“Lost” In Translation

Much like the sixth-season introduction of a parallel universe in which Oceanic Flight 815 had never crashed, the world itself has seemed like an alternate reality for staunch followers of Lost since the contentious series finale aired two weeks ago. As an ardent fan of the character-driven, philosophical sci-fi drama since the pilot aired in September 2004, I now find myself unable to watch television the same way knowing “The End” has come and gone. With the absence of such a pop culture staple and unequivocal cult classic from my television lineup, my fellow Losties and I are now aimlessly wandering the airwaves in listless befuddlement. Never before in my adult life has a mainstream network series so captured my curious attention and sparked such a ravenous litany of questions and obsessive searches for referential double entendres within each carefully plotted detail. During seemingly endless stretches of anticipation between seasons (sometimes as long as nine excruciating months), the knowledge that The Island and all its unrequited mysticism would return with further painstaking development kept my patience intact.

I had hoped the finale of Lost would provide a satisfying amount of answers in order to quench my increasing frustration with the writers’ abandonment of promising storylines in favor of implementing frivolous new ones. In six seasons, producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof (collectively, endearingly referred to as “Darlton” in the fanatical blogosphere) managed to keep such universal themes as science vs. faith and good vs. evil both harmonious and relevant throughout the course of the series, but the culmination of extraneous characters (Nikki and Paulo are the two most glaring examples) and unnecessary plot diversions (the inconclusive activity at the temple in early Season Six still exasperates me) only made for a confusing distraction from the heart of the matter: What is The Island? Unfortunately, after the emotionally fulfilling but logistically infuriating series finale on May 23, I still have no idea.

While I’m aware many equally devout Losties have accepted the lack of definitive answers and claim satisfaction with the spiritually themed exit, I found the conclusion anti-climactic and, frankly, rather heedless. Considering Darlton’s fervent insistence from day one that The Island was not purgatory, the fact that the initially encouraging, albeit last-ditch, alternate universe turned out to be exactly that illustrated a lack of ideas from one of the more creative producing teams in modern television. The finale certainly packed emotional resonance – watching each character “awaken” to the existence of their actual pasts on The Island absolutely struck a chord with me – but didn’t address any of the supernatural or science fiction aspects of the show that made it such a unique anomaly among the humdrum of network television in the first place.

Sadly, I can’t say I’m surprised. As Lost’s sixth and final season drew closer to its end, I found myself getting nervous that not enough loose ends were being addressed in time for the finale. The introduction of the “flash-sideways” alternate universe piqued my interest at first, but the infuriating amount of time wasted at the temple seemed to throw away ample opportunity to bring the series full circle. The origin episode that centered on the childhoods of original Island caretaker Jacob and eventual Man In Black gave me hope that long-awaited questions would be resolved, but instead I found myself asking even more. In attempt to explain where the oldest known island dwellers came from, Darlton instead left viewers with further inquiry about their “adoptive” mother and her questionable motives. In fact, upon Jacob and his brother’s repetitive queries, their mother cryptically quips, “Every question I answer will simply lead to another question.” Indeed.

Perhaps the storyline whose neglect proves most frustrating is the significance of Walt and the emphasis of his importance throughout Season One. I’m aware Malcolm David Kelley’s ascent into puberty rendered his appearance inconsistent with the timeline of the show, but surely something could have been conjured up for the finale to appease the numerous fans dying to rehash the quizzical clairvoyance of Walt and his connection to The Island. If Shannon (Maggie Grace) can come back solely to make out with Sayid, for crying out loud, surely a character deemed as initially important as Walt could have been at least referenced for the sake of both continuity and artistic integrity. It once seemed as though Walt was being prepped as a missing link of sorts between reality and the Island-verse, until the actor grew up too quickly and the arguably most interesting character on the show was sent packing.

It may seem as though I’m being overly fastidious, but this isn’t Dancing With the Stars I’m dissecting. The fantastic nature of Lost derived from its ability to blend science fiction with compelling character-driven drama to create smartly crafted connections between various plot developments that referenced philosophy, literature and theology and gave viewers a delight to decipher. For Darlton and Co. to essentially decide that former story essentials as the Dharma Initiative don’t really matter as long as the characters enter the afterlife together is a slap in the face to those of us who hoped for an intellectual resolution.

Lost may have exited our television screens via the sentimental route, but I find it hard to believe that its creators will leave the story’s legacy untouched. While I’ll work on accepting the unresolved mythology of The Island, I have a feeling Lost’s creative team will help its saga continue beyond the television series. Rumors have already begun to circulate about graphic novels and possible live-action follow-ups à la the Animatrix animated shorts, but nothing has been confirmed. Perhaps our beloved castaways’ ascension towards the white light truly marked the end of their story, but, as we’ve learned throughout the series, there are thousands of years of Island history left to cover – is it too early to acknowledge the possibility of a spin-off? Malcolm David Kelley is surely waiting by the phone.

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Photographs courtesy of ABC and Mario Perez.