Changing Seasons: Lost

It is really difficult to talk about this show without giving anything away, but I will do my best. Lost supplanted Millennium as my favorite television show of all time a couple years back. The imaginative story, interesting characters, and wonderful acting (both showing featuring Terry O'Quinn in major roles...who'da thunk?) combined to make for a viewing experience that simply is not to be missed. Unless you are not a fan of seemingly never-ending mysteries that is...then you might want to just skip it.

The end of Lost aired five days ago and the sheer number of stories written about that landmark television event would take longer to read through than to just watch the entire series all the way through again. And watching the whole thing over again would be far more rewarding. I'm no television critic--I am just a fan--but the idiocy of some paid critics really bothers me. I wonder if some of these professionals actually bothered watching the show all the way through on Sunday and I am sure many of them tuned in only casually to the series, catching the important first episode along with a few key stops on the way before watching the finale and trying to professionally expound on it. Why do I say that? Because so many of them harped on the fact that "so many mysteries weren't answered."

First, it is appalling how many of those mysteries they complain about (like "what ever happened with the polar bear?") were actually answered during the course of the series if viewers were watching carefully. Reading the comments after many of these professional critiques shows how little the paid writers know and how they might benefit from asking some of their rabid-fan friends before writing articles.

Second, the point was not to answer every single question the show ever raised. Will there still be some mystery when all is said and done? Yes, absolutely. The important "big issues" are discussed, though, and the overall arc and theme of the entire series is resolved. And I believe die-hard fans will be happy with it. I was. The more I think about the last episode the happier I am with it. And I have thought about it a lot the last five days--it's that kind of show.

Is there an opening for a sequel or some new storyline? Yes, I could see how the story of a couple of the characters (and the island) could go on somewhat indefinitely. It might be good material for a novel or comic book series, but I hope the creators do not make the mistake of going back to feed at this trough for another TV series. It was unique, groundbreaking and vital; lightning rarely strikes twice for that type of show and I think it would be better left alone.

I do look forward to completing my DVD collection this year. I still need seasons 4 and 5; the final season (as well as a large "complete collection") will be out in August. I have not decided yet if I will just opt for the complete collection and sell off my copies of seasons 1 through 3 or just fill out the missing with the individual seasons, but I do believe that I will be starting to watch the entire series from the beginning before the year is out. Truly a show for the ages.