[Mike F]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

To me that was the cop out in this series. They started it as a series that was deep into alleged mythologies, a super natural element, and admittedly some nice character development. Then in the very end, they basically said, the mythology, the concept of the Island, the concept of the MIB being a powerful evil who's very plan in leaving the Island would snuff out life everywhere. To me it was somewhat lame. Don't get me wrong, it was nice to see all parties get a happy ending. But that wasn't really what I was after.

I disagree that they didn't provide significant answers to the island mythology, but if it wasn't what you were looking for then it wasn't. Unfortunate, but it sounds like we were looking for different things ad one of us was bound to be disappointed. Glad it was you

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

The flash sideways alternate reality had very little to do with the Island, with the exception that we can assume that it was the creation of the final protector. I respect that you love it, but as anyone who reads any of my posts know, I'm hardly an old softy, I didn't tune into Lost for 6 years to see what I consider to be a soft shoe ending that had in my mind a lot of holes. We saw Anna Lucia in the purgatory but not in the church unless I missed it. We had Walt a few episodes say that he was basically stuck on the Island because of his actions on the Island, yet we see Ben in the AR which means that he was dead but choose not to let go, he did horrid things on the Island, shouldn't he still be stuck there in dead form.

We can make the assumption that Kate, Lupedius, Sawyer and the others on the Plane escaped the Island which was the reality plane, made their way home and lived a long lonely life before dying and being allowed into Hurley's construct. BTW I don't remember seeing the Pilot of the ghost whisperer in the church, do we assume that they're still alive, why would Hurley not allow them into the paradise. I guess we should assume that Hurley eventually died because there he was letting go, who's watching the Island?

The final protector didn't create the sideways universe - Christian said it was a collective creation of all of the Losties which arose from the intense connections generated during their time together.

Those who were in the church were simply those who had found each other and were ready to move on.

Lapidis, Michael, Walt, etc. I imagine they all get to the sideways universe in time and move on at their own pace as Elosie an Ben (who evidently did some good work as Hurley's #2 to earn some redemption) seem to be doing.

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

The Island and the mythology on the Island was real. But I disagree with your point about MIB. He didn't lose his mortality when the plug was pulled, I believe that Jack changed the rules. Pulling the plug and the surprise that he could be hurt were the distraction for MIB. I'm still pissed at the lame death of the MIB, I think that the ending that I had written before would have been a far far better ending and made more sense in the context of the series.

If MIB's mortality was due to Jack changing the rules, Kate would have killed MIB when she shot him the first time. Plus, Jack said he had no idea how he was going to kill MIB, never showed a moment where he realized he could just change the rules, and seemed a bit surprised when his punch drew blood.

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I just think that this kind of an ending was a bit of a cop out, I thought it was weak, I thought that they left holes because in the end they were scrambling to pull together the elements of what was a very cool concept and instead gave us what amounts to a Gilligan's Island reunion special in combination with the Search for Spock and Heaven can wait.

The writers came up with the final arc 3 years ago, and you can see scene setting over the last few seasons. The elements of the concept were put in place in order to get them to where they ended tonight. There was absolutely no scrambling.

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

And I do remember that the writers at one time swore up and down that they weren't going to do a purgatory story, and in the end they did.

The producers swore the Island wasn't purgatory and it wasn't - everything on the island happened and mattered.

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I think it was just that, I looked at that set and it was elaborate, and obviously man made, but it wasn't important anymore. They made so many hints throughout this season to the origin of everything on that Island from the temple, to the four toed statue to the donkey wheels, but in the end we got the Indiana Jones treatment. It doesn't matter, if we pull the plug the Island will sink, if we plug it back in the Island was saved.

The producers said all along that they weren't looking to explain every question, and "Who created the island?" was obviously one of them.

I get that you wanted that answer, but just because they chose not to give it because it wasn't important to the story they were trying to tell doesn't mean that they cop-ed out or changed their minds in a last minute scramble.

Edit: If you still think they were scrambling, consider this -- in the opening scenes of episode 5 of this season, in a flash sideways, Jack is getting changed and notices a scar on his abdomen. He asks his mom if he got his appendix out, because he didn't recall where it came from. Now, 13 episodes later we have the answer - it's the wound he died from.