Farewell to You, My Brother (Farewell to Nova Scotia)

Jack: Desmond, you've done enough. You wanna do something? Go home and be with your wife and son.
Desmond: What about you, Jack?
Jack: I'll see you in another life, brother.
- The End

Farewell to Nova Scotia is one of the most achingly melancholy songs I have ever heard.  It came to mind again after a recent Facebook conversation with my friend Gail, and though I knew the song through the Irish Rovers, when I stumbled upon a live performance by Gordon Lightfoot from 1972, I was utterly mesmerized by the exquisitely elegiac quality of both his voice and face.  It then lodged itself firmly in my brain, and when I'm in filking mode, that means it's about to become my next victim.  I thought this moment was appropriately mournful, with just the right hint of beauty.

Farewell to You, My Brother

You doused the light, and I'm impressed.
You did your job; now it's time to flee.
We're almost at the end of our quest,
So go, and leave the rest to me.

Farewell to you, my brother.  Don't count the cost.
Seek the ones you love across the sea.
I may be far away, but our friendship won't be lost.
I await another meeting in eternity.

Believe me, Desmond, I understand.
You grieve to leave - to let me go.
But life never seems to work out the way we planned,
And it's better to accept what you can't control.

Farewell to you, my brother.  Don't count the cost.
Seek the ones you love across the sea.
I may be far away, but our friendship won't be lost.
I await another meeting in eternity.

A doctor's pledge is to first do no harm.
I won't survive; I have to stay.
So farewell, farewell.  I'll take you by the arm
And then Hurley's gonna raise you to the bright light of day.

Farewell to you, my brother.  Don't count the cost.
Seek the ones you love across the sea.
I may be far away, but our friendship won't be lost.
I await another meeting in eternity.

It took three years, but I passed Jacob's test.
I found my faith, and I am blessed.
When I met you, I'd failed so terribly,
But you helped me 'lift it up,' and now at last, I'm free.

Farewell to you, my brother.  Don't count the cost.
Seek the ones you love across the sea.
I may be far away, but our friendship won't be lost.
I await another meeting in eternity.

Farewell to you, my brother.  Don't count the cost.
Seek the ones you love across the sea.
I may be far away, but our friendship won't be lost.
I await another meeting in eternity.

Farewell to Nova Scotia

Please Come Home With Me (Feels Like Home, Randy Newman)

Claire: Look at me! This Island's made me crazy, I - I don't want Aaron to see me like this. I don't even know how to be a mother anymore.
Kate: Listen to me, none of us do. Not at first. But you're not alone. Let me help you. Come on, let's go.
- The End

Kate is more sympathetic to Claire than Sawyer is in season six.  Here's Kate in the finale to the tune of Feels Like Home, one of my dad's favorite songs at the moment.

Please Come Home With Me

Someone you despise tried to make you lose yourself,
Tried to make you lose yourself, but he’s gone.
Yes, Claire, you have a choice.  Just forget the past.
You can leave at last and reclaim your life.

I can tell how lonely your life has been.
To feel strong, you cling to that gun,
But it won’t bring what you’ve wanted since he first led you wrong.
I’m here so you can raise your son.

So please come home with me.  Oh, please come home with me.
You feel like you’re much too messed up to be a mom,
But please come home with me.  Oh, please come home with me.
I promised to help you get back where you belong.

We’ve made mistakes.  Hey, you think I'm clean?
But we try, then fail, then do right.
You look a fright; you could use some Maybelline.
Still, I believe you’ve seen through the dark to the light.

Well, do you know how much this moment means to me?
You don’t need that cradle or that hutch.
Though I have been the mother you were meant to be,
Your little boy deserves your love for him so much.

So please come home with me.  Oh, please come home with me.
You feel like you’re much too messed up to be a mom,
But please come home with me.  Oh, please come home with me.
I promised to help you get back where you belong.
I promised to help you get back where you belong.

Vince (Vincent, Don McLean)

A recent Entertainment Weekly poll revealed that the most tear-jerking moment in this year's series of finales was Jack's death, and the poll editor parenthetically added that it was Vincent who put Jack over the top. I make it a rule never to filk the same song twice, but once in a blue moon I break it if the song has a strong enough pull on me and I'm not especially attached to my first attempt. I had a feeling I'd have to break my rule for Vincent, and I finally found the perfect scene to work with - a very fitting end to the series, and one that also reminds me of The Forest Again, one of my favorite chapters in the Harry Potter saga. Here's Jack to the tune of Don McLean's Vincent.

Vince

Fatal, fatal knife
Plunged into my side today.
What a price I had to pay
To see to it the Island would stay whole!
Now I’m feeling chilled.
Funny notion, this getting killed.
Won’t be long till my heartbeat’s stilled,
And slowly I will mingle with the sand.

Do you understand
Just how much this means to me?
It’s such a gesture of humanity
From you, the final friend I’ll see.
I thought, “He’s just a dog,” but Vince, I vow,
I don’t believe that now.

Fatal, fatal knife,
Handed down from ancient days.
Just before he braved the blaze
That brought his ashes, Jacob felt it too.
What a cruel adieu!
Mine was just a tiny reign,
But you came to ease my pain.
I’m strengthened by your warmth beneath my hand.

Do you understand
Just how much this means to me?
It’s such a gesture of humanity
From you, the final friend I’ll see!
I thought, “He’s just a dog,” but Vince, I vow,
I don’t believe that now.

Jacob didn’t have you,
But I’m so glad I do.
Yes, as I slip away from life,
Not that fatal, fatal knife
But somebody who soothes me is in view.
I’m so grateful to you, Vincent.
This isn’t quite so scary when I’m facing it with you.

Fatal, fatal knife.
That’s the reason for my fall.
Barely feel the wound at all,
And certainly I’m feeling no regret.
First survivor who I met,
Now settled with Bernard and Rose,
You have a home but kindly chose
To find me here and help me to let go.

Yes, I’m sure you know
Just how much this means to me.
It’s such a gesture of humanity
From you, the final friend I’ll see!
The plane is leaving, and it’s such a thrill,
But Vince, you never will.

Isabella (Lorena, Joseph Phillbrick Webster)

"I think I just realized that I wanna live."
 - Richard, The End

Here's a reflection from a newly aging Richard as he takes off from the Island in The End, to the tune of the Irish Rovers' Lorena. (Like most of the Irish Rovers songs I can't find online, this is from The Boys Come Rollin' Home; the version below is similar, but missing the repeated lines at the end.)

Isabella

Oh, the years crept slowly, Isabella,
Since I became an ageless man.
It was my penance, Isabella.
I earned that lengthy, lonely span.
Yet my quest for wisdom was sincere.
I let you be my guiding light.
And since I’ve seen the end is near,
I’m feeling grateful for this flight.

A hundred eighty, Isabella.
Yes, that’s what I am pushing now.
But I have waited, Isabella.
I never broke our wedding vow.
A hundred forty years away
From the night that brought me so much pain,
I love you more with every day,
And my devotion will not wane.

I wear your cross now, Isabella.
It may be another year or ten
Or half a cent’ry, Isabella,
Till at last I'm with you once again.
But I am free, and so to live
Is no longer such a drudgery.
I think I still have more to give
Even though the Island’s done with me.

Oh, the years crept slowly, Isabella,
Since I became an ageless man.
A hundred eighty, Isabella.
Yes, that’s what I am pushing now.
It was my penance, Isabella.
I earned that lengthy, lonely span.
For years, I’ve waited, Isabella.
I never broke our wedding vow.

Oh, the years crept slowly, Isabella,
Since I became an ageless man...


Lorena

Temporary (Bonnie Kellswater, Traditional)

"Alright, I'll take it. But it's only temporary, as soon as you get that light back in, I'm pulling you up, and I'm giving it right back to you, deal?"
- Hurley, The End

Here's Hurley reluctantly telling Jack that he will take the job of Island protector, to the tune of the Irish Rovers'Bonnie Kellswater.  (The version I used has a fourth verse, so again, it doesn't quite synch up.)

Temporary

Fine, I’ll help you.  I will drink the spring water,
And I swear that I will safeguard the light.
But I’m only doin’ this till you come back, dude.
Yeah, it’s just temporary, all right?

When I came here, I felt so unlucky.
Thought I never would have peace of mind.
But you gave me a job.  I stopped running.
I thought, Hey, don’t be scared.  Just be kind.

So I tried my best at making people happy
From the minute you stuck me with Claire.
But disasters kept on hitting those around me.
Was I cursed or was life just unfair?

Jacob told me I was blessed, and I believed him,
Though it sure was surprising to me.
But I know that if you hadn’t seen it first, Jack...
Well, I shudder to think where I’d be.

Now, I see that this water is muddy,
While the water that you drank was clear.
It’s a sign that you’re comin’ back, buddy,
‘Cause you always were meant to rule here.

So I’ll help you.  I will drink the spring water,
And I swear that I will safeguard the light.
But I’m only doin’ this till you come back, dude.
Yeah, it’s just temporary, all right?
Yeah, it’s just temporary, all right?

I'll Fly Those Fellas Home (The Boys Come Rollin' Home, Tommy Sands)

"Here we go, Frank.  Come on.  Come on...  Amen."
- Frank, The End

Another Frank song.  I had presumed him dead ever since The Candidate, so I was thrilled to see him turn up alive after all, and then wind up one of the big heroes of the finale.  Here's Frank to the tune of the Irish Rovers' The Boys Come Rollin' Home.

I’ll Fly Those Fellas Home

I always will remember well the strange September day
Norris flew 815 out of Sydney.
I gotta get my rest, but oversleeping doesn‘t pay,
‘Cause poor Seth, he didn’t do so great, now did he?

But I’ll get through this.  I’ll do this.  I braved the salty foam.
With some spunk and with a prayer, I will get ‘er in the air,
And I’ll fly those fellas home.

I made it to the freighter with a madman and his friend.
My chopper didn’t crash in stormy weather.
I got us off the Island and I lost the beard and then
I brought Jack and all his buddies back together.

So I’ll get through this.  I’ll do this.  I braved the salty foam.
With some spunk and with a prayer, I will get ‘er in the air,
And I’ll fly those fellas home.

Now Miles has got his duct tape, and Ricky’s by his side,
And Ben is somewhere with his walkie-talkie.
I see the Island crumblin’, and it‘s lookin’ like we‘re fried,
But it‘s tiger time; I kinda feel like Rocky!

So I’ll get through this.  I’ll do this.  I braved the salty foam.
With some spunk and with a prayer, I will get ‘er in the air,
And I’ll fly those fellas home.

We're goin’ down the runway now, and a few folks showed up late.
I wonder, is it fun to see me stressing?
But in they go, with buckles on, so Sawyer, Claire and Kate
Are part of 316 and share the blessing.

Yeah, I’ll get through this.  I’ll do this.  I braved the salty foam.
With some spunk and with a prayer, I will get ‘er in the air,
And I’ll fly those fellas home.

Yeah, I’ll get through this.  I’ll do this.  I braved the salty foam.
With some spunk and with a prayer, I will get ‘er in the air,
And I’ll fly those fellas home.

Yeah, I’ll fly those fellas home!

The Boys Come Rollin' Home

Like Me (Isle of Innisfree, Richard Farrelly)

"It was only supposed to be me so I can do this. But if someone has to take care of the Island, if someone has to protect it then... then it should be you. Hurley... I believe in you."
- Jack, The End

Here's a little reflection from Jack and Ben immediately preceding the brief ceremony that makes Hurley the new Island protector, to the tune of the Irish Rovers' Isle of Innisfree.

Like Me

Jack: I have been told I’m meant to be a leader,
That it’s a role that I was born to play.
But still, I feel I never was a leader
Until I took that sacred oath today.
And now I must descend to save the Island.
My eyes are clear, and that’s the fate I see.
But when it’s done, I will not leave the Island
Because the Island is my destiny.

And so before you take me down like Desmond,
Please feel no pity, hard as that may be.
But Hugo, will you promise to protect it?
Please take the pledge, and then you’ll be like me.

Ben: I’ve spent a lifetime wanting to be special;
I’m slowly learning how to let that go.
I will admit that I was disappointed
When Jack named you. I won’t dispute it, though.

Instead, I’ll offer up this water bottle,
A tiny token of my loyalty.
So Hugo, will you promise to protect it?
Please take the pledge; you won’t go wrong like me.

Jack: Yes, Hugo, will you promise to protect it?
Please take the pledge, and then you’ll be like me.
Please take the pledge, and then you’ll be like me.

The Isle of Innisfree

Outside of Time (The Shadow of O'Casey, Tommy Sands)

"Your father and mother and all of you are - as you used to call it in the Shadowlands - dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning."
- Aslan, The Last Battle

Christian: Everyone dies sometime, kiddo. Some of them before you, some... long after you.
Jack: But why are they all here now?
Christian: Well, there is no "now" here.
- The End

Here's Christian talking to Jack in the church at the end of The End, to the tune of the Irish Rovers' The Shadow of O'Casey. (It looks like iTunes is the only place online to hear this song, so you have to pay a dollar if you want to listen to this one. Or buy the album; it's fantastic!)

Outside of Time

Bid farewell to your sorrow. If you have the faith to follow,
A brighter tomorrow is what you will find.
At the end of one story’s the pathway to glory.
We’ll evermore be outside of time.

Please accept that you’ve reached the morning, and the nightmares won’t return.
You have walked in painful darkness, but the light will always burn.
You should know there is no “now” here. Those people all have died.
But life in here is bigger that it was on the outside.

Bid farewell to your sorrow. If you have the faith to follow,
A brighter tomorrow is what you will find.
At the end of one story’s the pathway to glory.
We’ll evermore be outside of time.

Jack, I know this is surprising. We’re scientific men.
But we’re also wiser than we used to be back then,
And the answers to your questions all lie beyond the door.
Let’s go in together. What are we waiting for?

Bid farewell to your sorrow. If you have the faith to follow,
A brighter tomorrow is what you will find.
At the end of one story’s the pathway to glory.
We’ll evermore be outside of time.

There were days you were lost and lonely, but kiddo, those are done.
The knife that monster wielded, it cut right through you, son.
But with Vincent there for comfort, you departed with a smile
And arrived to a glorious new sunrise. It was all worthwhile.

Bid farewell to your sorrow. If you have the faith to follow,
A brighter tomorrow is what you will find.
At the end of one story’s the pathway to glory.
We’ll evermore be outside of time.

Bid farewell to your sorrow. If you have the faith to follow,
A brighter tomorrow is what you will find.
At the end of one story’s the pathway to glory.
We’ll evermore be outside of time.
Outside of time.

The Shadow of O'Casey

"I Think You Do What You Do Best. Take Care of People."

I suppose I should be quoting Jack or Christian here, but those two sentences from Ben are my favorite line in the finale, and that exchange with Hurley is my favorite scene in the finale, especially when coupled with their later exchange in Sideways world. I miss Ben's glasses and sweater-vest at the end there, but then I guess he isn't quite Dr. Linus anymore. Anyway, Hurley sharing the Apollo bar with Ben in Cabin Fever is one of my all-time favorite moments in the series, and ever since I've been hoping to see some indication of a bond between the two characters. I was a little disappointed that we basically didn't see them interact with each other up until the finale.

But The End made up for it, with Ben having probably his only purely heroic moment on the Island when he shoves Hurley out of the way and steps into the tree's path. Then later, despite his disappointment at having been passed over again, he furnishes a water bottle so that Hurley can be sworn in as Island protector. And then there's that wonderful moment when he reassures Hurley by telling him what we've all known all along - that Hurley is a man who excels at taking care of people, mostly in very simple, ordinary ways. I love that he says it, and that he means it, and clearly admires Hurley's altruism, and that Hurley then extends a hand to Ben, uplifting him by offering him the position of his assistant. And I think it is a good idea to have someone with some experience there to give him a better idea of how things might work, and his cleverness might come in handy. For instance, it's Ben who suggests that Hurley might be able to change the rules. In any case, they seem to have made a good team, based on their parting words to each other outside the church. I can't wait to see that extra footage of them together.

If that's the scene that made me smile the most, the one that made me cheer the most was Frank showing up in the water and being rescued by Miles and the newly-mortal Richard. There was such gentleness in the way they lay him in the boat, too; I just found the whole thing very sweet, and such a huge adrenaline rush to see that Frank survived after all. Though I notice that when Miles mentioned Frank to Kate, she didn't even bat an eye. Shouldn't she have said, "I thought that guy was dead?" Also - why didn't Frank suggest flying off the Island before?

But I love the Frank, Miles and Richard team. Frank and Miles know each other somewhat well but never liked each other much during their Freighter journey, and Richard barely knows either of them. Richard is the ancient Island adviser, Miles the cynical ghost whisperer who doesn't even realize he once was a Candidate, Frank the heroic pilot spared the carnage on the beach because Ilana saw the value in him. At this stage of the game they're about as clueless as the rest of us, but they're determined to make the best of a bad situation. Their best lines? Miles: "I don't believe in a lot of things, but I do believe in duct tape." Richard: "I think I just realized that I want to live." And Frank's simple "Amen" as the plane rose into the air was quite moving.

And Rose and Bernard. I wasn't very surprised to see Hurley take over as Island protector, and I wasn't at all surprised to see that Rose and Bernard were the ones who got Desmond out of that well, though I was tipped off by having seen the scene with Smokey, Ben and Sawyer at the well ahead of time. The paw prints tipped me off, and I very much hoped I was right. I so miss Rose and Bernard, and I loved this scene with them as much as last year's, and even more because apparently, they actually sought Desmond out. Probably Vincent found him and they responded to his whining, but in any case, it seems to have been a much more proactive response than their being reluctantly found by Sawyer and the gang in The Incident.

I think it was Doc Jensen who commented on their "wrong-headed isolationism", but I'm pretty sure I don't think there's anything wrong with the path they chose, except that it meant that we got to see them a lot less than I'd like. Rose and Bernard are mature and wise, and all they need is each other for "Live Together, Die Alone" to work for them. And they're pacifists. They do help out a couple of key times, but otherwise they stay out of it, and I say more power to 'em. They make a lovely couple of Bombadils. I'm still disappointed that their music from last year's finale isn't included in the season five soundtrack; maybe this will make it into season six's...

No more Jacob. Evidently he simply disappeared almost immediately after Jack drank the water, and we never got to see him again, except as a kid on Jimmy Kimmel, and I don't quite know what that was about. Maybe it's a hint that after he died again, he was trapped on the Island again? He told Hurley that he would never see him again, but I'm sure he was wrong about that. But how soon did they see each other again? There on the Island, or on the other side of the doorway in the church? Of course, Hurley doesn't exactly choose to see these people. They decide to come to him. So maybe what Jacob was saying there was, "I won't be bugging you anymore." Except that Hurley wanted to be bugged. In any case, I think there's a lot that Jacob doesn't know. For instance, I'm pretty sure he doesn't know the Sideways exists.

I wanted to see him again. And yes, I'm coming to realize that I'm about as big a Star Wars geek as Hurley (but with a proper appreciation of Ewoks), and I really wanted Jacob's brother (who allegedly was supposed to be named Samuel, but I feel weird calling him that) to be like Anakin in the end. Like Anakin, he was "special", and he had a very close kinship with this show's Obi-Wan, Jacob. Closer, even, than Anakin and Obi-Wan; I mean, the two were twins, and they were each other's constant companions for the first 13 years, and as often as possible after that. But after becoming mortal again, we got no indication of Jacob's brother feeling apologetic for all his Smokey misdeeds. No, he seemed just as ruthless as before.

And so I fear he may have used up his last chance. Unless Jacob's brother really did die, totally and utterly, back in Across the Sea, and Mother's warning of a fate worse than death was a bit of a red herring, and Smokey was just drawing on the brother's memories just as he drew on Locke's. That's possible, and probably preferable. I could live with that, even if it means admitting that Smokey himself is pure evil and he managed to seduce me a bit too. Especially when he saved the gang from Keamy. But if the soul of the brother in black has been entangled with this demonic force for 2000+ years, then it seems he had one great chance to repent for his misdeeds and he blew it. Or could there still be hope for him after his death? I don't know. I just know that I felt bad for the guy, and that Jacob is one of my very favorite characters in all of LOST and I don't see how he can ever forgive himself, in an afterlife he didn't expect, for forever condemning the one person in his life who was most important to him. And yet I feel certain that Jacob and Hurley will meet again. So... lots of questions there. Hoping one or two might get answered when the DVD comes out.

Sawyer was quite lovable here. Snarly but heroic on the Island, stalwart and confused in the Sideways, just an all-around great guy. I would have liked one last bear hug between him and Hurley; their relationship is one of my favorites on the show, and I think they could have had a more heartfelt farewell. But I guess they were in a hurry. I liked Sawyer's little chat with Jack as he tries to understand what just happened between him and Jacob, and I loved his interaction with Sun and Jin in the Sideways, and their absolute affection for him, and pleased amusement that he wound up a cop. And I was so happy to get one more Apollo moment. Those candy bars really are quite potent. It was cool to see the payoff of the "going dutch" conversation, and really moving to see Sawyer and Juliet remember each other. Again, score one for Apollo!

The only instance that confuses me a bit is that there was an Apollo ad on the side of the bus that hit Edmund Burke. Was he really that bad, that his death was such a victory? Or was the victory of gaining Juliet so great that it completely overshadowed the death of an innocent bystander? Come to think of it, that scene was a lot like Nadia's death. Edmund was holding Juliet back, while Nadia was holding Sayid back. But Nadia was definitely a good person. Ah, well... Clearly there were a few problems with the way that Jacob chose to run things.

We saw very little of Claire on the Island, but ultimately it was Kate who convinced her to board the plane, which was absolutely as it should have been, though it wasn't really until this season that I realized just how crucial the bond between these two was. Claire giving birth to Aaron was her most significant moment on the Island, but it was also Kate's. As much as I wasn't thrilled about watching yet another labor on this show, Claire's birth scene in the Sideways was really powerful. And Charlie's involvement completed the perfection.

I loved seeing Hurley first encounter Charlie, and having that huge goofy grin on his face as he saw his good friend alive again for the first time, while Charlie simply responded with surly bad humor. His tranquilizing him was hilarious, and it didn't improve Charlie's mood. He remained a sourpuss until he saw Claire, and though he didn't quite understand yet, he was mesmerized by her from that instant on. And when the memories finally did come flooding back, I think Charlie's response to his enlightenment may have touched me most of all. Powerful stuff. I do wish that we'd been able to see more of the concert, and I really was hoping for a performance of Saved, or whatever the name of that song in Fire + Water is. Frankly, I found it really hard to connect with the music they were playing; it felt choppy and incomplete, and not at all familiar. I've no doubt that most of the concert was fantastic, but I'm a little bummed that we didn't get to see it. On a side note, when Claire asked that guy where the bathroom was... Was that Paolo??

I didn't mind Sayid and Shannon. I do feel like the writers didn't do a good enough job of establishing their relationship in season one and two, or maybe did too good a job of establishing Sayid's relationship with Nadia. Because everybody wanted Sayid and Nadia and nobody wanted Sayid and Shannon. But I did find the moment moving in spite of myself, especially taking into account Boone's involvement, which signals his acceptance of the relationship, along with his willingness, once again, to take a beating for the sake of others. Of course, there was no mention of Essam, but I found that once I realized what the Sideways really was - which I figured out shortly before the finale aired, or the gist of it anyway - I didn't really need to see Essam or Tom (Brennan or Friendly) or Annie or Sam Austen or Mr. Kwon or anybody else. I can just trust that they were there somewhere and that they found their own way to the gateway.

Everything about John Locke was beautiful in this episode, from his concerned inquiry about Christian's missing body to his intense enlightenment - actually, that was probably my favorite enlightenment moment, complete with Terry O'Quinn's 1000-watt crinkly smile - and his absolute forgiveness of Ben outside the church. Everything about it was so beautiful, and so reinforced Jack's scathing Island comment to Smokey: "You're not John Locke. You disrespect his memory by wearing his face, but you're nothing like him. Turns out he was right about most everything. I just wish I could've told him that while he was still alive."

Daniel didn't move on with the rest. I guess he needs a little more time to court Charlotte, and mostly he needs more time to work through his issues with his parents, especially his mother. I do love that he gets to be a musician in this ideal world, and while there's still that oddly ethereal quality about him, his mind is clear and undamaged. I'm still not quite sure how this "soul cluster" thing works. Does every single character have his or her own church, and we just saw Jack's? Or was it really a wholly communal experience for those who were in that church together, and it'll be a totally different group with Ben? And another totally different group, maybe, with Daniel? And where does that leave most of the world, who never went to the Island at all? Do they go through a similar experience anyway? Like Tom Brennan. I would've thought that seeing him might have enlightened Kate, but if not that, seeing Kate might have enlightened him. But maybe they don't get to see each other again on this side of the doorway.

I enjoyed the music in this episode as always, but I'm not sure if we quite got the Grey Havens symphonic brilliance that I was expecting. I need to watch it again, and especially the last ten minutes. Maybe it's there, but I was more focused on other things so I didn't notice it as much as I should have. I just didn't get a very strong impression of hearing a piece of music that was the ultimate representation of the series' most potent theme, entwined with several others that were especially moving. Mainly, I guess I didn't hear as much Life and Death as I wanted to.  There was some lovely music at the end there, but I think I need to hear it in isolation before I determine how well it stands up against Howard Shore.

We certainly got a dose of Lord of the Rings, though, particularly with the heart of the Island, which I correctly postulated would end up as a sort of Mount Doom. The visual echoes were unmistakable. Unlike Frodo, however, both Jack and Desmond were fully themselves at the end, and each went down in turn to do his job before being lifted back up, Desmond by Hurley and Ben, Jack by the force of the light. Desmond survived his ordeal; Jack didn't, but that was mostly because of the ceremonial knife. Where is that knife now, I wonder? When the time comes for his reign to end, must it be the knife that ushers Hurley into Sideways world, or can his end be less violent, thanks to another change in the Rules?

I thought it was kinda nice how Kate arrived at the last minute to defeat Smokey. She ended up being the closest thing to Gollum in the end-game I guess, just in terms of the element of surprise, and this unexpected person who Jacob had essentially written off being absolutely instrumental in bringing things to the proper conclusion. And while a part of me still felt like Kate never quite loved anyone in her adult life as she'd loved Tom, I think that's partly because of the guilt that clung to her, and maybe she was finally able to forgive herself for her complicity in his death and accept a new love with whom she had been through so much. Their farewell was heartbreaking, especially Jack's silence when she asked if they would see each other again, but their reunion was exhilarating.

Darlton promised us that Vincent would survive the series, and indeed he did. It was very touching to see Jack departing the Island as he arrived, with Vincent by his side, now an old friend instead of a disorienting stranger. I find it interesting that the name Vincent means "prevailing". It seems like an indication of Vincent being representative of something deeper, something having to do with Robert Short's notion of Snoopy as the "Hound of Heaven," a sort of Christ symbol along the lines of Harry's Patronus or Fawkes the Phoenix. We don't see Vincent in Sideways world, but it's not because, as Jimmy Kimmel quipped, "not all dogs do go to Heaven". It's because Vincent is representative of Jack being tethered to life, even as he dies. A new life, a better life. Or something like that.

It was so nice to finally see Jack and Christian have that chat with each other after so many apparent near misses. All that searching led Jack at last to the empty coffin and the realization that he and his father were now in the same boat, but that it was okay. When he realized he was dead, Jack sobbed, but I'm not sure that it was so much out of sadness as simply the enormity of the situation. At any rate, I loved Christian's comforting presence, and I got a definite reminder of Gandalf's "I will not say 'Do not weep,' for not all tears are an evil."

If I wanted to, I could make a big long list of things that were never properly explained, from the Dharma Food Drop to why Richard (or Charles, or Jacob) decided to execute the Purge when they did to why having babies on the Island is so darned near impossible. I would like to think that some of those answers might come out later in the encyclopedia, on the DVD or in some other form. But while I'm curious, I'm not burning to know most of those things. There were so many ways the show could have ended that would have felt dissatisfying to me, I think. I was very worried that it might all turn out to have been a dream, despite Darlton's promises to the contrary; I can't see any way that I would not have felt cheated by that ending. Additionally, I feared the conclusion could wash away six seasons of redemption and meaning in a sea of nihilism.

Neither of those possibilities came remotely true, and so while they left us a whole lot to puzzle over, I ultimately find myself almost completely satisfied with the finale. Are there certain things that could have been done better over the course of the series? Threads that could have been tightened or lengthened, and others that could have been plucked entirely? No doubt. But as it ends, I find myself simply thinking that I'm glad we got to the conclusion and I liked it, and not even feeling much of an ache that I won't have it next year. Because, after all, I will. I'll have it just as surely as I have Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings and Narnia and Star Wars and all those other Great Stories LOST so artfully references. And if the finale still leaves me with some confusion, all the more to contemplate in the years ahead.

With a Little Help From You, Ben (With a Little Help From My Friends, Paul McCartney / John Lennon)

"I could really use someone with like, experience. For a little while. Will you help me, Ben?"
- Hurley, The End

I've had a week and a half to mull over the finale, and I think it's time I got back to posting some parodies. Here's one involving probably my favorite scene in The End, when Hurley realizes he's in charge and Ben offers his encouragement. Here's Hurley and Ben to the tune of the Beatles' With a Little Help From My Friends.

With a Little Help From You, Ben

Hurley: What do I do? ‘Cause I don’t have a clue,
And I wish that Jack hadn’t picked me.
Ben: No need to fear that you’ll get it all wrong.
Simply do what comes naturally.
Hurley: Well, I’ll get by with a little help from you, Ben.
Yeah, I will try with a little help from you, Ben.
Not gonna lie; need a little help from you, Ben.

What did I do when I said I would stay?
Didn’t think I’d have to take the throne.
Ben: I was the leader, but I went astray.
If you’ll let me, though, then I’ll atone.
Hurley: Well, I’ll get by with a little help from you, Ben.
Yeah, I’ll try with a little help from you, Ben.
Not gonna lie; need a little help from you, Ben.

Ben: You’re a man of the people.
Hurley: The people have to have love.
Ben: You will take care of people.
You’ll rule this Island with love.

Hurley: I may be scared, but I’ll do this job right.
It’ll work out; we just need a little time.
Ben: You have the strength to stay out of a fight.
Hugo, be yourself, and we’ll be fine.
Hurley: Well, I’ll get by with a little help from you, Ben.
Yeah, I’ll try with a little help from you, Ben.
I’m not gonna lie; need a little help from you, Ben.

Ben: You’re a man of the people.
Hurley: The people have to have love.
Ben: You will take care of people.
You’ll rule this Island with love.

Hurley: Well, I’ll get by with a little help from you, Ben.
Not gonna lie; need a little help from you, Ben.
Oh, I will try with a little help from you, Ben.
Yeah, I’ll get by with a little help from you, Ben.
With a little help from you, Ben...

The Island Where I Was Reborn (The Village That They Call the Moy, Ryan Kelly)

"Don't try to stop me, Peter. I am sure Aslan would not. I am sure it is not wrong for me to mourn for Narnia. Think of all that lies dead and frozen beyond that door."
- Lucy Pevensie, The Last Battle

"Is everything sad going to come untrue?" 
- Sam Gamgee, The Return of the King

"I chose you because you needed this place as much as it needed you."
- Jacob, What They Died For 

We've known for a long time that The End was coming, and I've been preparing myself by setting aside songs that I might use to work through my feelings about the finale. I have a list of them jotted down, but one grabbed me and refused to release me, forcing me to do something about it before I even watched the last episode, anticipating that I would spend the wee hours of this morning ripping it to shreds in light of everything in the finale that contradicted it. Instead I changed it just before I watched the episode, and I kept it pretty much the same after that.  Initially I imagined it being set immediately after the Island events in the finale, as I strongly suspected the Island would sink; now, it's set in the Sideways world, at which point it does seem that the Island is indeed under the sea, or certainly inaccessible to our castaways.  And despite all evidence to the contrary, I believe that Jacob and Hurley will reunite on the other side of that door.

The Village That They Call the Moy is a song written and performed by Celtic Thunder's Ryan Kelly, a musician for whom I have enormous respect and affection. I came across his demo online last year and it instantly resonated deeply. I evaded it all year, mostly because I felt a little funny filking a song that isn't actually on an album yet. But the album's coming soon, and I hope everyone reading this buys a copy, because it's sure to be brilliant. And when this song tapped me on the shoulder, it would not be stopped. So I hope Ryan will forgive me for piggybacking off of his tender hometown ode, and I thank him for giving me the perfect vehicle for expressing my sense of grateful melancholy as my favorite show comes to a close.

(Update: Ryan Kelly's first solo album, In Time - which features a more up-tempo version of The Village That They Call the Moy - is available now.  Buy it here!)

The Island Where I Was Reborn

Sawyer: Leavin’ it should have been easy.
It put me through such an ordeal.
But still, I shuddered to think, As the memories shrink,
I someday could doubt it was real.
I went there so jaded and lost and afraid
Of the darkness that’s inside of me;
I passed through the flames, and I left as just James.
I’m found, and I’m finally free.

That doesn’t mean I don’t miss it.
Jacob knew that I needed that place,
So I boarded that flight, and I went toward the light,
Toward the source of all wisdom and grace.
I am happy and whole and at ease in my soul,
But a part of me always will mourn
That it’s under the sea, so I never will be
Back on the Island where I was reborn.

Kate: How dreary were days I did nothing but run
From my conscience and from the police!
My own complicity in my friend’s death
Haunted me and kept me from peace.
My love life always was messy.
At last I’m sure of which romance to pursue,
But I think of the track that I traveled with Jack
Before all of our grief came untrue.

That’s when I realize I miss it.
Jacob knew that I needed that place,
So I boarded that flight, and I went toward the light,
Toward the source of all wisdom and grace.
I am happy and whole and at ease in my soul,
But a part of me always will mourn
That it’s under the sea, so I never will be
Back on the Island where I was reborn.

Hugo: It’s well I remember that life-changing day
When he asked me to go catch that plane.
Then he tried to prepare me for leaving him there,
For the close to his long-standing reign.
He brought me so far from that chat in the car
But also learned something from me;
Since love never ends, we will always be friends,
And it all started under the sea.

Everyone knows that I miss it.
Jacob knew that I needed that place,
So I boarded that flight, and I went toward the light,
Toward the source of all wisdom and grace.
I am happy and whole and at ease in my soul,
But a part of me always will mourn
That it’s under the sea, so I never will be
Back on the Island where I was reborn.

All: I am happy and whole and at ease in my soul,
But a part of me always will mourn
That it’s under the sea, so I never will be
Back on the Island where I was reborn.


The Village That They Call The Moy
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The End (American Pie, Don McLean)

Working through my feelings on the end of LOST a couple weeks ahead of time. Darlton, are you listening?

The End (A LOSTie’s Salute)

A long, long time ago,
Back when television was an idle, passionless routine,
An epic promo stopped me cold.
It seemed like cinematic gold
Created for a more convenient screen.
A fiery crash, a pressing query,
A score that sounded more than eerie.
I embraced this new show,
This fresh Robinson Crusoe,
This stunning tale of tattered lives.
Even if I’m pleased with who survives,
It’s sure to cut like John Locke’s knives
The day The End arrives.

A dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.
Hate to bid the Island goodbye.

Do you know I came to love
All the folks who fell from far above
In September of ‘04?
And I soon made room inside my soul
For one crazed Scotsman in a hole
And Ben, who isn’t Henry anymore.
I’ve envisioned Richard as a sage
Since I noticed that he doesn’t age.
Fantastic Frank’s a find,
And I dig dear dizzy Dan's mind.
I sympathized with Dogen’s tragic case,
And Ilana touched me with her quiet grace.
I just don’t see how I can face
The day The End arrives.

I guarantee a dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.
Hate to bid the Island goodbye.

Now for six years, it’s been on the air.
No other series can quite compare
In terms of sheer complexity.
Every episode hides a crucial clue.
Stranger in a Strange Land matters too,
Though tattoos are not exactly key.
Who’d’ve thought that run-down DHARMA van
Would fuel a hero’s rescue plan?
Who knew the code equates
To Jacob’s Candidates?
You’ve dropped crumbs along the twisted trail.
What tiny Season One detail
Will clinch who wins and who will fail
The day The End arrives?

I’m convinced a dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.
Hate to bid the Island goodbye.

Faith and reason, loyalty and treason,
Enigmas deepening every season.
Cuselof, I tip my hat.
The polar bears, Hurley bird
And ancient monster are so absurd;
I appreciate it all the more for that.
There’s a four-toed statue on the beach.
When wet Walt spouted garbled speech
And Jacob’s cabin shook,
I had to take another look.
How do pylons form a Smokey shield
And why are Temple bathers healed?
What mysteries will be revealed
The day The End arrives?

I guarantee a dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.
Hate to bid the Island goodbye.

Now all those phrases are in my head,
Like “Are you him?” and “Dead is dead”
And “Live together, die alone.”
“Don’t mistake a coincidence for fate!”
And Jack’s cry, “We have to go back, Kate!”
By leaps and bounds, the lexicon has grown.
It’s always a hoot to spout the names
So snarkily assigned by James.
Though “Jabba’s” kinda mean,
I’m keen on “Mr. Clean”.
All the allusions make me feel obtuse.
How many more will you produce?
My library card will get some use
The day The End arrives.

I’m convinced a dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.
Hate to bid the Island goodbye.

I said farewell to Jin and Sun.
Sadly, Charlie’s rock star days are done -
In this dimension, anyway.
Scott and Eko had violent deaths,
And I always will remember Seth’s,
Since you deigned to turn the pilot into prey.
From fatal falls and time disease
To filicide (curse you, Eloise!),
You’ve shown a special talent
For killing off the gallant.
Michael wound up a remorseful ghost.
Sayid repented and then was toast.
I wonder who I’ll miss the most
The day The End arrives.

I guarantee a dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.
Hate to bid the Island goodbye.

I’m convinced a dry eye will be hard to come by.
No more series, no more theories,
No more castaway high,
And at this point, I’d be a fool to deny
That I hate to bid the Island goodbye.