Crazy 'Lost' recipe made television exciting

The most exciting television show in the history of television, or at least in the years I’ve been watching it, will come to an end Sunday, May 23.
The series finale of “Lost” is set to air on ABC that evening, capping six crazy seasons no other television show has even come close to duplicating, all while retaining a mass audience it should have lost its second episode when it became obvious this show was more about creating questions than answering them.
“Lost,” for those who don’t know, is one part “Gilligan’s Island,” as it focuses on a group of passengers on an airliner who are stranded on an island after it crashes; one part “Land of the Lost” (and not the crappy film version that came out last year), as time travel is frequently involved; one part “Star Trek,” as the science-fiction element of this show often addresses moral subjects, including religion and free will, that the best “Star Trek” shows and films also tackled; one part “Memento,” a film that is nothing but flashbacks, a narrative device “Lost” took one step further with flash-forwards and flash-sideways; and one part LSD or some other hallucinogenic drug, as show creator J.J. Abrams and producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse must have ingested a lot of them when they came up with this recipe.
This recipe shouldn’t work.
But it does. And here’s why:
It makes viewers think, unlike 95 percent of the other television shows out there. While shows like “CSI,” “Desperate Housewives,” “American Idol” and “How I Met Your Mother” can be highly entertaining, none of them are challenging. Other than an occasional cliffhanger, each episode of these shows is contained in itself, and all of them follow a set formula that’s kind of ridiculous if you really think about it. “Lost” requires viewers to see every episode, and it thrives on making sure it has no set formula.
“Lost” is a great “water-cooler” show. People who watch it love to talk about it. At my previous job, the day after “Lost” aired, we spent entire breaks talking about it, with each person giving their own theories as to what’s happening on the island. Most of the staff at The Gazette had not watched the show when I arrived here three years ago, but thanks to high praise from the two of us that did and the availability to catch up with the show through DVDs, a few more became fans.
Now, Wednesdays are spent talking about the Tuesday night episode. We’re already looking for potential substitutes now that it’s ending, but ABC’s attempts to create them with “Flashforward” and “V” have been big disappointments.
The cast is nearly perfect. For six years “Lost” has excelled at casting actors and actresses in both main and secondary roles who are the right match for their characters. And it’s not afraid to kill characters off, despite the fact the actor or actress may be a fan favorite. When the show killed Charlie, played by Hobbit Dominic Monaghan, off in the season three finale, I was upset it took him away from us, but at the same time it was a great moment for the show – one that was recreated for this season’s best moment so far. Character comes before actor/actress on “Lost,” a philosophy I wish other shows followed. Seeing Bree die an unexpected death on “Desperate Housewives” could be refreshing for that show, as opposed to the boring death Edie suffered because the actress playing her, Nicole Sheridan, was fired from it.
“Lost” is a great show to watch with someone else. My wife and I have been watching it together since day one. I like to pause the program to talk about events that take place, and sometimes, god-forbid, talk about them as the show is happening, much to her annoyance. But we both like to look at each other’s reaction when big moments occur, and there are a lot of them, to add to the experience. This doesn’t happen with other shows, unless rolling my eyes at the numerous stupid moments in “Bones” counts.
“Lost” will be missed, but a lot hinges on Sunday’s finale because quite a few questions still need answering. If the finale goes out with a whimper, leaving many of those questions unanswered, then getting over the loss of “Lost” might not be so difficult. But if it goes out with a bang, and I’m hoping it does, television programming will have a big void to fill.