LOST: Season Six

Photos provided by ABC Studios
I still find myself watching the last ten to fifteen minutes of the LOST series finale. I've probably watched it a dozen times or so. The portion I'm talking about is when our fractured, flawed, but ultimately heroic Jack Shephard finally embarks on the moment we've been waiting six years for, the moment when he opens the casket of his deceased father Christian.

I'm not repeatedly watching this moment because I'm looking for a hidden goose egg, or greater thematic significance. I watch the waning moments of this epic adventure because I find the closure of LOST to be enriching, profound and most of all, comforting. The conclusion LOST came to was an unworldly one, one which is conciliatory without compromising.

Although LOST was always a terrific science fiction mystery, adventure, puzzle, romance, thriller and drama, more than anything, to me it was an experience, a particularly engrossing and absorbing spiritual one.

Religious symbolism, is revealed both explicitly and implicitly. The construction of a church on The Island, a prayer shared between survivors of the crash of Oceanic 815 or a conversation surrounding Doubting Thomas and his significance are ways that LOST wore its spirituality on its sleeve. The implicit nature of its spirituality was more engrossing. John Locke's faith in the island and his deep philosophical discussions with Jack made television's most engaging series what it was. Although these central characters constantly debated issues of science versus faith, free will versus destiny, all of the series other participants also struggled with life's complexities and found reconcilation by finding their great purpose in this world.

Many were disappointed with LOST's final season, and although I wasn't completely blown away by all of the series conclusions, LOST: Season Six did return the series to where it began, a character-centric program where those who once were lost have now been found. Many LOST fans discarded the alternate reality, or flash sideways, where we witness the survivors lives following the detonation of Jughead (in the season five finale). In a time where fans were demanding answers, LOST elected to dig deeper into the characters themselves, acknowledging the demons our survivors were still battling, but in a slightly different light. Although Kate, Jack, Sawyer, Sayid, Locke and the others still had problems to reconcile, they were much more aware of these obstacles and equipped to handle them.

On The Island, the writers revealed several answers, some more substantial and satisfying than others. We discovered who Jacob and The Man in Black were, how Richard obtained eternal life, what the whispers were, and why Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley and the others were brought to The Island. Some viewers weren't satisfied, questioning the strength and validity of the answers, while other viewers demanded further explanation.

The real answers to me were the ones which the characters arrived at within themselves, many of which were revealed on The Island and in the flash sideways. This is what LOST was all about. Whether it was Jack discovering his faith and finding the ability to let go, Kate accepting the consequences for her actions, Sawyer learning to forgive himself and love again or Desmond finding a measure of self worth, these self-realizations provided the show with its heart and purpose.

The flash sideways revisited our characters internal struggles, but also hinted at the sideways' real existence. Nearly all season six episodes included a sideways story, and each revealed a clue to where the characters were operating. To discount the importance of the sideways is to discount what LOST is really all about.

LOST: Season Six had a difficult task, attempting to satisfy all of its fans. This would be a difficult task for any series, but particularly tough for a series which was many different things to many different viewers. It was many things to me: a brilliant mystery, a science fiction adventure, a series of romantic epics and even, at times, a funny and comical escape. Yet most of all, LOST was a spiritual experience, where misguided souls found themselves and something greater. In this respect, LOST: Season Six ended on just the right note, a melancholy, hopeful and ultimately comforting ride into the light.

Grade: B+

LOST: Season Six is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD.