I like Lost. Now, I’m not one of those hardcore fans who replay each episode looking for clues, or who hang out in chat rooms trading theories on how the multiple mysteries will finally be resolved. The mythology of Lost is so convoluted, its various quirks and tics and twists so incomprehensible, that I don’t believe there will be or can be any satisfying resolution. There simply isn’t any logical way of putting the pieces of this puzzle together. Lost will string along its fans with the promise that all will make sense at the end, but that’s a promise it just can’t keep. Or so I suspect.
And that’s okay with me. I like the show on its own terms, on an episode-by-episode basis. I like the lush Hawaiian scenery, the fine production values, the (usually) sharp writing. And I think Terry O’Quinn, who plays Locke, and Elizabeth Mitchell, who plays Juliet, are some kind of acting savants who can make any scene interesting.
But for those benighted souls who do nurse the hope of unraveling Lost‘s secrets, tonight’s episode gave them still more to work with. The show, you see, has penchant for naming characters after historical figures and famous literary creations. We already had characters named John Locke and Rousseau, none-too-subtle references to 18th century philosophers with dueling visions. We had Sawyer (as in Tom Sawyer) and Juliet (as in Romeo’s starcrossed lover – and yes, this was the intent; the producers have copped to it).
Tonight a new character joined the fray. She’s British, and her name, we are informed, is Charlotte Staples Lewis.
Hey, wait a minute. Isn’t that pretty close to Clive Staples Lewis?
You know, this guy?
Yeah, that’s right. It seems C.S. Lewis is now on the island.
But … why? Is the name a reference to Lewis’s religious beliefs? Or to the magical world of Narnia, which could be accessed through the back of a wardrobe? Is the island part of an alternate universe? Are the castaways just an idea in the mind of God?
What does it all mean?
Nothing, I’m pretty sure. Just more misdirection and playing with the fans’ heads. If and when the whole thing turns out to be an elaborate shaggy dog story, a lot of loyal longtime viewers are gonna be seriously peeved.
Not me, though. I don’t care about the destination. I’m enjoying the ride.
Who knows? Next week some dude named Tolkien may parachute in.