Rocks In My Dryer

YES! This Is It EXACTLY!

Finally, someone is managing to explain why the Lost finale did such a disservice to its own creative integrity:

It’s not merely a question of riddles left unanswered.  The show lied to its viewers, repeatedly.  Remember Juliet saying “it worked” after the atomic bomb went off, followed by the last season’s opening shot of a submerged island in what appeared to be an alternate timeline?  That wasn’t some sort of clever misdirection.  It was an outright lie.  The reason everyone immediately rewinds The Sixth Sense after seeing it for the first time is that it plays fair. It shows the audience certain things, with complete honesty, and the audience misinterprets what it’s seeing.  It’s the difference between pulling a quarter out of someone’s ear with sleight of hand, versus knocking them unconscious and stuffing a coin in their earlobe.  The kind of cheating indulged by the Lostwriters will cost them their feet, if they ever run afoul of the madwoman from Misery.

--Hot Air, The Greenroom

Every word of that post is spot-on perfect--don't miss it. (Many thanks to Megan for the link.)

(And now, I'll never mention The Show That Starts With L again. Pinky promise.)

(FINAL!) Lost Recap: The End

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't seen the episode airing May 23, don't read this.

(And yes, I realize it's just a television show, and despite all evidence to the contrary, I have not entirely lost my sense of perspective.)

A girl walks into a pizza place.

(Wait, bear with me--this is actually a Lost post. If the Lost writers can get all allegorical, then so can I. Anyway, I find that all life's great truths can be most effectively communicated with the help of pepperoni.)

So the girl is hungry for pizza and she goes, quite sensibly, to the pizza shop. She even takes her friends, because they all want pizza too.

She knows she's found the pizza place, because there's a giant sign on the window that says "PIZZA PLACE." Vintage pizza pans hang along the walls. It smells like pizza. There's little glass containers of parmesan cheese on the red-checkered tablecloth. There is pizza being delivered to the tables all around our girl. She reads the menu, full of choices of the best toppings. She orders, sits down, and her mouth begins to water for the pizza she knows is coming soon--it must be, because the restaurant around her is giving her every indication that this will happen.

Her waiter (named Luigi) approaches the table, a tray high above his head. (Oh, she's hungry!  She can almost taste that pizza!) The waiter leans over and presents the tray. "Your order," he says, in an Italian accent.

SURPRISE! In front of her is a heaping plate of Moo Goo Gai Pan.

Now, our girl likes Moo Goo Gai Pan--she eats it all the time, in fact. But tonight she wanted pizza, so she went to a pizza shop. When she complains to the owners about the order mix-up, she's told that their food is their art, and sometimes the moment artistically requires some Moo Goo Gai Pan. If our girl can't understand that, they say, then she must be terribly unsophisticated and unartistic.

My friends, what you and I got served in the Lost finale was a heaping plate of Moo Goo Gai Pan. It was tasty and somewhat satisfying, but you know what? I was there for pizza.

Most of the Lost fans I know were prepared (even happily willing) to have the overwhelming majority of questions left unanswered. We had faith that the writers would leave us enough crumbs that we could connect the dots on our own, and I, for one, looked forward to that process. It would've been nice to know how Walt killed birds, how Libby got her boat, etc., but it became very clear some time ago that the writers had no intention of answering these mysteries, either by deliberate artistic design, or because they written themselves too far in over their own heads. No worries. The characters and plot, even with their flaws, were riveting.

The giant story arc that took place over six years gave us every indication that the mysteries we saw all mattered. Who was Widmore? How far is Eloise in on things, and how did she appear to Desmond in Season 3? Why was Richard chosen?  How is Desmond immune to electromagnetism? These things are fundamental, and they matter inexorably to the plot.

But in the last 15 minutes of the the finale, the Lost writers suddenly asked us to buy a different plot altogether:

A bunch of conflicted people encounter a mysterious island. Some get there out of scientific interest. Some crash there on a plane. Some are forced there. Some choose to go there. Some get off, others don't. A whole lot of stuff happened there in excruciating, minute detail, and you thought it was important, but guess what? The polar bears and donkey wheels and glowing caves and slave ships and numbers meant not a blessed thing in and of themselves. What mattered is that these complicated people became friends and learned to live together so they wouldn't die alone. So they all eventually do die, some on the Island, some shortly after the Island, some decades after the Island, and they spend a little time in purgatory to sort out their remaining issues. When they're done, they meet up and hug a lot in a church. Then they go to the afterlife.  The end.

Clever and creative? Maybe. A cop-out when the mystery got too thick? Probably. But tacked on to the end of six years of a different a plot altogether? It was...well, it was a big plate of Moo Goo Gai Pan, when I felt like I had every reasonable reason to expect pizza. 

The producers and writers (and even some fans) now indicate that if I were, perhaps, enlightened enough I could just (to quote John and Jack and Christian), "let go."

I'll counter that with another Lost quote: I believe that the writers "changed the rules". They wrote a specific, plot-driven and character-driven series, and they pulled a switcheroo at the end, telling us that "oops, no, never mind, it was actually only character-driven". And that's just not okay.

As disappointed as I am in the ending, I can't deny that the finale provided us some gratifying moments that almost--almost--make it all okay:

• The moments of "awakening" between the characters were heartwarming and brilliantly played. When Charlie saw Claire, my heart skipped a beat. When Sawyer and Juliet reunited at the vending machine, it skipped a dozen. Those were fantastic moments.
• The evolution of Hurley was complete: He was confident, satisfied, and this was fantastic for those of us who have pulled for him for so long. And he brought the one-liners in this episode.
• Kate has spent much of this series looking a little pathetic, drifting around from Sawyer to Jack, seeming to want them to define her. I loved, loved, loved that her moment of "awakening" occurred not when she encountered Jack or Sawyer, but when she first laid eyes on Aaron. He was her love. Motherhood defined her. It was a very satisfying resolution for her character.
• And Jack Shepherd? Well, he was faithful to the end. He never wavered in doing what had to be done, driven by (and satisfied by) an unflinching sense of duty. (Pssst, if you are a single girl reading this? Farradays and Sayids are complicated and intriguing. Desmonds make you feel all swoony. Sawyers look great in jeans. But you know what? Find yourself a Jack, girlfriends, and marry him.)
• The last scene, with Jack closing his eye, was absolutely beautiful.

I'm sad to bring this post to a close--blogging Lost has been a wildly enjoyable ride, and I've so enjoyed hashing it over with you each week. It's tempting to let my disappointment color the whole viewing experience, but I refuse to do so. Those were six years (or perhaps five-and-three-quarters years!) of fantastic television. The destination may be a disappointment, but the journey was fantastic. Thanks for coming along.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts--quite honestly, I would be tickled pink to hear a perspective that would radically change my mind!  For the last time, if you're blogging Lost at your place, feel free to leave a link below. This list will close to new links in a few days, to keep away the spammers.

Lost Recap: What They Died For

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't seen the episode airing May 18, don't read this.

I have to be honest and say that I came in to this week's episode with a giant chip on my shoulder. I didn't like "Across the Sea" last week, and I liked it less and less the more I thought about it. Maybe I'm an eternal optimist (or maybe I don't want to feel foolish for my devotion for the last six years), but I'm doing my best to withhold my full frustration until Sunday's finale. I still have faith in the writers, with fingers skeptically crossed.

After tonight's episode my outlook is somewhat rosier. I still think the heavy mythological turn last week was a mistake, but we were rewarded with more answers in "What They Died For" than we've had in the last six years combined. There's so much to discuss I'll just jump right in, but I feel like I should post warning signs over the lack of paragraph transition headed your way.

Here we go.

Jack and his son woke up to a sweet scene of happy family togetherness, and Jack was surprised to find himself injured, presumably from the sub scene in his other reality. We have the promise of a recital that Jack and his son will be attending with Jack's ex-wife (mark my words: it's Juliet). It was very satisfying to see Claire and Jack having some brotherly/sisterly bonding.

Desmond reappeared for a round two with John Locke ("to help him let go", we're told), and Ben bravely confronted him in the parking lot. This was quite a night for Ben all around--more on that later. He began to remember the Island timeline, which later prompted him to seek out Jack.

When Miles, Ben, and Richard approached the Dharma village, Miles heard dead voices, which we learned came from Alex. Why on earth Ben wouldn't ask for details on this is beyond me, but then, again, this is The Island, otherwise known as The Land Of Asking Few Questions. An interesting side note: In the official Lost podcast on ABC, the writers acknowledged the confusion around the reappearing dead people. They confirmed that some of our characters--such as Hurley and Miles--really do encounter the real dead, while others--like Jack--only see the dead people that are a manifestation of Smokey. Clear as mud.

Ben and Widmore have a less-than-happy reunion, with Widmore telling Ben that he came to The Island after Jacob visited him. Am I missing something? I don't recall this. Is Widmore lying? Smokey appeared and tossed Richard into the trees, though I'm betting he's not dead--didn't we learn in "Ab Aeterno" that Richard is immortal?. Ben rats out Widmore, pointing Flocke to the hiding place. Zoe and Widmore are quickly history, and I'm hoping this isn't the end of Widmore's story. It couldn't possibly be, after the amount of time the writers have spent investing his mystery.  Could it? In a powerful moment that showed that Ben's tormented side is close to the surface, he shot Widmore and fumed that "He doesn't get to save his daughter."

Moving over to Jack and Co., we finally see an encounter between Jacob and our favorite Losties. Jacob explained everything--actually everything--in a stunning revelation of all the answers we've waited for. In this brief scene, we learned (among other things) the following:

• Jacob appeared to have chosen multiple Losties so that they would have the choice he never had.
  
• Jacob revealed that they were all plucked from lives that were unhappy and lonely: "You were looking for something you couldn't find out there." We still don't know why, specifically, this exact group of people was chosen. Was Jacob summoning all those crash survivors, or was he only summoning the candidates, with all the other Losties being collateral damage?
  
• Kate's name from the list was stricken because she "became a mother" (a puzzling revelation--Sun's name wasn't crossed out as a result of motherhood, was it? I'm not sure I understand what bearing this would have.) 
  
• Jack accepts the job with a dramatic taking of the cup, literally and figuratively. This isn't surprising, of course--he's Jack, and it's what has to be done. I adored this scene--it was very Frodo-Baggins-ish.
  

Let's not neglect our sideways reality. Desmond turned himself in to Sawyer and Miles, landing in a jail cell with Sayid and Kate. He somehow arranged for their escape (with the help of Hurley's money), with a cameo with Ana Lucia. (It was interesting to note that she's one of the few Losties whose sideways existence is strikingly similar to her pre-crash existence). Desmond reveals that they're all going to a concert. This must surely be the same concert where Daniel Farraday is performing, at Miles' dad's museum. My money's on the idea that Jack's son is peforming there as well. I'm looking forward to the look we'll see on Eloise Hawking Widmore's face when they all show up--she has some explaining to do.

Also notable in the sideways reality was our glimpse at the non-crazy Rousseau. Was she actually flirting with Benjamin Linus? That was a Strange Lost Moment. Ben was powerfully moved by his love for Alex, even as he tromped through the jungle in another timeline offering help (maybe?) to Flocke. It seemed, for a time, that Ben's character was fading into the background, but it appears he still has a strong part to play.

I don't ever remember a Lost episode with so many excellent quotable moments. Here were my honorable mentions for Best Quote Of the Night:

Miles (to Ben): "I lived in these houses thirty years before you did--otherwise known as last week."

Miles (to Ben): "If you need us we'll be running through the jungle."

Ben (to Richard): "Care to join me outside while I wait for the inevitable?"

Ben (to Flocke): "Can I get you a glass of lemonade?"

Ben (to Flocke, regarding Zoe): "She's armed, but I'm guessing that's not a problem for you."

But the winner? Hands down:

Sawyer (to Kate, regarding Jack): "I thought that guy had a God complex before."

This feels like the place where I should make some big predictions for  Sunday night, but I find myself unable to do so. I think we're entering the finale with a fairly strong sense of answers to the largest mysteries, though there are a few things I'm hoping we'll see:

• We mostly understand the significance of the candidates, but how do some of these secondary characters (Ben, Desmond, Widmore, Richard, to name a few) figure in?
• How much do Widmore and Eloise know?
  
• And perhaps the biggest question of all: How will our Losties merge their sideways reality into their Island reality? Will they continue living two lives? Will they get to choose? Will some of them (Jin and Sun, I hope) stay sideways, while others (certainly Jack) live on The Island?
  

I can hardly wait to hear your thoughts on "What They Died For". I know many of you shared my frustration with last week's episode--did you feel like this week redeemed it? Care to make any predictions about where things will end up? How are you planning to celebrate (mourn) on Sunday night?

(Speaking of Sunday night, did you catch ABC's promo that this finale will be the "Television Event of the Decade"? I would agree with this, though this would be significantly more impressive if the decade were more than four months old.)

If you're blogging Lost at your place, feel free to leave a link below. This list will close to new links in a few days, to keep away the spammers.

Lost Recap: Across the Sea

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't seen the episode airing May 11, don't read this.

We've always known there was a strong mythological component to Lost, but "Across the Sea" puts any doubt to rest. Our Losties (Jack, Kate, et.al.) were just normal people living normal(-ish) lives, and they somehow stumbled into this vast mythological world where things don't always follow expected paths.

It draws an interesting parallel, really, since we viewers are in the same boat: we were all living normal(-ish) lives too, and then we turned on a TV show that was (we thought) about a plane crash.

Live and learn, right?

I generally liked this episode (the high cheeseball factor notwithstanding), and understanding the magnitude of the mythology behind the story helps me release some of my need for firm answers. It does feel a little like the writers pulled a fast one on us, though--as if maybe the mystery got too deep, so they threw up their hands and said, "Oh, look! Magical mythology where anything goes--now we don't have to explain stuff!" I wish they had hinted at this more in earlier seasons (not just this last one), instead of letting us flounder around hoping for logical(-ish) answers to very specific mysteries.

On the other hand, one of the fundamental conflicts of the show has been Jack's journey as a man of science, who only at the end realizes that faith trumps science after all. In this way, our experience as viewers parallels the journey of the Losties. When I look at it that way, I stop being  mad at the writers and think they're brilliant.

Bottom line: I'm still on the edge of my seat, trusting these writers to take us somewhere good. 

Many things were established in this episode:

:: Jacob and Smokey (whose real name was never revealed, but my money is on "Esau") are twin brothers, adopted by a mother who is as nutty as a fruitcake (surprise! more twisted parent issues!) This explains why the relationship between Jacob and Esau is so complicated.

:: We learned that the source of all that is good about the island is its glowing, light-filled center (one of the stranger sentences I've ever typed). Esau makes an elementary explanation of this light's magnetic ability to make metal behave strangely.

:: We learned the identity of Adam and Eve (a bit of a let-down; I don't know why, but I had my hopes set on that revelation being the last scene of the series). 

:: We learned that the mysterious boy who has appeared in the woods is actually the child version of Jacob, evidently appearing to remind Esau of the "rules".

:: There seems to be an underlying theme of characters replacing other characters. Jacob replaced his mother, and it appears Jack will replace Jacob, based on Sayid's comment last week.

:: We saw the birth of Smokey--one giant POOF! when Esau tumbled into the light.

To quote Jacob's mother, though, "Every question I answer will lead to another question." (When she said that line, Hubs laughed out loud.) Here are a few of the mysteries left hanging, and I think these really need to be answered:

:: Jacob's mother said she arranged it so the boys couldn't hurt each other. She arranged it with whom? The Light? The previous guardian? Yoda?

:: Why did Jacob bring so many people to the Island (all our Losties) when he only needed one replacement? For that matter, how did he get off the Island?

:: How did Esau's mother appear to him after she died? Is this some manifestation of evil, sent to tempt Esau? Or is it just the way of things on this island? People surely do have a habit of not staying dead.

:: If Jack is (at it appears), tapped to replace Jacob, will Esau need a replacement too? Could it be that it's  Desmond? He does, after all, have a curious immunity to electromagnetism (as Esau probably does after the giant POOF! in the light cave). We know Desmond has some very real significance, but he's evidently not Jacob's replacement. What role will he play? They NEED to get back to Desmond in next week's episode. And they better not make him evil.

:: How does Widmore (and, for that matter, Ben) fit into this thing? Are they also just innocent "bystanders" who stumbled into this strange world, or are they fundamental players in the mythology? If it's the former, I'll be disappointed; the writers have been dangling Widmore out there as a significant player, and they need to address his part.

I'm really eager to hear your thoughts on this episode--did you think it was a satisfying explanation of the start of things? Did you think it was too cheesy? A cheap shot? Perfect? If you're blogging Lost at your place, feel free to leave a link below. This list will close to new links in a few days, to keep away the spammers.

Lost Recap: The Candidate

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't seen the episode airing May 4, don't read this.

I'm having trouble thinking clearly, most likely because my brain has been deprived of oxygen for the last 20 minutes, holding my breath in sympathy with our Losties.

First of all, Jin and Sun. What a horrible, touching, unexpected scene that was--and just when they had found each other again. My mother bear instinct was in full force as I watched it--"SWIM AWAY, Jin! You have to live for your daughter!"--but I suppose it's comforting to know that these two at least were together at the end. It's especially touching when you recall the miserable state their marriage was in when the series began. Talk about redemption.

Speaking of redemption (and horrible, disappointing moments)--Sayid appears to be dead, and I suspect he's actually, really dead this time. We learned he did not kill Desmond, and we also learned that something spiritually "awakened" him from his fog of nastiness. He once again resumed his rightful place as hero. But what was it? What caused him to suddenly revert back to goodness when all indications were that he was utterly lost? Was it some goodness still lurking in him? Did Jacob somehow "call" to him? And what of his line to Jack: "It's going to be you, Jack." Does this mean Jack is the appointed caretaker of the Island? How does Sayid know?

Perhaps most significant was a further fleshing out of the "rules"--most importantly, that Locke himself is unable to kill the candidates themselves. It also appears (though not as clearly) that candidates are unable to kill themselves (remember Jack in the Black Rock with Richard?) This tells me that the "Kwon" name from the cave wall was likely Sun, since Jin technically killed himself by staying with his wife in the sub. Any thoughts on that?

A few more questions that tonight raised:

--Where is Richard? Miles?

--It appears that Sideways Jack is close to a moment of realization, as he sees the strange coincidence of Flight 815. What will happen to help him realize the truth?

--I still really want to know why all the candidates must be together for Fake Locke's plan to be in place. With the Kwons dead, does this ruin his plan?

--The last scene in the hospital with Jack and John was heartwrenchingly beautiful. How I want to believe there's hope for a happy ending for John Locke, somewhere (or sometime). Could Sayid's redemption signal hope for John? Maybe? Please?

--What's the significance of the music box given to Claire by her father?

--In the sideways timeline, Claire and Jack appear to be headed back to his place, so she can stay with him. Will we learn the identity of his (sideways) son's mother? My vote is still on Juliet.

--Is Frank Lapidus dead?

If you're blogging Lost at your place, feel free to leave a link below. This list will close to new links in a few days, to keep away the spammers.