‘Lost’: Better bring a hanky to this season finale

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

If the clip that ABC showed its advertisers in New York today of this week’s ‘Lost’ is a fair representation of the whole episode, then it looks like this season finale will be a three-tissue affair.

For those who detest spoilers, even minor ones, read no further. For those dying for anything about what to expect this week, we have only the pre-credits sequence to go on at this point.

But even those few moments were enough to stir a surge of emotion. Because what ‘Lost’ producers are giving us in the opening minutes of ‘There’s No Place Like Home’ is the moment that a lesser series would save for its conclusion: the reunion of the Oceanic Six with their families.

When ‘Lost’ began in 2004, I think most people expected to see this scene one day, but not with two whole seasons left to go. Heck, even ‘Gilligan’s Island’ had to save their castaways’ rescue until the TV movie reunion more than 10 years later.

We start with a shot of the Pacific Ocean through the windshield of a cargo transport plane and the introduction of an anxious Oceanic PR rep played by quality TV staple Michelle Forbes. (Seriously, this lady’s been in everything, including ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation,’ ‘Homicide’ and ’24.’)

The Oceanic Six are on board, looking quite well dressed and still in a state of shock. In shock about what? They never quite say, of course. But their conversation confirms the season-long suspicion about how the rescued have handled the tricky subject of the fates of their fellow castaways.

Then, in another one of those classic ‘Lost’ musical passages, the plane lands at a military base ‘just west of Honolulu,’ and we finally get to see Hurley reunited with his mother and father. Sun hugs her parents (the no-nonsense Mr. Paik actually made the trip). Jack is fawned over by his mother. But what makes the moment really special is seeing Hurley bring Sayid over to meet his family. And then there’s Kate holding Aaron. Kate is there all alone.

I complained about ‘Lost’s’ overbearing music in last week’s post, but after this moving sequence, which really reminded me of the end of Season 1, when we saw the castaways boarding the fateful Oceanic 815, I’m reminded of the heights of emotion this series can evoke. My criticisms are hereby retracted. It can’t all be anagrams and riddles. It’s the human element that makes ‘Lost’ great.

I can’t wait until Thursday.

-- Patrick Kevin Day