You know, saying goodbye to Lost would probably be a heck of a lot easier if I weren't immersed in it 24/7 right now, but even as this book is causing me levels of anxiety I've never experienced before, it's also sad. It feels different writing this one. I know how it ends this time; the speculation is over. My once-huge sections of questions have dwindled to short ones. I'm haunted by images of the survivors in the church and Jack lying in the bamboo. Lost has this uncanny ability to make me sad and happy all at once.But, just like Jack at the end of Lost, I know I'm not alone in this. Not everyone is writing a book on Lost, but I know everyone is missing something, feeling like there's a hole in their lives. We haven't gone all Sayid, but there's certainly an element of wishing there was something more to discuss. Or more haiku to write. There is LOADS to discuss (and haiku to be written!), but I just haven't had the time to post on it. I hope to soon. Reading everyone's comments on whether or not the bomb had gone off was exhilarating to me, and felt like old times. So many questions, and so many of you out there willing to take a stab at answering them just like I am.
But for now, I wanted to be a little sappier and nostalgic and ask: What do you miss about Lost the most?
51 comments:
In the (my) history of television, there has only been one show that has had me yell out loud "What the F**k!" at the TV after a dramatic reveal. I have never been so invested in a show, nor do I think I ever will be that invested again... I will miss those WTF moments the most.
Hour-long family discussions after each episode = good bonding!
The speculation and endless questions about what the hell is going on.
No other tv show makes me think and care about the characters so much.! :(
I miss the Island, the Oceanic 6 and also searching for hidden meanings (with the help of your books!)
I miss the mystery and jaw dropping moments. I miss reading everyone elses thoughts the day after the show, and I miss knowing, even if it wasnt coming back on for 8 months, that it was coming back. I sometimes feel like yelling like Jack, "We have to go back!"
Yelling at the TV & having my husband run downstairs to ask what was wrong only to have him look at the TV & go, "Oh," until he finally quit coming to see what I was yelling at on Tuesday nights. The hours of discussion with friends about what was going on. The anticipation of waiting to see what was next. The characters & the sense of pondering how I could care so much about characters on a fictional island. So much to miss. Tuesdays just don't seem the same.
I miss the characters the most. Never has a show had this amazing character development, except maybe buffy or angel. i miss Jack, Ben and Miles the most
I miss the people. It sounds lame I know, but I really did think of them as friends!
Prior to the finale, I was fascinated by the mysteries and questions. But, I realized everything Christian said was right- the show was about the people, not the island or the stuff that happened there. And, the characters are who I miss.
I miss the never-ending surprises and mysteries. Even though I loved the finale to death, after I watched it, I was still a little dissapointed that there were a lot of questions unanswered (Who built the statue, who shot at Sawyer's group in the outrigger while time-jumping, etc.) but then I realized that life isn't about getting everything answered, but it's more about redemption, relationships (not just soulmates, but friendship too), and something else that starts with an 'R'...how about remembering our past lives? Anyways, the part about Lost I will miss the most is how much it makes us think like that.
I miss the people. There were so many you could identify with. Particularly Charlie, Faraday and Desmond. Also Ben, Lock and Sawyer. Oh and the forever young Richard Alpert.
I miss the story unfolding with its unforseen twists and turns and reveals.
And then the clever way of telling the forward story from the plane crash alongside the flashbacks showing how and why the people were as they were and what had happened in their past lives. And then the time travelling just really made you concentrate on the story to keep up with it.
Yet it was all part of one big huge jigsaw where each thing you saw = whether current time, flashback, flash forward or time travel just gave you another piece of the puzzle so you could see the big picture. (and we never had the box lid to refer to the picture we were just doing it blind.)Sometimes (even now) it feels like we have some pieces missing and have gaps in the picture where we imagine the missing bits how we like ourselves.
I mean there are some pretty big gaps - like who built the lighthouse with all its mirrors and cogs and gears ?
And who carved the statue?
If they had wanted season 6 could have expanded to make more use of all the people in the temple. They were introduced and then killed pretty quickly.
And who built the temple any way ?
There certainly was room for a season 7 !!
At the end of the day - it was just really great great story telling.
I just hope those guys collaborate again and give us another, such great story.
By the way - if you want great stories you really should try Doctor Who !!
Little Mo: Doctor Who is high on my list of things to watch when I'm done here! :)
It's not some part of the show that I miss more than the rest. I miss the constant (wink-wink) challenges to learn things; I miss the community, meeting and discussing with complete strangers.
I think that the main reason that I'm sad LOST is over is the realization that there will probably never be anything else like it.
Oh boy, where to begin?
I don't think there's any aspect of LOST that I DON'T miss. The compelling and endearing characters are a huge one. There wasn't a single character that I didn't care about; I wanted to learn more about absolutely everyone, from Jack & Sawyer all the way down even to Nikki & Paulo (yup, I said that. LoL). I will especially miss John Locke and Richard Alpert, who became my two favourites as time went on.
I miss the amazing storyline, something that rivalled Star Wars as the most groundbreaking and imaginative thing in a long, long time. I can't imagine ever becoming invested in such a compelling serialized storyline again.
The finale had such a personal resonance to me that I can't quite explain it yet. It really hit home though, in an almost scary way. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if I go through similar events after I myself die.
Most of all, I think I will miss just the aura of the show itself: as we've all stressed time and again, nothing on television has ever looked and felt like LOST looks and feels. We've been totally spoiled by Darlton, and I will miss that kind of quality programming.
Hopefully, it won't be too long before those two put their thinking caps on and start writing LOST 2: Electromagnetic Boogaloo.
I will miss the way LOST made me think, made me pick up great classic books or look up insanely complex but interesting philosophical theories on Wikipedia. I doubt I could ever get that kind of food for thought by viewing 8 straight episodes of "America's Got Talent".
But at least I've still got lots to look forward to. The DVD comes out in August, as does the super-cool-looking LOST Encyclopedia! then, of course, in late fall we can expect Nikki's amazing final installment to Finding LOST, which I'm sure will be so packed with info that it'll probably end up being as thick as the first 4 books combined!!!
Now, let's just keep our fingers crossed for a decent LOST video game, huh?
I miss Nikki and Paulo (tongue firmly planted in cheek)... seriously, what I miss most about "Lost" is what it first offered us in the first couple of seasons... there was a sense of intrigue and mystery where you couldn't wait to find out what happened next week. It was as if 'the golden age' of television was back. However, in the last few seasons, a lot of that was missing and I found myself thinking, I could care less.
Of course, Team Cuse/Lindelof are steadfast in their misguided belief that things 'turned around' for "Lost" three years ago when an 'end date' was planned. I frankly think that's when the show 'jumped the shark.' Except for maybe four episodes this "Final Season," the show was horrible. The writing was terrible and characters where introduced such as Doegen, Lennon, Zoey (aka Tina Fey lookalike) et al that were only slightly more interesting than Nikki and Paulo (and, frankly, I find a spider crawling on my picnic table more intriguing that any one of them). These characters were 'introduced' in such a hodgepodge fashion that there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to any of it. It was as if they could write anything and make it seem 'mysterious' and just let everyone else try to figure it out when there was nothing to figure out... it did exceedingly seem as someone else has smartly suggested that we had been victims of the long con.
I was also troubled by the whole 'resolution' of the Widmore character.... some of the writing surrounding resolution of that aspect was horrendous and the acting by individuals we know are capable of much more was at times abhorrent. I frankly thought Widmore (and Alan Dale) deserved a better fate (or at least a more dramatic death). The 'evolution' of Ben was also rather poorly portrayed... not taking anything away from Michael Emerson, who quite clearly is an exceptional actor, but he was left with some silly material to work with that led to some embarrassing results. I thought "Ben" was much stronger than all that especially ending up as Hurley's "no. 2'... GMAB!!!
I hope "Finding Lost:The Final Season" makes a bit of 'sense' out of it all. The Final Season was a terrible disappointment. It made revisiting the final season of "The Sopranos" seem highbrow... if only they were able to pull something truly exceptional off like the finales of "The Bob Newart Show," or "Mary Tyler Moore," but then I am dating myself.... the 'golden age' of television is clearly behind us. The finale was like the ending of a very bad science fiction movie... we just don't know how to end this so let's just make it as evasive as possible, and let everyone else go figure it out while we go into seclusion after laughing all the way to the bank.... well, at least they didn't do a down and out via "Dallas" and have Jack come out of the shower (once again) to discover it all was just a dream... then again, it looks like Cuse/Lindelof did con us... it seems like it was 'purgatory' after all... not only for the characters but for the viewers as well.
Hey - I just saw this post again and thought what a great pic it was and it reminded me.....
other great things about Lost were ...
the scenery
the production and camera work and
the fabulous music
they all came toghether to make this movie quality not just another TV series
I'll echo the "Doctor Who" love and I must say that I heaved a sigh when Amy Pond and the new Doctor turned out to be completely adorable.
I miss the weekly anticipation of watching some of the finest writing, plots and performances on contemporary TV. I'm old enough to remember the "golden age" of television when serious writers, producers, directors and actors put their heart and soul into compelling and intelligent stories week after week.
Finally, I miss reading and participating in this blog and the wonderful insights and theories provided by Nikki and the best contributers of any LOST site.
I miss the-morning-after discussions with my Lost buddy over coffee. I definitely miss the anticipation of what the next episode would bring, but since so many of the little things were left unanswered there will always be something to talk about.
Doctor Who is a must see...the heart of his TARDIS is a bright and mysteriously powerful light...just like the heart of the Island....hmmm....
The little moments. The little glimpses. The characters.
I Miss post-lost chats with my friend and coworkers:(
I miss waiting for Ben's next one-liner. No seriously.
Okay, but I also miss coming into my e-mail and seeing 48 messages of comments from the most recent episode (sometimes more like 108 messages)
I miss YOU GUYS, because that's when I REALLY started to become a Lostie. I watched the show through S4 - in S5 I started to LIVE the show, because of all of you!
I also miss the music. That gorgeous Giacchino score that TOLD you exactly what was going on - the themes that I hear in my head when thinking about the show.
I miss Lost
The earliest days when I found something that was mine... I realized that art can come in the form of something entertaining.No, I didn't have to listen to my friends discuss COD all day long, I didn't have to try and pretend to be interested in some superficial conversation, I could go home and watch LOST... This show reintroduced me to life... "I'll never be LOST again"
At least I have re-watches =)
Going on Nik at Nite after the episode or the morning after to discuss, discuss, discuss with my fellow bloggers!
WV: inglu - Inuits' method of paper mache.
The thing I'll miss most is the giddyness I felt right before each episode. As a grown man that's saying allot.
While I watched religiously, I never did any of the social web stuff. So Iam filling the void with blogs, podcasts and forums. Iam sad to admidt I didn't even know of Finding Lost till after the SF. My plan is to read them prior to 8 22, then watch it all over again from the begining.
P.Labar
I miss the anticipation of the upcoming episode and wondering what will happen next, and then the feeling of wonder when I was finished watching it. I even miss the anticipation during the long wait for the new season, and wondering what that season had in store. I also miss the "I can't believe that just happened" moments.
I miss not having a day job, getting the latest episode of Lost through entirely legitimate means (HA!), and spending the rest of Wednesday waiting for Batkitty to come home.
I miss saying 'Yes, work sucks, Batkitty, you shouldn't have to put up with that shit, LOOK, A NEW EPISODE OF LOST!!!!"
I miss the feeling of 'WTF will happen THIS episode?!' and the joy of watching it, having waited all day, and then going 'Damn it. Another week until the next one.'
And most of all, I miss coming here the instant we finished watching, and reading out loud to Batkitty Nik's episode recap, and then reading out loud all the comments, to find out what y'all thought about that weeks episode. It was utterly brilliant.
That's what I miss.
I miss the weekly dose of encapsulized redemptive hope and communion that Lost and Nik's flock unfailingly supplied, the mounting anticipation that preceded each episode, and the distracting, palpable experience of gnosis, like an Eleusian initiate, that rewarded rumination in the post-show hangover.
I miss Haiku friends.
I miss Lost's Inner Beauty
and you all everybody.
Among many things, I miss the discussions we have here after the latest episode aired. And everything else (minus Nikki and Paulo)
I miss so many of the things already mentioned....and that glorious beach. OMG....I could so live there the rest of my life.
I miss the characters...you could write those characters and put them in an office building and it would be good television. Ben trying to hold his position as office manager...Sayid ..corperate raider...Sawyer "conning" to make deals...Jin and Sun...representing overseas interests...Jack trying to live up to his successful Dad while being an honest business guy..
my point..story writers can design as intricate and mysterious a setting for their story as they want ...if the characters don't drawn me in...I'm not watching.
Case in point...Fringe has a great premise and answers questions but I can't get into the characters.. so I'm not watching Fringe.
that's what I miss most about Lost....
Every episode made me either laugh, cry, fear for a character in danger, sit upright in shock or dismay, rejoice, or wonder, "WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?" - and some episodes evoked several of those reactions.
So I miss:
The unpredictability - the mysteries and surprises
The out-of-left-fieldness of so many plot-twists
The funny moments (sometimes context-driven, sometimes character-based)
The heart-wrenching decisions many characters had to take and the tragic situations that either caused or resulted from those decisions
The references to so many other topics - e.g. philosophy and physics
The fact that the [main] characters keep trying to connect, to move forward, to act, to matter, to live with meaning.
Anne
I just skimmed some comments and right off the bat I strongly second LittleMo, Hutch, and Jenn said.
But I'm pretty sure I would agree with everyone and really miss anything that had to do with Lost.
I miss the anticipation, the obsession fans as a whole would go through. Asking "WTF just happened on Lost?" Talking about how crazy this show was with friends and cowokers. Dare I say it... I miss all those questions that I would obsess over for days.
I miss coming on here and seeing what Nikki and the gang had to say.
This might be lame, and I know I'm not the only one. But after The End I had trouble sleeping. I didn't want to and I couldn't say goodbye to them yet. I wasn't ready.
So I've done the next best thing and that is started getting most of my friends and family addicted to Lost! My siblings and parents are on a role. Trying to watch Lost during any moment of downtime. Some of my friends are almost halfway through the show now too.
Now I've got a few new Losties who are sharing with me their frustration with the characters and whats going on with this SHOW. How badly they want answers. I get to watch them go crazy and get to obsess still with them about the show.
It's not even a cure for getting over the show...it's just providing some fresh fans to talk about the series with. I really do enjoying the bonding that has come out of Lost.
I'm glad to see everyone's still upbeat posting on Nikki's Lost posts!
Namaste!
I had a dream about Ben last night. We were on some sort of mystery mission together. I am clearly missing LOST!
I agree with most of the posts here on characters. I really do miss those guys, and watching them grow, make mistakes, figure things out. I miss the characters, absolutely.
I will miss being challenged to think of things in a new and different way - getting a puzzle piece, and reconsidering all previous puzzle pieces in light of new information.
I miss having/following the excellent discussions here with fellow Losties, where nothing was too small to discuss, or too big to question. I will miss waiting to see what Nikki has to say about WTF just happened!
I am re-watching the earlier seasons now, and will (try to) wait until Nikki's book is out to re-watch S6. And once Finding Lost Season 6 comes out, I will miss anticipating the next big Lost thing.
I miss watching a story unfold that was unlike any I had ever seen on television before. I also miss the times they made me laugh out loud and cry and VERY scared/nervous. The show and the online fun that followed was a grand hobby for 6 seasons, and now it's over. I have high hopes that something else might come along to rival it.
I miss the weekly theories, comments & everything else pertaining to LOST on here! THAT is what I miss about the show here.
As for the actual show...hmm...let
me think...EVERYTHING! It has left such an empty hole in my heart now that it is over. I know that may sound stupid to some, but, if you are a fan, you know what I am talking about!
I miss telling my husband 'I can't wait til next week. It is gonna be soooooooo good!'
I loved this season how they showed you previews for the next week, but not enuff to know what the heck is going on!
There are too many things to list about what I miss about the best show on television!
I guess it would have to be seeing where each week takes us. We got to see a wonderful closure to it, tho! Hands down, THE best series finale. EVERRRRRR!
If we are sad that it is over, just think how those actors felt! I bet all of them went thru some kind of mild depression for a while when they had to say goodbye! After the show wrapped, I bet it was sad for them to wake up the next morning & know that they weren't going to see each other on the set! Ever again!
At least we can watch LOST whenever we want! Give that man a medal~the one who invented the DVD!
I miss all the surprises and the constant mystification that immediately followed every reveal. I miss Jack. I miss John (the real one). I miss James. I miss the emotional investment in the characters.
While there are too many things to list, like many people I miss coming on here and Lostpedia to read and discuss ideas after an episode aired.
Nikki, I'm putting in a request for another rewatch, now that season 6 is complete, once you have finished your book. Please please please!
The one thing I remember from Lost is Locke saying to Jack ...
believing was never easy.......
The characters -- what they would do next, how they would interacted with each other, how their relationships would grow together and apart.
And waiting to read what you all had to say. This is such a great forum! Thanks, Nikki!!
And now I am doubly suffering because I am also a huge Tudors fan and that just ended. Where to turn now?
Oddly, enough, what I think I miss most is the anticipation of a new episode. At the time, I just wanted to know everything NOW, but looking back, I miss looking forward to a new episode.
"Better than a deed, better than a memory, the moment... of anticipation!"
Also, I really miss coming here and discussing the episodes after the fact; and, like SonshineMusic said, I miss having eleventy-gabillion comment emails in my inbox :)
The gorgeous Island, the complex characters, the wtf situations, the evocative music, the literary/pop culture references, the mystery, the (turned out in-vain) hope that those big questions would finally be answered, the fact that I took my phone off the hook for that special hour, the staying up half the night trying to figure out what it all means, the new-found closeness with my fan-daughter as we traded/argued theories, this blog, Ben, John, Sayed, and, sigh, sigh, especially Sawyer, whose photo I still have on my office bulletin board!
Have a good summer everyone!
WV: imerrut --What I feel like I'm in without Lost
Oh boy. Is there anything not to miss about LOST? I find it difficult to be more specific about my malaise than that... so I'm gonna tell a little story instead, as sort of a roundabout explanation.
I was cleaning house this weekend, and as I picked up toys from my daughter's floor, I noticed at one point that I was holding a stuffed polar bear in one hand and a plastic airplane in the other. Staring at them for a moment caused my bottom lip to stick out involuntarily, and I held this pout as I walked slowly down the hall, toys in hand, toward my wife.
“What's wrong?” she asked as I reached her. Then she looked down and took note of what I was holding, and after a moment, a sweet half-smile of recognition flickered across her face.
“Aw, poor baby,” she said, reaching out to gently pat my shoulder. “I miss it, too.”
If we lose a friend or loved one (and, however stupidly, I considered LOST to be both), is it really some singular and specific thing about them that makes us pine for them, or do we simply pine for them, the very reality of them and our sudden lack thereof? I think, above all else, we mourn the absence of the concrete fact that they exist -- to offer a touchstone for that deep kinship that can be struck between two separate entities, that incomparable feeling of being connected to something greater than ourselves, a humanistic glimpse of The Big Picture. These deep relationships serve as a reminder of what we truly yearn for, what matters most to us and why life is worth living. And, perhaps most importantly, they keep us invested. They activate us as small parts of a huge and vital whole and offer proof that we belong within it, that we all have an integral role to play.
Over the course of my life, I can recall very few examples of this sensation resulting from anything other than direct interaction with another human being. This show was one of those treasured few.
I will miss everything about Lost, particularly knowing that everything about it was special. And knowing that those who also loved it knew the same.
Yes, Lost could entertain, surprise, and capture the imagination. It was a show that didn't underestimate its viewers' intelligence, and in doing so rewarded them them for paying attention. As is often said, more than most popular culture (televised or not) Lost gave us six years' worth of theorizing, pondering, researching, and debating the nature of Good vs. Evil, Science vs. Faith, Free Will vs. Predestination, etc.
But despite its complex themes, learning that in The End the truth was always there in front of our faces: We are the sum of our experiences, we impact others as we are impacted upon, and as such we must live together lest we die alone. Jack first uttered these words early in the first season and at the time they were merely pragmatic. By the end of Season 6 as the Lostaways were enveloped by the light, these words had taken on a much more profound meaning that was only achievable after experiencing the characters' collective journey.
Unsolved mysteries don't matter when you boil it down to its most basic component: a show about an island that is the source of all life is also a show about the meaning of life. And because of that simple truth, each time I find myself thinking about the finale since it aired, I am happy and satisfied.
So I will miss everything about Lost, but I will never be without it.
I know I already threw out my 2 cents, but here's 2 more :)
I just read yourblindspot's comment and had a similar moment recently. Was rewatching the series premier of Castle and had the thought of how excited I am for next season and then it was like WHAM! There is no next season of Lost. EVER. and I pretty much cried.
HAHA! VW: bases
The anticipation of the next season or the next episode. definitely something I miss.
Texting my girlfriends through the entire show, then emailing back and forth the entire next day, discussing what "this" or "that" meant. Or just debating the drippy hotness of Jack or Sawyer. I am Team Jack. ALWAYS. XOLOST
What do I miss? Living, breathing this show. I cannot watch or listen to anything related to this final season - especially the finale - without breaking into tears. And yet, I must go on... without it.
I know it is a tv show, I know these 'people' are not real - but I lived their story each week. I believe(d) in what they were trying to do. I understood them, inside and out and yet they continued to surprise me. And I was amazed by them. Their endurance, their conflicts (both personally and between themselves) and I loved them for it.
I love LOST. I do not know if any other tv show will wrap me up in that blanket again - but if it happens, it will be because of this show setting the bar at a high level.
@Susan said...
"Nikki, I'm putting in a request for another rewatch, now that season 6 is complete, once you have finished your book. Please please please!"
I concur. I also want to start this rollercoaster ride again. Maybe then I can move on. With regret, yes, and yet with LOST always in my heart. :(
Gone but not forgotten, I have already purchased 3 x 2nd hand copies of Season 1 box sets to give to friends and family who never watched it. So many of them slagged it off after only watching the Pilot (which was good so this is even more surprising), and the amount of " is the Polar Bear still in it " comments I have had don't deserve to be mentioned. I will convert all eventually !
Immersed in LOST, I felt like I was on the verge of understanding the mysteries of the universe. But, like waking from a dream, the memory (of knowing the answers to life's mysteries) fades with every passing moment. What I miss is anticipating the next episode and discussing the theories after the last episode. I also miss my "friends" Jack, John, James, Kate, Juliet, Hurley, Jin, Sun, Miles, Clair...
I miss...watching a TV program and thinking, "Wow, I can't wait to see what happens NEXT WEEK!!" (Or, next season.)
Sniff! I miss Lost.
P.S.: Nikki, I still haven't had the heart to remove your blog from my "Favorites" list, cuz I miss coming here to read your reviews, and everyone's thoughts on the latest episode.
Donna: I hope you don't remove it from your Favourites list! This wasn't just a Lost blog, and the only reason I'm not updating it is because I'm working 18-hour days trying to finish writing my Lost book. The moment that's off my plate this will be updated far more regularly. ;)
The "Whaaaaaat" and then the "Boom...LOST" at the end.
Oh yeah and Hurley...
and Desmond...
and Jack...
and Ben...
and Frank...
and Jin...
and Miles...
and Richard...
and blogging on Nikki's site...
I have not checked in ere in a while, because I find that, TV aside, in my own life at present I am seriously Lost and trying to find my way out of a seriously hard situation without a roadmap.
But it is good to come back here, and to find you all still discussing my favorite show, and a much-missed part of my life.
I, like others, really miss coming to the end of an episode and yelling "WTF just happened???"
I miss TV that actually made me think - never before has a TV show sent me diving for my texts on physics, philosophy, etc. on a regular basis nor has one ever introduced me (or re-introduced me) to so many great books and so much good music.
I miss the discussions after each episode, spinning theories, being right (rarely) being wrong (most of the time), and the community here that kept it all fun and civil. I wish I'd found this blog and Nikki's books sooner.
I miss the scenery - the stunning views of the island, the ocean, Sayid...;)
And I miss Hurley.
@SenexMcDonald:@Susan said...
"Nikki, I'm putting in a request for another rewatch, now that season 6 is complete, once you have finished your book. Please please please!"
I concur. I also want to start this rollercoaster ride again. Maybe then I can move on. With regret, yes, and yet with LOST always in my heart. :(
I, too want to second this motion. Or third it. Whatever. I want back on too!!!
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