Game of Thrones and Stranger Things may perhaps have ushered in a new wave of “blockbuster television,” but no 21st century show ever managed to dominate the common culture zeitgeist rather like Lost. Ever considering that the J.J. Abrams-directed pilot wowed viewers back in the fall of 2004, hoards of loyal fans followed the show every single week, top to a “water cooler effect” exactly where news about main plot developments circulated immediately. Lost was a show that immediately became just as exciting to speculate about and talk about as it was to watch, as showrunners, Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk, seemed to generally be hinting at a main reveal that would “explain everything.” This probably set the final episode, “The End,” up for mismanaged expectations, as the ending of Lost remains a single of the most divisive in the history of dramatic tv.

Given the speedy way in which tv has surpassed film as the premium type of “serious entertainment,” the stress place on a show to somehow justify its audiences’ time and investment has turn into even extra prominent more than the years. While shows like Mad Men and Succession had been thought of profitable due to the fact they had good season finales, some fans regret getting watched Game of Thrones or How I Met Your Mother in the very first spot due to the fact they did not “stick the landing.” It’s not a constructive way to criticize tv, as even a really horrid final episode wouldn’t negate the years of exciting mysteries, good characters, and fascinating moments that Lost offered. However, that conversation is in itself superfluous, as Lost had a ideal final episode that continues to appear superior with age.

Lost

The survivors of a plane crash are forced to operate collectively in order to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island.

Release Date

September 22, 2004

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

6

Studio

ABC

What Happens in the ‘Lost’ Finale?

“The End” was probably the most epic installment in the history of Lost, as the multipart episode aired for 104 minutes in the summer time of 2010. The function length run time was justified, as the episode had to wrap up years of complicated storytelling and give adequate area for every single of the most important characters to have a standout moment. As Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox), Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly), and Hurley Reyes (Jorge Garcia) head to the heart of the island to attain the inner chamber, they are caught in a ruthless battle with the villainous Man in Black, who has taken the type of their former ally, John Locke (Terry O’Quinn). It’s following James Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick) show up that they understand that Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson) is preparing to destroy the island forever.

“The End” ultimately managed to reunite the core cast on a singular mission, which harkened back to the starting of the very first season when they had all encountered every single other as strangers when very first crashing on the island. “The End” absolutely does not leave significantly area to breathe, as the brutal brawl in between Locke and Jack is a single of the most intense moments in the history of Lost. Nonetheless, it really is rather emotional to note how substantially the characters have evolved more than the course of six seasons collectively, they’ve skilled monsters, time travel, secret hatches, and militaristic societies. Even although characters like Sawyer and Jack have been at odds with every single other, they’re in a position to compromise on reaching a collective purpose in the finale.

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We have to go back…and binge the complete factor more than once again.

Lost was in a position to make sure that every single character had a satisfying conclusion, a difficult activity thinking of how sprawling the ensemble is. Given that Hurley has generally been the heart of the show, it created sense that he would turn into the island’s protector, creating confident that its secrets had been kept secure. Seeing Jack ultimately get to confront his father, Christian (John Terry), was also rather moving, as their tumultuous father-son partnership had been a single of the show’s most vital conflicts. It was also rather rewarding to see Desmond escape safely, as he skilled extra trauma than probably any one else as a outcome of Season 4’s time travel storyline.

‘Lost’ Was Always Defined by Its Bold Choices

One of the causes that Lost was so fascinating was that it consistently changed the viewers’ perception of what it was in fact about. While the very first season was totally focused on the island’s mysteries, the second season delved deeper into the DHARMA initiative, with subsequent seasons detailing various timelines and pocket universes. The final season created the bold choice to take the series in an existentialist path that focused on a generations-old battle in between superior and evil on the island itself. This felt like a all-natural conclusion to exactly where the characters had been headed viewers had been so intent on mastering “what” was going on that they by no means got the chance to ask “why.”

The reveal that the majority of the final universe took spot in a side universe exactly where the characters had been dead the whole time may perhaps have rubbed some viewers searching for concrete answers the incorrect way. However, “The End” was satisfying for any Lost fans who watched the show purely due to the fact of the characters. Seeing all the couples that met more than the course of their adventures on the island united in a church is a single of the most striking photos in the history of the series if that wasn’t effective adequate, the blaring score from Michael Giacchino is adequate to cut down even the most cynical Lost fans into tears.

The Final Episode of ‘Lost’ Didn’t Deserve the Backlash It Received

Lost’s final season was straight away subjected to backlash, which is not surprising thinking of how significantly anticipation it had. Perhaps viewers hoping that the series of mysteries would go on forever had been just disappointed that their preferred show was coming to a conclusion Lindelof himself admitted that he “regretted” acknowledging the finale’s haters, as he didn’t want to colour any viewers’ expectations if they had been watching the show for the very first time.

The encounter of watching Lost is a individual a single, and for several, “The End” was a cathartic moment. Even if it wasn’t a finale that answered just about every minor query that was raised more than the course of the show’s whole run, it really is for superior or worse an ending that folks are nonetheless speaking about more than a decade later.

Lost is accessible to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

Watch on Hulu