FOUND!

I've been twirling around titles for my last LOST dedicated blog.   This one seemed cheezier than the others, but watching the last scene in the church, and indeed for most of the sideways world, the characters all seemed to "find" a measure of happiness, peace and most importantly, each other.   Before I attempt to break down my view on what it all means, I want to say the finale, without question, delivered in it's grandeur and scale.  It was nothing short of epic!  Even prior to the last episode, the recap was surprisingly well done and thought out.  The interviews with the actors provided a fresh and sometimes humorous perspective as they tried to tell almost 6 seasons worth of history in 2 hours.  The narrations by the creators, Lindeloff and Cuse, (who are now in seclusion for a couple months while people debate the show's ending) were useful as usual and thank God there were no more bubbles!

All throughout the episode existed numerous parallels and symmetries between the finale and past scenes, season, and themes.  The most obvious symmetry was the ending, with jack lying down in the same place he first dropped onto the island, Vincent running out from the bushes to lie by his side and his eye closing.  This sequence of events is the mirror image of the first scene we ever see in the series.  In addition, we have a tense scene involving Jack and Locke looking down from the waterfall into something they don't understand with Desmond at the bottom.  This time the whole island is at stake rather than just a hatch.  Jack, surprisingly early in the episode defeats Lockeness and kicks him after he's been wounded to his death in the same way MIB kicked Jacob after Ben stabbed him into the fire.  We even had another hospital candy bar jam.  Someone needs to get that machine fixed. 

The events of the show moved along surprisingly rapidly and Lockness was defeated within the first hour.  I, like most, had expected a climactic final scene pitting Jack against MIB.  Instead, he was killed early on with Kate of all people, shooting the now mortal, Smokey.  Meanwhile, Desmond was busy "catalyzing awakenings" in the sideways world and the show was really hitting its stride in terms of excitement and the feeling of a buildup to something tremendous.  A wounded Jack seemingly fixed the island, passed the torch to Hurley while the sideways versions were gathering first at the concert then at the church.  Jack arrived at the church then his father's coffin and it when it looked like the crescendo was imminent....

Christian Shephard walks in the room

In almost exactly the same way viewers were shocked when Kate emerges from the shadows in season 4 signifying the flashbacks were actually flash forwards, we learn that the sideways world is a purgatory of sorts.  In a Sixth Sense like epiphany, Jack realizes that he is deceased like his father.  In fact, all of the people in it are dead and are about to "move on" presumably to heaven or at least somewhere where they are with loved ones and aware they are no longer living.  Wow!!

I try not to read any other blogs before writing my own so I am not sure if there is an accepted theory out there about any of it, but I suspect not.  In chatting with friends, it seems the old theory, floated around since season one, that they all died on the plane crash is back in play.  The island was a different sort of purgatory either for all of them or just Jack where he (they) had to pass certain tests to be able to move to heaven.  It's a convenient theory since we are no longer in the realm of the living, you absolutely can have smoke monsters, time travel and immortal beings.  Jacob states that they were all flawed which is the reason they were brought to the island so it would make sense that they had to work on those flaws.  Even the last scene during the credits lends itself to this idea, depicting a crash with no survivors as they show the beach plane wreckage (which they had cleared in season one I believe) and no living people (but no dead ones either). 

Personally, I don't like this explanation for many reasons.  Bernard and Rose did not seem flawed except for Rose's cancer which is not a flaw at all.  If the island is purgatory then what is the sideways world and the reality Michael and the other "whisperers" are trapped in?  Different forms of purgatory?  Christian also says to Jack at the end that the most important time of his life was spent with these people.  When he says life I expect he means actual living and not swapping one purgatory for another.  The thought of their adventures, trials and tribulations experienced after the crash as they were in some sort of spirit form rubs me the wrong way.  I want to believe what Jack says to Desmond, that it does all matter.  

So if they didn't die in the Oceanic crash when did they die?  Was it from the atom bomb?  After all, we only start seeing the sideways world once the bomb is detonated.  Penny was conspicuously in the church and she was neither on the plane nor involved with the bomb.  That is if you think of time linearly.   Christian states everyone dies, some before Jack and some long after.  They built that purgatory so they could all come together when they all passed on.  That is not so dissimilar from most people's view of heaven.  A place where you hopefully become the best qualities about you surrounded by your loved ones and the people that meant most to you from youth to old age. I wonder what would have happened if Desmond was never awakened by Charlie?  Would they have gone on believing they were living this happier version of their existence ignorant to the fact they were dead.  Or, were the dominoes always set up so that would be impossible and they were destined to fine one another in the afterlife? 

Given that some of their flashbacks/awakenings in the sideways were post atom bomb, I believe this last season and all it's crazy experiences were real too.  Jimmy Kimmel posits the whole series was really about Jack's personal journey and him proving that he indeed had "what it takes".  The way the final couple episodes played out, it is hard to argue against that, but I think too much went on between characters away from Jack in the series that it's too short sighted to think it's exclusively about him. 

After seeing the final chapter, my opinions and feelings about the show will no doubt change as I rewatch older episodes looking for clues as to the true meaning of it all.  I welcome all ideas and theories from any who likewise invested 6 seasons in the show.  What won't change is that I still think this is the greatest TV series I've ever had the pleasure of watching and debating.  And just like our favorite characters were about to do, it is time to move on.....