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Way Before “The End”

Posted May 24, 2010 by Ray Reyes

Updated May 24, 2010 at 04:50 PM

Just a few quick thoughts on the series finale of “Lost”: the producers and writers alluded to the ending, in plain sight, in seasons past.

All we had to do to get a clue was read the book or google it.

Here’s two of the best examples.

I mentioned this in a post on this very blog way back, a day after the season six premiere. It had to do with the book Jacob was reading on the beach at the finale of season five. The book was Flannery O’Connor’s short story collection “Everything That Rises Must Converge.”

The title of that work was taken from French philosopher Pierre Teilhard De Chardin’s work the “Omega Point.” Chardin writes:

“Remain true to yourself, but move ever upward toward greater consciousness and greater love! At the summit you will find yourselves united with all those who, from every direction, have made the same ascent. For everything that rises must converge.”

Hence, that great, emotional payoff when all our favorite castaways were reunited in the church.

And here’s a reference that may allude to Jack’s personal story arc: Way back in season one, Sawyer was seen reading the classic “Watership Down.” The novel had a 20-page epilogue describing the fates of all the major (rabbit) characters.

Hazel, the tale’s hero, gets special mention. According to the book, Hazel was dozing one “chilly, blustery morning in March” many years after the climax of the story was resolved. Hazel has grown old and was enjoying the company of his friends and enjoying the freedom they earned and the world they created.

That’s when he is visited by El-Ahrairah—basically the rabbits’ god, who tells Hazel to follow him to a place of comfort and peace. Hazel worries about the ones he is about to leave behind.

To which El-Ahrairah says, “They’ll be all right. And thousands like them. If you come with me, I’ll show you what I mean.”

So Hazel departs Watership Down with El-ahrairah, slipping away, “running easily down through the wood, where the first primroses were beginning to bloom.”

Kind of sounds like Rose’s advice to Jack in the season six premiere.

“It’s OK,” Rose says to a startled Jack after the “sideways” Oceanic 815 hits turbulence and Jack grips his armrest, “you can let go now.”