Initial reactions: It ends as it began

By Chris Oliver and Ken Sury

Chris Oliver and Ken Sury say let the head-scratching begin as we share our initial thoughts about the series finale of "Lost," aptly titled "The End." If you haven't watched the finale, don't read this now.

Chris: Well, I can say I predicted the ending correctly, more or less. I thought it would end with that same shot of Jack that opened the pilot episode. Of course, I thought it would be some time traveling thing, but whatever. Anyway, what a big risk the producers took having the flash-sideways be essentially purgatory. Since this is intended to be a quick review of what we thought, let me ask, did that explanation of the flash-sideways work for you?

Ken: Frankly, I'm still mulling it over, especially since I believed Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof when they shot down theories by viewers in the first season who asked, "Are they all dead and this is purgatory?" From a scientific standpoint, no one should have survived a plane breaking apart at 30,000 feet or whatever altitude Oceanic 815 was at. So yes, they should have been dead at that point. I think a lot of fans are going to question whether they were dead from the pilot episode and are asking was everything they experienced after that crash not happen, both life on the island and the flash-sideways?

Chris: No, everything happened. The island was really saved. This was just at the end of their lives. When they all were dead. They were all together in the afterlife. Anyway, we can go more in depth later. But for now, I'll say it got to me every time they had an awakening. I think the one with Charlie and Claire got to me the most.

Ken: I'm man enough to admit I shed a tear on the Charlie and Claire reunion, and then again on James (just doesn't feel right calling him Sawyer now) and Juliet. And I did the call the James-Juliet reunion in the cafeteria, didn't I?

I thought I'd feel sadder when Jack finally succumbed to the knife wound, but it was uplifting. He saved the island, finally becoming the man we all expected him to be.

So maybe Cuse and Lindelof didn't lie to viewers at the outset. The island did exist; we just didn't get to the purgatory angle until Season 6 with the flash-sideways.

For me, it was a big emotional payoff and very satisfying in that regard. Intellectually, I think I'll be running it through my head for a while.

We will try to break this all down in the days to come. A single blog post won't be enough to review this amazing show. We'd love to learn your thoughts as well.

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