I understand your frustration. I felt frustrated too as I started to realize that answers would not be forthcoming. But then I accepted that and just tried to go along with the ride. I thought the finale was excellent, given what they tried to do with it. But a lot of people wanted answers, not what they ended up doing, and I can certainly see how this leaves them feeling unfulfilled.
I think Darlton's biggest mistake was not being more forthright with the viewers a long time ago. They waited until at least halfway through season 6 before they started hinting there may be no answers. Meanwhile, they posed more and more questions, and dangled the promise of answers to get people to watch and, yes, make money for themselves and ABC. So even though I think from the audience's standpoint it was a mistake, and if Darlton actually gave a damn about the audience, they'd think it was a mistake, in reality I think they're laughing all the way to the bank and think themselves to have done perfectly.
At this point I'd probably say something like "even though they seem like nice guys" - only, to be honest, they don't. Most of the time in interviews, they come off as snarky, arrogant smart-asses, talking down to people who don't know the grand inside joke that only the two of them are privy to.
Thanks, MachThree. I 100% agree with you. It's nice to have someone who understands the frustration. (Regarding the writers' "inside jokes" stuff, I was especially irritated at the interview where they said *paraphrasing* "We know who the outrigger shooters were. We've always known. We just don't need to tell
you because it doesn't matter to the end of the story." Sheesh. That felt like a real slap.) Anyway, I enjoyed the series, I enjoyed the finale, I think both were among the best that TV has ever had to offer. However, I also sort of agree with this:
I watched each episode several times checking this website for easter eggs... titles of books, the numbers, I don't have to list I'm sure you all did the same thing.... looking at screencaps etc and for what?
....There are so many unanswered questions. Why continue to pose them if you as the writer and creator have no intention of bringing them to a conclusion?
The in-depth mysteries, the searching for clues, the scrutinizing of screencaps -- all of this that some (not all, clearly not all) of us did was because we hoped we would eventually know the answers. To hear "Well, just because you wanted to know it doesn't make it important -- it simply isn't important" kinda stinks. It was important to
me! So to just denigrate it by saying "Well, it really doesn't matter" or "Well, you could figure it out for yourself if you'd just use your imagination and fill in the blanks a little" or "Sucks to be you" or "You just don't get the big picture" is kinda insulting. I
do get the big picture. But why is it so wrong to mourn a little that I don't get to find out about the smaller details that I spent so much time wondering about? I
know I could use my imagination and make it up. But I don't really
want to do that at the end -- I did plenty of that already as we went along when I was theorizing! At this point it would've been nice to know if I was right or not. However, it was pretty apparent in the last month or so that this just wasn't going to happen, so it's not this big crushing last-minute anguish of "Oh how could they do this to us!" The writing was on the cave-wall, so to speak, for quite some time.
But hey, I did still love the series. If they're not going to give me all the answers I'd like to have, I can live with it. Disappointing, but I can live with it. I thought the finale was awesome, but I kinda think I wish I hadn't watched the last five minutes.
Oh, and before anyone asks "Well, exactly what questions
did you want answered that didn't get answered? Nyah-nyah you can't think of any!".... I started a whole thread of them at the bottom of the Season Six stuff long before the finale aired, so they're there. Still.
One last thing about the finale: I hate it that Kate was the one to finally take out Un-Locke. Kate? Really? Ugh.
