Alright, I know 90% of you are not going to give a lick about this post, because you didn’t faithfully watch every episode of all six seasons of LOST while trying to shift through a lifetime’s worth questions.
But I totally did exactly that.
And I’ve been getting phone calls and emails from other people who did exactly that, but with one difference. They had questions about the ending. I have no questions about the ending. I thought it was brilliant and spot-on. There have been a BOAT LOAD of questions that I’ve answered a number of different times this week, and then it occurred to me…
“Hey, I have a blog. I could write it down once and be done with it!”
I know, it takes me awhile sometimes. So here are some answers to some questions I’ve gotten…
YES. The island was real. Everything that happened on the island was real. Jack died on the island after killing the smoke monster/Locke and then restoring the light. Hurley and Ben continued on the island to protect the light. The plane crashed there and it was real life.
YES. Everyone in the sideways reality is actually dead. Let me repeat: THEY ARE DEAD. There are blogs out there trying to say they are alive, but hear me: THEY ARE DEAD. When Jack is talking with his father, they blatantly say they are all dead. That some died before Jack and others died long after him. I have no idea why people are questioning this because THEY ARE DEAD.
Now, here are my thoughts as to what’s going on in this sideways universe. I know people hate the word purgatory, but that’s what they are alluding to. Being Catholic, I’ve heard many thoughts throughout my life as to what purgatory could mean. In this case, I think they took the angle that after a person is dead, they go back and experience the good and bad in their lives, right their wrongs and come to a peace in their spirit before moving on to their final home in heaven.
If you notice how this sideways universe worked, each person has roughly the same life they did before, but with minor adjustments. They are trying to right the wrongs they committed and find resolution for the desires they had on earth. For example:
:: Desmond works for Widemore because in life Desmond desired respect from him more than anything [the reason he took the boat to the island in the first place was to prove himself to Penny’s father].
:: Jack’s desire was to have a good relationship with his own father, so he creates that relationship between him and a son of his own. [Locke pointed out to Jack that he doesn’t have a son before Jack realizes he’s dead… it’s because he doesn’t. Jack created him to fix the past and fill a void.]
:: Claire finds a stable family and is able to raise her own child.
:: James is still trying to find the real Sawyer and bring him to justice, but does so in an acceptable way. Much like Kate is actually innocent of the crimes she is running from this time.
:: Sun and Jin are truly in love, respect one another and are both able to experience seeing their child together.
They all died at different times, but they needed each other in order to work through their lives and find peace. Ben, while reconciled with many, still isn’t fully at peace from his deeds yet, so he stays behind. Anna Lucia doesn’t join them because she has yet to learn from her lessons, and so on.
The island was real. Their job on the island to carry on Jacob’s work of protecting the light was real. I think the smoke monster never had a name because he represented a darkness that is in all of us. And if we uncork that darkness, the light can go out. Jack put the cork back in, and the light remained.
I thought it was a beautiful ending to an amazing story. No, not every sci-fi question about the mystical happenings on the island were answered, but the big ones were. And really, it wouldn’t be very mystical if there was no mystery about it, would it? The point of this show has always been the relationships. The choices. The battle of good versus evil, faith versus science. And, in the end, love.
What do you all think? Any other Losties out there??? :)