Radiation by Fiona Rae

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Radiation: Geek, annoyed

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  • B Jones,

    why were there characters in the church who were still alive on the island

    Spoilers, of course.


    Because what we thought of as the flash sideways wasn't set in any time - Christian Shephard (heh, didn't pick that one until two seconds before Kate did), said something along those lines - there is only now - to Jack at the end. So they all lived happily ever after, or not, to get together and hang out in a sideways purgatory until they were all ready to go together. Hugo and Ben had their post finale adventures, Charlie etc didn't.

    But yeah. All day I've been going "but what about Walt?" "but what about all those pregnant women?", "what about Mr Eko?", "what about Eloise?", "what's with Jack's son" and so on. I think the only answer is that that's how Jacob ran things.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    The first thing I read after the Lost finale happened to be The Guardian's blog about the Lost finale. I had to quickly avert my eyes when I realised it included an Ashes to Ashes spoiler, but I can now see why it did.

    And Ashes to Ashes resolved its unrealities a buttload better than Lost did.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Sidewaysland

    I quite liked Sidewaysland, I must say. Miles and Sawyer cop show spin-off, anyone?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    Glee returns this Friday

    Why is their glee club called Nude Erections?

    Lost

    Glad I mostly gave up after s2. The finale explained nothing.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    was it all just a shaggy dog story?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Jake Pollock,

    As B Jones said, the flash sideways didn't exist in time, so Hurley and Ben had a brief exchange about how good they were at being in charge of the island post-real time narrative in the show. Some had already died, some were to die, but because 'what happened in Lost' was the most important time in their lives they all met up there before going off to heaven.

    The sixth season was so bad that I was only watching because I'd already watched so much of it, and I thought I wasn't bothered by all the unresolved questions. But the ending was so, so bad that I realised that I was. Perhaps if, when Jack was dying, a polar bear suddenly leapt out of the jungle and finished him off, I could have been okay with it all.

    ETA: in fact it was so bad that later that night I threw up. Some would say that this was because of a stomach virus that was circulating through Pittsburgh, but I know it was because of Christian Shephard.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report Reply

  • B Jones,

    The great big fat takeaway I took from the Lost finale was "No man is an island" - fortunately the writers weren't so crass as to say it out loud, or name any of the characters after John Donne.

    What annoyed me way more than the unanswered questions (once they're answered they're never as much fun), was the fact that the writers were way underqualified to write about all the baby stuff that happened. I watched it with another mum, and we both burst out laughing when Kate decided it was time for Claire to push, after about 5 minutes of active labour. Goodness knows how Kate fed Aaron in the several days between Claire's disappearance and their rescue, not to mention how CJ Cregg fed Jacob and his brother.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report Reply

  • Jake Pollock,

    the writers were way underqualified to write about all the baby stuff that happened.

    MY BABY!!1!

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report Reply

  • B Jones,

    This isn't a bad resource for the confused. I felt a lot better about the finale after reading a little explanation. This doesn't reflect well on the skill of the writers, but.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    I think it helped understand what happened to have watched Lisa Williams, Touched by an Angel (or even dare I say it Sensing Murder). The characters all died in the initial plane crash. But according to Lisa Williams and others there can be problems to moving on - to the light/heaven or whatever. Some take a while to accept they are dead. You also have to examine your life and eventually do some restorative justice/ redemption stuff. That was what apparently happened for 6 seasons (not that I watched any until the last week). Most of them were then ready to move once Jack (was that his name? the one with the plug and the hot pool and the father with the unsubtle name) finally died/accepted they had all died in the crash.

    It was all a big joke on the Lost ie the non believers, who were taking it all as something logical and this worldly. It's American after all.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Ngaire BookieMonster,

    I'm so internetly-challenged I never know how people download episodes of TV that haven't played in NZ. The shame!

    At the foot of Mt Te Aroh… • Since Nov 2009 • 174 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    @Ngaire. Try sidereel.com. Until a few weeks ago I hadn't bothered ether, but now I'm about to watch the latest Doctor Who, and I'm getting a little hooked. They use mainly megavideo.com links, and there's usually an HD version.

    Others here probably have better advice, but this worked for me. It does make me wonder why we don't have 'worldwide releases' of TV series now, as we do for many films.

    As to Lost, now that those who care have seen it, here's the alternative endings, featuring some unexpected guests, including Bob Newhart. From the sound of it they are more popular than the actual.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • mattgeeknz,

    The characters all died in the initial plane crash.

    I don't think they did. I'm with Jake: Jack died then, people like Boone and Locke died earlier, but Sawyer and Kate and the others (not The Others) escaped on the plane and died maybe years later. Everything not in sideways world was real, albeit strange, odd, and mystical at times. But they all met up in limbo/sideways world after their deaths, had a kumbaya in the church and happily moved on to blinding-white-light world.

    I was a little bit confused by the ending to begin with but after reflecting on it for a while it sort of just fell into place for me. I thought the writers treated the weird stuff really well: they just put it out there for us to believe or not believe, and we were all 'wha?' but all along they were playing it straight, and that most of it wasn't a dream was a huge relief to me.

    Keeping us strung along for six seasons only to have everything fall into place in the last episode, and for some, pretty neatly, was an extraordinary achievement. So glad I hung in there.

    Wellington • Since Mar 2010 • 22 posts Report Reply

  • Yamis,

    I gave up at the end of season 1 really. I watched the first few episodes of season 2 but read about the shows makers saying they weren't quite sure what direction the show was going and what was going on with the island.

    That's quite common in TV series but I think in ones like this they should know from the get go what's going on and where they are headed or else it renders many parts of the show pointless.

    Imagine reading a book where the ending hasn't been written and when you get to the end the author may not really bother writing one - would you read it? Maybe, but it's a lot of time to invest in something that may dupe you somewhat.

    Glad I flagged it.

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Imagine reading a book where the ending hasn't been written

    Isn't that exactly how Dickens and others wrote novels in serialised chunks? Bookiefolk, help me out.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Thomas Johnson,

    Recordari: Those were good!

    I think I've watched every episode. I'd say the last season or so has been a little week as things try to wrap up. it was better earlier when there were new themes to explore, but hey, there are worse things to watch, right?

    It's all entertainment, not a religion.

    Wellington • Since Oct 2007 • 98 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Isn't that exactly how Dickens and others wrote novels in serialised chunks?

    I was going to say that. Not Dickens books in which chapters 2 to 12 turn out to have been a dream, though.

    Dumas, on the other hand...

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    There are lots of TV dramas that start without their ending being written -- they're called soap operas.

    But they don't set themselves as many tasks as Lost did, and successful soap operas are faithful to the idea of a story arc. Lost's big arc was probably just too hard to bring to earth without damage.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Isn't that exactly how Dickens and others wrote novels in serialised chunks? Bookiefolk, help me out.

    There is a difference between 'author hasn't written it out yet, but has a pretty good idea what happens', and 'author has no fucking clue either'.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • B Jones,

    I had heard that they'd had the finale firmly in mind when they wrote the initial episodes - my theory is that mid series they went on a few diversions. That makes sense to me - the whole backstory/redemption thing was integral to the series, probably more so than the pregnant women/hatch/nuclear bomb/mercenaries things. And the finale focused on that backstory.

    I've been rewatching and found the first season very difficult to get through once the initial setup was in place (Christian and the coffin, the whispers, the smoke monster, the cave). The characters spend the whole series misunderstanding each other and getting into silly conflicts - Michael vs Jin, Michael vs Locke, Sawyer vs everyone, Jack vs Locke, Charlie vs Locke etc etc. I can see why, but I wanted to smack nearly all of them by the end of season 1.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I was going to say that. Not Dickens books in which chapters 2 to 12 turn out to have been a dream, though.

    Dumas, on the other hand...

    Dumas to Dallas: A counter-alphabetical discourse of the fantastical on my desk, Monday morning.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I haven't read any theory about Lost or what it's creators intended until those handy links above. The show always struck me as largely an emotional parable about fear and uncertainty in the wake of 9/11. With lashings of brash Christianity, cod philosophy and suchlike.

    I similarly found last night's finale easier to appreciate on an emotional level and some of those flashes of realising previous personal connection moved me. I really wasn't looking for a resolved plot, so I'm finding it hard to relate to the annoyance of those who clearly did.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • B Jones,

    Patchy though it was, I think Lost can still claim to be the big speculative fiction series of the 00s in the same way that The X Files was the big speculative series of the 90s. And much as I love Scully and Mulder, I don't think I even bothered to watch the series finale. That was definitely a case of the authors not having a clue, and biting off more series mythology than they could comfortably wrap up.

    As an aside, Mulder in the second X Files movie bore a striking resemblance to post-rescue "we have to go back, Kate" Jack, scraggly beard, failed relationship and all.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    A counter-alphabetical discourse of the fantastical

    full marks for use of the right "d" word (take note Holmes, Haden, et al)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    The characters spend the whole series misunderstanding each other and getting into silly conflicts

    does sound like a soap opera

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

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