A single question fascinated us for six years.
One question, posed over six seasons, in each of 121 episodes, in thousands of scenes, the query was always the same. Thirty-five characters tried to answer the question; twenty-one of them died in the attempt.
The scope was measured not in years but in millennia, not in lives lost but in the hundreds of souls sacrificed. Time itself had no meaning, for those asking the question and seeking the answer could move about unrestrained by the forward march of the clock. Each character formed the question into unique words. For Pierre Chang, the question centred around the origin of exotic matter. Charles Widmore wondered how the place might be exploited. The question in its most essential form was simple:
What is this Island?
Paradise
Life is what we make of it. One couple witnessed the anger and fights and bloodshed and decided none of it made any sense. Rose and Bernard found a quiet corner of the Island and built a hut. Occasionally one of the zealots would happen upon their camp, trying to talk sense into these contented people. The visitor would prattle on about this or that imminent catastrophe. Rose and Bernard listened patiently, even if the visitor really had nothing to say.
JULIET: Rose, we just need to know which way the Dharma Barracks are from here so we can stop Jack, or you’re gonna be dead. We all will.
BERNARD: So we die. We just care about being together. That’s all that matters in the end.
The wise old couple knew more about the Island than Juliet and all of the Others combined. Not one of the almost daily fights on the Island required their presence. No one anywhere suffered injustice because these two gentle souls refused to raise a hand in violence. And when their time came, they found out they had held the secret of life all along. What would have happened if everyone else, or even a small handful of them, had adopted the Nadler attitude toward life and the Island? Could Ben, living in such a blissful state as theirs, ever have plunged a knife into Jacob’s chest? Would the Island ever have known discord or death?
Rose was never a candidate for any position of authority, and yet the Island cured her of cancer. Jacob had the power to bestow eternal life. Could it be that Richard Alpert was not the only resident of this Pacific paradise who had been granted immortality?
Hell
“This place is death.”
Rose and Bernard knew the secret of life, but this was not the only facet of their character that allowed them to enjoy paradise on earth. Others, not as fortunate, paid with their emotions and their psychological well-being. Some ended up paying for the Island’s unique powers with their very lives.
The Island had the ability to heal, but it could also induce suffering and death. Charlotte Lewis was among the unfortunates who could not physically endure the Island. Hers was not an unusual case. Only a small percentage of those brought to the Island survived more than a few weeks. Danielle Rousseau and Claire Littleton outlasted their contemporaries, but gave up their sanity to do so. Of those who arrived on the freighter, onl y Miles Straum and Frank Lapidus survived. Everyone from the tail section of Flight 815 ended up dying, with the notable exception of Bernard Nadler.
The Island was a living hell for almost everyone. By the time Daniel Faraday returned from Ann Arbor with a plan for re-setting all of their lives to a time before the Island, most of them were immediately receptive to the idea. After the leaders of the Dharma Initiative revealed their true allegiances to power and exploitation, every one of the survivors joined the plan to drop the nuclear bomb on top of the electromagnetic anomaly.
A Game
“Two players. Two sides. One is light … one is dark.”
Life is what we make of it. Some players in the game of life have the power to make decisions about life and death not only for themselves, but for anyone in the vicinity. Jacob didn’t wait for people to accidentally make their way to the Island. Sometimes they just needed a little push, and no matter where they were on the globe, Jacob appeared and gave the little push that would send them to the Island.
The Game was more important than life. Hundreds of people died in the game, but Jacob continued to look into the lives of thousands around the world, seeking individuals he deemed strong enough, with depth of character sufficient to endure the travails of the Game. He valued human life, but he valued the well-lived life even more.
SAWYER: Tell me something, Jacob. Why do I gotta be punished for your mistake? What made you think you could mess with my life? I was doin’ just fine ’til you dragged my ass to this damn rock.
JACOB: No, you weren’t. None of you were. I didn’t pluck any of you out of a happy existence. You were all flawed. I chose you because you were like me. You were all alone. You were all looking for something that you couldn’t find out there. I chose you because you needed this place as much as it needed you.
Sawyer didn’t protest enough in his only conversation with the backgammon master. It was his last chance to get answers, but for some reason he chose not to ask. The important question was finally asked and answered, but this event had to wait until a conversation between the new Protector and his freshly-appointed “Number Two”. The question is simple:
How is anyone on earth different from the Candidates?
Very few people on earth would ever claim they are not flawed, that they are not “looking for something”. An unbiased scrutiny of any life would find the person lacking in the way she had decided to respond to the crises and unjust events and ordinary turns of life. All of us at one time or another–and most of us on a daily basis–make judgments and take actions we consider favourable to ourselves, regardless of the way our personal biases and actions affect those around us. We hurt others so as to come out ahead. We are all selfish. We are all flawed. We are all “looking for something”.
The Rules of the Game
I believe it is essential to point out that the Man In Black had no name, and he was given no name by design. At the very least, even if he had a name, this knowledge was intentionally withheld from us. A year and a half ago, in audition scripts for the character that eventually came to be called the Man In Black, the character was referred to as Samuel. We might reasonably ask why such an important character was never given a name.
This is no small matter, and I believe this conscious decision on the part of the writers goes a long way toward understanding the way in which we are meant to look at the series as a whole.
The creators of the series elevated the importance of the character by plucking the show’s first Emmy winner from the role he had given award-winning depth and substance. I intend no offence to any of the other actors, but polls over the years have shown Terry O’Quinn the favourite actor on the show. The role of the nameless man was assigned to the series’ most capable actor, but even then the character was never given a name.
I cannot tell you why Benjamin Linus was dispatched to kill the suicidal John Locke in a Los Angeles hotel room. I cannot tell you why Aaron and Walt were deemed critical to the story, but by the end of the story were almost-forgotten details. I can make a few guesses here, but the fact is we were not told, and we do have to guess. I can tell you that some of these unresolved details have contributed to a certain level of dissatisfaction, even disappointment, in the way the series ended. But I realise now some of that dissatisfaction was intentional. The writers intended a certain level of dissatisfaction. They wanted us to seek answers.
Answers
What are the true Rules of the Game? Many answers apply, most of them are similar or identical, but the only answers that have any enduring value are those provided by faith, or by grace through faith, or by trusting in the Tanakh, or by surrendering to the Creator and His Prophet, Mohammed, may peace and blessings be upon him. The terminology and rubrics of dialogue and faith vary from one religious tradition to another, but they are all surprisingly similar.
Darlton are not telling us that we must launch into immediate studies of any of the world’s great religions, or that we must experience spiritual epiphany and conversion of the heart in order to understand LOST. But they have imbedded into the very fabric of the series critical markers that guide us in our understanding. A hierarchy of values has been created in these six years. The systemic placement of values gives us a route to questions and responses otherwise obscure. This hierarchy can be applied to ferret important answers out of critical scenes. I intend to illuminate some of these markers on the road to understanding. The questions remain, but our responses do not constitute guesses. Rather, they constitute the hopes of our heart, the desires of our soul. Our response is not the stuff of guesswork or theories. Our answers are the response to John Locke, stretching out his arms and lifting his face to the rain come down from heaven. Our answers are the response to Jack Shephard, standing ankle-deep in sacred waters, hands clasped in humility, lips chanting words of invocation. Our answers are the response to faith.
A Place Beyond Science
Perhaps no one among us can speak with authority on a subject as broad as “science”. The only exception might be “Dr. Science”:
“Ask Dr. Science. He knows more than you do.”
Dan Coffey of Duck’s Breath Mystery Theatre took the ludicrous notion that any one person could speak on behalf of “science” and turned this impossible conceit into one of the most amusing series on radio. No one can speak for the diverse set of logic-based disciplines to which we apply the broad term “science”.
I make no claim to be able to speak for other scientists. However, I am a scientist, and I have been working professionally in laboratories across the North American continent, Canada and the United States, for the past thirty-four years. My deepest expertise is in a sub-discipline of purification process design, but I have led teams in analytical development, pharmaceutical discovery, late-stage formulation development, early-stage research in various fields, interfacial and surfactant behaviour, and protein purification. While I may not understand the nuances of much of science, I have been entrusted over the decades with ferreting out various types of natural behaviour that might be exploited for the development of life-saving drugs and low-cost natural supplements beneficial to happiness and health. Thanks to my efforts and the good efforts of colleagues, the cost of taxol was reduced from over a hundred dollars per gram to less than ten dollars per gram. You can walk into any supermarket in North America and purchase, at very low cost, a bilberry or blueberry extract that will greatly improve your body’s ability to ward off colds and other ailments. I hold over a dozen patents on the technology related to berry extraction and purification. I am no expert on “science”, but I have been a practitioner, and I speak from that perspective.
Science is confined by logic. If I expand the limits of research to any inquiry that might be included within the scope of logic, science, and mathematics, I must necessarily accept that certain limits nevertheless exist. Most importantly, I may not ever claim to investigate or to have discovered any facet of reality. The best I might hope to accomplish, even after a lifetime in the laboratory, is to establish the adherence of certain observed phenomena to models of reality that I create through inference, induction, and deduction. These models are most often referred to as theories, but they can never explain the real world. We rely on assumptions that negate any possible connection with reality.
One of the most important assumptions underlying science is Ockham’s Razor (http://www.galilean-library.org/manuscript.php?postid=43832). In plain language, Ockham’s Razor insists the scientist must accept the simplest solution to a problem as being the correct solution. If I can imagine a chemical reaction as being the result of the collision of five molecule, but I can equally imagine that the reaction is the result of the collision of just two molecules, and if every observation I have made supports either of the fruits of my imagination, I must accept as valid and correct the imagined event that includes just two molecules. The reality may be that only one molecule is required, or seven molecules are required, or the event occurs only when there are sunspots on our solar system’s star, but I can never know this. Even if the model I develop happens to support a theory that is close to reality, I may not ever claim to have elucidated even the slightest aspect of reality. I am allowed to conclude only that certain behaviours seem reproducible and that they also seem to adhere to a model consistent with Ockham’s Razor and the other underlying assumptions of the scientific method.
For a more complete discussion of the limitations of science and their application to understanding LOST, please see my article on John Locke (http://www.sl-lost.com/2010/02/14/impartial-risk-cultural-musings-on-the-resurrection-of-john-locke/) under the headings “The Limits of Logic”, “Deception”, “Man of Science”, and “The Nature of Evil”.
Time-traveling Bunnies
PIERRE CHANG: In our first demonstration, we will attempt to shift the test subject 100 milliseconds ahead in four-dimensional space. For the briefest… of moments, the animal will seem to disappear…
LOCKE: Hey. Uh… was he talking about what I think he was talking about?
BEN: If you mean time-travelling bunnies, then yes.
LOCKE: You do know that he said specifically not to put anything metal in here.
[Ben stares at Locke for a second, then gives an exasperated nod and turns back to the task of filling the chamber with metal objects].
Benjamin Linus is no man of science, but he does understand quite well the limitations inherent to science. He ignores the prohibitions regarding the placement of metallic objects inside the time chamber because he knows the injunction is based on nothing more than a feeble understanding of the nature of the phenomenon the Dharma scientists studied. Pierre Chang dared approach no closer than his time chamber. He had seen x-ray images of what lay beneath the Orchid Station. He knew civilisations from ancient times had manipulated space and time to extents he would never be able to duplicate.
FOREMAN: There’s something in there. And the only way to get to it is to lay charges here and here and blast through it and take a look–
CHANG: Under no circumstances! This station is being built here because of its proximity to what we believe to be an almost limitless energy. And that energy, once we can harness it correctly, it’s going to allow us to manipulate time.
FOREMAN: [Chuckles] Right. Okay, so, what? We’re gonna go back and kill Hitler?
CHANG: Don’t be absurd. There are rules, rules that can’t be broken.
FOREMAN: So what do you want me to do?
CHANG: You’re gonna do nothing. If you drill even 1 centimeter further, you risk releasing that energy. If that were to happen… [Chang looks at the fallen workman and the blood all over his face.] …God help us all.
For twenty years the Dharma Initiative controlled most of the Island. But never during that time did even the most adventurous among the scientists attempt to unravel the full mystery of the Island’s underworld. Stuart Radzinsky, using the full force of the science at his disposal, came closest to unlocking the Island’s mysteries, but his experiment failed in a most spectacular manner, illustrating again the limitations of science.
Science is limited in the behaviour it is allowed to posit and explore. Since logic is a small, man-made, artificial construct, it follows that science is unable to study and develop models for most of the reality we interact with on a daily basis. Pierre Chang would not go within fifty metres of the Light, could not go within fifty metres of the Light, because not a single observation in the history of science could explain for him the true nature of the Light. Benjamin Linus could approach the Light, not fearlessly, but with a proper attitude of humility. He knew of the Light’s power, and he knew that power was not anything that would ever be catalogued or studied or rendered as model by any discipline within science.
Ben Linus knew the experiments at the Orchid Station could only scratch the surface of the Island’s capabilities. The Dharma Initiative made bunnies travel hundreds of a second through time. With the ancient wheel far underneath the Orchid, Ben could travel across the globe and across months, years, or even centuries, far exceeding the feeble capabilities of Alvar Hanso’s scientific corps. But time travel, too, barely scratched the surface of the Island’s capabilities. Ben knew Jacob’s Number Two, Richard, was ageless, made that way by Jacob, whose powers were in turn granted by the Island.
Most of reality is unknowable to science. The person most fitted for life on the Island was the one who understood this intuitively. John Locke was a man of faith, and because of his deep trust in the Island, he understood her better than anyone, better even than Jacob or the Man in Black.
A Cork
The Island knew no greater authority than Jacob, son of a Roman shipwreck survivor named Claudia. Jacob was given Protector status by the Island’s former Protector, the woman who raised Jacob and his brother. Jacob knew the Smoke Monster obtained its power from the mixture of water and light in the illuminated cave. As long as the Light shone in the cave, the Smoke Monster would be unable to leave the Island. Jacob understood the position of Protector as more than anything the Guardian of the Cork. He explained this to Richard and to Jack and impressed upon them the absolute necessity of preventing the Monster from ever leaving the Island. He was, in Temple Master Dogen’s words, “evil incarnate”. Allowing him free reign in the outside world would lead to more than an exponential increase in suffering. The consequences were nothing less than the complete destruction of all human life. This was because the only way for the Monster to leave the Island was by snuffing out the Light. But the Light was the very stuff of life and death and rebirth; its destruction would lead to the end of life, the end of death, the end of rebirth, the end of all events and conditions making up the cycles of existence.
A Sanctuary
Life is what we make of it. Jack inherited the Island from Jacob, but he was no disciple of Smokey’s brother. From his epiphany off-Island to the detonation of Jughead and the sharing of Communion with Jacob to his final breath in this life, Jack Shephard was the unapologetic disciple of John Locke. For Jack, the Island was not a “cork”, not the Monster’s leash, not an abode of evil. The Island was, in the words of his master, “a place where miracles happen”. Jack understood something Jacob never did. The Island had a multi-dimensional character that went far beyond acting along the narrow constraints of anything that might be understood through logic and science. There was no logic to the Island, for nothing so joyous could be crammed into the narrow etiologies of human understanding. There was no science capable of modeling her abilities and powers, for nothing so terrible could be forced into a syllogistic stream.
It was Jack’s more mature understanding of the Island that allowed him to plot and execute the Smoke Monster’s destruction. Jacob knew the Smoke Monster originated in the terrible power of the Light, but he seemed not to understand, as Jack did, that the Monster was a child fed by the Light. If the Light went out, the Smoke Monster’s powers would go out with it. Jack, man of faith, trusted his understanding of the true nature of the Island, trusted in something Jacob never imagined.
The Source of Life and Death
The Light has the power to create and destroy, heal and wound. It is the source of life and death and rebirth. Jacob’s adoptive guardian expressed her limited understanding of the Light in these terms because they were the only words suitable, because the full reality of the Light is ineffable. Here there can be no logic, no science, no words to compare, contrast, or describe. The Light is at once terrible and glorious, life-giving and deadly.
It is the Source, which means it is not of this world. That which is the Source of life and death and all things cannot possibly have physical residence in the created world. We experience the Source as Light, but it is of course entirely beyond our understanding. It is the only visible sign of the Alpha, the Omega, that which was and is and will be.
The Source is the umbilical, the connection between the natural world and whatever lies beyond the realm of the senses. It is through the Source that we live and move and have our being. Each of us carries a bit of the Light inside our hearts, as Jacob’s guardian told us. When the Light goes out, we lose our identity, our connection to reality, we lose any possibility of life, death, or rebirth.
A Theory of Immortality, Cancer, and Childbirth
The Source is the guarantor of the cycles of life. The severe cyclic regulation imposed by the close proximity of the Source means that any bodily process–and especially cellular processes–will be subject to more than the normal level of control. Any cellular process that would normally proceed unchecked is kept in complete balance so close to the Source. Thus, disease cells, which normally spread quickly, are forced to spread slowly. Because they multiply slowly, the body’s defence mechanisms are able to kill the disease much more easily on the Island. So it is that wounds heal quickly in Mittelos, and disease is uncommon.
In general, any type of cellular activity that occurs rapidly is slowed or even arrested on the Island, due to the regulation of life cycles through the Source. In this special place, women and men may live forever. In scientific terms, we can understand immortality as an inhibition of the normal processes of aging and apoptosis–cellular death. Apoptosis, like the spread of disease, is a rapid process of cellular death. The Source, with its ability to regulate life processes, slows apoptosis and leads to a kind of reinvigorating of the cell. Thanks to this dampening of cellular processes, people can and do live forever in this place.
Cancer cells multiply much faster than the surrounding tissue. The Source again forces the cancer to slow and eventually the body kills the foreign cells. Cancer is virtually unknown on the Island.
When a human egg is fertilised it undergoes rapid mitosis into a zygote and then into the differentiated tissues of a fetus. Like cancer cells, the cells of the fetus multiply quickly. The Source seeks to slow this process, but the mother’s body, primed for new life, fights the unnatural dampening effect of the Source. After several months of fighting the Source–an essentially unopposable force–mother and baby are overwhelmed. The mother, her hormonal system entirely out of whack, goes into shock, and within minutes, both mother and baby are dead.
Taweret
The earliest inhabitants of Mittelos were grateful to the gods that none of their loved ones ever had to suffer disease or cancer. Human nature being what it is, though, there were no statues of thanksgiving on the Island. No days set aside to celebrate another cancer-free year. One quite prominent statue greeted every visitor to the Island. This statue was the islanders’ grand attempt at appeasing the very angry goddess of fertility, Taweret. This ancient Egyptian goddess was so angry, in fact, that every woman who ever became pregnant died several weeks before the baby was due. The unusual state of the Island that prevented disease and cured cancer was the same state that interfered with pregnancy and eventually caused the death of mother and child.
I must point out that the preceding explanations are all based in science. The observations of lack of disease, lack of cancer, and death of women during pregnancy are consistent with the hyper-regulation of cellular function by some entity on the Island. Since we know the Source to be a regulator of life, death, and rebirth, a hypothesis stating that the Source is the entity responsible for all these observed phenomena is entirely valid, and draws support from a wide variety of repeating events on the Island.
I don’t know that this is the type of explanation of Darlton had in mind. This is a nitty-gritty science-based theory, and in the end, science is going to prove inadequate to the elucidation of most phenomena on the Island. The fact that the Man in Black was not given a name, the fact that faith was demonstrated to be far superior to logic, and the fact that the Source and the Light and the Island itself were shown to be multi-dimensional entities I believe points us toward an inevitable conclusion: Some of the remaining mysteries will forever remain veiled to human logic.
I believe this was Darlton’s intention. If they had wanted us to believe all the mysteries were subject to rational understanding, that A causes B causes C therefore A causes C, they would have shown us the superiority of Dharma science, rather than belittling the hippie-scientists. If they wanted us to treat this story as a linear unfolding of black and white, good versus evil, they would not have made Jacob a flawed man, and they would have made sure every character addressed the Man in Black as “Samuel”, rather than flagrantly leaving him without appellation of any kind.
I believe many of the remaining mysteries might be unraveled with application of the type of analysis I provided for the death of women in pregnancy.
Four Theories of Life
Life is what we make of it.
During the last 150 minutes of LOST we witnessed four distinct theories of life. The proponents were the Man in Black, Rose and Bernard Nadler, Desmond Hume, and Jack Shephard. I’m going to begin the discussion with the Man in Black.
Carpe Diem
Life is tough, and no one has suffered more in this life than the Man in Black. Even before he lost his body and his soul, he was trying to find ways to rectify the injustices of life. He knew the Light to be sacred, but he knew his objective–leaving the Island–to be more important than something as simple as a light shining from underground. When did the Light ever suffer anything? The Man in Black had to live every day with the knowledge that his people were far away, somewhere across the sea. [Oh! Accident pop culture reference! And I don't even like Bobby Darin! Taking "La Mer" and turning it into "Somewhere Across the Sea" must be one of the worst musical perversions of the twentieth century]
After he came thundering out of the Cave of Light he knew he was even more tightly tethered to the Island than ever before. Extreme measures were called for. Jacob was preventing his escape and guarding the Source. Anyone aiding and abetting Jacob would be dealt with in a most severe manner. Those he killed were just ordinary, mortal human beings. And hadn’t Mother told him people were selfish and untrustworthy? They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt. It always ends the same. People are vermin. The only suitable way to lead one’s life is to take what one can get. If a few people–or even hundreds of people die so one’s life goals might be attained, well, so be it. Take what you can get. Fulfill your dreams, and to hell with everyone else.
Crawl Under a Rock
“We don’t get involved,” Rose said. It’s a common enough sentiment. Who among us would not want to settle down in a little cabin by the sea, catch enough fish to live, steal enough Dharma tea to enjoy breakfast. They have their dog… and their walking stick to protect them. Entire songs have been written about this way of life.
I’ve built walls,
A fortress deep and mighty,
That none may penetrate.
I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain.
It’s laughter and it’s loving I disdain.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
….
I have my books
And my poetry to protect me;
I am shielded in my armor,
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb.
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
And a rock feels no pain;
And an island never cries.
Rose and Bernard are not exactly the hermit of Simon and Garfunkel’s classic song. They certainly had much greater things to worry about than the pain of broken friendships. Of course I’m assuming here that neither Paul Simon nor Art Garfunkel was ever ruthlessly hunted through a Pacific island jungle by an unstoppable, unkillable cloud of smoke that travelled faster than an F16 fighter jet, or stalked by a band of evil mercenaries carrying grenades, bazookas, and 300-round-per-minute machine guns. And as for the final verse of the song, I’m not so sure. Every time something bad happened on the Island, it rained. Sure seems to me like the raindrops might constitute tears.
Rose and Bernard made a good choice. It is not merely a matter of having adopted the philosophy of “live and let live”. The plane crash threw them into an unhealthy environment. The people of Mittelos were much more likely to draw guns on each other than engage one another in pleasant conversation. The Island was reeling and swaying and moving about the ocean and zooming first back in time then forward in time, all of this incomprehensible movement hither and yon accompanied by calamities and catastrophes that literally took six years to catalogue. Rose and Bernard made a sane choice in the face of their fellow survivors’ uncontrolled, irrational, and patently insane lifestyles. Given a choice between peaceful days and nights in a hut, and being hunted by Stuart Radzinsky and his henchmen, who among us would choose to be on the receiving end of rifle fire?
Get Ye to a Nunnery
Desmond Hume had a well-defined mission. Both in Mittelos and off the Island he took upon himself the difficult task of enlightening everyone. It was a holy task, a mission aimed at bringing people together at a spiritual level. The ultimate goal was to get everyone into a church–Eloise Hawking’s Church of the Holy Lamp Post (or was it more properly called Our Lady of the Perpetual Pendulum?), but getting them there would be a complicated endeavour. Desmond would have to choose an appropriate way for all of them to recognise their spiritual connections, their Constants. He would have to provide enough enlightenment that each one could discern her connection to her Constant in both life and death.
In “The Seven Storey Mountain”, Trappist monk Thomas Merton’s autobiography, he referred to the Abbey of Gethsemane in Kentucky as the centre of the world. It was monasteries like his that held the world together, he thought. Desmond was not only helping to hold the world together, he was bringing people together spiritually, helping them see the Light.
Just outside the Cave of Light, Desmond gave Jack the good news.
DESMOND: This doesn’t matter, you know.
JACK: Excuse me?
DESMOND: Him destroying the island, you destroying him. It doesn’t matter. You know, you’re gonna lower me into that light, and I’m gonna go somewhere else. A place where we can be with the ones we love, and not have to ever think about this damn island again. And you know the best part, Jack?
JACK: What?
DESMOND: You’re in this place. You know, we sat next to each other on Oceanic 815. It never crashed. We spoke to each other. You seemed happy. You know, maybe I can find a way to bring you there, too.
For the Common Good
Desmond believed Jack could just leave the Island, forget about what may or may not happen, and settle down to a happy life with Kate. It was not to be. Jack had a calling, a responsibility he could not forsake.
“Desmond, I tried that once. There are no shortcuts, no do-overs. What happened, happened. Trust me, I know. All of this matters.”
Jack had to kill the Smoke Monster. He had to protect the Light. He knew these things from the certainty of faith and no talk of happiness and being with the ones he loved was going to sway him. If he left the Island only bad things could result. If he faced his responsibilities he at least had a chance of making things right again, and preserving the Source for the sake of the entire world.
Living life the Jack Shephard way is difficult, challenging, and at times dangerous. LOST would have us believe that this is the best life one might choose. Life is not just about enjoying good times in a hut by the sea, or spending time with those we love in a church pew. Life is about our responsibility to each other, the human need to work with others toward the Common Good.
Living and Working Together
I loved this scene. Kate was back where she belonged, a full and equal participant in the struggle to free the Island from the Man in Black. Jack would never have been able to kill him on his own. As Christian said, “Nobody does it alone, Jack. You needed all of them, and they needed you.”
I enjoyed this series more than any other I’ve seen on television. The story gave us much to consider over the past six years, and I have come nowhere near exhausting the stores of ideas the characters and situations generated. The series gave us more to ponder than any other television programme I can think of, and created some of the most detailed and complicated and human characters ever to appear on the small or large screen. Jack Shephard, in particular, was a masterful artistic creation, a kind of hero we can all believe in–have faith in.
My favourites remain Locke and Kate. Who would have thought Kate Austen would redeem herself by taking a rifle in her arms and putting a bullet in a man’s back? Both the character and the actress were under-utilised in the series, but when Kate did what she had to do, the series was better for it. John Locke ended in a way I never would have guessed. But the other characters, and especially Jack, honoured his memory and revered his wisdom. In this way John Locke’s story ended in the proper place, not hanging by a cord in a third-rate hotel, but living as mentor and example in the minds of those who protected the Island, and those who saw in Jack the fulfillment of Locke’s faith.
A Place Where Miracles Happen
I imagine a considerable length of time will pass before we see anything on television as compelling as LOST. Come September 22, the sixth anniversary of the crash, Wednesday evenings are going to be LOST evenings at the Moore household. Everyone is welcome–except Stuart Radzinsky and Charles Widmore. Remember, though, it’s BYODB (bring your own Dharma beer). We’ll supply the wild boar, coconut, and sea urchins.
PM
Related posts:
-
Dying Light: Counter-Culture in LOST 6.15 “Across the Sea” by Pearson Moore - Articles of Faith: The Culture of Trust in LOST 6.14 “The Candidate” by Pearson Moore
- Principal Purpose: Culture and Meaning in LOST 6.07 “Dr. Linus” by Pearson Moore
Tags: Jack, Jacob, John Locke, Kate, LOST Finale, LOST Theories, Pearson Moore, recaps&reviews, Smoke Monster
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June 1st, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Absolutely amazing, Pearson.
June 1st, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Just flicked through your article, gotta go again, however, just a short word: I think the difference between LOST and Pearson Moore is that the latter keeps his quality on a soaring hight
))
No, seriously, I think that is was challenging piece of writing, probably one of your best. If we look at LOST as a whole then I still think, despite my criticism about its final episode, that it was more humanistic and more about emotional aspects of human life than ever a TV series before. I'm still wondering if there is ever going to be a TV show of the same depth, I honestly doubt it…
June 1st, 2010 at 3:09 pm
A week ago, I read Doc Jensen's recap of the finale, and I loved his idea that if the Light goes out, every person on earth (and on the Island) is left without a soul and unable to “move on”. This is what Widmore meant when he said that everyone would simply cease to be. The smoke monster was all soul and no body, so it was impossible to kill him. Once he was turned into merely body, he was killed. I think I've just read something similar in your article, Pearson, and I'm happy you agree.
Every time you speak of Locke it reminds me of the very persuasive comment you left me regarding his resurrection or reincarnation. At first I was kind of disappointed that this didn't happen. But after watching the finale again and again, and after reading your thoughts, I realize now that he was resurrected, in Jack. And through Jack, in all who followed him.
June 1st, 2010 at 4:07 pm
No one, and I do mean NO one, could have summed up LOST as you just did, Pearson. You have no idea how happy I am that I know someone out there understands the enormity, uniqueness, and brilliance of what we have seen since September of 2004. LOST has always been about the big picture and I do hope that once people give the finale a chance to settle in, to watch it 2 maybe 3 times, they'll understand just how magnificent an end it was to what I consider to be the most compelling television the world will ever see.
June 1st, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Great analysis! But … no cancer? I remembre a certain storyline of season 3 that you forgot. Bigger but: it has been heavily suggested (with Amy's succesfull pregnancy in season 5) that pregnancy problems started after 1977, long after the construction of the statue.
June 1st, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Hi Nelson,
Thanks for contributing to the discussion!
In Season Three, Episode Six (“I Do”), Jack Shephard confirmed that Ben Linus had a “borderline inoperative” cancerous growth on his spine. The reason this was a surprise to everyone was due to the expectation that everyone on the Island was cancer-free. Ben understood it as the Island's punishment of him. Ben's cancer was the “exception that proves the rule.” Obviously my scientific explanation of the lack of cancer on the Island can go only so far, and certainly cannot deal with exceptions to the rule. One might posit that the fact that Ben was not doing what he was supposed to do meant that his bodily systems were out of whack (think of other psychosomatic illnesses, like ulcers and high blood pressure), and this was what caused his cancer, in spite of the attenuating effect of the Source.
As for the difficulties with pregnancy, I thought there was evidence of problems before the Incident, but I could be quite wrong. I remember well Ethan's birth.
Thanks again for contributing!
PM
June 1st, 2010 at 5:21 pm
once again an excellent article Pearson, each one of us has the same thoughts inside his dna and veins, you have the gift to express them too…
in my book Jacob had already won the backgammon game when John Locke accepted with fidelity to die for the shake of his buddies and all the people living on the island and of course the island itself and
everything that was depending on it…
although at the short-term MIB seemed to have found his nasty long-awaited loophole, that moment was like Jacob was throwing a heavy white rock right into his head! it was the beginning of the end for MIB just a matter of time before his fail… (by the same way that one man's acts can condemn thousands of people into death and misery, the same thing can happen contrariwise: one mans will to sacrifice can save his fellowmen), Jack only came to comfirm the same virtue.
Desmond's words to Jack reminded me the hippy-esque style you described the Lennon guy from a cultural aproach in your previous article… that there is no need for us to act and take responsibility in this life since nirvana awaits us right in the corner…
concerning the fertility issues on the island, after Dogens role and his follower-Templars being revealed
at some point in season 6, i had a theory that apart from Richard there was no descendancy in the island, none there seemed to have grandchildren there or any sign of ancestors or any knowledge coming
from it, they all seemed like “old-style” Losties that each one has been reconciled with the idea of never leaving the island…
that might had been proved true concerning the knowledge all those people carried, but not literally true concerning births
some people with more sharp eye pointed me out that Ethan Rom WAS conceived and born in the island, so fertility was not always an issue… which made me think what else might have changed that since then…
of course everyone can guess it…(the incident) but the answer came from official lips too, from Darlton themselves:
So will we ever learn why women couldn't carry babies to term on the island? Isn't that the whole reason Juliet was brought over by Dharma in the first place? -Jean B., via e-mail
Lindelof says the show is not going to specifically state why, however, “we feel like we've given you the empirical data so you can figure it out for yourself.” Hmm… a little more help please for the clueless? “Clearly Ethan was born on the island in 1977,” continues Lindelof. “That's the last baby that we know of who was born on the island. And then something happened between 1977 and when our show takes place in 2004 (when Claire arrived eight months pregnant) where it's been a long time since women have been able to have babies on the island. What might have happened between those two points that could have created fertility issues?”
http://www.werdyo.com/arts/lost-rage-pregnancie...
Lostpedia seems to agree on the same theory too
http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Pregnancies
June 1st, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Thank you for your ,as always, amazing analysis Pearson.
I like your theories about The Light, pregnancy issues & loved your description of Jack's character.
I've been writing blogs entries about Lost, in Persian, & your great recaps during the 6th season, always inspired me to look at the show from a different perspecive,
thank you.
June 1st, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Great points Pearson. This is exactly what the powers behind the show wanted us to do: figure things out, use our reasoning and faith to find more answers, and ultimately keep us guessing. They would be very proud of what you just wrote. Thanks for keeping us thinking, just like Lost has, long after Jack's eye closed.
June 1st, 2010 at 5:52 pm
I've taken Damon's advice and tried to piece together empirically using the evidence throughout the show. You can check it out here: http://herrbesserwisser.blogspot.com/2010/06/le...
June 1st, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Amazing article, great job Pearson.
June 1st, 2010 at 6:01 pm
no, that's not it.
June 1st, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Nice article. Will you be writing at least some more articles on Lost? I'm not ready to let go yet…
I agree that the Island was what people made of it. However, I'm going to disagree with quite a few of your points today. 
You said that John Locke understood the Island better than anyone else. I disagree with that. John Locke had a deep, instinctive connection with the Island, but he never truly understood it. He was constantly battling doubt- both self-doubt and Island-doubt, the latter stemming from the former, of course. People like Ben, events like finding the “?” Hatch, the Oceanic 6 refusing to come back, constantly caused him to lose his faith. I do agree that Jack was Locke's disciple, but Jack became a better Man of Faith than Locke ever was. Locke was the key step in Jack's progress.
By refusing to participate in the human drama, Rose and Bernard were perhaps as selfish as the Man In Black. Being kind-hearted people, however, they ultimately couldn't stay away from it, and helped Desmond Hume from the Well, even bravely telling Desmond he did not have to go with Locke, even if it meant their own death.
Finally, the fertility problems did not start until Jughead. People like Ethan Rom were born (and we may presume, concieved) on the Island. I read a theory elsewhere that the fertility problems may have started because Radzinsky drilled into the Light, and hence caused some of that Life force to leak constantly. Perhaps Desmond, by pushing the fail-safe key, did resolve the fertility problems…
June 1st, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Nice article. Will you be writing at least some more articles on Lost? I'm not ready to let go yet…
I agree that the Island was what people made of it. However, I'm going to disagree with quite a few of your points today. 
You said that John Locke understood the Island better than anyone else. I disagree with that. John Locke had a deep, instinctive connection with the Island, but he never truly understood it. He was constantly battling doubt- both self-doubt and Island-doubt, the latter stemming from the former, of course. People like Ben, events like finding the “?” Hatch, the Oceanic 6 refusing to come back, constantly caused him to lose his faith. I do agree that Jack was Locke's disciple, but Jack became a better Man of Faith than Locke ever was. Locke was the key step in Jack's progress.
By refusing to participate in the human drama, Rose and Bernard were perhaps as selfish as the Man In Black. Being kind-hearted people, however, they ultimately couldn't stay away from it, and helped Desmond Hume from the Well, even bravely telling Desmond he did not have to go with Locke, even if it meant their own death.
Finally, the fertility problems did not start until Jughead. People like Ethan Rom were born (and we may presume, concieved) on the Island. I read a theory elsewhere that the fertility problems may have started because Radzinsky drilled into the Light, and hence caused some of that Life force to leak constantly. Perhaps Desmond, by pushing the fail-safe key, did resolve the fertility problems…
June 1st, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Adrian, I think both sides of the debate have probably calmed down now and can use reason instead of passion to defend/criticize their positions. Despite the fact I disagree highly with your thoughts on the finale (and you disagree highly with me) I have attempted to display that we were given the answers to most of the questions, just not directly so. If you want to take the time I'd really like to hear your feedback: http://herrbesserwisser.blogspot.com/2010/06/le...
June 1st, 2010 at 6:49 pm
hmmmmmmm
- Locke,
- Walt,
- MiB,
- the Medium that insisted that Claire should take the flight 815,
- the Therapist that Bernard took Rose to the Australian desert…
all those were people with special abilities, with visions beyond 6th sense,
when i was first watching Walt-Locke's in between conversations and all the “crazy” stuff Locke was doing i thought that if the Lost series would focus and give extra depth at the paranormal and spiritual side, very few viewers would be able to follow…
of course Lost followed wisely the golden rule and kept equal distances from all the stuff that it dealt with: (religion, action, mystery, spirituality, apokryfism, theosofy, drama, romance, science, etch)
ppl like Walt and Locke still live among us but are very very few, and it is most likely that they are unaware of their full potential, Walt showed us how it is to be such a special kid and what is the burdain of not being able to control it… Locke and Mib had the same issues when they grew up cos none was there for them to guide and instruct them…
thousand of years ago special kids like these where born more often since the human bond with nature was more intimate, those kids where under the guidance of the Priest or The Shaman of the village and they later become their replacement/leaders harnessing the full potential of their “special powers”
Many of the ancient rituals that are well kept untill today where inspired and saved through centuries thanks to special men like those,
Darlton wisely imho felt they shouldnt give more depth into that and let each one of us jump into his own conclusions… most of us left with many questionmarks ….
so… Locke didnt need anyone to convince him with logical arguments, he was feeling the truth and he was so damn right he gave his life for it! how more convincing than this can someone be!
June 1st, 2010 at 7:13 pm
I miss this show so much already, it's so hard to “let go”. Thanks for another captivating article, Pearson. Hope this won't be the last.
June 1st, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Another great read PM
Thanks for it! I esp agree with “Living and Working Together.” Its is exactly how I view the show and how I feel about it!! Thanks for putting it into words! And I would love to come to your LOST wed, where ever it may be 
June 1st, 2010 at 7:43 pm
I am so glad I found this site. Your analysis was so full of insights and made me admire the show even more. I especially liked your explanation of the Light. Here's a bit of what I was thinking about the light, as representing mankind's spirituality through the ages, and how we are evolving concerning it. Mother had a very limited and intolerant view, and was willing to use violence to protect what she considered sacred. Jacob at least wanted the candidates to have some kind of free will when it came to protecting the light, though he used violence as well. But he regretted it,and acknowledged his failure. Hurley, as the next protector, would be far more benevolent and tolerant toward anyone who might come to the Island. Perhaps his protection of the light is in his kindness toward others. I see this as a message for mankind to be more accepting of each others spirituality instead of taking militant stands, thus the different faiths represented in the church. One might have one's own faith, but it's important to respect others and treat them with kindness. In this way the light will continue to be protected.
June 1st, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Brilliant. I am still wondering if Desmond's flashes throughout the series have always been to this type of self-created happily everafter. Eloise once told him that he always breaks up with Penny and is always supposed to end up on the island. Which is true. He doesn't really change his past or future. Could his flashes have been a peek at his pergatory all along?
June 1st, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Thank you!
PM
June 1st, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Hi Adrian81,
Thank you so much for your kind comments.
Lost gave us more to think about than any other television show I'm aware of. A week and a half later I realise there is much, much more that could be said, far beyond the ten thousand words I gave to the finale and the 65,000 words I produced during the season. I haven't discussed characters, the unanswered questions, the questions that can be answered by interpolation between multiple episodes, Lost's concept of the afterlife, and many other worthy topics. I'm guessing one could easily fill a 500-page volume for each of the six seasons. How many pages are there at Lostpedia? I think it's something like 6700 articles, roughly 80,000 pages. And even there, you get only the facts, practically no interpretation. It may be the case that 200+ questions remain unanswered, but thousands of questions were answered, and taking stock of these and figuring out what it all means–that could be the work of a lifetime. Amazing.
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:03 am
Hi Herr Besserwisser,
I love your excellent written response to the video “Ultimate List of Unanswered Questions”. I thought the video had to be intended mostly as humour, perhaps along the lines of “Lost in 8 minutes 15 seconds”, because, as you note in your very excellent article, most of the so-called “unanswered questions” were never really questions, or they were in fact answered, many of them directly. I think you're doing a service to all, though, because I imagine a fair number of people are going to believe the “Ultimate List” represents reality, when of course it does not. Thanks for doing this!
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:11 am
Hi Willieworkman,
Thank you for this terrific contribution to the discussion.
Doc Jensen has some quite inspired ways of looking at this series. I, too, like his idea of the soul in some way losing its light. What struck me, and I should have put this in my article, is that without the Light, there is no life, but equally, there is no death. The ramifications in both cases are enormous, and this provides the basis for a unique look at the meaning of death.
As for Locke, I do continue to see him as the main character, the driving force for Jack's conversion. He is to Obi Wan as Jack is to Luke Skywalker, I think. Obi Wan is also flawed, like Locke, really in some sense responsible for the creation of Darth Vader. Nevertheless, we justifiably count Obi Wan as mentor to Luke, just as Locke is mentor to Jack. I like your way of looking at the Locke/Jack relationship, too. Nicely written!
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:18 am
The first time ever, a human being (sorry Darlton) came that far to explain this masterpiece in such rational manner.
My task for you PM: Invent the word that still doesn't exist to represent our favorite show. I trust in you. I always did.
Love, LaFleur
June 2nd, 2010 at 2:02 am
Thank you very much for the kind words Pearson, I'm honored you liked my article. I agree 100% the video was intended to be humorous, but unfortunately a lot of people have been using it to attack the show and claim that LOST never answered any questions, that it made it up as it went along, or that it was all about fooling the audience and getting ratings rather than telling an intriguing story. I have had several friends tell me that it sums up exactly how they felt about the show. This seriously scared me to know that fans were buying into it.
June 2nd, 2010 at 3:26 am
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June 2nd, 2010 at 2:56 am
Hi TonyZ11,
Thank you for your very generous words.
I think the biggest obstacle in the way of a more complete appreciation is the Law And Order Rule. The rule states that good television must follow a very narrow script, so that from one week to another you know exactly what to expect. In Law And Order there is a murder, a weapon, a murderer, a motive, a police detective, a detective sidekick, a prosecutor, a prosecutor sidekick, and always, always, a very stupid presiding judge. Nine or ten elements, most of them completely the same from one week to the next, and the others varying only by very tiny increments. Turn on the television, turn off your mind, and you're ready to be entertained, American-style.
Thank you, but no, thank you. If I wish to enjoy that type of entertainment, I have a can of paint downstairs in the basement. I can invite a few friends over, break out the Molson and pretzels, slather a couple boards with paint, and we can all sit down and watch the paint dry. Fascinating.
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 2:58 am
Thank you for your compliments, Pearson! I really enjoy being a part of these discussions.
I've been meaning to ask you, what is your favourite episode of LOST? You have given so much insight and analysis for every episode in Season 6, so I was wondering what your favourite is of all time. I am a big fan of the final four episodes of Season 3 (especially “The Brig” and “Through The Looking Glass”). Although many people believe that season was the “low point” in the show, I thought it really ended with a bang.
June 2nd, 2010 at 3:08 am
Hi Mand1as,
Thank you for your kind comments, and for setting the record straight on the question of pregnancy on the Island. I don't know how I managed to muddle the facts, but it's not the first time–and I suppose not likely to be the last, either. The greater point, I think, and one that Kfal17 (Herr Besserwisser) is working diligently to illustrate, is that many of the so-called “unanswered questions” have actually been answered–if only we put in a little effort to assimilate the bits and pieces required to make sense of the questions under consideration. Thanks again for your contribution to the discussion.
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 3:24 am
As someone that has read all of your posts and analyses for this season, I can say that you are my favorite of the many Lost theorists that clog up the internet. Rather than filling your posts with pretension, you dig deep without losing some logical sense. You never make connections that aren't there or make incredibly wild theories that boggle the mind. It's refreshing.
That said, while I enjoy your analysis of the season and love for it, I must admit I feel rather disappointed with the effort by Darlton in this final season. Several plot threads, such as pregnancy issues, were ignored. I also feel that the Others (the group ruled by Widmore, Eloise, and then Ben) needed some explanation as to their purpose on the Island and their origins. Furthermore, a plotline as significant as the sickness, which was given such importance during the Temple arc, was simply ignored during the second half of the season… While I feel satisfied by the finale completely, I wish that what preceded it this season was stronger and gave closure to loose ends the finale could not. How do you feel about this season? And if I may be so bold to ask, what season would you say is your favorite (mine's season 2)?
June 2nd, 2010 at 3:27 am
Hi Hygoniz,
Thank you so much for your warm comments about my article.
You write in Persian? Terrific! I used to be able to write in Spanish and Russian. Wouldn't try it now. I could probably manage something en français. Approaching something like Lost from different languages is useful, I think. Languages have different ways of looking at ideas. The true meaning of something as simple as “Au revoir les enfants” really cannot be rendered simply in any other language. You could say it means “Goodbye, children”, but that's not really the true meaning. My mind always wants to make it into “Au revoir aux enfants” because my second language is Spanish (which I still read fluently), and Spanish always has a “personal 'a'”–but of course there's no such thing as a 'personal a' in French. How to express the Russian idea of Mir in any other language? Can't do it. Or the emotional and linguistic intensity of the famous Russian World War II poem, “Zhdi minya”? Again, can't do it. There is no possible rendering into English or French (or Persian, I would imagine) that can do the poem justice. Best of luck with your blog! And thanks again! تشکر از شما
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 3:51 am
You're absoloutely right about the language barriers.
I write in persian, becasue i'm from Iran.
)
Actually I was born in Argentina, & lived a good portion of my life in Latin America, so Persian is my mother language, & I can speak spanish a little too.
I decided to start writing persian Lost recaps (well, a little late, alas), because I find them rare on the internet, most of my fellow iranian Lost fans write in english.
In case you might wanna check my amateur notes, here's the link:
http://www.facebook.com/Amoniz?v=app_2347471856
muchisimas gracias.
مرسي از بلاگ هاي فوق العاده تان، پيرسون جان.
June 2nd, 2010 at 4:08 am
Hi Maninwhite,
Thank you for your kind comments. There is certainly much to think about within the 121 episodes, now no less than any day of the past six years.
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 4:08 am
Thanks!
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 4:09 am
Thanks. (I think?)
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 4:11 am
I literally laughed out loud at that final stanza there. Not only was it funny, but it's absolutely correct. I cannot STAND Law and Order or shows like it. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of House and that is certainly a formulaic show when it comes to many of the plots throughout any particular episode, but the writing is still quite good and the characters are intriguing (plus I think Hugh is brilliant). But yes, you summed it up exactly as I would have and I miss LOST now for two reasons, your articles being the second one. Thanks again for everything you have put into your experience in viewing LOST and so eloquently sharing it with us.
June 2nd, 2010 at 4:27 am
Pearson! I believe that “The End” was the best 150 minutes of television the LOST creators ever produced.
Staying true to the show as you always have, I can say that this article was the best read I've ever enjoyed (and there have been many) on the subject of what I believe to be the greatest story ever told.
The ideas you express are what makes LOST as wonderful as it is. I feel no need to give a point-for-point reaction to this article, because every word of it is 100% consistent with my personal satisfaction in the grand story of Mittelos.
I can only hope that some close friend of Damon or Carlton reads this article and directs their attention to it, so that they can find peace in the fact that somebody somewhere understands and appreciates the full bounty of their creation. They should be able to say to themselves “Pearson Moore up in Canada gets it.”
Wonderful work Pearson, thank you very much for your efforts in the last four months, I hope they have not gone unrewarded. Please be sure to keep us updated on what's to come from you in the future, and best of luck in any upcoming endeavors!
-Retro
June 2nd, 2010 at 4:30 am
Everyone should read this. Its beautiful. I just loved it.
Long live LOST
June 2nd, 2010 at 4:48 am
Hey kfal, just read the bulk of your article and I feel like you plucked the thoughts & feelings about the finale and LOST as a whole right out of my mind & soul and put them on a computer screen. I too felt the immense frustration of trying to defend the show to close-minded individuals who failed to see the big picture. I even thought about creating my own LOST-FAQs website where fans of the show could send in what they believe to be “unanswered” questions and I could answer them coherently using information provided within the 120 hours of the show. It seems you and I are on the same page, and its good to know there's more of us out there. I hope we can both let go one day
peace.
June 2nd, 2010 at 5:02 am
Hi Ramya,
Thank you for your generous response.
I'm especially grateful that you gave us your interpretation of John Locke's character. You bring a perspective different from mine, and I think yours is a very meaningful perspective. I also enjoyed learning your ideas about Rose and Bernard. I didn't state it explicitly, but I more or less ranked the four “lifestyle choices” from worst to best, with MIB being the worst, Rose and Bernard being second, Desmond third, and Jack the best. But I don't see them as being evenly spaced on a continuum. MIB gets a zero, Rose and Bernard get a five, Desmond gets a seven, and Jack gets a ten (perfect).
Thanks, also, for pointing out the problem with my pregnancy theory. I'm going to have to go back and revisit that whole issue.
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 5:04 am
Hi Jessadiemae,
Thanks for your kind words. I intended this to be my last Lost article, but I guess it will depend on response. If demand is high enough, there is certainly no end to the themes and subjects open for exploration.
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 11:37 am
Hi Daryl,
I'm glad you liked the article!
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 11:48 am
Hi Diane,
Thank you for your very kind words. You bring intriguing ideas to the discussion. Your words made me realise that Sayid and Charlie, the two great heroes at Jack's side, were the two most religious characters of the series. Jack and Locke, the two most faith-centred heroes, followed no identifiable religious tradition. I imagine there's some kind of message there. It struck me that Lost's message about redemption was radical, at least in the sense that it defied the norms of any religious tradition I'm acquainted with, and insisted that finding a Constant was necessary to final admission to the Church of the Holy Lamp Post. Radical idea!
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 11:51 am
Hi Leo,
Thanks! I have no definitive answer to your question, but on reading your contribution, it struck me that we don't necessarily need to consider the sideways reality as being confined to a strictly spiritual realm. Perhaps there is more to this world than “purgatory”?
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Hi Mr. LaFleur,
(ou bien Monsieur LaFleur?)
Thank you for your generous comments. I think each of us creates the word that best captures the heart of the series. You offer the word 'trust', certainly a theme throughout Season Six and referred to explicitly four times during the course of “The End”. Trust, faith, love–some kind of undeviating fidelity to a cause greater than one's own survival seems to be the guiding principle. Thanks for contributing to the discussion!
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 1:30 pm
An amazing essay, Pearson.
You know the great linguist Ferdinand of Saussure defined “linguistic signs” –his clever term for “communicable thoughts”– as a dichotomy of continent and content: an indivisible pair of signifier and signified. For me, LOST remains as a masterpiece on a “thematic” level: it's near to perfection in its content, its signified. You prove it –in a beautiful way– in every one of your articles.
But, as every artistic piece, as every communicable thought, there's also a signifier. LOST ended as a flawed “continent” for those themes –or, at least, it did not reach such excellence at that level in the end–.
It was a narrative masterpiece up until Season 4. I hoped the ending would be as good, from a technical story-telling point of view. It wasn't. It delivered on the emotional and thematic levels, but it didn't on the literary technique one.
The chose to change plot closure and narrative climax by religious allegories. It didn't work for me:
Odysseus died alone on the shores of Ithaca after ten years of longing. Frodo didn't throw the one ring. Ahab never fought the whale. Christ never resurrected. Instead, their legacy lived on in their friends' actions and they all reunited in the afterlife.
It works as a theme, as an allegory, but it doesn't as climatic and rewarding story-telling. That's my only complaint about it.
June 2nd, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Of course, Ben's cancer can be seen as a lot of different things, but I think a lot of unanswered questions can be explained by the MIB's involvement (was it planned like that at the time or not), and I think that we could see the MIB giving Ben cancer as a first step into losing his faith into Jacob (how? blocking the effects of the source would be a logical power of him). Another example, in “The Other Woman”, Juliet's psychiatrist tells her to stop Daniel and Charlotte in the Tempest. Had she done it, every candidate would have died (I think you can see where I'm going with this…).
But as far as pregnancy goes, the problems apparently started after the incident.
(for a timeline of events see http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Pregnancy)
June 2nd, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Overall, a good article. You point out some important themes/character traits on the show. However, you struggle in unifying everything. Yes, it's about life being what we make of it, but how does that explanation make the pieces all fit together?
Also, I disagree about the nature of the Source being so clearly defined. Some believe it is life, death, and rebirth. Others believe it is a massive amount of electromagnetic energy. The writers intentionally didn't define what it was, or what would happen if the cork was not replaced (Would the world end or the island simply sink?). Why? Because it leads to the true meaning of the show: Hurley and Ben.
Since we'll never know definitely what the cork is for or the light is, the point is not to protect The Source, but to help other people.
(I don't necessarily agree with that point, but there it is.)
June 2nd, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Hi Lostdude,
Thank you for your very kind comments.
I know if I had been been given the opportunity to contribute to the Season Six storyline I would have had different ideas than those we saw in the finished creation. I imagine if you took ten of us fans at random and told us to extrapolate from the end of Season Five to a satisfactory resolution of every outstanding question at the end of 14 hours of filming (18 episodes), you would almost certainly have ten very different endings, and probably each fan would consider that only her vision constituted a true resolution, and the other nine stories she'd consider inadequate. Lost took on some big questions and gave some thought provoking answers. I liked it!
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Hi Retro,
Thanks for your comments!
If a slow-witted dunderhead like me can understand a bit of Lost, you can be sure just about anybody could get Lost, too!
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Hi Katiushka,
Thank you for your very nice comments!
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Hi Rich,
You bring a valid and I think enlightening perspective to the analysis of the series as a whole. You note a dissatisfaction with structure rather than content. I think this analysis seems to be more consonant with my understanding of the complete series than the frequent complaint that many mysteries were left unresolved. But I think this structural analysis may provide a means of arriving at a paradigm for drama different than those we're accustomed to dealing with. Lost was frequently self-referential, and played with concepts of chronology and etiology in ways that few works of fiction have attempted, even within more speculative genres, such as science fiction. I think the writers may be inviting us to think about structure in new ways.
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Hi Jayemel,
Thank you for your excellent contribution to our discussion.
I guess I gave an incorrect impression about my understanding of the Source. I think in the end it defies description. We can certainly apply to the Source those qualities we have learned over the years: we understand it scientifically as electromagnetic in nature, we understand it spiritually as a source of life and death and rebirth, we understand it politically as a source of power, and so on. I think any one of these qualities would have to be considered to fall short of the full reality, and even taken together, they fall short. I think the import of the last three episodes is that there are entities and events that defy categorisation, comparison, or description. Sawyer had it right, I think, when he asked Jack “what the burning bush had to say”. The Source is in the realm of the unknowable. While we inhabit the fulness of reality, we are able to make sense of only a very tiny part of it.
PM
June 2nd, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Where you and I, and myself and the writers of LOST, part ways is the premise that the universe is fundamentally unknowable. I think the universe is knowable. The opposite premise, of course, leads to the ultimate point of the show which I already pointed out: other people are what make life worth living.
Well done here. I really appreciate your post and that you can foster a discussion of the show on such a level. If you'd like, I can link you to my write up on “The End.”
June 2nd, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Pearson, as I wrote earlier I admire your in depth analysis of the ending of Lost. I have read a few other interpretations, and it's fascinating to me how people can come to different conclusions about the meaning of a creative work of art. Here is another point of view that I thought might interest you. http://www.culturesponse.com/2010/05/midside-lo...
June 3rd, 2010 at 12:45 am
Exactly what I was thinking, it's only fitting that Lost's legacy is one that keeps us thinking about it, trying to unpiece the puzzle.
June 3rd, 2010 at 11:35 am
Hi Diane,
Thanks for the link to this excellent analysis of Lost. This is one of the best pieces I've read.
PM
June 4th, 2010 at 8:25 am
*sigh*
Phenomenal, Pearson. I can't believe this is your last article. It makes me really, really sad. But it was a beautiful way to go out! You pretty much addressed everything that I'm fumbling to write about now in my paper, especially with the hierarchy of values part. Damn, I wish I was as eloquent as you right now! Hmmm, perhaps a giant block quote in the middle will do?
You definitely should submit this to the Lost academic conference in Hawaii next January. They need you there. And they publish the articles. For money!
June 4th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
Hi Jen,
Thank you for your very kind comments.
I don't know about the conference in Hawaii (would they even allow a pharmaceutical scientist through the door?), but I have been giving some thought to the possibility of contacting your friend Nikki or perhaps Vozzek to propose something like a joint venture. I would guess I am probably thinking about these things at far too late a point in time, but an inquiry or two probably couldn't hurt too much.
You're going to do just fine with your paper, I know. You're taking on a fascinating topic, and I know many of us far outside academe will be very interested in learning your thoughts. Good luck!
PM
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December 12th, 2010 at 8:33 am
Thanks, great job Pearson.
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