View From the Phlipside - Lost Finale

My name is Jay Phillippi and I've spent my life in and around the media.  TV, Radio, the Movies and more.  I love them and I hate them and I always have an opinion.  Call this the View From the Phlipside.

Well after 6 years it is over.  The last episode of Lost aired this past Sunday.  One of the most puzzling, convoluted and frankly at times annoying TV series in the history of the medium came to an end.  Let us take a moment to think about it.

First, confession.  I certainly qualify as a “Lostie”, those dedicated fans of the show who tuned in week after week.  I don’t think I missed a total of 3 episodes during the entire run.  I know all the characters and was as clear on their back stories as it was possible at any given moment.  Which means to say that I was regularly, well, lost.

I’m fascinated by shows that plan their own ending.  Most shows want to run just as long at they can.  Others are faced with sudden cancellation and may not be able to wrap up their story lines neatly.  The creators of “Lost” knew pretty much from the first season how long the show would run.  All they needed was an audience to follow along for the run.  It gives the story writers the ability to weave a much more complicated design into the overall arc of the show.  Got a question about what just happened?  Well you may not see the answer for another season or so.  It gave “Lost” the chance to do something different and challenging.

So was the final episode satisfying?  Did it wrap up every little detail?  Satisfying I think yes.  Every little detail?  I had no hope of any such thing happening.  The nature of the island remains a mystery.  In many ways the nature of where the characters end up is a mystery as well.  At the same time it was a happily ever after moment that was perhaps just a bit sappy.  The fact that Hugo ended up with a girlfriend made me happy I will confess.  I looked back at a prediction I made about who would be chosen to protect the island next and had both of my top picks actually make the grade.  The good guys win, the bad guys lose and love conquers all.  Oh and the smoke monster got his.  Add in a fair amount of religious symbolism and imagery and it was pretty much exactly what I expected from the series finale.

I seem to have an affection for weird, rather off center series.  I loved “Twin Peaks”, was devoted to “The X-Files” and now “Lost”.  I’ll take the summer off to savor this one.  But somebody better start cooking up something good soon.

Call that the View From the Phlipside.

"The View From the Phlipside" airs on WRFA-LP Jamestown NY.  You can listen to WRFA online HERE
Copyright - Jay Phillippi 2010