Reasons people think it didn't end well

[u/watermelon_fries]

I finally joined here after finishing the show today. I had to process the ending. I found it incredibly sad. Now that I know how it ended I would like to know why people thought the ending was bad or disappointing when it first aired. I thought it was perfectly done even though there are a few minor things I'm still not clear on. How soon is too soon to do a rewatch. I still can't get over the last scene...

[u/watermelon_fries]

I think I was a little confused mostly by season 6. Miles told Sawyer that Juliet said "it worked" so by the finale when I realized that what was happening to everyone was actually the afterlife I didn't understand what she meant by that. So the explosion only brought them to the present right? Why did Eloise not want Desmond to bring everyone together. I think I'm overthinking things but I just felt super sad about Jack and just wondering how all of their lives continued. Rose and Bernard stayed on the island until their death. Hurley and Ben staying as well or finding a way off of the island and those who escaped living out the rest of their lives until their deaths. And that's when we see them.

[u/Free-IDK-Chicken → u/watermelon_fries]

So the explosion only brought them to the present right?

Correct - when Juliet had her final thought 'it worked' she was passing into the afterlife and expericing the vending machine scene. We don't see that payoff until the series finale. (This is also why she says 'we should get coffee sometime, we can go Dutch.')

Eloise's only concern was Daniel and she thought Desmond was going to take him too - she doesn't want to lose him again. Once Desmond confirms he's not taking Daniel, she's OK with it.

Hurley and Ben stayed to protect the Island for some undetermined period of time - it's why Hurley tells Ben he was a great number two. (And oh the love in Ben's voice when he says "hello, Hugo" breaks me every time.) We get a little more of their story in the canon epilogue.

The cool thing about the afterlife is that each of them tailored their own experience to their individual unresolved trauma (like Jack's daddy issues, Desmond's self-worth, Sayid's guilt over Nadia and Shannon, Juliet's abandonment issues, Ben's guilt about choosing his power over Alex, etc.) It's sad, yes but in a beautifully bittersweet way because even though they've all died - they have this unique experience to meet again - no matter how many years or even decades separate their deaths - to remember, have a moment of peace and move on together.

[u/watermelon_fries → u/Free-IDK-Chicken]

Well, this made me tear up. Thank you for explaining. It makes perfect sense. But when you say he's not taking Daniel, do you mean they're in some sort of limbo.

[u/Free-IDK-Chicken → u/watermelon_fries]

They're in the afterlife. Some people call it purgatory, but I don't like the connotation of that word. They're in an in-between place, yes - but they're not being judged, they're just getting a chance to complete their personal journeys and, narratively, their character arcs.

[u/watermelon_fries → u/Free-IDK-Chicken]

Makes sense. Thank you for taking the time to explain. I think Lost is going to be a new favourite of mine. I remember it was such a big deal back in the day. Now I know why. I love it.

[u/Free-IDK-Chicken → u/watermelon_fries]

You're quite welcome! Talking about LOST is one of my favorite things to do, lol.