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I'll begin with a confession: I really have no clue what I'm talking about here.
And by that I mean I have as much of a clue as any other fan of the show Lost does about what the smoke monster is. About the true purpose and dark inner-workings of the Dharma Initiative. About how exactly it is that John Locke is, by all appearances, risen from the dead newly imbued with secret knowledge and a knowing (and creepy! Let's not forget creepy!) Cheshire Cat-like grin. Really, about even the fundamental reality -- or realities rather, as that seems most fitting -- upon which the show is based, and through which the substance of its narrative is woven.
But despite all this uncertainty, opacity, and inscrutability, I have my theories. Indeed, most of us do -- these are the threads by which our delight as fans of the show hangs. Because really, to love Lost is to enjoy lingering in that pause between the question and the answer, in the space between conflict and its resolution. We are connoisseurs of ambiguity, deriving more from possibility -- from what could or might be -- than we ever could from the reassuring solidity of what is.
And so with this season's finale rapidly approaching and the collective excitement of Lost fans everywhere mounting, I thought that exploring the great big labyrinth of this show here alone would not only be too daunting, but ultimately less enjoyable than doing so with another fan. So I enlisted my good friend Jason Avant, MamaPop's resident Lost recapper, to stroll with me through some of the thrilling twists and turns in this funhouse mirrored maze of a show.
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: Some people can't take Lost at all -- the puzzle of it leaves them cold, it's too frustrating. I've had lots of people tell me they've had to quit the show because it was impossible for them to enjoy being lost in it
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: To enjoy being lost in Lost
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: And then of course for others that's a huge part of the draw
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: I think it's a huge part of the draw for me
Jason Avant: Well, I think what's great about it and why it has gained such broad appeal is that you can enjoy it on several levels. For the geeks, there's layers upon layers that can be peeled away and dissected; we geeks love our shows to have Mythology (exhibit A: The X Files), and Lost has that to spare. For the casual viewer, the show tells a good story with interesting characters, and one can appreciate that and never have to do more with the show than scratch the surface, so to speak.
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: Really? You think so?
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: See I think it would be almost impossible to enjoy it superficially -- it's such a massively wound up and tangled mess of histories and interrelationships and all of those things have meaning and threads that wind their way from one to the next -- I think you'd have to be someone with a serious psychological break to enjoy it on a surface level
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: Because it would mean *actively choosing* to ignore so much
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: There's no way to deny its depth, yanno?
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: Which is kind of why people can't jump in at season two or something, right? Because there's all of this history and backstory and these relationships that things build on...
Jason Avant: The ratings don't lie. This is a show with time travel and smoke monsters and mysterious giant four-toed statues, and yet it's got a big, diverse audience - people who normally would not tune in to YES I WILL SAY IT A SCI-FI SHOW BECAUSE IT IS DAMMIT IT IS THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE AMERICA!
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: DORK
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: Yeah and WTF, four-toed statue?
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: EXPLAIN THAT!
Jason Avant: It's Homer Simpson.
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: Dork squared
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: What's your theory, really though? Or partial theory? WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS GOING ON, JASON?
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: Do you have a theory?
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: Am I calling you out on your lack of theory? heh
Tracey Gaughran-Perez: God, remember back in the olden days when life was simple and easy, and it was all "they're in purgatory!" or better yet "they're dead!" HA! SIMPLETONS!
Jason Avant: Well, here's the thing: I think that the Grand Unified Theory is actually going to be a lot less complex than people think. I've had
