Well, what can I say about the LOST finale? Not much, actually; I'm writing this in advance on Saturday night. I hope that you didn't get spoiled by anyone before you've seen the finale that will have just ended when you first get the chance to read this. (Whoa -- is that a flashforward, or was this a flashback?) And, of course, I hope that the episode was both thrilling and satisfying.
My plan has been to liveblog the episode myself as I watch it and then to hit publish at around the time I hear the words "Bad Robot!" Let's see how I did. Your own thoughts, of course, are very much appreciated -- for as long as those of us up late on this work night can last.
What follows are my real-time notes on the broadcast. I look forward to seeing yours, if you took them!
Well, I didn't expect Christian's body to really show up. Did Desmond know when he made what seemed like a fake call, or is this a coincidence?
Uh-oh, Sideways Des wants to go to the Island?
OK, how much of that last exchange was a direct ripoff of Empire Strikes Back? And why break the fourth wall?
Vincent gives them away! Bad doggie! (Unless he is furthering the plot.)
Do not kill Bernard and Rose, producers! ... OK, thank you. (Then again, sinking the Island may sting a bit.)
Darkest before the dawn -- needs to get darker!
If Richard is going to be silly about still blowing up the plane, he might as well have been killed. Stick with the revised plot, Richard! Be integral!
Nice way to get Sawyer to the concert. Miles!
Nice satori scene with Jin and Sun. Love how seeing the sonogram was so relatively unimportant to them, along with the sudden change in language. Yeah, the realities are merging. What a shock.
"I'll see you on the other side," says Jack to Sideways Locke. Ho, ho, ho.
Oh, NO! The "Lapidus is alive" people were RIGHT! And his chest hair survived, too!
OK, I like the Smokey-Jack meeting. Locke doesn't know the truth. I think I'll continue watching.
(On the other hand, we do know that the Island is sinkable.)
Ha-ha -- Sawyer walks by Juliet with a nod.
"It should just ve the three of us." And the castaways divide one last time....
Commercial at 9:36. Starts at 9:39. Commercial at 9:43. Starts at 9:47. They do not want us watching this is real time.
Oh, no, no, no -- Shannon? He moved Shannon, not Nadia? What's next, Nikki and Paolo return? Is this now "Touched by an Angel"?
Does Desmond get Smoked?
Again, like the Jack-UnLocke interplay where Jack says that Real Locke was right. And it ends with the re-enactment of the iconic "Staring down the Hatch" tableau!
Oh no -- we see Charlotte again -- with Daniel -- and now we have to hear Drive Shaft?
Oh my -- Desmond was just needed for routine maintenance? Pulling the plug instead of pushing the button?
Love UnLocke's confusion here when he notices his blood. Can we no longer call him Smokey?
Eloise looked crestfallen for a moment -- nice change of pace.
So Daniel doesn't get to go back ... with Des?
"Get water and blankets"? Is Charlie going to be shot by Michael?
See, Charlie and Claire were in love.
(Continuity problem: That's not the same actor playing Aaron!)
Midway point: So far ... this is pretty damn good!
So if the main Island goes down -- does Hydra go with it?
Aha. Richard implies "yes." Though how he'd know, I have no idea.
How are they going to take off in that storm?
You know -- and I say this before the return from the commercial break -- if is generally not a good idea to jump down onto someone carrying a large knife.
A huge, bone-crushing fall! Now UnLocke is like Real Locke!
OK, maybe not the last time they split up.
Hey, Sun and Jin -- where's the "that man saved our lives" when you see the pic of Sayid?
Aggghh! Teared up at the Jack-Kate scene. I did not think they could do that to me.
So, is UnLocke really dead, or really dead dead, or really dead dead dead dead dead?
So I'm confused -- who's going where, in which reality?
Aha! "If you unplug it and you plug it back in again," you get what you want! Thanks, Juliet!
OH, NICE!!! Finally LOST really makes me cry. This was worth the whole episode. Son of a bitch!
(Yes, that's about the Sawyer-Juliet reunion. They even got the "we could go Dutch" thing right. A+.)
I really thought that Ben might steal the bottle out of Hurley's hands.
Are we going to see Christian?
Plane's gonna crash. Wait, no now it has major characters on it. Never mind.
Aha -- 6 people escape! Oceanic 6!
Uh, that C-4 is deactivated, right?
OK, now does Jack get smoked? If so, we get to test out a theory. I think that Smokey only had the motivation he did because MiB had the motivation that he did. If Jack is pure of heart (and the laughter is a good sign), then perhaps we get a "merger with the light" that is much more benign than Smokey.
Honestly, they could pretty much end it here, except for the Sideways world, I guess. That makes the last half-hour more interesting -- they can tell pretty much whatever story they want.
Nice Locke-Ben interplay. What has Ben yet to do?
I may just be failing to remember things, but I don't recall Ben and Hugo having had as much of a relationship as he did most of the other major characters. That seems sort of interesting now.
Ah, the use of past tense: "you were a good number two." The Sideways reality is what Ben and Hugo together -- Wisdom and Experience -- figured out how to create. Hurley "took care of people." Lovely.
OK, they all created it. A little confusing, but whatever.
Vincent! Good dog!
And a closed eye. Nice.