Six years of questions may be answered on Sunday’s finale
By Steve Mullen Tusk writer
An eye opens. It belongs to a man lying on his back in a jungle. A dog appears. Is that his dog?
The man is visibly shaken and runs off. A sneaker hangs on a nearby tree. What the? The man reaches a beach. He is alone but is searching for someone or something. He hears a noise and runs along the beach to the scene of a plane crash.
And so begins “Lost,” one of the greatest TV mysteries to hit the airwaves. For six years we’ve enjoyed an overly elaborate version of the “Get Smart” opening. There is a door. It opens revealing a door. It opens revealing a door. It opens revealing a door. Now we’ve come to the telephone booth and entered our numbers. In just a matter of days, the bottom will drop out.
The task: Answer six years worth of questions in two and a half hours while still presenting a powerful, dramatic conclusion to the beloved characters that remain. Will we be satisfied knowing who’s who, what’s what and why’s why? Can it even be done?
If you ever want an exercise in futility, try to explain the plot of “Lost” in detail to someone who’s never heard of it.
See, there’s an island. No, wait, there was a plane crash. There’s a guy named Jacob and a monster. Umm ... well, OK, these scientists in the ’70s. Around this time their foreheads crinkle up and a small smile escapes. They pretend to nod and begin to wait for your next pause before blurting out an excuse to leave. Link
