LOST

The final just aired here in New Zealand. I was good all week, I avoided all spoilers, I wasn’t tempted to peek at what happened in the final. I’m glad I didn’t spoil it, it was worth waiting for the end.

I loved the final up to the point. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the last few minutes, so I’ll leave that alone for now.

Something I love about this show is that we got an ending. That’s rare in television, when the fickle networks cancel anything that looks like a ratings hole (something longer series tend to be). LOST managed to get an end instead of being dropped suddenly (Traveller anyone?) and for that I am thankful.

We also got answers to many of the questions. What the hell was the smoke monster? Where did the polar bear come from? How were all the dead people showing up all over the place? What was the point of the island? Who was Jacob? Why did The Others want the names of everyone who crashed? What was up with the hatches? Why did the plane crash? Why did they have to come back? Why didn’t Richard age? What did Juliet mean by "going Dutch" when she died?

What the hell was the smoke monster?

The result of Jacob pushing his brother (the man in black) down the light at the centre of the island. While the man in black died (his body showed up later, clearly dead) the smoke monster was born in that instant.

Where did the polar bear come from?

In the 70s the island was home to the Dharma Initiative, a organization who were performing experiments on the island (trying to find out about its unique properties). They had multiple hatches doing different experiments, one was a zoo with different animals. So they where the ones who bought the bear to the island originally.

What was up with the dead people showing up again?

They weren’t. None of the dead came back to life (with the exception of those who talked to Hurley). The black smoke monster/man in black has the ability to take the form of anyone who is dead. This means he appeared as Jack’s father, he was the one manipulating things throughout the series. When Alex came back and told Ben to do what Locke said, it was actually the man in black doing it for his own agenda.

What was the point of the island?

Beneath the island is a source of light, something important that is part of everyone. Think what you want, the point of the island is to keep it there and protect it from those who would want to do harm to it. After Jacob and his brother fought, the focus changed to keeping the malevolence born (the smoke monster) trapped on the island as well as keeping the light safe.

Who was Jacob?

You heard Ben talk about Jacob throughout the series, but he really didn’t show up until the end. Before that it was the man in black who was manipulating thing (Jacob’s cabin was actually home to the man in black). Jacob is not god, he’s not an angel and he’s not a divine being. He’s a man, born like any other (as a twin) and is the current guarding of the island and the light. He is the one calling people to the island, for the purpose of finding his replacement.

Why did The Others want the names of everyone who crashed?

They needed to know because that’s what they were told to do, from Jacob. Although it is unclear who was calling the shots, since it turns out a lot of their instructions came from the man in black, and Jacob would already know the people who crashed since he was the one calling them.

What was up with the hatches?

They were the different experiments by the Dharma Initiative, built in the 70s.

Why did the plane crash?

You can blame Desmond for this, but also Jacob. Jacob wanted certain people on the island, so they would come. However what caused the crash was Desmond not pushing the button in the Swan hatch, causing the built up magnetic energy to release, crashing the plane that happened to be passing overhead.

Why did they have to come back?

They never should have left. The people who left were candidates to replace Jacob, and they were all needed on the island. So Jacob convinced them to come back, in different ways (like talking to Hurley on the mainland). Jacob seemed to have the ability to leave the island at certain points in time.

Why didn’t Richard age?

Richard believed he was in hell, due to his sins. When offered the job as Jacob’s adviser/liaison. he asked to have his dead wife brought back as payment. But Jacob couldn’t do that (neither could the man in black, although he could make it look like it). So Richard asked for absolution, but Jacob couldn’t offer that either. Finally Richard asked to never die, and Jacob said that was something he could do. So simply put, Richard didn’t age because that was his payment from Jacob. However in the final we see that Richard does begin to age, which makes him realize he wants to live.

What did Juliet mean by "going Dutch" when she died?

Look at her conversation with Sawyer in the final, when they met again. He asks her out to coffee, but mentions he only has a dollar left (since the machine ate his other one). When she was dying, her consciousness was drifting between the realities. That’s how she knew it worked, that they did succeed in their plan of stopping the plane from crashing.

 

There are so many more questions that did get answers, and that’s why I love this show. Most things can be explained, some can be guessed, and others are left open. It was a show that was definitely different. I’m sad it has gone.