lost no more

like about eighteen million other bloggers today, i am lamenting the end of "lost". six years ago when the show began i certainly never thought i would be saying that. for the first five seasons i stayed away. from the outside i just didn't see what all of the fuss was about. and then about six months ago a friend of mine made me a deal. i asked to borrow his first season of "heroes" which he happily lent me, but only if i agreed to also watch the first season of "lost". the devil's bargain was made.
by the time i finally got around to watching that first season i really felt like it was going to be an exercise in pure obligation. i still couldn't see the attraction here. i mean hadn't the whole "castaway" concept already been given thorough treatment? that's what this is right, just a bunch of people stuck on an island searching for a way to get off watched by people who are stuck watching and want to get off too? and of course having not watched the show ever, i like everybody else was always wondering "why do these people always look like they just stepped out of a salon.?" and "wouldn't their clothes be in tatters by now?" and "what's with the fat guy? people on 'survivor' end up rail thin within a month."
i think i watched that whole first season in about three days. netflix streaming helped me work my way through the next four seasons. i was still finishing up season five as the final one launched. and in fact last night's episode was the very first i'd ever watched on live tv. my friend kyle (who started all this) and his wife had me over last night for a "lost" party. for me this was also a nice way of coming full circle.
i won't go into all of the debates and theories and unanswered questions that still linger with so many of the fans. i'll admit that fresh off that finale i do feel a little let down, but this morning as i thought about that last image of jack back where he started, with michael giacchino's sweet score behind, it did feel right and a little bittersweet. and though i got to the party late and only gave up six months instead of six year's, it has felt like an epic ride. so thanks lost. those of us on the "inside" will all miss you.