I've wasted 6 years of my life

jimbling

Okay, this is now a big pet peeve of mine. I'm hearing it right left and centre....... I'm reading it in every single thread online..... WTF people.... seriously, get a grip.

Anyone who thinks that their last 6 years were wasted on Lost needs to take a serious look at themselves. Lost is a TV show. It is there for entertainment purposes only.

And anyway..... at the end of the series there will have been 121 episodes, which equates to approx 80 hours....which equates to approx 3.36 days.

So, you have wasted 3.36 days on watching Lost. And that's only if you never enjoyed any episode and only watched it because you wanted to see what happened? If you enjoyed it then it's a completely moot point.

Take another example. Say Heroes. Season one was excellent and thoroughly enjoyable. I continued to watch it until about half way through season 3. I would consider season 2 and 3 to have been a waste of my time. But the fact that it became rubbish didn't mean that my time spent watching season 1 was wasted.... I enjoyed it at the time.

People will probably come back to me and say that the ending has made the rest of the series crap as a result. But this is just balls, it's not possible, you cant travel back in time and decide you weren't enjoying the show all along.


I have wasted far more time watching absolute crap on TV. Stuff I dont even enjoy watching. To say that you've wasted a large chunk of your life because you didnt like the end of a series is just ridiculous.:rolleyes:

Sea Sharp

Well saying you've wasted 6 years of your life is a bit dramatic.

But at the same had I been told at the end season 2 that the Island is special because of some half-assed magic light and that most of the questions and mysteries in the show are there to keep us watching as opposed to being part of a consistent over-all plot, I and a lot of others wouldn't have bothered to continue to watching it.

cooker3

While I generally agree with your opinions about the show I think you care far too much about people who disagree with you.
I personally couldn't care less if everyone on the planet bar me hated the finale. It's their loss, don't worry about them.

RolandIRL

no point justifing it to people. they won't listen and they'll just find new excuses to say how bad Lost is. they've already made up their mind.
all that matters is that you, yes you, enjoy it.

jimbling

GaNjaHaN wrote: »

Well saying you've wasted 6 years of your life is a bit dramatic.

But at the same had I been told at the end season 2 that the Island is special because of some half-assed magic light and that most of the questions and mysteries in the show are there to keep us watching as opposed to being part of a consistent over-all plot, I and a lot of others wouldn't have bothered to continue to watching it.

Well if we were told that then everyone would have stopped watching. Even if we were told whatever it is you hoped for, you'd still have stopped watching. Why? Because the enjoyment is in the journey... in the watching... in the theorising.... not in the answers. The answers, no matter what they were were never going to be as enjoyable as the journey.

Miguel_Sanchez

I wasted about 2 years of my life with an ex-girlfriend once so even if Lost cops out with a cop out of Dallasesque proportions at the end I couldn't honestly say I wasted years on it.

It's all a matter of perspective, isn't it?

jimbling

cooker3 wrote: »

While I generally agree with your opinions about the show I think you care far too much about people who disagree with you.
I personally couldn't care less if everyone on the planet bar me hated the finale. It's their loss, don't worry about them.

lmao, so true. And I do try. You might have noticed I didnt even get involved in the discussion over the last episode until well late in the game. I tried not to comment at all, but in the end I faltered.

Its in my nature..... I debate things...lol, I do get on peoples nerves in the real world too. If I see one side getting unfairly attacked I will defend it and debate on it's behalf, even when I agree with the attackers on the whole

Mr.Nice Guy

I have enjoyed the show's journey, and don't feel I have wasted 6 years of my life watching it, but if the show falls off a cliff via its final episodes then it will be forever tarnished.

I hope it can finish strongly and salvage what, to me at least, has been the weakest season of the lot.

Benny Lava

I have enjoyed watching Lost more than any other T.V. programme.

Sure, the latest episode was a disappointment and lots of mysteries will go unsolved.

Still enjoyed it!

seadnamac

Ah come on. You don't honestly think they mean it in a literal sense? As in every single day of the last six years? More likely the hour a week that they have spend watching it and any other time reading/browsing/theorising.

'I've wasted an hour a week for 20 weeks, give or take, and some other associated time browsing the internet for related information, a year, for the last six years.', doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

jimbling

seadnamac wrote: »

Ah come on. You don't honestly think they mean it in a literal sense? As in every single day of the last six years?

lol, of course not.

RolandIRL

seadnamac wrote: »

Ah come on. You don't honestly think they mean it in a literal sense? As in every single day of the last six years? More likely the hour a week that they have spend watching it and any other time reading/browsing/theorising.

'I've wasted an hour a week for 20 weeks, give or take, and some other associated time browsing the internet for related information, a year, for the last six years.', doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

i'd say i've wasted more time on boards discussing Lost (although i say wasted, i mean i could have better spent the time studying )

Spiritoftheseventies

Must admit Lost has been a major part of my life. Wont invest as much time obsessing about a tv programme again. Cant wait for the Finale.

jimbling

Spiritoftheseventies wrote: »

Must admit Lost has been a major part of my life. Wont invest as much time obsessing about a tv programme again. Cant wait for the Finale.

But did you not enjoy the obsession?

sprinkles

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

I wasted about 2 years of my life with an ex-girlfriend once so even if Lost cops out with a cop out of Dallasesque proportions at the end I couldn't honestly say I wasted years on it.

It's all a matter of perspective, isn't it?

lol

I hate Lost cause it's cool to hate lost. I loved it though when everyone else loved it :rolleyes:

Seriously, why watch a show you don't like? I gave up on heroes after season 1 because I felt the last episode of season 1 was a cop out and season 2 got bad reviews. If you've stuck with Lost for 6 seasons so far you must have enjoyed it... either that or you're stupid!

Anyway for those detractors... you're pain is almost over!!

Spiritoftheseventies

Thats the charm of the tv series but really next week is going to be a very long one waiting for the finale.

RolandIRL

Spiritoftheseventies wrote: »

Thats the charm of the tv series but really next week is going to be a very long one waiting for the finale.

even this week has gone by so slowly....it's only tuesday ffs.
at least it's on on a sunday so won't have wait long into the week

Spiritoftheseventies

whiteman19 wrote: »

even this week has gone by so slowly....it's only tuesday ffs.
at least it's on on a sunday so won't have wait long into the week

So its thursday and then sunday week. Any time what time it starts at?

RolandIRL

i'm talking about US times. it's airing tonight in the US and then the finale is on sunday.
i don't watch it on RTE, i download it.

Irish Guitarist

If the final episode turns out to be as bad as I suspect it will be then I'm going to construct a wheel powered by water and electromagnetism. This wheel will transport me back to 2004 and I will tell my past self not to bother watching Lost. Problem solved, I won't have wasted any time.

syklops

And anyway..... at the end of the serious there will have been 121 episodes, which equates to approx 80 hours....which equates to approx 3.36 days.

So, you have wasted 3.36 days on watching Lost. And that's only if you never enjoyed any episode and only watched it because you wanted to see what happened? If you enjoyed it then it's a completely moot point.

I'm not disagreeing with you. I learnt what happens when I disagree with you the hard way in another thread, but, to most people who have gotten as far as season 5 its not just one hour a week. Its one hour of watching and then going online to read what other people thought, to discuss events that occurred and theorising over what will happen next. Easily another 3 hours a week spent doing that. Theres the re-watching of episodes in the hope of clarifying something. To alot of people its thinking about it, wondering what could be the answer to any of the various mysteries which takes up more time.

And while doing all those things is enjoyable(otherwise why do it?), if the end feels like a cop out, and to many it already does feel like a cop out, then it is natural to feel disappointed and a little bit betrayed. The next obvious emotion humans go through generally is anger afterwhich is bitterness which is where the "I've wasted 6 years of my life" comes from.

It is a bit sad if you have spent hours wondering about a particular mystery, only for that mystery to be forgotten about on the show and never referenced again. You might say to yourself, maybe in the lst season it will be explained. Now in Season6 it has not been explained so unless it is explained in the finale, you will be a little disappointed. I was always a bit disappointed they never had a charachter to mirror the average viewer. Someone who occasionally throws their hands up and goes "Aaaaargh! What the hell is up with this island?!?". All the losties continue on their paths and dont ask all the questions anyone of us would ask if we were in that situation. For me, this is the bit that makes it unrealistic. Not the ghosts, monsters, visions, time travel etc. Its the way the losties handle the ever changing environment seems uncharachteristic of humans. Maybe therein lies the key I dont know.

As an aside I watched episodes 9-12 on saturday and thoroughly enjoyed them, so I hope they keep the momentum for the finale.

jimbling

syklops wrote: »

I'm not disagreeing with you. I learnt what happens when I disagree with you the hard way in another thread

lol, wtf.... it's an internet discussion board, or did I manage to find your house, lambaste you personally and beat you with a big rubber hose?

syklops wrote: »

, but, to most people who have gotten as far as season 5 its not just one hour a week. Its one hour of watching and then going online to read what other people thought, to discuss events that occurred and theorising over what will happen next. Easily another 3 hours a week spent doing that. Theres the re-watching of episodes in the hope of clarifying something. To alot of people its thinking about it, wondering what could be the answer to any of the various mysteries which takes up more time.

And while doing all those things is enjoyable(otherwise why do it?), if the end feels like a cop out, and to many it already does feel like a cop out, then it is natural to feel disappointed and a little bit betrayed. The next obvious emotion humans go through generally is anger afterwhich is bitterness which is where the "I've wasted 6 years of my life" comes from.

I know and understand exactly where it comes from..... I said it was a pet peeve of mine. It's a phrase that gets on my nerves.... hence the post.

syklops wrote: »

It is a bit sad if you have spent hours wondering about a particular mystery, only for that mystery to be forgotten about on the show and never referenced again. You might say to yourself, maybe in the lst season it will be explained. Now in Season6 it has not been explained so unless it is explained in the finale, you will be a little disappointed.

Being disappointed is a very different thing

syklops wrote: »

I was always a bit disappointed they never had a charachter to mirror the average viewer. Someone who occasionally throws their hands up and goes "Aaaaargh! What the hell is up with this island?!?".

Hurley did that on numerous occasions. Not on everything, because if he did then the show would have had trouble maintaining the mystery.

syklops wrote: »

All the losties continue on their paths and dont ask all the questions anyone of us would ask if we were in that situation. For me, this is the bit that makes it unrealistic. Not the ghosts, monsters, visions, time travel etc. Its the way the losties handle the ever changing environment seems uncharachteristic of humans. Maybe therein lies the key I dont know.

I completely agree. That has always been one of the most annoying things about the show...but come on.... it's been like that from day one!!!

Spiritoftheseventies

Has is been six years? My, the time has flown.
I think it's a given with Losties that you have to buy into what the Lost team are doing even if i'm not fully convinced they know what they are doing all of the time.
The storyline is ever evolving and its seems as if they dont dont think things through.
The time travel thing totally knocked things out of kilter IMO but have come this far at this stage so might as well stick with them still the end.

20goto10

Does anyone know what the ratings are for lost? Is it actually that popular? I started watching it from the start and stopped after 4 or 5 episodes because it annoyed the hell out of me. I loved the idea of being lost on a mysterious Island, it was great escapism which is what TV is all about but it wasn't enough to keep me interested. Came back to it in series 3 I think to see what the fuss was. Actually enjoyed it for a few series, it looked like there might actaully be a story behind it. Dharma, the others...it was good stuff for a while until it became apparent that they were making sh!t up as they went along. I even enjoyed all the time travel, even though at that stage I knew there was no plot. Now I just want to see it out. I wouldn't say I've wasted my time. If I had something better to do I'd do it.

Spiritoftheseventies

20goto10 wrote: »

Does anyone know what the ratings are for lost? Is it actually that popular?

These are the latest figures in. They are pretty good i think.

http://www.rte.ie/aertel/348-02.html

jimbling

Spiritoftheseventies wrote: »

These are the latest figures in. They are pretty good i think.

http://www.rte.ie/aertel/348-02.html

Especially when you consider majority of hardcore fans have watched it prior to the RTE airing.

Raiser

GaNjaHaN wrote: »

had I been told at the end season 2 that the Island is special because of some half-assed magic light and that most of the questions and mysteries in the show are there to keep us watching as opposed to being part of a consistent over-all plot

In fairness it was fairly obvious from quite early in S2 that Lost was being written in segments of 50 mins random, aimless, direction-less Plot extensions to sell the remaining ~10 mins Advertising time in the schedule and while keeping the Public watching at all costs.

SuperInfinity

seadnamac wrote: »

Ah come on. You don't honestly think they mean it in a literal sense? As in every single day of the last six years? More likely the hour a week that they have spend watching it and any other time reading/browsing/theorising.

Speak for yourself. I have indeed spent the past six years in a literal sense doing nothing else every single day except watching Lost and theorizing about it online, going out of the house only to collect welfare and food and listening to Lost on my mp3 player while doing so.

It's only now that it's over that I am doing other things and I'm thinking about what a waste the last six years of my life have been.

jordainius

Good post OP. It is laughable when people come out with that type of statement!

Anyway, its closer to 3 days and 18 hours (121 episodes lasting 45 minutes each!) of their life "wasted", not 6 years!

jimbling

Raiser wrote: »

In fairness it was fairly obvious from quite early in S2 that Lost was being written in segments of 50 mins random, aimless, direction-less Plot extensions to sell the remaining ~10 mins Advertising time in the schedule and while keeping the Public watching at all costs.

Okay, they make a lot of stuff up as they go yes.... but it's not random, aimless, direction-less plot extensions

A huge number of things are tied in together as they go....not their fault if you cant see that or dont realise it's happening.


Also, Lost was not about the ratings as much as most shows. In fact, it's one of the few shows that were ever given the freedom they had. It was one of the only shows that was given another 3 years when ratings were steadily dropping and at their lowest towards the end of season 3. Really it's the opposite to what you're saying.

Raiser

jimbling wrote: »

Okay, they make a lot of stuff up as they go yes.... but it's not random, aimless, direction-less plot extensions

A huge number of things are tied in together as they go....not their fault if you cant see that or dont realise it's happening.


Also, Lost was not about the ratings as much as most shows. In fact, it's one of the few shows that were ever given the freedom they had. It was one of the only shows that was given another 3 years when ratings were steadily dropping and at their lowest towards the end of season 3. Really it's the opposite to what you're saying.

My credibility threshold was stretched far, far beyond any willingness to engage in suspension of disbelief relatively early.

- They did of course attempt to link stuff in a desperate and tenuous way - just not very cohesively, plausibly or ultimately - successfully; But all of that is purely a matter of personal opinion.....

Its just a TV Show at the end of the day, better than looking out of a rainy window and it passed some time for lots of Folk; I suppose you could say why bother complaining now when the opportunity to find fault and pick holes first presented itself long, long ago!

jimbling

Raiser wrote: »

My credibility threshold was stretched far, far beyond any willingness to engage in suspension of disbelief relatively early.

- They did of course attempt to link stuff in a desperate and tenuous way - just not very cohesively, plausibly or ultimately - successfully; But all of that is purely a matter of personal opinion.....

Ah, I know..... but all I mean is that there are plenty of them that do fit in nicely and progressed nicely. But these get forgotten about and only the ones that were awkward or skipped over get noticed.

Anyway, debate for a different thread..... of which there are many.

Barlett

Does anyone remember a few years back, near the beginning when the creators said something along the lines of 'all these mysteries you're seeing now will be given a plausible explanation that could happen in real life!' :D

I don't mind the crazy route its that fact that they don't answer loads of stuff and then hide behind the line that it would be pedantic to answer the mysteries ah yeah ok so...obviously the Walt storyline was about as important as that filler episode that centered on the two characters that were buried alive after finding treasure...or the fact that the whole reason Jack returned to the island was because he thought he saw who his father in the hospital one night in season 5. Then after all that they don't even manage to sign the guy who played Christian up for season 6 so thats gonna be just left there. :rolleyes:

Like its only a show obviously but after defending it often times to everyone its annoying that all those who stopped watching because they thought the story would go no where, were probably right.

I always thought for Lost to be a success you needed to be able to put on season 1, right after season 6 see little things and look at them completely different because the mystery had been revealed.

jimbling

Barlett wrote: »

Does anyone remember a few years back, near the beginning when the creators said something along the lines of 'all these mysteries you're seeing now will be given a plausible explanation that could happen in real life!' :D

That never happened... in fact, even that quote is wrong. What was going around at the time was that they said all answers would be supplied by a mechanism called "pseudo-science", which is just made up science. Still not real world.... but certainly not magical light in a cave

But anyway, even that quote was rubbished in the end.... as in, they never actually said that. It was something they said taken completely out of context.

gerbo

All I can say is, Wow!, six years already!

20goto10

Barlett wrote: »

I always thought for Lost to be a success you needed to be able to put on season 1, right after season 6 see little things and look at them completely different because the mystery had been revealed.

Yes but Barlett has hit the nail on the head with this point. If it was all planned out you could watch the show again and see it in a different light. Think back to when lost was good and I'm sure we've all thought this at some stage. We'll certainly see it in a different light, but we won't be talking about how clever it was, we'll be talking about what a load of bollox it all was. That is already apparent.

Barlett

Fair enough I stand corrected. What was it though, they said at the start it was going to be grounded in fact so ABC would greenlight it before going off into fantasyland although even judging by that the creators did say that in the world they created the science would make sense....although it still doesn't....a wheel that moves the island? Who built this wheel and what gives it such power.

Ah it doesn't matter in fairness, I loved the show especially the season 3 season finale that was amazing, that's what I'm talking about when you watch an episode see the ending and then go back to watch again because everything makes much more sense in the different light.

The only aspect of it that annoys me is that they made the majority of it up as they went along.

Wreck

Can we please have a whine about people who whine about people who whine about Lost sticky?

Barlett

And can we please have a sticky for people who whine about people whining about Lost :rolleyes: It's not whining it's quite obviously constructive criticism and considering people used to come on here and discuss everything down to minute detail even down to what book Sawyer was currently reading I don't think there's any harm in it.

The show certainly wasn't a waste of time but my god there's plotholes in Lost so big you could drive an articulated truck through them.

me-skywalker

LOST Forum has become a Thanks junkie's new haunt!!

Mr. Incognito

A huge number of things are tied in together as they go....not their fault if you cant see that or dont realise it's happening.

no they are not.

HUGE HOLES as I see them.

The Numbers- explanation- zero.
The lighthouse and the cave -zero
Jacob's abilities- zero
The rules- zero
The island itself- what is it. -zero, I'm sorry a cork doesn't satisfy me as an explanation.

Jacob is protecting the source from MIB, okay then, what was his mother protecting it from then,

NOW Jacob wants his sucessor to Kill MIB what's he being doing for 2000 years. Oh, hang on, they can't kill each other, but the sucessor gains all Jacob's abilities bar this one minor GAPING plot flaw?

Look it, I gave up in Episode 5 of the series. Anyone defending that they had a unifying idea and all of these are offshoots of that is in fantasy land.

jimbling

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

no they are not.

Mr. Incognito,
The point I was getting at is that there are thousands and thousands of questions raised in Lost. Hundreds of mysteries.
Many of these DO get answered.... some in the very next episode, some three episodes later... some two seasons later.
Just because you can pick out a few plot holes, (and btw, I never said there were none... I have always said there were gaping holes in Lost) doesn't mean that no questions get answered.

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

HUGE HOLES as I see them.

The Numbers- explanation- zero.

The numbers have been partially explained. We know what they represent... what we dont know is how the got so involved in everything. I am hoping something will come of that in the Finale. If not, I will be very let down also.

The lighthouse and the cave -zero

These things were in one episode, they were never made out to be of huge importance. In fact, I would say they were only there to serve as a partial answer to the Numbers and to serve as a plot device to show Jack that Jacob has been watching the Losties for a long time.
EDIT: Just to say that they basically told you this in this episode: "It's just chalk on a wall"

Jacob's abilities- zero

Ya, they don't seem to be explaining how the Protector of the Island has special powers....We may find out more in the Finale, but probably not too much. I'm not too worried about that, but understand your frustration

The rules- zero

The island itself- what is it. -zero, I'm sorry a cork doesn't satisfy me as an explanation.

Why dont we wait until after the Finale. These seem like questions we may get further answers too. Although I have no doubt they wont be satisfactory to majority of viewers and probably left open to interpretation

Jacob is protecting the source from MIB, okay then, what was his mother protecting it from then,

From anyone who wishes to abuse it's power. We have pretty much known this for the last few seasons. For Jacob, at this precise time, that is MIB

NOW Jacob wants his sucessor to Kill MIB what's he being doing for 2000 years. Oh, hang on, they can't kill each other, but the sucessor gains all Jacob's abilities bar this one minor GAPING plot flaw?

Again, should really wait until after the Finale

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Look it, I gave up in Episode 5 of the series. Anyone defending that they had a unifying idea and all of these are offshoots of that is in fantasy land.

I dont know where you're getting that idea. I never said anything like that. All I said was plenty of the offshoots had been written back into the story in satisfying manner throughout the series. Plenty have not also. I never mentioned a unifying idea at all.

Anyway, this is not the thread for this. And since the Finale is on in only a few days, I think we should all just wait for after that to discuss what hasn't been answered.

Raiser

jimbling wrote: »

Mr. Incognito,
The point I was getting at is that there are thousands and thousands of questions raised in Lost. Hundreds of mysteries.
Many of these DO get answered.... some in the very next episode, some three episodes later... some two seasons later.
Just because you can pick out a few plot holes, (and btw, I never said there were none... I have always said there were gaping holes in Lost) doesn't mean that no questions get answered.

Anyone else think this is all getting decidedly Biblical in tone and content?

- Next we'll be asked to pause, place our trust in Lost and consider the meaning of our Faith