I Got Lost

There aren't many TV shows that can claim to be appointment viewing for the entirety of their run. The Sopranos, The Wire, The Shield all qualified, but many more did not. The X-Files kept going a few seasons too long after David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson left, 24 has been rather batshit crazy the last few seasons trying to up the ante for Jack Bauer (although its series finale is scheduled for next Monday), M.A.S.H. got pretty preachy its last couple of years. But LOST has had me hooked from day 1.

Sure, there have been a few missteps here and there, but show co-creators Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have done a remarkable job keeping the show's mythology interesting and mind-blowing for six seasons. The penultimate episode ran last night and the 2.5-hour series finale airs on Sunday and I'm giddy with anticipation.

ABC, which mishandled the show in its early seasons with constant reruns and midseason interruptions, is going all-out with a two-hour retrospective from 7 to 9, the finale from 9 to 11:30 and a special live Jimmy Kimmel Show featuring the LOST cast and some alternate endings at midnight. The turning point for the series came a few years back when the Lindelof and Cuse announced after that it would end after season 6 and run mostly uninterrupted for the last few seasons.

While not a huge ratings-grabber, LOST has had a consistent audience of diehards who have watched from the beginning and others who have caught up by renting previous seasons on DVD. The show's mysterious plot and possibilities have made it a natural for Web-savvy viewers to pontificate and debate about what's really happening on the island. The X-Files engendered a similar devotion in the early days of the Web, but LOST fans have taken all that to another level.

Plenty of LOST fans waste time and energy getting all pissed off because the show doesn't provide them with all the answers they demand. I've just been enjoying the ride. I'm sure there will be plenty left unanswered Sunday night, but that's okay. The show's been great fun for six years. So many great characters and great performances. I'm going to miss it.