of my theory is still standing, so there is that.  Plus, almost 3-months without being picked-apart is pretty good, if I do say so myself. 

This latest episode, Some Like it Hoth was Miles-centric, and I’m glad we finally got some more back-story on him. It was rumored that he was Dr. Chang’s son, so it wasn’t too shocking for me when they confirmed that.

What blew part of my theory out of the water?

Miles saw himself. Somehow, there was a copy of himself back in 1977. Now, he didn’t touch or interact with his younger self, so there is still the question of what happens in that event.

AND! Daniel Faraday comes off the sub at the end of the episode, so presumably, he was off the island in 1977, so there was another copy of him existing in the same realm there, too. Right?

I still, however, have a firm grasp on what can happen to whomever, based on their timeline. For example, Young Ben can’t die in 1977, because we know that he’s alive in 2004. 1977 is his Past. But, Hurley or Sawyer or any of the other Losties stuck in 1977 can die in 1977, because it’s their Present.

Where it becomes tricky is where something Miles-v.2004 does in 1977, could impact his own future. That’s where all the looping makes me dizzy. (For example, what if Miles-v.2004 warns Dr. Chang about what’s going to happen, and it’s because of his warning that Miles-v.1977 and his mother leave the island, forever hating Dr. Chang?)

The other question I have is, what if the future goes farther than we know? How far in the future does it all go? In other words, someone somewhere could be saying, “Well, I know that Hurley doesn’t die in this version of 1977, but really is his Past. Do you know what I mean? Does that make sense?

Well, as much sense as time-travel makes, I guess.