LOST Prediction: The Phenomena of the Reveal and the Question of LOST
My wife Tiana and I, since this last summer, have been catching up on watching LOST in all of its awesomeness. Since buying Season 1 from my friend Mogan we have been hooked. After borrowing Season 2 from a friend shortly thereafter, we received Season 3 on DVD for Christmas and caught up in time for Season 4 to start on January 31st. Like my good friend Charlie, I’ve also been listening to The Official LOST Podcast and The Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack, soaking up theories about the unfolding plotline(s), listening to interviews, etc. — in other words, pretty much becoming a LOST nerd(tm). In spite of all my fandom of the show, I do have one meta-prediction about the show. This really won’t be a surprise to most people, but here it is:
Once LOST is over in 2010, the big reveal(s) of the plotlines are (uhm) revealed, and the denouement breathes its last breath, the following phenomena is sure to happen: people who are not invested in the storyline whatsoever will give it all away who to those who have either 1) not caught up yet to the end or 2) were intending to get around to watching the show someday. Many people will feel cheated, but it is bound to happen in the face of such a popular show. There will be “Now that it is all over, now what?” commentaries and Op-Eds that give away the big reveals of the end of the series and will be readily accessible to anybody not wanting to put the effort forth to watch the show (although it’s a TV show so ‘effort’ may not be the right word! maybe patience?). People like me will probably get enormously frustrated and disappointed because we will have spent 6 seasons worth of episodes getting invested in characters and their story-arcs only to hear people attempt to reduce these characters to some final moments that distort the heart of the characters and the story. Inevitably, I will cry, “but it is not as simple as that!”
So my question then becomes: will LOST ultimately have a of depth beyond mere plot details that will be able to overcome the nay-saying of spoiler mongers? Will one be able to say something like, “But what LOST is about is more than just the reveals of the plot”? Will spoiling plot details be enough to actually “ruin” the show for somebody? I have some thoughts on this, but I want to hear what you think first.
Before I answer this question, let me insulate myself a bit. I am just going to make an analogy, not a one-to-one comparison here. I in no way intend to place Lost’s narrative and meaning on the same level as the gospel.
With that said, perhaps spoiling plot details will spoil it for some. Many people miss the depth of the gospel because they “know how the story goes and my relationship with Christ is just find, thank you very much!” Many of these forgo participating in formative liturgical acts for this very reason. However, I doubt it will really spoil the show for people, like yourself, who have truly invested something in it. It may be a bummer to know bits of what is coming, but that’s it, a bummer, not a desecrator. Knowing that Christ has risen does not spoil lent for one who still dives into it.
Again, knowingly being repetitive, I am not putting Lost on the same level as the Christian story. If it becomes as meaningful for you as lent, give it up for lent. :)
Wilson Ryland said this on February 19th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
i love that show! Have you seen the HD full screen for any of the episodes at abc.com Pretty impressive looking.
Dale said this on February 20th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Aww, Locke looks so young in that photo.
Kaz said this on February 23rd, 2008 at 2:36 am
Eric,
I think part of the reason that LOST attracts all sorts of viewers (but only some become so craaaazy as Charlie and you) is that it’s more than a plot line. If someone enjoys LOST only as they would an adventure flick–albeit a long one–they might be absolutely devastated by plot spoilers. In the immediacy of watching one episode per week, one week after the other, people can spoil the plot for one another in miniature. But I think that if someone were to tell me the ending now (For instance, all the LOSTies are rescued, but when they leave the Island’s time warp, only those who actually survived the crash–versus those who actually died but the island allowed to remain in limbo-life–make it back and these are the “Oceanic Six” who feel guilty for removing their zombie friends from the island’s respite. The End.) , I am invested enough in the characters and in their backstories and in their wrestling with their pasts and forging new and different futures that I wouldn’t think for an instant of calling it quits.
I don’t think that personal and interpersonal mysteries (with the Island as one of those persons, both exceptionally visible and mysterious) that make the show tick will ever dissolve with a spoiler.
Um, that’s probably NOT what you were wondering, but I think I said what I meant to say. :)
Kara said this on February 23rd, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I love Lost! The show is definitely about more than its plot reveals. I think at its core, it’s about being lost, spiritually speaking. All of the characters were adrift, with issues in their past that they are forced to deal with on the island - Sun and Jin’s marriage, Charlie’s addiction, Sawyer’s need for revenge, etc. Forgiveness is a big theme too. I absolutely loved the Mister Eko storyline until the episode where he died and refused to repent - that was totally out of character and I blame the writers. Anyway, up until then I thought the storyline was beautiful.
The flash forwards are showing us that (my guesses here) the Six are lying about the other survivors and have cut some kind of deal for themselves. Jack and the other five survivors may be back home but they are still lost.
Jennifer said this on February 25th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Eric,
It’s difficult to say whether or not LOST is plot driven or character driven at this point (maybe that’s a cop-out). We are all very much invested in the characters and, no doubt, our hearts are strangely warmed when back or front story further develops a character. We are also very much invested in where this story as a whole is going, sometimes in spite of the characters. Of course, in a show like LOST plot and character are not so easily divorced. I think I will be with you, frustrated and screaming, “but it’s not as simple as that!”
Peace,
Scott
Scott Savage said this on February 25th, 2008 at 3:02 pm