The Phenomena of Lost and its Fans

Every Tuesday evening, people all around the country avert their attention solely to the television and watch as Lost's newest episode airs. Lost is a show that follows the lives of survivors of a plane crash on a mysterious island, where they have to deal with many problems such as others already inhabiting the island, crazy people, polar bears, and a mysterious black smoke monster. But Lost isn't just a television show. "[I]t has become an epic story filled with mystery that has garnered twenty-three million participants" (Seay xx).
Because of its phenomenal and epic status, there also comes with that a great cult following of fans. Through this brilliant television show, people have been brought together in many ways to show appreciation for Lost, through television, internet fan sites, and forums, podcasts, music, and much more. On the internet, and especially in everyday life, fans of the show make personal connections with one another. Because of this appreciation for Lost, these people have "regular contact and shared experience" making them a folk group (Sims 38). The communication that we as the Lost fans folk group have with people around us, and through online discussions, has an impact on our real life situations.
Lost has a very large fan basis all around the world. These fans come together in small groups of friends in real life and discuss the show's mysteries, mythology, and characters and watch the show together every Tuesday night. Also, these fans are easily drawn to the internet to share their thoughts and appreciation for Lost, and there are even large meetings and parties where Lost fans come together as friends whereas in reality these people are total strangers to one another. But the distinct interests that these people share with one another can bring them together as a closely knit group. An example of a large convention-like meeting is the "Sunset on the Beach" which was the official season premiere party for seasons 1, 2, 3, and 6 in Honolulu, Hawaii, where fans and even the actors and producers of the show come to celebrate the return of Lost. Another example is the San Diego Comicon which occurs every summer, where fans can ask the producers questions about the show.

So how did Lost get to this point, where people fly across the country to attend events such as the "Sunset on the Beach" or Comic-con? The intrigue of the show rests on many different aspects of the show. Some of the main aspects that makes the show intriguing is its amazing character development throughout all six seasons, and it's unending mysterious nature. Its mysteries have been pressing hard on the minds of Lost fans for the past six years, and in its last season, fans are finally getting answers to questions they've had since the first season such as "What is the smoke monster?" and "What do the numbers mean?" The questions drive us as fans and keep us on the edge of our seats, wanting to figure out the rest. Also "[w]hat makes the series unique is not merely the distinctive flashbacks and flash-forwards through time, the infinite twists and turns of the narratives, the endless symbolism, clever and often subtle references to philosophy and theology, spellbinding storylines, and captivating mysteries" (Seay xxi), along with its amazing scenery and musical score. It is because of all these elements of the show put together that it has attracted so many people worldwide. Lost fans "may be the most committed and diverse fan base in television history" (xxi).