LOST: Why I Never Left The Island & Why You Need To Go Back

Time trippers

Sure, the wait between seasons is long, but what better time to read all of the books, watch all of the movies, and listen to all of the music that each season references as well as uses for inspiration? Not to mention the usual online ARG games/puzzles (The Lost Experience, Find 815, The “Project”) created to buoy the story and provide context and shade in the grey areas. And time enough to re-watch past episodes or entire seasons and discover missed clues. You could just peruse one of hundreds of chat rooms that serve as discussions on Quantum theory, Metaphysics, Theism, Behavioral science, or the latest round of spoilers. Maybe you are just a “shipper”—a fan who focuses on the relationships of the characters—or maybe you are just plain confused and need someone to explain it all to you. Either way, there’s always a board teeming with fans eager to trade theories. And that’s just in the off-seasons.

Once a season starts, it usually takes viewers by surprise. Even though regular viewers know that every run starts off slow and works into a lather right up until the end, it still causes the ratings to wobble. As one character, Ethan, said of travel to the island, “It can be . . . kind of intense.” The same could be said of the simple act of watching the show, as many episodes contain enough information to fill a week’s worth of more typical programs. It can turn your head inside out trying to assimilate an entire episode at one time: the Internet usually crackles after each new episode with amended theories, fresh conjecture, and random association. First, you’ve got character connections, love triangles/quadrangles, alliances, deaths, births, and lies to sort and catalogue. Then some classical and pop culture references, timelines, mythology, symbols, numbers, and ghostly/mysterious happenings to decode. Throw in screencap sites and transcripts of those damning whispers that still pop up here and there, and it’s enough to make the brain swell.

The wheel

But if you’ve stuck around for the long haul, you can’t say you haven’t been rewarded. This is television programming without a safety net; one that delivers diverse thrills and twists. It operates on a variety of levels that few shows even attempt—Drama, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Comedy, Mythology, Romance, Thriller, and Mystery—and handles the task quite well considering how many other shows have collapsed under the weight of their own plot devices. Just type LOST into the search engine on any major bookseller’s site and you’d be amazed at the number of episode guides, philosophical dissertations, and ephemeral catalogues related to the dissemination of LOST trivia and factoids.

The declaration of an end date to the series (in 2010) has given LOST new focus, finally allowing the story to advance episode by episode, rather than stall out indefinitely and risk getting cancelled. Doing so levels the creative process and makes it possible to envision the endgame of the series, and that is exactly what has been done, according to series producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof. This is a way to hopefully avoid the pitfalls of past legendary shows that went awry, and to make sure the show doesn’t devolve into rote boredom. But to the fans, it never gets boring; it just slows down at times.

Not to get too spoilerish, but we’ve seen quite a bit unfold over the last few seasons. . . we’ve found out just how far in every direction the DHARMA initiative has spread on the island, discovered why some people never seem to age, and witnessed the huge amount of loss that the entire survivor camp has had to endure. It’s been revealed who got off the island and how, and what price there was to pay for that decision. We’ve seen better images of the smoke monster, and even more tempting teases of the where the Others on the island are really from. We’ve been shown the bigger players in the mythology, and as of season five, with every new episode, we’ve been getting the solid answers many of us have waited almost five years for. And they’re only halfway through this season. . .

The smoke monster

And I know about waiting for those answers, I really do. I feel the pain of LOST watchers everywhere—I want to know what’s up with the smoke monster and whether Ben is really one of the good guys. I want to know what the island means, and how old Richard really is, and why they needed Aaron and Walt in the first place. And what the hell is the deal with the four-toed statue anyway? We watch faithfully every week, dissect every episode with slavish devotion, and sometimes share the feeling of being cheated when all we get are more mysteries. The payoff has only begun, and not just with answers to well-written mysteries. What you get for your time and effort is one of the most consistent and self-aware programs around today, one that is attuned to contemporary culture and written by consummate professionals that actually care about whether or not you get what you want from a simple television show.

But don’t take my word for it, go and refresh your LOST lexicon; rehash those old episodes and warm up the DVD player for some marathons of what you’ve missed. Hit the websites, the episode guides, and the chatrooms for explanations if you need them. Have fun throwing around theories with your spouses and partners, or argue about them if you feel passionate about your theory. . . . Most of all have fun, because that’s just what it is there for.

Go back to the island, and start finding your own answers. You’ve got work to do.

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