"The End" of "Lost"

So now we know the complete story and plan that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse had for one of the greatest shows on television. An ending that has everyone talking. I was pleased to see that the series concluded with a final struggle of good triumphing over evil. (And, yes, the MIB was evil. How could any good person threaten Bernard and Rose?) Jack sacrificed himself for the sake of the island, and for all the people who still remained there.

There were so many great moments in the final hours. Jack turning over the island caretaker role to Hurley. Sawyer and Juliet remembering each other by some vending machines. Claire deciding she didn't want to be crazy anymore and choosing to go with Kate and Sawyer on the plane. Kate and Charlie helping Claire to deliver Aaron... again. Locke forgiving Ben for murdering him. Vincent coming to Jack in the bamboo reeds, just as he did in the first moments of the "Pilot" episode.

I like Denny Burks' statements about the show here.

As I’ve said before, the Lost story was not your run-of-the-mill postmodern critique of metanarratives. Good and evil were in a pitched battle, and the good won in the end. Viewers saw in this story what they already perceive to be true about their own story. The world that they live in is broken, something has gone wrong, there is evil afoot, and something needs to be done about it. Everyone living in this broken-down world is broken-down themselves and in desperate need of redemption.

I think it’s easy to see why viewers have been attracted to Lost’s mythology. They feel a yearning that what was true in Lost’s story might be true in their own. They hope to find that what they did here did have meaning and a purpose and that good will win-out in the end. The Christian gospel teaches that this universal human yearning does have an answer. It teaches that good does in fact win-out in the end, that there is a purpose to it all, and that redemption is possible—even for the vilest characters in this drama (1 Timothy 1:15). There was really a man who was pierced for our transgressions to make a new world and new life possible (John 19:34; cf. Isaiah 53:5; Zechariah 12:10). Only this man didn’t live in a mythological TV-world. He lived here, was one of us, and has gone on to prepare a place for those who know Him by faith (John 1:14; 14:2-3).

“Lost” highlighted the itch that only the gospel can scratch. This was the unwitting genius of the show, and it is why people will be talking about it for years to come.

"Lost," season 6

The end is near for Lost as it starts its sixth and final season tomorrow night. Many people are obsessed with Lost, and for good reason, for there's no other show on right now that tackles such issues as faith, science, time travel, philosophy, free will, and fate. And what other shows feature Taweret and Smokey? The show has had many mysteries both answered and unanswered (What's in the hatch? Why was that little boy taken by those scruffy-looking people? How can there be two Lockes - one alive, one dead? What has Claire been doing all this time?), and that's part of the appeal. I'm sure many people will be sad when Lost reaches its conclusion, but at least one person won't be.

Anyways, Lost has given us a great ride so far. Just like Alan, I can't wait to see how it all ends. If only to see whether Doc Jensen is right or not.

"Nobody in life gets what they thought they were going to get."

So said Conan O'Brien last night, his final turn as the host of the Tonight Show.

But I wonder: how many people get $33,000,000 to not be on a TV show? Of course, the money wasn't his dream - hosting the Tonight Show was.

2/2/10

A day greatly anticipated.

Stop! Hammer time!

The video is a PR stunt for this:

"The Incident"

Yes, friends, another season of the best show on television - Lost - has drawn to a close. Last night, we got to see what happens first when a hydrogen bomb named Jughead explodes (a flash of white light!), Jacob in white and an unnamed man in black sitting on a beach, Jacob meeting with several Lostaways in their LBTI's (life before the island), Bernard and Rose living out their "retirement," and Ben making sure yet another person meets a very sticky end (How many people has he either killed himself or ordered to be killed? Too many to count).

I probably won't be posting a full review of the episode, but even if I did, I probably wouldn't do as much justice to it as Jennifer Godwin or Alan Sepinwall.

Only 7 more months or so until Season Six! Destiny Found!

Christmas on TV

TV Guide has a listing of all the Christmas-themed shows that will air between November 25 and December 17.

(TY, Denny Burke)

the most annoying commercial

What's the TV commercial you find extremely annoying? I pick this one, and I'm not alone.

I don't watch "The Office"

I know - that's practically the same thing as saying "I don't breathe oxygen" to some of you out there. It's one of those shows, like Heroes, that I'd probably enjoy if I watched it, but for some reason or 'nother, it's not on my viewing list.

Maybe I'll watch it if someone tells me that it includes lots of scenes like this:



My inner geek finds it absolutely hilarious.

Doh! Now I'm gonna have carbonite sickness!

I'm not a fan of The Simpsons, but I think the opening credits here is just fantastic.

"I always have a plan."

Tonight it's my plan to see the finale of the explosive fourth season of Lost, entitled "There's No Place Like Home." The Oceanic Six will come together and leave the island, but what has happened to Locke, Sawyer, Juliet, Bernard, Rose, Jin, Claire, and the other nameless Lostaways that don't make it back to civilization? Why is Claire hanging out in Jacob's cabin with her dead father? Well, we'll find out what the producers want us to find out.

As usual, we've been promised an explosive finale. It's hard to see how they will top last year's "Through the Looking Glass," when we learned that Jack and Kate made it off the island. Since then, we've seen more flashforwards then we have flashbacks. Will there be a new wrinkle to all the flashes, or will it be something else entirely?

If you can move the island, where's the steering wheel?

Lost will show the first hour of the three-hour-long season finale "There's No Place Like Home" tomorrow night. So, sometime between now and next Thursday at 11:00 PM EST/10:00 PM CST, we will have learned the following:

• how the Oceanic Six made it back to civilization
• how Jack "rescued" Kate
• why Sawyer chose to stay (if it really was a matter of choice)
• how Kate decides to take Aaron with her
• how Jin died (if he really did die)

Patrick Day at LA Times says we need to break out the hankies.

At the end of last week's "Cabin Fever," Locke claims that Christian Shepard told him to move the island. Strange as it may seem, Michio Kaku says it's possible.

"Continue reading the Bible."

That's always good advice, but this comes from Carlton Cuse, executive producer for Lost, on how the show will finish its fourth season. In a telephone conference with Cuse and fellow producer Damon Lindelof, a reporter asked about what books should be read to prepare for the final two seasons. If you like Lost, then you should definitely read the article, but be forewarned that there are spoilers.

Lost returns next Thursday, April 24, at 10:00 PM EST.

Golden Globes

The list. What do you think? I've only seen one of the films nominated - Ratatouille - but there are many nominated ones I want to see, including American Gangster, Sweeney Todd, and I'm Not There. Odd to see The Sopranos get only one nomination, for Edie Falco's Carmela - I thought surely there would be more since it was the last season, but you never know how these awards are going to go.

questions for an incandescent reindeer

You've seen this holiday classic, right? It's unavoidable at this time of year. A mother gives birth to a child with a luminary nasal cavity. The child is ridiculed by friends and becomes an outcast. The child finds companions and together they seek refuge amonst abandoned toys, but are rejected by the toys' leader as well. The child and his friends are hunted by a gigantic and fearsome beast, so the child decides to leave his friends and return home. Having learned that his family has left to seek him out, the child finds them in the lair of the beast. The story ends with the taming of the beast, a joyous homecoming, and a legendary journey through a storm to deliver presents all over the world.

As I watched it this year, I couldn't help but be struck by several things.

• Although I realize that mystery is an indelible part of this story, I can't help but wonder exactly how Rudolph was able to exhibit bioluminescence. Bioluminescence occurs in sea creatures like fish and squid, not land animals like caribou. Some scientists suggest that animals with bioluminescence use it to attract mates, and it certainly helped Rudolph develop a relationship with the doe Clarice.
• Even though Rudolph shows remarkable flying abilities, he is shunned solely because of his bioluminescence. Santa Claus himself, who doles out presents to the children of the world, shows an extreme lack of tolerance - and even disdain - for different kinds of reindeer.
• Hermie, an elf who should be happy in his work as a toymaker, decided that he should be a dentist. How did he learn about dentistry? I seriously doubt he would have any contact with someone beyond the North Pole borders. No elf had ever talked of dentistry before. How did he gain such knowledge of orthodontia?
• King Moonracer flies around all night looking for toys. How is he able to stay away during the day to "hold court" in his castle?
• When it comes to the toys on the Island of Misfit Toys, I guess we have to consider that they were made by human toymakers and not Santa's elves. After all, we would have to seriously question the effectiveness of Quality Control if the elves were able to put out defective toys. Perhaps the toys were made in China, which would explain a lot...
• Even though they both old land in the frozen north, Santa seemed unaware of Moonracer's domain. How could he not have known?
• Yukon Cornelius tells Hermie that abominable snowman are particularly fond of swine. Are there many pig farms in the tundra?
• What is it about an abominable snowman's molecular/chemical/bone structure that enables him to bounce?

If you have any thoughts on this, feel free to add them in the comments section.

Halloween on "SNL"

Here's a clip of the faux Democratic presidential nominees - plus a real one - at a faux Clinton Halloween party:

the horror... the horror

Monsterfest starts today.

I blogged about it here last year. I said then that I much prefer the gothic/suspense type of film over the bombastic gore-fests that overrun the cinema today (Saw IV? Yeah, no thanks). To give you an example, I enjoy this type of thing, from Mulholland Dr. (don't worry - no language issues here):

lost without "Lost"

Television's new season started a few weeks ago. We have said welcome back to Dr. House, Nora Walker and her children, Hiro, Wilhelmina, McDreamy, and many others. We've also said hello to many new faces, including the Darling family and Chuck. However, the TV set has yet to thrill me so far. What is it that is missing? Something is not right. There is a void somewhere. An empty space.

Ah.... I know now. Lost isn't on. The third season DVD won't be available until December 11. The fourth season won't begun until early February. Depressing, no? Well, you'll have to take comfort in the fact that it won't be long until the cold days of February are here, but you'll be able to enjoy the warm sun and delightful breezes found on Lostaway Isle.

For now, here are some things to help tide you over:

• the official Lost website by ABC
• Lost-TV, an unofficial fansite
• Check out the theories of Eye M Sick
• DarkUFO is taking polls and posting magazine scans
• Yes, Michael is coming back. For real.

Remember: you didn't come here by accident. You came for a reason. The Island brought you here.

"Seize the time, Meribor. Live now; make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again."

In a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's first trek through the stars, Entertainment Weekly has listed what the editors believe to be the top ten best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I'd be hard-pressed to muster any disagreements with the episodes they chose, but I do think #1 and #2 should switch places. In the history of television cliff-hangers, nothing beats Dallas' second season finale in which a mysterious gunman shoots J.R. Ewing, but ST:TNG's "The Best of Both Worlds" comes awfully close. (The title quote comes from the #3 episode, "The Inner Light.")

maybe he considers staying in a Motel 6 as equal to sleeping in the wild...

Over at his blog Smart Christian, Dr. Jackson draws our attention to Bear Grylls, host of the show Man vs. Wild. What Dr. Jackson doesn't mention are the allegations that Grylls' show isn't entirely authentic. Chief among the allegations is that he spent the night in hotels. The Discovery Channel has said the show will be "100% transparent."

A reality show being unauthentic? This is not shocking news, people. Even that Posh Spice "special" had its moments.