"Lost" made me a true believer years ago, so now I'm just enjoying the ride

[I thought it might be fun to prep for season six with a little fanboy exuberance. What follows isn't all that insightful. Regular readers have heard variations on this before. But I think it captures my deep appreciation for this show. -- Mac]

Let me be clear: I will not cover any sort of "Lost" spinoff. I witnessed the sad, feeble final seasons of "The X-Files." Super soldiers? Doggett and Reyes? No need to revisit that brand of nonsense.

Thankfully, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse appear to be of the same mind. From Variety:

The duo have made it pretty clear that they have no intention to keep the show going after the finale, and would like their work to stand on its own once "Lost" slams the hatch door shut. "People deserve an ending, and to promise a continuation of the story in any form in some way negates the finality in some way," Lindelof says.

That's precisely why these guys are pop culture heroes. They get it. With "Lost," they have a rare opportunity to craft a beautiful, cohesive series. Not just a good episode or a good season. But an entire series. It's a shot at an actual legacy, and they know it.

I'll admit there was a time when I thought "Lost" was teetering into crapdom. I can pinpoint the exact episode: season three, number nine. The godawful "Stranger in a Strange Land." An entire 44 minutes dedicated to the not-at-all burning question, how did Jack get his tattoos? Ugh. God. I still get queasy.

But then ABC -- God bless you, ABC -- agreed to an end date. Everything changed. Goodbye tattoos. Goodbye Nikki and Paulo. Hello (more) Juliet. And ... oh my ... helloooo "Through the Looking Glass."

I contend that the season three finale represents the single greatest television episode ever filmed. You're entitled to disagree, but don't waste time arguing with me. I won't be swayed. "Through the Looking Glass" is the pinnacle of serialization and mythology. It's proof that television can showcase truly brilliant work.

And story-wise, good lord, what a move! Ballsy as hell. Flipping an entire show on its head. A popular, profitable franchise, totally reborn! And the way they did it was just so clever. Swapping out a central question -- will they get off the island? -- with a bigger one -- how did they get off the island?

Who does that? Who has the audacity to even consider such a thing?

That's why, regardless of how season six plays out and how the series ultimately ends, I'm grateful for what we've experienced. Lindelof and Cuse already had my admiration. Their refusal to defame the "Lost" legacy with silly spinoffs just reinforces my faith in these guys.

Photo © ABC.

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