Lost on the Internet (spoiler alert).

So...

Due to the controversial nature of Tuesday's airing of LOST, I want to say a thing or two (or three or four...) about the episode. First of all, I liked it. It wasn't my favorite episode ever, but certainly not a bad episode... nothing like the only truly unwatchable episode of the show... you know, the one with Jack's tattoos and Bai Ling. Tuesday's episode did exactly what it needed to do (provide crucial island mythology and backstory for both Jacob and the Man in Black) in a way that was compelling and downright interesting. And it set the finale up beautifully.

But to specifically address some of the complaints:

1. The Man in Black didn't get a name. So what? Keeps him mysterious, and, besides, does he really need one? On the call sheets it says he is called Samuel. Ohhh... big whoop. Personally, I just like that we can go on calling him the "man in black." It just sounds so much cooler than Samuel, doesn't it?

2. What's up with the light? I thought that was an awesome idea and made sense with how they have been setting up the stakes for the show. Man comes and tries to tamper with the light. Unable to remove it, they put it out. Darkness prevails. Also, it reminded me of the Force in Star Wars. Light side/dark side. A spark of light in all of us. Cool stuff.

3. What's up with the "other mother"? She's kind of like the Lady of the Lake, IMO. Guarding Excali... I mean, the light.

4. The "Adam and Eve" skeletons should have been Jack and Kate! Too predictable. Plus, that means our heroes ultimately die... together... so no Kate and Sawyer. Now, I understand some people have been postulating theories about the show for 7 years, but just because they don't incorporate your beliefs or ideas into the endgame, doesn't give you the right to go hating on it for having bad writing or crying "jump the shark!"

5. Why is this episode happening now? Would you rather it be in the finale? I like that they got it out of the way and now we can focus more on the core group of characters we all know and love for the ending.

I swear, Lost fans are a fickle bunch. They want answers, but don't like them when they get them (because they aren't the answers they thought they would be). Can't we just appreciate the beauty of Tuesday's episode for what it is? Half the time, I ask a Lost fan what they would have done different and they can't even tell me in a coherent way that would actually work for the show. For instance, Adam and Eve. What would you do, Lost fan #48332. "Ummm... just that the skeletons should have been so and so." And how would that have worked? "I don't know, I'm not the writer." Exactly, so let the writers write what they want to write. I seriously hope these haters don't watch the series finale because I just don't want to deal with their hating come Monday, May 24th.

Half the problem is the Internet. It's both been a wonderful thing for Lost and a curse. It's great because it gives people a community and an outlet to discuss their theories and speculate on what will happen next. But then people get possessive of their ideas, argue and finally complain that the show sucks because it didn't use their idea. Also, way too many people hop onto the web the second after the episode finishes (Matt, I'm looking at you) and see what the masses have to say about it, which without question influeces their opinion. I think the best way to watch the show is to let it breath, like a fine glass of wine. Open it, savor it, think about it, and then come in the next day refreashed and ready to discuss and see what the Net has to offer. That's how I plan to view the finale.

Now, I'm not saying the finale won't suck. And I'll be the first to say so if it does and bitch about how the showrunners didn't answer X and X, but I hope that the episode's strengths outshine any (at this point small) answers they fail to provide. But I will give it a few hours to reflect upon before jumping on Facebook and posting "amazing!" or "terrible!"