If you’re a fan of science fiction, mystery thrillers, and adventure shows, you likely grew up watching the hit network drama Lost as it aired on the ABC network. The critically acclaimed series originally ran for six seasons from 2004 through 2010. It continues to bring in droves of new fans today, especially since being ported over to streaming services such as Netflix. Of course, fans of Lost will recognize that the show was known for its many unanswered questions, confusing plot developments, and sprawling storylines. These twists and turns left many fans, ironically, lost, once the series finale hit the air waves. So, for those of you who still haven’t deciphered the mysteries of the Godforsaken rock, or those who haven’t tuned into the show in some time, let’s unpack the explosive two-part ending of the fan-favorite series. Plus, we’ll see what we can discover about the epic conclusion.
As you can expect, there will be heavy spoilers for the entire series ahead. Bookmark this page and return later if you’re only halfway through your first binge of the mysterious show. Slowly uncovering the mysteries of the island is half the fun of watching Lost. You certainly don’t want to have the controversial finale spoiled for you now, especially if you’ve managed to go this long without having the ending ruined. It’s time to go back to the island and explain the explosive ending of Lost once and for all.
What Is Lost About?
Before we can unpack Lost‘s thrilling conclusion, we need to contextualize the show’s initial premise. Lost centers on a group of survivors from Oceanic Flight 815, after their plane goes down near a remote island somewhere in the South Pacific. As the survivors band together to gather supplies, tend to their wounds, and attempt to reach out to rescue teams, they begin to uncover a wide array of bizarre mysteries about their newfound island home. For starters, the survivors encounter a French woman named Danielle, awaiting rescue on the island for over 16 years. Over time, the group also encounters a mysterious smoke monster that picks off survivors one-by-one as they enter the woods under the cover of night. They also find a ruthless tribe of locals known only as “The Others,” who are extremely hostile to outsiders.
Throughout 121 episodes spread across six seasons, Lost pivots numerous times. The show covers an array of social and ethical conundrums while cataloging the tribulations of the team of Flight 815 survivors. The series eventually sees six of the main characters escaping from the island and returning home, only to be corralled back into a scheme to return to the mysterious landmass. While tuning in each week, hardcore fans of Lost were constantly questioning whether the island was responsible for an electromagnetic signature that destroys seek-and-assist communications, the subject of government experimentation, a cosmic site relegated for time and space travel, or simply haunted with some otherworldly supernatural force.
The Final Season
If you haven’t watched the show, jumping directly into a breakdown of the final season might sound like nonsense. The character dynamics and mysterious themes encompass hundreds of hours of complex world-building. The season 6 opener picks up just after the blast of the hydrogen core, which occurred in the flashback timeline of 1977. Much like season 5, season 6 centers on two distinct timelines. The two timelines splits the original cast of survivors. One timeline, referred to as the “Smoke Monster” timeline, sees the Monster taking over the bodies of the Man in Black, as well as John Locke. This is to force a rapturous war between the forces of good and evil. The other, known as the “flash-sideways” narrative, sees the Oceanic 815 survivors living out their lives in an alternate timeline where the flight never crashed.
Over the course of season 6, it’s revealed that the 815 passengers were deliberately chosen as part of an intentional twist of fate. Orchestrated by Jacob, the twist is a move in his ongoing battle against the Man in Black. Jacob selected the passengers, believing that they would protect the island in his stead following his death. Of course, the Man in Black sought to thwart Jacob’s plan. Systemically, he kills off the 71 survivors one-by-one, explaining many of the confusing deaths and disappearances of the early seasons. Jacob’s ghost appears towards the end of the season and chooses Jack as his official successor. However, Hurley ultimately takes over as caretaker and sole protector of the island once Jack becomes injured.
The Final Episode
Lost‘s massive grand finale, simply titled “The End,” wraps up the arcs of Jack, Hurley, Jacob, and the island as a whole. That said, it still left some fans scratching their heads. In the finale, the flash-sideways narrative is revealed to be a purgatory of some sort. Created by the deceased for the deceased, it lets them release their trauma and unfinished business, ultimately moving on together. As the finale kicks off, fate compels Desmond to bring each of the Oceanic passengers together at a benefit concert. There, they each begin experiencing unexplainable memories of the island. Ultimately, the passengers feel themselves drawn to the glowing allure of a nearby church. It’s there they each learn of their worldly fates. They must accept that their time on the island was the most significant period of their lives.
Meanwhile, the Smoke Monster narrative sees Jack and company fighting against the Man in Black, as the two factions war over whether to destroy the island or preserve and protect it. After a lengthy chase through the jungle to the heart of the island, Jack kills the Man in Black and restore the light. However, he achieves this by sacrificing himself in the process. Hurley recruits Ben to be his second in command as protector of the island. The rest of the survivors finally head home in an Ajira plane, ready to depart at the neighboring Hydra Island.
The Final Moments
The final moments of the beloved series see the flash-sideways crew emotionally embracing after accepting their fate at the church, and dissipating in a flash of blinding white light. Back on the island, Jack collapses near a river by the bamboo forest. His trusty dog Vincent is by his side. In a near-perfect mirroring of the series’ opening shot, Lost ends with Jack smiling and taking his last breath, knowing he sacrificed himself to save his friends, and perhaps even the world as he knew it.
Unpacking That Behemoth Of An Ending
Obviously, the Lost ending has eluded explanation for some time, leaving many fans confused. Some even lock horns to argue about the series’ plot on online message boards and chat rooms. For starters, let’s discuss what we do know for certain:
The characters in Lost were not dead the entire time. The show was not a dream sequence, coma hallucination, or metaphysical representation of reality through an unreal lens. The events depicted in the series are meant to be taken as literally as any other work of fiction. Most of the unexplainable phenomena in the show is due to in-universe supernatural forces.
Series co-creator and showrunner Damon Lindelof has a particular distaste for the popular fan theory that the entire show exists in a state of purgatory. As he explained in a 2021 sit down with Vulture, “That idea [that] they were dead the whole time, it negates the whole show, it negates the whole point of the show. I’ve come to believe over time — whether I’m right or I’m wrong… that the people who really think they were dead the whole time did not watch the final season of the show, they just watched the finale.” Executive producer Carlton Cuse followed up on this train of thought as well, explaining that the audience “read into that footage at the end that, you know, they were dead. That was not the intention. The intention was just to create a narrative pause.”
Will There Ever Be A Lost Sequel Or Reboot?
Since the show ended so definitively over 14 years ago, many new fans have wondered if the hit series will ever return to television in some capacity. After all, the modern landscape of TV writing is much more suitable for hyper-serialized storytelling now, with binge-watching and streaming networks being the norm. Questions about a Lost spin-off or reboot series reached a fever pitch back in 2019 when Disney acquired 21st Century Fox and all of its assets. This includes the back catalog of Lost. Since Disney is known for trotting out their biggest IPs for a renewed audience every chance they get, fans are extra curious as to if the house of mouse has any plans to relaunch something within the Lost expanded universe.
Despite these developments, however, it seems clear that the creators and producers of the show have no interest in returning to the island for additional stories. They have come to accept the landmark series as a once-in-a-lifetime project. At this time, there are no confirmed installments within the Lost universe in any active stage of production. While it’s never too late to develop another project within this niche, some fans have conceded that one of the key themes of Lost is accepting your fate, understanding your past, and moving on. This may be an excellent message for those hoping to see Hurley and company in an upcoming reboot series.
