The End of Lost sort of explained

The mythology and mystery were the true filler. That's what I gathered from last night's series finale of "Lost". The character interactions over the past six years are what the true focus of the entire series were about. Sure, their adventures on and off Lost island most definitely led to these misfits having drastically altered lives after however long they lived on the island but that was all part of the adventure.

The final 90 minutes of "Lost" was full of heart-tugging moments as the characters were reunited in the sideways timeline with Desmond pulling strings to get everyone in the same place and to get his friends from the island to have that great realization and remember that they spent time - some of the best moments of their lives - together on some magical island. And about that island...

The island, while it sure seems to be important to the world at large, was a location that existed so these survivors of the original Oceanic flight 815 crash could better themselves. Jacob was correct in saying that he brought his candidates there because they were flawed, broken people whose lives were made better because of their experiences on the island.

The most important item still open for interpretation is the entirety of the sideways universe. In the final scene, Jack's father, Christian, says that this is a place he and his friends created so they could be together. He goes on to say to Jack that they are both dead and that's where the interpretation can really ramp up. Are the Oceanic survivors in this church because they are in heaven of is the church a metaphor for purgatory. If so, everything leading up to them arriving at the church - a sort of pre-purgatory perhaps, seems rather earthy. Maybe that's what "Lost" was all about, the experiences which the huge cast of characters shared for however short of a time brought them together so that they could spend eternity together living out the lives they were meant to have. And as each character had their great realization about the past, it was pretty obvious that they were destined to be together.

All told, "Lost" was wrapped up very nicely and while some were expecting a huge action sequence to end the series, I am perfectly happy with the finale. It was honestly the first show I had ever clung to. I was anxious for each new episode and the previous episode made for great water cooler conversations. It's the end of an era, so to speak. I don't foresee a broadcast network ever able to succeed with such a long and winding thinking man's show ever again. Already tonight we return to the drivel of "The Bachelorette" and the fall season, while having more scripted series than in previous years, looks to be full of procedural shows which fail to draw viewers in for the long haul. So "Lost" has left us in a sort of television purgatory where we are left with an unknown future.

In which I confess my nerdishness

I've been battling it for the better part of two decades. Sure, I've had glasses since I began 6th grade but I chalk that one up to genetics because when everyone of my aunts and uncles on both sides of my family - as well as my parents - has glasses it's inevitable that I'd eventually have them too. But having vision problems does not a nerd make. I also have a rather odd - to some - collection which my old lady has relegated to an upstairs closet in the far back of the house.

That collection consists of hundreds of miniature collectible tractors (cut me some slack, I'm a farm kid at heart - remember?). It took me 10-15 years to amass that collection and nearly weekly she asks me what I plan on doing with all those damn toys in the future. First off, they are not mere toys, I don't play with them like I would Legos if I was still in possession of Legos. The rowdy nephews don't get to play with my collectibles when they come by to visit and generally messy-up our house. And finally, they ARE NOT TOYS. They are worth more than my old car which she urged me to sell last fall. They are worth more than our shitty couch in the living room. Those fucking MINIATURE FARM COLLECTIBLES are an investment as well as a hobby. And when I finally hit the big time and we can build a house to our liking in the country so I can have my very own anger shed (a topic for another day) those collectibles will have their proper display room. But until then they'll have to reside in that dark closet where their beauty goes unappreciated.

Of course my oddness also extends to TV. Sunday night, when I should have been tidying up the living room and heading upstairs to brush my teeth, I found a documentary of sorts on CNBC about MacIntosh/Apple Computer. Yeah, I was actually watching something on CNBC and I sat for 45 minutes fixated on this rather compelling story about why there is such huge fandom surrounding Apple Computers. And I totally got it. I understood where the people interviewed were coming from. I could actually relate to these relative outcasts of society. Now I wouldn't camp out waiting for an Apple Store to open but I would love to attend MacWorld even now that Apple doesn't exhibit there or unveil products during the show each year.

And even more on the TV front, I own the complete series DVD box set of "Sports Night". Do you remember that show? It wasn't quite a drama but it was 30 minutes long but it also wasn't a comedy. It was a genre-bending masterpiece from Aaron Sorkin. It featured Felicity Huffman before she was a desperate housewife. It was relateable because it let viewers decide when to laugh because unlike its late-90s counterparts there was no laughtrack or studio audience. That series was like scripted gold.

Then there's "Lost". I can't take full responsibility for what became an almost obsession with that series. I didn't even watch the first couple of episodes of "Lost" but bored for something to unwind to, my old lady - soon after our wedding - sat down one Wednesday night in our smallish apartment to watch whatever was on. Being as I had no cable TV at the time, the offerings were limited but we caught a repeat of the premiere episode of "Lost" and I haven't missed an episode since. It's a given that nothing will get done around the house when "Lost" is on. I've collected each of the five seasons on DVD and am currently nearing the end of the second season as I try to pack in as much viewing as possible before the series ends in May. It's captivating because the story hops all over the place and spans not just thirty years but a couple of centuries as we found out at the end of the fifth season. The mysteries have me nearly obsessed the day after the show airs and while plenty of people will try to replicate this series, nobody ever will because it's the original and you can never beat the original.

And to further expand on my nerdishness, I also blog. Not just here but also maintain MinnPics which features awesome photos from around the great state of Minnesota.

Shocking: Lost season finale clips leaked

Apparently nobody few gave a damn about my earlier post so in order to keep you all entertained I have this for you. Yes, it's an actual leaked clip from the season finale of ABC's hit drama Lost. I won't spell out what the season finale consists of but there is another clip here that is even more shocking. You can also read other non-spoiler tidbits here.