Artistic Thoughts on the LOST Finale

I'm recovering from the ending of LOST.

The reason I'm writing about this is not to talk about my feelings about the last episode, but I'll start by getting that out of the way. I really liked the last episode. It was epic, moving, and everything we've come to expect from the show.

But I'm more interested in talking about the artistic and storytelling choices made by the writers.

**Spoiler Alert**


I don't have a direct quote, but Stephen King once said that it's really difficult to spend 500 pages making people care about a character only to kill him in the end.

I gotta say, the LOST ending was risky. The emotional moment between Jack and his father, and the reveal that the whole lot of them are dead made the impact on my that I'm sure the creators were hoping for. But what really sticks with me is the final series of shots. Of Jack laying on the same jungle floor where he first regained consciousness after the crash of Oceanic 815. The pan shot of the wreckage. The implication that there were no survivors. Ever.

The artistic style there was incredible, and heartbreaking.

The writers have always been incredible storytellers, and to choose a 6th Sense style ending took guts.

I'm not going to pretend that I understand everything. I don't know whether the events on the island happened and they all died at a later time, or if there truly were no survivors of Oceanic 815, and the events on the island all happened between the opening and closing of Jacks eye (as I believe the symbolism implies). But I do know that after six seasons, it'll be hard going back and watching this show knowing that the ending is so grim.

But I'll take comfort in the knowledge that, even though they're all dead, John Locke did walk again. Ben Linus found forgiveness. Sayid Jarrah found Shannon again. Claire Littleton was reunited with baby Aaron. Richard Alpert was finally set free. And Jack Shepherd made peace with his dad.