"Lost": Is It All Too Much?

Last week, ABC announced that it’s adding 30 minutes to the “Lost” series finale. That makes the finale 2 ½ hours long. And that’s not counting the two-hour clip show before it. Or the hour reunion after it. Or the encore of the two-hour pilot airing the night before.

Which begs the question. Is it all too much? When you throw in the 10 collectible covers of this week’s “Entertainment Weekly,” the producers Q & A simulcast in theaters across the country (including here in the Tri-State) and the symphony performance of the show’s music and yes, I think it is.

Now in the interest of full disclosure, I should say as a “24” fan I am more than a little upset that “Lost” is getting all the attention. But I think even the biggest Lostie would admit it’s a touch of overkill.

Because here’s the problem. With all of this, there is NO way the finale is going to live up to the hype. In fact, I would almost guarantee fans are going to be disappointed.

I have had a love/hate relationship with executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, aka Team Darlton, throughout the life of the show. It started when they took a shot at “24” for no reason other than to make themselves look better. Later they would take unnecessary shots at other shows like “Heroes” (when that show was still good) and even take shots at the fans who didn’t like something they did or dared question their elaborate mythology.

And now this season, when they’re supposed to be answering questions, they’ve posed a whole bunch of new ones with the introduction of the sideways world. In a recent interview with “The Hollywood Reporter,” Lindelof said the sideways world will be explained, but that there will still be questions unanswered.

See what I mean about disappointment?

One of the things I respect about Team Darlton is that they do listen to the fans. When the fans got angry about the hatch, they blew it up. When everyone complained about Paulo and Nikki, they buried them alive.

Now all the fans want are answers. But I don’t think Team Darlton will come through this time. Which makes me wonder how they’ll react when the fans get mad this time.

The series finale of “Lost” airs Sunday, May 23rd at 9 p.m. on ABC…

Photo Credit: Bob D'Amico/ABC