Anyone who's spent much time with some of these high concept serials like "Heroes" pretty much comes to the conclusion that they're being jerked around.
Anyway, I have. Logic is notional. Plot is something you make up as you go along. Characters are cartoon-cutouts who die, come back to life and - in the meantime - emote broadly, over their love life, or who their father is, or who their mother is, or what their destiny is.
All the while, viewers fend for themselves as they try to puzzle out some rickety "mythology" that makes even less sense than the constantly mutating storylines.
"Lost" has performed this high-wire act particularly well over the past three seasons mostly through loving care and attention to characters - making them just clueless enough to be sympathetic (and believable) and just mysterious enough to be intriguing.
And then came last night's finale. It wasn't merely awful - though it certainly was that - but almost unimaginably disappointing. So this is how the rivalry between "our" people and "their" people end? In a spasm of primetime violence that leaves so many dead I lost count before the first commercial break?
With Hurley mowing one of them down in a VW van? With Sawyer shooting Tom in the chest, after latter says "I give up?" (Says Sawyer, "I didn't believe him..." Didn't believe him!!?? Well then just tie him up, pal.)
On the logic (such as it is) front: Why couldn't Charlie have squeezed through the blown hatch? Why couldn't the Mad Russian stay dead (for once?) Why did Locke have to throw a knife in the back of Naomi? (Wouldn't a simple "give me that damn phone" have done just as well?)
Why did Penny pop up on the monitor? (Is this to be the fate of the ravishing Sonya Walger? Ending each season searching vainly for Desmond?)
And meanwhile, the endless twists on the lovelorn lamentations of one Jack Sawyer - Oxycodone freak, in his former suicidal life - or is it, as seems more likely, his future suicidal life - and hitched (perhaps) to Kate. Clearly, one of the whole points of "Lost" - and a good point it is - has been that characters are on a quest to find what they had lost in their prior lives; this is the second chance that they never really had "on the mainland," while the island is that magical place where personal history is rewritten (though as "Lost" has established, character is everything and the past isn't something that can be shed like a cheap suit.)
But the Kate/Jack tie throws this into the realm of total absurdity: Why, after three seasons, do we suddenly find out about this NOW? Is this the future, or is this the past? If the future, do they leave the island? (Obviously, hence the meaning to the final line...)
Violence, though, is the worst sin. under pressure from ABC, or Nielsen or some other nefarious force, "Lost" decided to shed some subtlety (and mythology) in favor of brute-force action this season. While there were some great episodes, the dangers of this approach became apparent last night. The Others are wiped out (with the exception of Ben) to now be replaced by a whole new batch of Others next season, who aren't actually "Others" but apparently Others Squared: even more evil than the crew just dispatched.
Which means - what? - more death and mayhem over the next 48 episodes?
Bet on it.
Jack and Kate: So let me see if I've got this straight...She meets him at the airport, and...
Comments (97)
I think you've missed something critical from last night's finale: Jack didn't have flashbacks last night - he had "flashforwards". Those scenes were after they were rescued from the island. Didn't you wonder what Jack meant when he said they have to go back?
Vern, you missed a very important part of last nights show. Those were not flashbacks from Jacks life, they were from Jacks future after getting off the island. Go back and watch the episode and you'll see you made a mistake.
Dear lord, you missed the entire point of the episode!
Flash-forwards!
Geez, go back to watching American Idol if this is too much for you to handle.
How can you write a review of a show for a major newspaper when you can't understand what you're watching? The story was pretty straight forward. I'm actually embarrassed for you!
I'll be a little less nice than the other two commenters. Your credibility as a TV reviewer is significantly lessened if you can't comprehend the (fairly simple) twist that the "flashback" was in fact a "flashforward". Would it have been better for you if somebody had just held up a sign at some point saying, "Welcome to 2007"?
sir, please re-watch the episode.
Also, it is impossible to make any kind of predictions about the show's story and structure in the coming seasons.
You're retarded. The Others weren't wiped out. Just the ten sent to the beach. There are still a ton of them on the way to the Temple - whatever that is. Get a grip. It's television. It's entertaining. It's the best show ever. Period. Exclamation point!
Man, it's obvious you didn't get a thing from last night's finale. Watch it again before summoning in such a venal way.
Totally agree with the previous ones. You should watch it again.
This review loses much of its credibility as a critique of the show when the author wasn't even bright enough to understand the basic structure of the episode.
About Charlie's death, I know that he could have easily escaped the hatch before it flooded, but he wanted to fulfill Desmond's prophesy. Desmond says that when Charlie hits the button and drowns, Claire and the baby will be saved. Charlie, the hero, sacrifices his life so that Claire and her baby will leave the island.
Who is Jack Sawyer, and we're we watching the same show? It was pretty explicitly a Flash Forward. They even had an Anagram for the diehards saying so, and I spotted it the moment I saw the KRZR phone released just last year. Maybe leave the opinions to people who aren't talking on the phone/doing laundry during the show.
Did you even watch the show? You missed some very significant lines...It wasn't a flashback, it was a flashforward. So it definitely leaves us hanging, waiting for next season. Though it wasn't what I expected at all, I think it was good. You should re-watch the episode, I think you might appreciate it a little more!
Did you even watch the show?? It was a flash forward. There were very significant lines that told you that it was after the rescue. Though the finale wasn't at all what I expected it to be, it was good. Left me hanging, drooling for next season. Isn't that the point?!
"Violence, though, is the worst sin."
You must hate Shakespeare.
Wow...this is the only guy in the world that did not understand the episode last night. If you are so into the show, you should expect twists and turns. That is what makes the show great! Man, I need to become a TV writer. If you can post a negative article like this one and not even get the characters names right...I would be golden. Best Episode of LOST ever! Perhaps best Season Finale in TV. They turned a corner and refreshed the show. Sucks we gotta wait 250+ days for the return.
WOW. I dont think you've been watching this series! Besides your missing the "flash foward", all of the questions you posed have great answers.
Sawyer killed Tom because of their history - way back to season 1 ("You and me ain't done Zeke") Sawyer would have killed him no matter what he said.
Explanations like that follow every question you posed. I'm sorry LOST is over your head; try some MTV day-time shows?
Man you should really be fired for writing a review this greatly uninformed. If you expect to review the finale of a long runnnig program, maybe perhaps you should have some background on the show.
You review shows no knowledge of the the characters, themes, or plots and by being so ignorant, you have produced a mindless rant that focuses more on the excessive violence than the fact that producers Cuse and Lindelof put together one of the better finales of any program in years.
If you are going to only casually half-watch a show, admit as much in your review. Anyone actually sitting in front of their television and paying attention to the show would know that in the 'flashforward,' Jack is NOT "hitched (perhaps) to Kate." There are many sloppy observations in your review, but this one shows you just weren't paying much attention. You can SAY that if you want - "LOST doesn't hold my attention", for example - but don't write something like this. It's just not responsible TV journalism...
Slightly embarrassing you can't even name a character correctly...Jack Sawyer? Isn't this your job?
"hitched (perhaps) to Kate?"
do you have any knowledge of human relationships? In the flashforwards, Kate and Jack did not act at ALL like a married couple; Kate even mentioned having to get back to a "him." they met at a clandestine location, at night. not married. among your other blantant misreadings of the show, this one takes the cake. retire, sir.
This guy isn't really someone that prints an article in a newspaper right? This is just some hack writting on the internet I think. Jack Sawyer isn't even a character and if he is referring to two people shouldn't it be Jack AND Sawyer? Also, obviously he was distracted with computer porn as he watched this since he didn't understand A) it was a flash forward and B) only 10ish Others were killed not all. Finally, why tie up Tom when you can simply shoot him in the chest. Because NOT killing theo thers has worked out SOOO well for the crashed survivers
Dude think before u type and watch it again, i think it was the best episode so far...
Several facts gave away that it was a flash forward specially at the end.
Wow, you're gonna regret writing this one.
I hope you'll amend your review now that you've been put straight regarding the flash forwards.
James killed Tom because he's reverted back to his pre-island killer personality. He's not the same man that he was a few weeks ago due to the fact that he killed the original Sawyer. He now feels as if he's experienced 0 growth, and frankly has in a sense become Sawyer.
As for Charlie's destiny, I thought that one was pretty obvious. If last week proved anything it was that his only goal was getting Claire and Aaron off the island. Sure, he could have survived but if he had it wouldn't have had the same result for Claire and Aaron, hence why he selflessly and heroically sacrificed himself.
I blogged my thoughts on the episode at:
http://www.mediaobsessed.com
Dude... I would of thought writing reviews for Newsday would require you to know what you talking about... I hope the next guy that gets your job actually watches a show before reviewing it.
At one point you refer to Jack as "Jack Sawyer" have you EVER seen an episode of LOST?
Verne, im sorry man, but that was simply the best finale of the series, and of the television season. You must have been in a bad mood before you started watching the show.
what are you some kind of hippie. So what if there was a bit of volience. It was bound to happen anyway.
I agree with everyone else who has posted above. But I am not going to be rude. I am just going to say something that they havent said yet. This entire season was leading up to this one HUGE life-changing night on the Island. The Losties had had enough and wanted revenge. They all agreed on a plan. We knew several episodes ago that death was going to happen, however, like in life, things went wrong. Yet at the end of the day that stuck it through and finished the job with the circumstance they were presented with. There HAD to be death. The past three seasons had been leading up to it. We got new questions, sure, but we also got alot of answers. We know who and what Dharma is, who and what "the Others" are, who Ben answers to, and many more. It was an incredible final. It was definitly the best finale the show has ever had and it was probably the best finale out of any show this season. Watch it again. There is absolutly no other show on television like Lost...
it wasn't necessarily a flashforward. it could have been a flashback. it could be that they did decide to go back, and then that was the impetus for the pilot of the show. somehow their memory gets knocked. unlikely? sure. but have you been watching the show?
Wow, someone totally missed the boat. Don't even bother to watch it again. You'll probably read some more worthless dribble into it.
Apparantly actually watching the show is not a requirement to be a critic at Newsday. Good job. Have any more press releases you want to review instead of taking the time to watch what you are writing about??
'Says Sawyer, "I didn't believe him..." Didn't believe him!!?? Well then just tie him up, pal.'
- Yeah right! Have you seen how many of these suckers get back up? Lets just assume they will stay there and behave themselves! Go Sawyer! Bens next.
umm, who's Jack Sawyer? On the version of Lost that I thoroughly enjoyed last night, the character's name is Jack Shepherd, and has been for 3 seasons. You're entitled to your opinions, but it really doesn't sound like you watched the same episode as the rest of us. Of course we don't know how their rivalry ends, it's a season finale cliffhanger that will bring us back to find out more for 3 more years. Why would we watch it again if we knew all the answers?
Oh Dear Verne, how embarrassing :D
Who is Jack Sawyer? An imaginary character of yours?
"hitched (perhaps) to Kate"???
You somehow gleaned that Jack and Kate are possibly married in the future? That would really make their whole conversation much more awkward, what with Kate asking why he's calling her, and Jack telling her that he takes international flights every weekend. Not to mention, of course, that Kate needed to leave because "he"--i.e., someone else--would be angry.
They were practically strangers, and you thought it was implied they'd gotten married?
never mind the whole "Jack Sawyer" bit...
What the HELL are you talking about. This was a great episode. And since when was violence a sin in primetime television. I have read some bad reveiws in the pastbut this one takes the cake; it was, like your last name, Gay.
Vern, you're a moron. If you're going to write a review about a season finale of a great show, at least
a) Know enough about the show
b) Have cognitive skills to realize that the episode utilized flash FORWARD, not flashbacks. The ending was a gilmpse of the future, not the past.
c) Third, I feel bad for you that Newsday is going to fire you after this ridiculous review.
d) Actually, I feel bad for your wife and kids.
Jack Sawyer? First of all, his name is Jack Shepard. Second, where do you get the idea that he's engaged to Kate? Have you ever watched Lost before last night's finale?
Why couldn't Charlie squeeze through the blown hatch?? (this is the point I decide to choose out of this laughable thing you call a critique because it is probably the most hilarious)
By "hatch" I think you mean window...(moron...), and hello? squeeze through a whole the size of a doggy door with an OCEAN's amount of pressure coming through? It's almost too easy, those damn reality-suspending writers...
I disagree strongly. Excellent episode. As for the violence, the others had been giving them crap all season - it was great to see Sawyer etc. have their revenge.
They wiped out 10 of them, there's still loads left!
Can't wait for season 4!
of course the flashforwards dont actually have to happen. thats whats so great about lost..they can go many different ways with this..i think it was great..blew my mind..like desmond says if everything doesnt happen excactly in that fashion none of it will happen
last nights finale was amazing, thats all you had to say and left it at that... over and out
didn't jack refer to his father being "the drunk upstairs" when he was confronted by the chief of surgery? so, maybe it WAS a flashback?
also - if it was a flash forward, wouldn't all of the people who recognized jack as the hero from the bridge already "know" him...if he was one of the survivors of oceanic 815, finally found after 3 months?
the writers are making this up as they go, but they're smart and always leave enough questions to throw us so they're not backed into a corner.
Actually, I think the accurate way to say it is that the island scenes were the flashbacks this time. Has anyone ever noticed how the show never begins or ends with flashbacks? The bearded Jack scenes were the story, and the island scenes were the flashback explanation as to how he arrived at that place.
This show's violence this week was the culmination of three years of abuse and conniving, kidnapping and murder by the "Others." Ben getting pummeled, Tom getting "Zeked" and the other Gas-freaks getting blown away was justified as reaction to the substansive abuse suffered. REMEMBER, this is not AMERICA and no lwas (that we know of) govern this place.
Sir, I dont think you even watched the episode, nothing you wrote about this episode made any sense. And what is this comment Jack is hitched to Kate??? No! Watch it again and then rewrite your article
You obviously do not follow the show on a regular basis if you didn't understand the finale. They are at war with the others and sometimes war brings violence. The plane crash survivors have been captured, tortured, experimented and killed by the others. Of course they will retaliate. Also Locke will do anything to stay on the island including blowing up a hatch, a station and a submarine, have his father killed, so killing the person who was just about to radio for help is not out of the ordinary. He didn't kill Jack because he knew it was inevitable that someone was going to use the phone and deep down inside he is not an evil person just like when he couldn't kill his dad. If you notice he walked away from the group when Jack used the phone. He didn't want anything to do with being rescued.
you are an idiot.
Ewwwww!
I'm not even gonna commet on the flash-forward thing and you're missing of that (enough people have already done that for me), but Jack Sawyer? And he's married to Kate? What are you smoking man? Jack and Sawyer are two different men, and we have yet to discover whom she ends up with off the island,if anyone.
Get a new job man, even a casual viewer could have figured out the more basic plot points from last night.
You are truly clueless, aren't you? Jack Sawyer? Do you even watch 'Lost'?
And Sawyer (the other one) explained why he shot Tom (in case you didn't know his name). It was "for taking the boy off the raft". Don't you think maybe you would have been carrying a little bit of a grudge too. And oh yeah, in case you missed the end of season one, Sawyer was shot in the shoulder by Tom's gang. So yeah, he was pretty peeved.
I won't even get in to the whole Charlie thing, as other have already explained it. It was his destiny. You know, that thing that Locke talks about a lot. But you probably don't know that as you obviously don't watch the show.
And finally, not all of the Others are dead. 12 died in this episode. There's still a whole bunch more.
how do they let you write such crap.i guess this is what newsday has become. you obviously didnt get any of the episode.and before writing such crap.watch it remembering its a tv show..or i guess you were really watching 24 or something while this amazing episode came on.
Worst. Review(er). Ever.
Man I can't wait till next season;just wish we didn't have to wait nearly a year. :(
omg! were you watching this episode on mute? because you obviously didn't hear the last line. i thought the episode was one of the best finales i have ever seen and i can't wait till the next season starts!
Damn! Not one person agrees with you Verne! Not one! IT seemed like you sat thru the whole show and just wanted to dislike everything about it. Oh, well, there's always next season to like...or in your case, dislike!
I don't agree with anything this critic has said. I have been a faithful follower since day one. I do admit, I get tired of seeing people be killed off. This season's finale blew my mind with the ending. I am exited to see what lies for next season.
I pity you.
I also think the show lost some steam this season, but there were some good episodes, and the finale, let me waiting for more, so if they keep this momentum, next season will be better, but your comment leaves a lot to desire if you don't understand the flashforward, i for one found it interesting and a nice change over the previous recipe, and you will see that only 10 "others" died, the rest are walking to the mysterious temple.
Verne, you're an idiot! How you got a job writing tv reviews for a major publication is beyond me. You obviously don't have the slightest idea what is going on on this show. Have you ever even seen it? Lost is targeted to people with a brain so hopefully the next Newsday reviewer who comments on it has one. Get a clue!
people like verne are why networks are electing to air pure crap "reality" shows vs. scripted shows.
Guys layoff... he's gotta be joking.
I did watch the last show and strongly agree with Mr. Gay. Lost is LOST!!! Yes, this is just a show and people get a life, it makes no sense and trying to make any sense is just funny. Listen, there are plenty of other showes that you can get "Lost" in as well!!!
Jack Sawyer? It seems as if you wrote this without watching any of the previous episodes. It was a flash forward. They gave numerous clues to this like jack talking about the golden ticket, and how they never should have left, and how they have to go back. Please do some research before writing about a subject yuo know nothing about.
Great review... Not sure why people are confused that you didn't get it was a flash-forward... reread the article... He understands it guys... Now we have 3 seasons (half the series) left to explain what happened... I only recently started to watch the series to see how the writers can dig themselves out of the giant hole that they got in to.
It isn't very often that a television show is so aptly named... Lost truly is it's own namesake. I keep expecting to see a snow globe with St. Eligius inside...
seriously... who ARE you dude??
WOW!!!!
That was the most embarrassing review ever.
Did you even watch the show?
You have lost all credibilty and you should NEVER write about TV again.
Disgrace.
You obviously missed a significant part of lost last night...It was clearly a flashforward, as a writer next time make sure ur apparent point shows the actual events of what is happening, not your very mislead view of what happened in the finale. Obvious Flashforward, Every other person agrees to!
Who is Jack Saywer?!! :-) You gimp!
You're last name is Gay and so is your review.:p
Verne, you really are Gay! This was hands down the best season finale for Lost. It was also the first time we see a Flash-Forward and that there is actually life after the island. Jack is an addict because he made a mistake. He has been told time and time again by Locke that he is making a mistake. That leaving the island is a mistake. Charlie may have been able to escape through the hole in the wall (although the water rushing in would have made that feat nearly impossible) but he wanted to fulfill Desmond's prophecy to save Claire and Turnip Head. In regards to the blood bath that was the season 3 ender. The Lostees were tired of being afraid. They were tired of being abducted. Ben pushed them passed their collective breaking points and something had to be done. You should really go back and watch the episode again now that you know what is going on.
Maybe the author of this review should delete it to spare further embarrassment!
Death has been a part of the show from the beginning. But I doubt this clown has watched more than a few episodes. And probably only the parts of those he could find on youtube. Jack Sawyer? Who the heck is that? Sometimes it helps to sleep off the booze and then write a review, Verne.
Dude, have you watched this show? Sawyer has vowed to kill Tom on at least 2 separate occasions, and he just heard Tom spouting off that he shouldn't have listened to Ben and should have killed Sayid, Jin, and Bernard. Sawyer isn't all "good guy" - and making good on his vendetta and killing Tom reinforces his character.
And as everyone else has pointed out, it was a flash forward. Ben was obviously lying or mistaken about Naomi's people--Jack and the Losties got rescued, as opposed to killed by the "real bad guys." Just because Ben thinks that those who are coming are truly bad doesn't make them so--we know that Ben and his crew are nefarious. So your erudite prognostication about ever increasing violence on the show falls flat. That's not to say that it won't have some violence--but there has always been some violence on this show, since ep. 1.
In short: pay attention and try to actually understand the shows that you review.
Jack Sawyer? Flashback? Too much violence? Others gone? What show are you watching? I'm watching Lost and its fantastic.
Dude, you don't sound like you've watched the show much before either (let alone this episode). Sawyer ain't a nice guy. They've been duped by the others before. He has good reason to believe "the other" wasn't really giving up. It's "us" or them and the more of them dead, the better!
ha! you got PWNED! Any credibility you had just went down the drain Verne.
I'll look for your reviews in the national enquirer starting soon!
dude..ur dumb...no serious..you are...NO I AINT JOKIN! YOUR FREAKING STUPID YEA?!
Have you figured out yet that you got things wrong? If not, let me throw one other thing out there - there wasn't even a suggestion that Jack was married to Kate in the future. She's obviously with someone else, as she said "I've got to get back, he'll be wondering where I am." I know the show was on pretty late...maybe you took a nap?
Wow. I can honestly say that this is the worst review I have seen in my entire life.
@ Craig
Or the structure of the series in general. Complaining about having questions unanswered? That's like insulting Wheel of Fortune for the "big round thing that the contestants are always playing with."
Wow, you just got owned by a bunch of people. It would appear you are the only blockhead who had a severe brain cell misfire during the episode. Or are you that stupid all the time? Maybe you should stick to Katie Couric, verne. She can speak to people of your level.
Maybe it was a flashback. Maybe the very first episode of season 1 was them returning to the island.
Do you have a quota to make on giving bad reviews for no reason? Do you even know what's going on w/Lost? How did you not get that these are flash forwards after what jack told kate.. Get a grip & more information before critizing what you don't know :)