After six long years full of mind-bending, and often times torturous, twists and turns, Lost finally reaches its swan song on May 23rd, 2010. A show that took the world by storm in 2004 and then completely reinvented the way people looked at prime time television with its prolific concept and unparalleled character development. Lost didn’t just defy the methodology behind a successful network show, it grabbed it, chewed it up, spit it out and dropped a giant smoke monster on it in an effort to bring an imaginative and thought-provoking show built around a cage match between faith and reason.
Of course this unique premise did not come without a price tag: Patience. To intricately weave such rich plot advancing storylines AND deep back stories of pre-Oceanic 815 life required viewers to contemplate their own test of faith. Each week, Lost asked more and more questions while only answering them gradually over a slow burn. In some extreme cases, questions raised in season 1 weren’t finally answered until season 6. It was due to this bold creative decision that Lost inevitably alienated a hefty portion of their once mighty audience. Complaints that the show was “too confusing,” or that the writers “didn’t know where the show was going” became common place and many fans simply turned away in favor of more easily digested programming. Unfazed, the Lost team continued telling the story that they wanted to tell with the blessing of ABC.
Though the show did temporarily lose steam after a couple of seasons, it was rejuvenated after the eventual end date was decided upon and the writers knew exactly how much time was left to craft and complete their opus. Once their momentum had been regained, the pacing stabilized and the story became extremely rewarding for those that decided to stick around and channel their inner-Locke. Better yet, the answers to questions that had been looming over our heads were starting to unfold with hard-hitting satisfaction.
Like most long running shows, Lost was not without its fair share of both ups and downs. For every Jack, there was a Libby and for every “Through the Looking Glass,” there was an “Expose,” but no matter what side of the debate you were on, it was clear that Lost continually provided something worth talking about come Wednesday morning. For me personally, I will always look back at the Desmond and Penny focused “The Constant” as the single greatest moment in the show’s six years, though the gut-wrenching last few minutes of season 5’s finale “The Incident” ranks right up there alongside it.
However, the highly anticipated series finale represents not only the end of Lost, but also the end of an era. The end of epic, five-year plan structured sci-fi storytelling as a successful recipe for broadly watched television. While a handful of high concept programming remains, such as Fringe, V and Caprica, there is no mistaking that it’s becoming a lost art. As apparent by the cancellations of shows such as Flash Forward, Dollhouse, Firefly, Jericho, Journeyman, Heroes and so on, the audience for this type of concept is continually shrinking. Even ABC’s newly added show Happy Town debuted to low ratings and was officially put on the bubble after only two episodes. Two episodes? Is this how impatient our society has become? Is anything short of instant explanation just too much to ask of today’s TV watching audience? And more interestingly, is Lost actually to blame? Did Lost tax the patience of viewers so much that they’ve decided to never invest in a high concept program again? Whatever the reason, these types of shows are too expensive to produce without the high ratings to back it up, so instead studios feverishly look to cheaper programming options, such as reality and game shows, as a quick replacement to fill a time slot. I don’t know about you, but I fear of a world full of television programming hosted by Heidi Montag and Kate Gosselin. I can already see Kate’s “Plus 8” turning the lit up squares on Wheel of Fortune in my nightmares.
I have no doubts that no matter how Lost wraps up its grandiose tale, there will be debate on both sides as to what the show runners decided to do. Some will be happy and fulfilled, while others will be extremely upset and lash out in public forums. Quite honestly, unless it ends with the screen fading to black in mid-sentence, or the castaways winding up in jail after video taping an assault, I probably won’t have too much to complain about. I’ve come this far and am very happy that I have chosen to do so. I don’t anticipate the finale being a giant cluster that skews my opinion.
Like most dedicated viewers, I want so badly to have my questions answered, but wish the show didn’t have to end for that to happen. My Tuesday night dance card certainly becomes a lot more open going forward. Whatever the outcome, Lost has changed what it means to be compelling programming and has certainly set the bar for me personally when it comes to quality production and writing. So I say goodbye to you, Lost, and hello to the rebuilt walls that you helped to knock down. Cheers… and thank you.
