Monsters of Television

Aside from Noel’s review, each of the writers for Monsters of Television will provide their takes on Lost, from their own perspectives. Below are some brief thoughts about how the series, as a whole, meant for Greeney, our newest writer.

There has been much made of television and its domesticity. Great works of television studies, including Lynn Spigel’s Make Room for TV and Anna McCarthy’s Ambient Television, specialize in a contemplation of space. But equally important is the issue of time. Certainly, long-form narrative is one of television’s specialties, but in particular, I would like to discuss the joy of experiencing a show in tandem with one’s own life.

There’s a reason we all experience Lost differently. For me, the program traced my adult renewal—my journey from a place of despair to one of contentment. My own journey paralleled the show—it was simply a coincidence, but it is a crucial factor in my connection to and understanding of the show. Perhaps this is why I respond so negatively to the “haters,” those that are unable to appreciate the beauties of Lost. For me, my connection to the show is deeply personal.

This not unique to Lost. Buffy was with me during my time of darkness. She and I experienced the death of a cherished loved one at the same time, so that program became incredibly dear—a way to reach beyond my own experience to contemplate a broader understanding of life. This is what the best shows can do—they can help us all to connect to the fundamental experiences of life: birth, death, grief, love, sex, remorse, anxiety, embarrassment, and loss.

There is no one reading/interpretation of Lost. No one critic can put into words, no matter how eloquent the words, the be-all, end-all of this program. The power of television is that it speaks to us, individually, wherever we are in life. And that is why our conversations about this show continue to be an incredible opportunity to express our experience and love this show. Because we can introduce to each other our Lost.

You can also read thoughts about why the ending wasn’t responsible for tying it all up in a pretty bow by Nick, and Matt’s discussion of the nostalgia the finale created and the love of his life, regardless of when or where, Juliet.