People have been asking me what I thought about the Lost finale. So here it is:
I have been bothered ever since it aired. We had a finale party at our house and right away everyone kept asking me what I thought about it when really, I just wanted them to leave me alone and let me think it over. I didn’t want to talk, I didn’t want to theorize, I just wanted to sit in silence.
Days later, I’m still very reserved in my emotions about it. I don’t want to say I hated it because I’ve been committed to this show for 6 years. Being there on September 22, 2004 has some serious significance, so I can’t say I hated the resolution to something I’ve been committed to for so long.
I will say this:
Going into the finale, I was afraid that they were going to give us “character resolution” but no real mythological answers. This fluttering fear started at the beginning of this season with the flash-sideways and matured into cold-sweats after “Across the Sea”. It’s really just “a light” Allison Janney? And it’s the source of life, death, and rebirth? Call me crazy, but from the finale, it just looked like the stone was corking up evil to keep it from escaping. There was nothing about the creepy “hell” scene that made me think of life or rebirth, just death.
I would be in raptures had they answered ONE of these questions:
WHAT IS THE LIGHT? I feel like their choice not to answer this was probably smart. This gets into the sticky world of religion and they’ve done a really good job of remaining religiously ambiguous. However, then I would have been able to say with a clear conscience “Yes, Virginia, they knew what they were writing.”
WHO FOUND THE LIGHT AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE? I wouldn’t have needed to know what the significance was, I just need to know that SOMEONE did. Jacob took on the role of the protector with nothing more than a wink and a shot of wine from a grubby looking bottle. He didn’t ask what or why but was willing to lay down his life, and the lives of others, for this heretofore unexplained light. And Jack? Don’t get me started about him. I think he took the job simply because he wanted to feel important. The writers allowing Jack to take the job without asking for an explanation weakened his character and perpetuated his off-putting “god complex” as Sawyer so accurately deemed it. He didn’t grow as a character from season 1 when he wanted to fix every living thing, he just finally found a “mission” that other people found important too.
THE NUMBERS? That’s all I have to say about that one.
HOW DID JACOB GET THEM ALL ON THE SAME PLANE? Does he have time-travel abilities? How in the world did he go visit them at different times in their lives and then get them all on the same plane? That’s really been a bee in my bonnet since the end of season 5 when Jacob got all touchy-feely.
HOW IN TARNATION DOES THE ISLAND MOVE? I mean, really? Not a word about electromagnetism connected to wormholes? Not even from Farriday? Oh wait—they killed him off before he could explain anything scientific. How convenient.
WHY DOESN’T ANYONE ASK QUESTIONS? Kate was moving in the right direction by “What They Died For”, but never really went for it. I would plagued them with questions.
WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE EASTER EGGS? Over the course of the show I spent hours hypothesizing about their hidden numbers, symbols, and books. I relished the time. I guess that’s my bad for getting all obcessive.
From all this you may gather that I’m unhappy with the episode, but really, that’s not the case. At first I was REALLY angry with the “This is the place you all created so you could find each other” explanation of the flash-sideways, but the more I think about it, the more I like it.
Lost has always been a show that keeps people guessing, theorizing, and connecting with each other. It has always shocked me (like Juliet’s ex-husband being hit by a bus, or Sayid shooting young Ben) so I don’t know why I expected anything less from the finale. I guess I was expecting it to be a little less touchy-feely and religiously wishy-washy. But then again, they said we would get emotional fulfillment; they never promised answers…
Things I loved? The characters recognizing each other. Oh, man, were there water-works in my living room. To have Charlie, Claire and Aaron together again was almost moving enough to allow me to forget that Sun ended up with Charlie’s DS ring instead of Aaron. And Sawyer and Juliet’s moment was almost enough to banish the painful futility of “The Incident”.
As a side note, I must mention the acting that took place in this episode. I smell Emmys.
Over all, I feel emotionally fulfilled and mentally bullied. Which is why when people ask me if I liked the finale, I kind of just want to cry.
Showing posts with label Shippers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shippers. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Oh, Lost Fandom
This is not a Lost blog. Period. But there is something that I have to get off my chest… Or off my plate... Honestly, since the situation makes me sick, I'm going with the off the plate analogy.
In the Lost fan community, there is a group of people called "Shippers". You might think, being that the show is about a quazi-deserted island, that the term has something to do with a form of rescue or (for those of you that are caught up) a method of return to the island. But no. This is the group of fans that obsess over the relation"ships" in the show. These are the people that talk incessantly about the "look" that Jake gave Kate or the way that Sawyer "didn't call Kate freckles that one time, so clearly it means that he cares". Frankly, I find it all a bit exhausting.
Being a girl, I'm all for a good love story. I cried in The Notebook, I would certainly "have what she's having" from When Harry Met Sally, and I self-indulgently quote the sonnet along with Julia Stiles at the end of Ten Things I Hate About You. But that's just the thing, I like GOOD love stories. I like flawed but realistic characters that overcome themselves and their surroundings to be together. Once characters start sinking into self-pity and debilitating insecurity, I lose patience with them and any sort of love conflict construed in an effort to keep my attention.
In this group of "Shippers" there are two primary sub-groups, the "Jaters" and the "Skaters". These sects derive their names from the increasingly popular phenomenon of combining the two separate names of a couple. Camp "Jater" thinks that Jack and Kate should be together, and the "Skaters" believe that the only man for Kate is Sawyer.
Logically, to be in camp "Jater" you have to like Jack. This is difficult for me. From the beginning of the show, I've struggled with the Jack-led circus. I struggle with the idea that a surgeon with no military training and less than quality leadership skills would be the one responsible for every one's life. The actual mystery of the show is why the Iraqi techie/torturer/ex-military/general-bad-ass doesn't call the shots. There should be bumper stickers "Sayid for Grand Poobah of the Island". To round out the category there's flash-forward Jack. If it's possible I dislike him more than normal Jack. I mean, no one likes a pill popping doctor with a guilty conscience who sees apparitions of his creepy dead father, but really, the beard? Really Matthew Fox? Really make-up department? Really Damon and Carlton? Eww.
Sawyer, on the other hand, has been a fun character to watch progress through the show. Personally I enjoy his southern twang, his quick wit and his base of literary knowledge. He's awfully heroic toward the end of season four, which is a far cry from when he was ripping wallets off dead bodies and sleeping on top of his stash. Though, honestly, I almost liked him better when he was a scoundrel. I kinda dig the scruffy-looking scoundrel with the heart of a hero gig.
Though you may think you've pegged me as a shameless "Skater" don't start making any primitive statues of a four toed Sawyer with his precious Kate-bride yet.
The problem of falling into either camp is that Kate is the common denominator. To want to see Kate with the man of choice, you would have to wish her on them and though I'm far from in love with Jack, I wouldn't even wish her on him. There are two primary issues that I have with Kate.
The first is that she's completely inconsistent. I don't know if this is simply a characterization issue or if the writers simply use her as a tool to further the plot. She's sweet and innocent, yet a cold blooded father-killer. It seems as though we see her with a different guy in every flash-back. She is a super tracker and a great shot with a pistol, yet through seasons one and two is constantly sneaked up on or walking into traps. Now that she's taking care of Aaron, does anyone else see a Michael-esque "MY SON!" headed our way to inspire us to throw our televisions out the 8th story of a building?
The second issue I have with her is, she can't decide whether she's a "Skater" or a "Jater" herself! I understand being torn between two fabulously good looking men, but really you can't just pick and stick with one in all of your emotional turmoil?
The point is, "Skaters" and "Jaters" Please, have your day in the sun. Tear up when Jack pops the question. Sigh when Sawyer kisses her and jumps out of the helicopter. But really, if you care about those characters, it would be in their best interest not to be with Kate.
And really, if I were on the island, I'd have a "Sayid for Grand Poobah of the Island" sign in front of my tent and not bother with these Sawyer/Jack questions.
In the Lost fan community, there is a group of people called "Shippers". You might think, being that the show is about a quazi-deserted island, that the term has something to do with a form of rescue or (for those of you that are caught up) a method of return to the island. But no. This is the group of fans that obsess over the relation"ships" in the show. These are the people that talk incessantly about the "look" that Jake gave Kate or the way that Sawyer "didn't call Kate freckles that one time, so clearly it means that he cares". Frankly, I find it all a bit exhausting.
Being a girl, I'm all for a good love story. I cried in The Notebook, I would certainly "have what she's having" from When Harry Met Sally, and I self-indulgently quote the sonnet along with Julia Stiles at the end of Ten Things I Hate About You. But that's just the thing, I like GOOD love stories. I like flawed but realistic characters that overcome themselves and their surroundings to be together. Once characters start sinking into self-pity and debilitating insecurity, I lose patience with them and any sort of love conflict construed in an effort to keep my attention.
In this group of "Shippers" there are two primary sub-groups, the "Jaters" and the "Skaters". These sects derive their names from the increasingly popular phenomenon of combining the two separate names of a couple. Camp "Jater" thinks that Jack and Kate should be together, and the "Skaters" believe that the only man for Kate is Sawyer.
Logically, to be in camp "Jater" you have to like Jack. This is difficult for me. From the beginning of the show, I've struggled with the Jack-led circus. I struggle with the idea that a surgeon with no military training and less than quality leadership skills would be the one responsible for every one's life. The actual mystery of the show is why the Iraqi techie/torturer/ex-military/general-bad-ass doesn't call the shots. There should be bumper stickers "Sayid for Grand Poobah of the Island". To round out the category there's flash-forward Jack. If it's possible I dislike him more than normal Jack. I mean, no one likes a pill popping doctor with a guilty conscience who sees apparitions of his creepy dead father, but really, the beard? Really Matthew Fox? Really make-up department? Really Damon and Carlton? Eww.
Sawyer, on the other hand, has been a fun character to watch progress through the show. Personally I enjoy his southern twang, his quick wit and his base of literary knowledge. He's awfully heroic toward the end of season four, which is a far cry from when he was ripping wallets off dead bodies and sleeping on top of his stash. Though, honestly, I almost liked him better when he was a scoundrel. I kinda dig the scruffy-looking scoundrel with the heart of a hero gig.
Though you may think you've pegged me as a shameless "Skater" don't start making any primitive statues of a four toed Sawyer with his precious Kate-bride yet.
The problem of falling into either camp is that Kate is the common denominator. To want to see Kate with the man of choice, you would have to wish her on them and though I'm far from in love with Jack, I wouldn't even wish her on him. There are two primary issues that I have with Kate.
The first is that she's completely inconsistent. I don't know if this is simply a characterization issue or if the writers simply use her as a tool to further the plot. She's sweet and innocent, yet a cold blooded father-killer. It seems as though we see her with a different guy in every flash-back. She is a super tracker and a great shot with a pistol, yet through seasons one and two is constantly sneaked up on or walking into traps. Now that she's taking care of Aaron, does anyone else see a Michael-esque "MY SON!" headed our way to inspire us to throw our televisions out the 8th story of a building?
The second issue I have with her is, she can't decide whether she's a "Skater" or a "Jater" herself! I understand being torn between two fabulously good looking men, but really you can't just pick and stick with one in all of your emotional turmoil?
The point is, "Skaters" and "Jaters" Please, have your day in the sun. Tear up when Jack pops the question. Sigh when Sawyer kisses her and jumps out of the helicopter. But really, if you care about those characters, it would be in their best interest not to be with Kate.
And really, if I were on the island, I'd have a "Sayid for Grand Poobah of the Island" sign in front of my tent and not bother with these Sawyer/Jack questions.
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