And so, goodbye to "Lost"

Have you ever read a really good book in which the characters were so vividly drawn that they became real to you--to the point that you were sorry to come to the final page and close the book?

That's exactly how I feel about "Lost." Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, Jin, Sun, Charlie, Claire, Juliet, Ben, Sayid, John--even the recurring characters like Rose and Bernard--became real during the years that I watched "Lost." I've never been sadder to see a TV show end.

So what do I think of the finale? (Warning: spoilers if you haven't seen it yet!)

In a previous post, I talked about how Hurley has always been one of my very favorite characters on the show. You'll notice I said "one of."

My favorite character on "Lost," bar none, has always been Jack.

So, while I was sad to see Jack die in the "real" timeline, his eye closing at the end, with Vincent the dog at his side, had a symmetry and "rightness" to it.

We realized ultimately that the show was really about Jack. He is the only character who impacted all the other characters in some way. It was all about his journey from being a closed-minded skeptic to one who could take the leap of faith to believe in something supernatural.

It was also about his going from an unhappy loner to someone who realized that we all need the love, support and community of other people in our lives.

(Note: I also have to say that Matthew Fox proved to be an incredible actor in the role of Jack, perhaps especially this season. He brought Jack to life in a stunning way, and I would hope he gets some recognition for it.)

The end--not scriptural, but spiritual

The final scene in the church, with the Losties (most of them) reunited and ready to take the next step to an afterlife, was obviously not theologically correct as I as a Christian believe it. The Scriptures teach that we can all be redeemed, no matter how great our sins, if we put our faith and trust in Christ.

However, I've never expected "Lost" to be scripturally correct. It's a science fiction television show.

There are themes, though, that certainly resonated with me as a Christian. There IS good and evil, and the two forces ARE involved in an age-old struggle.

Also, the scene in the church, with long-lost friends reuniting, couldn't help but make me think of what heaven will be like. As I watched, I even thought of loved ones who I haven't seen in years, and how joyful it will be to reunite with them.

I also thought of the final scenes of C.S. Lewis' "The Last Battle," where most of the beloved characters of the Chronicles of Narnia are ultimately reunited as they leave the "Shadowlands" behind and move together onward and upward in what is obviously a symbol of heaven.

The island was real

Some bloggers, reviewers and forum commenters are trying to say that the island wasn't real or that everyone died in the original crash of Ocean 815.

They are wrong.

Jack's dad, Christian, in his explanatory talk with Jack at the end, makes it clear that the island and all that happened on it WERE real and DID really happen.

What WASN'T real was the sideways timeline, which was a way station that the Losties had somehow subconsiously created as a place to meet up before they stepped into the afterlife. (Again, folks, this is FICTION. No one's asking you to accept this as theology.)

What I'm bummed about:

Despite the symmetry, I'm sad that Jack died. Just as Kate and Jack had professed their love for each other and sealed it with a whale of a kiss, we realize that they never got to be together in life. (Which is why it makes sense that Kate, on seeing Jack after the concert, said, "I've missed you so much....")

Yes, I was a "Jater" all along, and thought that those two were meant for each other.

Actually, I guess the main thing I'm bummed about is that the Losties didn't get to be together in life off the island. As my sister told me, "I wanted them to LIVE happily ever after, not DIE happily ever after!"

(Although, who knows? It looks as if Lapidus, Miles, Sawyer, Kate, Claire and Alpert DID make it off the island in "real" life...so who knows, maybe they did hang out together? :))

As for not getting all the answers to all the mysteries? That really doesn't bother me. "Lost" was always about mystery. Let it retain some of them, even as the show ends.

And so it ends...

And so ends my favorite television show ever. I don't know if there will ever be another one that captures my interest and imagination the way this one has.

Good-bye, "Lost"!