Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse were facing an impossible task. How do you construct a finale which does any justice to one of the most phenomenal seasons in television history?
Answer: Exodus.
After Danielle warns that the Others are coming, the Losties split into teams: Team A to lead Danielle to the Hatch and ultimately the Black Rock, Team B to get the raft ready for launch. After Danielle slithers away from the Black Rock, she visits Claire and snatches Aaron. As a result, Charlie and Sayid form Team C with the mission of getting him back.
The launching of the raft is a cinematic masterpiece in every sense, from directing to acting to Michael Giacchino's triumphant score. If LOST were your run-of-the-mill series that scene would've served as the cliffhanger and they would've called it a day. But as it turns out, it was just one of many iconic scenes in the finale.
The expedition to the Black Rock is the stuff of legend. Dr. Arzt fragging himself on a stick of dynamite was a traumatic thing to witness, especially considering Team A's mission was to transport dynamite to the Hatch. The intensity level was off the charts from that moment on. The first visual encounter with the Smoke Monster took it even further.
When Team C catches Danielle at a signal fire, she claims that whispers told her the Others wanted "the boy." Her assumption that "the boy" was Aaron was a reasonable one given her situation with Alex. Unfortunately, we learn a few minutes later that the boy was Walt.
The Hatch door detonates despite Hurley's objections, the Others take Walt and destroy the raft, and Claire is reunited with Aaron. All of this takes place BEFORE one of the finest montages you'll ever see.
Lindelof and Cuse not only told a phenomenal story, they paid tribute to so many episodes before it. The montage, along with occasional nods to previous moments (such as Jin giving Michael the watch), truly made Exodus an appropriate bookend to an amazing season.
Considering how exhausting Season 1 must have been for the ensemble cast, I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd shown signs of fatigue. With an extended break on the horizon, it must have been tempting to wrap scenes sooner rather than later.
Thankfully the above paragraph is mostly rubbish, for everyone was running on all cylinders all the way through to the closing credits. The highest praise belongs to the raft crew — Jin, Michael, Sawyer, and Walt. There were a few pleasant moments of male bonding early on, then everyone stepped up their game as soon as they heard the first haunting blip on the radar.
Daniel Dae Kim deserves even more credit for his "apology" scene with Yunjin Kim. Finally — FINALLY — DDK got a chance to break new ground and show his softer side. A beautiful and redeeming moment for Jin indeed.
I'll say it right now, even before I've rated the other five seasons: there aren't many episodes that will eclipse Exodus in terms of visuals and effects. To split it into individual components:
Directing:
If there's one scene in the series that exemplifies technical perfection, it just might be the raft launch. Bender's decisions on shots couldn't have been any better, whether it was watching Vincent swim out to the raft from Walt's perspective or the wide shot of the raft setting out to sea.
The closing montage, including Locke and Jack staring down the Hatch, is stellar work from Bender and the visuals teams.
I wasn't crazy about some of the shot selections when Locke was pulled by the Smoke Monster, but considering the episode is over two hours I can't justify any significant deductions.
CGI:
The Black Rock makes its debut in Exodus, and it would stand the test of time as one of the best CGI examples in all of LOST.
Other:
I'm not entirely sure how they achieved the effect of Sayid igniting gunpowder on Charlie's forehead, but it was convincing regardless. They could've easily cut away before any hint of a flame, but there was definitely a visible flare-up before the shot went wide.
If you feel it's a chore to watch Exodus more than once, than I imagine you'd feel the same way about LOST in general. Exodus encapsulates all that is right with the series, featuring one classic moment after another. Who wouldn't want to revisit the discovery of the Black Rock, or Dr. Arzt's abrupt departure, or the first glimpse of the Smoke Monster, or the moment the Hatch door is detonated?
In terms of importance and relevance, it doesn't get much bigger than Exodus. It simultaneously captures the magic of Season 1 while setting various storylines into motion for Season 2. The pressures and expectations were just as grueling for Exodus as they were for Pilot, and I'd say they went above and beyond all those expectations.
Emotions were all over the map during Exodus, from being choked up at the raft launch (who wouldn't lose it when Vincent tries to swim after them?) to being stunned at Dr. Arzt's explosive death.
But the subtle moments were the ones that really grabbed me. After an entire season of being stoic and nearly emotionless, Jin finally breaks down when Sun hands him a notebook. Tough to keep the sniffles at bay after watching that scene.
Even the blip on the raft's radar had a haunting feeling to it, since we were given plenty of time to stare out into the sea of black surrounding the raft. Then, WHAM! A spotlight screams across the water, cue a victorious score by Giacchino.
Simply put, Exodus made a statement: if you're gonna call something a finale, make sure it's a grand one. And my, oh my, grand it was.
