Michael Emerson, former cast member of "Lost," tells CBS News how he interpreted the series finale and why he believes the "scripted 'Survivor'" format was such a success.
It was better that way. Always having something fun to look forward to week to week. Binge watching makes for a short burst of fun, but it's nowhere near as fun and satisfying as watching a storyline build up and resolve over the course of a year or several years.
I agree, I only watched parts of the first season when I was younger and my parents stopped after Season 2. I got them to watch it from the beginning with me and we just finished it all past week. I had many questions after each episode and it would have driven me crazy to have to wait.
"Still resonates" ... that´s about perfect as well! We´re 3 years after already! How about you come along and visit Jimmy Macram´s channel to enjoy the last two seasons of Lost with him and me together? Let´s share some emotions!.....
Well, I love ME...but to be truthful he has an UGLY countenance with big, ugly, googly eyes...he has a sly and eerie demeanor, he speaks in soft and creepy tones...as much as I LOVE him, I can see where people come up with CREEPY!
Ronni G You obviously aren't looking at the same thing I'm looking at when you speak about beauty. For instance, I find Michael Emerson to be a very beautiful being because he has a heart of gold and a very intelligent mind. And you, my dear friend, I don't even have to know what you look like (not that it matters), because you've already proven yourself to be ugly on the inside, with that snarky, nasty response of yours. Unlike YOU, I don't judge people by the way they look, I judge them by the way they behave and the way they treat others. It doesn't matter how beautiful you are on the outside, what matters is if you are respectful and kind to those around you. However, you've failed to do either one of those things. Pretty sad, I must say. You have confidence, I'll give you that, but you're using it in the wrong way. We could have been friends. Pity you had to say something nasty instead of something logical.
Harold Finch I LOVE that you think I have a snarky, nasty response! I am actually quite a lovely woman, but that isn't important. I said what I said, I love your educated, and caring response...I still think his PHYSICAL countenance is not the BEST it could be, but I love him for his acting prowess...Does that make things feel better somewhat? We do not need to be friends, but I want you to understand I appreciate his HEART and his great, gentle soul.....but PHYSICALLY (if UI were to paint him) he is not LOVELY...you know? I could go on about myself and my accomplishments but it doesn't matter here...Just like with DONALD TRUMP winning the election. It doesn't matter who he is or who he was...he said and did what he said and did like a normal, functional member of American society...he said things he regrets...you regret...others may persecute him for saying....it doesn't matter...we have the right to say and feel what we feel...
@@sgtpepper1138 Except for Charlie. He finally fided a way to let him die that helped him reunite with Penny. He lied to Charlie about clear getting in the helicopter, but it was inevitable for charlie I guess, so he took adventage of it at least.
Just finished re-watching the entire series. It still holds up and well. I was quite moved and found myself tearing up all during the finale episode. All involved must be very proud to have been a part of such a entertainment legacy.
this show will never be old because flashback told a story about who they were before the island So it doesn't matter that you will watch this show in 2*** because the island will be timeless and who they were (the survivors) will remain as a tale.
I'm sad that there's a lot of people that didn't get the essence of the entire show. The ending was PERFECT, and in the way it was supposed to happen. Michael said it all on this video. The people that dont like the ending simply don't understand the purpose of the whole show.
Like locke said on the first 2 pilot episode when he ask walt if he likes to play the backgammon... A metaphor of Jacob and The Black Smoke. Then the black smoke choses locke because he see's everything except, locke didn't want to leave the island. Also the numbers 4 8 15 16 24 42 were the numbers on jacob's light house, who is deserving to be the next guardian of the island.
@tiagogmartins that’s just your opinion. Personally, I thought the ending was unsatisfying, and makes the entire show worthless. These characters could have died at any time and it wouldn’t have mattered. Also, why was Jack’s dad the one who guided them into heaven? He was an awful person in real life. And there’s the thing about mysteries not getting answered in a MYSTERY show.
Lost is a life experience. I was so content with Ben's poignant continuation, rather than ending. The finale was incredibly philosophically satisfying for me.
The Lost Finale was perfect. It absolutely fit and honestly the people who don't like it, truly don't get it. They answered almost all the major questions, although very subtly sometimes. Lost was a show you have to pay very close attention to, if you didn't, you probably missed some things. I count Lost as the best tv series ever made and the finale was the best episode of the series. I'm aware some people didn't like it...they are the ones missing out.
I've made this comment before, but it's really just opinion. For me, the Finale was too sappy. I didn't love it. Lost is the best show I've ever seen and I appreciate that the show ended with closure, but I didn't love the last episode. That doesn't mean I don't get it, I completely do. Now people who say that the ending meant they were dead the whole time and in purgatory, I agree totally either missed something or didn't get it at all!
Some people who didn't like the ending, I think maybe don't believe in God, or an afterlife of sorts. Not everyone who didn't like it, of course, but I'm sure there are some. Which is too bad, because then You naturally have to question, well what is the point of our physical existence, if there is nothing afterward. I like to think of an afterlife as like the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, for me anyway.
I totally agree with you. Most you the people they say the ending was bad or inappropriate, have never seen it. They've read something on weird platforms with comments from dudes they also have never seen the finale.
When people hate on lost finale and compare it to now infamous Game of thrones I get a tad upset. I feel like those who didn't enjoy the finale haven't gone back to really rewatch and understand it. I am a huge Lost fan and feel every question was very well explained and answered.
Loved the finale. Loved the show. Here I am in 2015 watching clips of Lost on RU-vid. Sometimes you have to rewatch a series from beginning to end to appreciate a series finale. It was just perfect.
I'm 25. I JUST finished watching season 6 today in 2018 lol... Idk how I never got into this show and watched it when it was on TV back in the day. I briefly heard about it but never really tuned in. I literally binge watched season 1-6 in a week total. Every day watching like 15 episodes a day five or take.
I just watched the whole show, was stunned that it was made 20 years ago!! I am so hooked, that as soon as I finished watching all the seasons, I went back and started rewatching season 1! This speaks volumes about what a great show it is!
Emerson totally understands the ending. Dare I say it's because he's an educated man, clearly. The people who somehow came to the conclusion that they were dead the whole time, well, I don't have such kind words for.
crazy to think of the impact this show has had on people. here i am rewatching the show and i just finished it again and when i look back on all the people commenting on these theories 5-10 yrs ago i just can’t believe how this show broke this age gap and still captivates people of all ages and brings us together. i hope in 5+ years into the future someone watches this series and youtube’s the theories and find this comment such as how i’ve read hundreds of old comments now reminiscing on the show.
I just watched all of the seasons again .... now on Hulu. I must say, this show is even better now all these years later. And i must say, there is such a wholesome and uniting feeling to it which is sorely lacking in todays top shows.
Ben wasnt ready to move on...he had to atone (to himself....we are our harsh judge) for his sins. He need to work on his soul. Hurley says "I'll see you..." and to me that means he will be there for Ben when he is ready.
Emerson is an exceptional actor. The ending was interesting. His ability to redeem himself, those that escaped and Jack's "death" was a courageous collaboration from alll involved. This show, I saw on TV then once again on NETFLIX, has set a new standard that has yet to be set.
What a wonderful actor with such insight and appreciation for this role in Lost and the skill of the writers in bringing the show to a deep spiritual close.
Actually started the series over again. On season 1 episode 7 now. It seems better the second time around. I had never noticed Michael Emerson before lost. He is so talented and such an original actor. He will go on to do great things. I just love his character on lost.
we were watching from Iraq , had to drive every week to a shop who was downloading the episodes and selling them on cds . every week we wait the shop owner to download and drive back home to watch it . the best show ever
I loved the ending for the same reason he did the fact that they focused on the spiritual rather than the science fiction for the ending truly made it spectacular for me
Just watched Lost again….binged in a week from beginning to the end…boy how much I missed so many details as we waited a week at a time during the original run…now that all episodes are available and we can watch them back to back…Lost is one of the greatest show of all time….if anyone loved this show at one time, I strongly suggest to watch it again in its entirety…now more than a decade later, I truly appreciate how original and interesting this show truly was…and how well it aged to stand in time even in 2022….I am so glad that I decided to watch Lost again…can’t say the same about GOT
to me the BEST CHARACTER of lost....just all around amazing acting and somehow very charismatic for a villain which is what I guess is the special thing about him, great actor
A lot of the loose ends that people say they didn't tie up, were actually tied up. A few of them that they left to your imagination I felt were left better that way, and added another dimension to the show. I loved it all.
You know, that's the crazy part for me when I read the bazillion reviews und critics that have been written about the ending. They all say that things haven't been tied up, that the questions weren't answered. I think that's because all of them were waiting for the last episode to get answers und for the storylines to tied up. But actually besides all the other things which have never been done before this brilliant show, it was a completely new to finish a show by answering all questions and tying the loose ends BEFORE the last episode airs. The last episode is dedicated to what has always been the most important part of the show: the characters. After there's nothing more to be concerned about, we can follow the last steps in the life of our beloved heroes and see them find redemption.
Yeah completely, I had no questions at the end so those comments confused me. Lost was the king of show don’t tell (e.g. the polar bears). Even the stuff in the Epilogue special episode could mostly be deduced, save for the Walt bit.
at the end of Lost, I thought that Ben was waiting to cross over with Alex, and Alex with her mother... Alex was never really a part of this group so she would not move on with them, she and Ben would have their own thing. We know a lot of people in our lifetimes and some of them are very close to us, but in the end there would be some who are more important to you than The Others (sorry, I couldn't resist)
Just watched Lost again….binged in a week from beginning to the end…boy how much I missed so many details as we waited a week at a time during the original run…now that all episodes are available and we can watch them back to back…Lost is one of the greatest show of all time….if anyone loved this show at one time, I strongly suggest to watch it again in its entirety…original and interesting….and how well it aged to stand in time even in 2022….I am so glad that I decided to watch Lost again…can’t say the same about GOT
Oh wow I never noticed what Michael said that everyone in the church was with someone and left in twos. Actually now that im thinking about it Boone was alone and I think he was the only one awkwardly alone not kissing or cuddling with someone.
@@Bazzubi88 you are probably right. I think Boon was the first one to wake up on that world if you pay attention on how he talked to lock on the plain. But I dont necesarily think it had to be in couples of 2, they say, they all needed jack, and jack needed they all. so its a group thing in this case.
It drives me mad how people dislike the ending. If you didn’t like it, you didn’t understand the plot!! It was beautifully done and exactly how it should have ended ❤️
The reason I refused to watch LOST when it was on tv was because I thought it was a show like "Survivor" (gag). When I decided to give it a chance later on; I was hooked in one minute.
To anyone who hasn't watched Lost because they've been fooled into thinking that the ending was that the characters were dead the whole time or some nonsense, do yourself a favor and watch it. The only people who think that didn't actually watch the whole show, they couldn't possibly have and come away with that conclusion.
@@hermosaesposa7081 what hints? There is no indication of that whatsoever. In fact the entire plots of seasons 4 and 5 basically directly contradict that.
I didn't like the ending at the time, didn't absolutely hate it but didn't love it either. But over the years, with the benefit of hindsight and after seeing how badly writers really can make a balls-up of and ending (lookin' at you Game of Thrones) the Lost Ending ws actually very good. Emerson killed it in that role.
At 2:45 hes talking about how he may have been waiting for something or someone before he goes in, and it didnt occur to me until now but Alex and Daniel werent there with the group, guess its because they didnt forgive Ben..,kinda sad if you think about it, and possibly the reason why he told Hurley he still has things to take care of when he was sitting on the bench, perhaps he was gonna try and find them and redeem himself.
He played a bit younger than he was. He was made up to look even younger than that when he killed his father in the purge. Ben was probably born in the mid-60s.
I loved the finale and I kinda hope we’re not in the minority, especially now that time has passed and more people are watching the box set without the insane build up and high expectations (from the sound of things it sort of had a Wandavision effect) Edit: The other good thing about Lost’s ending is, despite split opinions of it, it had a goal in mind, stayed true to the themes of the show, resolved the plot lines and overall wasn’t lazy. Even if you didn’t like the decisions made, it wasn’t like Game of Thrones where they had this rushed ending where the plot points sort of made sense but the execution didn’t.
I always took Ben's being alone outside the chapel doors to mean that he had become the next and last guardian of the island. Hugo's in there, so who took his job? I guess we could say that Walt did, but I prefer the idea that Walt wound up doing other things with his talents, while Ben gets his calling. What do you think?
@@terry- I'm familiar with that episode. I meant more long-term. Hurley at some point clearly dies because he's there in the church. How many years do you figure Hurley was the guardian of the island, and who followed him was more my question.
@@amazingkris Who knows, Richard lived like 150 years on the island, and Jacob maybe a couple thousend. that is an open ending, meaning. anything could of happened and in the end they would still find them self in the other world, becose they saved the light, so the cicle life/death/rebirth could go on.
if you listen to Christian words, they moved on as a group, not in couples, everyone need Jack, and Jack needed everyone. Christian had his 2 sons there, and Aaro his 2 mothers.
