LOST fans ... Anyone left??? [Warning: spoilers]

I read on another site a posting from one of the writers of the show. He said that they wrote the ending right after they wrote the Pilot ep. He said the original ending starts when Jack walks into the church and touches the coffin (till the eye closing). He said it was never changed. There is more to that post that I thought was really interesting and answered several questions I had.

Here it is:

From one of the writers on the show - in response to criticisms of the finale:

Good stuff on here! I can finally throw in my two cents! I've had to bite my tongue for far too long. Also, hopefully I can answer some of John's questions about Dharma and the "pointless breadcrumbs" that really, weren't so pointless ...

First ...
The Island:

It was real. Everything that happened on the island that we saw throughout the 6 seasons was real. Forget the final image of the plane crash, it was put in purposely to f*&k with people's heads and show how far the show had come. They really crashed. They really survived. They really discovered Dharma and the Others. The Island keeps the balance of good and evil in the world. It always has and always will perform that role. And the Island will always need a "Protector". Jacob wasn't the first, Hurley won't be the last. However, Jacob had to deal with a malevolent force (MIB) that his mother, nor Hurley had to deal with. He created the devil and had to find a way to kill him -- even though the rules prevented him from actually doing so.

Thus began Jacob's plan to bring candidates to the Island to do the one thing he couldn't do. Kill the MIB. He had a huge list of candidates that spanned generations. Yet every time he brought people there, the MIB corrupted them and caused them to kill one another. That was until Richard came along and helped Jacob understand that if he didn't take a more active role, then his plan would never work.

Enter Dharma -- which I'm not sure why John is having such a hard time grasping. Dharma, like the countless scores of people that were brought to the island before, were brought there by Jacob as part of his plan to kill the MIB. However, the MIB was aware of this plan and interfered by "corrupting" Ben. Making Ben believe he was doing the work of Jacob when in reality he was doing the work of the MIB. This carried over into all of Ben's "off-island" activities. He was the leader. He spoke for Jacob as far as they were concerned. So the "Others" killed Dharma and later were actively trying to kill Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley and all the candidates because that's what the MIB wanted. And what he couldn't do for himself.

Dharma was originally brought in to be good. But was turned bad by MIB's corruption and eventually destroyed by his pawn Ben. Now, was Dharma only brought there to help Jack and the other Canditates on their overall quest to kill Smokey? Or did Jacob have another list of Canidates from the Dharma group that we were never aware of? That's a question that is purposley not answered because whatever answer the writers came up with would be worse than the one you come up with for yourself. Still ... Dharma's purpose is not "pointless" or even vague. Hell, it's pretty blatent.

Still, despite his grand plan, Jacob wanted to give his "candidates" (our Lostaways) the one thing he, nor his brother, were ever afforded: free will. Hence him bringing a host of "candidates" through the decades and letting them "choose" which one would actually do the job in the end. Maybe he knew Jack would be the one to kill Flocke and that Hurley would be the protector in the end. Maybe he didn't. But that was always the key question of the show: Fate vs Free-will. Science vs Faith. Personally I think Jacob knew from the beginning what was going to happen and that everyone played a part over 6 seasons in helping Jack get to the point where he needed to be to kill Smokey and make Hurley the protector -- I know that's how a lot of the writers viewed it. But again, they won't answer that (nor should they) because that ruins the fun.

In the end, Jack got to do what he always wanted to do from the very first episode of the show: Save his fellow Lostaways. He got Kate and Sawyer off the island and he gave Hurley the purpose in life he'd always been missing. And, in Sideways world (which we'll get to next) he in fact saved everyone by helping them all move on ...

Now...

Sideways World:

Sideways world is where it gets really cool in terms of theology and metaphysical discussion (for me at least -- because I love history/religion theories and loved all the talks in the writer's room about it). Basically what the show is proposing is that we're all linked to certain people during our lives. Call them soulmates (though it's not exactly the best word). But these people we're linked to are with us duing "the most important moments of our lives" as Christian said. These are the people we move through the universe with from lifetime to lifetime. It's loosely based in Hinduisim with large doses of western religion thrown into the mix.

The conceit that the writers created, basing it off these religious philosophies, was that as a group, the Lostaways subconsciously created this "sideways" world where they exist in purgatory until they are "awakened" and find one another. Once they all find one another, they can then move on and move forward. In essence, this is the show's concept of the afterlife. According to the show, everyone creates their own "Sideways" purgatory with their "soulmates" throughout their lives and exist there until they all move on together. That's a beautiful notion. Even if you aren't religious or even spiritual, the idea that we live AND die together is deeply profound and moving.

It's a really cool and spiritual concept that fits the whole tone and subtext the show has had from the beginning. These people were SUPPOSED to be together on that plane. They were supposed to live through these events -- not JUST because of Jacob. But because that's what the universe or God (depending on how religious you wish to get) wanted to happen. The show was always about science vs faith -- and it ultimately came down on the side of faith. It answered THE core question of the series. The one question that has been at the root of every island mystery, every character backstory, every plot twist. That, by itself, is quite an accomplishment.

How much you want to extrapolate from that is up to you as the viewer. Think about season 1 when we first found the Hatch. Everyone thought that's THE answer! Whatever is down there is the answer! Then, as we discovered it was just one station of many. One link in a very long chain that kept revealing more, and more of a larger mosiac.

But the writer's took it even further this season by contrasting this Sideways "purgatory" with the Island itself. Remember when Michael appeared to Hurley, he said he was not allowed to leave the Island. Just like the MIB. He wasn't allowed into this sideways world and thus, was not afforded the opportunity to move on. Why? Because he had proven himself to be unworthy with his actions on the Island. He failed the test. The others, passed. They made it into Sideways world when they died -- some before Jack, some years later. In Hurley's case, maybe centuries later. They exist in this sideways world until they are "awakened" and they can only move on TOGETHER because they are linked. They are destined to be together for eternity. That was their destiny.

They were NOT linked to Anna Lucia, Daniel, Roussou, Alex, Miles, Lapidis, (and all the rest who weren't in the church -- basically everyone who wasn't in season 1). Yet those people exist in Sideways world. Why? Well again, here's where they leave it up to you to decide. The way I like to think about it, is that those people who were left behind in Sideways world have to find their own soulmates before they can wake up. It's possible that those links aren't people from the island but from their other life (Anna's parnter, the guy she shot --- Roussou's husband, etc etc).

A lot of people have been talking about Ben and why he didn't go into the Church. And if you think of Sideways world in this way, then it gives you the answer to that very question. Ben can't move on yet because he hasn't connected with the people he needs to. It's going to be his job to awaken Roussou, Alex, Anna Lucia (maybe), Ethan, Goodspeed, his father and the rest. He has to attone for his sins more than he did by being Hurley's number two. He has to do what Hurley and Desmond did for our Lostaways with his own people. He has to help them connect. And he can only move on when all the links in his chain are ready to. Same can be said for Faraday, Charlotte, Whidmore, Hawkins etc. It's really a neat, and cool concept. At least to me.

But, from a more "behind the scenes" note: the reason Ben's not in the church, and the reason no one is in the church but for Season 1 people is because they wrote the ending to the show after writing the pilot. And never changed it. The writers always said (and many didn't believe them) that they knew their ending from the very first episode. I applaud them for that. It's pretty fantastic. Originally Ben was supposed to have a 3 episode arc and be done. But he became a big part of the show. They could have easily changed their ending and put him in the church -- but instead they problem solved it. Gave him a BRILLIANT moment with Locke outside the church ... and then that was it. I loved that. For those that wonder -- the original ending started the moment Jack walked into the church and touches the casket to Jack closing his eyes as the other plane flies away. That was always JJ's ending. And they kept it.

For me the ending of this show means a lot. Not only because I worked on it, but because as a writer it inspired me in a way the medium had never done before. I've been inspired to write by great films. Maybe too many to count. And there have been amazing TV shows that I've loved (X-Files, 24, Sopranos, countless 1/2 hour shows). But none did what LOST did for me. None showed me that you could take huge risks (writing a show about faith for network TV) and stick to your creative guns and STILL please the audience. I learned a lot from the show as a writer. I learned even more from being around the incredible writers, producers, PAs, interns and everyone else who slaved on the show for 6 years.

In the end, for me, LOST was a touchstone show that dealt with faith, the afterlife, and all these big, spiritual questions that most shows don't touch. And to me, they never once waivered from their core story -- even with all the sci-fi elements they mixed in. To walk that long and daunting of a creative tightrope and survive is simply astounding.

Geez, it's really long, but really worth reading!!

Have you got the link for that big quote? I'd like to send it on...

So glad I popped in and read the long post!  Answers many questions.  I'd also like the link.  Ta.

Someone posted that from the original site on another message board I post on. Let me PM him and get the link for y'all!

Yeah, thanks for posting that. That helps clear up some of my angst over the ending. And while I always realised the good v. evil theme, of course, I didn't really get how the ending coincided with the rest of the show and saving the island, etc. I still don't completely get it, and maybe the fact that the ending was written way back when and never changed really kind of explains why it feels a bit disconnected from the rest of the show in some way. But I did really love all the moments in the sideways world where they found each other again, so I guess those moments wouldn't have been there if not for the ending itself. I will have to copy and paste this to DH. 

man, that felt like a big, fat, disappointing cop-out of an ending. 

but at least i got to see the hobbit in eyeliner once more.

but at least i got to see the hobbit in eyeliner once more.

Hahahaha! Actually, myself and a friend vowed we would stop watching LOST if they killed off Charlie. (We had only started watching the show due to being LotR fans.) I haven't decided if I truly broke that vow because he was at least in the last episode, albeit in an afterlife. 

Hey! I tried to get the original link, but it seems it was linked there from somewhere else (yet another Lost forum! Glad I didn't discover this show earlier or I'd have never left my computer!) It's a bit convoluted and not easy to find on that other board. Sorry! Apparently, though, the DarkUFO Lost forums have a lot of reputable posters there. I couldn't look at it while the show was on because there were so many spoilers that had been leaked.

I plugged a couple of lines into google and the long post came up EVERYWHERE.  All the Lost forums, and I was unable to find the original. 

Yeah my fiance did the same thing and is yet to find the actual source (the heart of the quote, with a glowing light? pfff). Unfortunately, he also reckons it's not from one of the writers because, as he puts it, "First, it's not written by someone who writes like a writer. Second, I assume a Lost writer would know how to spell Rousseau's name, rather than "Roussou." And third, he claims that the people from later seasons who are missing from the Church scene are missing because "the scene was written right after the pilot and they never changed it so only characters from season one are in there." Yes, except for Juliet, Penny and Desmond, who are all series 2 or 3. Don't fall for it."

For me, though, I don't really care, because the points the person brings up are still good things to mull over. I personally didn't give any extra "oh that MUST be the way it is because he's a writer" so it doesn't really change anything for me.

Yeah my fiance did the same thing and is yet to find the actual source (the heart of the quote, with a glowing light? pfff). Unfortunately, he also reckons it's not from one of the writers because, as he puts it, "First, it's not written by someone who writes like a writer. Second, I assume a Lost writer would know how to spell Rousseau's name, rather than "Roussou." And third, he claims that the people from later seasons who are missing from the Church scene are missing because "the scene was written right after the pilot and they never changed it so only characters from season one are in there." Yes, except for Juliet, Penny and Desmond, who are all series 2 or 3. Don't fall for it."

For me, though, I don't really care, because the points the person brings up are still good things to mull over. I personally didn't give any extra "oh that MUST be the way it is because he's a writer" so it doesn't really change anything for me.

Hmmm... all very good points he made there. But I still liked it, as it did explain a lot and some things I was already thinking but couldn't quite put into words and put it together, if that makes sense. I feel better now, after being pretty annoyed and upset. I think I can finally come to terms with it... haha. 

I'm in mourning because the show is finished.   

wasn't Desmond in season one?  the  runner?  see you in the next life, Brother' line?   
Thw Whitmore  storyline  was  so good and they  ripped us off by not following through..  sigh*  so much potential..  .. ppfft!  Some  seasons  were  better than others  .. It was  a good run..

wasn't Desmond in season one?  the  runner?  see you in the next life, Brother' line?   
Thw Whitmore  storyline  was  so good and they  ripped us off by not following through..  sigh*  so much potential..  .. ppfft!  Some  seasons  were  better than others  .. It was  a good run..

I don't think Desmond appeared until season 2.  Did they get into the hatch in season 1 or 2?