WARNING: Contains spoilers!
The season finale was emotionally powerful and provided ample closure for the relationships of many main characters (with the exception of Michael, Walt, and a few others). As usual, the acting was exceptional: Matthew Fox as Jack Shepard, Terry O'Quinn as John Locke, Michael Emerson as Benjamin Linus and Evangeline Lilly as Kate. There were wonderful scenes: Sawyer's reunion with Juliet at the vending machines; Jack's initiating Hurley as #2; Charlie seeing Claire from the stage where Driveshaft was performing; Jack's reunion with his father, Christian.
It's amazing to think that Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, the show runners, waited until the last 10 minutes to explain the Sideways world. And how clever that the twist (Sideways was purgatory or a bardo) was a twist on their firm denial, years ago, that the characters had died in the crash of flight 815 and were in purgatory on the island.
But a pact was broken: the statements made years ago that Lost would not leave fans high and dry with unexplained elements. It's true that months ago, the producers warned us that they would not provide all the answers to the island's secrets, that they were more concerned with the characters.
Still, it's understandable that after six years of mind-numbingly Byzantine complications and riddles, many fans feel frustrated, disappointed and cheated by the dozens of unanswered questions. There was way more omission than commission in the ultimate episode ‒ nothing about the Egyptian motifs, the lighthouse, the inability of women to conceive on the island, and so much more!
No matter what the TV show, diehard fans become a bit obsessive, whether it's Star Trek or The Sopranos. And when a relationship lasts six years, like Lost's, fans have made a huge investment ‒ especially when the multiple storylines, characters, time periods and universes are as demanding as in Lost. Six years is a long time! If only we could do, as a series progresses year after year, what Jack and Locke advised each other to do, what Christian Shephard advised his son to do: let go from our attachments; not let go of our interest and enthusiasm, but let go of our dependence.
Eventually, other great series will come along, well worth our viewership and ongoing allegiance. And the sad truth is that we'll probably be let down by their resolutions as well. As is said about movies, it's always the third act that's the toughest to write.
So I hope that the many loyal fans who feel cheated will find a new vehicle to enjoy, blog about, and make them think. Will there be a Lost TV movie, spinoff, or theatrical movie down the line? Never say never, but I doubt it.
Personally, I look forward to the next projects by Terry O'Quinn, Michael Emerson and Matthew Fox, as well as Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof. And Executive Producer J. J. Abrams' new TV series, The Undercovers, begins soon. In the meantime, forlorn fans can try to practice love and forgiveness for Carlton and Cuse, Lost's show runners, and we can work on fostering community. These three principles are the great themes of one of TV's most unique, most creative, most exciting, and most intriguing shows ever.
Closure
I highly recommend "Aloha to Lost," the post-finale show on Jimmy Kimmel Live! There's a wonderful set, a large group of the Lost cast and musicians, Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino, funny clips from Tim Allen and Josh Holloway, a hilarious montage (kissing scenes morphing into clips of fistfights), and "alternative endings" that are actually spoof endings (Survivor, The Sopranos, and The Bob Newhart Show). Kimmel, a big fan of Lost, is an excellent host and the show is a great way to decompress and lighten up after the intense emotionality of The End. Look for it at abc.go.com or hulu.com.