Your Voice: Season 4 — The Series Finale
Submitted by Jalocke
Shortly before the series finale (Yes, I mean series finale) of LOST last Thursday I mentioned that if I saw someone move the island by crank I’d stop watching the show. And while it seems I was remarkably close to the truth, I have decided that there is no need for me to stop watching the show, as the show has already ended. Before I continue, let me say that I loved the "series" finale.
However, LOST, the show we knew, is over. The Oceanic 6 got back. Those who wanted to leave, left, and those who wanted to stay, stayed. That is how this show was supposed to end. What is coming back in January of 2009 is something completely different. Our characters have changed, their roles have changed, and ultimately their goals have changed as those off the island now seek a way back, and those who used to be in power now seek purpose. When I saw Benjamin Linus pushing that ancient ship wheel and I saw the pain and the sadness on his face I knew that like the turning of the wheel, this cycle of the show was over. The wheel has turned and it is time for something new.
The creators of this amazing show have always said LOST is like a book, in that each season is a chapter. I would now like to disagree. LOST is like a series of books. The first three seasons of this show have been completely connected with each other. There was the story of the hatch, which got wrapped up and is close to being completely figured out. There is the story of the Others, whom we have learned about and found out about. But most importantly it is the story of the survivors of Flight 815 and their friends, and how they decided to come to terms with their fate. Some accepted it and embraced it, others rejected it and left. Now that these fates have been chosen and have been carried out, that show is over.
Now Locke is in charge of the Others, Jack must lead his people back, Ben must enact his revenge on Widmore, Kate must discover her heart, and Desmond must accept his fate. I can’t wait for this second book, and I fully expect it to exceed the quality and emotional range of the first.
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"Your Voice" is a new TTS series in which Tail Section fans submit their articles, theories or reviews to be published on The Tail Section for all their fellow fans to read. Have you spent far too much time pondering the origins of the DHARMA Initiative? Have you alienated your co-workers by rambling about Daniel Faraday’s wacky time anomaly experiment? If so, we want to hear from you. Send your own Lost theories, reviews, or general thoughts to Editor(at)TheTailSection.com. Please keep all submissions between 300 and 1,000 words. We will read through all submissions and contact you if we publish your entry. You will also receive byline credit on our site.
Ok.
Comment by bdog — June 4, 2008 @ 7:05 am
Uh Huh. Sure.
Comment by joeytrain — June 4, 2008 @ 7:13 am
What are you talking about?
Comment by Jon — June 4, 2008 @ 7:16 am
Has anyone else wondered what happened to Daniel and the other survivors who were in the Zodiac when the Island disappeared? Where can they go? No Island, no freighter. The fate of almost everyone else is known (except Claire and mayne Jin), but there has been no explanation about Daniel.
Comment by Bruce Jaffe — June 4, 2008 @ 7:18 am
i don’t think i understand what you mean at all.
Comment by choo crazy — June 4, 2008 @ 8:06 am
I think that with Daniel we have to assume that there was some kind of “sphere of influence” that the powers of the island would effect.
Comment by big puma — June 4, 2008 @ 8:19 am
I don’t know man. I think their fates are not totally sealed yet. Thats why its not over yet. There was so much mythology in this last season, especially the last few episodes, I think the writers are going to bring it back to the relationships. The relationships that were interesting in the beginning are even more interesting. Instead of learning about their past and seeing how that affects their relationships on the island, we are going to see how their time on the island affects their future.
Comment by AnotherOther — June 4, 2008 @ 8:24 am
The point is that there’s no direct continuation from S4 to S5+6. The island moved, presumably in time/space. Which means there are still two different timelines in the show. Perhaps one is in the present (with Jack/Ben and John’s dead body) creating a reunion party to get back to the island. The other may be the island in the past, or wherever it traveled to. It would seem logical, given all the flashbacks of S1, 2 and 3, that the Island traveled back in time to when the Dharma was first on the Island. Locke’s Others are the “hostiles” that battle the Island. In the present, Ben may know where the Dharma worldwide headquarters are, which could have some machine that can get them all back to the Island…
Or perhaps they will introduce aliens into the show…who knows. That’s the beauty of this show.
Comment by THinIL — June 4, 2008 @ 8:27 am
SOMEONE needs to go back and watch Seasons 1 & 2 again… we have been building toward most of this for YEARS!
Comment by Andy — June 4, 2008 @ 8:41 am
I think this is an interesting concept, and one that shouldn’t be overlooked. We have been told since season 1 that the main objective of the Losties is to get off of the island. Well now they have, and we should understand that the “getting off the island” story arc is complete. This is a fundamental change from the first 3 seasons (and part of season 4). From this articles perspective, it would seem that the flash forwards started a new storyline that overlaps the previous storyline, which I’d say is a very insightful.
I however, don’t necessarily agree with this since we have been slowly led down the path of mysticism and secrets of the island. We’ve been given TONS of clues in season 1 through 4, that would lead you to believe that the overall meaning of the show has so much more to do with those secrets, than the Losties getting off the island.
Great perspective on the show though. I like the perspective you have put on that story arc.
Comment by McKay — June 4, 2008 @ 10:08 am
You have laid out wonderful generalizations without offering any specifics. I’m sure when you go back and anaylze things on a case by case basis you will change your mind. Three people off the top of my head wanted to leave the island and didn’t, Jin, Sawyer and Juliett.
Whose goals have changed? I can’t think of one person. Specifics please.
Comment by blutoschmooto — June 4, 2008 @ 10:46 am
Just thought Id respond to the criticisms Ive gotten about this. As a quick note there is really no need for me to rewatch the previous seasons as Ive seen them an inordinate amount of times.
What I meant by this was that the major story arch of the first 4 seasons was how are we going to get off the island, and who is actually going to leave. From the very first season certain characters, such as Walt, and Locke, said that they liked the island and we always suspected they might stay. As we know Walt was made to leave but Locke did stay.
Now I’m not saying that this stuff hasn’t been lead up to. I love the mysticism on the show and I think its fantastic but you have to agree that the major plot point of the first 4 seasons is concluded. Will some survivors get off the island? And who will stay? Now, sure, the idea that they had to go back was introduced in the flashforwards but until we know how they got to that point, it isn’t fully realized.
Now with the end of Season 4, the wheel has turned, and the goals have changed. If you really can’t think of one person whose goals have changed you are a little crazy.
Jack wanted to get off the island, now he has to get back (A very fundamental change also not to mention the fact that he seems to now believe in the islands mysticism and power… hello? Thats a huge shift)
Kate was all about running and getting away from her responsibility, but now she has accepted the responsibility of a parent and wants to stand firm. (A fundamental character shift)
Locke never wanted to leave the island and now we found out that he did in order to get the 06 back, and has in fact died.
I could go on and on with how the goals of the characters and in fact the overall story arch has shifted. Im not saying we weren’t introduced to this mysticism for a long time, I’m merely pointing out that for me it seems that Season 4 brought about a conclusion to a story for the characters that had me emotionally invested. Now they are starting on a new path, not one that hasn’t been present before but a path they are now deciding to take, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
Comment by Jalocke — June 4, 2008 @ 2:12 pm
If Michael’s story is done I will be horribly, horribly disappointed. I understand his frustration with the show-runners (although he may have not said it in the best way). Because the finale of Season 2 when he left them on the dock was soooo huge and I feel that the explanation of Michael and Walt (or just Michael) was not given enough. And much like the absence of Claire, these characters we’ve come to know for a long time are just kind of getting erased rather quickly.
It reminds me of the atrocity of Xmen 3 when huge main characters were just getting killed off left and right with no real resonance or bearing to it. Just ‘poof’ and they’re gone, and we’re not supposed to ask questions.
I feel kind of jipped there.
The things I hope for:
1) That Michael will appear again either alive or as an apparition.
2) That after the show is over (series over) that they will make some kind of question and answer show (almost like a clip show or a recap show) dedicated to every question and every answer. I want it plain and simple, no more ambiguity.
3) I watched the finale with my folks who have seen every episode since Day 1 but, unlike me, don’t visit the this site or docarzt.com, so they are a little confused and annoyed by the whole thing and I find myself coming to these sites after every episode just to make sense of it. I hope that the show doesn’t turn into some kind of show that only serious fans can follow (like the ones that read these sites). I hope they keep it simple enough to where casual, devoted fans can watch.
Comment by T — June 4, 2008 @ 2:55 pm
I kinda agree with the OP. If you think about it, what “the present” was on the show (the ~100 post-crash days on the island) is now the past. This is not simply renaming “flashfowards” to “present”, but reframing/redefining it.
I do not think S5’s “present” will follow the O6 as they integrate back into society, with flashbacks to what happened before the island moved (or even further back to pre-crash times) and flashforwards to when Bentham/Locke’s funeral was). Instead I think S5’s present will be right where the season finale left off, with flashbacks still intact (and maybe even flashforwards beyond what we’ve seen, and most like flashsideways to what’s happening on the now-moved island, with Walt’s mention Locke’s of things going wrong).
The only thing I disagree with the OP slightly about is calling it another “series”. I agree the separation is more than a season break (like when Alias fastforwarded 2 years, but moreso), but I wouldn’t go so far as calling S5 a new series. I like the book analogy, but when I think a separate book in a series, I think more of a concept of a sequel. Sticking with the book metaphor, S4 to S5 is more like going from FotR to TTT (or TTT to RotK) in LotR, not quite a sequel, but the story’s too big for one “book”.
Comment by Goodwinsdottir — June 4, 2008 @ 3:24 pm
I think this is an interesting post - one many of you are not taking seriously. I think Jalocke’s main point (as reiterated by ThinIL) is that S1-S3 are one story, with S4 loosely tied in - and S5 and S6 will be a “different chapter” of the LOST story. I did not get the impression Jalocke was criticizing the show at all; rather he seemed to be quite the fan of LOST. Remember when Darlton said that the end of S3 (the flashforward of a Oxycontin-laden Jack pathetically pleading to a still in denial Kate that ‘they had to go back’) would either make or break the show - well, according to Jalocke, it did both in a way. It’s analogous to Star Wars episodes I-III and IV-VI. They’re all part of the same story - and any true fan of Star Wars appreciates both for what they are. But there is a distinct difference between the two “series” that is deeper than mere technological capacity.
S5-S6 will likely be a story of Jack trying to rally the Oceanic 6 to go back to the Island (with a dead Locke/Bentham in tow). Ben will be on his revenge mission against Widmore. (If you read the very popular “Lost: The Journey to Redemption” on DocArzt.com you’ll notice that this is fairly close to what that author predicted for S5 and S6; yet he/she isn’t being criticized nearly as much, if at all.) Ask yourself: is this the same show you signed up for in S1? Better yet, is this where you thought LOST would be after the first two seasons? No. That’s the point Jalocke is making. Still, that doesn’t mean the rest of the show is worthless - it’s just a new chapter in the LOST story - one we all look forward to.
Comment by Hanto — June 4, 2008 @ 4:36 pm
Just to add something small here. I feel the biggest thing with this show is the title. LOST. Those that are on the island are Lost. Those that are off the island are Lost. It’s a perfect circle. Along this thought, I would/will not be surprised if this show’s run ends with as many questions as it started with.
Comment by Rick815 — June 4, 2008 @ 6:45 pm
Thanks Hanto and Goodwinsdottir. Glad that you guys agree.
I totally agree with both the Star Wars and the LOTR analogy. In Fellowship of the Ring the book was about the Fellowship, when the Fellowship ended so did the book, and the next book started. Thats how I feel about what has happened on LOST. The major storyline we were presented has concluded and now we are getting more than just another chapter, its another major story arch.
Thanks again guys, i was worried that Id be tar and feathered outta town right after my first submission.
Comment by Jalocke — June 4, 2008 @ 7:17 pm
Two things:
1. Does anyone think it is a possibility for Locke to be raised from the dead if Jack and Ben (and the rest of the Oceanic 6) return to the island?
2. What was up with that weird look that Sun and Micheal exchanged? Could Ji Yeon actually be Michael’s with sun?
Comment by Glenn — June 4, 2008 @ 7:52 pm
We know that ben was transported forwards in time less then a year.. the timeframe in series one was sept 04.. by series four the time frame is probably early 2005. When Ben appears in the desert straight after moving the island, he askes someone what year it is and they say 2005 (I forget which month). Therefore Ben and the Island have moved forwards in time but not very far as they are still in 2005.. they definitely haven’t moved backwards in time. make sense?
Comment by Grantsolo — June 6, 2008 @ 11:23 am
ur sooo wrong! there r some that also wanted 2 leave the island! Like Juliet! what about her and Sawyer!
Comment by JEBER — June 7, 2008 @ 5:12 pm
Sawyer never really wanted to leave, we saw that from even late last season. he was only leaving cuz he thought everyone was going to be killed. As for Juliet she was only introduced last season and is a relatively new character. While she still does want to leave the island that is not the overarching plot of the first 4 seasons. That plot was how our original castaways got off the island and that we did get to see and finally experience.
Comment by Jalocke — June 8, 2008 @ 4:54 am
What he is saying doesn’t seem that difficult to me. Everyone expected the series to end with everyone getting off the island. That has now happened and as Damon and Carlton says, people are going to wonder how they can continue to tell the story in the same way. The answer is they can’t.
The show is no longer “Lost”, it is now “Found (and trying to get Lost again).” The finale was a complete game changer. Through the Looking Glass was a minor game changer, it changed the way the story is told. No Place Like Home changes the way the story needs to be told as well as the story to be told.
The first three seasons, and even season four if you want to count it, are about people on a mysterious island trying to figure out what is going on. Seasons 5 and 6 are going to be about something entirely different.
It’s a very bold move for a show as popular as Lost (and despite the declining ratings, it’s still pretty consistently in the top 10) to completely change course like this 2/3 of the way through.
They probably will lose more viewers by doing something like this, but my wife always hated when I watched Lost, but No Place Like Home she actually was interested in and she even tried to stay awake to watch the whole episode. And when that failed she wanted to make sure I had saved it on the DVR. And at this point what do the ratings even matter? We know we have two seasons left, its guaranteed, why worry about the ratings?
Comment by Eric — June 10, 2008 @ 7:42 am