T-Smith on 23/5/2010 at 17:22
Quote Posted by Thor
That's the right attitude, my friend. It's always good to see a fan, who knows something else besides whining about disappointing stuff, no matter how good it is, as shown well in the "Across The Sea" episode. People just nitpicked it apart, for no decent reason.
People complained about Across the Sea because many of them felt it was placed too far into the season and that it was poorly written.
I hated the first half. Bad pacing and dancing around the bush. The second half was much, much better. And it's an episode that is better with a re-watch, with lots of interesting facts and information to pick up on.
If you actually read the thread, I went quite in depth with my observations and various points, including defending some of its choices. I didn't just say it was bad and leave it at that. Doesn't change the fact that it could have been MUCH better.
Anyways, only a handful of hours left now. I've got to start hanging up Dharma balloons and writing candidates names in chalk on the porch.
Thor on 23/5/2010 at 18:14
Well yeah, you did point out the good stuff too. I simply didn't mind the first half, it was slow, yes, but it was also atmospheric and I think the children acted quite okay. It still told a lot of story and kept secret some things like where did the mother come for and wtf is the island meant for, which were pretty much left for the finale, although I wouldn't mind not being answered every single question.
I didn't see anything wrong with "Across The Sea" though. The events unraveled themselves nicely, making it seem, like even they were just kids, who didn't know anything once upon a time. Nobody, no matter how mighty he seems, didn't start from humble origins as everybody else. And if it had been placed earlier, the buildup would have been a bit corrupted, less LOST-style questions made, stuff like that.
Besides, what would be your idea how to suddenly logically put events in such mechanism, that they resolve themselves and answer more questions and show more in 40 minutes? For that matter, what things would you have in mind that should've been answered?
Oh and yes - Season 6 opener with the sunken island was the perfect mindfuck to make one remember, that lost just does these things.
Season 5 finale opener was one of the most memorable Lost scenes I've ever had and I'd love a similar final finale opener. I still have in mind how their dialogue went.
Looking at Alpert's ship about to arrive. This one like stuck with me (might be far from accurate, perhaps wrong, but still...)
They always come, they conquer, and fall. All leads to one end. Everything before that is progress.
P.S. It would be a real buzzkill to die in RL before watching the final episode of Lost.
P.S.S. Sorry, if it's hard to understand what I write. My English ain't that good and I'm not that good at expressing my thoughts to begin with.
P.S.S.S. Was I the only one, who was glad to see Michael again as a spirit appearing to Hugo? Speaking of which, what's Hugo's deal anyway. Why is he the guy, to whom dead guys appear more then anyone else.
Scots Taffer on 24/5/2010 at 03:37
If what I'm hearing about the finale is accurate: lol.
Renault on 24/5/2010 at 04:08
Scots: Be interested to know what you're "hearing."
I had no problem with the way the show ended in the "real" timeline. But the alt timeline...I'm sorry, the writers in the end just had no idea what to do with it. You can't tell me that what they had envisioned in the first episode during the alt timeline (remember the shot of the underwater island and statue?) matches the way they finished it off.
Seems like this has happened multiple times over the various seasons of Lost. The writers come up with a cool mysterious scene with lots of big questions, but it seems obvious in the end that they never had any idea how to actually resolve it, and the resulting "payoff" is weak.
I did think Jack's eye closing at the very end was pretty clever though.
Renzatic on 24/5/2010 at 04:39
It was an appropriate ending, I guess. The whole alt-timeline = happy dead folk coming to terms with their fate scenario was a bit of a copout, but the ending, at least in a dramatic sense, was fitting. I know quite a few people will be pissed off that we never figured out exactly what the island, Jacob, crazy-mom, and the smoke monster were all about, but it's really better we don't. All that works great as a backdrop, a macguffin, and too much demystification would've probably made for a far less satisfying send off.
In short, it was a great finale for the story and characters, though not for all the mysterious mysteries and conundrums that have been brought up throughout the run of the show.
Though I am admittedly disappointed my predictions were so off the mark. Guess I gotta write fanfiction now. :(
Edit: Lost Island: The Hugo Years...coming 2012.
frozenman on 24/5/2010 at 04:45
I can't say I've watched enough episodes (there are large sections I've missed) to properly gauge the quality of this finale, so for now (until I read mad message board discussions) I'll say this:
I enjoyed the fact that Lapidus was brought back. The people (like me) who were fed up with the one-liner bullshit were upstaged, and the people who wished he hadn't been killed were all yaaaay.
Also, so so many realization-of-alternate-life flashbacks, it was fun to say 'DUDE I'M TRIPPING SO HARD RIGHT NOW' each and every time.
Renzatic on 24/5/2010 at 04:48
Also why didn't Jack turn into a smoke monster? I mean he was there with the crazy stuff, but all he got was outside.
T-Smith on 24/5/2010 at 05:27
I thought it was a fantastic ending. It ultimately showcased what the writers said the show was always about - the characters, and redemption. They were lost in their lives, in their own purgatory they fought through their flaws and discovered meaning and love, which allowed them to move on to whatever lies beyond.
The ending of Smokey mirrored standard LOST format - deal with the huge threat first, then everything else afterwords (look back to season 4 - the mercenaries were murdered pretty damn quickly).
Enough things are left unanswered to leave the show mysterious. Exactly what IS the Island? What is the light at the center, and who first started protecting it? Also, why doesn't Ben enter the church?
I was satisfied though with the fates of our characters. Jack's death didn't surprise me, though how it was handled (returning to the same place he woke up on the island, then closing his eyes) was done brilliantly. Hurley becoming the next leader was great, as was Ben being the next Richard. Also, Lapidus rocks.
In the end, it's hard to end a show like this and keep everyone happy. The same can be said for any show, but with such a huge and controversial project as LOST, it would be much worse. Same fans be disjointed, but they could always looks at it this way -
It didn't end like The Sopranos.
T-Smith on 24/5/2010 at 06:13
Also, I should make a note - less posting while I'm drunk. Spelling and grammar mistakes abound and embarrass.
Scots Taffer on 24/5/2010 at 06:29
Quote Posted by Brethren
Scots: Be interested to know what you're "hearing."
That the flashforward stuff was
purgatory. The writers will be slyly chuckling about this conceit because they always said "no, the
island isn't
purgatory". Good job boys. So while the ISLAND wasn't, the only part that they decided to spend any real time addressing in the finale WAS.
Meanwhile the On-Island stuff is the On-Island stuff, which is to say a ton of cocktease and mythos and cool mysterious intrigue without one iota of concrete payoff or explanation beyond what's been delivered to date - which, from recaps, I've gathered is more of the same Lost format of half an answer wrapped in two new questions.
This effectively says to me, conspiracy theorist tin foil hat on, the island originally was that which they said it wasn't and then actively wrote themselves out of a corner with the side-universe stuff.
I say all of this with a fully functioning disclaimer that I gave up on season 3 feeling the entire show was going to be a cocktease to all the interesting stuff (eg. The Island) whereas the worst fucking part of the show always was the standard of writing around characterisation. No, sorry, that's the
point - it's all about the
characters (except they're barely ever acting on their own motivations but instead to the whims of the motivations of those associated with mythology or acting irrationally in order to function the mythology).
