LOST Explained In Long Form

I was asked by a friend for a literary explanation, and I obliged. (And just for the record, I only did this as a writing exercise to see if I could actually summarize the main plot of "Lost." I am not obsessed...okay, maybe just a little.) Okay, here goes my best...

On the way to Los Angeles from Sydney, plane crashes on a mysterious island in 2004. Crash victims ("Losties") explore the mysteries as their back stories are told through flashbacks, eventually running afoul of two groups vying for control/protection of the island. Losties divide into two groups:  one, led by John Locke, stays on the island and the other, led by Jack Shephard, gets rescued. "Rescued Losties," 3 years later, realize they made a mistake (Jack yells, "we have to go back Kate!") and try to get back to the island, while "Left Behind Losties" meanwhile travel through time on the island caused by the island's mysterious energy. A group of Rescued Losties then make it back to the island and meet back up with Left Behind Losties - in 1977 - while the other half of Rescued Losties hook up with members of one of the groups vying for control of the island - in 2007. Detonating a hydrogen bomb in 1977, all Losties are reunited - in 2007 (Juliet simply says, "it worked," then dies). Losties do not crash on the island, instead landing at their original destination of Los Angeles and are no longer Losties...only problem being that the original Losties are still seen on the island as if nothing had changed. Losties, namely Jack, decide to embrace their fate to act as protector of the island, accomplishing that mission with a handful of Losties again leaving the island. In the final act, Losties are rewarded for their sacrifice in the protection of the island.

The End

Think this is a better, more visual recap though... 

©2010 Steve Sagarra

LOST Series Finale

Ever since the first previews and trailers for LOST in 2004, I was instantly hooked. The entire premise intrigued me, and for most of its six seasons it never disappointed. I became a "Lostie" (Evangeline Lilly and Maggie Grace being on the show may have helped a bit), and even helped recruit "Others." Now it's over. I was uncertain whether the series finale would be satisfactorily pleasing or bitterly disappointing. Would questions truly be answered, or answers left unquestionably vague? And would I be able to appreciate it no matter the outcome? So with those things in mind, this is my take on the finale...

It's basically the ending to Titanic, with the sideways timeline actually a self-created purgatory - and not some alternative what-if timeline - where their souls had to reconnect with each other and remember their lives together because of their special bond ("live together, die alone"). Everything that happened on the island was in fact reality, with the Ajira 6 (Kate, Claire, Sawyer, Miles, Lapidus and Richard) getting off the island and presumably living their lives until dying years later. Jack died on the island after doing what he had to do, and presumably Hurley and Ben then protected the island until presumably passing it on to someone else. Everyone else either died/lived during the course of the show as we saw (Shannon, Juliet, Sun & Jin, etc.), and their souls were there waiting for the souls of Jack and the Ajira 6 to join them so that they could all move on together. 

Truly, as Desmond often said, "see ya in another life, brotha."

So...a bitterly pleasant ending. In a word, LOST was always about living - living with and for each other, living with our guilt and sacrifices. And living before the end comes, whether in an instant or years thereafter, by making the connections that matter the most. After thinking about it and reading the posts of others who have come to similar conclusions, I'm fine with that ending because of the journey that it told.

 

(But, in my opinion, they did borrow from James Cameron....)

©2010 Steve Sagarra

Un-American Americans?

As Ms. Malkin and Mr. Powers point out, it would appear ever more the case. Perhaps if President Calderon made Mexico a country where his own citizens would want to stay and the United States federal government enforced our laws against illegal immigrants, then states like Arizona would not have to pass laws to counter the problem. A foreign leader, whose country is the primary facilitator of illegals to this country, publicly condemning the actions of a sovereign state from within the very house of the American people? What gall.

Addressing the issue, two excellent columns for those tired of the America bashing...

"The U.S. Department of Blame America First," by Michelle Malkin

"Dems Stand and Cheer as Calderon Bashes Arizona Law," by Doug Powers

 

©2010 Steve Sagarra