Lost 5.23.10 (“The End”)

Dear Jack,

No, I’m not dead, even though I haven’t written any letters in months. I’ve discovered a few things about myself, namely that my internet blogging time and energy occupies the same space as my work time and energy. Lately, I’ve had to use more of that space for work (which has been really good, thanks), and so no letters. I’ve also discovered that writing semi-snarky posts about my favorite TV show made me enjoy it a little less — like when I was watching it I was always thinking about what to write about it, rather than just watching it and enjoying it. You know what I mean? But I couldn’t let the end of the show pass without writing one more thing.

So, even though I am not dead, you are. That makes me sad, but was also very appropriate. But I’ll get to all that in a bit.

There are lots of people out there in internet-land who are complaining about the show not answering all the mysteries. They feel a bit (sometimes A LOT) disappointed with the show’s ending because of the lack of concrete answers. There’s more than a kernel of truth to that disappointment. Mysteries clearly were important to the show. They drove the plot forward. They exposed character flaws, strengths, and motivations. They kept us coming back so we’d see what happens next. They kept us talking about the show at work. They STILL keep us talking about the show even though it’s over. They are important.

I’m the kind of person that’s pretty comfortable with art remaining mysterious — who really wants to know what the Mona Lisa is slyly smiling at, anyway? I am also the kind of person who ascribes best intentions to artists and respects what they’ve given me, even if it’s not exactly what I’d want. To paraphrase Neil Gaiman: “George R.R. Martin is not my bitch.”

If you ask me, and I know you’re not, but if you ask me what I think would have made the show a little better for me (and, I think, a lot better for those people who are a lot more upset about the end than I am), I’ll tell you — one more episode.

This episode isn’t the finale or even part of it. It would have come earlier in season 6, maybe even at the beginning of the season, or maybe even earlier in season 5. The focus of the episode would have been answering the question of how much Jacob and the MIB had to do with all the other stuff that happened on the Island. It would have been similar to the episode where we see Jacob touching all the Candidates at key points in their lives. Scenes would have included Jacob bringing Dogen to the Island and telling him what he needed to do at the Temple, MIB/Jacob manipulating Dharma (either on or off the Island), something about the MIB and the cabin, some Dharma guy working with the Numbers at Jacobs prompting, the MIB talking to Whidmore as he’s about to get kicked off the Island, and maybe even Jacob talking to big Walt (and being very deliberate about NOT touching him) saying something like “I’m sorry I got you into this mess. You ARE special, but you didn’t need to be involved because you’re too young” — sort of like how Kate’s name was crossed off. That sounds very clunky, I know, but I am sure they could have found an artful way to take care of it. It wouldn’t have explicitly answered very much; Jacob doesn’t need to turn to the camera and say what the numbers are. But a little more insight into how their struggle has manifested itself over centuries would have raised the stakes a bit and given a few more answers, because fundamentally their struggle over the Island (whether to leave it, protect it, or destroy it) became the struggle that you and the rest of the castaways became embroiled in. Eventually, it became your struggle, and you sacrificed yourself for it.

That being said, I loved the end of the show, all of it. I liked your flying punch in the rain! I liked that Kate (who I grew to like again) saved you and shot Locke. “I saved a bullet for you!” Nice! I loved the little things — the shot of you and Locke looking down the waterfall, Mile’s line about duct tape, Richard’s gray hair, Hurley’s Star Wars references. I was very happy that Hurley became the new guardian of the Island and that Ben found some redemption by helping him. That was a nice bit of symmetry with Ben inadvertently helping the MIB for all those years and now he gets to help the real guardian. I love Ben!

I also liked the resolution to the flash-sideways timeline. I have no sympathy for the criticism that it made that entire part of the season worthless. The point of all that, just as I speculated the point of the Island was in the first place, was so people could work out what they needed to work out before Moving On. I grew to really be invested in these characters over the years and this provided a nice was to resolve that investment. It certainly made sense within the narrative of the show, as redemption was a theme we saw again and again (as was letting go). Perfect, I think, and at times very poignant. I got more than a little misty eyed at the Sawyer/Juliet scene.

I also appreciated the capstone to your character. You started off as a leader and a man who saved people and got things done. That eventually gave way to an almost obsessive drive to Save Everyone, even though they didn’t want saving or your methods proved harmful. Rose and Bernard were a nice commentary on this flawed aspect of your personality. Then, you left the Island, realized your mistake, drank a lot, came back, and was a passive workman for Dharma for a little while. It wasn’t until your rekindled obsession to Save Everyone directly got Juliet killed (and, admit it, you kinda liked her) you began to realize what you were doing was really hurting other people. At the end, you did what needed to be done, including letting go by handing off the mantle to Hurley. You did what you were good at, then let Hurley do what he is good at — taking care of people.

And, of course, they show ended the only way it could have, as it began. Your friends finally did get to leave the Island — free and clear. Vincent came to give you company. And we ended as we started, with that nice shot of your eye, closing in the end as it at opened at the beginning. I was sad to see you go.

I hope you tell all the folks who made the show how much I enjoyed it. I really think it was artful television.

Love,

me