It's no secret - the Lost finale a highly contentious and divisive piece of entertainment. Many people were left disappointed with its direction, and when it aired on May 23, 2010, it received a mixed, if erring on the side of positive, reception.
However, reflective reviews have taken on a more negative and fiercely critical edge, and outlets from Rolling Stone to the Daily Mirror to The Huffington Post have called it one of the worst finales in TV history. But it's certainly not all bad. The immediate reviews were mixed for a reason. These are five things we loved about the finale, and five things we hated.
Loved: The Flash Sideways Stuff
As legs, Locke meeting Ben outside the church, Sawyer and Juliet's touching revelation, and the birth of Claire's baby.
There's a lot of great stuff there, and it's often overshadowed by the concept of the flash sideways itself. Speaking of which...
Hated: The Flash Sideways Stuff
As good as the individual moments were, we have to take the flash sideways into as a single, overarching entity that spanned the entire sixth season. And in that regard, it was a monumental disappointment.
We were led to believe that it was some sort of alternate timeline, but in reality, it was just purgatory. The writers promised us that Lost wasn't purgatory, and while the main story wasn't, we still felt slighted after they pulled it with the flash sideways.
Loved: Rose & Bernard
Maybe they weren't fan favorites, but we loved seeing Rose and Bernard again. These characters were quite important in the first and second seasons, and their storyline aligned with Locke's to prove that the island did indeed contain some sort of mystical, regenerative magic.
And seeing them simply living life on the island with Vincent was really touching and a really great way to conclude their storyline.
Hated: The Final Church Sequence
A lot of people enjoy the final church sequence. Others think it's way too cheesy. Call us heartless or cold-blooded, but we're of the latter opinion.
The entire meeting was cheeseball city with the saccharine music and gleeful reunions, but it was made even worse by the final sequence of Christian opening the doors and stepping into the bright light. It was way too on the nose, and the symbolism was corny and basic.
Loved: The Heart Of The Island Stuff
As goofy as the whole Heart of the Island concept was, we must it that its inclusion within the finale provided some thrilling and breathtaking sequences.
The scenes were visually stunning, and the filmmaking gave it the illusion of a well-oiled Hollywood blockbuster. Not only that, but the way in which it was incorporated into Desmond and Jack's storylines allowed for some nice emotional moments.
Hated: Jack's Speech To The Man In Black
Jack tells The Man in Black, "You're not John Locke. You disrespect his memory by wearing his face, but you're nothing like him. Turns out he was right about most everything." And this has the subtlety of a jackhammer.
Not only does it make for very awkward and on-the-nose dialogue, but it seems like a very manufactured speech meant to verbalize Jack's character arc from man of science to man of faith. Surely there was a more natural and pleasant-sounding way to do it, though?
Loved: Jack In The Forest
As many gripes as the finale receives, nearly everyone agrees that Jack's death in the forest is peak Lost. On the surface, it's narratively satisfying and horribly sad, especially when Vincent comes to lay with Jack. But it also brings Lost full circle, as the series also opened with Jack in the forest.
Life and death, beginnings and endings - these were prominent themes throughout Lost, and there's no better representation for it than Jack opening his eye upon his metaphorical island birth and cloon his literal death.
Hated: The Man In Black Vs. Jack
You know what else was cheeseball city? The final battle between Jack and The Man in Black. This entire sequence couldn't have been more trite.
They fight in the pouring rain, the island is crumbling around them, they charge at each other in slow motion, the music employs that vocal, opera-like fanfare that make every fight scene more "epic," the villain desperately grabs for the nearby knife while getting choked, and there's even a really awkward edit when Jack jumps to attack "Locke." This couldn't have been more boring.
Loved: Hurley Becoming Protector
When Jack realizes that he's a goner, he employs Hurley to become the protector of the island. And really, this couldn't have been a better choice. Aside from maybe Locke, before he, you know, died. Hurley always seemed "in tune" with the island, and he was always curious as to how it worked.
He served as the audience surrogate, asking the same questions that we ourselves were asking. Such curiosity must be rewarded. Plus, he's just a really nice guy.
Hated: The Man In Black's Death
Seriously, how lame was The Man in Black's death? He just so conveniently became mortal once the Heart of the Island was unplugged, allowing Kate to...shoot him in the back.
Yes, the main villain, the force that has been manipulating six seasons and 121 episodes worth of events, died from being shot in the back and tossed off a cliff. How utterly disappointing, and may we say, stupid.
