LOST ends

I had to say something right? I won't go into every detail and analysis -- I will allow my friends at EW give you the full breakdown, but I will share my thoughts on what made this show one of the best series on television ever. Ever.

Let's start with the re-cap / celebration show. I loved that while re-capping, the actors were allowed to reminisce on their characters, the stories, their fellow actors. It was a bit jarring to hear Naveen Andrews and Daniel Dae Kim and Yun Jin Kim speak in their real accents. But then you realize how well these actors brought us into their world.

From the beginning, there were so many questions about this show -- where is the island, who is the monster, is this purgatory? But I believe in the end, the story never strayed from what it initially introduced to us. Science versus belief, we all have a purpose and the relationships we create define who we are. This is why, despite all the mysteries and confusion, this show brought me in and kept me for six years.

Let's talk about the other highlight of the show -- the storytelling. Unbelievable plot twists explained, no fear of losing integral characters, the ability to introduce new characters we care about -- Ben, Penny, Desmond, Juliet. A blend of realism, science fiction, suspense and fantasy with the characters at the core. And the guts to take chances -- to shift from flash backwards to flash forwards to flash sideways. Not to mention the time jumping within the show itself.

Of course none of this could have worked without this cast. Matthew Fox, played Jack, the ultimate hero who you rooted for even when he failed. Terry O'Quinn, who as Locke began the show playing the ultimate believer and then became ultimate villain. Michael Emerson who played Ben so that you could understand his point of view as twisted as it was. Josh Halloway whose Sawyer was witty, angry yet full of the most love the show gave us. Evangeline Lilly whose Kate was half girl next door and half murderer and then the ultimate mother. I could go on and on because every single actor was great on this show (okay except for Boone and Shannon in the beginning).

That is my tribute for now as I settle in for the finale. More to come...

So much to absorb, but already great moments. Rose and Bernard were allowed to live on the island this whole time. Richard can now age since Jack is the chosen one to replace Jacob. Jin and Sun got their happy ending in Sideways world. And I kept wondering about Jack's son in the Sideways world -- well look at that, Juliet is his son's mother and she is alive and they work together in the same hospital. The Sideways world as Desmond describes it was the happiness that Jack always looked for. Sawyer passes Juliet in Sideways world and nothing happens. So are Jack and Juliet meant to be and Sawyer and Kate meant to be? Sayid finds Shannon -- I totally forgot about them! Even Sayid gets happiness in Sideways world. And Boone is in on it. Everyone in Sideways world remembers life on the Island. How will this all come together? Ahhhh the tension is killing me.

Jack and Locke work together to lower Desmond into the light, the same way they worked together to lower him into the hatch. "You're not John Locke," says Jack -- Jack has taken on the hope and faith of the real Locke, finally after six years. Desmond uncorks the light and an explosion occurs. The Man in Black and Jack can be hurt again -- their inability to live forever seemingly disappears and all are human again.

In Sideways world Kate delivers Aaron with Claire again and now the all knowing Charlie and Claire reunite with Aaron. Desmond asks Kate if she understands and she says "It's what I owe him." Aaron's family is back together.

And now back on the Island, all hell breaks loose, literally. Such double entendre between Jack and Locke on the island and in Sideways world. On the island, the two battle, Locke almost kills Jack, Kate shoots Locke and Jack gives the shove to Locke off the cliff, supposedly ending the life of the Man in Black. Sideways world, Jack gives Locke the ability to walk again, Locke sees his island life and he says, "Jack, I hope that somebody does for you what you just did for me." But is he talking about giving him back his life or taking it away as Jack did on the island? And island Locke had noticed that Jack got to be the chosen one too easy...

Sawyer sees Jin and Sun in the hospital and vows to protect them -- Sun, all knowing says, it's okay, we are safe. And that takes away Sawyer's responsibility for letting the bomb go off.

Jack goes to undo what Desmond has done with Ben and Hurley while Kate and Sawyer take the boat to the plane. Kate says to Jack, "Tell me I'm gonna see you again." And Jack and Kate have another epic kiss. Tears rolling down my cheeks. "I love you," she says. "I love you," he says. And they separate. They each have to do what they have to do...

Juliet and Sawyer meet in Sideways world hospital and a search for a candy bar brings them their moment of realization -- they found each other again. "Kiss me James. You got it Blondie." So it is Sawyer and Juliet after all.

Sideways world is giving us everything we could hope for -- all of the happy endings. But what will happen when the worlds collide? Or do they collide? Just realized that Jack has not had his revelation yet. Not fully. Kate sees him and she knows everything. She tried to give him his memory back. He doesn't understand yet.

On the island, Jack anoints Hurley the chosen one -- makes sense since he was the holder of the numbers. Jack goes to fix the light. Kate, Hurley, Claire, Frank, Richard and Sawyer's partner take off in the plane. The light comes back, the water comes back and Ben and Hurley lift out Desmond, not Jack. Okay, I know I'm just reiterating what you saw, but I can't help it -- I'm so into it.

Back in Sideways world, they all reunite where Christian Shepard's body lies. Locke and Ben reunite and Ben admits he was jealous of Locke -- he wishes he had been chosen by the Man in Black, or at least that is my interpretation. Or was it just that Locke had been special all along.

We all know what happened next. So I leave you with these words.

"Dad?" "Hello Jack." "I don't understand. You died." "Yeah. Yes I did." "Then how are you here right now?" "How are you here?" "I died too." "It's okay, it's okay, it's okay, son." "I love you." "I love you too Son."

"Are you real?" "I sure hope so. Yeah I'm real, you're real, everything that's ever happened to you is real. All those people in the church, they're all real too." "They're all, they're all dead?" "Everyone dies sometime kiddo. Some of them before you, some long after you."

"Why are they all here now?" "Well there is no now, here." "Where are we Dad?" "This is a place that you all made together so that you could find one another. The most important part of your life was the time that you spent with these people. That's why all of you are here. Nobody does it alone Jack. You needed all of them and they needed you." "For what?" "To remember and to let go."

"Kate, she said we were leaving." "Not leaving, no, moving on." "Where are we going?" "Let's go find out."

And he reunites with all in the church. Locke, Desmond and Penny, Boone, Hurley, Sayid and Shannon, Sawyer and Juliet, Sun and Jin, Claire and Charlie and Aaron, Rose and Bernard, and Kate. All in heaven.

It was purgatory after all, and when he was ready to leave, to move on from the death of his father, to close his eyes, they all meet again in heaven. Oceanic Flight 815 crashed and there were no survivors.

REVISION -- Once again, Lost got me -- I thought I had it all figured out (of course since I was blogging I should have stopped and thought about it. But in the end, here is how it really went down. Everything that happened on the Island did -- Sideways world was purgatory and when they all met again, they went to heaven together. That's why Dad said it was all real but they waited for each other whenever each of them died in Sideways world and then moved on to Heaven together. Still totally satisfying. Still best show ever. Still got me.