LOST Notes

[weak_link]

I found this posted on another forum. Supposedly from a Lost writer.
A good read nonetheless.

Good stuff on here! I can finally throw in my two cents! I've had to bite my tongue for far too long. Also, hopefully I can answer some of John's questions about Dharma and the "pointless breadcrumbs" that really, weren't so pointless ...

First ...
The Island:

It was real. Everything that happened on the island that we saw throughout the 6 seasons was real. Forget the final image of the plane crash, it was put in purposely to f*&k with people's heads and show how far the show had come. They really crashed. They really survived. They really discovered Dharma and the Others. The Island keeps the balance of good and evil in the world. It always has and always will perform that role. And the Island will always need a "Protector". Jacob wasn't the first, Hurley won't be the last. However, Jacob had to deal with a malevolent force (MIB) that his mother, nor Hurley had to deal with. He created the devil and had to find a way to kill him -- even though the rules prevented him from actually doing so.

Thus began Jacob's plan to bring candidates to the Island to do the one thing he couldn't do. Kill the MIB. He had a huge list of candidates that spanned generations. Yet everytime he brought people there, the MIB corrupted them and caused them to kill one another. That was until Richard came along and helped Jacob understand that if he didn't take a more active role, then his plan would never work.

Enter Dharma -- which I'm not sure why John is having such a hard time grasping. Dharma, like the countless scores of people that were brought to the island before, were brought there by Jacob as part of his plan to kill the MIB. However, the MIB was aware of this plan and interferred by "corrupting" Ben. Making Ben believe he was doing the work of Jacob when in reality he was doing the work of the MIB. This carried over into all of Ben's "off-island" activities. He was the leader. He spoke for Jacob as far as they were concerned. So the "Others" killed Dharma and later were actively trying to kill Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley and all the candidates because that's what the MIB wanted. And what he couldn't do for himself.

Dharma was originally brought in to be good. But was turned bad by MIB's corruption and eventually destroyed by his pawn Ben. Now, was Dharma only brought there to help Jack and the other Canditates on their overall quest to kill Smokey? Or did Jacob have another list of Canidates from the Dharma group that we were never aware of? That's a question that is purposley not answered because whatever answer the writers came up with would be worse than the one you come up with for yourself. Still ... Dharma's purpose is not "pointless" or even vague. Hell, it's pretty blantent.

Still, despite his grand plan, Jacob wanted to give his "candidates" (our Lostaways) the one thing he, nor his brother, were ever afforded: free will. Hence him bringing a host of "candidates" through the decades and letting them "choose" which one would actually do the job in the end. Maybe he knew Jack would be the one to kill Flocke and that Hurley would be the protector in the end. Maybe he didn't. But that was always the key question of the show: Fate vs Free-will. Science vs Faith. Personally I think Jacob knew from the beginning what was going to happen and that everyone played a part over 6 seasons in helping Jack get to the point where he needed to be to kill Smokey and make Hurley the protector -- I know that's how a lot of the writers viewed it. But again, they won't answer that (nor should they) because that ruins the fun.

In the end, Jack got to do what he always wanted to do from the very first episode of the show: Save his fellow Lostaways. He got Kate and Sawyer off the island and he gave Hurley the purpose in life he'd always been missing. And, in Sideways world (which we'll get to next) he in fact saved everyone by helping them all move on ...

Now...

Sideways World:

Sideways world is where it gets really cool in terms of theology and metaphysical discussion (for me at least -- because I love history/religion theories and loved all the talks in the writer's room about it). Basically what the show is proposing is that we're all linked to certain people during our lives. Call them soulmates (though it's not exactly the best word). But these people we're linked to are with us duing "the most important moments of our lives" as Christian said. These are the people we move through the universe with from lifetime to lifetime. It's loosely based in Hinduisim with large doses of western religion thrown into the mix.

The conceit that the writers created, basing it off these religious philosophies, was that as a group, the Lostaways subconsciously created this "sideways" world where they exist in purgatory until they are "awakened" and find one another. Once they all find one another, they can then move on and move forward. In essence, this is the show's concept of the afterlife. According to the show, everyone creates their own "Sideways" purgatory with their "soulmates" throughout their lives and exist there until they all move on together. That's a beautiful notion. Even if you aren't religious or even spirtual, the idea that we live AND die together is deeply profound and moving.

It's a really cool and spirtual concept that fits the whole tone and subtext the show has had from the beginning. These people were SUPPOSED to be together on that plane. They were supposed to live through these events -- not JUST because of Jacob. But because that's what the universe or God (depending on how religious you wish to get) wanted to happen. The show was always about science vs faith -- and it ultimately came down on the side of faith. It answered THE core question of the series. The one question that has been at the root of every island mystery, every character backstory, every plot twist. That, by itself, is quite an accomplishment.

How much you want to extrapolate from that is up to you as the viewer. Think about season 1 when we first found the Hatch. Everyone thought that's THE answer! Whatever is down there is the answer! Then, as we discovered it was just one station of many. One link in a very long chain that kept revealing more, and more of a larger mosiac.

But the writer's took it even further this season by contrasting this Sideways "purgatory" with the Island itself. Remember when Michael appeared to Hurley, he said he was not allowed to leave the Island. Just like the MIB. He wasn't allowed into this sideways world and thus, was not afforded the opportunity to move on. Why? Because he had proven himself to be unworthy with his actions on the Island. He failed the test. The others, passed. They made it into Sideways world when they died -- some before Jack, some years later. In Hurley's case, maybe centuries later. They exist in this sideways world until they are "awakened" and they can only move on TOGETHER because they are linked. They are destined to be together for eternity. That was their destiny.

They were NOT linked to Anna Lucia, Daniel, Roussou, Alex, Miles, Lupidis, (and all the rest who weren't in the chuch -- basically everyone who wasn't in season 1). Yet those people exist in Sideways world. Why? Well again, here's where they leave it up to you to decide. The way I like to think about it, is that those people who were left behind in Sideways world have to find their own soulmates before they can wake up. It's possible that those links aren't people from the island but from their other life (Anna's parnter, the guy she shot --- Roussou's husband, etc etc).

A lot of people have been talking about Ben and why he didn't go into the Church. And if you think of Sideways world in this way, then it gives you the answer to that very question. Ben can't move on yet because he hasn't connected with the people he needs to. It's going to be his job to awaken Roussou, Alex, Anna Lucia (maybe), Ethan, Goodspeed, his father and the rest. He has to attone for his sins more than he did by being Hurley's number two. He has to do what Hurley and Desmond did for our Lostaways with his own people. He has to help them connect. And he can only move on when all the links in his chain are ready to. Same can be said for Faraday, Charlotte, Whidmore, Hawkins etc. It's really a neat, and cool concept. At least to me.

But, from a more "behind the scenes" note: the reason Ben's not in the church, and the reason no one is in the church but for Season 1 people is because they wrote the ending to the show after writing the pilot. And never changed it. The writers always said (and many didn't believe them) that they knew their ending from the very first episode. I applaud them for that. It's pretty fantastic. Originally Ben was supposed to have a 3 episode arc and be done. But he became a big part of the show. They could have easily changed their ending and put him in the church -- but instead they problem solved it. Gave him a BRILLIANT moment with Locke outside the church ... and then that was it. I loved that. For those that wonder -- the original ending started the moment Jack walked into the church and touches the casket to Jack closing his eyes as the other plane flies away. That was always JJ's ending. And they kept it.

For me the ending of this show means a lot. Not only because I worked on it, but because as a writer it inspired me in a way the medium had never done before. I've been inspired to write by great films. Maybe too many to count. And there have been amazing TV shows that I've loved (X-Files, 24, Sopranos, countless 1/2 hour shows). But none did what LOST did for me. None showed me that you could take huge risks (writing a show about faith for network TV) and stick to your creative guns and STILL please the audience. I learned a lot from the show as a writer. I learned even more from being around the incredible writers, producers, PAs, interns and everyone else who slaved on the show for 6 years.

In the end, for me, LOST was a touchstone show that dealt with faith, the afterlife, and all these big, spirtual questions that most shows don't touch. And to me, they never once waivered from their core story -- even with all the sci-fi elements they mixed in. To walk that long and daunting of a creative tightrope and survive is simply astounding.

[MikeyC]

Originally Posted by Tripp

The numbers were explained in the ARG after Season 3(I think) to some degree.

The numbers are the variables to the Valenzetti Equation, which predicts the end of the human race(they think). Sometime before the Dharma Initiative arrived on the Island, it was discovered that the numbers each represent a human or environmental variable in the equation. At some point, the Hanso Foundation, and Dharma Initiative discovered the island, and thought that the properties of equation, the Numbers, could be impacted by the properties of the island. This is actually why the Dharma stations were created. It's thought that each station corresponds with a number, and for some reason could change the number it corresponds with, though no one knows which numbers correspond with each station.

More info on the numbers can be found here(P.S. Don't fall in)

I enjoy watching the TV show. I find it really annoying to hear that they answered a bunch of questions in an interactive game on the internet.

[Brutus2600]

Does anybody know where that post by the Bad Robot writer originally came from? All I've seen in my searches are reposts.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by longknocker

"The End" Is Open For Interpretation, Which Is exactly What The The writers wanted. Overall A Good, Entertaining Show, IMO!

That's what The Sopranos writers did too, and I wanted to kick their ******* ******!!

[JE3146]

Originally Posted by drevim

It was explained that Michael was one of the "whisper people" left on the island for eternity. Walt, uh, he just got too old to be cute anymore, and was written off the show, I got nothing for him.

This is one of the things that I found most interesting about the show. I started watching the 4th season, so I watched the first 3 seasons, back to back on DVD. It seemed to me that the writing completely shifted gears in the 3rd season, and the focus of the show changed. Maybe this was when they decided how the show would run to the end. We get 2 full seasons of the Others being this all important, badass group, then they get killed off and the focus shifts for the next 3+ seasons.

This was all discussed on Jimmy Kimmel's Aloha to Lost which I watched the next morning. Well at least the part about Michael and Walt.

As for the rest, I think the writers anticipated on there being 1 more season in there, then ABC not only cut the seasons short(16-18 episodes vs 24), but also cut off 1-2 seasons. Not to mention the writer's strike that existed in there. That would be like an artist going to lunch after working on a painting then a 1st grader comes in with finger paint.

Given the circumstances, I'm not dwelling too much on the middle plot.

[JE3146]

Originally Posted by icehog3

That's what The Sopranos writers did too, and I wanted to kick their ******* ******!!

No, they didn't pull a Sopranos... not even close.

[PeteSB75]

Originally Posted by icehog3

That's what The Sopranos writers did too, and I wanted to kick their ******* ******!!

The ending of the Sopranos was pretty straightforward, I thought. Tony died. There was even a conversation between he and Bobby? a few episodes before about what happens when you die, if you see a light or whatever or if it just goes black. It just went black. Really, how else could it have ended?

[/threadjack]

These aren't the droids you're looking for. He can go about his business.

[weak_link]

Why I gave it a 4.5

Some of these have been answered but it's kinda funny.

[Skywalker]

Originally Posted by weak_link

Why I gave it a 4.5

Some of these have been answered but it's kinda funny.

Very funny!!!

Why???

[OLS]

What a monumental waste of time. They can claim it would have made sense if they had
had time to complete it. But we know that is just a bunch of BS. They had nothing and they
rode it for 6 years. This statement is just a way for them to put off their horrible 'ending'
on the ABC suits. It was an entertaining show from time to time. But after 3 years, they were
competely lost and hoplessly in need of something that could fulfill everything they said in chat
rooms online was NOT TRUE. "NO, they are NOT dead." "No, this is NOT purgatory."
"No there is no blablabla (insert your BS here)". The reason it got so convoluted is they had
to keep ahead of online chat the whole time. By the time they had shot down every theory
on the internet, there was hardly anything left for it TO BE.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by weak_link

I found this posted on another forum. Supposedly from a Lost writer.
A good read nonetheless.

Great stuff, Eric, thanks for posting this! Confirms a lot of what I believed about this series and the finale

[weak_link]

Originally Posted by kaisersozei

Great stuff, Eric, thanks for posting this! Confirms a lot of what I believed about this series and the finale

Just take that all with a grain of salt. I don't have a link to the original post and anyone could claim they are a writer. Still, this person raises some very interesting points. Glad you enjoyed the read.

[OLS]

And of course, maybe it made sense to some people. I had a friend who said the DOG did it, and
I think we saw at the end that this was true.

[Tripp]

Looks like there's going to be a short epilogue showing Hurley in his role as the new "Jacob" included with the Complete Series DVD set.

Also, ABC elaborated on the final shots of the plane wreckage on the beach, saying:
"the images shown during the end credits of the Lost finale, which included shots of Oceanic 815 on a deserted beach, were not part of the final story but were a visual aid to allow the viewer to decompress before heading into the news.”

http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/05/26/...leased-on-dvd/

[JE3146]

Originally Posted by weak_link

Just take that all with a grain of salt. I don't have a link to the original post and anyone could claim they are a writer. Still, this person raises some very interesting points. Glad you enjoyed the read.

Pretty much reaffirmed everything I got from the ending of the show.

Writer or not, it satisfies my curiosity to know I'm not alone in thinking that way

[weak_link]

fwiw after watching it a 2nd time last night I'm raising my rating to from 4.5 to 6.75/10

[Eleven]

Originally Posted by weak_link

fwiw after watching it a 2nd time last night I'm raising my rating to from 4.5 to 6.75/10

Yup...I watched it again last night with my kid, more and more makes sense now.

[SaltyMcGee]

I've been rewatching the entire series on Netflix streaming from season 1.

Really enjoyed watching the series again now that I know the ending...highly recommended.

[Tripp]

Anyone watch "New Man In Charge" yet? It's available from nefarious sources at the moment, and will be officially available with the Lost boxed set on Aug. 24th.

IMO, though it was short, it offered some answers to a couple questions that never mattered, but everyone always wondered about. I'm satisfied with it as the final end to the series, and look forward to picking up the blu-ray boxed set later this month.