We're Home.

[rionaleonhart]

I've finished watching Lost!



'Across the Sea': can't believe Lost would launch into an entire episode of backstory I don't care about right when I'm at peak investment in both the present-day island storyline and the AU storyline.

Stop trying to explain things about the island, Lost! I don't want explanations! The island works best when it's just a bunch of mysterious, ill-defined bullshit!

'What They Died For': Ben/Danielle would never have occurred to me, but it feels strangely perfect in the AU.

'He doesn't get to save his daughter': horrifying, incredible, one of the best Ben moments in the show.

I'm not sure I love the idea of Jack taking on the role of guardian of the island, but of course he'd be the one to agree to it, so at least it makes sense for his character. I just hope it doesn't make him invisible to his friends!

'The End': love the opening montage cutting between the AU and island versions of the characters!

'The island's all I've got left. It's the only thing in my life I haven't managed to ruin.' Jack, you're breaking my heart. He says it so matter-of-factly, too!

I love that Rose and Bernard have just decided to opt out of all the plot bullshit.

oh noooooo I started crying when Sun and Jin remembered their lives on the island

Hey, Frank made it! Some good news at last.

I love that Kate shoots the monster without hesitation. If it weren't impervious to bullets, she could have solved a lot of problems!

I'm delighted that Jack and Juliet are colleagues in the AU!

holy shit, they're colleagues and exes

I'm still loving every moment of this AU storyline. It's everything I've ever wanted.

SHANNON ♥. I've missed her!

Every time two characters are in the same shot in this show, I expect them to kiss. ('I know, right?' was Tem's immediate response when I said this aloud. Tem hadn't even seen the show - xe just happened to be in the room for the final episode - but xe was also struck by how much everyone seemed like they were about to make out.)

I love that Jack's so resistant and confused when he starts to remember. No wonder, both because it's not in his nature to accept that sort of thing easily and because, while he did have important experiences on the island, his life is pretty unambiguously happier in the AU.

I'm sad about Jack, my terrible beloved, but I do like the idea of Hurley as the protector of the island.

Riona: Hey, Jack's alive! And covered in blood!
Tem: Congratulations! And he looks like he's in a lot of pain!
Ginger: You must be having such a good time, Riona.
Tem: We're all so happy for you.

Mildly disappointed the AU isn't an actual offshoot timeline, but I do enjoy the idea that everyone from the island loved each other so much that they collectively created their own special afterlife just so they could find each other again, and I liked the big hugging scene in the church. Fascinated by the question of what it means for Ben that he stayed outside.

(Did they create the afterlife by detonating the hydrogen bomb? Juliet said 'it worked', which suggests so. I hope they did, both because it means Juliet didn't die in vain and because that's so absolutely batshit that I sort of love it.)

Also, it hit me pretty hard in the heart that Jack got to see the plane leaving and know that the others got out okay before he died.

I'm okay with that ending! I've heard it was unpopular, or at least controversial, but I didn't mind it. There was plenty of focus on how much all the survivors loved each other, and that's what I'm here for. I also like that, even though we ultimately see everyone in the afterlife, it wasn't an 'everyone dies' ending; a handful of people make it off the island and get to live out their lives. And I'm glad the events on the island turned out to be real.

What a wild ride. I've had a great time.



And that was Lost! Took me nearly two decades to get around to it, but I'm so glad to have watched it at last. One of the weirdest, most intense televisual experiences I've ever had.

Thank you to everyone who's commented along the way! You've made the experience a lot more fun; it's good to have people to talk to about all the ludicrous bullshit in this show.

If anyone's curious, I said 'holy shit' a total of eleven times in my Lost reaction posts, 'holy fuck' five times and 'what the fuck' twenty.

Comments

[emmzzi]

originally the reaction to the ending was people going "bah! They were in purgatory? I feel cheated." But I think that's an over simplistic explanation of what was going on. I love the idea that they created it themselves.

I am fine with Ben being outside, He has some thinking to do about being easily led.

Also: all of the Hurley love. All of it.

[rionaleonhart]

I was uncertain at first about the afterlife angle, but I think I'm okay with it because the events of the show were still real and important. I found the idea of two parallel timelines really interesting, but I don't mind the revelation that it's a linear narrative, going from backstory to the island to (for those who survived) further existence to the afterlife.

The more I think about Ben staying outside, the more I like it; it's such an interesting detail!

Hurley's great! He's such a good choice to look after the island with compassion.

[owlmoose]

Jumping in here a few days late because I've not really been reading along; I decided it was time for a rewatch of Lost but I'm going much more slowly (I'm a couple of episodes into Season 4 now), and I've forgotten enough of the details that it's hard to say much in most cases. However, I do remember the ending, vividly, and although I won't say I loved it, I did appreciate it, and I will defend it vigorously because I think most of the haters misunderstood it. I heard a lot of people saying that they were mad at the ending because "they were dead the whole time". But Christian quite plainly said that they were not, and the events of the show did in fact all really happen. Maybe it was too subtle, but I suspect one reason many people missed it was because they were so worried that the "dead all along" ending would turn out to be real, and so as soon as they heard "purgatory", they tuned out the rest in their rage. (This isn't just pure theory because this actually happened to the friend I watched the finale with. He still didn't love the ending after I clarified, but he was more at peace with it.)

[rionaleonhart]

I heard a lot of people saying that they were mad at the ending because "they were dead the whole time".

This is something I've also encountered as I've poked around the fandom! I was a little surprised it was such a common misconception, as the show was pretty explicit that the island events were pre-afterlife, i.e. life. But your theory makes a lot of sense, particularly as the finale came out at a time when it wasn't necessarily easy to rewind and double-check if you missed a crucial detail.

[facethestrange]

AHHH, YOU FINISHED! :D (I'm slow because I'm preparing to go out, lol, but I couldn't just wait until I come back! :D)

"Stop trying to explain things about the island, Lost! I don't want explanations! The island works best when it's just a bunch of mysterious, ill-defined bullshit!"
To be fair, it's not like the explanations have changed that. ;D

"I love that Rose and Bernard have just decided to opt out of all the plot bullshit."
I love this so much too, I have so much respect for any characters who go 'the dangerous and violent stuff is actually not my business'.

"SHANNON ♥. I've missed her!"
♡♡♡

Locke remembering the Island in the afterlife is the main reason why I really don't mind that he died when he did and the way he did. Like, SHRUG, all is good after all. xD

"(Did they create the afterlife by detonating the hydrogen bomb? Juliet said 'it worked', which suggests so. I hope they did, both because it means Juliet didn't die in vain and because that's so absolutely batshit that I sort of love it.)"
I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT. I'm on board! :D

I appreciate the 'wtf' stats. xD And I'm happy you had a good time!

[rionaleonhart]

It's been an absolute pleasure to have you along for the ride! I've hugely enjoyed your enthusiasm for the show, your insight into the fandom and your love for all the characters (especially Locke). Thank you for being my guide to the island!

[seleneheart]

I'm so glad you liked the ending! As I've commented, people who expected things to end neatly were disappointed, but I loved the chaotic messiness of it.

I think it was just a master class in story telling, especially the visual of Jack lying amongst the bamboo watching the plane leave. Was Vincent with him? Can't remember.

Wow, I'm welling up just remembering it. I lived with those characters for six years and was very attached to all of them.

I had such a hard time shifting mental gears when Mark Pellegrino showed up on Supernatural as a bad guy, because he had been so good as the ambiguous but angelic Jacob.

As a Kingdom Hearts fan, I thought you might appreciate Desmond's "See you in another life, brother" line. One of my favorites ever that I would put on icon but I feel it's more spoilery than the Guam one. I gave my son (also obsessed with Lost) at T-shirt that had that line on it and the date that Lost last aired.

I could go on and on about Lost. Let's just say I've really enjoyed your re-watch and thrilled that you liked it. Thank you for digging up all these great memories.

[rionaleonhart]

Vincent was indeed with him! It was a great parallel to the start of the show.

The thing that really made me think of Kingdom Hearts was actually Jacob and his brother playing that game with the black and white pieces when they were kids; it was very Xehanort and Eraqus!

Thank you so much for coming along! It's been so good to learn about the histories people have with this show, what they enjoyed about it, what it means to them.

[tellshannon815]

I had no interest in Across the Sea when it first aired, but a big part of that was the fact that it came straight after Smokey McSmokeFace had just wiped out three of my favourites in one episode and at that point I didn't want to see an episode focused on him. Maybe I'd have felt better about it at a different point in the season.

People asking "So, were they dead the whole time?" still persists even now, (if Lost had a drinking game, that one would be my "down your whole drink", assuming I was in any state to do that after taking a drink every time Hurley called someone dude, Desmond called someone brother, Michael yelled WAAAALT!, Sawyer called someone a nickname - 2 sips for Freckles - I could go on.)

[rionaleonhart]

it came straight after Smokey McSmokeFace had just wiped out three of my favourites in one episode and at that point I didn't want to see an episode focused on him.

It's true! Your thought about having the episode at a different point is an interesting one. I wonder if I'd have felt better about it if it had come when my feelings about that character weren't quite so dramatically negative.

That sounds an incredibly dangerous drinking game!

[pauraque]

Wow, you went through this show fast! Wasn't it just a couple months ago that you were like, eh, maybe I'll give it a few episodes and see if it grabs me? :)

[rionaleonhart]

It really grabbed me by the throat! I bolted through the whole thing in about seven weeks.

[(Anonymous)]

I haven't seen Lost, but finally learning about it thru your posts has been great!

The afterlife twist sounds like such a fun goodbye to the series. An everlasting(?) bastion of instability where characters reunite after the mystery of the island is ripped away. And damn it is just so cool that one of the twists is straight up the AU you were drafting.

It's a different genre than Lost, but Atlanta is also about a man and his bad decisions with some reality/fantasy blurring weirdness if you're looking for something new to watch. Or you might like Gnosia, the visual novel where everyone gets to kill everyone (because they're trapped in a time loop)? I'm sorry this is probably obnoxious, because it's not like I know you and can make real recommendations. I guess it's: you easily admitting your affection for characters digging themselves deeper into holes makes me realize I feel that way too, and those are two things I glommed onto because they gave me characters in resonant/intriguing kinds of distress?

tl;dr: thank you for writing so much about Jack getting beaten up! - Rumbelow

[rionaleonhart]

Hey, it's good to see you here! I'm glad you've enjoyed my Lost ramblings.

The specific afterlife they created together - the world where the crash didn't happen - isn't everlasting; it's a place where they can find each other and regain their memories of the island before moving on to a mysterious Something Else. But I assume some form of continued existence with each other awaits them, given that it was important for them to find each other first.

(Come to think of it, the afterlife would have to be unimaginably big to accommodate everyone who's ever lived, so it's probably a lot easier to reunite with your loved ones if there's a smaller pre-afterlife designed specifically for that. Interesting thought.)

I actually started reading a screenshot Let's Play of Gnosia and found it really interesting (the Let's Player never finished, alas), so your assessment of my tastes may be pretty accurate! I feel I'd be terrible at playing it myself, but maybe I should look into finishing it via another Let's Play, at least.

I'd never heard of Atlanta, but I'll bear it in mind (once I've recovered from being thoroughly run over by Lost; I'm not sure I'm ready to watch anything else right now). The prospect of 'characters in resonant/intriguing kinds of distress' is extremely promising; it's always a pleasure to meet other people for whom that's a draw. Thank you for the recommendation!

tl;dr: thank you for writing so much about Jack getting beaten up!

It has been my pleasure. I would write about Jack being beaten up as a full-time job if it were financially viable.

[necrophilia]

Okay, but can I choose the next show you watch. I miss commenting on your entries.

[rionaleonhart]

Awww! If it's any consolation, I'll probably post about Oxenfree II when it comes out on 12 July; the release date has just been announced, and I of course am informing you because I am a good friend who would never withhold anything Oxenfree-related.

[necrophilia]

Aw, thank you so much for sharing the release date with me! You are truly kind and gracious. ♥

Also, Invincible is a fun romp where the main character is physically and emotionally tortured with increasing severity for eight episodes. I'm just, you know, saying words in order. Just thinking out loud. In text, on your DW.