In an online poll conducted by OnBuy.com, LOST and Game of Thrones voted worst TV finales by those taking part. We got this information from ComicBook.com, and when I read the results of the poll I was in no way surprised. Yet, I strongly disagree with both shows standings for very different reasons. According to the outlet 1,517 people took part and LOST received 27.3% of the vote with Thrones receiving 25% in second place.
So why do I disagree with LOST and Game of Thrones? After all, these are two shows that became infamous for having unsatisfying finales?
Game of Thrones
With Thrones, I genuinely don’t think the finale, i.e. the way it all finished up, to be so bad. The problem with Game of Thrones was not the end, it was the set up for that end making no sense. I will guess that where the main players end up in the finale of Game of Thrones won’t be too far from George R.R. Martin’s novels, if he ever finish them. The problem as said was that from about Season 5 onwards, Game of Thrones and the books it is based on A Song of Ice and Fire, diverge considerably.
Now, for me, despite going in a different direction I always felt like Season 5 and Season 6 still keep the essence of what Game of Thrones was. However from Season 7 on, it felt like a race. A race the showrunners were on to get to the end in as little time as they could.
HBO wanted 10 seasons, Martin wanted 10 seasons, showrunners Benioff and Weiss did not. Therefore instead of taking the time, like this story always had before to set events up, it was all rushed to a conclusion. So I’m sure in the books that Dany going mad, Jon heading North, Bran becoming King will all still happen. I do however think that end game situation will make far more sense.
Conclusion
The worst aspect of the finale itself is the end of Jamie and Cersei Lannister, something I don’t see happening in the books. In the books, I don’t think Cersei will ever become quite as powerful as she does within the show, because they are very different characters. Book Cersei is not the master manipulator and tactical genius that later seasons show Cersei became. That’s my one major gripe about that finale
Therefore, I conclude a rough final two seasons for Game of Thrones yes, but the finale itself, I don’t actually think was that bad.
LOST
Now this is one I completely disagree with and it annoys me greatly that most people who dismiss LOST finale got the wrong idea about what happened. The truth is, that many fans just did not understand what the ending of LOST really was. For a start, they were not dead the whole time as some people think. The events in the current timeline all really did happen, it was not all some dream from the afterlife. However, there is a part of that final season fans call the ‘Flash Sideways’ and fans think this means it was all in their heads.
Nooooooo!
That’s not what is going on in LOST. The Flash Sidweways is all set after they have died, but not at the same time on the plane. The point is that time is completely irrelevant once you are dead. So those characters all meet up before passing on. It’s kinda like purgatory, but the Island itself was not purgatory, it was a real, mystical, magical island. In the finale of LOST, Jack dies saving the island as its protector. Upon Jack’s death, the role of protector is then passed to Hurley, who goes on to take Benjamin Linus as his redeemed number 2. Hurley and Ben both died presumably many, many years later than Jack did, or anyone else ‘already dead’. Equally, those who survived such as Kate and James, died at some point in the future, but again long after Jack.
Because time is irrelevant, in this purgatory they all appear at the same time and must discover themselves again to ‘move on’. There is even an epilogue called ‘The New Man In Charge’ which shows Benjamin doing tasks for Hurley after the finale, and getting Walt back to the island. We can even explain away the fact Michael was not present by looking at what the show told us about Michael, and what we see in this epilogue. Sadly, that epilogue only ever appeared on the DVD release, not on TV. Though, you can view it online completely free these days.
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Now, I am certainly not going to explain everything that happened in LOST, but it does all make sense, and you will find explanations for almost all of your unanswered questions online. The things is, the information was always there, it was just never spoon-fed to the audience.
Challenge! LOST currently shows on Disney+ in most territories. If you feel the finale of LOST did not make sense, go read some explanations online. Then, go back and re-watch the show from the start. You’ll be amazed by how much foreshadowing there was. How many clues to what happened later on that were sown into the early seasons. It’s actually brilliant.
Conclusion
In reality, LOST was in my opinion one of the greatest TV shows ever made. Honestly, five months ago, I would have also listed LOST as a bad finale. I didn’t get it either. However, I started a re-watch a while ago and got hooked. I enjoyed it so much more second time around and noticed so much that made sense. That re-watch, armed with knowledge, turned me into a huge LOST fan again. So do yourself a favor and try it again.
LOST and Game of Thrones voted worst TV finales? Not for me! Game of Thrones had a horrible ‘ending’, but not the finale itself. Whereas LOST, was a gem that too many fans just didn’t understand first time around. Leave any of your thoughts about LOST and Game of Thrones below.
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