Season 6, Episode 17: SERIES FINALE: "The End"

Wow.

Let me just say that again. WOW.

I loved it. I know a lot of people have their own interpretations and some will probably be disappointed. I, however, absolutely loved it. I thought it was the perfect ending. I was thoroughly satisfied throughout the entire 2.5 hours. I was very happy with the ending.

It will take me some time to come up with an organized recap, especially because I want to rewatch the series finale as well as rewatch the 2-hour pilot episode from Season 1 (so I can watch it now with the knowledge of how it all ends and see if I pick up on anything). I've had a lot of thoughts about the Series Finale so far, so in no particular order, here is what I think:

Let me start by offering what I believe to be the final "interpretation" of what actually happened in the finale. It seems that a lot of people are confused about it. Everything that happened on the island, did happen. Yes they crashed on the island (and they lived), they encountered the Others, six of them went back, then came back again, encountered the smoke monster and Jacob and then Jack taking over as the protecter. All of this did actually happen. The "alternate timeline" or "sideways reality" - did NOT happen. Basically, when they set of the hydrogen bomb on the island, they were hoping to "erase" the events of the past by causing their plane to never crash on the island, therefore changing their futures if they had never crashed on the island. The whole series of "sideways" flashes that we saw, where none of them knew each other but eventually did cross paths, was not "real." None of this actually happened in real life. What we learned is that, for each of them, at the time of their death...whether that was on the island or 50 years later.... each of them goes through this sort of stage of "purgatory" which is their eventual passage into heaven (into "the light.") This alternate reality IS their "happily ever after" - it is their mind's version of what they always wanted - reuniting them with loved ones, giving them the happily ever after that they never had in their real life. The ironic thing is that for each of them, their "happily ever after" consists of the people they were with on the island. All of them, as we learned from Jacob, were searching for something before the crash, and it was THE ISLAND that saved them. Each of them found what they were looking for on the island, in the relationships they developed there.

I think that the entire "alternate world" that we have seen through this course of flashbacks, really is just one split second in their mind, as they near their moment of death. If you recall when Desmond was on the island being tested with the electromagnetic machine by Widmore's people and he experienced those "flashes" of his life with Penny - he later asks Widmore how long he was out, and finds out it's only been a few seconds. Meanwhile he has "experienced" an entire lifetime in his mind. This "alternate" reality is his own mind's version of his happily after ever. Because it was a near-death experience for him, I believe that was why Desmond experienced it at that time. But for all the rest of them, their "alternate realities" are brought upon at their own moments of death. In the Series Finale, this was Jack's alternate reality because it was HIS moment of death. When he dies on the island, just as his eye is closing, he is experiencing this alternate universe that is his passage to heaven (his "purgatory" so to speak) - it is the place where he experiences love, where he is reunited with Kate, where he is able to "fix" John Locke, where he has a son... all of the things in his real life that he could not do...in this alternate world of his as he lay dying, he is able to experience the joys of true happiness before going on to Heaven. We learn at the end, when they all assemble at the church, this is Jack's "moment" - his actual passageway on his way into Heaven - and all the people he loves and cares about - the people who were a part of the most important time in his life, they are all there. I think the question that a lot of people were confused about was did they all die? Christian Shephard answered that question in that everyone dies, at some time. Some of them died years before, some of them lived years after the island into old age. Everyone dies. But in this place - at the church - there is no "now." There really is no concept of WHEN they are, just that they are all together again during the passage into Heaven. They were all there for Jack, because it was HIS time. And at the different times when each of the rest of them died, they will all be there again.

Another example is when Juliette says "It worked." This was just after they set off the bomb to try and "erase" their pasts and their entire existance on the island. They thought if the bomb went off , their plane would never crash on the island and they all would go about their normal lives in L.A. after the plane lands. However, the thing is that it did NOT work. They didn't erase their pasts. What Juliette meant when she said that it worked, is because in HER mind, it did work. She was dying, and she experienced the alternate reality as she was entering this new world "into the light" - a world where she met Sawyer again and realized they could be together. So the scene we saw of them meeting again at the vending machine, they touch and all of a sudden it comes back. The feelings of love, the memories of each other - this is HER alternate reality. It is different for everybody. And it comes at different times for everybody. But this was Juliette's meaning that "IT WORKED." Because for her, it did.

The key thing in the final scene at the church - was that it was a TIMELESS existence. It was kind of an intermediary between death and that "moving on" that Christian talked about. Kate asks Jack if he is ready to leave? This is the place where they go to "move on" to the next world, they move on into the light. (The light of the island - the place where they can all be with their loved ones). But the key point here is that they all died at different times, in different places, but this "timeless" alternate reality allows them all to be together again as they ascend into heaven.

Also, I think the reason that Ben did not go inside the church, was because he was not ready for redemption. We saw that in his own alternate reality, he recognizes how evil he was in his life. He apologizes to Locke for everything he did to him, and even though Locke forgives him, I think that Ben does not forgive himself. For everyone else, in their alternate realities, they have to be ready to "move on" into the light at this moment of their death. But for Ben, he was not ready. Which is why I believe he did not go into the church. Even though in his alternate reality, he IS a good man. This was the life that he wishes he could have had for himself, his "happily ever after." But he has to be able to redeem himself in order to move on towards heaven. After death, every one of the other survivors is able to move on because they have made peace with the sins of their past and have redeemed themselves in their "alternate realities" where they are able to find the things they've always been searching for (which really comes down to one thing for everyone: LOVE). But for Ben, he has not made peace with himself yet. So I think until he can do that, he just sits outside of the church but is not yet "ready" to go in.

Another big theme that I want to talk about is the whole idea of Jack and Locke being the Man of Science Vs. the Man of Faith. This was a theme that we have been seeing since the very beginning of the series. Where Jack was scientific, the doctor, who always needed concrete and scientific proof for things, but Locke was the man of Faith, believing that they all had a purpose on the island. For the longest time, Jack did not believe him. It wasn't until the "real" Locke's death that Jack finally started to believe. But at the very end, when Jack and Locke were dueling it out and trying to figure out which one of them was right, ultimately it is Jack who prevails. He kills fake-Locke. Therefore the original "Man of Science" wins. However, it is ironic that at this point, the Man of Science has BECOME the Man of Faith. He believes in Faith now. He believes in his purpose, his destiny on the island. And what is most ironic, is that he tells the Man in Black that it was John Locke who taught him that. He tells him that he may look like him, but he could never be like the real John Locke. He was a great man, and he should have listened to him from the beginning. Jack finally realizes that Locke was right all along, that he should have believed in FAITH. I think this is also really ironic in the whole concept of the show in general. All along, the entire series of LOST has been very scientific in nature: electromagnetism, science experiments, time travel, physicists, etc. - but when the show ended, they didn't need to give us a concrete scientific reason to explain everything, it all came down to FAITH. In the end, this is a show about faith, NOT science. It is about these characters and their soul-searching, the search for redemption, forgiveness. In the end, for each of them, it was their faith that brought them home "to the light."

Another ironic twist is that in the end it was Jack who needed to "let go." We have seen over the past couple of episodes that Desmond said he ran over Locke not trying to hurt him, but to help him let go. Jack also tells Locke the same thing. But in Jack's alternate reality, HE really is the one who needs to let go. Once he arrives at the church and sees his father, he finally realizes he is dead. He breaks down crying once he realizes this, but his father helps him to learn to let go. He tells him this is a place where they can move on. Once he is with the people he cares about, he finally is able to let go. I think this alternate reality that we see of him "letting go" at the church, is the exact moment on the island when he is dying. This is the moment where he realizes that he saved the island. He fulfilled his purpose. The light in the cave comes on again and he knows he did what he was meant to do. Dr. Jack Shephard - the surgeon who always wanted to "fix" everything - finally made the ultimate fix. He FIXED the island. It was about to be destroyed, but if it weren't for him going back into the cave to make sure the light went on again, the island would have sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Jack finally did the one thing that gave him purpose in life, something that before he came to the island, he was searching for that meaning in his life. He was LOST. Now, this gave him purpose and meaning. Once this happened, he was finally able to "let go." Just as he lay dying in the bamboo forest (in the exact spot where he started out on the island), looking up at the sky he sees the plane fly overhead that Lapidus is flying with Kate, Sawyer, Claire, etc. as they are finally leaving the island and on their way home. He felt that sense of accomplishment that because of what HE did, they were able to go home. Even more ironic because in his real life, he knew he could not be with Kate. He had to sacrifice himself by dying on the island, even though he loved her, he knew they could not be together. But his alternate reality - the experiences he had on his way into Heaven - allowed him to be with her again. This was all realized as he had those "flashes" of his alternate universe and he realized it was time to move on into the next world ("See you in another life, brother!") This gave Jack the clarity and meaning that he needed in order to "let go." He knew at that point he could finally move on, he could leave this world and enter the LIGHT. He was ready to die, and at that very moment, his eye closes.

BRILLIANT.


So...there we have it. I feel pretty good about the ending. I think it gave a sense of closure and I really enjoyed it. Now, I plan to go back and watch the Pilot episode (which I tivo'd on Saturday night but haven't rewatched again) and then will watch the Finale again. So hopefully I will gain some insight into some of the many clues along the way about how it will all end.

Now that this is the final episode, I think I deserve some blog love from all of you "anonymous" people out there who read my blog but never post comments. I know for a fact there are several hundred people who read my blog religiously! So let me know what you thought of the finale. What questions, if any, do you have? Were you happy with the ending or disappointed? I want to know what you think - so do me a favor and give my blogging a sense of "purpose" (like Jack's purpose on the island - LOL). You don't need to post your name. But, if you want me to answer you, you need to atleast sign your comment with your first name only so I can address you if I am going to comment back. Thanks for sticking with me for the past five years that I have written this blog!!! I can't believe I've been writing recaps for that long!!! How funny to go back and read some of my earlier theories on what the island was, who the Others were, and how I thought it was all going to end! Oh well, I have to gloat a little on my series finale predictions that I posted before the Finale in that most of them were right! Namely, the idea that the "light" of the island is a place where all of them go after they die to be with their loved ones again. Right on the money with that one!!!