Why the Lost Epilogue Doesn't Ruin the Show

The complete sixth season of Lost hits DVD and Blu-ray today, meaning critics, haters and contrarians alike can have another shot at the series and its controversial finale. Stoking that flame is the pièce de résistance of the release, a 12-minute series epilogue titled "The New Man in Charge" that leaked earlier this month. The epilogue is receiving a certain amount of flak while simultaneously being derided by as possibly "ruining" the series. Which would be true except for the fact that it's not.

The way to look at "The New Man in Charge" is the way it's being presented: As a bonus feature on the DVD. This isn't some red herring or long con designed to dupe fans one last time; Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse didn't go back and film this, post-finale, in an attempt to answer the fan outrage (per star Michael Emerson, they were filming the epilogue right alongside the finale). This is a chance to give fans another glimpse of the characters they loved while selling a bunch of DVDs. (Capitalism for life!) That "New Man" answers mostly extraneous questions that could have been decoded with a little logical thinking -- the reason babies can't be born on the island, the food drops, the polar bears, Room 23 -- is only gravy. Face it: No matter what kind of Lost fan you were/are -- pro-characters or pro-mythology -- simply knowing there's a resolution to those questions is comforting... even if they were probably sussed out after the initial series mystery had been cracked.

Take for instance, the Hurley bird, which gets a moment in the sun during "The New Man in Charge." It was a throwaway quirk from the season one finale -- why did that bird call out Hurley's name?! -- and it gets a throwaway explanation in "The New Man in Charge." Something to do with animal hybrids and Munsters-level production values. In the end, does knowing the origin of the Hurley bird truly ruin the experiences you had watching Lost for six seasons? If so, get a hobby.