Lost -- Episodes 15 & 16 (Finale): An Ending is a New Beginning

There is so much to say about this drama. I couldn't hold back my anxiety, as this episode opened not only for the heartache that was sure to unfold, but also that this touching, no, more, thought-shaping drama is coming to an end. It would not be exaggeration when I say Lost has done for me in 16 weeks more than any other drama, except, of course, for My Mister. I doubt any other drama will ever live up to it at least not in the immediate future.

I loved how taken Kang Jae was by Boo Jung, how he could sense her mood without words, how comfortable he was around her and her him, and how interested and gratified she was around him and in him. With her, he was like a kid in a candy store. Despite not being able to say the same about Boo Jung's husband and his love, I still sensed their sincerity, if not anguish for each other. For the missed opportunities to be themselves, it hurt. It made me appreciate them more. Throughout this drama, I've been fascinated by how Jung Soo, his ex-girlfriend, Boo Jung, and Kang Jae's involvement mirrored -- experiencing the same things almost simultaneously.

I hated, how just as Boo Jung got a piece of her happiness back, her father lost a huge piece of him. It's so true when they say life has many ways of testing a person's will. Either by having nothing happen at all or having everything happen all at once. Getting a glimpse of Boo Jung's backstory with the actress made me angrier than I already was. No disgusted is the right word. The audacity to suppose her life mattered more, even as Boo Jung attempted to rescue her from her dirtbag of a husband to try and deflect her shortcomings on Boo Jung speaks more of her than even her husband. He is only doing what she's allowed him to do. I lost the ability to pity her, let alone empathize.

I wondered how the ending would turn out. I figured it would be painful, even agonizing, but it was far from it. The beauty of Lost was how matter factual and peaceful it brought us to its ending, which was actually a beginning. Letting us, the viewers know, for everything in life, there is always a beginning and an end. And that's the toughest part. The most challenging thing is when you understand it's coming, an ending. It made complete sense that only with Boo Jung's passing could both her and her husband finally have the courage to open up in the simplest and most respectful way. If I had to pin point the most important moment in this drama, I would say it was this -- no blaming or name calling, only care, affection and honesty. It was almost the moment they found themselves. I loved it.

I think I can write a novel about this drama, there is so much to say. Lost will probably be one of the few dramas that will stay with me for a long time. Nothing about it was superficial, it was as real as real can be. Nothing was rushed, not the conversations or the tone. It was nuanced and whole. The journey, the simple messages along the way that relay the facts -- the tests of life are not to break us, but to make us. Most times, it's not about the journey or destination, but the people we meet along the way that can change us in ways we never imagined. It drives the message that all of us as humans have scars, fears, and pains, some of us bear them better than others. Sometimes, that pain blinds us to the pain of others, but sometimes it helps bring everything into focus. That is what Lost has done for me.

What I appreciate about Lost is that by the end of the drama, the viewer gains appreciation for all the characters, even the not so likable ones. That is it's strength. I remember as this drama opened 16 weeks ago, I hoped as melancholy and dark as it seemed, that it would do for me what My Mister did -- shatter me to pieces before methodically putting me together again through the emotional bond that developed between two of the most unlikely people -- Lost does that and more. It took me through the journey of pain, not simply of our leads, but all parties involved, from their vacantness to their gradual wholesomeness, as they realize what life meant to each of them. And, of course, it was only right that the deepest message of all comes from Boo Jung herself, that rather than what we become in life, what we do with it is what's most important.

And as bittersweet as the ending of the drama is, it made sense, because only in loss, do we appreciate the comforts of life. A thousand and one kudos to the writer, the director, all the actors. They each did a superb job getting me as the viewer to relate to them, even as I hated some of them. The standing ovation goes to Jeon Do Yeon and the ever special Ryu Joon Yeol for the wonderful and eye opening journey -- for showing us that inner peace comes when you trade expectation for acceptance. As they say, sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives directly lead us to the best thing that will happen to us. I will leave this drama believing Boo Jung and Kang Jae, as well as Jin Jung Soo and Kyung Eun, found their well-deserved happiness in each other. This one drama everyone would benefit from watching. I know I did. Watch Lost here