'Orientation: Ryan Station' talks the end of 'Lost' with Time Magazine's James Poniewozik
As promised, here's our mega-podcast about the series finale of "Lost." Joining myself and my usual podcast partner (The Chicago Tribune's Maureen "Mo" Ryan) is returning guest James Poniewozik. Having met both of them in person for the first time in the week leading up to the finale, it was great to meet virtually after "The End" to discuss our thoughts on the show, the overall reaction to it, and trying to figure out the ultimate meaning of "Lost" as a whole.
The podcast runs about 75 minutes in total. We didn't do our usual thing of watching the episode while discussing it, since that would have been too monumental a task to produce as well as to absorb as a listener. So instead, we hit broader topics raised by the episode itself, with a primary focus on the sideways world and what its meaning says about everything we've watched up until this point. It's a frank, honest discussion, and we hope you enjoy listening to it.
As we mention at the end of the podcast, we're going to do one more of these this week, centered around reader questions. So for the last time, give a great big "WAAAAAALT!" before your query below to be considered for inclusion in our podcast later this week.
In the meantime, enjoy!
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A little surprised to see this here, Ryan, because it's not showing up on the RSS feed right now. I've been refreshing mine all day in order to get your podcast, but even after coming here and finding it posted, it's still not showing up in RSS.
I don't care, by the way, as I only subscribed to boost your numbers. But I did think you would want to know about this glitch.
And thanks for posting that indulgently long post I put up in the Instant Dharma section. It was kind of you. You'd be my constant if it were not for Mrs. Schmoker.
I want to listen to this but the audio is horrific.
Great podcast guys. Though I would disagree and say the Island died to. It was the first thing we saw in the flash sideways world--the island sunk in the ocean. I think it means that Jack and Co. did finish Jacob's redemption project, they did make progress. MIB was dead. He had been killed by people coming together and helping each other. They had been redeemed the same way. So maybe MIB was not Evil or the end of the word, but a metaphor, a representation of Ego and selfish desire. His escape would not really end the world. People already were selfish and corrupted. But his escape would mean the non redemptions of our characters. What I am trying to say is the whole Jacob/MIB plot was an allegory or a parable about saving ourselves--our vices, our egos, all our lonely and flawed selves through being with others. Jacob was connection, a metaphor for the bringing together of people. The MIB was the opposite--selfishness, desire and all the things we are that seperate us from each other and make us do harmful things to each other.
So when everybody killed MIB, they redeemed themselves, and made the island just an island. Ben and Hurley could have been just caretakers. I don't believe they contined the redemption project. That was over. Selflessness and community won. The first shot of the season of the island sinking came about through the last shot, Jack closing his eye. Eventually because of what they did, the island would sink.
WAAAAAALT!
What do you think is the significance/meaning of the plane wreckage shown during the closing credits?
Nevermind, Ryan. The RSS is working now.
waaaaaalt!
ryan, i'm about to listen to the podcast but before i forget i wanted to ask you (and your guests) to try to envision the finale without the sideways strand; what would your reaction to that have been?
i keep thinking that if it ended with jack stumbling through the bamboo, falling down, having vincent join him, seeing the ajira flight take off, and closing his eye....i think that would have worked for me. i'm eager to hear what you think
now to the podcast
I enjoyed the podcast, but I wish that you'd talked more about WAAAAALLLT and Claire's BAAAAABBY! Wouldn't it be great if someone created a series of Where's Waldo? style illustrations with Aaron and/or Walt hidden in each picture? My real question has to do with Hurley inheriting the role of Island guardian with Ben as his #2. Ever since the show first revealed some of the characters as 'candidates' to replace Jacob I was pulling for Hurley. I thought that he was the best choice because he has the purest heart and the best moral compass of any of Lost's characters. I was happy that this was what ultimately happened, but it seemed like the show set up an interesting dichotomy by having Ben become Hurley's #2. Until halfway through the final season, Ben has been selfish, vindictive and violent. Before Ben's recent rehabilitation, he was basically the polar opposite of Hurley. I like to think that spending a few centuries as second fiddle to the obese, unintellectual Hurley is a fitting penance for someone as Machiavellian as Ben. Do you agree? Also, where you guys worried like I was for a minute during the finale after Hurley asked Ben for help running the Island. My first thought was, "Hurley, NOOOOO! Ben will stab you in the back as soon as he has a chance so that he can be the one in charge." Of course, I was relieved when Hurley and Ben had their exchange outside the church. I took it to mean that the old Ben never resurfaced, and he graciously served as #2 for some period. Namaste and thanks again for the podcast.
Schmoker, I'm with you on mysteries being answered. As for the Island and the light, it never could have been explained logically. You either accept that it's incredibly important, as the characters did, or you don't.
The podcast only goes about 45 minutes. Looks like it's supposed to go 70 minutes.
Love the podcast ryan, i've listened to every one of them and i think it enhanced my lost viewing experience.
The only problem i have with this episode, and i certainly understand it was next to impossible to not go down this road, but i was really hoping for an actual episode recap.
Yes, obviously the last 15 minutes were the most important/controversial, but there were a lot of awesome moments in this episode that i wish you all everybody had discussed.
look forward to seeing how the podcast evolves from here on out!