Quote: Kevin Murphy @ May 25 2010, 1:04 AM BSTI'm wondering if the fact that two long-running sci-fi shows independently employed near-identical series finale twists in the space of one weekend empirically proves my point about lazy writing.
Yes it does.
This type of ending is to the same standard as 'it had all been just a dream'.
Quote: Kevin Murphy @ May 25 2010, 1:04 AM BSTI'm wondering if the fact that two long-running sci-fi shows independently employed near-identical series finale twists in the space of one weekend empirically proves my point about lazy writing.
Just wondering.
Nah.
Plus Lost wasn't all purgatory, just the sideways world in this final series. The island and everything else was real. They had two endings really.
I love how most people who gave up on the show halfway through have seen or read about the finale and are mad because they don't understand the flashsideways aspect so they think the island timeline was purgatory, no it wasn't. Island = real.
I loved the final but I have to agree the impact of the flashsideways twist was slightly ruined for me due to having already seen the A2A final.
Quote: Swiss Zepplin @ May 25 2010, 9:35 AM BSTI loved the final but I have to agree the impact of the flashsideways twist was slightly ruined for me due to having already seen the A2A final.
Yeah, without Ashes it would have got more of a reaction from me probably; instead I turned to the person I was watching it with and said 'This is going to end like Ashes To Ahses, isn't it?'
I think the sideways purgatory aspect introduced in this final series really muddled things a bit. It added something extra that was separate from the main story, the mystery of the island, and so left the final episode feeling a bit confused. Or left me feeling a bit confused, at least. It wasn't as neatly done as Ashes as the purgatory bit was a new, separate thread from what had gone before. There was enough mystery without adding an extra new mystery, really!
I was actually expecting the island world and the flash-sideways world to need to come together to defeat the smoke monster and that the ending would involve everyone from the sideways world being alive again going off to the island to live happily ever after.
That would have made a much better ending after the pretty awesome set up of detonating the bomb and cancelling the plane crash, although it sort of didn't and having to stop the man in black escaping into the world in a Pandora's box stylee - the two alternate realities being entwined and coming together at the end.
Even if they'd had the whole thing turning out to be Jack's feverish imagination as he lay on the beach dying immediately after the plane crash, that would have been better (although stolen from Silent Hil).
Quote: Matthew Stott @ May 24 2010, 10:12 PM BSTWell. well. Hmm. Enjoyed it, but it left me a little confused as to what went on. The Island was real, right? But when they died, they would go to the sideways world, which was a kind of purgatory?
But the island was a real thing that was stopping evil getting out? Right?
Enjoyed it, but left me a wee bit baffled. Is that good or not, I don't know.
My thoughts exactly.
Quote: Kevin Murphy @ May 24 2010, 10:37 PM BSTCried like a bitch. Then, in the closing moments, slapped like one.
And a little of this.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ May 24 2010, 11:08 PM BSTBut they weren't supposed to be dead throughout Lost; the Island stuff was all real. They stopped evil escaping, yadda, yadda. Sideways world-purgatory; Island, real. That's what I took. And when Ben said Hurley was a good number one; it's because he'd been in the role a long time, not for just that little moment in this episode. But they all eventually found the'r way to the side ways purgatory. Which is also why Kate told jack she'd missed him; obviously she'd gone on to live longer after he died on the island. That's the way I was reading it all anyway.
And then this again.
And where were the pilot, Miles and Richard? I didn't see them in the church.
Quote: Nil Putters @ May 25 2010, 9:59 AM BSTAnd where were the pilot, Miles and Richard? I didn't see them in the church.
Still alive maybe? *shrugs*
It was a nice touch that Ben stayed outside the church at the end, still separate and conflicted.
Quote: Afinkawan @ May 25 2010, 9:55 AM BSTI was actually expecting the island world and the flash-sideways world to need to come together to defeat the smoke monster
Something like this for me too. Maybe the smoke monster got into the sideways world in Jack's Dad's body and has to be finally defeated there. Or something. It really wasn't until Jack opened the empty coffin that I realised what the sideways bit was.
I also though, after Lockes surgery and he opens his eyes and say's 'It worked' that that was going to be the smoke monster fella.
The purgatory aspect just didn't seem to fit as neatly here. In Ashes it did as that was clearly the whole mystery from day one, that was what that world was, but in Lost, it was something added to just this last series.
As I say, I still enjoyed it, but wasn't left completely satisfied.
As the last episode crept towards its bitter end, I was kind hoping this would happen on the island:
--
INT. CAVE.
JACK CORKS THE HOLE AND IS ABSORBED IN LIGHT.
EXT. CAVE ENTRANCE.
HURLEY AND BEN HAUL UP DESMOND, BUT HE'S DEAD.
EXT. POND.
HURLEY AND BEN FIND JACK'S CORPSE, LYING ON A ROCK LIKE THE MAN IN BLACK'S ONCE DID.
HURLEY: Dude, I guess I'm Luke now. Wanna be my padawan?
BEN (RAISING HIS RIFLE): No thanks, Hugo.
HURLEY: Oh, man, I thought you were a good guy now.
BEN: I'm afraid not. Pick up that water bottle. Make me "like you".
HURLEY: You serious?
BEN (SHOOTING HURLEY IN THE LEG): Deadly serious.
HURLEY: Aarrgh! No way!
BEN: Come on Hugo, you know this is what I always wanted.
HURLEY: You're crazy!
BEN (SHOOTING HURLEY IN THE OTHER LEG): I blame the island.
HURLEY: I won't do it dude. No way. You'll have to kill me first.
BEN: Okay.
BEN COCKS THE RIFLE AND AIMS AT HURLEY'S HEAD.
SUDDENLY, A TICKING NOISE. BEN AND HURLEY LOOK INTO THE JUNGLE WITH WTF LOOKS ON THEIR FACES.
WITH A ROAR, A VAST COLUMN OF *WHITE SMOKE* POWERS THROUGH THE TREES, GRABS BEN AND CARRIIES HIM THOUSANDS OF FEET INTO THE AIR, THEN DROPS HIM.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE BEACH.
HURLEY SITS ALONE
HURLEY: (long monologue about how he's going to miss everyone, especially Jack) I guess it's just me now.
JACK: You're not alone Hurley.
JACK'S STANDING NEXT TO HIM SUDDENLY.
HURLEY: Wurh?
JACK: (sentimental closing remarks)
JACK WINKS, TURNS INTO THE WHITE SMOKE, AND DISAPPEARS INTO THE TREES.
THE END
--
Apologies if part of it sounds a bit Deliverance.
I expect it was explained somewhere in series 1, but what was the bear all about then?
Quote: zooo @ May 25 2010, 11:48 AM BSTI expect it was explained somewhere in series 1, but what was the bear all about then?
There were time travel experiments, The Dharama Initiative were using the bears as test subjects. I think that was it anyway.
Ahh.
Poor old confused bear.
They never explained the giant statue that only had four toes on its feet. Boooo!!
Quote: Matthew Stott @ May 25 2010, 12:40 PM BSTThey never explained the giant statue that only had four toes on its feet. Boooo!!
The explanation was, "That? Oh that was here when I arrived."
Quote: Matthew Stott @ May 25 2010, 12:40 PM BSTThey never explained the giant statue that only had four toes on its feet. Boooo!!
Simple. Four toes are easier than five. Ask Matt Groening.
Quote: Kevin Murphy @ May 25 2010, 1:04 AM BSTI'm wondering if the fact that two long-running sci-fi shows independently employed near-identical series finale twists in the space of one weekend empirically proves my point about lazy writing.
Just wondering.
Is it lazy writing or god-botherers trying to stem the rising tide of unbelievers?
Just wondering.