10 Exact Moments That Killed TV Shows

9. The Island Has An Actual Cork In It - Lost

Lost Cork
ABC

J.J. Abrams' Lost is one of the most divisive and talked-about TV shows of the last 20 years, an initially transfixing mystery series which became increasingly convoluted as it transpired that Abrams and co-creator Damon Lindelof had no idea how to wrap things up.

And while many fans are still heartbroken about its underwhelming final scene and general lack of closure on many dangling plot threads, the moment that truly broke Lost occurred earlier in the show's series finale.

Mid-way through Lost's sixth and final season, Jacob (Mark Pellegrino) explains to Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) that the island is like a cork which holds the world's evil at bay.

But as it turns out, this metaphor is ultimately literalised in the finale, when it's revealed that the heart of the island is quite literally a gigantic stone cork, which Desmond then removes, only for Jack (Matthew Fox) to restore it later in the episode in order to prevent a global catastrophe.

This is the point at which Lost's vague mythology gave way to abject silliness, and it became practically impossible to take the remainder of the series finale seriously at all.

In many ways the cork was simply the straw that broke the camel's back, a step too ridiculous for fans who were already skeptical that Abrams and Lindelof could deliver a satisfying ending.

Advertisement
In this post: 
Friends
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.