Evangeline Lilly Explains 'Lost' Finale Has No One Interpretation

Eight years after airing, the finale of Lost remains a divisive send-off of the series, though star Evangeline Lilly reminded fans that the ending is open to interpretation and wasn't meant to deliver audiences one irrefutable conclusion to the narrative.

"For those of you who didn't like it, you loved our show because, at the end of every week, we would leave you with a pressing and impossible mystery," the actress shared at Dragon Con after polling the audience about who liked the final episode. "It would force you to the water cooler or the dinner table, asking each other the most difficult questions in life. Usually philosophical questions, sometimes touching on God or religion and reality and what it means to be human."

As far as the answers delivered to audiences from the series, Lilly compared the ending to a religious text which isn't necessarily meant to be interpreted literally.

"And then, on the finale, you sat waiting with bated breath, thinking, 'They're gonna give us the answer,'" Lilly noted. "Well, that's what religions do, so if you want the answer to the great, big question of life, go to church, go to God, find the answer. But art, art is supposed to, every time, without fail, turn the question back on you and ask you to look at what you're seeing, listen to what you're hearing, experience it, and then look at it in the mirror of your soul and figure out what it means to you."

Rather than claim that the series had a definitive narrative that was surrounded in ambiguity, Lilly noted that all art, whether it be Lost or anything else, could be interpreted in countless ways, no matter how literal an analysis might be presented.

"There is no one interpretation of the finale of Lost," Lilly confessed. "For as many people as there are in this room, there's that many true, real endings for Lost. Because it's just a reflection of who you are and it's the ultimate question being posed to you, not the ultimate answer being handed to you."

Given the series' popularity, fans are still theorizing about whether we'll ever get a sequel series, prequel, or reboot, though no official plans have been confirmed. With Lilly's newfound obligations to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Wasp, whatever plans gestate, we doubt we'll see her return to the program in any potential capacity.

What do you think about Lilly's comments regarding the finale? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T YouTube, Caleb Woods]