Fish
05-01-2007, 05:42 PM
Okay, I know a lot of people out there watch LOST. Religiously, in many cases. But I’m not going to talk about the whole show – that’s just a lot of discussion. I’m going to talk about one particular show theory. You know what I mean – everyone has their own ideas as to what is going on, what the explanation for all the happenings is. There’s one in particular that keeps popping up, though, and it bothers me.
I’ve heard people say, on more than one occasion, that the general explanation for the island is something to the effect of “purgatory” or “death’s waiting room.” The idea is that the characters are dead, and that they’re in some part of the afterlife, and so the island is a test, a mechanism, and a preparatory experience for the great thereafter. I believe this whole theory is incorrect or, at the very least, inadequate and incomplete.
1) It only answers the question of “where.” If the characters are in the afterlife, then that would merely determine location; it would still provide exactly 0 explanation for everything and anything that has occurred on the island. That is, the “purgatory” explanation would fail to explain the smoke monster, the off-island foreshadowings, the numbers, and myriad other clues and elements of the show.
2) It allows for complete dismissal of unexplained phenomena. If they are actually dead and in purgatory, then this explanation is inherently incomplete: it could only be the precursory explanation, because it would otherwise be too much of a blanket explanation. If the island and its events are all “just a dream,” (or anything to that effect) then it would still have to be consistent and explanatory unto itself. Otherwise, they could just do whatever they wanted (like having Hurley metamorphosize into a giraffe?) and then claim that their explanation just covers all the bases. The show has to tie up the loose ends regardless of whether it takes place in the afterlife or not.
3) The writers have said that the characters are not dead, and that it is not a dream or “death’s waiting room.” If the show’s writers went to the trouble of dismissing that particular theory of the show, wouldn’t it be terribly anti-productive to then turn around and make liars of themselves? Additionally, if the characters are dead and in some version of purgatory, the writers now only have the option of doing so in a fashion that is completely unprecedented and unexpected. Thus, if purgatory is a factor at all, it is an irrelevant factor that only serves as a smaller part of a larger explanation.
4) Too many people and things and events are tied to the characters both before and on the island. To explain why Hurley’s cursed numbers are important to so many people off and on the island, we must look in the “real world,” as the afterlife cannot have influence upon the world of the living. The same goes for Desmond’s witnessing of the future, which began before he was on the island. Likewise, one would have to ask “what happened to Michael and Walt” – what happens to people who simply sail away from purgatory?
5) The moral aspect of the Christian purgatory. What happens to people who are murdered in purgatory? Or who commit murder? Or who betray others? There’s been so many moral leaps and twists that it would be nearly impossible to decisively place any of the characters in a “heaven” or “hell” based on their actions before and during the island. And if it’s purgatory, why would anything they do after they’re already dead have an impact on the safety of their souls? The whole concept of being “tested” in purgatory is already so full of nuances and problems that writing it into a show as complex as LOST would almost seem to be a step down from whatever they’ve probably got planned.
6) Too many credible alternate explanations have been presented, by fans and writers alike. Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that the purgatory explanation is the least convincing, in terms of answers provided. The “quantum” explanation involving an “island manifold” is the one that has me most convinced (for now), but there are plenty of others that actually provide answers, rather than just explaining it all away. Ultimately, the writers have many ways to wrap up the show that would not be as much a “cop-out” as the purgatory explanation.
7) Remember Dallas? Talk about infamy. This isn’t really a real reason, but a reminder that any writer on a show as well-known as LOST is certainly not going to make a mockery of 5 seasons of work by revealing at the end that none of it actually happened in the real world. It would completely undermine the entire point of the show (Will they get found? Will they escape?), and would be so disappointing and kafka-esque that it seems unlikely that ABC would survive the storm of negative publicity that would inevitably ensue (ABC was saved from bankruptcy by LOST, btw).
Concluding, the purgatory explanation of LOST just doesn’t cut it. With the level of writing that the staff has set precedent for, it seems almost amusing that anyone could believe that all the characters have been dead and in the afterlife all along. Certainly faith and religion are themes throughout the show, but by no means are they the sole themes – the six degrees of separation, personal choice, individualism, and love are also all themes, though none of those themes is the sole explanation for the show. I like to think that with 2 full seasons left in the show, the writers would be smart enough to have an ending and explanation planned that someone couldn’t have just guessed after watching the first episode. I think they know how mad people would be, and how much ill repute such a move would garner for both their writers, and for ABC at large. I think that the “purgatory” explanation of LOST is one option that they want you to consider (as a viewer), but I seriously doubt that the writers themselves ever actually considered this as a legitimate explanation for the show.
I’ve heard people say, on more than one occasion, that the general explanation for the island is something to the effect of “purgatory” or “death’s waiting room.” The idea is that the characters are dead, and that they’re in some part of the afterlife, and so the island is a test, a mechanism, and a preparatory experience for the great thereafter. I believe this whole theory is incorrect or, at the very least, inadequate and incomplete.
1) It only answers the question of “where.” If the characters are in the afterlife, then that would merely determine location; it would still provide exactly 0 explanation for everything and anything that has occurred on the island. That is, the “purgatory” explanation would fail to explain the smoke monster, the off-island foreshadowings, the numbers, and myriad other clues and elements of the show.
2) It allows for complete dismissal of unexplained phenomena. If they are actually dead and in purgatory, then this explanation is inherently incomplete: it could only be the precursory explanation, because it would otherwise be too much of a blanket explanation. If the island and its events are all “just a dream,” (or anything to that effect) then it would still have to be consistent and explanatory unto itself. Otherwise, they could just do whatever they wanted (like having Hurley metamorphosize into a giraffe?) and then claim that their explanation just covers all the bases. The show has to tie up the loose ends regardless of whether it takes place in the afterlife or not.
3) The writers have said that the characters are not dead, and that it is not a dream or “death’s waiting room.” If the show’s writers went to the trouble of dismissing that particular theory of the show, wouldn’t it be terribly anti-productive to then turn around and make liars of themselves? Additionally, if the characters are dead and in some version of purgatory, the writers now only have the option of doing so in a fashion that is completely unprecedented and unexpected. Thus, if purgatory is a factor at all, it is an irrelevant factor that only serves as a smaller part of a larger explanation.
4) Too many people and things and events are tied to the characters both before and on the island. To explain why Hurley’s cursed numbers are important to so many people off and on the island, we must look in the “real world,” as the afterlife cannot have influence upon the world of the living. The same goes for Desmond’s witnessing of the future, which began before he was on the island. Likewise, one would have to ask “what happened to Michael and Walt” – what happens to people who simply sail away from purgatory?
5) The moral aspect of the Christian purgatory. What happens to people who are murdered in purgatory? Or who commit murder? Or who betray others? There’s been so many moral leaps and twists that it would be nearly impossible to decisively place any of the characters in a “heaven” or “hell” based on their actions before and during the island. And if it’s purgatory, why would anything they do after they’re already dead have an impact on the safety of their souls? The whole concept of being “tested” in purgatory is already so full of nuances and problems that writing it into a show as complex as LOST would almost seem to be a step down from whatever they’ve probably got planned.
6) Too many credible alternate explanations have been presented, by fans and writers alike. Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that the purgatory explanation is the least convincing, in terms of answers provided. The “quantum” explanation involving an “island manifold” is the one that has me most convinced (for now), but there are plenty of others that actually provide answers, rather than just explaining it all away. Ultimately, the writers have many ways to wrap up the show that would not be as much a “cop-out” as the purgatory explanation.
7) Remember Dallas? Talk about infamy. This isn’t really a real reason, but a reminder that any writer on a show as well-known as LOST is certainly not going to make a mockery of 5 seasons of work by revealing at the end that none of it actually happened in the real world. It would completely undermine the entire point of the show (Will they get found? Will they escape?), and would be so disappointing and kafka-esque that it seems unlikely that ABC would survive the storm of negative publicity that would inevitably ensue (ABC was saved from bankruptcy by LOST, btw).
Concluding, the purgatory explanation of LOST just doesn’t cut it. With the level of writing that the staff has set precedent for, it seems almost amusing that anyone could believe that all the characters have been dead and in the afterlife all along. Certainly faith and religion are themes throughout the show, but by no means are they the sole themes – the six degrees of separation, personal choice, individualism, and love are also all themes, though none of those themes is the sole explanation for the show. I like to think that with 2 full seasons left in the show, the writers would be smart enough to have an ending and explanation planned that someone couldn’t have just guessed after watching the first episode. I think they know how mad people would be, and how much ill repute such a move would garner for both their writers, and for ABC at large. I think that the “purgatory” explanation of LOST is one option that they want you to consider (as a viewer), but I seriously doubt that the writers themselves ever actually considered this as a legitimate explanation for the show.