The island continues (maybe it should be capitalized: The Island continues).
SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
My initial takeaway from the revelation that the Sideways universe was Jack's dying vision (or hallucination, if you prefer) was "Oh, come ON!" Then I stopped reacting emotionally and started thinking about it. For the entire series the theme has been structured around flawed people (well, not Hurley; Hurley had bad luck, but no moral flaws, which may explain why he became the ultimate Island protector) who were given an opportunity for redemption through the medium of the plane crash and the tests Jacob and the Island set for them. And most of them did find redemption or at least peace within themselves.
The church/funeral home chapel ending was highly symbolic, of course. With a theme like redemption, how could the show end otherwise? The interesting thing to me was the concept that all those folks were waiting for Jack to get there before they could all "move on."
Were there lots of mysteries left unexplained*? Sure. Would I like to know the answers? Absolutely. But do I NEED to know the answers to fully enjoy the whole of "Lost?" Nope.
I certainly don't feel like I wasted approximately 124 hours of my life watching the show, as I've seen other people claim this morning.
*What was Desmond's importance to Widmore? Was Widmore himself confused about Desmond's role? Why is the final pairing Sayid and Shannon rather than Sayid and Nadya? Since she managed to escape, how did Kate dodge the murder rap? And on and on; more will no doubt appear.
Posted by Linkmeister at May 24, 2010 09:56 AM | TrackBackMy read is that the entire sixth season is a kind of limbo where they can all be together before passing on. Basically, when the jughead goes off at the end of season 5, the story ended. They got home and all was as it should be. The ones left on the island have to finish up the Jacob/man in black line, find a replacement, and then move on or die. We never see what happens afterwards until their limbo.
Posted by: Scott at May 24, 2010 01:09 PMI think Sayid and Shannon ended up together because they each represented redemption for the other. She wasn't a very nice person, but Sayid loved her anyway. And his past of not niceness goes without saying. He never thought he would find love again, but Shannon was a gift for him. I think it was fitting they were together when everyone moved on.
About the sideways world being Jack's dying vision, from my view, that wasn't what it was. It was a world they all created so they could find each other again and move on together. They were all "living" those stories, not just Jack.
Did you notice that in the "church" when Jack and Christian were talking, there were all those holy symbols of many different faiths all around the room?
Posted by: Kim at May 24, 2010 03:12 PMYeah, you could be right, Kim. The Sideways universe is open for a hundred interpretations, and I'll bet I've read twenty today.
Posted by: Linkmeister at May 24, 2010 05:32 PM