THE MESS

“ Success is relative: It is what we can make of the mess we have made of things. ” T.S. Eliot

By most objective means, LOST was a successful series. Most American television shows do not last 6 seasons. It had a strong, vocal and loyal fan base. It built on an on-line community that was intensely into their show. It was a good show, but for many it could have been better.

And that is the rub that still divides various fan factions to this day.

Part of the lingering issues deal with expectations and promises.

First, TPTB promised that there would be answers to the major mysteries contained in the series. By nearly all accounts, that did not happen.

Second, based upon the success and action in the first season, and the fan community efforts to analyze and create theories of what was happening inside the show, expectations for a mind-blowing ending were raised by the LOST writers who added layers and layers of questions upon the show's mysteries. The finale split viewers into two basic camps: those who liked and approved the ending because their characters found happiness; and those who felt disappointed that the ending did not resolve their burning questions.

This mess could have been successfully resolved if the writers explained how the characters got to the sideways after life - - - whether the island was a purgatory or real, and if real, was it Earth or a parallel universe, and if so, how did they get there and more importantly, how did they get out of there? Instead, the writers and TPTB refused to explain their thought processes of their own story, stating that certain questions were never meant to be answered at all. 

This mess could have been controversially resolved by not having Season 6 at all; having a Sopranos style ending in Season 5 with Juliet banging on the atomic bomb casing then having a searing white light as she whispered, "it worked." 

Well, mess may be a harsher term now four years removed from the ending. A disorganized clutter of shelved library books would be a better description. For those who had prior doubts that the writers could pull off the great literary feat of neatly tying up all the diverse story lines into a nice dramatic package, they feel a shallow victory because they wanted the answers. And the odd thing is that even if the answers were not what they thought should happen or fit into their view of the show, there would be conclusive answers! End of story. Fin.