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After six seasons and 119 episodes full of smoke monsters, research stations, time travels and other shenanigans, Lost celebrated finality Sunday with a four-and-a-half hour block of programming. Two hours recapped everything leading up to the finale; the rest addressed the series’ big picture.

The consensus on the finale’s effectiveness – that is, how well Team Darlton wrapped up their six-year-old lovechild – is split between two distinct camps. One side says the decision to disregard the show’s mythology in favor of a 150-minute ode to Jack et al. was pure monkeyshine and straight up disrespectful to Lost’s legion of rabid fans. The other believes the opposite: That concentrating the finale’s attention on the show’s pack of leading men and women was an inspired choice.

Consider me a believer in the latter school of thought, and with one thing to add: Not only is Lost’s series finale brilliant; it’s one of the most memorable. Ever. Here’s why:

Before proceeding, please note that I will be discussing key elements of the finale and, well, the series. (Read: The column is riddled with spoilers).

One more thing: I can’t argue my final point fully without spilling details on the finale to HBO’s Six Feet Under. So, if you have yet to watch Six Feet Under, please disregard my final talking point. Truthfully, I’d hate for you to remember me as the guy who ruined your experience of television’s Best. Finale. Ever.

Got it?!

Still with me? Then let’s do this, brutha.

For me, Lost has never been about the mythology. It’s about the characters

The reason I say this is two-fold: A) I usually can’t get behind science fiction. Regularly, I either can’t wrap my head around the content or don’t think the material compelling enough to power through, or both. And B) It’s the characters, stupid!

In the case of Lost, I could wrap my head around the content and I did think the material compelling. However, the characters and their well beings were leaps and bounds more valuable to me than, let’s say, dissecting the origins of a parrot that may have said “Hurley.” Honestly, expending energy on something that frivolous is about as useless as Four Square.

This probably explains why I could take extended breaks from the series without regret. So long as I got reacquainted with my favorite castaways every now and again, I was satisfied.

In The End, big chunks of mystery are left unresolved. What’s the story behind the Islanders who inhabit the island before Jacob? What is the protector of the island really protecting, and why? How did the Lostaways create the flash-sideways timeline?

In the immortal words of Fred Armisen (impersonating Joy Behar): So what? Who cares?

Throughout the series, what concerned me most were the characters. I felt for Hurley when Libby died. I celebrated the reunions on the beach after dangerous missions. I cursed Jack for turning to the bottle when life went to shit.

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