I’m sorry. Really, I am.
Sorry, I should clarify, I’m not apologizing to you. This is a self-apology, as I swore I would never encourage anyone to watch this show again, even after all these years.
ONE: Every Man for Himself (The apology)
During its initial run and shortly thereafter, it was so natural and easy to recommend something that so profoundly affected me. Why wouldn’t I want to share that experience with any and everyone? As more and more of any/everyone didn’t get the same experience that I did out of it, I shortened that recommendation list to just close friends. Still, with very very very few exceptions, the outcome was still the same. At this point, I made a conscious decision to stop recommending it entirely. The debates, disillusionment, and unending defense eventually became more effort than it was worth.
It’s not untrue to say that fans of LOST are such a fringe community that we don’t talk about it openly in public. To that end, it’s probably not unfair to compare LOST fans to the early followers of Jesus. Should you accidentally happen upon one, there is a rush of excitement, followed by whispered talking for fear that the Romans might overhear (this is probably not the first religious analogy I’ll use in this correspondence; sorry).
Whenever someone expresses interest in starting the show, I hesitantly only respond, “the show isn’t for everyone,” and this is a rather large understatement. As I will outline later, the show is divisive on a level that’s hard to put into perspective. I would love nothing more than for someone to get the same experience that I and so many others did out of it, but setting this expectation is far beyond realistic.
TWO: Numbers (Historical context)
LOST debuted in 2004 during the broadcast networks’ (primarily FOX and ABC) foray into replicating the success spearheaded by cable triumphs like The Sopranos and Six Feet Under. While HBO had relatively little to lose in venturing into the hour-long drama (as it was a paid-for subscription which didn’t rely on commercial sponsorship), broadcast networks up until this point were mired in the easy success of reality programming, game shows, and multi-cam sitcoms. To attempt to woo the public over across demographics was an extremely risky move, but, it paid off. An onslaught of relatively solid programming was launched by the networks including LOST, House MD, Desperate Housewives, Heroes, 24, Rescue Me, and Battlestar Galactica. In the following years, the networks would double-down on this type of programming utilizing this model that’s still prevalent today.
Initially, LOST was quite critically acclaimed, winning multiple awards and setting TV rating records for the first two seasons. It was around the third season where the blockbuster numbers started to fall. Without creating a mini-essay on this, in short, while the show itself didn’t change, the viewership did. Those who were fans of the show for the same reasons I was continued to watch loyally throughout the series’ run, while those who were only attracted to certain aspects of the show switched their focus to other shows.
So… what does that really mean?
LOST is a show comprised of many elements that are attractive to a wide array of viewers. It is, at its heart, a character study with a large ensemble cast. The natural focus is on these characters, their histories, how they change and interact with other characters. However, it is also a sci-fi/suspense. It is a show of questions and answers. There are literally hundreds of questions the show raises that typically get answered as new questions emerge. These funnel into just a handful of series-arc storylines which are only fully resolved by the end of the series. Aside from this, much like a book series, each season has its own set of arcs that are resolved season-to-season, but add to the overall storyline.
Needless to say, a show of this magnitude being held to the limitations and scheduling of network television, in retrospect, is barely comprehensible. They did end up making it work, however, being able to watch it without interruptions is naturally the way to watch a show that is written the way it was.
The show isn’t for everyone.
THREE: Exodus (Common criticisms, misconceptions, and my thoughts in their regard)
As mentioned before, I’ve found it very difficult to engage in conversation about the show with people who have very strong opinions on why they dislike it. If you watch the first two seasons and find it’s not your cup of tea, so to speak, then this is an absolutely valid reason for not continuing to watch. The character development and storytelling will not change after this, so if you’ve gone that far, and it’s not for you, it’s not for you.
There are, however, some common debates and what I would call misconceptions that are especially frustrating:
- The show does not answer any questions: This is demonstrably false. By the series end, all raised questions (no matter how small or large) are answered (with a slight exception of one minor scene in which the audience is left to assume the answer). I feel that what’s more likely the case, here, is that certain people are either a) not satisfied with the answers, or b) not patient enough to find out the answers.
- The writers make it up as they go along: Also completely untrue, but, I understand that line of thinking. The show is quite complex, and they throw a lot at you all the time. Traditionally, with stories like this, and especially ones that air on network television have a tendency to do this to appease the audience or the the network itself. This is simply not the case with LOST. The several main series arcs were developed and completed during pre-production of season one by JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof, and Carlton Cuse. These arcs follow this story faithfully until the series end. It is worth mentioning that while JJ Abrams produced the show, and directed the first two episodes, he had no further involvement beyond assisting in creating some of the overall narrative. It’s interesting to note, sometimes, that JJ Abrams gets credited for the “good” aspects of the show, and Damon Lindelof gets blame for the “bad” ones. As the main creators described the show’s progression and their deal with the network, to paraphrase, they had a deal with ABC to tell a set story in a fixed amount of episodes. They compared it as a trip from New York to LA. While the roadmap is planned, they will often take detours to landmarks that they didn’t think about when they initially planned the journey. That is to say, there are some side stories and characters they add that weren’t originally conceptualized, but it’s purposeful. Additionally, the full outline of each season was completed during production of the prior season, without regard to fan reaction. This is important as it shows the creators did not simply change aspects of the show or add/remove characters based on network/public pressure; they had a story to tell and they told it.
- The ending was bad: this is perhaps the most divisive argument that arose from the conclusion of the series. Truthfully, I don’t know anyone personally that enjoyed the show from beginning to end only to be disappointed with the ending. I think, similar to an earlier point, casual watchers were expecting something else, but it’s a bit hard to believe considering the final season and ending was in line completely with the rest of the show. More frustrating, I think, was that there were a lot of viewers who watched the first season or two, then came back just to see the finale. You wouldn’t do this with a book or movie, so, I don’t really feel a need to argue this one further.
- Fans of the show take it too seriously: I mean, they’re not entirely incorrect. I think that detractors of the show tend to view LOST fans as sort of “holier-than-thou,” which I would argue is unfair. I don’t think that liking this show points to you being superior to people who don’t, though it is an intellectual show with a deep mythology at its core. I would argue, much like any fan of any show would, that it is an important show to its fans, but accusing fans of the show for thinking they’re superior to non-fans speaks more to the accuser than the one being accused.
I do think it’s important to understand that there are these strong opinions about the show before watching it, if for no other reason than to highlight how different LOST is from most other television series.
FOUR: Through the Looking Glass (This is my favorite show)
So, what’s left to say? I’m sorry, again, that I’m encouraging you to watch this show. As I’ve eluded to before, it is almost a religious thing, for me, and I do take it very personally. While I have some absolute favorite episodes, in my opinion, there aren’t any that are really less than great (which seems like a bold thing to admit). I have a habit of getting very defensive about this show because it is so close to my heart, and has affected me on many profound levels. While I love TV and movies (as you know), there isn’t really anything out there that I think has compared to my experience with this. I would only ask that you be respectful of that.
EPILOGUE: The Cost of Living (Hopes & Expectations)
So, if you are to seriously start watching this show, I would please ask that you respect a few simple guidelines that I strongly believe would maximize your experience:
- The first three episodes should be watched back-to-back. While the show only lists the first two episodes as “the Pilot,” it’s really the first three. This is a bit of a commitment, but, obligatory.
- Do not watch an episode during which there’s a possibility of being distracted. Every episode, in my opinion, should be watched as if it were a movie. Cell phones off, no walking out of the theater, etc. There are a great many small details that can too easily go unnoticed if you walk away even for a minute.
- Avoid spoilers at all costs:
- Do not tell anyone else you’re watching the show. It’s been out long enough where something can and will be easily spoiled.
- Do not look for anything LOST-related on the internet. Same rule as above.
- If streaming, do not read the descriptions of the episodes you haven’t seen. Some services are better about this than others, but ABC had a wonderful habit during the show’s initial run where they would surprise you with commercials for what was coming up in the show and they’d ultimately spoil things; Netflix descriptions are not unlike this.
- This is a suspense show, so, if you’re into spoilers, I guess… what’s the point of watching this? A wonderful thing about the show is not knowing what’s about to happen. So, eliminating that aspect sort of nullifies a big part of the entertainment value. If someone spoils something for you, let me know who it is and I’ll take care of them.
- We should attempt to discuss each episode (or series of episodes) individually. If you’re reading this, then you know I’ve made a commitment to watch alongside in this endeavor, and each episode has enough content to where we can discuss them one at a time.
So, my friend (who is about to watch LOST), thank you, namaste, and good luck.
The Glass City 