*** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

[aukevin]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

Dvd footage that I'm actually interested in.


http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/watch..._revealed.html

That sounds awesome. I will have to see that.

[CaptainZombie]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

In truth there isn't any show really structured for that now that LOST is gone.
Personally my top shows now still on the air is Dexter, Mad Men and Fringe, but i watch a few other shows and I got stuff i'm REALLY looking forward for their start, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.

When is The Walking Dead premiering and what station? It is the zombie TV show based off of the comic book correct?

[Pared]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

in a show which caters to an audience interpreting subtext and reading between the lines, it is irresponsible to put those images on screen and not expect people to dissect their meaning.

somehow i doubt they were meaningless though.

Oh c'mon, you're telling me the writers would've expected people to see imaginary dead people in the pictures? Because that's all people were talking about the next day that swore the whole thing never really happened.

[Pete1210]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

Oh c'mon, you're telling me the writers would've expected people to see imaginary dead people in the pictures? Because that's all people were talking about the next day that swore the whole thing never really happened.

No. I didn't see dead bodies. But my fist impression when I saw that scene was: that is what the crash site looked like if there were no survivors. Then I though about how Jack's last moment before death is where he landed after the crash. So I wasn't sure right then if they were trying to say they all died in the crash. After reviewing the scene where Jack dies, that is clearly not the case.

[CMH]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

The thing is, the producers had nothing to do with it. It was ABC's decision so I'm not sure why people keep blaming the producers for thinking no one would assume something else.

ABC isn't thinking about the people watching the episode. They were just trying to add some images to the closing credits and give people time to digest everything before being hit with "Terror! Why bad breath can cause cancer! But, first, a local area crossing guard is a hero for a day after..."

[Skerik]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

Didn't see this posted - apologies if it was. I've read a lot of theories and analysis about this show, but this is among the best of them.

This is from a poster on a Buffalo Bills message board who works at Bad Robot.

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 Adam'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 screw 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 every time 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 interfered 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 Candidates on their overall quest to kill Smokey? Or did Jacob have another list of Candidates from the Dharma group that we were never aware of? That's a question that is purposely 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 blatant.

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 during "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 concept 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 spiritual 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 mosaic.

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, Lapidis, (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, Widmore, 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.

[aukevin]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

Good stuff Skerik, thanks for passing it along.

[CMH]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

Interesting. What he says sounds pretty much right on, but is there any validity to who he is? Just curious.

Also, he kind of side-steps Walt, but I think the producers have already confirmed several times that they didn't prepare for Walt's growth properly.

[tsalbysp]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

Apparently they are going to address Walt in the DVD extras. I hear there is also a scene (12-14minutes) with Hurley and Ben when they were #1 and #2. Perhaps we flash-forward to the future some, and Hurley or Ben run into Walt (which would then make his tall stature workable).

The theory about Walt is just my hypothesis, but the part about Walt/Ben/Hurley having additional moments on the DVD's is factual.

[soltrain]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

There was supposed to be a Walt scene in the actual episode, too - it just got cut out. Do you guys think Walt winds up back on the Island?

[quaziemoto3]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

Oh c'mon, you're telling me the writers would've expected people to see imaginary dead people in the pictures? Because that's all people were talking about the next day that swore the whole thing never really happened.

I didn't see dead bodies at all. But I took the crash scene in the credits to mean that everything that happened on the island was real (because there is plane wreckage and no dead bodies and they showed the camp site, etc).

But your post is not responsive to my point which is that they should show any images that are just "thrown in" and have no meaning and not expect the fans of the show to dissect its meaning. It is not like we are watching Saved By the Bell. Were are watching Lost, damnit, and part of the show's appeal is to read and interpret the subtext.

[Pete1210]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

Didn't see this posted - apologies if it was. I've read a lot of theories and analysis about this show, but this is among the best of them.

Good stuff that makes sense... except, if MIB was indeed using Ben to eliminate the candidates, why didn't Ben and the others just kill Jack, Sawyer and Kate when they captured them?

[tsalbysp]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

Good stuff that makes sense... except, if MIB was indeed using Ben to eliminate the candidates, why didn't Ben and the others just kill Jack, Sawyer and Kate when they captured them?

Ben needed Jack to perform surgery on him. Sawyer and Kate were his leverage.

[Pared]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

Were are watching Lost, damnit, and part of the show's appeal is to read and interpret the subtext.

And over-analyze.

[VanCitySportsGuy]

Re: *** Lost: Season 6 (Final Season) ***

Also, he kind of side-steps Walt, but I think the producers have already confirmed several times that they didn't prepare for Walt's growth properly.

Considering Walt was 10 or 11 years old when they casted him, they knew he was going to grow and look a lot older as the years went by. I simply believe they scrapped a storyline they had for him since it didn't make sense for the show.

On the Firewall and Iceberg podcast they talk about how they knew a writer on Lost that worked on Season 5 and the flash sideways was never even mentioned in the writers room.