Lost in the romance of Lost

I watched the end of Lost again last week, and I'm still an emotional wreck about the whole thing. 

This was the third time I watched the entire series, after watching it week by week the first time, and then binging it all again about 10 years ago. I started watching it again in February this year because it was good background noise while I worked, and there were dozens of episodes I could pay the smallest amount of attention to, because I already knew how it was all going to work out.

There's so much of it - it's one of the last examples of a great TV show that did a lot more than 12 episodes a season - so I started barely watching it as I ploughed through the episodes, although I seem to speed up when I got close to the season endings.

But then, by the time I get to the climax of the whole thing, I'm emotionally invested in this stupid show again. The creators are clearly making it all up as they go along (this is not a criticism, despite what many self-appointed storytelling gurus will tell you), but I do genuinely care about these people and the outrageous shit they go through.

That's because Lost has a lot of weird shit going on, and the most insane twists and turns, and becomes an increasingly enjoyable mindfuck as it goes on. It has an abnormally charming cast, leans heavily into any storyline that is suddenly working, and is admirably ruthless at cutting off plots that aren't. 

But, most of all, it is achingly romantic. I don't really care what the Others are up to, I just want Desmond to get back to Penny, and for Jin and Sun to reunite after so long apart.

I just want Sawyer and Juliette to have a little happiness. They deserve it.

I'll almost certainly be watching it again in another 10 years, and I know I'll be digging it. And the first advertisement I saw for something new after I watched the climax was the one for the new Josh Holloway series where he plays a charming rogue in the 1970s, and the universe is definitely telling me something there.

Because when it comes to Lost, I never really cared what it all meant. I just liked how it made me feel.