Beautiful and Magnificently Disappointing All In One. Oh, and Not to Gloat but, CALLED IT !!!

*** NOTE: THIS IMAGE IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW I FEEL ABOUT LOST AS A WHOLE. I LOVED MY LOST EXPERIENCE. IT IS JUST A FUNNY IMAGE I WAS SENT AND IT DOES TO SOME DEGREE REFLECT MY FEELINGS ON HOW I THINK THE LOST CREATORS TREATED THE FANS OF THE ISLAND MYTHOLOGY IN THE FINALE OF LOST. SO, PLEASE, START FROM MY FIRST BLOG ENTRY AND WORK YOUR WAY FORWARD IN TIME TO THIS ONE.***

Well, the long awaited and faithful day of the Lost Series Finale has come and gone. I have waited to write this final on-air period Lost / Lost Horizon blog until I had time to get perspective on the finale and the series as a whole. Having now watched the Finale episode three times, the pilot five times, and every episode of the show at least twice, I am now ready.

The finale was a beautifully told Season 6 final episode that brought the collective stories of the characters to an emotionally satisfying ending that made me cry, smile, laugh, and rejoice. That being said, this was not an appropriate series finale ending as it did not begin to address all the unanswered questions that were the driving force behind the show for all these years. I was a devoted JATER, but to those of you that say it was all about the characters, I ask you this: Were we watching the same show here? Would you have watched Lost this long and spent so much time obsessing over it if it were just a straight-forward, non-supernatural, drama set on an island. I say you would not. The mysteries, both mystical and scientific in nature, were what kept us going more than anything. The great characters were just a bonus that enhanced the show's rich mythology. But to say it was all about them and that the finale was perfect, I say you are all in denial. Just like Ben realizing it was not all about him when he met Jacob, you just don't want to admit that the all perfect Lost you devoted so much to, may be flawed because the writers did not want to, or more likely simply couldn't, commit to answering questions. I am here to say, as much as I loved the journey, the final destination of Lost was in one way, an emotional success, but a in a far more significant way, a mythological letdown.

Look, any decent writers can create mystery and dangle enticing questions out there before you and then never answer them satisfactorily. However, It takes truly great writers to answer them in a way that may not satisfy all, but are at least answers that we can come to accept, even if we don't like them immediately, just as many of us did with the episode, "Across the Sea." Though, to simply avoid answering so many questions altogether and leave it up to interpretation of the audience, that is a cop out and a cheat of monumental proportions. I am not saying I wanted them to tell me the meaning of life or even where the hell the island came from, but at least delve a little deeper than a bright light in a hole in the ground with a cork in it to keep evil at bay.

Let's talk questions. How did Dharma find the island and how the hell did they know the numbers and why were those numbers really significant in the scientific way they seemed to be. How did they build the sonic fence before they could be killed by Smokey. How did they know the world would end and how is that connected to Jacob's prediction of what would happen if Smokey got off the island? Why were the kids so damned important, Walt and Aaron in particular? This is just to name a few. So, come on guys! What the hell ! ?

Look, regardless of all that, this show unlike pretty much any other television drama, not only allowed for audience participation, it asked and even demanded for it. They wanted us to be a part of the story through our questions, the online alternate reality games, the research, the books they encouraged us to read, etc, etc, etc. They wanted us to attempt to discover the answers to the questions the show posed and they gave us every inclination that at some point, before it was all over, we would have a lot of them, though maybe not all of them. We all waited so patiently and gave so much to this idea. Therefore, unlike any other television show, if not media franchise, Lost was really was our show too.

However, instead of respecting us, the audience that made Lost a mega-success, in the end, they abandoned us, and told the story, and I quote the producers, "we wanted to tell." Well than boys, you should have just done that and never involved the audience in it. However, instead you used us as pawns and reaped the benefits at our expense. And since you did, though you did give us one hell of a ride, you have also cheated the audience out of, at least a large part, of the reward we paid for with 6 years of fanatical devotion. Some might say, it is just a television show. Get over yourself. To them I say, that may be true, but Lost was just a television show the way the first Star Wars was just a movie, a Ferrari is just a car, America is just a country, and religion is just a belief. Lost, spawned such loyalty, love, emotional significance, and even religious devotion from it's fans, that it transcends the concept of just being a television show. It is so much more than that, and we the audience, deserved it to be concluded as so much more than that.

That is is all I have to say about that for now, but maybe after the video release August 24, 2010, the supplemental material may shed some more light on the subject of answers and proper conclusions. Though keep in mind, we now have to pay for those answers with more than just our time. We have to pay with cash.

Okay, the preceding was my reaction to the finale episode and has nothing to do with my theory. So, now that is out of the way, I will get on to the main focus of my blog, which is my theory on the show as a whole. Therefore, having looked at the show from every angle I can, and giving it great thought, I say this now without a single doubt in my mind: The creators, producers, and writers of Lost have individually or collectively read all the novels set in the Lost Horizon universe, saw at least one of the 2 movies (which Carlton admitted in response to my question at the San Diego Comic Con in 2008), and based the overall plot of the show and many details on the world of Lost Horizon, that author James Hilton created way back in 1933, Frank Capra first brought to the silver screen in 1937, and other storytellers have elaborated on in the three sequel novels and one film remake.

If you read this blog, all the details that connect to Lost and Lost Horizon will become clear. However, if you want the quick version I will give it to you right now.

The plot of Lost is basically this: A group of people, including one individual in particular, survive a plane crash in a remote, seemingly hidden locale, where mysterious and magical things such as the curing of terminal diseases and injuries can occur, and where people can appear not to age. While there we learn that the survivors of the crash did not arrive there by accident, but were in fact brought there for a reason by an ancient mystical leader. This man has protected his magical realm for centuries for the sake of preserving mankind from it's own destruction. He has foreseen his own death and has chosen one of the survivors to be his replacement. The replacement is skeptical and initially resists the idea that he is there for a reason and flees from this special place only to realize his mistake and desperately struggle to find a way back. He does and becomes a believer himself. That survivor does in fact take over the job and become the new leader tasked with protecting this place for the sake of mankind.

The plot of Lost Horizon is...well...Exactly the same thing. People seem to resist this idea, but I hate to tell you folks, the similarities go far beyond this simplified summary and included details that can not be shear coincidence. I believe I have documented most all of them on this blog. Now, yes on Lost there are a lot more plot details including the sideways world, that are different and unique and help to set Lost apart from the world of Lost Horizon, but that changes nothing. The fact remains that the MAIN premise of the show and many of its details are identical. It simply cannot be denied or chalked up to coincidence on all counts.

Again, I must remind you all, I loved Lost and it will always be my favorite television show of all time. I don't even want anything to replace it or attempt to be a better show than it is. It made me feel every emotion under the sun, and it challenged and fascinated me like no other Television show ever has. However, until Damon Lindeloff, Carlton Cuse, and even co-creator J.J. Abrams admit to their deliberate use of the Lost Horizon plot and subsequent sequel novels' details, and add those books to the Official list of books that influenced Lost in the their Lost book club, then, though I am not a copyright attorney, I will still consider what they have done to be tantamount to borderline copyright infringement, if not outright plagiarism. Frankly, it is just wrong, andLost Horizon is too important and timeless a tale to not get the recognition it deserves.

In conclusion I must say this. All of this, is not about me being right, this is about those that are in the business of telling stories showing respect and giving credit where credit is due. Especially when they borrow so heavily from those that have come before them.

Nevertheless, I do have to say, it feels great to be vindicated on my theory in this final season. It really does. If you don't believe me, read at least 3 of the 4 Lost Horizon books or just read my blog and I will give you many specific pages to read in the novels to see the blatant connections.

Thank you all for your time and patronage in reading my blog. I have enjoyed the overall experience of Lost more than you will ever know, regardless of how I may have expressed myself here.

I will see you all in another life brothas and sistas.

Namaste,

Dr. Chili Abrams

SEASON 6 - "Lighthouse" - How the Candidates Being Brought to The Island on "Lost" Is Just Like Conway Being Brought to Shangri-la in "Lost Horizon"

This episode gave us a major download of Lost mythology and thus has now requires me to make a second and possibly my most important blog update for this episode and of all my episode speicific blog entries.

Like many, I have long believed that the characters on Lost were brought to The Island on purpose. Furthermore, I have also strongly believed that one of the major characters was suited to fill the role as leader. And until now that could have been Jack Shepard or John Locke. Now we have confirmation,or at least it is strongly implied, that Jacob is in fact searching for a successor to be the caretaker of The Island.



And it is further implied that since Locke is no longer alive, he is no longer a viable candidate, but that Jack, "has what it takes", and could be the front runner for the job.



However, this is Lost after all and they could throw us a major curve ball or twenty before this thing is over. Those that we think were the most likely candidates may not end up becoming the leader. It could be Hurley and not Jack that should be in charge of The Island. How cool would that be. It would be like, "Duuuuude", as Hurley might say. Heck, the candidates could be candidates for something completely different than leading The Island. For all we know Jacob is just messing with everyone and is actually not such a good guy. You have to admit these are all possibilities.

However, when it comes down to it, I don't believe any of that. I feel the producers of Lost have a clear and concise concept in mind for the show. And whether they admit it or not, I know that said concept is borrowing heavily from the real world legend of Shambala, but more specifically from the fictional world of Shangri-la, as presented in Lost Horizon. Therefore, I further postulate the theory that one of the major characters of Lost is indeed being groomed for to take on the role of Island chieftain to replace the now seemingly dead but amazingly ever-present, Jacob.

Now, in nearly an identical manner to Lost, the plane load of passengers that crashed near Shangri-la in Lost Horizon, were brought there for the exact same reason. A candidate, or in this case a clear winner, Hugh Conway, is intentionally brought to Shangri-la by the ancient dying leader of that place, The High Lama, to become his successor.

And everything we have seen so far appears to imply that Jack is the man for the job on Lost. His character has mirrored that of Hugh Conway in many ways throughout the series. Both were passengers on a plane that crashed in a remote locale.


Both had encounters with Asian lieutenants of the main leaders of their respective worlds. Jack Shepard with Dogen.


Hugh Conway with Chang.


Both were tortured souls who were discontent in their own lives. Both found love in there new worlds. Jack with Kate on Lost.

Hugh Conway with Sondra in the Frank Capra film version of Lost Horizon, and with another woman in the Lost Horizon sequel novel, entitled, Shangri-la.

However, more importantly both were skeptics that became believers and broken men that became leaders with a purpose.

We have already seen this once with Jack. He was a successful spinal surgeon that had it all and could "fix" anything. Then he Lost the woman he loved to divorce and the father he never had closure with. He was, if not broken, at least on the edge of being broken, and could not "fix" himself. Then his plane crashed on a remote island and he had a purpose again. He now had something to fix again. He need to protect the survivors of Oceanic 815 and get them safely off The Island. He may not have saved them all, but he did help save 5 of them. He thought he had "fixed" their lives and maybe even his own.

However, when he realized he was never supposed to leave The Island, he became a broken man once again. No Lost fan will soon forget the bearded crazed Jack that pleaded, "We have to go back Kate. We have to go back!?"

And the Island did convert him from skeptic to believer. Much the same way Shangri-la ultimately drew the bearded crazed, Conway back.


And in the world of Lost Horizon, Conway does indeed become the new leader of Shangri-la. He is given the responsibility of protecting it's storehouse of knowledge and way of life, in order for the ill-fated rest of humanity to be reborn from it's eminent and literal self-destruction.

And in though taking the long way to get there, that is where I believe Lost is ultimately headed. We had Alvar Hanso tells us about mankind's dark fate in the only non-broadcast Canon material in the world of Lost, The Sri Lanka Orientation film.


Before the seeason is over, we will see this all come to light in one way or another, and I believe Jack will show us, he has "what it takes" to protect the Island and thereby save mankind.

SEASON 6 - "Lighthouse" - How the Composer Chopin Is a Part of Both the Mythology of "Lost" and "Lost Horizon"

In this episode of Lost, we learn that Jack's son, David is a talented pianist as we see him play of Chopin's "Fantaisie Impromptu".

This same Chopin compostion is also played by Daniel Faraday in the Season 5 episode, The Variable.

However, what is significant is that Chopin plays a role in both the 1933 novel, the 1937 film, and the radio play version of Lost Horizon.

There is a scene on a ship involving the main character, Conway, playing piano. A pianist happens to be on the ship and recognizes the song as the style of Chopin, but knows that the song is definitely not a piece that Chopin published. The pianist asks Conway about it. Conway has amnesia about a lot of his recent life, but remembers some and explains that he learned it recently from an apprentice of Chopin. The pianist says that is impossible as because Chopin had died so long ago that even a young apprentice of his would be well over a hundred years old now. That is when Conway remembers more about Shangri-la and realizes that the apprentice had lived in Shangri-la and thereby aged much slower, and was able to teach him the song while Conway was in Shangri-la.

The connection is maybe not a direct parallel to Lost, but it does beg the question of why the producers chose to use Chopin in two episodes rather than another composer. The way I figure it, they are at the very least paying another small tribute to a significant part of Lost Horizon by making it a small part of Lost.

What do you think?

I would love to know.

SEASON 6 - What Kate Does - How Sawyer's Determination to Leave the Temple On "Lost" Is Identical to That of Mallinson or George in "Lost Horizon"

Not believing or caring that he is in the safest place possible and that he must stay, Sawyer is determined to leave The Temple on Lost, at any cost, and does so at gun point. He is begged to stay, but does not listen and leaves.



Similarly, while staying in the Temple of Shangri-la, the character of Charles Mallinson in the novel, and George Conway in the film version of Lost Horizon,



is also equally determined to leave the safe haven of Shangri-la.



Furthermore, both characters were in Love with women from their respective worlds.

Sawyer with Juliet on Lost.



George Conway with Maria (a.k.a. Lo-Tsen in the novel) in Lost Horizon.



Ultimately however, both men are destined to lose their loves.

Sawyer loses Juliet to her fall down the shaft at the Swan site.



George Conway (Charles Mallinson) loses Maria (Lo-Tsen), while trying to escape from Shangri-la.

In both cases the loss of their respective loves drives them to extreme despair.

In the next episode of Lost entitled, The Subsitute, while intoxicated, Sawyer toasts to being dead, but in reality is still alive. However, apparently he feels dead inside.



George Conway, in the film version of Lost Horizon, is driven to madness at the death of his love Maria and throws himself off a mountainside. Charles Mallinson and his love, Lo-Tsen both die in the novel as well.

Once again, these similarities might be able to be written off as simply coincidence, but combined with all the other connections I have documented, it is hard to deny there is a conscious decision being made to at the least pay a strong homage to the world of Lost Horizon.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Please read the blog in full and comment.