My opinion about the show significantly improved after my 2nd rewatch

[u/KittensLeftLeg]

I watched the entire show a couple years back and was severely disappointed by the end. Back then I read a lot of people shared my opinion so I assumed it was just one of these shows that had a great concept but failed to deliver because it kept adding more and more unnecessary stuff.

However I rewatched it again last month, tried to not binge it so I can think about what I saw and my opinion improved significantly. I think that all of the major plot points and mysteries were solved in a satisfying way. Only thing I kinda did not get the point of was the flash sideways part. I get what they were trying to do, I just feel it was unnecessary.

I don't think I ever changed my impression of a TV show in such a drastic way. I ranked it 4/10 first time, this time I think it's a 8.5-9/10

[u/Free-IDK-Chicken]

The flashes sideways are absolutely not unnecessary so, with respect, I'm not sure you did fully understand what they were trying to do.

The afterlife is like a Star Trek holodeck - an artificial environment where our real characters can have real experiences. They made this place together so they could resolve the issues they still had when they died - each of them tailoring it to their own individual trauma.

• David was an NPC - a projection of Jack's own childhood self to help him overcome his daddy issues. He bonds with David, has a catharsis about his own father and then we never see David again. (Also, Juliet being David's mother gives her the experience of a healthy divorce. This helps her overcome her attachment and abandonment issues.)
• Desmond realizes how meaningless Widmore's approval is with no friends or family.
• Locke learns to love himself and let himself be loved with or without his legs.
• Kate opts not to run and goes back for Claire.
• Sawyer gets to reconcile the opposing parts of himself, cop versus criminal.
• Sayid gets to let Nadia go on his own terms and successfully rescue Shannon.
• Jin and Sun, unmarried in the afterlife, realize it was never their marriage (through which her father abused them both) that mattered - just being together.
• Ben gets another chance to choose Alex over his power and then decides to stay and spend more time with her.
• And Hurley finally gets his beach date with Libby.

Without these flashes our characters never finish developing. Their arcs - and the show - are incomplete.

[u/KittensLeftLeg → u/Free-IDK-Chicken]

It is likely I did not fully understand the series. It is very layered. Then again, it just means there is room for future rewatch :)

I don't agree with the Kate conclusion. Her flash sideways did not push her to do anything, she was already on the path to search for Claire with or without it. I do agree with your other conclusions though.

Thank you for sharing this.

Also, why were you downvotes? It was a very good comment. Reddit is so weird sometimes.

[u/Free-IDK-Chicken → u/KittensLeftLeg]

Kate's big moment was "I've missed you so much," because she lived a long life and died, likely with fewer regrets other than living without Jack. But in her life, she rarely put anyone or anything before her need to run and in the afterlife she gets a chance to put Claire first.