25 May 2010

Great Conclusion of LOST Wasn't FOUND

Watched recorded last episode of Lost. Have to say I was disappointed. They went for an obvious explanation instead of one more inventive...

They were all just dead--really? And all going to be together in the "afterlife"? How droll. The great big fat finale is that they all meet in a church and go "toward the light"---REALLY? The ultimate result of all this had to have that religious element? Again? it's been done to death. I am so fucking sick of everything mysterious ending up being some biblical, spiritual or religious reference. Come on! I would expect more from the otherwise brilliant writers of that show.
And they also left far too many things unexplained. Too many holes...
 
  • they didn't explain how they were able to interact in the world with other people while DEAD, all that time.
  • and they didn't explain the island/Jacob/black smoke thing
  • Nor did they really explain why the Dharma Initiative seemed so spooky.
  • and if we are to believe they were just ghosts living that life they kept flashing to, then how come it wasn't the life they came from? it was a different life.
  • When they escaped the island and went back to their lives, were those lives real? or were they already dead? When they went back to the island were they still dead or still alive?
  • In the finale, the cut on Jack's neck, was a bleed-through, literally and figuratively-- but it suggested it was a bleedthrough from when he was alive. And that cut happened ON THE ISLAND and I thought they were supposed to be dead there? Or were they alive on the island and dead in their lives? And if so, which lives? The flashback lives only, or the flash-sideways life? Or both or neither storylines?
  • so Locke was dead during his surgery in the flashsideways? and Jack who did the operation was dead? what about the nurses that talked to them, the other people they encountered? were they all dead? where were they existing in this storyline? was it a fictional place too?
  • Was the island in an ambiguous time-space continuum?
  • Did Jacob, with Richard's help, go back in time to manipulate the events and people to prevent the destruction of the island?
  • was the list of Chosen, the list of people whose actions had a pivotal affect on the future of the island?
 I tried to get some answers on the ABC site and their "Untangled" vids were too aggravating to watch. I mean, who had the idea to go over the material using Muppets?? This was a DRAMA, not a kid's show. WTF?

I realize I've forgotten most of the material in this show--it was chock-full of details, and six years worth, at that. I will probably have to buy the whole series and watch it all again to figure some stuff out, But that's quite time consuming. But just in general, I was not happy with the ending. It didn't explain enough to me and I didn't like the way it felt. This does not prevent me from still loving the show and the cast and the writing. It's a wonderful show to watch with friends and it always inspires interesting discussion. I just didn't like how they ended it and copped out.

So...How would I have written the ending?  I would have used more modern idea--like those from science--multiverse theory/membrane theory. The idea that decisions we make in one life, can branch into and create a whole new lifeline for us, but in these parallel realities....I was hoping the explanation would be that the flashsideways lives were in parallel universes/alternate realities, and they eventually merged that knowledge of the LOST life with other one. The concept would be that this was a glitch in the universe...because something odd happened with the other elements, like the island and magnetism, it allowed them to be aware of the other alternate lives on some level until finally, they could merge the one where they all died with another one. 

Working thru fears and other aspects of personal growth on the island, would have allowed them to do that. And perhaps those who came before set it up so that they would only allow those who evolved in some way, to access that other life, and so "leave" the island, if only in a metaphysical way; where their consciousness could be merged with the alternate version of themselves and continue on, leaving the LOST life behind. Like Jin and Sun, they died in the sub, but maybe they merged into that alternate life together...This would have fit nicely with the scenes where they all start to "recognize" each other. They would become aware (in the selves in the parallel life) of the life they shared before and during the island... 

I would have had the smoke monster be a manifestation of fear, created in the minds of the people. Since most people have fears, most people saw it. Didn't mean it was real. All the seemingly mystical things on the island could instead be explained by understanding human nature and how we behave and think and interpret. I mean, go for the storyline that HASN'T been explored a million times.

It would have been hopeful, inspiring, interesting and more original.
At least that's how *I* would have written it. sigh.

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17 May 2010

Brothers & Sisters & Writing & Dating

My number one favorite TV show is Brothers & Sisters. In last night's season finale, I guessed incorrectly about who they were going to kill. Well, in fairness to myself, my second guess was correct, but my first one wasn't. I kind of wish I hadn't been right because i liked the one they knocked off better than the one they didn't. 


I understand as a writer myself, that an engaging story almost always means dragging your characters through all kinds of rough terrains in order to capture the attention of the reader. Television characters are no different. Each episode is like a chapter in a book. I get involved with them, just as I would a good novel.  It's often hard for me not to shout at the television--address characters and writers about things i feel they should know. "Don't do it, Robert!!! It will backfire on you in a really bad way!" ,,, "Kevin, you're a wonderful person no matter what your stupid father might have done." 

As I've watched the character of Justin struggle with meaning in his life, I also feel compelled to offer some advice--I mean if he was my friend, this is what I'd tell him... (really, the advice is to the writers--whenever they decide they've tortured him enough and want the problem solved, here it is): Instead of wasting all those years of his life and enduring all that stress on himself and his new marriage, and all that money wasted by going to medical school to become a doctor--and instead of going to Haiti where he feels he can do some real good immediately--and instead of going back to that damn war where he's already served two tours---why not just give him the idea to go to paramedic school? Being a medic is where he shines. And he could have that (almost) instant gratification, be in the trenches, so to speak, helping people every day, and it wouldn't put financial pressure on his new marriage with Rebecca, wouldn't cause him to be away from her for a year, and would satisfy his need to heal others in emergency situations.


My suggestion is that he'll have that realization in the next season opener when we see what he does at the scene of that awful accident that took out his brother in law, Robert. He will be the hero, saving lives and offering comfort....and a paramedic will take notice of him there and make the obvious suggestion that he should be doing that kind of emergency medicine.


Anyway. Just a thought in my head as i woke up today. Now if I could figure out why I can't solve my own problem of this writing dearth. This is the longest I've gone without writing. When i say writing, I mean, working on one of my books. 

It coincided with meeting a woman I have actually gone through 17 dates with. (The 17 Dates Method, as developed by my best friend and fellow author, Justice Harlow). We're still dating, and I think it worked beautifully in giving us a clear idea of who we each are. It's really the only major change in my life lately, so I can only guess my lack of desire to write is predicated on that. While I am thoroughly enjoying this budding relationship, I am NOT enjoying my inability to write. It's not something I'm okay with, and it's not something that happens very often. Maybe once every ten years. It's a little frightening...like my brain isn't working anymore. I can't get it to function as it used to. I feel stupid all the time. And no, I'm not in love. Not that it's not possible, but i don't fall in love easily. No, it's not the love-thing. Maybe it's the sex-thing. Maybe just having those chemicals roused into action after so long...it's the only thing i can think of that might be making me this useless.


Anyway. I continue to wring my hands about my dry spell. I am fond of saying that i don't suffer from writer's block, it suffers from me. And perhaps that's still true. It doesn't seem that i CAN'T write (as this blog might testify) but that i don't FEEL like it. I'm unmotivated. I would like it very much if I could get my writing brain back, and still enjoy the affections and company of this woman. I want to have my cake and eat it too. All of it. With a tall glass of cold organic milk.

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