‘Lost’: A Second Season Finale-Watching Guide

I, like so many people a year ago, watched as the camera zoomed down into the hatch only to instantly flash up the word “Lost.” The season was over and I was left with way too many unanswered questions. Well a year has past and while I have been frustrated at times with the way ABC seems to handle it’s programming (we’ll come back to that later) I have been impressed for the most part with the way the season has played out. I’m still bummed they killed off (and I know I’m going out on a limb here) my girl Ana Lucia. Yes, I know she was not a fan favorite but to me she was a ball to watch unravel. A tortured soul who just when she was getting herself together… bang! She and dirty Libby (who also was robbed of a great story) were “Lost” forever.

Other than a few episodes that never went anywhere (yes, I’m talking to you Charlie) this season has taken us to places we’ve never been — hatch by hatch. It introduced us to a great villain in “Henry Gale,” played perfectly by Michael Emerson (He won a guest Emmy by the way for playing a serial killer on ‘The Practice’). We’ve gotten closer to finding out why the castaways crashed on the island in the first place and to me the best story of all – the tail section of the plane carried survivors bringing us Ana Lucia, Libby, and standout Mr. Eko (Hey Eko don’t change!).

Now next season we can expect a big change for the better. Ratings suffered the last few months for the Emmy winning show, which could be all due to ?American Idol? or it could also be because ABC can’t seem to figure out how to program a serialized drama. I’m thrilled with the news that the producers are learning from shows like ‘Prison Break’ and ‘24.’ If you have a show that is written as a serial don’t leave your loyal viewers hanging for weeks on end. Kiefer and company start their season in January. Wentworth and company split their season up in two parts. They had a winter finale and then a season finale. It was a brilliant move that paid off. ‘Lost’ will premiere in the fall for seven weeks then return after a hiatus for nonstop new episodes. God bless America.

But hey that’s months away from happening so let?s talk about Wednesday night. The episode titled “Live Together, Die Alone” is being described as “brutal” and “mind-blowing.” OK here’s what we do know:  it’s the hatch inhabitant Desmond’s back story and it will include an appearance by Libby. (Libby — we hardly knew ye). Here’s a question to ponder:  Will Desmond be on board that mysterious sail boat floating to shore (a theory of co-worker Keith) or will the boat explode just as survivors get near it? Sort of like a jab at Michael… letting him know how serious “the others” are about his mission. The reason flight 815 crashed will finally be revealed.

But what thrills me the most is that the last moments of the finale even took it’s co-creator J.J. Abrams by surprise. The executive producer (and the nicest guy in the world by the way) told Sci-Fi Wire that “The ending of this year in ‘Lost’ blows the ending of last season out of the water. It’s an incredible finale. You’ll see what happens, but I can tell you that a lot of it has been there and been building from the beginning of this season. It’s not out of the blue, but what happens at the very end of this year, for me, it’s the greatest finale I have ever heard.”

J.J.’s quote sort of makes sense after I heard from a reporter friend of mine who was on the set earlier this season. One of the show?s main leads told him that the finale (how he already knew this in September, I have no clue) will leave us all wondering who lives and who dies. This news instantly brought back to mind my favorite finale of all time —  Dynasty’s Maldovian Massacre –which to me was pure TV heaven. Like that fateful day in May 1985 how cool would it be to see lifeless bodies littered on the ground a speck of blood on her lapel, a bullet hole in his belly and then instantly they’ll flash up the word “Lost.?

Thast?s what a real cliffhanger should be, and it?s what true fans deserve.