I need to think about more of this, but I think that not only did LOST end up being a story about life after death after all, not only a fantasy story and not science-fiction, I think it might also be better understood as a fairy tale...within a fairy tale.
There is the first fairy tale of the cast being dropped on the most messed-up island ever; that is their excursion out of the real world, and while in the "faerie" realm of the island, they have larger-than-life adventures, grow as people, some of them learn wisdom, etc. Ultimately, they all die, and that is the second fairy tale - the excursion into the alternate reality that they can all inhabit so that they meet each other again, after they have all died at the various times they died, so that they can meet up one more time before they go on to whatever comes next.
I have to admit that even with all of the unanswered questions from the show (apparently we're supposed to buy the blu-ray to get more answers, which is predictable), it has me thinking more than most tv-show finales do. For all it's flaws, there was a lot good about LOST, and I find that it is sticking with me.
In his essay On Fairy Stories, Tolkien describes four benefits of fairy stories: fantasy, recovery, escape and consolation. I'd like to look at the LOST finale and see if, in my experience and opinion, it provides any of these benefits as a fairy tale.
Do you think fairy tale fits for LOST? Or is it best described as something else?
Overall? Yes. I simply appreciate a show that makes us think. So rare these days...
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