Losing LOST

On September 22, 2004 I sat down in front of the television to watch a show I didn't think I was going to like, but which had a lot of "buzz" surrounding it. The pilot episode had been shown at Comic-Con, and the enthusiasm of that crowd had found it's way onto the internet. To me, the commercials looked like Cast Away + Jurassic Park with a hobbit from The Lord of the Rings.

The most expensive pilot episode to date was not what I expected. The characters were interesting. The storytelling style was unorthodox. And the story...well, I don't think anyone really had a clue what was going on before season 4. By the fourth hour of the show when we realized Locke had been in a wheelchair, though, I was hooked.

There are plenty of "bigger" LOST fans than me. I didn't have a podcast or a blog about the show like some did. I didn't spend hours scouring the internet for clues about the alternate reality games played out on the internet. I never joined the official fan club (although I did manage to get the DVD that was included, from eBay). However, I subscribed to the magazine early on, bought many of the books, played through the video game on Playstation, own all the seasons on Blu-ray, have a number of the inaction figures, and spent time listening to those podcasts or contributing to message boards.

I'd be the first to admit that it's a little (or perhaps more than a little) absurd to get excited about a TV show, especially with all the real problems facing the real world. It's JUST television. Ultimately, it won't matter to history except perhaps as a footnote in pop culture. We know that on an intellectual level, but try to get one of the millions of die-hard fans that have stuck it out for 5 seasons, and waited 9 months since the last cliffhanger, to feel differently on an emotional level about the show. We've ridden along for 103 TV hours as Locke continually searched and failed to something to make him special, as a respectable doctor fell to the depths of substance abuse because he run away from his destiny, as a father acted in unthinkable ways for a chance at the return of his son, as relationships struggled for survival across space and time, and we could feel every ounce of Sawyer's agony as Juliet slipped from his grip.

The show runners have made it all too clear that not every question will be answered, and not every bit of mythology will be resolved. It's the mythology of the island that made me a fan, and though I wouldn't characterize myself as a "shipper", it's surely the relationships between the characters that have made me a fanatic. It's a show that has brought people together on TV, on the internet, and face to face. Finding out someone is a LOST fan is to find a common thread among between people. And no show I'm aware of has ever been so accessible and connected to the fans as LOST. You instantly have something to share, opinions to offer, questions in common.

The executive producers are as well know to fans as the actors. They've regularly recorded official podcasts for abc.com, answered fan questions, attended conventions, and given as many interviews as anyone could expect. More than any other show, this one belongs to the fans, who not only analyze it virtually frame by frame, but in more than one instance, have influenced its direction. People hated the reruns in season 2, so season 3 saw a new airing schedule. Fans didn't like Paulo and Nikki, so they were given a most horrific send-off.

Only history will be able to judge the importance of LOST in the grand scheme of entertainment after the final image (which has been planned for years) airs and the screen once again goes black, followed by "Bad Robot". What is clear is that this is the most complex and brilliantly-told tale that ever made it onto TV, a science fiction show masquerading as a survivor drama. Quite frankly, I don't really remember television before LOST, except for a few half-hour comedies that still air in syndication. What may never be understood to future viewer, though, is the impact it had from 2004-2010. I believe that at the end of the season, the only disappointment will be the inability to experience it again as for the first time. As the sixth and final season begins in a few short hours, I can't help but remember that this is the date the White House avoided when scheduling the State of the Union speech. Spokesperson Gibbs said, "I don't foresee a scenario in which millions of people that hope to finally get some conclusion in LOST are preempted by the president."

In response to what must have seemed a surreal situation, Executive producer Damon Lindelof had the last word on Twitter: "OBAMA BACKED DOWN!!!! Groundhog Day is OURS!!!!!!! (God Bless America)"

Previously....