While the streaming era gets me almost constantly overwhelmed with TV and movie options, something good that’s come out of the whole thing is how a series can get a new life (and therein a new generation of fans) as it cycles through to new platforms. This month, Lost can be enjoyed with your Netflix subscription (along with also being available with a Hulu subscription) and that will inevitably cause a ton of people to press play on the iconic ABC show for the first time. As a longtime fan of the science fiction drama, I have a PSA for first-time bingers and re-watchers alike: don’t let the continued unanswered questions discourse ruin your enjoyment of Lost… because in my opinion, they really don’t matter as much as people have decided to knock the show with over the years.
If you’re in the middle of Lost this month, chances are you’re aware that fans have a lot of issues with the finale and it has bogged down the legacy of the show quite a bit. As a huge fan of the ABC series who watched it from the beginning on TV and has rewatched it a few times over since, I have a bone to pick about that popular perspective. Let’s get into it.
Why Lost Is (Still) My Favorite Show Ever
First things first. You may be wondering, why is Lost my all-time favorite series? We’ve been living in a golden era of television for quite some time now and yes, so many great shows have caught my attention since Lost ended its run back in 2010. But for me, nothing has ever topped the journey I went on over six seasons with these characters. It also definitely helps that I watched this series with my family when I was growing up, primarily during my teen years. It’s a defining show that came out at a time when I was both transitioning into adulthood and really starting to discover my love for storytelling in movies and television in a much deeper way.
Lost was the perfect show to grow up with at that particular time in my life because its creators told the story of a group of survivors of a plane crash in such a genre-defining way that is easy to take for granted today. And so many shows have since borrowed from it. At the time it came out, Lost was groundbreaking and when I watch the episodes over, I am still struck by how cleverly the creators interwove a bunch of strangers’ lives into a string of character studies to ask thought-provoking big questions about existence and death along with being a very fun (and often funny), edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster ride of serial television. It is the best show ever from today’s standards? Maybe not… but I remain unshaken by the powerful experience Lost has offered me over the years, and for years to come (because yes, I’m sure I’ll rewatch it again). It deserves more fans, and more importantly fans who appreciate it as much as I do!
I Can Understand Why Lost Gets A Lot Of Flack, But I Don’t Agree With It
When I have advertised Lost being my favorite show over the years, I’ve received a lot of mixed responses. Most of the time, I feel like I’m defending the quality of the series because people were frustrated with how the series got “too confusing” as the seasons unfolded. From what I’ve gathered over the years, it seems as if a lot of people were super into the show during its first few seasons but fell off as time went on. I can understand why from those who watched the series weekly; there’s a lot of plot lines to follow. For myself, I think I was able to actually enjoy the show more because we actually started watching the series via Netflix’s defunct DVD series at the time before the internet spoiled every twist if you were not caught up to a show week-by-week. Crazy, right? I don’t feel old at all talking about this.
This in turn gives me a lot of hope for new viewers who are going to be bingeing the series on Netflix rather than spreading out viewings across six years. Because that’s another reason why I think Lost was ahead of its time and will work very well for this generation: it asks its viewers to pay attention and doesn’t spell every details out for audiences all at once. One has to be patient across the show to fully understand each character’s backstory along with getting a better picture of the island’s lore as the show progresses. If you really pay attention to all the details that unfold, it’s really hard for it to be “too confusing.” The whole thing is fleshed out rather well!
I’ll Die On This Island: Lost Didn't Need To Spell Out Every Loose End
More importantly, I think viewers who don’t like Lost because it’s “confusing” or didn’t answer every question raised about the island in the series are sort of missing the whole point of the series. I think what audiences tend to miss the mark on about Lost is it's more of a drama with science fiction elements, than the other way around. From the beginning of the series right up until the end, I believe Lost wants you to be confused alongside all the other characters as they learn about the island because the whole narrative is a metaphor for life and the part that conflicting beliefs play into it. And do you think you're going to leave this life knowing the answer to every "life" question you have? Because, I know I won't.
The life metaphor is evidenced by its main conflict between two characters: Matthew Fox’s Jack Shepard and Terry O’Quinn’s John Locke. Jack is a surgeon who puts his faith in science and is constantly being challenged by John, who is conversely a man who believes in the power of the unseen. With that in mind, I think the various unique anomalies of the island, like the smoke monster, magical healing properties and so forth, symbolize various questions about life that may perplex us as humans. While Jack drives himself crazy trying to understand every answer to the question amidst his hopes of leaving the island throughout the series, John accepts the power of the island as a blessing and gives his faith over to every odd happening, even believing the crash landing on the island brought everyone together “for a reason.” A little preachy yes, but I love the kind of storytelling that makes me think more deeply about my own belief systems. And this was set up from the beginning by the way, it's not something that comes out of nowhere!
Because Lost is told primarily from Jack’s perspective more than anyone else’s, I can understand how the mysticism of the island bothers viewers, but from my perspective that’s purposeful. Going back to it being a metaphor for life and death, I think the series studies (yes, in a very drawn out serialized, but nonetheless great way) that how we face our demons and life situations is very much guided by our belief systems. Throughout the show, you see how various characters from around the world face the idea of leaving their life for the island, because it's a place without labels, status, society and they're suddenly thrust in an environment that makes them examine their unfinished business in life and the emotional weight they've left behind (or perhaps ignored/run from).
I’m not going to spoil the series ending here, just in case you are in the middle of viewing it, but as you watch it, I hope you enjoy the arcs of the series rather than getting caught up in every single little thread like its first viewers did. I promise you, that will only set you up for disappointment. Basically, don’t overthink it, just feel all the feels of the series!! Lost is that Ralph Waldo Emerson quote: “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey” and a great one at that! If that’s not your thing I get it, but it’s definitely mine! And yes, I think the ending is perfect.
