The original ending of Lost It seems like it would have been epic and action-packed, but it would have ended up distracting from what's really important – the characters and their relationships – in the series' final moments. Lost has one of the most controversial series endings in television history. It frequently appears on lists of the worst endings ever made alongside Dexter and how I Met Your Mother. Like a mystery series with many plots up in the air, Lost set himself up for a disappointing ending. But in recent years, the Lost final was reevaluated.
At the end of LostJack sacrifices himself to give his friends a chance to escape the island, then finds himself in a sort of purgatory where all the survivors of Oceanic 815 come together after their respective deaths. It's a moving finale that brings the series full circle and focuses on the most important aspect: the ensemble of beloved characters. But according to the creators, that wasn't always the plan. Throughout the entire series, a volcano bubbled in the background. It didn't end up being a significant plot point – but it should have been.
Lost's original ending would have made up for the unresolved volcano hints
The final battle would have been fought against a long-awaited volcanic eruption
Years after the series ended, producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof revealed the original ending they had in mind. Lost. They wanted to take advantage of their beautiful filming locations in Hawaii and visualize the concept that the island is all that separates the world from the apocalyptic hellfire. This led them to introduce the volcano. In the original ending, the island would become unstable and the volcano would finally erupt. This would set the stage for a “climax.”fight between the forces of good and the forces of evil”on the island, with“magma spewing everywhere.”
In the original ending, the island would become unstable and the volcano would finally erupt. This would set the stage for a climactic “struggle between the forces of good and the forces of evil” on the island, with “magma being spewed everywhere”.
This volcanic final battle sounds similar to the climactic sequence of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Mustafar's molten volcanic explosions created the perfect symbolic setting for explosive emotions between Anakin and Obi-Wan. But LostThe volcanic battle probably wouldn't have looked as epic with a limited TV budget. Even in the best of times, LostThe CGI was quite unstable and breaking the immersion. It's interesting to go back and watch the entire series and see the Smoke Monster gradually get more handsome each season, but it's never been 100% convincing.
Lost's original ending plan would have distracted from the story and characters
CG Lava and too much action would end up undermining the characters
While it would have been cool to have Jack's group fight the Man in Black in the context of a volcanic eruption, it ultimately wouldn't have served the story. This would have distracted from the drama between the characters, which was the key to this show's success in the first place. Having CG lava filling the screen with lots of action happening in the foreground would have been a fun spectacle, but it would have undermined the emotional substance. Stripping everything down to the basic human elements actually ended up doing the Lost better ending.
Instead of, the Lost ending focused on the connections between all the charactersand the emotional bonds they formed throughout the series. Rekindling these connections was key to getting these characters into the endgame. Reconnecting with old friends and lovers in the timeline made them realize they were trapped in purgatory. It was deeply cathartic seeing characters like Sawyer and Juliet meet again. The ending – and, by extension, the series – was never actually on the island; it was all about the people who occupied it and the friends they made along the way.
As far as Lost's lost mysteries go, the volcano was far from the biggest
Lost has much more pressing unanswered questions
The volcano isn't the only persistent storyline that Lost left hanging in the air. This show was filled with unsolved mysteries and unanswered questions. The writers were very good at coming up with intriguing mysteries to keep the audience guessing. What's in the hatch!? What is a polar bear doing on a tropical island!? Why is there a furious cloud of smoke killing people!? But they were less adept when it came to explaining these mysteries and providing solid answers. That was the biggest reason people were disappointed with the ending: underwhelming responses.
There are a lot of unanswered questions Lost. What it was “the light”? What evil was being contained? How did the light turn the Man in Black into a smoke monster? Why do some people see ghosts? Why do some dead people turn into whispers? Why do some people turn into whispers and others into ghosts? In the grand scheme of things, Discovering the purpose of the dormant volcano doesn't seem so urgent. As far as LostDespite the unsolved mysteries, the volcano is much smaller.