SPOILER ALERT: Readers are strongly encouraged to view the entirety of the television series LOST prior to reading posts in the LOST Series. Information about the characters and storyline of the show may be revealed.

The writers of LOST are masters of at least one thing: Storytelling. The art of storytelling has been tainted throughout the years particularly by the film industry. I have yet to read a book and then watch the film version and think that the film is better. I would be interested in reading and viewing any work where you might suggest a film format as superior to the original written text [I am anticipating that at least one person (those who come to mind shall remain nameless) is wanting to comment that "The Passion of the Christ" is better than the King James authorized version of the Bible; nonetheless feel free to comment]. Though LOST was not originally a written piece transferred to a television script, I think the example of film is consistent and the show captured even more than what a book could have contained.

I specifically enjoyed the metanarrative countered and accented by the subplots of individual characters’ stories. Multiple things occurred both at the same time and at quite different times (literally). I’ll address the “flash-sideways” scenes later. The essence of the storytelling allowed the audience to be invited into the lives of the characters but but subsequently maintained a sense of mystery. The viewer never knows everything about every character. We are left with many questions. In fact, the season finale reveals characters who apparently leave the island. The audience never knows what happens to them between their departure and their deaths. We are left wondering, “What happens in their stories? How do they write their stories from this point on?”

The question is one we need to ask ourselves and ask each other, “How do you write your story from this point on?”