LOST and Redemption

Unless you’ve been trapped in a time warp or from a different dimension, you know by now that LOST came to an end last Sunday. I know every reviewer, blogger and fan site have weighed in on the final episode. So I thought about giving my perspective as well.

Now that you’ve had a few days to think about it, did you find the answers you were looking for? Did you have a sense of closure? I don’t think every question was answered, but I feel there was a sense of completeness. Frankly, I was a little disappointed after the initial viewing. But as I thought about it, there was no other way it could end. We needed to have our characters find some sense of balance and happiness. But, more importantly, the producers fulfilled the theme of the show. The characters found a way to be fixed and redeemed from their past mistakes.

The show was never really about being lost on a remote island somewhere in the South Pacific. LOST was about the characters’ need for redemption because their souls were lost. LOST offered a unique perspective on faith and science, spirit and flesh, life and death, and purpose and free will. Ultimately, it asked deep questions about our destiny and the need for each of us to complete our purpose in life.

So how could LOST have ended any other way than moving on and finding redemption? After all, we all seek redemption whether we know it or not. And what made LOST great is the fact that our characters, for the most part, were unaware of their flaws and brokenness.

I came to LOST late in the game. Probably like a lot of viewers, I wondered how a show about castaways could possibly be interesting. I was wrong. After hearing so much about the critical acclaim of the show, I decided to sit down and watch the first four seasons on DVD. I was blown away. This was television at its best. Pure genius.

So what did LOST have going for it, and what can you learn as a future filmmaker or media maker?

1. Story/Great Writing – First and foremost, LOST was about story. I’m sure you’ve heard that a lot from me if you read my blog on a regular basis. STORY is the foundation building blocks. Without it, you have nothing. The creators of LOST absolutely understood this. Fantastic plot development with outstanding dialogue are the trademarks of LOST. LOST was never about CGI or special effects or even action sequence to drive the show. It always revolved around the art of storytelling.

2. Character Development – No show in television history has taken the time and effort to develop more complex, fully human and 3-dimensional characters that were found on LOST. We felt like we knew these people and understood who they were.

3. A Unique Cinematic Experience – LOST had the opportunity to hit television at just the right time. Wide-screen and high definition was just starting to take hold. LOST was able to bring big-screen techniques and production values to television. By doing so they created a cinematic or feature film experience. It felt like we were watching a movie every week. And it certainly helped that most of LOST was filmed on location in Hawaii.

4. Complexity – Let’s face it, most television shows are pretty simple minded. We know who the good guys are as well as the bad guys. In LOST we were never sure. We were always on the edge of our seats with plenty of twists and turns.

5. Atmospheric – Most television shows don’t have the time to think about lighting techniques, art direction or sound design. The producers of the show realized they needed to create a unique atmosphere for the viewer if they had any hope of getting the audience hooked. We thought we were on the island because we could feel the emotional tug, the fear, and the terror of the unknown. I think LOST hit the mark on all those factors by creating a unique atmosphere that was believable.

6. All Good Television or Films Must be About Something – Whether we realized it at the beginning of LOST in Season One, this show was asking significant questions. It wasn’t just about being lost on an island. In fact, it asked questions about the significance of life itself. What is good and what is evil, and how do we distinguish the two. There was clearly a spiritual take on everything that happened on LOST. In some ways the island itself could serve as a metaphor for God’s power, both emotionally and physically.

So will there ever be another LOST? Probably not. I don’t think the networks are in any mood to take this type of risk in the future. LOST was one of the most expensive television shows ever produced. In fact, its pilot was the most expensive ever and cost the job of the executive who green-lighted the show. In order to pull off something like LOST, you need a huge canvas. That meant exotic locations like Hawaii and a huge ensemble cast. The cost alone makes a show similar to LOST unlikely in the foreseeable future.

Another factor is the nature of serialized programs. Networks realize if you don’t get the audience in the beginning, there is no way you can grow the show. That means if the numbers are mediocre in the first season, they will not improve if the show if picked up for a second season. In fact, LOST continued to lose audience throughout its history. Why? Because if you missed a few episodes, it was impossible to get back into the flow of the story. To ABC’s credit, they did everything they could to minimalize this effect of audience erosion.

Another reason why show’s like LOST have a difficult time getting established is the audience is weary of committing to a serialized show. Just ask the fans of Defying Gravity, Surface, Threshold, Invasion, and Jericho. They were all basically one season and gone. So why commit to a show and get drawn into its storyline only have the network not renew your show for a second season. You are left hanging with no answers or closure. So the networks wonder why we are so upset with them.

My final thought is that we should celebrate LOST. We were all part of television history that may never come this way again. Perhaps the final episode didn’t answer all of our questions, but it was a fantastic journey. My advice is that if you haven’t seen LOST get the DVDs and spend some time watching them back-to-back. You will pick up on more of the finer details and hints that you missed the first time around.

And by the way, Season Six will be available on August 23, 2010. The creators promise to answer more of your questions in the DVD version. Only time will tell if we will get the answers we are looking for. Someone tell my why they had polar bears on the island. But what I really want to know is what was significant about the numbers.