I want to preface this by saying I'm not trying to start an argument here or imply that anyone's views are wrong. I'm genuinely curious about this and hope it can be discussed in a friendly and respectful manner.
I've been reading the "didn't love it" threads and other negative ones in the season 6 section (to try and understand the opposing viewpoint) and this question has occurred to me on numerous occasions.
What would it take to make the people who are complaining about the season say it is giving them what they want?
Exactly how many answers per episode would be enough and how definite do they have to be? (I know it's unlikely anyone can give a definite number but maybe people have a rough idea.) What would make a satisfying answer? (Does it have to be blunt and to the point?)
Last night's episode is a good example. It seemed to me that we were given a few answers. Looking at some threads in the section I see people saying we got none.
Here is what I thought was answered:


Richard did arrive on the Black Rock. (Whether he was a slave or a crew member we still don't know. I'm hoping we'll see his arrival and find that out in his centric episode in two weeks.)
He can't die (at least he couldn't while Jacob was alive.)
He got that agelessness when Jacob touched him.
Jacob didn't want to die when Ben killed him.
The people Jacob touched are candidates to replace him. (What exactly that entails wasn't said but the main thing was answered.)

Is the problem that things aren't spelled out clearly and bluntly enough? Does Richard have to come right out and say "I arrived on the Black Rock" or words to that effect before people will consider it answered satisfactorily? Would it be preferable if questions were answered the same episode they were raised? I don't think I'd like having everything spelled out like that. It takes away some of the mystery and the fun of speculating.
I feel like I'm strange because I'm enjoying this season. Maybe I'm just easily amused.
At any rate I'm interested to read what others think about this.

I'm starting to think that people are genuinely stressed out. There are what, 9 eps plus finale left, and every fan is scrambling to get his or hers fave mysteries answered.
One thinks it's super important who dropped the food crates and how(really? They were made by and for Dharma Initiative, and personally I don't need to know how or why: we know Dharma had money, we know they knew how to get to and from the Island- leaving the mystery of food drops not so much a mystery as it is a pure logistical piece of information that's completely redundant in the greater scope of things), someone else feels Harper is something that needs answering.

But for all those hardcore fan questions(I have a dear friend who's seen every episode of Lost, yet he had to ask about Arzt during Dr Linus, as he had forgotten him) we all have to remember(as someone else pointed out elsewhere): not all people buy the dvd boxes and watch them over and over and over again. I'm pretty happy for the creators to focus on the big mysteries that THEY want to answer. And seriously, what else do we have to do when it's over but to mull over details and answer unanswered questions with the info we will have?

No, this last season is just stressing people out. Some people seem completely incapable of relaxing and watching this as any other Lost season(in which we've never been given answers this early in the season). I don't think it's possible to satisfy the naysayers, in short. They're to distraught right now.

Great thread. I think blunt, straightforward answers aren't LOST's style, never have been. That said, I agree that maybe some want more emphatic answers. For me, the way Richard's past was revealed a little was perfect.

Also, it comes down to the old character vs. island debate. For those of us who were primarily invested in the characters, I think this season's working because we're getting to see them change/ redeem themselves in the Sideways, and that's rewarding in itself. I for one also firmly feel the Sideways are way more important than an idle 'what if' scenario, so I'm willing to wait and see it play out.

But I know there are many fans who were more interested in the sci-fi/ supernatural bit and they're likely the ones who developed the most intricate, cohesive theories. I think there might be some disappointment related to either not having your theory pan out, or more broadly, due to the feeling that maybe the island won't be explained in the way they'd wanted.

I think that there are two main kinds of naysayers, those who are genuinely upset and those who are trying to incite the rest of us into focusing on the negative or cheesy elements of the show.

Yes, regarding the second group of naysayers, I'm talking about plants in the fandom or Internet trolls...:D

The second group of naysayers are impossible to silence, because I believe that their whole purpose is for us to either lose faith in the writers or to show us that elements of the show are becoming deliberately outrageous. If it's the first, they are doing the same thing with us that we have seen several characters do to the people around them on the show. "How could you believe them? They never told you the answers, and they never will." Doesn't that sound like some recent speeches we have heard on the show? (See Maculate Initiatives's theory thread (http://forum.thefuselage.com/showthread.php?t=120864)). If it's the second, it means that some of the cheesier plot twists or elements of the show--i.e. poor CGI or that goofy little periscope--are actually clues about the nature of what we are watching.

For the people who are genuinely upset, I think it's a combination of some of the (in my opinion, purposefully) "weaker" elements of this season combined with putting Lost up on a pedestal. It's like meeting your perfect woman and finding out that she might not be who you thought she was at all. No one can live up to a fantasy, until you accept that maybe the real thing might be better.

I really don't think people will be unhappy if their theories are proved wrong, as long as the story is cohesive and the characters are dealt with fairly...it's when we appear to have episodes where the characters are weak or out of character combined with getting answers that lead to more questions and funny toy periscopes that people start to worry a little, I think.

Personally, I find the show and its puzzles refreshing and entertaining. Real life is what I find exhausting.

As said above, I think that with only 9 eps left, people are starting to get annoyed that what they may consider a "major question" might go unanswered, making the series less satisfying for them.

Personally speaking, the questions I want to see answered are:

(Things I think will be answered)

Why is Walt special?
What role does Desmond have to play? How is Faraday linked to him?
Why do people heal quickly on the island?
What's with all the Egyptian culture? (Statue, heiroglyphics)
Why can Hurley/Miles interact with the dead?
Where the F is Christian?

(Things I don't think will be answered)

What was up with the blast door map?
How does the wheel work?
Any explanation relating to the Valenzetti equation
Why children couldn't be born on the island
Anything to do with Ms Hawking

I was getting angry and annoyed through the first 6 episodes. I was treating every episode like it was a series finale and it could not possibly live up to that personal hype. Before "Dr. Linus" I came to terms that I was what was wrong with this season and I adjusted properly. I fell in love with the show again on Tuesday and it feels great.

The best hour of the week.

Let me offer a respectful opposing view. I'm glad we have such varied opinions of the show here. It would be so boring here if everyone was absolutely delighted with the show and could offer no suggestions or critiques :)

I don't understand the confusion you state about why there are "naysayers" :confused: Does anyone expect that a show can air with millions of viewers and have everybody completely happy with the way the show is going? I've got news ....it ain't gonna happen. We all have our ideas of how the show should play out, and we all have been waiting for literally years to get the big mysteries answered. What you're detecting, in the critical topics, is that many of us are getting very frustrated that they seem to still be dwelling on character development instead of giving us meat-and-potatoes answers, and time is most definitely running out :eek2:

On your OP:

What would it take to make the people who are complaining about the season say it is giving them what they want?
Exactly how many answers per episode would be enough and how definite do they have to be? (I know it's unlikely anyone can give a definite number but maybe people have a rough idea.) What would make a satisfying answer? (Does it have to be blunt and to the point?)
Last night's episode is a good example. It seemed to me that we were given a few answers. Looking at some threads in the section I see people saying we got none.
Here is what I thought was answered:


Richard did arrive on the Black Rock.
He can't die (at least he couldn't while Jacob was alive.)
He got that agelessness when Jacob touched him.
Jacob didn't want to die when Ben killed him.
The people Jacob touched are candidates to replace him. (What exactly that entails wasn't said but the main thing was answered.)

The episode didn't answer anything we didn't know already, and what it did answer was a trivial plot point.

Richard did arrive on the Black Rock - Thanks, but we already knew that.
He can't die (at least he couldn't while Jacob was alive.) - We already knew that.
Jacob didn't want to die when Ben killed him. - Not exactly an earth-shattering revelation, is it? It doesn't tell us anything.
The people Jacob touched are candidates to replace him. (What exactly that entails wasn't said but the main thing was answered.) We already knew that.

Don't get me wrong - it was a good episode - far better than Sundown or Lighthouse, but it didn't clear anything up in my mind. I was glad to see Alex return, but it seemed to be just a continuation of the broken-record character development loop the writers seem to be stuck on. I'm hoping it isn't just a gratuitous effort to bring back the actors that were killed off, with no substantial story contribution ...

I need hard answers at this point - not further sideflashes of how Sayid is struggling with his past, or how Jack has daddy issues and doesn't want to make the same mistakes with his son David ;)

Let me offer a respectful opposing view. I'm glad we have such varied opinions of the show here. It would be so boring here if everyone was absolutely delighted with the show and could offer no suggestions or critiques :)


The episode didn't answer anything we didn't know already, and what it did answer was a trivial plot point.

Richard did arrive on the Black Rock - Thanks, but we already knew that.
He can't die (at least he couldn't while Jacob was alive.) - We already knew that.
Jacob didn't want to die when Ben killed him. - Not exactly an earth-shattering revelation, is it? It doesn't tell us anything.
The people Jacob touched are candidates to replace him. (What exactly that entails wasn't said but the main thing was answered.) We already knew that.

I know some of those things had been touched on already. It just seemed to me that they were made clearer in this last episode.
I'm also wondering when it was revealed before this that Richard arrived on the Black Rock. I know it was theorized a lot but I can't remember anything on the show that proved it before now.


Don't get me wrong - it was a good episode - far better than Sundown or Lighthouse, but it didn't clear anything up in my mind. I was glad to see Alex return, but it seemed to be just a continuation of the broken-record character development loop the writers seem to be stuck on. I'm hoping it isn't just a gratuitous effort to bring back the actors that were killed off, with no substantial story contribution ...

I need hard answers at this point - not further sideflashes of how Sayid is struggling with his past, or how Jack has daddy issues and doesn't want to make the same mistakes with his son David ;)

Exactly what hard answers do you want? That's what I'm curious about. Do you need to know the exact nature of the island right now? Or what Jacob and MIB really are? I'm confident those kind of hard answers will be revealed by the series finale. I don't really want them revealed quite yet though. It would take away from the mystery of the final episodes if they were.

I'm also wondering when it was revealed before this that Richard arrived on the Black Rock. I know it was theorized a lot but I can't remember anything on the show that proved it before now.When MIB/Flocke says to Richard "You look better without the shackles". It had also been stated that Richard had been on the island for a long, long time. That fits with a mid-19th century shipwreck on the island.




Exactly what hard answers do you want? That's what I'm curious about. Do you need to know the exact nature of the island right now? Or what Jacob and MIB really are? I'm confident those kind of hard answers will be revealed by the series finale. I don't really want them revealed quite yet though. It would take away from the mystery of the final episodes if they were.Aside from the two biggest mysteries that you mentioned, and I'm sure they will reveal those eventually, here's a list of big mysteries, and a list of minor mysteries that I'd like to see answered. The first list is what I consider vital. The second list could be only partially explained without taking too much away from the story:

Vital questions that must be answered (for me, anyways ;) ):

The exact nature of the statue - any ancient Egyptian connection?
Adam and Eve - Who were they?
What happened to Christian Shephard?
Why is Walt special? Was his power to make things happen connected to Jacob ...or MIB?
What is the backgammon connection?
Did Walt bilocate when he appeared to Shannion and Sayid? Or was it a ghost?
Why is Aaron special?
Why was Libby in Santa Rosa?
Who is the blond-haired boy in the jungle? Jacob? Aaron? Someone else?
What is Sun's partnership with Widmore?
Why wasn't Sun warped back to 1974 with the other Losties from Ajira 316?
What happened to Charlie after Jack revived him in Flight 815's lavatory?
Why did Desmond disappear off the plane?
Why is the island underwater in the Alt. timeline? Is it a parallel universe?
Why did the Black Rock wreck on the island? Just so Richard could be there?
Was Richard a slave or a mutineer on the Black Rock?
Why did the Others have lists? Why were they recruiting "good" people? As possible candidates?
Is there a connection between the events in the two timelines? Do they affect each other? How?
Why were the numbers originally broadcast from the island?
What ARE the numbers, aside from being assigned to candidates? How did Hurley win using those numbers?
Are the numbers cursed? Are they magical? Are they related to the Torah's numerical decryption? Maybe the Bible?
Was the only reason Penny hired the Slavic arctic listening team merely to look for an electromagnetic event, or was it also to protect the island? What is Penny's role?
Did Ben give up on his efforts to kill Penny, or does he plan to get her once off the island?
Is the whole story a dream by Hurley while in a catatonic trance, as Dave suggested?
Where is Bernard in the alternate timeline? Rose was married to him, yet she lives in LA now and not New York.
Will Jin and Sun ever meet up?
Are Jin and Sun together one candidate, or is just one of them a candidate? Which one?

Lesser mysteries that I'd like to see answered, but can live without:

Does David (Libby's late husband) have any connection to the Losties?
Why did Kate keep seeing the black horse?
What's the connection of the Hanso Foundation to the Black Rock?
Was the sickness real? If so, what was it?
Why did the Swan have "Quarantine" on the inside of the hatch?
Who is still making the supply drops?
Are the DeGroots still involved with the island?
Why did the government go away after the 1954 others killed them? Was it because they couldn't find the island again? Normally the government doesn't just forget about missing hydrogen bombs.
Why the hand-carved Ankh that Hurley delivered to Dogen? Why not just a note?
Why nothing about Boone? Where's Shannon in the alt. timeline?
Where is Kate's mother in the alt. timeline? Is she dead?
Who is David's mother?
Why didn't Jack remember the appendix removal?
Why the blast doors in the hatch, while the air ducts were open and passable?
Why were the computers in the hatch never updated from '70s technology, yet the washer and dryer were?

WHEW!! :rolleyes: Lots and lots more, but I'm tired of typing :biggrin:

Capmaster, I agree with your list of questions that should be answered.

And for everyone that says "just enjoy the ride, they'll answer all the questions by the end" let me ask you this -- do you want ALL of the answers crammed into two hours? Seriously? Because if that is the plan Darlton have than I have to say "no thanks".

And for everyone that says "just enjoy the ride, they'll answer all the questions by the end" let me ask you this -- do you want ALL of the answers crammed into two hours?

I think people saying that are just echoing interviews where the producers and writers have said wait until the end, enjoy the mystery, we have no idea yet, et cetera.

Seriously? Because if that is the plan Darlton have than I have to say "no thanks".

Since by this time the writers have written pretty much the entire season, I'm sure that fans' opinions really won't affect how they decide to develop the plotline or reveal answers on the show, though.

As much as I'd eventually like the answers on the show, I would much rather have an amazing 2 hour finale that I can say ended the show perfectly, than a two hour download of information forced into a narrative. I'm really excited about the March 23rd episode that is supposed to run 6 minutes over time.

I don't agree with the argument that if mysteries were revealed then this show would be boring. If we knew every secret to the island right now, the story would be forced to stand on its own, without any cliffhangers. And I think it would succeed. But it looks like we'll never know. I would welcome the opportunity to understand each character as they fit into the bigger picture, and I would welcome it before we're in spitting distance of the finale. Wouldn't it be nice to process each one of Jack/Sawyer/Kate/MiB/Jacob's actions through the greater context, as opposed to being out of the loop? To be emotionally invested and know who to root for? I would welcome that.

And when anything is revealed, it leads to another question. So Richard arrived on the Blackrock. Okay. What happened to the rest of the crew? What was your role on the ship? And the writers could have made it more momentous - given it more bite than, "Richard arrived on the Blackrock." Great.

Besides this fact had already been deduced by most viewers. But revelations aren't my biggest gripe. I'm more frustrated over how each character has no problem with being uninformed. When Jack had an opportunity to get some answers out of Richard, he asked "You knew (Jacob)?" Richard tells him yes, and Jack stops the questions there. WHAT!!! No follow up question!! No one would not come back with a follow up question!! NO ONE!!!

How about this:

Jack: "So if you know who Jacob is, then tell me everything you know about him. Why is this island so important?"
Richard: "I can't. Each candidate has to find this out for himself."
Jack: "Damn you people! Tell me what is going on! Tell me now!"
Richard: "I can't. Sorry."

That would have been a much more honest script. But the writers chose to just frustrate instead. This is what makes the characters in Lost unrelatable.

Also, the writing is just bad. If Jack wants to force Richard to answer questions, shouldn't he make him do so before he lights the dynamite? If Richard believes he's going to die at Jack's hand at that moment, why should he feel obliged to answer? Seems like bad logic.

I think people saying that are just echoing interviews where the producers and writers have said wait until the end, enjoy the mystery, we have no idea yet, et cetera.


Since by this time the writers have written pretty much the entire season, I'm sure that fans' opinions really won't affect how they decide to develop the plotline or reveal answers on the show, though.

Of course nothing is going to influence the show at this point, it's long since been written and probably mostly filmed (I doubt Darlton were ever influenced by the fans of the show, but that is just my opinion).

But for me, a good story involves a mystery that is revealed in layers over time, not a prize to be revealed at the end of the race.

I may give the show one more episode, but I doubt it. "Dr. Linus" was a great episode to me even though it didn't reveal much. I'd rather end on a high note :cool:

I may give the show one more episode, but I doubt it. "Dr. Linus" was a great episode to me even though it didn't reveal much. I'd rather end on a high note :cool:

Ah, that's a shame, you're one of my favs to talk Lost with even though you seem to have developed a cynical streak once the show started up again. :)

In the first few episodes of season 2, a big mystery was presented to us that made us ask a big question.
What was "the incident?"

It took almost 3 full seasons to answer the question and it had to take that long. They could not have answered that question without revealing 3 years of story that led up to it. Could you imagine what kind of podcast Q&A that would have made?

"Hey Darlton, what was this incident that they talked about in the Swan Station orientation film in last week's episode? "

"Well, to answer your question, it was Jack and others' attempt to negate the crash of Flight 815 and everything that led up to it. This happened in 1977 when they went back in time after returning to the island on another plane flight. They were there because they were concvinced by the death of John Locke to return, but he was just being manipulated by Jacob's nemesis for the better part of the series to find a loophole to kill Jacob. Oh, and Jacob is the Others' spiritual leader but you won't hear about him for a year and a half from now. Everyone still going to tune in?"

I would love answers to everything. I would also like those answers to be organic to the storyline. It would be awkward to crowbar in information in spots that make no sense with the story being told. If they never get around to answering the Dharma food drop question, I'll just have to come to terms that Dharma was a secret organization with tons of financial backing and as unsexy as it may be, a helicopter probably just dropped it in for whatever reason. I'm not going to lose sleep over it and will enjoy a handful of things to discuss on here and with friends.

Capmaster, I agree with your list of questions that should be answered.

And for everyone that says "just enjoy the ride, they'll answer all the questions by the end" let me ask you this -- do you want ALL of the answers crammed into two hours? Seriously? Because if that is the plan Darlton have than I have to say "no thanks".
I don't want the answers revealed all in one episode either. Hopefully they'll be revealed little by little as the season continues. Having the major reveals in the finale would be good though. (Not all of them. Just a couple of the most major.)

When MIB/Flocke says to Richard "You look better without the shackles". It had also been stated that Richard had been on the island for a long, long time. That fits with a mid-19th century shipwreck on the island.

Those are all very good clues. I just never really considered them proof of anything. (Maybe I just didn't see it.) What we got in this past episode seemed a lot clearer.
Also, I thought the shackles comment could be referring to Richard's long service to Jacob instead of literal shackles somewhere. (I figured it did mean he was chained on the Black Rock but I wasn't discounting the other ways that comment could be taken.)

Aside from the two biggest mysteries that you mentioned, and I'm sure they will reveal those eventually, here's a list of big mysteries, and a list of minor mysteries that I'd like to see answered. The first list is what I consider vital. The second list could be only partially explained without taking too much away from the story:

Vital questions that must be answered (for me, anyways ;) ):

The exact nature of the statue - any ancient Egyptian connection?
Adam and Eve - Who were they?
What happened to Christian Shephard?
Why is Walt special? Was his power to make things happen connected to Jacob ...or MIB?
What is the backgammon connection?
Did Walt bilocate when he appeared to Shannion and Sayid? Or was it a ghost?
Why is Aaron special?
Why was Libby in Santa Rosa?
Who is the blond-haired boy in the jungle? Jacob? Aaron? Someone else?
What is Sun's partnership with Widmore?
Why wasn't Sun warped back to 1974 with the other Losties from Ajira 316?
What happened to Charlie after Jack revived him in Flight 815's lavatory?
Why did Desmond disappear off the plane?
Why is the island underwater in the Alt. timeline? Is it a parallel universe?
Why did the Black Rock wreck on the island? Just so Richard could be there?
Was Richard a slave or a mutineer on the Black Rock?
Why did the Others have lists? Why were they recruiting "good" people? As possible candidates?
Is there a connection between the events in the two timelines? Do they affect each other? How?
Why were the numbers originally broadcast from the island?
What ARE the numbers, aside from being assigned to candidates? How did Hurley win using those numbers?
Are the numbers cursed? Are they magical? Are they related to the Torah's numerical decryption? Maybe the Bible?
Was the only reason Penny hired the Slavic arctic listening team merely to look for an electromagnetic event, or was it also to protect the island? What is Penny's role?
Did Ben give up on his efforts to kill Penny, or does he plan to get her once off the island?
Is the whole story a dream by Hurley while in a catatonic trance, as Dave suggested?
Where is Bernard in the alternate timeline? Rose was married to him, yet she lives in LA now and not New York.
Will Jin and Sun ever meet up?
Are Jin and Sun together one candidate, or is just one of them a candidate? Which one?Wow. That's a big list.
I'm curious about the answers to a lot of those things too. Hopefully they will be revealed as the story unfolds in the final episodes. I wouldn't be surprised if the Richard questions are answered in his episode and I read a spoiler about an upcoming episode that has scenes with Desmond, Charlie, and Widmore so the question about Charlie will likely be answered.(I'm assuming we'll be seeing Charlie in the AU since he is dead in the main timeline.)
I'm thinking though that a few of those things, like about Libby may not be dealt with.I can't remember where but I'm almost positive I read somewhere that nothing much more is going to be done with Libby's story.

I can understand if that isn't answered. There are so many things to be dealt with and so many loose ends to tie up that they can't answer everything and do it justice. I'll be happy if they handle the really important things and things that are impacting the story this season. (Not that Libby isn't important. It's just that the story has moved past that part.)
It would be great if every question raised in past seasons could be answered. Unfortunately that doesn't seem very possible in the episodes that are left.

I wouldn't describe myself as a naysayer, but I am incredibly difficult to please when it comes to this show.

As for me, I've hated the first six episodes of this season. They're incredibly frustrating, the Flash-Sideways are just annoying and detracting from the Island timeline, etc. I've got a million complaints. But I will say this -- a single thing would appease me fully. If the writers just came out and admitted they really don't give a crap about the more serious Lost fans and have no plans to answer 99% of the unanswered questions of the show.

If they writers just came out and said they have no intention of answering all our questions, I'd say, "Oh, okay, cool. Well, I'll watch the rest of the show without any expectations, then, and just enjoy the ride."

The problem is, the writers have been saying from day one, "Just be patient for one more week and all your dreams will come true." They're simply making promises and breaking them time and time and time again. Also, they're lying outright. Back in 2004/2005, all the writers swore up and down that the mystery of Lost had absolutely nothing to do with time-travelling. Blatant lies!

I'm more of a book reader than a television watcher, so my ambiguity tolerance is incredibly high. I adore endings where major concepts are left totally up in the air. For instance, The Shawshank Redemption -- it ends with the main character disappeared, and the cynic whose life he changed making vague plans to go look for him and rekindle their friendship in the outside world (they were in prison together). End of story. We aren't told what happens next, if they ever even meet again, or anything like that. But because the story is tightly-plotted and well-written, that's fine.

The thing is, even though Lost is ahead of the curve as far as television, it'd make for one crummy series of books. The writing is great...for television, but doesn't cut the crust if you compare it to literature. As such, all this runaround nonsense, all the dangling a carrot in front of the horse's face we've been getting is just frustrating and annoying.

BUT! And this is important -- if the writers stopped trying to act like they've got some grand, cosmic, godly Plan and just admitted, "Look, we're doing the best we can, but we bit off more than we can chew, so we're gonna try and wrap up the main storyline, but are gonna have to leave thousands of strings dangling." then I'd be pleased.

That's all it'd take to appease me -- the writers to stop acting like gods and admit that Lost is a failed experiment. They tried their damndest to do a TV serial right, and they did a damn sight better than X-Files and The Prisoner and Twin Peaks in terms of staying on-task, but ultimately, they failed to tell a linear story as well as a novel might.

So, if the writers would admit that they bit off more than they could chew and are makeshifting as best they can, if they stopped making promises they couldn't deliver and if they admitted they don't give a crap about Lost's fanbase outside of the Neilson ratings, I'd be satisfied.

(Of course, no matter what, I still think Smokey being some random dude is really, really, really, really lame. I wanted Smokey to be some otherworldly entity beyond comprehension, not some schmoe with a chip on his shoulder. Also, when casting Jacob, did they specify "douchey-looking white guy, late twenties early thirties; must look like his parents are putting him through college" or what? Lost has impeccible casting...except Jacob. Seriously, the godly Jacob looks like a gas-station attendant. And not a very skilled one at that.)

Also, they're lying outright. Back in 2004/2005, all the writers swore up and down that the mystery of Lost had absolutely nothing to do with time-travelling. Blatant lies!


Unlike every other show out there, TPTB make them selves available to the audience. Even as far as doing routine podcasts where they take Q&A's. Knowing TT would explain series wide plot points, you can't answer that question truthfully or else after every single episode there would be 20 questions like "when Jack found the caves, was that a time traveling Jack or real Jack." It would have come up constantly for years. How annoying would that have been. They are responsible of creating a mystery based television show and part of that task is keeping some bigger mysteries a secret until it's time to reveal them.

They are not poloticians or my parents. I don't care if they lie to me about plot points.

Aside from the two biggest mysteries that you mentioned, and I'm sure they will reveal those eventually, here's a list of big mysteries, and a list of minor mysteries that I'd like to see answered. The first list is what I consider vital. The second list could be only partially explained without taking too much away from the story:

Vital questions that must be answered (for me, anyways ;) ):

The exact nature of the statue - any ancient Egyptian connection?
Adam and Eve - Who were they?
What happened to Christian Shephard?
Why is Walt special? Was his power to make things happen connected to Jacob ...or MIB?
What is the backgammon connection?
Did Walt bilocate when he appeared to Shannion and Sayid? Or was it a ghost?
Why is Aaron special?
Why was Libby in Santa Rosa?
Who is the blond-haired boy in the jungle? Jacob? Aaron? Someone else?
What is Sun's partnership with Widmore?
Why wasn't Sun warped back to 1974 with the other Losties from Ajira 316?
What happened to Charlie after Jack revived him in Flight 815's lavatory?
Why did Desmond disappear off the plane?
Why is the island underwater in the Alt. timeline? Is it a parallel universe?
Why did the Black Rock wreck on the island? Just so Richard could be there?
Was Richard a slave or a mutineer on the Black Rock?
Why did the Others have lists? Why were they recruiting "good" people? As possible candidates?
Is there a connection between the events in the two timelines? Do they affect each other? How?
Why were the numbers originally broadcast from the island?
What ARE the numbers, aside from being assigned to candidates? How did Hurley win using those numbers?
Are the numbers cursed? Are they magical? Are they related to the Torah's numerical decryption? Maybe the Bible?
Was the only reason Penny hired the Slavic arctic listening team merely to look for an electromagnetic event, or was it also to protect the island? What is Penny's role?
Did Ben give up on his efforts to kill Penny, or does he plan to get her once off the island?
Is the whole story a dream by Hurley while in a catatonic trance, as Dave suggested?
Where is Bernard in the alternate timeline? Rose was married to him, yet she lives in LA now and not New York.
Will Jin and Sun ever meet up?
Are Jin and Sun together one candidate, or is just one of them a candidate? Which one?



I have a feeling you are going to be disappointed. A lot of these questions are just not important to the overall story as a whole.
100%

That's all it'd take to appease me -- the writers to stop acting like gods and admit that Lost is a failed experiment. They tried their damndest to do a TV serial right, and they did a damn sight better than X-Files and The Prisoner and Twin Peaks in terms of staying on-task, but ultimately, they failed to tell a linear story as well as a novel might.

So, if the writers would admit that they bit off more than they could chew and are makeshifting as best they can, if they stopped making promises they couldn't deliver and if they admitted they don't give a crap about Lost's fanbase outside of the Neilson ratings, I'd be satisfied.



This is just unfair. I don't see how you can call the show a failed experiment. If you really believed that why would you have kept watching it for so long?

There is a big difference between a novel and a TV series - the author of a novel can continually go back and revise earlier chapters to meet the needs of the storytelling in later chapters - all without anyone having seen those earlier chapters (other than the editors, of course). A TV series does not have that luxury - once the earlier episodes are out there, they cannot be revised. So writers for a show like Lost have a built-in handicap that writers of books do not have. (and heaven forbid there is some unexpected event like an actor getting arrested or taking a role on another show) Moreover, writers for a TV series are under considerable time constraints that book authors don't have to worry about. OK sometimes book authors have deadlines but if they are missed the publisher might get angry, and the publicity tour rescheduled, but that's about it. TV writers have to complete scripts so that episodes can be filmed, edited, post-produced and distributed to meet tight broadcast schedules. And every day of delay costs lots of money.

So I don't see Lost as a failure by any means, even if the writing is not perfect, and even if there are continuity errors and everyone's questions are not answered, and even if it looks like the writers change directions from time to time. It's about as good as TV can get.

Also, when casting Jacob, did they specify "douchey-looking white guy, late twenties early thirties; must look like his parents are putting him through college" or what? Lost has impeccible casting...except Jacob. Seriously, the godly Jacob looks like a gas-station attendant. And not a very skilled one at that.)HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Thank you for giving me a good laugh this morning! And, BTW, excellent post with some good points! :cool: I don't agree with all your points, however, like this one:

That's all it'd take to appease me -- the writers to stop acting like gods and admit that Lost is a failed experiment.I wouldn't say that. I think that statement is far too harsh. I think Lost is a superb show ....SUPERB! But that's just my opinion, and we all know what they say about opinions ;)

Perhaps it's the engineer in me that says "It's great, but ...it could have been better if they had done this or that differently ..." I only say that because of my fondness for the show - I care that they might have overlooked some things. This is the only TV show I've ever been this enraptured by, and I've seen quite a few very good shows over the years (M*A*S*H, Cheers, All In The Family, Married ..With Children, Tour Of Duty, Dark Shadows (original), Crime Story ...just to name a few off the top of my head). NONE have made me anticipate every week's next episode like Lost has. Lost has the right formula, despite some rough edges :cool:

But I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who felt Jacob was sadly mis-cast. When they first showed him and identified who he is, I thought "You've gotta be kidding!? THIS is the mysterious Jacob? He looks like a store clerk at Best Buy!" :eek: :biggrin: I had expected someone wise and sage-looking. I never voiced my disapproval here about their choice of Mark Pellegrino (http://lostpedia.wikia.com/index.php?title=Special:Interstitial&u=%2Fwiki%2FMark_Pellegrino) because I wanted to give him a chance - after all, TPTB had chosen this actor for some reason. Now that his character is gone (almost), I feel that he must have been some Bad Robot honcho's nephew from Idaho who need a big break :rolleyes:

Oh well ...it's not the first time. Who can explain their choice of Kiele Sanchez and Rodrigo Santoro (Nikki/Paulo), and their irrational devotion to those two characters to the point of actually refilming the beach crash scenes to include those two, just to kill them off in a few episodes with no apparent contribution to the show? :confused: They were probably someone's relatives :undecide: Expose ranks as the second worst episode for me, right behind Stranger In A Strange Land (tattoo episode), the show's ultimate clinker, IMHO.

Since TPTB deliberately misled us about time travel, did they perhaps also mislead us about a religious underpinning to the story? I think it's possible. There are far too many biblical references for them to be coincidence or a random choice of phrasing. I'm of the mind that TPTB pay excruciating attention to little details. It doesn't fit that they would choose a particular phrasing merely by chance.

I may give the show one more episode, but I doubt it. "Dr. Linus" was a great episode to me even though it didn't reveal much. I'd rather end on a high note :cool:I'll be disappointed. I have enjoyed your posts :frown: I myself will continue to watch Lost through to its end. It's far too good to turn off, and I already have a lot of time invested in rewatches to absorb all the details. I seriously think my body would develop withdrawal symptoms if I were to stop "cold turkey" without some sort of professional intervention :biggrin:

To address the OP:

I once again put forth that my contention with the show does not lie solely with the lack of answers. In fact, that is a rather minor part of it. I think the same is probably true for a lot of the people who are criticizing it now.

What would make me happy?
Some cohesiveness to the narrative. Understandable motivation for what any of the characters are doing anymore (besides Sawyer I guess). Some sense that all which transpired over the last 5 seasons wasn't almost completely ignorable. Some meaningful context for character development going on in the flash-sideways. More substance than action, or at least, some discernible meaning behind the action. A sense that this is really the polished, highly-perfected, culmination to a wonderful show that this season should be, and not this sloppy, tossed-together, last ditch effort.

This season should be going above and beyond the call of duty, not using cliched crutches, or recycling Lost-standards from seasons past. It should be awe inspiring, not simply passable.

Finally, yes, we should be getting some answers. Mostly to those giant plot lines that entire seasons-past revolved around. If they are saving everything for the finale, then what is the point of doing an entire season which consists mostly of characters twiddling their thumbs until something happens? To me it feels almost like they wrote some brilliant finale, felt they could finally relax, and then realized "oh crap, we have an entire season to fill out before that happens!" EVERY episode this season should be very meaningful, very well-thought-out, and not simply something to fill the time until the finale.

I'm starting to feel like they should of ended the show last season. If they wrote the last few episodes slightly differently, they could of ended the show with the bomb blowing up, and then flight 815 landing safely, and that would be the end. Sure, questions would be left unanswered (although it appears they will be anyways, so what would it matter), and some people will be enraged that everything is reset (but some people will be enraged no matter what), but I think it would of been vastly more satisfying than this painful drudge we are slogging through right now.

Better to go out with a bang than a whimper.

I don't agree with the argument that if mysteries were revealed then this show would be boring... snip

And when anything is revealed, it leads to another question. So Richard arrived on the Blackrock. Okay. What happened to the rest of the crew? What was your role on the ship? And the writers could have made it more momentous - given it more bite than, "Richard arrived on the Blackrock." Great.

snip... " I'm more frustrated over how each character has no problem with being uninformed. When Jack had an opportunity to get some answers out of Richard, he asked "You knew (Jacob)?" Richard tells him yes, and Jack stops the questions there. WHAT!!! No follow up question!! No one would not come back with a follow up question!! NO ONE!!!

How about this:

Jack: "So if you know who Jacob is, then tell me everything you know about him. Why is this island so important?"
Richard: "I can't. Each candidate has to find this out for himself."
Jack: "Damn you people! Tell me what is going on! Tell me now!"
Richard: "I can't. Sorry."

That would have been a much more honest script. But the writers chose to just frustrate instead. This is what makes the characters in Lost unrelatable.

Also, the writing is just bad. If Jack wants to force Richard to answer questions, shouldn't he make him do so before he lights the dynamite? If Richard believes he's going to die at Jack's hand at that moment, why should he feel obliged to answer? Seems like bad logic.

Jimmy's got most of it right, here, and a few other posts say almost everything i want to say, so just a few notes..

First, thank for starting the forum with restraint. Although I do read a subtext of condescension, no need to say "isn't it blunt enough?". That is a sideways slap at the intelligence of folks who don't like the way the show has turned out.
Having been attacked with the most vicious of slurs and profanity questioning my sexual orientation and ownership of genitalia when I posted negative comments about the show at assorted forums over the years, I appreciate your asking so nicely.

As for demanding answers, no. I'm a big fan of several directors who don't answer the questions - Richard Kelly, David Lynch, movies like the Machinist and The Rapture. The difference between those and Lost are, simply - they are original and engaging with non-cliched scripts, taking left turns and surprising you. Lost does the opposite. Has there been an episode in the past 3 years that didn't feature bumping into someone in the jungle, Hurley musing about food, chartacters dodging questions and ben bugging his eyes out? maybe a half dozen. The series is more repetitive than Gilligan's Island.

Since what i don't like is so well covered by others, let me specific to your question - as a naysayer, what would satisfy me?
Honestly, at this point, they can't satisfy me on the show overall. Even if the next 9 episodes were gold, the last 40 or so have been mostly awful IMHO, due to factors described above.
What I HOPE FOR - a finish that does NOT invalidate everything we've wondered about, ie: a dream, virtual reality, pocket universe, any ending that excuses them from explaining some of the larger laws of physics so frequently broken in the show. Like an island that "moves in time and space" but doesn't create a tsunami when it appears or reappears, and apparently floats in the water like a boat rather than being part of a land mass.
I hope i just can't see an ending that doesn't involve the "a wizard did it" and that the show will really blow me away.

I may be a naysayer but i care enough about the show to keep musing on it.. so don't flame me, bro!

http://www.flicksnshows.com/images/smilies/Generic/undecided.gif

Also, the writing is just bad. If Jack wants to force Richard to answer questions, shouldn't he make him do so before he lights the dynamite? If Richard believes he's going to die at Jack's hand at that moment, why should he feel obliged to answer? Seems like bad logic.

I saw it being Jack is now so 'faithful' that he wasn't expecting Richard to answer anything until the fuse went out. Did he even hesitate for a second? A reasonable course of action for a man now so sure of Jacob's power/control over their lives, pretty logical writing IMO.

I don't know what could satisfy me at this point, I have been disappointed by the show for the last 2 and a half seasons, and I can't see how that could be rectified. I guess it is possible, but there are so many things which stick out to me as ill-conceived, rather than "mysteries", that I don't think they will be solved.

I am happy for some things to not be specifically answered, but there are so many things which really do need explaining, otherwise there is just no way to look back at the episodes and understand what's going on. That makes the episodes just nonsensical, not mysterious, if there is no answer.

The lack of answers seems to me to be an indication that the writers do not know what they are doing, and had no direction for some of the "mysteries" when they wrote them.

Beyond that, in my opinion, the general writing, themes, and dialogue are now stale and just amateurish. The show is presented like it is intelligent and witty, but I don't feel that way anymore. Ever since time travel was introduced, I have been frustrated, since as an intelligent person, I know what is logical and what isn't (within the time travel mechanic they introduced) and they got it all wrong.

Note: I didn't say they shouldn't put anything supernatural / science fictional into the show, I said that within the mechanic that they presented, it still doesn't work, it contradicts itself. That is the nature of time travel unfortunately, especially when traveling back in time, it's pretty much impossible to write it properly without nonsensical outcomes.

I watch the show now mainly just to vindicate my feelings about the show. I can hardly say that Lost never made any sense if I haven't watched the whole thing. So I feel I need to in order to have a cohesive point of view.

My disappointment over the show should not impact on anybody else's enjoyment though. I don't know why it would upset anyone else to read my points of view - and I mainly stick to the "didn't love it" thread, since I don't see the point in sharing my views with those who like the show, apart from in a thread like this.

Okay, NOTE, I do not mean to offend with the following idea. It's cruel and unusual, but.. it would make me feel better about season 6..
I would like to see them turn the tables on us in the flash-sideways, surprise us as they used to in S1. One of the delights of S1 (that became annoying, predictable cliche in later seasons) was the surprise reverse. If the flashback made it seem like the character was doing one thing, by the end you realized he was doing another. The Locke epsiode launched the idea, and it got overused until you expected it - if flashback showed character trying to hurt someone they were really helping, if they were gonna get good news it was bad, etc.
ANYWAY.
Nothing would please me more than to un-redeem Dr. Linus.. have an additional flash-sideways show him try to abuse the student he helped. That his motivation was Creepy Child Predator not Help A Bright Young Girl.
That sort of thing is what used to keep me watching Lost.. exceeding my expectations on darkness and taking left turns i could not predict..
Doubt this will happen. Think the incredibly evil, sly, devious, frightening Ben is now a misunderstood guy who wasn't properly loved. Oh my, that is a HUGE letdown.

I think it was fairly clear that he cared about Alex and was horrified at the idea of someone abusing her, so that wouldn't fit in my opinion...but sometimes I wonder if Michael Emerson is still playing the same character that we were introduced to, I think a lot of characters switch actors. He might switch back to someone else.

First, thank for starting the forum with restraint. Although I do read a subtext of condescension, no need to say "isn't it blunt enough?". That is a sideways slap at the intelligence of folks who don't like the way the show has turned out.
Having been attacked with the most vicious of slurs and profanity questioning my sexual orientation and ownership of genitalia when I posted negative comments about the show at assorted forums over the years, I appreciate your asking so nicely.

I'm sorry if my original post sounded condescending. I never intended for it to come off that way.
As for the "isn't it blunt enough" comment, perhaps I should have phrased that differently. I was genuinely interested in whether or not subtle answers were good enough and I never thought it could be taken as a dig at anyone's intelligence.
It's really too bad that some people who disagree with a viewpoint have to resort to name calling and bashing. All opinions are valid and should be respected regardless if you agree with them or not.

Nothing would please me more than to un-redeem Dr. Linus.. have an additional flash-sideways show him try to abuse the student he helped. That his motivation was Creepy Child Predator not Help A Bright Young Girl.
That's an interesting idea. I could possibly see Ben turning bad again. I can't see him becoming a child predator though. (I also doubt the show would want to go that direction anyway.) Ben (in either reality we've seen) just doesn't strike me as that type. A manipulator and player of mind games definitely. (Also someone who would put his own agenda above others.) I'll be interested to see if hes' really changed or not. (On the island.)

Finally, yes, we should be getting some answers. Mostly to those giant plot lines that entire seasons-past revolved around. If they are saving everything for the finale, then what is the point of doing an entire season which consists mostly of characters twiddling their thumbs until something happens? To me it feels almost like they wrote some brilliant finale, felt they could finally relax, and then realized "oh crap, we have an entire season to fill out before that happens!" EVERY episode this season should be very meaningful, very well-thought-out, and not simply something to fill the time until the finale.

I'm starting to feel like they should of ended the show last season. If they wrote the last few episodes slightly differently, they could of ended the show with the bomb blowing up, and then flight 815 landing safely, and that would be the end. Sure, questions would be left unanswered (although it appears they will be anyways, so what would it matter), and some people will be enraged that everything is reset (but some people will be enraged no matter what), but I think it would of been vastly more satisfying than this painful drudge we are slogging through right now.

What would make an episode more meaningful? That's one of the things I'm having a hard time understanding. (Probably because I've found most of the episodes this season meaningful enough for me.) Do several major questions have to be answered in each one?

I can see your point about the show ending last season. At the same time I don't think I would have liked that. Too much would have been left hanging. (Stuff will be left hanging this way too but it probably won't be as much.) Now, if they ended the show last season and then made a movie or two to tie things up (Like Stargate did) that might have worked well.

There's really only one pre season 4 mystery that I want answered (excluding stuff that is still having or will have ramifications - Smokey, "infection" and stuff like that) and I'd really appreciate any input. My question is this: if everybody in the Dharma initiative was wiped out in 1992, why did they keep sending people into the Swan and dropping food crates where the Others could easily get them? If they wanted the button to be pushed, why only have two people in there? As long as they're sending people to the island, why not try to re-establish their presence there, either by force or by trying to co-exist with the Others again?

What would make an episode more meaningful? That's one of the things I'm having a hard time understanding. (Probably because I've found most of the episodes this season meaningful enough for me.) Do several major questions have to be answered in each one?.

That's a good clarification of the thread, and I have an answer... it would be more meaningful to me if the characters tried to get answers, or had motivations that made a lcik of sense. I know that's an old complaint, but it really is exhausting to go through all the "not right now" "you wouldn't believe me" and "why the heck would he do that??" stuff.
Why this ruins the show for me? I cannot suspend my disbelief and invest interest in these people and their journey. I don't LIKE being reminded there are bad, or at the very least unimaginative, writers making characters behave like clueless idiots. The shows i've enjoyed had me hanging on the words of the characters, and both understanding their motivations and wondering where their journey would take them. The Shield, even Battlestar Galactica, those felt like real, thinking people.
It all falls under the Suspension Of Disblief. I can suspend disbelief on a smoke monster or even time travel because i don't have any experience with them and don't know how they'd function. But I KNOW how people function, reason, inquire, panic - it's nothing like the lost cast are behaving. I know how distance works, and the time it takes to walk from my house to the mailbox does NOT vary from 2 hours to 16 hours. I know if you release 6 people into a 40-mile wide jungle, they will NOT bump into each other every 5 minutes..

etc., etc.

It's this lack of making the real world aspects believable that infuriates me and makes me not give a hoot. It makes Lost feels more like a high school stage play - if a big curtain falls down over the island and everybody takes a bow, I won't be shocked. (actually, yes i will ;-)

Hope hope hope the flash sideways will turn ugly and they will see that if they didn't crash and die on the island, they would ruin the lives of many. That would help.. sad and powerful if they do it right.

Unlike every other show out there, TPTB make them selves available to the audience. Even as far as doing routine podcasts where they take Q&A's. Knowing TT would explain series wide plot points, you can't answer that question truthfully or else after every single episode there would be 20 questions like "when Jack found the caves, was that a time traveling Jack or real Jack." It would have come up constantly for years. How annoying would that have been. They are responsible of creating a mystery based television show and part of that task is keeping some bigger mysteries a secret until it's time to reveal them.

They are not poloticians or my parents. I don't care if they lie to me about plot points.
You're neglecting the fact that they hand-select which "questions" to "answer" on the podcasts. They could have simply kept their mouthes shut about time travel. I mean, there's a million fan theories, they've only responded to a tiny handful; why'd they choose time travel? Plus, lying about a plot twist just makes them seem desperate, like they didn't have faith that the twist was any good, so they had to trick the audience in order to make it more of a surprise.

Also, I think I explained pretty well why I do care if they lie. The point of this thread isn't for goody-goodies to question the naysayers, is it? If you want an explanation, I'll give it to you. If you don't like my explanation; tough.

This is just unfair. I don't see how you can call the show a failed experiment. If you really believed that why would you have kept watching it for so long?

There is a big difference between a novel and a TV series - the author of a novel can continually go back and revise earlier chapters to meet the needs of the storytelling in later chapters - all without anyone having seen those earlier chapters (other than the editors, of course). A TV series does not have that luxury - once the earlier episodes are out there, they cannot be revised. So writers for a show like Lost have a built-in handicap that writers of books do not have. (and heaven forbid there is some unexpected event like an actor getting arrested or taking a role on another show) Moreover, writers for a TV series are under considerable time constraints that book authors don't have to worry about. OK sometimes book authors have deadlines but if they are missed the publisher might get angry, and the publicity tour rescheduled, but that's about it. TV writers have to complete scripts so that episodes can be filmed, edited, post-produced and distributed to meet tight broadcast schedules. And every day of delay costs lots of money.

So I don't see Lost as a failure by any means, even if the writing is not perfect, and even if there are continuity errors and everyone's questions are not answered, and even if it looks like the writers change directions from time to time. It's about as good as TV can get.
I said it's a failure as a TV serial. American television has long attempted the TV serial, but they've never got it right because of all the reasons you mentioned. But making excuses doesn't matter; it's still a failure. They've failed to tell a linear story (as opposed to episodic, I mean) from beginning to end. That much has been clear for a long time now.

As for why I keep watching, I said it was a failure as a TV serial, I didn't say I don't enjoy it. See, unlike most humans, who are egotistical enough to believe that they like the things they like because they're good and they dislike the things they dislike because they're bad, I can admit when I like something bad or dislike something good. Didn't like The Godfather, for instance. Objectively I can say it was a masterfully-constructed movie, but I simply don't care for it. Same with Lost; I'm watching it (mainly because of the impeccible acting and because I've already been watching for all this time -- may as well see how it turns out) but come on. A thousand years from now, while everyone's still reading Hemmingway and Shakespeare, nobody will remember Lost.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Thank you for giving me a good laugh this morning!
Heh, thanks.

I wouldn't say that. I think that statement is far too harsh. I think Lost is a superb show ....SUPERB! But that's just my opinion, and we all know what they say about opinions

Perhaps it's the engineer in me that says "It's great, but ...it could have been better if they had done this or that differently ..." I only say that because of my fondness for the show - I care that they might have overlooked some things. This is the only TV show I've ever been this enraptured by, and I've seen quite a few very good shows over the years (M*A*S*H, Cheers, All In The Family, Married ..With Children, Tour Of Duty, Dark Shadows (original), Crime Story ...just to name a few off the top of my head). NONE have made me anticipate every week's next episode like Lost has. Lost has the right formula, despite some rough edges

But I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who felt Jacob was sadly mis-cast. When they first showed him and identified who he is, I thought "You've gotta be kidding!? THIS is the mysterious Jacob? He looks like a store clerk at Best Buy!" I had expected someone wise and sage-looking. I never voiced my disapproval here about their choice of Mark Pellegrino because I wanted to give him a chance - after all, TPTB had chosen this actor for some reason. Now that his character is gone (almost), I feel that he must have been some Bad Robot honcho's nephew from Idaho who need a big break

Oh well ...it's not the first time. Who can explain their choice of Kiele Sanchez and Rodrigo Santoro (Nikki/Paulo), and their irrational devotion to those two characters to the point of actually refilming the beach crash scenes to include those two, just to kill them off in a few episodes with no apparent contribution to the show? They were probably someone's relatives Expose ranks as the second worst episode for me, right behind Stranger In A Strange Land (tattoo episode), the show's ultimate clinker, IMHO.
Actually, Sanchez and Santoro are fairly well-known actors, and pretty good ones at that. I maintain that N&P was a disaster because it was so forced. The writers explanation was that fans had long been saying they wanted to get the backstories for the background Losties. The thing is, what we meant was that we wanted to see more of Tasty Striped Shirt Girl and Frogurt; instead, they thrust in these new characters, and all that retconning was godawful. The while N&P thing was like bad fanfic.

Glad to see I wasn't the only one who thought the casting of Mark Pellegrino was a huge letdown for a role as epic as Jacob, though. Damon and Carlton kept saying that Jacob "is as important to Lost's mythology as The Emperor is to Star Wars," so I was expecting some one like Ian McDiarmid, with some serious acting credit. Instead we get a bit player from The Big Lebowski.

Like a couple others I'm not concerned with them not giving answers.

IMO - the show was never about giving answers and I don't believe they really intended on giving many. I believe the intent all along was to get people to discuss the show, try to figure it out, etc. Since they never intended on answering them they were free to come with whatever twists, weirdness, or what have you and never have to worry about tying them together. To their credit that's exactly what many people are doing. But, I expect anybody waiting for all the answers is going to be less than thrilled.

So to answer the question - what would it take to satisfy me. Well, simply to be entertained. I know most fans won't agree with me but I never thought the show was "deep" or anything (feel free to tell me I'm not smart enough to get it). The cheesy CGI, "not right now's", contrived mysteries really never bothered me TBH they made the show entertaining. But every bit as entertaining was reading the theories people would come up with. Which, again, I feel was the point of the show.

But this year has been pretty blah. The FS's or what I believe to be FF's all tell the same story. The losties resolving their issues. Knew that was coming since season 1. The on island stuff isn't much better. When the "we're taking the sub" is a BOOM moment it's pretty bad. I don't know, maybe in their attempt to answer questions they never intended to answer the show lost something. I think we need a new wacky mystery to theorize about.

Damon and Carlton kept saying that Jacob "is as important to Lost's mythology as The Emperor is to Star Wars," so I was expecting some one like Ian McDiarmid, with some serious acting credit. Instead we get a bit player from The Big Lebowski.

Um... the Emperor was NOT important in Star Wars...really. That was a very cheeky and funny answer from Darlton....hahahaahah:biggrin: