Can anyone think of a series that went from so popular to so reviled?

I went and re-watched the whole thing last year. It was better the second time around because I didn't have to wait in between episodes like I did when it aired originally.

Loved Lost all the way through, even when they introduced time travel. It's one of the few shows that had a satisfying finale. Viewers are too entitled and spoiled these days. They want everything spoon fed to them and have everything wrapped up in a nice little bow.

I find LOST uneven and frustrating most of the time. Unlike most, I don't mind the ending so much as how it got there.

My experience was different from yours in that I didn't begin watching proper until the season 3 finale. Before that, I only peeked at the show occasionally, but had an avid coworker excitedly tell me all about each show the morning after (though they soured during season 3 and stopped watching). I thought the flash forward was brilliant and that hooked me, with Michael Faraday and his mother being my favorite characters.

I prefer a bardo interpretation for the entire show, though I guess the writers only intend for bardo to kick in for the final season.

Lastly, I did watch the entire affair last year (the wife had never seen it) and nothing changed for me. I grew tired of the smarmy relationship moments, the love triangle, inconsistent narratives, etc., but I won't trash the series, it still has some entertainment value and although I suspect at the end of the day it ripped off Twin Peaks (and more particularly Mulholland Drive), I can still give it a lukewarm thumbs up.

Kinda sounds like you think the entire world feels the way you do because you were disappointed in it.

It's not perfect, but still a really popular show.

I don't remember Lost being reviled.

Shows that went from loved to reviled:

- Heroes
- Game Of Thrones

girlfriend, lolz.

"GOT was like that as well, so maybe it is about writers and studio execs never really planning for a complete arc or an ending to a series . . "

If I'm remembering correctly, ABC gave the writers a definitive time frame in which to wrap up the story (I think at that point they were given 2 more seasons). So the LOST writers knew where the story was going, then with the knowledge of how much time they were given, were able to plan it all out. So how it went down is exactly how they wanted. And for the record I like the bardo ending. There are several aspects of the show I didn't like. But on the whole I enjoyed it (season 5 is my favorite).

Comparing it to GOT brings up differences, the horrible D&D knew where the story arcs were going to go (George R. R. Martin gave them that), but they weren't talented enough (or in too much of a hurry) to pull it off, especially without source material as a foundation.

Although I enjoyed the show throughout, after Season 3 there is an ever so slight drop off in quality and originality. It seems like after Season 3, the show just turns into characters walking aimlessly in the jungle with guns while having these really annoying flashbacks, flashforwards, flashsideways, whatever. New characters are introduced and some good ones are just killed off never to return. Some show up again more as dead characters than alive *cough* Ethan *cough* which is hilarious.

Looking back, I think they may have overdone the flashbacks a bit too much and should have kept most of each episode on the island. Besides that every time a scene was about to get really good, you'd hear that 'incoming flashback' sound effect and the scene would change, taking the viewer right out of the moment. Sigh.

I am among those that didn't mind the ending too much, certainly better than most television show endings.