Last season of "Lost" aka WTF?!

[kendoiwan]

I'm glad this show is ending. I'm one of those who had long since stopped trying to make sense of that shit sandwich of a show after the first few seasons. Watching this last season is just a reminder of why I stopped watching and why I won't miss it when it's gone. The proverbial train wreck I can't turn away from. Good riddance!

 

[Totenkindly]

Oh dear.

You didn't understand any of it, did you?

 

[kendoiwan]

I understood it perfectly. The problem is I expect things to make sense entirely too much for my own good...

 

[jenocyde]

I'm with you on that one, Kendo. I watched about 10 minutes of this season and regretted every minute of it. What started out as an intriguing mystery ended up as an annoying attempt to stretch out the longevity of the show. I hate that show.

 

[Totenkindly]

I just want you to know that this irrational hatred will not diminish or minimize our deep and lasting friendships in any way, shape, or form...

...even when we're on the island and I have to survive by plotting your painful demise by smoke monster, atomic bomb, drug plane, electromagnetic pulse, excessive amounts of time travel, Dharma Initiative boring training tape, or Machiavellian master plan of Benjamin Linus.

 

[Amphion]

I dig it! Great characters.

 

[MacGuffin]

It's just as good as it always was

 

[Totenkindly]

It's just as good as it always was

Hrrrrrmmm... the Flex is strong in that one!

 

[ayoitsStepho]

I personally love it. Can't say I'm a huge fan of tv, but I made an exception for Lost.

 

[kelric]

What started out as an intriguing mystery ended up as an annoying attempt to stretch out the longevity of the show. I hate that show.

That's the strange thing... when Lost was first televised (or actually, when it was first advertised, before the first show aired), I distinctly remember an interview with the producers saying that they had enough material for *six* seasons, which seems like a strange number for them to choose... unless it's true. So I don't really think they're stretching things out -- I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and go with the idea that this was the original arc of the series. It's just... a bit offputting sometimes when the whole premise of the series takes another 180 degree turn.

I enjoy it, but not as much as I used to. Still enough to be interested in seeing how it all plays out. And I do enjoy seeing the old characters (even minor ones) in cameo roles, even if just in the background. It's clear that they put a LOT of effort into that sort of thing.

The only reason I started watching it was that I thought it was a Cast Away-style mockumentary on a group of people who were stranded on an island learning survival skills, etc. (how naive of me, right?). So the "six seasons" interview struck me as sort of unbelievable. Little did I know that the tropical polar bear was about the most sensible thing that would happen... but it is fun and still has a few characters that I like (Hurley, Sayid, Sun and Jin) -- so I'll watch it.

 

[Totenkindly]

That's the strange thing... when Lost was first televised (or actually, when it was first advertised, before the first show aired), I distinctly remember an interview with the producers saying that they had enough material for *six* seasons, which seems like a strange number for them to choose... unless it's true. So I don't really think they're stretching things out -- I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and go with the idea that this was the original arc of the series.

They're not really stretching things out. They actually planned for seven seasons originally.And what they ended up getting altogether was more like five and a half, because I think the one season was much shorter than planned.

I've read them as saying they actually preferred the shorter run, because it forced them to cut stuff that would have meandered more. So everyone is fortunate.

I enjoy it, but not as much as I used to. Still enough to be interested in seeing how it all plays out.

Pretty much.

Stories just usually can't maintain their steam. I think the high point was reached in mid-run... but I wouldn't say it's bad. It's still the only show on TV right now I go out of my way to watch.

But it's all character-driven, and I enjoy the characters.
A high percentage are just well-acted.
I'm glad it's ending, but I'll miss the people I got to know.

 

[Magic Poriferan]

I never watched the show, but I heard about it too much.

From what I did hear, I would swear the writers were making it up as they went along.

 

[ColonelGadaafi]

I can say that it's a lot better then the countless of ponds of shit that constitute sitcoms, shit-format series, with copy and paste authenticity. Even if it's initial attraction of the theme has expired, it still deserves recognition when contrasted to others.

 

[kendoiwan]

Making it up as they go along...

 

[FDG]

I understand the issues with the apparently incoherent plot. I always supposed that's why the philosophy of "whatever happens, happens" has been stressed so much during the last 2 seasons. The events are to be regarded as a stream, rather than a puzzle - the electromagnetic force which the island covers is the producers scapegoat for everything, since it allows time travelling, timelines-switching, etc.
I quite appreciated the last episode with Desmond as main character, since it seems like they're finally giving a clue on how they're going to reconcile the whole mess. I suppose Jacob and the MIB just share Desmond's "power", but they've found a way to direct their consciousness to specific point in times via electromagnetic stimulation.
TBH I love time-travel and the consequential paradoxes thus I've enjoyed the last 2 seasons more than any other. I don't have the same passion towards the continuous semi-mystical references, but hey, they do need to cater to the needs of varied tastes.

 

[Totenkindly]

Making it up as they go along...

I'm not sure why this is so difficult to understand.

1. You nail in the big broad goals of the show. These are the main plot points and overall thrust they've had in mind from the beginning.

2. In terms of how the details play themselves out and the specifics of the plot, it's self-generating. You do enough stuff and leave it open ended, on purpose, and then look for synergy in the threads and weave together the stuff that triggers new stuff and let the rest go.

I've written a draft or two of a book in my time, that's just how the writing process works... at least for a P. (J's tend to script the whole thing.) Stephen King refers to writing much as the excavation of the spaceship from Tommyknockers, you are uncovering what is already there rather than creating it from scratch. It's a process of discovery.

That's been pretty much their style from Season #1. TV also necessitates working in an open-ended way, if you want seasonal/show narratives to play out long-term. Since you cannot go back and edit an aired show, but you still have to explore the ideas, you make sure you leave things open-ended and thus with the most flexibility.

 

[Riva]

I have watched all the episodes.

The issue in LOST is it has only one mystery. One mystery to keep all the people watching. There are sub plots. But these are trivial and lack any sort of mind numbing content. The sub plots are based on the secrets of the survivors. More the characters, more the petty mysteries.

 

[kendoiwan]

I'm not sure why this is so difficult to understand.

1. You nail in the big broad goals of the show. These are the main plot points and overall thrust they've had in mind from the beginning.

2. In terms of how the details play themselves out and the specifics of the plot, it's self-generating. You do enough stuff and leave it open ended, on purpose, and then look for synergy in the threads and weave together the stuff that triggers new stuff and let the rest go.

I've written a draft or two of a book in my time, that's just how the writing process works... at least for a P. (J's tend to script the whole thing.) Stephen King refers to writing much as the excavation of the spaceship from Tommyknockers, you are uncovering what is already there rather than creating it from scratch. It's a process of discovery.

That's been pretty much their style from Season #1. TV also necessitates working in an open-ended way, if you want seasonal/show narratives to play out long-term. Since you cannot go back and edit an aired show, but you still have to explore the ideas, you make sure you leave things open-ended and thus with the most flexibility.

You are a fangirl apologist. I could rattle off a long list of inconsistencies that you'd have to bend yourself into a pretzel thrice over to reconcile.

If you don't mind you don't mind. But I for one do mind, and as evidenced by the drop in ratings from season 1 to now, I am not alone. But also as evidenced by the shows continued popularity despite dwindling numbers, you are not alone either.

 

[Spamtar]

I was getting pretty pissed on how erratic the writing/acting in this season was getting but am relieved to see it seems to be mostly getting back on target.

 

[Totenkindly]

You are a fangirl apologist. I could rattle off a long list of inconsistencies that you'd have to bend yourself into a pretzel thrice over to reconcile.

Did I ever say there were not inconsistencies?
If you want, I could make you a list a mile long of messy spots, conflicts, things that could have been done better.

I'm simply saying that there are other frameworks in which to view this show, compared to the one you've chosen to frame it through. You're limiting yourself to one, fine; but you opened the thread, and if I see other ways to view something, I'm going to damn well say them. Or maybe you just wanted to bitch without having a conversation... do it in a blog, then.

Nice move, btw, in labeling me so you can better dismiss my opinion as irrational/biased.
Very slick.