Six years later and what have we learned? Well, if there is one thing that this show has taught me it is this:
Big, ambitious mysteries do not work in the current format of Television watching. Sure, week-to-week whodunits like Law and Order or C.S.I. might do well and stay on the air until the end of time, and even season arching mysteries like Veronica Mars might be able to maintain a level of quality throughout (until their network decides that it would be better as a tween-friendly CW soap-opera, and then promptly cancels it. Sigh, I really liked that show. At least I have Party Down now). But, mysteries that define a show are destined to disappoint. And if you don’t believe me, then let me ask you this: Who killed Laura Palmer?
The problem is telling a finite story, in a medium that is essentially written by focus groups. Namely: You. Yes you, with the remote-control in your hand and the ability to make or break shelf lives and careers.
If your show is an across the board hit, then the network will want to milk it for every penny it is worth. Twin Peaks was originally written as a film, then converted into a finite miniseries and then, ultimately once it became a cultural phenomenon, it was allowed to develop into a weekly scripted hour-long, squeezing every last drop from the audience. The problem was: what do you do once you answer that initial question? Who killed Laura Palmer was the toothpick that held the audience’s eyes open and watching their televisions every Friday night.
But, then what happens? Well, the direction Twin Peaks decided to go in was to answer the question, but by doing so they opened the door to another big, ambitious mystery (Spoiler: it was her father, but he was possessed by the disembodied spirit of someone named Bob, a child molester who apparently escaped what, if I understood it correctly, was a waiting room to Hell called “The Black Lodge”. Not exactly Professor Plum in the library with candlestick).
But, at that point the focus group (you) were done. Question answered, show over. Twin Peaks went on to limp into cancellation and a confusing ending. It did however spawn an extremely underrated movie two years later in Fire Walk with Me, but that’s beside the point.
On the other hand, if it is not pulling its weight then the network will cancel it before it is able to successfully build the story and eventually the reveal. Mysteries are all about the prestige, the final act of the play, and the payoff.
All that said, LOST is a hell of an achievement. We will not see anything like it on network television again. Too big, too expensive, too ambitious and too risky. They can produce a reality show for a one-hundredth of the cost, and you (the focus group) will watch it and ensure that quality continues to fade, and that only Cable channels can have quality scripted shows with any continuity.
So, here we are at the ending. Will it be the ultimate letdown, a redemptive comeback that reminds us why we loved this once great show, or some gray area in between that leaves us all with a collective “meh”?
I see 3 possible resolutions to end the 2+ hour series finale.
The first:
Jack and Locke, on the beach like Jacob and the smoke monster from last season, talking about destiny/free will and endings as another ship/plane/space ship crashes on the island and we do this all over again. This, I will dub “The Sopranos” ending. 5-1 odds.
The second:
Jack sacrifices his life in some heroic way and leaves… wait for it… Kate to be the new Jacob. This would be a very cyclical ending, with both the irony of Kate, who has always run from anything grounded in life and been unwilling to stay in one place, living forever on an isolated island. Also, the shows Pilot episode originally had Jack being killed by the smoke monster and Kate learning to be the leader the castaways needed. Very cyclical and an acceptable end to the larger story arches throughout the series. 3-1 odds.
The Third:
Jack reveals his purpose on the island is not to become the new Jacob, but to break the cycle of what keeps happening. Everything that keeps happening, seems to be doing so because it happened before, and the castaways (all of them, the Others, the Dharma folks, everybody) have been acting out this game for two kids who were raised as zealots. They have laid the groundwork to show both Jacob, and the smoke monster as not being entirely good or evil, which I believe has been for a reason. I don’t think the writers of this show would take 6 years to write a series that argues faith over reason or destiny over free will. In this ending, the island could end up under water, helping to connect the two divergent streams. But it doesn’t have to; as I am sure Disney will not want the potential sequels to be handicapped. This ending, I’ll dub “The Tempest” (which has been an influence since the beginning). This is the way it SHOULD end, in my opinion, and is also my odds on favorite. 5-2 odds.
One thing I’m pretty sure off: Desmond will reenact his sacrifice in the swan station on a larger scale. Remember the failsafe key that resulted in his heady trip trough time? This time, I’m guessing the outcome will be a little bigger.
Place your bets.
All in all, tonight’s episode will be special, even if it disappoints (which, for most people, I’m convinced it will). It will end the greatest example of “water cooler television” we have to date. It will also be the last new episode featuring one of the greatest characters in any modern medium, John Locke, played amazingly by Terry O’Quinn. Up there with Homer Simpson, Tony Soprano, Al Bundy and anyone else you think may belong in the mix.
So, take from this what you will. I’m probably way off, but it is fun to hypothesize. Just wanted to share my thoughts and help eulogize this long discussed and argued piece of pop culture.
Anyway, feel free to do the same and say some last words.
Ryan Black
May 23, 2010
