WHAT WE MISS

In much of the 10th anniversary discussions, there have been many posts about what fans truly miss since LOST concluded its television run.

A summary of some of the comments:

1. We miss the characters. In a certain respect, a devoted television show creates characters that become one's surrogate friends and family. We want to get together and see them week after week.

2. We miss the adventure. Every week there was some strange plot twist that would make us squirm or jump off the chair in a WTH? moment. It was a series with a grand scale and good cast. It seemed like it was filmed like a summer movie and not as a staged set production.

3. We miss the community. LOST was one of the first shows in which the Internet brought together fans from all over the world to discuss their TV show in nearly real time. It was the community aspect of the show that many miss the most - - - the debates, the personal theories, and the research of the clues that spread knowledge about literature, music, physics and Egyptology among commentators and bloggers. It also brought together people who in turn became good friends.

4. We miss scheduling time to watch. Perhaps it is just a coincidence, as time goes on and each of us grows older, we have less time to schedule a set appointment to view a show. Today, with streaming services, internet show pages and DVR on demand, fans don't need to have any appointment viewing in order to watch a show. It takes away from the "shared" experience back in the day. No one talks about discussing a show the next day over the "water cooler" at work.

5. We miss the "what if" wonder of the series. As many of the actual characters had transference moments within their own personalities, viewers were captivated and transformed into the fantasy world of the show as close bystanders to all the action. Rarely does a TV show put the viewer in the front seat where the action was.

6. We miss the answers. Yes, there are many viewers who upon reflection have "moved on" without their personal questions being properly answered, but there are still a few who quietly lament the fact that they were disappointed on how the show wrapped up. Even 10 years after, the opportunity is available for the writers and creative team to give us their vision of the unsolved mysteries, but they care not to share or explain. So even in the joy of the series, there is some melancholy.