Lost Finale Explanation and Theories

Casual observations:

The table at the concert was #23 (Jack’s candidate number) which signifies to me that they were all there not so much for the concert but were waiting for

Jack so they could move him towards enlightenment.

The Apollo candy bar we have seen so many times in this show is at slot G23 in the vending machine. I imagine if we watch this show again from the

beginning, we’ll see that it was always in this slot.

In Season 5, when Juliet said, “it worked” just before dying, she was talking about getting the Apollo candy bar from the vending machine, not about the

bomb resetting everything (very cool).

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I struggled with three theories after seeing “The End” the first time:

1) They all died in the September 22, 2004 plane crash
2) They all died when Juliet detonated Jughead
3) Each person died when we saw them die or they died in some future that was not shown

After seeing “The End” a second time, it is clear that the writers opted for choice #3, which I’m told they had already decided upon after writing the

pilot. However, I could easily sit down with an enlightened group and create an even greater ending that involves choice #1. I honestly believe that.

Creating an ending with choice #1 would help me much more easily explain the numerous discrepancies and unanswered questions in Lost. One example would be

the impossibility of how many times the numbers appeared, including the off-Island odometer reading on Hurley’s Camaro. However, I digress, and as I hear

one of Lost’s key messages beckoning to me, I know I must let go and move on. . .

Agree or disagree, because since the following opinion is my “choice,” my opinion is correct, as is yours:

“The universe has a way of course-correcting” and the ultimate message of Lost, in my opinion, is that the Island is the extension of a higher being (God,

Allah, Yahweh, Buddha, or whatever you choose to call it) who will continue to try to save all humans, no matter how flawed, until most humans are ready to

have their souls take that one final journey to eternal contentment. The light on the Island embodies the collective souls of all who have moved on and is

also the energy source that balances and sustains the light (each living person’s soul) of all who have yet to move on.

“Why must there be a human presence on the Island?” Because the Island, for me, is an extension of God and God allows people free will and the ability to

choose their destinies. Therefore, the Island allows humans to fight the battle with evil to protect the light because if that light goes out, all human

souls moving forward will cease to exist and the world will be destroyed. Basically, God is allowing people to decide the destiny of the Earth and

therefore, a human protector is required.

Another key message of Lost is regarding fate vs. choice and although we repeatedly heard, “whatever happened, happened,” in the end we realized that many

things can be changed; outcomes are not necessarily predestined. In Lost, redemption was a gift that was offered over and over and over again by the Island

until the human spirit either evolved or became the possession of evil.

As we all know, the Island is an eternal place that continuously balances the scales between good and evil. We were repeatedly reminded of this with the

numerous black and white references throughout the show. The Island was real and ironically, Sideways World was not, so by association the Island under

water in LA X was never real (which clears up one of my “issues”). Also, the repeated reopening of Jack’s neck wound, which was first seen in LA X, was a

continuous reminder of Jack’s real life, with that wound actually inflicted by Smokey, presumably on or close to the day Jack died on the Island.

Jacob was the protector of the light since approximately Jesus’ time and the writers were showing us that Jacob and the Island were the protectors of all

human souls (just as Jesus is, based upon his ultimate sacrifice) and that the “protector” must be willing to sacrifice his life to save humanity. The

Island really was a cork, holding back evil from destroying the world and it was Jacob’s job, as well as all the ones that came before him and all the ones

that will come after him to keep that cork in place. Since Jacob could see his ultimate demise, he needed someone else (a candidate) to take over the role

as the protector of the Island. Did you notice how Jack’s role mirrored the role of Jesus in the Bible? Did you notice the symbolism of Locke stabbing

Jack which mirrors the spear wound that Jesus was given after his sacrifice and death? And also mirroring the Bible, Jack still needed to sacrifice himself

to save humanity.

An interesting note was that just outside the “Cave of Light,” while Jack was attaching the rope to Desmond, Desmond stated that none of this mattered -

whether the Island was destroyed or Jack killed Smokey. Desmond believed that he would return to Sideways World when he was lowered into the light and he

told Jack that he would try to find a way to bring Jack there, too. Even near the end, the Huminator still didn’t get it. Thank God Jack replied with,

“All of this matters” and followed through with his mission because if the light went out and stayed out, none of the Losties (at least the ones in the

church) would have moved on.

Jack: You think you’re gonna destroy the Island
Smokey: I think?
Jack: That’s right, because that’s not what’s gonna happen
Smokey: And what’s gonna happen, Jack?
Jack: I’m gonna kill you
Locke (incredulous): How do you plan to do that?
Jack: It’s a surprise

Man, was it ever! Brilliant! I loved that scene! It reminded me of the “do you know how badly I want to kill you right now” scene with MIB and Jacob only

this scene was a direct threat and left us, as the viewers, thirsting for the outcome to that threat. Jack thought that Desmond was a weapon due to the

Huminator’s resistance to electromagnetism (although I’m not quite sure what Jack expected would happen). Whatever Jack did expect did not happen.

However, it was indirectly true that Desmond was a weapon because it appeared that uncorking the entrance to hell would have delivered a lethal dose of EM

to anyone else except Desmond and after the cork was pulled, Smokey was basically human, and vulnerable. Let the steel cage match begin! I absolutely

loved the confrontation between Jack and Smokey! That one shot of Jack up high on the cliff side, Locke down much lower at the ladder on the edge of the

cliff, pouring rain all around with the ocean in the background, and my full knowledge that this was the final battle between good and evil made that shot,

and the subsequent scenes, absolutely breathtaking.

Note: For the amount of time that the cork was out, all souls on Earth were basically “extinguished” and I believe that given a bit more time, the entire

Earth would have been destroyed. Also, did you notice the skeletons Desmond saw on the way to the cork and the light? Electromagnetism is a bitch!

How about one of the final mysteries - how did Jack get out of the “Cave of Light?” I think the Island raised him from its depths because “the Island

wasn’t done with him yet.” It wanted to show Jack that he did not die in vain, that not only did he save humanity, he also saved his comrades who he saw

flying away from the Island in Ajira 316.

I agonized over this tidbit: The people in the church at the end were Jack and Kate, Sawyer and Juliet, Jin and Sun, Desmond and Penny, Charlie and Claire,

Hurley and Libby, Shannon and Sayid, Bernard and Rose, Christian, Boone, Locke, and baby Aaron. Does anyone see a problem with this picture? Christian

told Jack, “The most important part of your life was spent with these people. That’s why all of them are here. Nobody does it alone. Jack.” Apparently

what Christian meant to say was, “The most important part of your life was spent with these people and some have also brought along the people that meant

the most to them.” One example of this would be Aaron, who couldn’t possibly have been one of the most important people to ALL those other people when so

many others were not in the church. I have two theories on why we see Aaron as a baby in Sideways World: 1) The closing credits scene really was the

crashed Ajira 316 and the Island did not let the plane leave. All died including Claire so her only memory of Aaron was when he was a baby. 2) Aaron, when

he died, would have been much older and therefore, only existed in Claire’s imagination in Sideways World because it is assumed that Frank, Miles, Richard,

Kate, Sawyer, and CLAIRE made it back safely on Ajira Airways 316 and therefore, Claire would have reunited with a much older Aaron. I believe that for

Claire, the memory of baby Aaron is perhaps what she chose to cling to in Purgatory.

The writers screwed up a bit with Christian stating, “Well this is the place that you all made together so you could find one another.” That was a bit of

loose writing. There is one Purgatory, and after all those in the church left, others that had been on the Island still remained in Sideways World and all

people for eternity will continue to end up there. The Losties did not create Sideways World but they did create their experiences within it. Perhaps that

is what Christian meant to say. Make no mistake - every person in Sideways World that was alive in the real world is now dead - EVERYBODY. Therefore, ALL

the people on Oceanic 815 (as well as anyone else that we saw on the Island in six seasons) are now dead. Some are stuck as Whisperers on the Island

(Michael comes to mind), anyone who died in Sideways World went to hell (anyone that could not redeem themselves, such as Keamy), and most of the rest have

either moved on or are still hanging out in Sideways World, either aware they are dead or unaware. Ben was aware that he is dead but chose to stay in SW

until he is ready to move on. Ana Lucia doesn’t yet know that she is dead but eventually someone will come along to enlighten her and she, too, will move

on when she is ready. Charlie became aware (thankfully) because he wasn’t doing so well. I think Charlie, however, got a free pass due to his sacrifice

for the others. The only group of people in Sideways World that are NOT dead are people like David Shephard and perhaps the many other “props” we saw,

because they never actually existed anywhere except in the imagination of the unenlightened people in Sideways World. I think Jack “created” David and

forged him into the son that Jack could never be - forgiving. This was all part of Jack’s redemption phase. And so it goes in the world of “Sideways,”

where people are able to add things to their “deaths” that were never true in their real lives. I think that Eloise Hawking is the “curator” of the

Sideways World and perhaps she stays there for eternity, enlightening one person (if necessary) who can then in turn enlighten an entire “soul cluster.”

Note: I found the term “soul cluster” on the Internet and found it perfect to describe these “groups.” Anyway, also note that Eloise Hawking shut down

Daniel’s piano talent in the real world and pushed him into physics in the hope that he could alter time and prevent her from killing him. In Sideways

World, Daniel became what he was always destined to become - a master pianist - and Eloise gets to spend time with him so she wants him to stay there and

not move on. Eloise asked Desmond if he was going to take her son to which Desmond replied, “Not with me, no” implying that there will always be someone to

enlighten the people in the Sideways Matrix. Note that it appeared that whatever anyone added to their SW life had to be along some path they were heading

in their real life or perhaps wished to head in their real life. Ultimately, whenever a person is ready, they move on. In Jack’s case, he needed to be

kicked off his pink cloud (by Locke and Kate) to eventually accept that it was time to move on and finally, in the end, Jack was complete and fulfilled.

Note: When Jack walked in the back door of the church, he walked through one room to get to another where the coffin was. I noticed symbols for at least 5

religions - Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity. I imagine there are several more but these are the ones I recognized. They are all over

the rooms - watch it again! I believe this was the writers’ way of saying that no matter what religion you are, you will end up in a place similar to this

before you move on.

I think it’s safe to say that by the time they all met in the church, it was well into the future. Why do I say that? For now, put aside the thought that

time has no meaning in Sideways World. As Christian stated, “There is no now, here.” Hurley became the new protector of the Island and there was no Smoke

Monster anymore so there was no immediate threat to Hurley (or Ben). Hurley became just like Jack (and Jacob) which means he would not age. He was given

the same powers as Jacob (and Jack) so he most definitely passed along the non-aging gift to Ben (much like Jacob did for Richard). I think it’s safe to

assume that Hurley and Ben were on the Island for a long, long time, overseeing the “balance” of good and evil and eventually, they both died with one or

the other passing the torch to the new Island protector. And yet, they were both in Sideways World so they eventually died, and Hurley moved on. As

Christian stated, “Some of them died before you, some of them long after you. I would say that the “long after you” part refers to Hurley and Ben. Also,

as Christian stated, “Everyone dies sometime, kiddo.” The only two people in (and just outside) the church that could have lived longer than the average

human life (and most likely did) were Hurley and Ben and therefore, that is why I stated that they are ALL dead; everyone that we ever saw in the show.

Did I find numerous issues with Lost? You bet I did. Did the writers string us along in Season 6 and throw many meaningless plots at us? Absolutely. But

in the end, after all the cerebral gymnastics that I engaged in throughout this show, only to be left with many unanswered questions, I decided to suspend

my disbelief and “critical eye” and accept, let go, and move on because frankly, the finale in and of itself was mesmerizing. The acceptance phase for me

was the realization that the writers, too, are flawed, as are all of us, and although Lost was never perfect, many, many, many sequences were. The

character development and acting was some of the best I have ever seen and the connection that I formed with these characters will never be forgotten. The

gratification phase for me came throughout the finale, with the writers skillfully reminding me of my deep-rooted emotional investment in these characters.

What an inspiring thought, that perhaps we will all end up in a rest area where we, too, will find the people that mattered most to us in life and then move

on together on a highway into the unknown. All moments in time, since the ability to harness the “light” via the turning of the Donkey Wheel, were (and

still are) accessible from the Island. And what exactly is that light source? When Christian opened the back doors to the church, the “light” permeated

the room and at that moment, I believe that all the souls of the people in the church were absorbed into the Island “light” and all those “people” moved on

to heaven.

The final scene with Jack was one of the best I have ever experienced. They brought us right back to the beginning, and even threw in the sneaker hanging

from a tree in the bamboo forest which is the same sneaker in the pilot in the very first scene of Lost. “Live together, die alone” was not the message at

all and they showed us that by brilliantly inserting Vincent into the final scene so Jack had company when he passed on. The eye closing was simple and yet

absolutely brilliant and so emotionally gratifying - who could possibly think of a better final scene?

It’s been a fun ride and I want to thank all of you for experiencing it with me. Lost - you will be missed. But I know the Island lives on and someone is

there even now, protecting all of us from the forces of evil.

See you in another life, brothers (and sisters). . . .

Jack’s death on the island occurred in the sideways world the morning he woke up in his home before operating on Locke. His eye opened in bed, then he went into the bathroom and his neck was bleeding (from where Locke cut his throat before Kate shot him).