LOST: The Ultimate Explanation Compilation

LOST: The Ultimate Explanation Compilation

In light of the 10th anniversary of the pilot, check out the Ultimate Explanation Compilation, the ultimate guide in understanding the mysteries, mythology, and philosophy of LOST!

Editorial Opinion
By Starjammer - Mar 26, 2014 05:03 PM EST
Filed Under: Other
Source: The Ultimate Explanation Compilation 3.0

                            



It's the 10th anniversary of the LOST pilot episode already! A lot of people had issues with the finale of LOST, but I believe it's because many have struggled in putting together the concepts properly.
 
Please check out this explanation I wrote to be an ultimate guide in understanding the mysteries, mythology, and philosophy of LOST. I promise it will answer any linigering questions you have as well as prove LOST is one of the best shows to ever exist!

http://davepenner.com/LOST%20-%20The%20Ultimate%20Explanation%20Compilation%203.0.pdf

Feedback is greatly welcomed. Enjoy!
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CaptainAmerica31
CaptainAmerica31 - 3/26/2014, 7:41 PM
I stopped watching after awhile. Show went down hill pretty quick. But it's first 5 seasons are phenomenal
ThedamnBatman
ThedamnBatman - 3/26/2014, 8:06 PM
Lost got lost in the last season
Starjammer
Starjammer - 3/26/2014, 8:15 PM
Check out the PDF dudes!
TheRealDorkKnight
TheRealDorkKnight - 3/26/2014, 9:30 PM
shit show. everyone i know stopped watching it so quickly its astounding that it even has a fan base.
TheRealDorkKnight
TheRealDorkKnight - 3/26/2014, 9:30 PM
cant wait for the "didn't read" gifs
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 3/26/2014, 9:58 PM
Whoa, I've rarely ever seen any love on CBM for one of the greatest shows of all time! Seriously, Lost had one of the best pilot episodes ever, and it is probably one of the best character-driven shows in recent memory. Definitely a top 3 favorite of mine.

It catches a lot of flack for it's mostly terrible last season, but everything leading up to it was brilliant. Seasons 1-3 were probably my favorite, 4 was a bit of a step down, 5 redeemed it a bit, and 6 was just not very good at all.

I love the implied mythology in the series, but the absolute best part was the attention given to the characters, their relationships, and their flaws and strengths. Perfectly cast, incredible acting, great dialogue, well-written themes that rival The Dark Knight Trilogy...it's really too bad the last season left such a bad taste in most people's mouths.

Hint: They weren't dead the whole time! It really is amazing how many people still think that and are pissed off by that, even though they literally spell it out for us in the finale.
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 3/26/2014, 10:00 PM
But yeah, I highly doubt anyone here took the time to click that link and actually read what you wrote about it. For the future, it's much better to re-write that here as its own article.
ALF9001
ALF9001 - 3/26/2014, 10:53 PM
Brilliant
You're a great writer
ALF9001
ALF9001 - 3/26/2014, 11:02 PM
I love LOST, I watched it all in 6 months, and it was amazing to see how many emotions I experienced with it. The characters were so well developed, that I felt I knew each one of them. I suffered when they did and I enjoyed seeing them having a good time. I even have to admit that I cried in Charlie's and Jack's death. I think that "Greatest hits" was one of the best chapters in the whole series cause you really get to know who Charlie is, making his death more painfull. I even liked season 6. I felt that everything about this show is perfect, from the characters, to the drama, to the amazing score by michael giaccino, everything just fitted.
Lost is JJ Abrams beautiful masterpiece
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 3/26/2014, 11:06 PM
@ALF9001, I absolutely cried when Charlie died as well. Definitely one of my favorite characters, and his death was just so devastating. The music, the imagery, the emotions...ugh. And I wept like a baby at the end of the finale, I'm not afraid to admit that haha.

There's a lot to love about Lost, but please don't credit it all to JJ Abrams. That's totally unfair to the actual showrunners: Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. Abrams was basically heavily involved with the pilot episode and some of the 1st season in general. After that, he left the project and had little to no input whatsoever. He might have gotten it off the ground, but Lindelof and Cuse took the reins from there and crafted the story that we love.
Starjammer
Starjammer - 3/26/2014, 11:51 PM
Thanks so much guys, and I totally agree. Unfortunately, this show is apparently not for everyone. It's for people who think, contemplate, use their imaginations, feel for others, and are patient enough to hold out for the amazing instead of settling for the mediocre. In other words, not for people that show up just to say "shit show" without bothering to invest a few minutes of time or give a damn about anything of value. And that's what makes it great. It's honestly a miracle this show even existed, let alone got to tell its story in its entirety.

I would argue anyone who says Season 6 flat out sucked doesn't understand the point of the show or put it into proper context and I know it must be frustrating as an artist to have people dismiss your work without understanding it. Unfortunately, this guide is way too long to paste on here, and I'm sure 90% of people won't bother to read it either way. But I like that it's here for people that want something more out of art or are open to pushing their form of thinking.

Thanks again for reading guys! :)
sanefane
sanefane - 3/27/2014, 1:58 AM
Only skimmed some of it so far, but saw that you connected the pregnancy issue with the Egyptian statue and was curious as to your theory about it.

I respectfully disagree that the destruction of the statue is what led to the lack of pregnancies. It doesn't accurately explain Ethan's birth, and I'm sure there were more births before him.

The main event that happens after Ethan's birth but before children couldn't be conceived and born on the island was "the Incident." They pretty much confirmed in the "New Man in Charge" feature in the Season 6 DVD (also on youtube) that the electromagnetism that the Dharma folks were messing with had an adverse effect on early term pregnancy (Dr. Whatshisname warned in the Hydra training video to make sure that they don't bring pregnant polar bears to the Orchid station). I think when Juliet hit the bomb, it released a bunch of that energy that was bad for early pregnancy, and then, no more babies could happen.

It nicely explains Ethan's birth, why Eloise left the Island (pregnant with Faraday), and also has a nice narrative angle where Juliet causes the baby problem that brought her to the Island years later, in a vicious and tragic cycle.
sanefane
sanefane - 3/27/2014, 2:07 AM
@Starjammer

I think it's too bad that the finale in particular got so much flack for not solving the mysteries. Hey, if you were frustrated by the fact that Walt, or the pregnancy issue, or the Egyptian buildings were never explained, that's legitimate (even if I can get over it more easily), but it's a little unfair to put that all on one episode. The series generally, sure, maybe even the last season, but not the finale. If you really thought that the finale was going to make Walt suddenly relevant after 5 seasons of occasional cameos, I don't know what to tell you. They answered every question they would in the two episodes previously, with a massive flashback with Jacob and MIB, and the ghost of Jacob literally coming up just to answer questions that the characters had. Take away the expectations of the finale solving the mysteries, I think you've got an episode with more than a handful of powerful, emotional moments, a great climax with the villain of the series, a better juggling of (remaining) characters than other finales of Lost were able to accomplish, and one of the best deaths on the show.

I'm also kind of a fan of Season 6. It's pretty inconsistent, but loved evil Locke, Jack's redemptive story arc, Sayid's spiral into darkness, Richard's backstory, the sideways universe, and really all of the climactic beats it was hitting in the last few episodes. Oh well. Different strokes for different folks.
ALF9001
ALF9001 - 3/27/2014, 6:05 AM
@SauronsBane
Really? I didnt know that, thanks man. Charlie's theme is beautiful and he is a great character
@Starjammer
You're right, LOST is a character driven show, it's not for everyone because it needs you to care more about the characters than the mysteries, but if you can do that, you'll have a hell of an experience in the 6 seasons. Lost is the only show or movie where i've cried haha. And no problem man, it was a fantastic read :)
Gigacrusher45
Gigacrusher45 - 3/27/2014, 7:39 AM
This was excellent. Most people don't truly appreciate the complex mythology that Lost presents, giving us a chance to theorize or take the time to truly understand everything that is laid before us.

Some people simply complain that it's "to confusing/not explained/writers didn't know what they were doing". That says something about us as people. In real life we don't always know or get the answers we want so of course we make the same complaint about a television show that is trying to do things differently and possibly replicate that part of life.

My father only watched the show from time to time yet he still enjoyed the show overall because of the characters and the arch's they had. He extremely enjoyed the series finale because of all the messages they brought across.
ruadh
ruadh - 3/27/2014, 8:07 AM
"I stopped watching after awhile. Show went down hill pretty quick. But it's first 5 seasons are phenomenal"

Since there was only one more season that you didn't feel was phenomenal, that seems like the show went down hill very slowly.

I have a few minor issues with the series, but the finale was so immensely satisfying that it's hard for me to seriously fault the producers. After reading some of Lindelof's comments and thoughts in retrospect in The Revolution Was Televised, I decided what would have been best for the last season was to not have them time jump to present day from The Incident, but rather to Jacob's time. Start the season with his birth, and have Jack etc arrive once he's grown. They'd get to witness a lot of answers to the island's mysteries, and it'd also echo the first season as far as them being completely unaware of what's going on. They'd also get to see the creation of the monster, and then somehow timejump to present in time to deal with Locke. This would have been much better than spending so much time with the temple hippies.

Like I said though, the finale was ...just one of the best things I've ever watched, television or anything. Really struck a MAJOR chord with me.
Starjammer
Starjammer - 3/27/2014, 12:09 PM
Man, it's great to see there's so many people who appreciated it! I honestly expected nothing but people popping in to crap on it with a few words. You guys get it. A lot of interesting thoughts, and I agree about LOST mirroring life. We don't always understand every little tiny detail and if that's the reason you're watching (or living), you're missing the whole point. I think people just built up too much in their heads to the point where nothing would satisfy them. Then the reveal of the flash sideways in the finale I think also messed with people. After watching, it really requires you to step back and see the whole picture. Then you realize how perfect and appropriate it is.

@sanefane Totally agree with you about "The Incident". (Isn't that included in there?) I was just adding that it's very possible that the statue is also tied into that. I also discussed how Ethan's miracle birth can be explained by this same ankh symbol on the necklace (the same symbol as on the statue). Did you get to that part yet? Honestly, what's great about the show is they leave you clues to answer everything and challenge you to use your own brain rather than spoon feeding you answers, all while keeping the mysteriousness in tact. Most stories mess this up. (SEE: midichlorian count) They really respected their audience and thought they would rise to the occassion, and sadly, perhaps too much so.
jaysin420
jaysin420 - 3/27/2014, 1:08 PM
Really good article, I was incredibly disappointed with the final season but it doesn't change how great everything before that was.

I didn't need everything explained but I felt like they took the easy way out with the alternate timeline and spiritual ending. I wish they would have showed us more of the Island's past and explained some of those rules to us. The rules between Jacob/MIB as well as Ben/Widmore.

A little more on the monster would have been nice too. Seemed like the mother was the first monster, cause how else did she take out that entire group so fast? And then I've read theories saying Jack becomes the new monster at the end, which would make sense on why it took him so long to come around in the alt.

The big thing for me though was when we realized that Locke was really dead, cause he was always the star of the show to me. It made total sense why they did it, but that was my favorite character by far so I thought it sucked.

And the part that made me the craziest was how everyone kept calling him Locke! Maybe I'm nuts but if my friend died, and I knew someone was impersonating him I would def not be calling him my dead friend's name.

I bet there's even some people that stopped watching at some point then went back for the final season, and think Locke was the bad guy all along.

Still though, it shows how incredible the show was that I can still get crazy thinking about it.
RobGrizzly
RobGrizzly - 3/27/2014, 2:40 PM
I thought LOST's pilot aired in the fall.
ruadh
ruadh - 3/27/2014, 6:27 PM
"I didn't need everything explained but I felt like they took the easy way out with the alternate timeline and spiritual ending."

I can see that, but in the end I didn't care. Of all my friends who watched the show, my wife and I were easily the most passionate as far as trying to come up with theories and even doing our best to read up on the science the show seemed to be employing. Ultimately though, the last moments of the series made me completely not care about any of that. A spiritual ending was an utter shock to me, and I actually felt it took some guts to go there on a show like this.

At the same time though, again, the chapter about Lost in The Revolution Was Televised is REALLY worth reading for any fan of the series. Lindelof admits how much was planned out in the beginning (extremely little), and what his hopes were for the series (basically...he assumed, and then came to kinda hope that the show wouldn't find or at least maintain an audience, thus get cancelled and save him from having to solve all these things he and Abrams dreamed up in a "wouldn't it be neat" session).

And I'm not mentioning all that to beat it down and say "see?! They never had a plan," because...they kinda did. They did and they didn't, but I still think it was an incredibly entertaining and engaging series while it aired. There will never be anything even close to what Lost was ever again.
Starjammer
Starjammer - 3/28/2014, 1:26 PM
@ruadh Couldn't have said it better. Like any show, it has to ebb and flow depending on any one of a ton of factors that come up over the course of a 6 1/2 year story. It started out as nothing more than a network exec wanting a scripted show "like survivor". But they hired the right guys for the job and what could have been extremely mediocre turned into a truly beautiful story that strikes at the heart of the human spirit.

I admit, I didn't really like the finale at first. It was so much to process. But after I stepped back from it and really contemplated, the big picture came into focus and I realized just how perfect of an ending it was.
Starjammer
Starjammer - 3/28/2014, 1:28 PM
@JaySin420 Check out the PDF man, I think you will really enjoy it. I go over some of those points and theories you're saying and a lot of it will leave you very surprised. A few in particular, including Christian's true nature.
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