The 15th anniversary of the end of LOST is drawing near. The ABC science fiction drama that sunk its claws into viewers almost from day one, later losing them with a divisive series finale. Calling the end divisive is a bit of an understatement, with the series’ conclusion after six seasons and the constant mantra about showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse having a set plan for end. After the finale aired, the response was polarized, with critics like Alan Sepinwall saying the episode wasn’t “wholly satisfying” as a finale and final hurrah of one of the last big event series on network television.
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Many other critics and fans were underwhelmed by the finale and entire sixth season of LOST, feeling cheated by the series finale’s lack of answers to many lingering story threads. Fans expected the finale to reveal the truth behind mysteries like the Dharma Initiative, the island that was home for six seasons, and the truth behind the sideways flashes running.
That’s where “The New Man in Charge” comes into play. The 12-minute epilogue to the series never aired on television and isn’t available on streaming platforms with the show. But it does answer some questions, revives a long-lost character, and gives a final close to some of the story elements from the series.
A More Mechanical Finale
Michael Emerson returns to star in the special epilogue and praised it for giving the show its “more mechanical” conclusion that wrapped up loose ends and expanded on ideas referenced in the finale. “The New Man in Charge” put to rest two major loose ends: the status and truth behind the Dharma Initiative and the whereabouts of Walt. The young son of Harold Perrineau’s Michael, he disappeared after Season 2 and became an afterthought despite being touted as a special character and a main focus for those early seasons.
The 12-minute epilogue was produced for the DVD release of the sixth and final season, though it leaked online close to a month before release. Sadly, it’s not included on streaming and seems to only exist on YouTube. That said, it’s worth the time to seek out if you missed it after your LOST rewatch.
Hindsight Is 20/20?
Some have since come around on the finale, mirroring comments by some members of the cast who called the finale a more spiritual end, focusing on characters, while the epilogue handled lore. Emerson, who played the villainous Ben, spoke with the New York Post at the time and illustrated how hindsight has helped the finale of LOST.
“When I first read it, the ending wasn’t clear to me – but since then it’s grown more clear and I have to say, grown more satisfying the more I think about it. I expect a mixture of satisfaction and consternation amongst the viewers when it airs,” Emerson said. “But once they rewatch it, rethink about it and possibly look at the saga again, gradually they will feel like they have just read a good novel — but you have to chew on it for a while.”
The epilogue only helps to raise the consensus of the finale and should be made available at the very least. It received great reviews upon its release and was welcomed after years of promises that seemed to fall to the wayside.
Do you feel that LOST‘s special epilogue should’ve been included in the finale? Does it benefit the series’ end? Let us know in the comments.
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