I hear a lot of whining lately from people who are anticipating that Lost won’t answer their questions before it finishes for good. They’re already dissing Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse for not delivering on their expectations. Honestly, these people remind me of selfish, spoiled children. They’ve come to Lost as mere consumers, not as participants or contributors.
To these people I say, if you wanted mere fulfillment of your expectations, you should have watched Desperate Housewives or Grey’s Anatomy. Unlike these shows, Lost has always been about respecting and challenging their fans. They have never given us exactly what we wanted, and we’re better for it.
Here are 5 things Lost has given us that no show before it ever dared to. Here’s hoping the networks and the fans have the grit to dare to do something like Lost again:
1. Intellectualism – Lost makes the science, literary, pop culture, or philosophical references of shows like Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica look like Baby Einsteins. Hardly an episode passed where we weren’t challenged by a reference to some 19th-philosopher or advanced quantum physics. All of this was poured into the soup of Lost, lending more flavor and texture than we could ever savor in several sittings. How many of us were sent to Wikipedia time and again trying to figure out these references? What other show even dares to include this much braininess? Lost is a show that has faith in the intellect of its viewers, instead of the lowest common denominator.
2. Mindblowing twists – Having been raised on a steady diet of pop culture, I can usually see a plot twist coming a mile away, and I’m rarely surprised. After six seasons, Lost still has me shouting at my monitor, “No way! No way! NO WAY!” And these twists aren’t cheats, either. They’ve been set up for weeks, years even. Here’s to the show that continues to surprise even the most jaded viewer.
3. High production values – Most television shows are filmed in what appear to be five different sets at best. Lost takes us to the beach, into the jungle, across the globe, and into the ocean. Cinematography has been silver-screen caliber. Production design has always been meticulous. I mean, most feature-length movies don’t even look this good. There has never been a show as gorgeous as Lost and maybe there never will be.
4. Real characters – Lost never got, uh, lost in its brainy conceit. When all was said and done, Lost was not distracted by jungle polar bears or time loop theory. It was a story about real human beings dealing with such themes as good and evil, corruption and redemption, choice and destiny. We have tuned in because we love these characters. The other stuff has just been icing on the cake.
5. Ambiguity – As any student of real literature will tell you, there is no greater sign of respect to an audience than ambiguity. Lesser shows give us whatever we cry for- it spoils us. True art leaves us with questions and trusts us to find the answer. Lost has thrived on ambiguity, on leaving mysteries unrevealed. And in doing so, it has shown its fans the greatest of respect. When all is said and done, Lost trusted its fans to discover the answers themselves.
Just for your enjoyment, here’s an awesome infographic, courtesy of Wired, I found detailing all of the characters on Lost and their relationships to one another. have some aspirin handy and enjoy!
About the Author: Marcus Varner writes articles and blogs for Classes and Careers and numerous other sites. He earned a BA in English and a MBA in Marketing from Brigham Young University. He loves trivia, especially regarding comics, movies, books, science, and history.
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