Mo Ryan from the Chicago Tribune had a long sit-down with "Lost" showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse back in December, which resulted in a terrific, spoiler-free three-part interview about their approach to writing the final season, what their expectations are of the fans' expectations (and whether this could be a "Battlestar Galactica" situation, where the ending upsets some fans to a degree that they disavow the entire series as a result), what their feelings are about Ewoks, and more. It's many thousands of words, and you can read Part 1, Part 2 and, today, Part 3. One thing that Cuselof have said, both in that interview, and at their last press tour session is that fans need to be prepared to not have every mystery explained for them. So with the final season premiere only days away (and critics aren't going to see this one in advance, since the guys don't want it getting out whether Jughead did its intended job or not), let me ask you this:
What one "Lost" mystery do you most care about getting an explanation for? And how much, if at all, will it affect your enjoyment of the final season if we get to the end and that one's not explained?
And the flip side: what one mystery would you be most surprised to get an explanation for?
115 comments:
Why do so many plots contain shoot outs?
Why do they say fair enough so frequently?
Sorry, just needed to get that off my chest.
In all seriousness, I am just curious to see if they explain things with an internally consistent scientific explanation, or will there be magic/the supernatural involved?
I think the big question I'm expecting the answer to is: "Guys, where are we?" Just what is the Island? Is it Eden? Is it, as EW's Doc Jensen thinks, a manifestation of mankind's belief in the spiritual? I think the Island has a reason to exist, and that reason is closely tied to the destiny not just of our characters but of mankind as a whole.
And one answer (of many) that I expect (and hope) we don't get is a nuts-and-bolts explanation of why some people (Walt, Miles, Hurley, and maybe Locke) are "special" and have "powers." I think the notion that some people are just special is something we're just going to have to buy into as a central tenet of the show.
Frankly, and I have been sayin this ALL ALONG for years now: John Locke is ALL that matters. His story is the HEART of the show. I want to know, when he comes back from the dead (for real this time!), since he is the one lying in the shadow of the statue (when the sun rises), if he is Locke completely, or did Jacob take possession of him when Ben killed him or is he going to be a mix of the two?
that is the mystery I care about the most. the rest ofthem are lesser to me but some I'd like to know.
Frankly, I don't want ALL of them answered. What would be the fun in that?
One thing I'd definitely like to see, not really a mystery, is a happy ending for Hurley.
It's hard to come up with one mystery that doesn't seem either too broad or too narrow. For instance, I can't say I'd feel satisfied if the only answer we got was "who is Adam and Eve?" or "why doesn't Richard age?" But at the same time, "how are all these people connected?" or "I want to see all the ends that got tied together as a result of the time travel" seems too much to hope for.
At the same time, I definitely think I can enjoy an ending that still leaves behind some mystery, as long as it's well done and it gives us enough of a hint that we can at least come to our own idea of what really happened. Right now, I don't really believe we have enough information to even come to a specific, plausible theory (although it's certainly fun to try). If the building blocks are there, and it's also just executed in a way that is fun to watch, it doesn't have to be all spelled out for me.
So I guess that's what I'm looking for. The building blocks.
I agree with your first question, Tom. I think "where are we?/what is the island?" is the biggest question of the series, and I think it may in fact lead to a number of answers to other questions. It also happens to be the one I want answered the most, so Im hoping they answer it, especially to see if I am correct (that it IS Eden).
There isn't any specific question I don't want answered; more so, I think there are a lot of little mysteries from the previous 5 years that don't need to be answered just for the sake of answering it. The best part of Lost is the mysteries, so I would rather have the show end with some mysteries still intact than a slew of answers we don't necessarily need.
Can I add somehting and say that I have NEVER been this excited for a TV show everi n my life?
I love THE WIRE. It's the greatest ever but I'd take LOST over MM, BB, all the other shows.
LOST has the potential to be THE GREATEST network show in history.
Here's hopin'.
Have Rose and Bernard ever had a flashback episode? Their reunion was one of my favorite moments of the series, so I'd like to know a bit more about them.
And, since they're reviving the dead: Nikki and Paulo! Razzle Dazzle!
Rose and Bernard got a flashback in "S.O.S.", which explained why Rose didn't want to leave the island.
Characters have talked a lot about the island as a sentient being: "The island brought us here..." or "The island didn't want you to die yet..."
If that's the case, I'd like to know whose will that represents: Jacob or the "Man in Black."
I think explaining the island will make a lot of the other stuff (Smoke Monster, Numbers) fall into place.
One thing I don't think they'll explain: That damn Hurley bird.
Vincent: Evil preternatural mastermind or benevolent canine companion?
And Waaaaaalt. What's his deal?
Also, Aaron's fate. The psychic back in Season 1 warned Claire that "we were all in danger" if Aaron wasn't raised by her. So if she ends up dead/not raising him...I'm not going to be happy.
As for what I would be really surprised if they answer (and really surprised if anyone really WANTS it answered...) - did Jacob summon the real Henry Gale to the Island as well as all the 815ers?
I want an explanation for all the dead people we've seen on the island. For example, when Echo sees his dead brother, is that a manifestation of the same island phenomenon as when Ben sees (and is physically touched by) Alex, and does that explain Christian's many appearances, or is Christian a stand-in for Jacob whereas the others are maybe stand-ins for smoky/Esau?
Mysteries I don't expect to get explained: Walt and his specialness, what the Dharma Initiative was up to (other than what we've already learned), and the numbers (other than that they are spooky and recurring).
Want to know: What is the Island? What is the Smoke Monster? (I suspect these two are related.)
Would like to see tied in, but not really expecting it: Annie.
Would be surprised if they answered: Why was Libby in the mental institution? Did Claire's psychic actually see something about Aaron or was he completely fraudulent?
Don't really care: What is Jacob?
I'm quite happy to attribute a lot of mysterious happenings to the will of the Island, so there are a lot of things that, if left unanswered, I won't really mind.
I have a feeling that it's going to be hard to get a concrete answer on "what is the island?" I feel like the writers kind of just want to accept that it's a place where miracles happen, that jumps through time, and is just a magica place, so I don't really expect a scientific answer to that one.
I want to know why these people, why everyone on Oceanic 815 is important to the island, especially after seeing last years finale with Jacob.
Alan, FYI, in the replay of the finale with fun fact pop-ups the other night, when Jack is explaining to Sawyer why he came back and says Kate, the blurb popped up saying something to the effect of "Jack knows Sawyer doesn't believe in destiny and fate, so he says the only thing he thinks Sawyer can relate to which is he came for Kate." I don't know if the writers felt they needed to include that b/c they didn't make that point clear, or if they realized people hated that Kate was the reason, but I thought it would be interesting to share since most of us here thought that ws bogus at the time.
I'll be happy without answers to some of the more contained unanswered questions (Adam and Eve, the numbers, etc), as long as we get some answers to the more over-arching theme type mysteries.
However, the one thing that has always bugged me (even though I have very little hope for an answer at this point): Where are Cindy and the kids? Were they part of the group that followed Locke to meet Jacob? If time gets reset, will they end up back on the plane? I don't know why it bugs me so much that we haven't seen them since Season 3. I guess I just want to know that they're ok.
This may seem silly, but I can live without a single plot mystery answered. I need to know just one thing:
What is the future of Jack?
I'm one of the few people left who doesn't hate Jack (as a character). I think Locke and Desmond are just as great, but I feel like their fates are answered to some extent. If not answered, then at least there's a measure of completion there. But Jack isn't. I need a good resolution for Jack.
-Ethan
jasctt: Can I add somehting and say that I have NEVER been this excited for a TV show ever in my life?
I love THE WIRE. It's the greatest ever but I'd take LOST over MM, BB, all the other shows.
I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. It sums up exactly how I feel about both The Wire and Lost (although I do have soft spot for Friday Night Lights too).
I think Cuse and Lindelof have done a pretty good job of downplaying some mysteries that were initially built up as being very significant. As others have already pointed out, finding out what made (makes?) Walt so special no longer feels that important. That said, if they end up going into detail about why guys like Locke, Hurley, Desmond and maybe Claire are so significant but don't also add Walt, I'll feel a little shortchanged (unless it's suggested that their significance all comes from the same source).
I think I'll be ok as long as they provide answers for what the island is and why Jacob chose the people that he did.
My biggest question: Who are the good guys?
Questions least likely to be answered: the hurleybird, what made Walt special, Frogurt's backstory.
I'd like to find out how/why the Dharma Initiative came to be on the Island, why the Others/Hostiles allowed them to stay on the Island, and what triggered the Purge after all that time.
I'm an anthropology nut, so I'd have to say my pet mystery is the statue. Who built it, why, how does it tie into the history of the island, who's been there before. Since none of these relate directly to the character arcs of any of the main characters, I doubt this is a mystery that will get much play, and that's fine (although a Richard flashback is obviously a season 6 requirement).
Mysteries I'm less interested in, actually, include the Smoke Monster. It's the very first mystery of the show, and I'm comfortable not knowing exactly why it sounds like a taxi cab/roller coaster and shows people their dead relatives.
I was one of the disappointed for the BSG finale, but my disappointment was more far-reaching than that and I think if I'd been enjoying that show as much as I've been enjoying Lost recently, it would have taken a heck of a lot more than a weak finale to change my mind about the show as a whole. I don't think that, regardless of what mysteries they do/don't solve, I'll ever disavow Lost, because the storytelling is endlessly unique and often intelligent and the pacing in the last two years, anyway, has been whizz-bang.
I desperately want Lost to be the greatest show ever. For that to happen, some questions MUST be answered (and answered well!). What is the island (of course)? Who/what is Jacob? How does the island fit into the real non-island world? What is the smoke monster, or at least who (if anyone) controls it? What are the whispers? Those last two could be wrapped up in the answer to what is the island.
Otherwise, I am fairly detail oriented. I would love love love to find out the answers to all the little things. Hurley bird, Black Rock, temple, fertility problems, Walt, Libby, Adam and Eve, Christian and Claire, Henry Gale, the numbers to a lesser extent, etc.
I would prefer no answer to a throw away after thought answer. But aside from that I want as many questions as can be plausibly answered within the framework of the storyline. Is that too much to ask?
Oh, and how could I forget Libby? Need to know what her deal is, that's important.
I don't feel that Jack's tattoos have ever been explained in the level of detail that the fans are clamoring for.
More seriously, though, the one fundamental question that I'd like to know the answer to is probably also the one that may not be answered: what is the nature of the Craphole Island powers? We know that some people (Waaaaaaaalt) have enough of a connection with the island to influence events or heal (Locke, Rose, Richard). There's some powerful energy under the Swan and Orchid stations. I wouldn't be surprised or all that disappointed to not get an answer to this, because any answer might be disappointing. One of the reasons that Lost has been successful is that it's answered questions by ramping up the stakes with completely different questions.
I've been watching season 1 again and have been amazed at just how different of a show it is from seasons 4 and 5-- the scale is much smaller, but it engages with the castaways to build them out from archetypes to characters. Plus, it looks like a million dollars. (This is what all of the shows trying to become the next Lost forget-- that Lost was primarily a character piece in its first season that also had good action beats. Little to none of the mythology was developed, just a small sense that the island is special.)
Essentially, they're only a few big questions I want answered. What is the Island? What was the DHARMA Initiative trying to accomplish? Who is Jacob/Other dude.
That's basically it. If they answer those, I'll be satisfied. I don't care about Henry Gale or Adam and Eve.
After the Season 3 finale, I put my total trust into the LOST writers. I'm sure this last season will be enjoyable.
Actually a lot of people have brought up Walt and that probably is the one thing that I'd be most excited about if they found a cool way to tie back into that. Of all the mysteries they've tried to downplay over the years, that's the one I've never quite been able to accept as being truly over and done with. He really seemed like he was intended to be very important, and obviously his rapid growth threw a wrench in it for a while. But Locke's "he's been through enough" has always seemed a little too pat--he's important or not, you can't just decide he's been through enough. And they've already shown him grown and even commented on how big he's gotten a couple times. So it shouldn't be too challenging to find a plausible way to work him back in.
There's just still this part of me that thinks/hopes that he's going to be central to the resolution somehow. Of course, if he's not, that wouldn't be enough to ruin the whole season or series for me.
The one least likely to be explained...heh heh...the dreaded compass!
not so much a question to be answered but I'd like a better ending for Desmond. I know what Eloise said about the island not being done with him but I fear that was just a red herring.
I hope I'm wrong but I have this feeling he's done.
I want to know where the Island is and how I can get there.
I really want to know about Adam and Eve and the smoke monster. And I really want to know about the Hostiles--who are they, exactly, and when/why did they come to the island, and what exactly have they been trying to accomplish? Where is Christian in all of this? I want to know about Jacob and the other guy, and I want to know about the statue. I want to know about those who were taken from the 815 survivors (the kids, flight attendant, etc.) and what happened to them (I'm not hopeful about this mystery, though I think it would be a mistake not to deal with this loose end).
I don't care about the fertility issues, Walt, Claire, Aaron, Jack's tattoos (or Jack, actually, he just grates and I can't believe what an idiot he is sometimes), or Kate.
I expect to see some kind of happy resolution for Jin and Sun, and Hurley, and Sawyer. I really hope we have not seen the last of Juliet or Daniel. I expect to see Vincent again, and maybe the cat. I think we've learned just about all we're going to learn about the Dharma initiative and the numbers, and I'm pretty much okay with that.
Count me in as someone who was bitterly disappointed in the "BSG" finale. I thought it was sloppy writing and lame to say that anything they didn't want to explain was all God and angels or that kind of crap. But I was never that invested in that show, and I thought it was mostly a fun show, a good time. "Lost" is another animal altogether: It is nearly an obsession, and it could very well go down as the greatest show ever. I hope so; I guess we'll see. If they blow it with this last season, that failure will be the legacy of the show, and I really do not want that to happen.
Can't really think of one specific thing that stands out, I'll go with: What's the deal with Richard Alpert?
One I don't expect an answer to: What do the Numbers mean? After all, I don't think the show's mentioned them in about 3 seasons.
What is the Temple?
I will not be satisfied with any answers. I am a mental fan who posts her theories and speculations online. I am much happier being able to cook up possible explanations than having a "definitive answer." I'd be most fans are of this personality type.
A friend of mine is more of a sequential thinker and has stopped watching several times because he sees the flashbacks as a manipulative writer's trick of reverse continuity to explain whatever they want to have happen in a particular episode. I think he has a point. He is annoyed that we haven't been provided with enough information to figure it out. He does not enjoy speculating. He will be annoyed when if doesn't all tie up neatly.
As I said, I think they are doing fans like me a favour by leaving some strings hanging at the end so we can continue to debate and speculate since that, for me, is the fun part of it.
Michael said...
I'd like to find out how/why the Dharma Initiative came to be on the Island, why the Others/Hostiles allowed them to stay on the Island, and what triggered the Purge after all that time.
YES--this, absolutely, how could I have forgotten? This has been nagging at me for a while now.
I don't want to speculate, because I think the reason why people inevitably become disappointed with a show's finale because they theorize what is going to happen and then becoming attached to those theories.
I've come to grips long ago that not every little mystery is going to be explained, so I won't mind if there's some ambiguity to the ending. I'm just hoping each of the characters we've been watching over the last 6 years gets a proper sendoff. And I'm including the Island as one of the characters.
I think I'd most like to get some sense of how all these people ended up on Flight 815 and on the island. In the early season flashbacks, we saw connections between all of the main the characters, and with Jacob visiting most of them at earlier parts in their lives, I'd like to know: why these people? Why this island?
I'd also like to get a good handle on what the smoke monster is - is it controlled by anyone (Jacob, Dharma) as a tool, or is it a supernatural force all its own?
I'd be surprised if they ever got back to the issue of Walt's "powers," or the missing Tailie children.
Can someone remind me what the Hurley bird is?
But in general, I'm really happy to hear Lindelof and Cuse constantly say that to them, Lost is a character show, and they're really focused on tying up the character stories. That's why I still watch and love the show, and even in the midst of frozen donkey wheels, time travel loops, dead people possibly living again, etc., what I really love are the emotional moments, like seeing Sawyer mature into a relationship with Juliet, and then the pain of losing her down the hole. So I'd most like to see satisfying resolutions for the characters, especially Sawyer, Juliet (if she happens to live), Hurley, Sun and Jin, Claire, and Locke (also if he happens to live).
Wasn't "the purge" when Ben killed all the Dharma people to go join the Others?
I thought it was hinted in the last season that Rose & Bernard = Adam & Eve. Weren't they living in the cave when the other Losties came across them and R&B said they didn't want to leave the Island?
I would really like to know what Smokey is, but I'll settle for knowing more about the Island in general and Richard's longevity in particular :-)
Can someone remind me what the Hurley bird is?
A bird that flew over Hurley and sounded like it screamed, "Hurley!" I forget what season it was, but it was a freaky scene.
Didn't Darlton and Abrams promise early on that there were be a scientific explanation for everything? Or is that another in a long line of things they've said that they've conveniently forgotten (such as some of the stuff they've said about WAAAAALLTTT! over the years)?
My “one” question is, “Why?”
- Like Susan said a few minutes ago, Why were all of our original Losties brought to the island?
- Why did the O6 have to return to “save the island”?
- Why did only Kate, Jack, and Hurley get sent back to 1977 while the rest of flight 316 stayed in the present?
Actually I have many other questions, most of which were mentioned in the preceding comments, but here’s a couple more:
- What exactly happened to young Ben in the Temple?
- Who is who’s side, among Jacob, Esau/Man in Black, Alpert, Widmore, Ms. Hawking, and Ben?
"Weren't they living in the cave when the other Losties came across them and R&B said they didn't want to leave the Island?"
I don't think so. It looked like maybe they were living in some kind of hut? Also Sawyer said something like "we've been looking for you for three years!" And surely if that's true, they would have looked in the cave. I mean, it definitely could be Rose and Bernard's skeletons in the cave. But Darlton have done the whole "when you find out who Adam and Eve are, you'll know we had a plan" thing, so it needs to be something more than just a vague implication that it's R&B.
The "Hurley Bird" appeared in the Season 1 finale, as they were heading to the Black Rock to get the dynamite.
I'm still hung up on the mysteries that Cuse and Lindelof see as unimportant - Walt in particular. I'd like to know why they made the choice to introduce these elements to the audience if they were never going to be explained/resolved.
I agree with a lot of the above posts about answers - Alpert, Jacob/Man in Black, Walt. But I think I stopped really caring about answers during season 4 and decided to just go for the ride. Cuselof said in Mo Ryan's interview that they hate being didactic and would much rather show what happened - so last year we spent half the season in Dharmaville (probably one of the most important elements of the series.)
So I'm fine with Lost leaving a lot of things unanswered or at least somewhat unexplained as long as I'm entertained for the next couple of months. It is still pretty amazing we've been able to watch 6 seasons of this type of show and I (mostly, kinda) trust these guys to deliver.
What about you Alan? What mystery do you most want to see resolved and which mystery getting an answer would surprise you the most?
"One I don't expect an answer to: What do the Numbers mean? After all, I don't think the show's mentioned them in about 3 seasons."
Not true. The numbers were mentioned last season and in the S4 finale.
I understand that there are a few shows out there that are "better" than Lost such as The Wire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, even The Shield. But us die-hards haven't dedicated so much time to any other show, watching episodes multiple times to understand it better, reading about it, theorizing. So although there might be a handful of better shows out there, Lost has a special place in our hearts, as our favorite show. I agree that after the season 3 finale I was all in with the writers, and still am. Not having some questions answered is the way to go, I just hope that some of the answers we get do allow us to keep theorizing on those other questions we don't have answers to. This way the legacy of the show goes on even after it ends. Like I said I really trust the writers, and when it's all over I believe Lost will go down as one of the greatest shows of the history of television, and the greatest show in the history of network television.
As many have stated, the real question is "Why is all of this happening, and why is it important?"
Battlestar Galactica utterly failed to answer this, which is why people were dissatisfied. It pulled a random moral out of a hat and called that the purpose of the show, while contradicting the journey before it.
Why is the Island significant to human history? Why does it draw people to it, and what does it hope to offer us? How intelligent is the Island itself, and not just its two warring gods? Why was it necessary for so many people to die, and why are the surviving characters the ones who made it?
All other mysteries can be figured out by extension, just tell us that.
I would be downright amazed beyond belief if we got an explanation as to why the real henry gale came to the island, and how he got there in a hot-air balloon.
Why it is happening isn't as important as what the fracking island is. I do agree BSG should have focused more on the details of the original final 5 and the appearance of starbuck instead of capping it off to god as they did.
Seriously, most of the random information could be explained as a consequence of what the island is and from there experiments of the Dharma Initiative.
The only minor side story they brought up but axed with the importance of children on the island ala Walt.
And, again I will be sorely disappointed if the show chooses a firm side. I don't want an endorsement of any one religion and I would like science to have a role to play. BSG basically said fuck science & technology we forget who we are. Stick with religion cause it's done great wonders for the world.
Basically, I want an answer that can be at once interperted as faith but then explained by reason. The answer should parallel John Locke's & Jack's argument as highlighted by events in the hatch.
Who/what is Jacob and the Titus Welliver character?
Who/what is Richard Alpert?
I'd like some more answers about the island in general. Maybe some more of it's history.
There is obviously a reason all these characters on O 815 were brought to the island. I'd like to know more about that. Seems to have to do with Jacob & the other guy.
Also, I like Desmond. It would be nice if he and Penny were able to cut loose from this and move on with their lives. I hope things work out for Sawyer as well. I think he's changed the most of any of the characters in a positive way. And, of course, Hurley. I can't see things working out for Jack. He's too stubborn and too messed up IMO.
I'll be disappointed if I don't get more info on this stuff but I'd only hate the show if they didn't give us anything. I do think the creators owe it to their fans who have invested so much into making the show so popular, and the creators so much money, to make a decent effort to let us know the big picture stuff that has diven the story.
Must answer in detail:
Walt
What the island "is"
Richard Albert
Must address in less detail:
The Numbers
The Smoke Monster
Fertility
Alan, FYI, in the replay of the finale with fun fact pop-ups the other night, when Jack is explaining to Sawyer why he came back and says Kate, the blurb popped up saying something to the effect of "Jack knows Sawyer doesn't believe in destiny and fate, so he says the only thing he thinks Sawyer can relate to which is he came for Kate." I don't know if the writers felt they needed to include that b/c they didn't make that point clear, or if they realized people hated that Kate was the reason, but I thought it would be interesting to share since most of us here thought that ws bogus at the time.
FWIW, that was my read on it even when it originally aired. We had already seen that Jack had a lot of reasons to want to detonate that bomb; when he talked to Sawyer, he picked one reason that he thought Sawyer might understand (and of course he was wrong). That didn't bug me nearly as much as Juliet's flip-flopping.
Also FWIW, I'm pretty sure Lost's writers don't do those pop-ups. I think they're done by some folks at ABC.
Must Answer:
Why I have been watching this show for 5 years if the writers can't even be bothered to resolve mysteries they created.
Don't need to answer:
Anything that will result in Harold Perrinoux saying "Where's my Boy" repeatedly.
I hope Lost viewers get whatever they need to feel satisfied out of the Lost finale. I'm just commenting because I remain perplexed at people's attitudes towards the BSG finale. I get disliking it - I had mixed feelings myself about how some of the stuff was handled - and I get not liking the aspects of the show that were prevalent in the finale, but it was pretty clear to me, from several years out, that all the God/religion/mythology (literal mythology, not X Files mythology) was for real, as far as the BSG universe was concerned. It didn't come out of nowhere, it was a major element of the show from almost the beginning.
Religion was always a major element but there was always another explanation. For example, was the President having visions or was she just high off the kamala extract? Was it fate that lead her to be the dying leader or was it die hard determination? Was Baltar gifted from the heavens or was he insane?
So, do you see there was always a fine balance between the two. And, what the finale did was remove the balance, trash science, and promote religion.
Anonymous -
Sure, but those hedged bets kept getting more improbable as the series went on. Was Baltar insane or having legitimate visions? Well, when it turned out that Caprica Six was having a parallel experience, that made the "random insanity" explanation less likely. President Roslin was having crazy visions brought on by her drugs, but she was also having prescient dreams that were simultaneous with, and linked to, prescient dreams with various other female characters. (The payoff of the Opera House dream/visions was, I thought, one of the most anticlimactic and disappointing elements of the finale, incidentally.) It was simpler for me to assume things like "these are legitimate visions because BSG happens in a universe where that's possible, and they keep showing us evidence of this," rather than "these are actually artifically created experiences made possible by some scientific explanation the creators have never hinted at and expended significant effort trying to mislead us; or it's the most impossible random chance ever in a universe that doesn't seem to have a lot of random chance."
So did angry BSG fans want the ambiguity to remain in the answer, or did they just want the show to come down in favor of science and technology? Count me as one that has never understood the absolute hostility towards the finale. I wasn't completely satisfied with the whole thing, but nothing about it trashed my ability to enjoy the series as a whole.
This whole question seems to support the idea that the Lost writers should definitely maintain a certain level of ambiguity in whatever they give us in the finale season. Definitively coming down on either side of the free will v. fate, faith v. science, etc. debates will likely just leave half the viewers angry. Or would the ambiguity just leave all the viewers angry? (Except for those that want to keep pondering the mysteries.)
Personally, I just want to feel satisfied when all is said and done. I'm not sure which answers I need to make it feel satisfying (probably those that address the character journeys and the larger themes of the show). But I'm feeling pretty comfortable at this point that the journey will be interesting. Certainly given some of the variety in the answers above, it seems that they aren't going to be able to satisfy everyone. If we can't get what we want, hopefully we'll at least get what we need (to borrow a lyric or two).
I will be perfectly happy if Lost fails to answer any of the big "mysteries" that are still out there but continues to be a smartly written show that uses its characters and stories in a meaningful way.
I really believe that Lost will hold up well for many, many years after its run is completed as a commentary on the spirit of our times - J. Wood and several other writers have done a great job with pointing out some of the literary and philosophical ideas the show tackles. It's that facet of the show, plus the compelling character stories, that cause me to like the show too much and that I suspect will be its legacy a few years down the road.
The "mythology" is fun, but it's really just the narrative canvass that the writers have used (very effectively) to tell strong and meaningful stories.
Questions I want answered the most:
What is the island?
How does Christian figure in with the island?
Questions I would be surprised to get an answer to:
What is the significance of Walt's powers?
Why was Libby in the mental institution?
What's the deal with the numbers?
Questions I could live without ever answering:
What is the smoke monster?
Will Kate choose Jack or Sawyer?
A lot of great stuff has been posted, but there are a few things that I think have fallen by the wayside...
What I want covered: the Whispers. Are the Whispers some invisible Island-troopers that sometimes act in alignment with the Others and sometimes don't?
Will I feel let down: to an extent, yes. If they don't touch the Whispers at all, I'll feel let down, but I'm not looking for an exhaustive explanation either. Just give us something about them.
What won't get covered: Charlotte Malkin. I know, I know, it's a pretty exact detail, but why did the dead girl wake up screaming for John Locke? Maybe this will get indirectly answered in Locke- or Claire-based resolution, but I doubt it.
Great responses from everyone. I have been watching since day one but my memory stinks, is there any web site that even lists all the unanswered questions we have so far?
BTW for me the Must question is: is Hurley crazy? AKA where are all the dea people coming from?
What I want explained and what I fear will not be, is one and the same. What is the Island? That is the central question to Lost. What I fear is something that Lindelof has been saying in every recent interview. When asked about revealing all of the mysteries of Lost, he compares it to the Star Wars prequels and the reveal that Midechlorians in your blood stream is what creates the Force in Star Wars, doesn't aid in your overall enjoyment of the series, but in fact it takes some of the mystery out of it. I agree to a point. Star Wars was not about What is the force? though However, Lost has always been about, as someone in the comments already noted, "Where are we?" I fear this is the mystery Darlton feel they should not and will not answer entirely. I believe that would be a mistake and not knowing what the island is would be drive me absolutely crazy for eternity. My only hope is that Darlton have already said they aren't interested in a Soprano's type ending and so the biggest mystery of Lost, will be revealed.
Questions that must be answered: Who the hell are the Others, what are their motives, and why are they so damned hostile? Seriously, how much of the action on the series is motivated by the Others' violent, cruel, often hateful actions, which have no apparent motive? (Kidnapping children, Ethan's obsessive pursuit of Claire, all the brainwashing, murder, flaming arrow attacks, etc., etc.). If they are not explained, the final season will be a bust.
Question I don't expect to be answered: What was Libby's story? Which is a shame because she was an intriguing character played by a strong actress.
I don't think so. It looked like maybe they were living in some kind of hut? Also Sawyer said something like "we've been looking for you for three years!" And surely if that's true, they would have looked in the cave. I mean, it definitely could be Rose and Bernard's skeletons in the cave. But Darlton have done the whole "when you find out who Adam and Eve are, you'll know we had a plan" thing, so it needs to be something more than just a vague implication that it's R&B.
If it's not Rose & Bernard, then I hope it's Juliet & Sawyer. I think though, given the interviews, that a vague implication is all we'll get.
Speaking of ABC doing the captions: I want to punch whoever's doing the promos now. No, dude, the Jack/Kate/Sawyer triangle is not the most famous triangle in history. In fact, I don't know one person who watches "Lost" who gives a flying crap about who Kate ends up with. We want to know about the island, and Smokey, and the four-toed statue, and Richard Alpert's fabulous eyeliner. Sod off with that J/K/S booolsheet.
Anonymous @12:29Central: Also FWIW, I'm pretty sure Lost's writers don't do those pop-ups. I think they're done by some folks at ABC.
I'd be pretty surprised if this were the case. At the very least, Cuse and Lindelof have to have some voice in what those popups are saying/explaining/revealing, I would think.
@Omagus, Darlton's said in the past that they don't do those pop-up eps, ABC does. I get the impression they're not very happy with them (kind of like how unhappy I was with that "Lost" "primer" ep last night, heh).
To Will, re: the compass – I don’t think they will explain it’s origin because they can’t – this is one of the paradoxes of time travel – its existence appears to be a continuous loop, with no point of origin.
To srpad: I don’t know how complete of a list this is, but this site has many “unanswered questions”: http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Unanswered_questions
Sod off with that J/K/S booolsheet.
And the comment of the year goes to... dez!
I'm with the Walt crowd here, probably for both questions for that matter. Second most important to me is the predictions about Aaron, and third is Libby and why she was in the institution.
@dez
Thanks for that info. I was unaware of that. That is pretty crappy of ABC to do and I would definitely be upset if I were in Cuse or Lindelof's shoes. Now that I know that, I have to say that I can't take any of the popups seriously.
@Toeknee/Will - I could have sworn I read in some interview or another that the compass was meant more as a bit of fun rather than a major anchorpoint for the show's time travel model.
Also, PSA for spoiler-averse and spoiler addicts alike: CC tweeted that the first trailer with S6 footage will air during Desperate Housewives on Sunday.
@Omegus/Dez - the pop-ups are done by a separate production company, but we know that they have some level of inside information. They named Eloise Hawking before she was named in the show... so either they see the episodes more than a week ahead of time or they have some measure of notes and stuff.
why is everyone so obsessed with "what the island is?" i don't really want some hokum explanation of why it moves or heals people. i really doubt in the last season darlton's gonna go "yup. it's eden! end of story." how would that be satisfying?
i'm more than content to just have the island be some mysterious place with mysterious powers. i don't need to know how the smoke monster was created, but it would be cool to know who controls it and how. i don't need to know how jacob touching O 815 passengers brought them onto the flight...I'd rather know why.
I think people looking for scientific/spiritual answers to LOST's questions are going to be let down. Why not just accept that in LOST's reality certain things are possible (the way you would for any other sci-fi universe) and focus on the character motivations instead?
Question I'm hoping someone here can answer: With regards to Michael's son, what's his favorite piece of gymnastics apparatus?
@Adam - dare I say it's the VAAAAAAUUUUUUUUULT?
@Samuel - people want some level of resolution regarding the Island, because it's so similar to the BSG mythos, in that fans imagined there was some complex, intriguing, semi-scientific explanation for it. BSG left a gaping hole for many fans, and now Lost has an opportunity to fix that to some extent.
Plus, not all fans care about the intricacies of Kate's emotional upheaval between Jack and Sawyer :)
Uhh guys, Didn't they answer who the dead people/smoke monster are in the season finale? Maybe I was just connecting dots a bit early but without a doubt in my mind Black Shirt guy = Smoke Monster = manifestations of dead people.
My big question I want answered are what makes Desmond so special in that the rules don't apply to him. As he is my favorite post-Eko character.
I do not believe we are going to get an answer to what the island is. That seems like something that we just have to believe the island is different and leave it at that. I can see them answering why some people are special in a general way and not specifically to any person (miles, hurley, walt). The only big questions i think will 100% get answered are who are jacob & mib, why are the 815ers there, and what is it with these people? I figure all these will be interconnected.
Sidenote: does any body have an answer for this glaring plot hole? How does Charles Widmore not know about the Lamppost station if he knew where Eloise was? To me thats the biggest plothole LOST has created.
@Omegus/Dez - the pop-ups are done by a separate production company, but we know that they have some level of inside information. They named Eloise Hawking before she was named in the show... so either they see the episodes more than a week ahead of time or they have some measure of notes and stuff.
Thanks for the info, Dave!
I was just talking about this, and my big question has to be: Who are the Others? Why/How did they get to the island? What are they doing there? Why do they have no problem stealing kids and shooting plane crash victims? Why do they take orders from a guy they've never met?
The second biggest question would be about the smoke monster.
Thanks, Dave. I appreciate that. I hope we see a scene in season six in which Michael's opponent in a tennis match errs twice in a row on his serve.
I'd like to know exactly what role Christian Shephard is playing, and why him? Also, what larger force was at work that not only drew these interconnected people together but also ensured that they were the ones who survived? Were the passengers on flight 815 who didn't survive the crash also connected in some way to the survivors? But in my opinioin, most of these shows blow it in the end exactly because they feel oblgated to make some sort of definitive statement. With Lost (and BSG), I fell in love with the characters and with THE JOURNEY -- the ending isn't so important to me, and in one respect just by trying to close all the mysteries they are veering from the formula that made the show so compelling in the first place.
Sidenote: does any body have an answer for this glaring plot hole? How does Charles Widmore not know about the Lamppost station if he knew where Eloise was? To me thats the biggest plothole LOST has created.
This never struck me as a plot hole. Widmore and Hawking obvious stayed particularly aware of each other, but they clearly had some falling out after they left the Island. Unless he was constantly having her tracked, it would make sense that he knew she went to LA, but not necessarily why.
Speaking of Widmore, now that we've seen the Hawking-has-Daniel's-journal-so-she-knows-what's-going-to-happen plot device, does anyone have any speculation on Ben and Widmore? They know they can't kill each other because they've clearly both seen themselves in the future at some point. My thought is that when Widmore and Ben had their initial falling out, probably at the Temple, Smokey wrapped them both up and judged them and showed them both a vision of one killing the other back on the Island. Since Widmore then got banished, they both know that they're not going to die until that happens. (Which is also why Ben was so reckless with his own life at the end of S3/beginning of S4.)
Frankly, I don't care so much about the answers themselves. (As others have pointed out, they've already provided sort-of answers for a lot of questions about the island and its history, although many of them have been relatively unsatisfying and haphazard-seeming.)
All I want is for them to wrap up the story, with all the character development and time-travel and history changes and prognostications, in a way that makes coherent sense from beginning to end. (And that provides a good conclusion for what turns out to have been the show's strongest point -- the characters' relationships.)
It's clear that they had little sense where the story was going when they started out, and many of the plot points were attempts by the writers to paint themself out of corners they had gotten into. But now they've have a chance to really think about a satisfying conclusion, one that will provide a real payoff for those of us who've been watching from the start.
My burning issues:
- Jack's tattoos. Why would his Thai seductress choose to give him a tattoo with Chinese characters? Is she working for Chinese intelligence?
- Polar bear cages. Who brought the polar bears to the Island? How could their ice float not have melted on its way to the South Pacific? Who is the Dharma Initiative's bear ecology expert?
- Exactly where is the nest of Medusa spiders? And why do they only seem to be attracted to Nikki and Paulo? And who exactly is the Dharma Initiative's chief arachnologist?
- Why does Widmore only drink MacCutcheon whiskey? Did he have a bad experience with Lagavulin or Talisker? Does peat moss grow naturally on the Island? And who among the Others is in charge of the Island's distillery?
- Who gave Jack the '67 Bronco when he returns to Los Angeles from the Island? Why didn't anyone warn him that the '67 Chevy has more horsepower and a higher wheelbase? Was it part of Ben's plan to get him to drive an inferior vintage automobile?
Unless I get satisfactory answers, I will declare LOST to be the worst show in network history.
Thanks for the link Toeknee, I will check it out.
To the original poster, Mike. Fair enough is the ultimate way to stop talking about something while at the same time reminding the person you are talking to that you think they are an idiot.
In other words, "I hear what you are saying, and I think it's stupid, but I don't want to talk about it any more."
At least that's how I use it. Makes sense among the lostaways too.
Fair enough? ;-)
To Anonymous,
Are you saying I am an idiot? I don't follow. But I know what fair enough means, I wanted to know (rhetorically) why it is used so much.
Anyway, what I meant was that I am worried that the over-reliance on plot cliches and boiler plate dialogue might mean that the writing talent is stretched and that the resolutions I am eagerly awaiting might not be satisfying (a la BSG).
And the posted interview only served to heighten those concerns. Maybe they were simply being evasive funny, but they seemed to give fairly weak analogies for what would be answered and what wouldn't.
Best regards,
Mike
I am eager for this show to go away.
I'd have to agree with Mamba's Messenger. I took particular issue with the Star Wars comparison. Star Wars is a fantasy world with its own set of rules. For the most part the rules are understood by the characters of that world and so we as viewers also accept the foundations of the fantasy world.
LOST was framed as sending people who that have the same conceptions about their world as we do with the real world onto an island where their expectations and our expectations no longer apply. The show was marketed as a mystery that implied future answers. If we were to assume that the island is just a fantasy land with its own set of rules with no rational (by our standards) explanations, then that should've been made clear from the beginning, not five seasons later when we're still wondering WTF is going on.
It would be a huge letdown if the series ended with -- that's just what the island has been forever and always. Basically ending the series with the mystery being that there is no mystery.
So yes, in order for LOST to redeem itself in my eyes, it does have to end with a bang; there must be some giant revelation. I no longer expect them to address every single issue. How can they? Hurley's numbers have become inconsequential (maybe the writers could come up with no explanation other than it's magic), but I found it to be terribly intriguing in the early days and was a fun hook for the show. It's things like that that bug me. These mysteries are used to keep you watching, but there's no real payoff. Instead they create some new mystery or OMG moments to distract you from the ones they used to lure you in.
Actually, mystery solved: Hurley won the lottery with those numbers because giraffes have long necks.
My most nagging question - and one I fear might not actually get answered - is this: Why do the Dharma food drops continue occuring at the Swan station years after Ben has killed off the island's Dharma inhabitants?
Another: why can't Jacob and not-Jacob kill each other? Linus and Widmore?
i really want to now what's up with libby between being in the institution and giving desmond a boat for his round the world race. i'll be sorely disappointed if they leave that unexplained, and i can see them doing so :(
@ Anon - 6:12 p.m.
I think they had reason to believe that some Dharma folk still were on the island. If Radzinsky was Inman's partner, then he likely survived the Purge (in the Swan). (Because if Inman was a CIA spook during the first Gulf War, he likely came to the island post-Purge.) Radzinsky may have had a way to communicate with the Dharma folk to keep the food drops coming (before Ben started jamming signals via the Looking Glass). And without confirmation that Radzinsky or the guy they sent to help him (I'm assuming Inman really was Dharma) were dead, the food drops kept coming.
Or maybe Hawking and her Lamp Post station had something to do with it. To keep the station going until Desmond could arrive and turn the fail safe. She did tell him if he failed to do that that "every single one of us is dead."
All speculation, of course, but it doesn't seem like it would be all that hard to explain that one. And if they don't, the audience can probably create a satisfactory explanation with the information seen thus far.
I hope this doesn't count as a spoiler - if so, my apologies, and please delete, Alan.
Regarding the "explanation" of the Numbers, this has already been provided, albeit not on the show itself. In one of the between-seasons on-line, alternate reality games, The Lost Experience, it was explained that they were factors in something called the Valenzetti Equation which had something to do with saving the world.
Granted, 99% of the viewing audience knows nothing about this. But I wouldn't be surprised if this explanation doesn't make its way onto the show, so that most people will never know what they mean.
Regarding Adam and Eve, here's the Damon quote I was thinking of:
"When all is said and done, people are going to point to the skeletons and say, 'That is proof that from the very beginning, they always knew that they were going to do this.'"
That's why I'm expecting more than simply not ruling out Bernard and Rose.
Will said: "I think the origins of the compass will put to rest a number of questions about alternate timelines vs. whatever happened happened, etc. Oddly enough, of all the things I could obsess about leading up to the final season, that stupid compass had been bugging me the most."
Maybe you're right--I hope you are. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it too. (I think I might have been the one to initially unintentionally derail a thread by starting a discussion about it here). That's kind of why I suspect it won't be answered...because I've probably spent TOO much time thinking about it! :) Also I think I remember Darlton being somewhat casual about it in the podcast, like they hadn't put much thought into it. Then again, that could have been misdirection.
This post pretty much proves what the writers have said will most likely be accurate. There are so many people who have so many different opinions as far as what HAS to be answered or how much info we need, that it was almost inherently set up to disappoint a large majority of the audience. I tend to agree with most people who believe "what is the island" is something that probably won't and I don't think should be answered. I think that is one thing even if they tried explaining scientifically that people would keep reaching further and further for answers. There is a certain ambiguity about what the island is that it seems best to just kind of realize it is a place where magical things happen. I see it the same as asking "why can Hurley or miles talk to dead people?" I just think they have a special communion with the island and I don't know if there's anything scientific that can be said to give anyone a better answer.
I feel like the biggest answers aren't going to be WHAT questions, but rather WHY questions. Why these people, why the connections, why Jacob and MIB do what they do. I just don't see Lost having a last scene that is the giant revelation that makes all of Lost make sense. I think there's questions I'd love to see answers to, but as long as the final season journey is well executed and features a thrilling ride, I will be satisfied.
@Alan: What about your opinion, what is it you most want answered?
Did Desmond lose his powers after Charlie's death? If so, why? I don't think they've even mentioned his visions in seasons 4 and 5.
@ medrawt, I would have less of a problem accepting what you're saying about these events happening in BSG's universe if they didn't connect them to ours.
Honestly, I think it's bad writing and bad thinking to dismiss events you brought up and make a central focus to the show. If they don't answer what the island is to some extent then I will think they have failed to a certain degree. The character development is essential but they interact in a world and when the world itself is at question they should provide answers. If the island was never important and never acted as a character I would agree with you but it was always brought up and made aware.
And, I don't think the explanations (what, why, and closure) has to be explained in one finale. They should do this over the course of the final season. I could care less if we find out the island is an anomaly that could be plausibly explained by science or faith. Some will say it's Eden, some will say we ripped a hole in space and create a loop that has defied all normal rules, etc... whatever. I want more clarification but still ambiguity while wanting character arches to close.
ALL BY THE FINALE BUT NECESSARY IN THE FINALE.
Again, the star wars analogy is weak. The force was presented and accepted as fact. It was never a question. Some people had it, some people didn't. You didn't need to know why.
LOST on the other hand presented situations not as fact but always with a why. They were presented as mysteries and every good mystery needs a proper explanation.
Boy, I couldn't disagree more with the idea that the show's strongest point is the characters' relationships. That's certainly not what has made Lost so special. I can't imagine that the majority of people keep tuning in for that stuff.
Why the heck does that Dharma food drop keep coming? Just for the guys pushing the button?
If so, why do the Others have cupboards full of Dharma food? Is Charles Widmore still looking after them?
Trust me, it's ALL about the food.
i honestly don't expect them to answer the question of "what the Island is", but the one question that does most matter to me is "who are the Others and what is their goal?"
I don't think the character relationships are THE important element of Lost, but I do think they are very important and that the Lost writers have excelled at creating endearing (and enduring) characters and that this is one important reason why the show is so successful. Look at "FlashForward," which has a compelling mystery at its core but hasn't been nearly as successful in terms of character drama.
Honestly, the most important question is:
What special features are going to be on the "Island in a Box!" Complete Series DVD vs. the individual season sets.
One LOST mystery I'd like to know.... How do they all NOT get sunburned? I never saw any D.I. Sunblock 45 in the crate Hurley ganked.
Like others have said (not THE Others, just others that comment here) that the show as a whole is premised on the many worlds theory. Right now in the Legacy that is Lost we are at the apex point of the paradox where either they are all dead or they are alive in LAX (or another time)THIS is what it all comes down to... the 1st episode on Tuesday. Makes sense to me anyway...
I am less concerned than others (again, Alan's "Others" not Bens) about the smoke and the numbers, those are just cool sci-fi plot lines that I just accept.
the opening 2 minutes of S6 are on youtube now.
the opening 2 minutes of S6 are on youtube now.
And let me make it clear right now that we are not going to discuss the contents of that clip under any circumstances, or even hint at them. Anything like that gets deleted, in violation of the spoiler policy around these here parts.
Got it?
Alan: I am sorry. I really love this place and wasn't trying to cause any trouble. I'm a big fan, but I can't help myself, but I didn't link to it and it'll get pulled down.
Friends?
Still friends. But stuff like that is very dangerous, particularly given the way season five ended.
They're not going to answer "What is the island?" or "What are the numbers?" Damon Lindelof has gone over this several times since May at least. Him and Cuse don't get the question, giving the "Did anyone ask what the force was when they saw Star Wars?" answer.
A friend sent me this to tide me over until Tuesday's S6 premiere:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKcKtjrL5bc&feature=player_embedded
It's a "24"-style take on the crash of Flight 815 (no spoilers for the new season--it's all old stuff) :-)
Most: Walt's abilities. I want to know about them, how they came to be, how Locke was so encouraging and knowing, what dripping Walt is, if the Hurley bird is involved, why he was in Room 23, why the Others took him/why Jacob wanted him, and if we'll see him again. I don't want to know how they work (screw Midichlorians!), I just want to know what Walt has to do with the show.
Surprised: The origin of Mikhail and his loyalties.
Consider Walt's kidnapping was a major thread through Season 2; that it resulted in Michael killing two people and leaving the Island; that it led to Jack, Sawyer, and Kate being taken by the Others; and that it ended with Michael coming back to the Island to help save everyone, I'd ask "what doesn't Walt have to do with the show?"
The trick is to view him as the plot device he is rather than as a character with secrets that have yet to be revealed.
After Season 5, I have no worries about what will or will not be answered. Based on the voluminous interviews I've read over the years, I'm confident that Darlton have been planning and polishing The Final Season for quite some time, and I'm happy to just go along for the ride.
Which differs from BSG. The last episodes of BSG and the finale were so aimless that it proved Moore et al really were just "making it up as they went along". And that refers not to writing the entire series before you shoot the pilot, but having an internally-consistent logic to the serialized story. I think that's what disappointed so many people; I was expecting it.
Lost, however, has been so insistent and consistent on its main story points from the beginning that you know this next season is going to be mindnumbingly awesome.
I'm glad somebody mentioned the food drops, because although it may seem extremely trivial, it is the kind of thing that makes absolutely no sense to me given what we've learned since then. Also, why were Mr. Friendly and the other Others wearing fake beards during their initial encounter with Jack and the gang? Will we see Mr. Friendly again?
More than one person has said it, but it bears repeating: "What" the island is won't be answered.
Primarily b/c it has already been answered: "It's a place miracles happen."
It's a special place with special energy(ies). There are a number of these places around the world (including Australia, Tunisia, the Lamp Post). That's been said since Season One and repeated ever since.
I think where some people are making their mistake is in expecting ONE answer to be handed to them, when in fact the answer is seeded all around them.
Walt is special b/c he has psychic friggin' powers. That's pretty special. What more is there to say?
(remember, some of these plots were properly called out as wheel-spinning and copped to by Darlton years ago. It's how they got an end-date in the first place).
Libby was in an institution b/c she had a bad time of it after her husband died. She got better and gave her boat to Desmond years later.
The coincidental meetings and near-misses are just that. An extrapolation on the Six Degrees of Separation theory. There may be a little more to it (Jacob's touch, for instance), but it really is a small world out there, you know.
Kate's plane belonged to her best friend whose death she feels a tremendous guilt about.
We've already seen "What" the smoke monster is*. The more important questions are why does it do what it does.
While some answers are sure to come: What's Jacob's deal? what's Richard's deal? what's going on with Locke? did they change things or didn't they? who're Adam and Eve? what're the Whispers? Etc.
You can't blame them for not answering questions that were long-since answered.
--Marty
*It's a monster... made of smoke.
My question certainly is NOT the most important, but it bothered me that the characters never questioned it. How could the Others know such intimate details about their lives? Like when Jack asked Juliet if his ex-wife was happy or when Ben seems to know exactly what Kate has done. How did they know everything?
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