Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers from “Lost,” including the last episode to air, “The Last Recruit.”
One month from today, millions of fans across the world, including myself, will be saying goodbye to one of the best television series ever: “Lost.”
Over the past six years, the ABC show has amassed critical acclaim for its inventive plot lines and emotionally complex characters and has built a loyal fan base that thirsts for answers to “Lost’s” mysteries.
When the show began in 2004, it was simply a series about survivors of the Oceanic 815 plane crash stuck on a deserted island. However, after the pilot’s last minute concluded, “Lost” became a show full of questions.
For years, I wondered about the purpose of the Dharma Initiative, the nature of the smoke monster, where the polar bears came from and how the Others came to the Island. With my friends, I puzzled over the idiotic love triangle of Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangline Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and hoped Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) and Penelope (Sonya Walger) would finally reunite.
The mysteries drew me in, but I stayed for the characters and how they developed. After so many years, I have become deeply invested in the fates of every single character &mdash even the minor ones.
I went from hating Shannon (Maggie Grace) to finally understanding her, then cried as she died. I hoped Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) would escape the fate Desmond predicted for him and then despaired as he wrote “Not Penny’s Boat” on his hand as his last gesture. I instantly became (and stayed) entranced with Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies) and the mission of the freighter scientists.
Almost every moment of “Lost” has developed the characters in new and exciting ways that may have surprised me but always made sense.
I never groaned from contrived plot devices or pointless characters &mdash except for the introduction of Nikki (Kiele Sanchez) and Paolo (Rodrigo Santoro), who were quickly killed off and became a running joke, making their unneeded addition OK in the end.
After every season finale, I could barely contain myself. After last season’s finale, I couldn’t believe I had to wait 38 weeks to see what happened next. Waiting one week is bad enough but months is torture.
Just like any long-term television, book or movie series, “Lost” has come to mean so much to so many people. Like all the other fans, I long for a satisfying ending.
I have no idea where the show is going, but I trust the writers who have brought me five solid seasons of television. These writers had the courage to take their show in new directions, even if it might turn the audience off. They were able to introduce confusing (and often stupidly done on other shows) concepts like time travel easily without babying the audience.
The writers had the courage to get ABC to agree to let them end the show on a high note, instead of milking it until it became boring and sluggish.
Every single actor on the show has brought his or her character to life. From Naveen Andrews, who plays the tortured Sayid to Rebecca Mader who portrays the questing Charlotte, the characters are so diverse, all viewers can find one character to identify with.
At one point or another, I have felt for most of the characters on the show. “Lost” has managed over the years to feature one of the largest ensemble casts in history without completely dropping characters for long periods of time or leaving them undeveloped.
When Charlie, Daniel, Charlotte and the many other characters I grew to love died, I was irrationally upset &mdash I felt like I was losing someone truly important to me.
The fact that “Lost” manages to make the viewers care so much about the characters is a nod to the writing, acting and directing put into each episode.
When the last four episodes of “Lost” air in May, I know I will be satisfied with the ending, whether it be happy or sad.
When it came to conclusive character development, “Lost” has never failed and the characters’ journeys are what have made this series great for six seasons.
I know years from now, other people will be discovering “Lost” for the masterpiece it is. Even though there are people who have never watched an episode and think they never will, there is something in this show for everyone. Romance, mysteries, suspense, action, comedy, drama and philosophy have defined the show beyond the typical science fiction show. “Lost” is not a just a television show &mdash it’s an experience.
Saying goodbye is sad to something I have invested so much time in. But it is fulfilling to know “Lost” got to tell its story and provided over 100 hours worth of entertainment to its fans.
Personally, I do not get attached to television shows. In most cases the network and creators drag out the show as long as possible until it dies a pitiful death.
However, “Lost” drew me in from the first moments of the pilot and remains my favorite show.
Everyone involved with the show deserves to be praised for their accomplishment of creating one of the greatest television programs in history. It deserves every viewer, praise and award it receives.
Hannah Rogers is the entertainment editor for The Reflector. She can be contacted at [email protected].
For more on “Lost,” follow The Reflector’s weekly “Lost” podcast through the end of May.