SPOILERS - Why do shows keep ending like this?

[sidious618]

Re: SPOILERS - *IDENTICAL* to Ashes to Ashes.

^ Are you people being deliberately dense? Obviously I'm talking about the flash-sideways, not the island.

Lost had two endings, appropriately enough since as of this season there were now two stories running concurrently: the main universe on the island, and the new reality spawned when the bomb when off (except that rather than actually be that, which was interesting, it turns out they're in some kind of posthumous limbo dimension, which is stupid as fuck). The island story ended in a fairly thematically appropriate fashion, though frustratingly absent answers. The other story ended in a massive cliché ("they were dead all along") that rendered everything that came before it (in that storyline) inconsequential and irrelevant.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

I thought the afterlife was perfect. I'd have been bummed if the sideways turned out to be a reset or something.

 

[Jax]

I am changing my signature soon because I am sick of hearing oh they were dead all along.



NO, Christian made it clear everything that happened did happen and when you die no matter when you came to the sideway verse.

 

[MichaelDornFan]

Because the writers dig themselves into a hole, can't get out, and come up with some spiritual non-sense as an easy exit.

 

[Brent]

Because the writers dig themselves into a hole, can't get out, and come up with some spiritual non-sense as an easy exit.

Spirituality is not non sense to a lot of people.

 

[The]

I love how people who have been around for less than 100 years like to call spirituality -- something that's been around since the relative dawn of man, and is the most powerful institution ever created by our species -- "nonsense".....

 

[LitmusDragon]

An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge, an Ambrose Bierce short story from 1851, is often credited as the inspiration for this kind of "twist" in storytelling. It's been cited by more than one filmmaker as the reason they decided to go that route.

 

[Delta1]

I love how people who have been around for less than 100 years like to call spirituality -- something that's been around since the relative dawn of man, and is the most powerful institution ever created by our species -- "nonsense".....

Most of human history, and prehistory, has been dominated by nonsense. The fact that Lost's nonsense feels good doesn't make it sensible.

 

[ToddKent]

This may be a stupid question at this point but what is Ashes to Ashes?

 

[coolghoul]

^?

There was only one ending. "It only ends once...everything else is progress"

All the nuke did was send them to 2007 time.

The sideways was their meeting place. Once they were all there (some died before Jack, some after) they could move on.

Trippy, I understand your (and several people have made the same) point. However, it still doesn't make sense. In a way station, why do you get all the characters to lead an alternate life, until they start recalling things based on chance encounters? It's the afterlife waystation, there's no chronology to the events - so why does every character come up with an "alternate" life and then need to be "awakened" from it with near-death or intense experiences? Why would a way-station function that way alone? What is the significance to them all assembling in the church? Are they there to see Jack off or are they all "leaving" at the same point? In which case, why is Locke not with Helen? Or is the Helen storyline just a construct for him in the waystation?

In which case, all Juliet does as a construct is marry Jack, have a kid and separate from Jack and meet people at vending machines? I'm sorry (for myself primarily since I can't seem to derive enjoyment from it) but I call that lame.

And I, for one, am not opposed to the spiritual side of things. I wasn't put off by it. But I need more of an explanation. If the creators of the show are going to show me a spiritual way station, I want some examination of the concept. And I can't seem to see it (so far).

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Speaking of spoilers... Jax, while I know it might be frustrating that some people are misinterpreting the finale, your sig sort of indirectly gives a big clue as to how it ended by pointing out what some people are mistaking it for. I know you didn't mention the show specifically, but it doesn't take much of a leap of logic to figure that might apply to 'Lost' and the flash-sideways reality if one is at all knowledgeable about the rest of this season. Likewise, it could give the wrong idea about the Island reality's ending.

Obviously it's not much of an issue if you only post in spoiler threads, but I'm just concerned about people reading it outside this forum. I'm not the mod for this forum, so this isn't a mod request to remove it or anything; just asking a favor. Thanks.

 

[Tulin]

Re: SPOILERS - *IDENTICAL* to Ashes to Ashes.

"It turns out they've been dead all along" is a big, trite cliché. Something doesn't get to be cliché unless it pops up a lot, particularly when writers run out of creativity or paint themselves into a corner.

Exactly.

After years of saying "They're not dead/in limbo/in purgatory/whatever" and "everuthing will be based in science", we found out the produvers were lying.

You are exactly correct - they painted themselves into a corner and used the childish equivalent of "It was all a dream" to get out of it.

 

[Brent]

Re: SPOILERS - *IDENTICAL* to Ashes to Ashes.

"It turns out they've been dead all along" is a big, trite cliché. Something doesn't get to be cliché unless it pops up a lot, particularly when writers run out of creativity or paint themselves into a corner.

Exactly.

After years of saying "They're not dead/in limbo/in purgatory/whatever" and "everuthing will be based in science", we found out the produvers were lying.

You are exactly correct - they painted themselves into a corner and used the childish equivalent of "It was all a dream" to get out of it.

S1-S6 they were not dead. It was all real and it all really happened.

S6 Flash Sideways - They were dead.

 

[Top41]

Re: SPOILERS - *IDENTICAL* to Ashes to Ashes.

I am changing my signature soon because I am sick of hearing oh they were dead all along.



NO, Christian made it clear everything that happened did happen and when you die no matter when you came to the sideway verse.

Speaking of spoilers... Jax, while I know it might be frustrating that some people are misinterpreting the finale, your sig sort of indirectly gives a big clue as to how it ended by pointing out what some people are mistaking it for. I know you didn't mention the show specifically, but it doesn't take much of a leap of logic to figure that might apply to 'Lost' and the flash-sideways reality if one is at all knowledgeable about the rest of this season. Likewise, it could give the wrong idea about the Island reality's ending.

Obviously it's not much of an issue if you only post in spoiler threads, but I'm just concerned about people reading it outside this forum. I'm not the mod for this forum, so this isn't a mod request to remove it or anything; just asking a favor. Thanks.

Jax, I feel your frustration, but I have to echo what Locutus is saying here... given how (understandably) sensitive people are about having this particular finale spoiled, it would be great if you could change that sig.

 

[Tulin]

the writers do it because they are lazy and have nothing else to give us. The end of Lost was a great big "we got nothing, so here's a bunny with a pancake on its head" to the fans.

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tulin]

I love how people who have been around for less than 100 years like to call spirituality -- something that's been around since the relative dawn of man, and is the most powerful institution ever created by our species -- "nonsense".....

Logical fallacy - argument from antiquity.

It's also responsible for the worst attrocities against fellow man. But this isn't the place to discuss that.

And yeah, "We got nothing so here's some white light and mystical mumbo jumbo bullshit" is a shitty way to end a tv show.

ALways has been and always will be.

 

[Starbreaker]

THEY WERE NOT DEAD THE WHOLE SHOW

It was the flash-sideways that was their little world they created. The island was real. You should have been listening to the dialogue.

 

[Tulin]

If the island WAS real then where are all the answers?

 

[Starbreaker]

In a Hobbit hole.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

If the island WAS real then where are all the answers?

Inside Marcellus Wallace's briefcase?

 

[Starbreaker]

If the island WAS real then where are all the answers?

What answers would you like. You can't satisfactorily explain a mystical light, or why somebody can turn into a cloud of smoke. Nothing is going to be acceptable. And where does it end? Someone is always going to know where this person came from, who their father was, what they ate at their 3rd birthday party....

But if I'm sure of one thing, I'm sure that this wasn't a big dream or purgatory. Jack died at the end of the finale, but Hurley and Ben talked about being on the island after Jack died.

I just hate that you haven't been in the forum for a year, but made sure to come and gripe about the finale... actually looking back through your posts, all of them are about something you hate: Avatar, Star Trek, Lost, BSG, ALL Cop/Doctor/Lawyer Shows, Supernatural, Sisko, Flash Gordon, Blu-Ray, 3D,.