Comparing the LOST and 24 Finales

This week I lost a bit of my entertainment soul. For the past 6 and 9 years, I've had Lost and 24 to watch every Monday and Tuesday. It made my week go much quicker. These were shows I was heavily invested in. Of course 24 has been declining steadily for the past few years (I would say Season 5 was the last awesome season, and 6 was just decent. 7 and 8 bordered on absurd, but the change of scenery helped keep it somewhat interesting.)

The shows are two different entries - obviously one that attempts to be "real" and another that started as real and crossed into the sci-fi realm. Both played with time constraints, one on purpose and one using it more liberally than it should have (no way Jack Bauer could stay awake, not eat, not go to the bathroom, and always have a charged phone available for 24 consecutive hours.)

Regardless, the shows provided me with enormous amounts of entertainment during my adolescent and college years. It's kind of fitting that both end at the same time I end college. It's also interesting the main characters of each show is named Jack.

In both of the finales, I realized the differences in the shows. 24 really is a tragedy. It's the story of a man (Jack Bauer) who gives EVERYTHING to preserve the judicial system, including his family and his health, and the system keeps trying to literally tie him down. He's been ordered to be shot on site multiple times, had martial law applied against him, and so on. I already blogged about this. The thing with Jack is that he never gets what he wants. Each season ends with him having to be on the run or on the verge of death or being abducted or something ridiculous. The minute he gets what he wants it gets taken away.

The series ends with Jack literally having to flee the country, but this time for good. He can't speak to his daughter ever again, see his granddaughter, etc.

Lost was a different animal. Beyond all of the mythology and mystery involved, the show was about a group of characters. Although Jack Sheppard died, it ended with him sacrificing himself to save everyone. Technically Bauer sacrificed himself, but never had actually given his life. He came very VERY close, but never all the way.

Jack Sheppard also had a happy ending because of the flash sideways (purgatory) timeline that Jack Bauer will never see. It's never going to be how he wants.

Lost, as I said, was a community-driven storyline. It was about how the people survive and live together. 24 was not. I was actually much more upset about the finale of 24 over Lost because Lost had that happy ending or sorts - they defeated the MIB and were able to move on to the "afterlife" together. Jack Bauer was exiled or would have to face prosecution of the law FOR TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING. It's the true tragic hero that I believe American storytellers are continually drawn towards because of the characters flaws. For as much excitement and great things Jack Bauer has provided, he's flawed, and only has 2 people he can really count on, but he has to leave them behind to keep his country and them safe. It never ends.

These shows were great for television, specifically network television, and I hope that we see shows that match their intensity in the upcoming years.

In the meantime, anyone have any good shows for me to watch?