In honor of Lost's last episode on Sunday, I decided to write about my favorite episode and scene in the series. Lost may have never regained it's simplicity, beauty and mystery from the first two seasons, but there's never been a show that has been as philosophically deep. It explored issues such as: Do we have freewill? Are humans good or evil? Can we change who we are? At the same time the series has (at times) been downright silly, disappointing and has left many a plot thread hanging. However, it's a network TV show, it has its limitations in form and it admittedly suffers when judged as a coherent piece of art. Even still, Lost is easily my favorite television series ever. I will miss Lost.
Insert Cliche Image from Show. Think about it - a blog with no readers, posting pictures that no one needs. The epitome of silly.
One of Lost’s fundamental and reoccurring themes is the struggle between faith and reason. This theme is best illustrated in the show’s second season episode, Orientation. To attempt to completely recount the story’s twisting plot could possibly cause a reader’s nose to bleed (thank you very much - that’s an inside joke for Lost fans). However, I’ll try my best to briefly set the context for a broad audience....just bear with me and oh yeah, spoiler alert.
Lost is centered on the survivors of a plane crash that happened on a super-natural (to put it lightly) island. There is a mysterious “smoke monster”, a crazy French lady who has been shipwrecked on the island for 17 years, and the whispers. Oh, and sometimes our survivors have visions and dreams of the dead, animals, etc.
All this is to say the island is a not just mysterious place but a miraculous place as well. One of the key plot points of the first season is the discovery of a hatch or underground shelter by the character John Locke. The buildup of the first season concludes with the opening of the hatch and it is immediately explored by the main characters, John Locke and Jack Shepherd in the first episode of the second season.
The “hatch” has living quarters and a massive computer station - all of which was seemingly built in the late 70’s. A man named Desmond Hume has been “trapped” in the hatch for a three years. He claims he has to enter a numeric code every 108 minutes in order to “save the world”. If Desmond fails to continue to push "the button" an enormous amount of electro-magnetism being held at bay by the station could reach catastrophic levels around the world.
Jack Shepherd and John Locke serve as proxies for one of the show's fundamental themes: faith and reason. For most of the series, Jack serves as the show’s primarily rationalist and is the survivor’s closest thing to a traditional leader. He finds the entire scenario incredulous; "You understand what he's saying -- it's insane, it's impossible."
Insert Cliche Religious Symbol Here
...actually, if you ask me Lost. deals just with many of the tenants of Daoism. But that's another blog post.
John Locke is the show’s “knight of faith”. Although the viewers know his faith in the island and purpose is grounded in concrete, rational reason (when the plane took off he was a paraplegic; after the crash he could walk) the hatch represents a new “leaping off” point. While the situation might be "impossible", Locke believes the island has led him here and he accepts the mission of “pushing the button” with purpose. The hatch can serve as an allegory for the existential nature of life. Our situation is absurd, seemingly senseless and well, our proverbial hatch clocks are ticking. Are you ready to push the button?
The episode crescendos as the hatch timer is winding down and this exchange follows:
Jack: “Why do you find it so easy to believe?!”
Locke: “It never has been easy!”
Some believe that people profess faith because it's the easy way out. Faith is claimed to be a crutch, an "opium for the masses" or a deep seated need for a father figure. (Yes, I'm looking at you Sigmund and Karl)
Faith can be all those things, but the fact is, it doesn't have to be an answer - it can be a journey or challenge that bravely embraces the absurdity of life. Jesus never said life would be "easy".
Like Locke, I believe faith is not easy. I suppose I should clarify when I use the term “faith” I mean a real, authentic faith…not one that is practiced by rote, tradition or familiarity. Faith is not easy in terms of accepting the absurd nor is it easy to embrace your faith so fully that it informs your every action, every deed, every thought. Faith is a choice that should be made every day, even if it’s practice is imperfect.
It’s almost impossible not to project ourselves into art that we like. When I first saw this scene, I was blown away. It represented my own struggle to believe. However, when I finally saw this scene years later - I realized I had missed a huge point of this entire encounter.
In defiance (in equal measures of stubborn foolishness and bravery) Locke demands Jack join in this “ridiculous” act because he can’t do it alone. Although Locke himself can enter the code, he implores Jack to push the “Enter” button; which will re-set the timer. He realizes that faith is not meant to be practiced in isolation, but with others, with community…even with those who aren’t yet believers at all. “It’s a two person job, Jack” This also recalls one of the many mantras of Lost; “if we can’t live together – we’ll die alone”. Separate, we don’t hold ourselves accountable and often fail to see someone else’s perspective. Together, we build relationships that strengthen us as individuals.
Too often we view our spirituality in a vacuum or solitude. We might imagine ourselves standing as an individual before God at the end of time. We don’t have to “fight” the battle alone, though. Locke recognizes that believers need community. While much of our faith journeys have to start alone and even be walked alone along the way, faith is not meant to be practiced alone. Faith is supposed to build community.
In this episode, faith wins the day....but faith has it's pitfalls later in the series as well. I won't go too far the rabbit hole (that would be an additional essay and the whole point of this blog is FRAGMENTS)...needless to say I will miss all the questions the series has posed. I'm looking forward to the finale to see what, if any, ultimate meaning can be teased out in this final episode.
Here is the entire scene for your pleasure and enjoyment.
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