The Best Show on Television?

I can't deny that this final season of Lost has been a little disappointing, but the inevitable moderate let-down was a given.  Expectations were sky high and this funky parallel universe storyline just seemed to go nowhere -- my faith is high that the subplot will come to some spectacular conclusion on Sunday evening, as will the series as a whole.

There was something incredibly emotional seeing Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sawyer crawling up onto the beach after the submarine explosion episode two weeks ago.  These four folks who we've come to know and care about for six years were breaking down in tears at the loss of their friends Jin, Sun, and Sayid, and it was impossible for us as an audience to not feel their pain.

And that's where Lost succeeded where many other television dramas fail.  Yes, the twists and the metaphysical mumbo-jumbo kept the plot flowing, but it was the characters that made the show a success.  Never have I felt so gut-punched from a tv show when Libby got shot by Michael, or Charlie drowned, or Juliet succumbs to her injuries (after she saved the day, of course).

From Jack and Kate and Locke all the way down to Rose and Bernard (let's forget about Nikki and Paolo), the show's success lies in the writers' abilities to allow us to emotionally connect with these flawed people.  So, no matter how this thing wraps up, it's been a fun journey that I don't regret taking in the slightest.