Finally, the Finale

The last episode of LOST aired last night. If you have not yet seen it, I urge you to not read any further. Don't spoil the ending for yourself.

Although it's hard for me to explain exactly what happened. And I've been a devoted fan for 6 years. I've watched and re-watched every episode, participated in an online discussion group (nerdy, yes, I've been told), and spent hours theorizing and considering the events on the show.

Yet when a friend asks me this morning, "Well? Did they get off the island?" my answer is, "Um. Yes? Sort of?"

This is no easy story to sum up.

The show started out as an exciting adventure/mystery for me. I was hooked right from the start. As a matter of fact, I wrote about my first impression long ago. Such great characters and terrific plot twists. Amazingly original and clever storytelling. I kept watching because I needed to find out why, why, WHY! Up until last night, I was still demanding an explanation for all of the mystery. Why was Walt special? Why did the black smoke have to kill Mr. Eko? Why did the psychic tell Claire she had to raise Aaron? What was Jacob's brother's name for crying out loud?

Yes, there was mythology in this show that I didn't understand. Science fiction elements that went way over my head. And religious overtones that cannot be denied.

I'm not into mythology or science fiction. And I don't believe in god. Yet I still watched the show, year after year, to find out what was going to happen to these characters. How could they possibly provide an ending to this show?

I would have been insulted with a "they lived happily ever after" ending. I would have been devastated if they had all died on the island. I wondered to myself how LOST could possibly give me an ending that I would accept, much less enjoy. Yet I sit here deeply satisfied with last night's finale. I'm ok with the questions that didn't get answered.

I'm ok, because LOST ended it with a sort of "they died happily ever after" ending. Yes, they're dead, but they're together, moving on collectively. Towards heaven? Something else altogether? The viewer gets to decide. Genius.

LOST has always reminded me of my brother, even though he never saw an episode. The pilot aired 6 months after he died. I believe he would have liked the show. I think about how it could have been something that we shared together.

Oceanic flight 815 crashed in 2004. Derek died in 2004. The characters on LOST have been struggling with the mistakes of their past for 6 years, building up to The End, at which point the all got to gather together again. Their reunions were beautiful and nostalgic. I cried at seeing Charlie and Claire reunite. I cried when John stood up out of the wheelchair and walked into the church. I cried when Jack realized he had died.

What if my brother has been "waiting" for the past 6 years, too? I imagine him having a chance to make peace with his past. I imagine him learning to appreciate the contributions he made to us.

I imagine him getting to see all of the important people from his life again. Who would be there with Derek, as he "moved on?" Brad? Our grandparents? Me?

I still don't believe in god. Or heaven. Or hell. Just the same, I find it very satisfying to imagine Derek happy, and finally "moving on" into what could come next. I like that thought very much.