Back to the Island

Flight 815 on September 22, 2004

What's so wonderful about Lost is that it is so well written and believable that it becomes a complex multi-faceted reality to it's continuous viewers. It is so complex that it should be viewed several times, especially for it's avid fans.

Not only does Lost deliver an amazing story with some of the most compelling characters, it is a cache of symbolism, morality, and philosophy. When one uses the names John Locke and Jeremy Bentham as characters, you should expect a little philosophy lesson here and there.

Many fans come up to me and ask me to explain the series finale to them because either they didn't understand it or didn't like it. I tell them that the island brought people together who were lost and had no direction. The final scene shows that, while everything that happened on the island was real, the only important thing in the character's lives was having someone to enter the afterlife with. While this may have disappointed some fans, I found this to be a comforting conclusion to the series.

What kept people hooked on Lost was the complexity of the characters and the unknown connections that they had with each other. Of all the minor characters, Christian Shephard is the focal point of relationships between the main cast, which is only appropriate since he is the one who leads them through the gates to nirvana in the finale. He is the father of both Jack and Claire, grandfather of Aaron Littleton, companion to Ana Lucia, acquaintance of Sawyer, and takes the form of a spirit before John Locke and Michael Dawson (before his demise). Additionally, multiple other characters crash into each other unknowingly adding ironic amusement for the audience.

What I will address in this blog is all the things about Lost that makes it a novel and compelling story that captured the attention of millions; from the minor characters like Scott and Steve to the significance that the soundtrack plays throughout the series. By pinpointing specific elements from the show, I'm trying to revisit the show and discover for myself why I enjoyed it so much. I want to experience the feeling that Jack Shephard obsessed about at the end of season 3. "We have to go back Kate. We have to go back."

It's been two years since the finale of Lost and I need to go back.