The End

"The End" is the two-part series finale of the television series Lost, consisting of the 17th and 18th episodes of season 6. It is also the 120th and 121st episodes overall of the series. It aired on ABC in the United States on May 23, 2010. In the episode, the Man in Black (Terry O'Quinn) executes his plan to destroy the island as Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) tries to stop him once and for all. Meanwhile, the true nature of this season's "flash-sideways" narrative device is revealed. The finale was written by co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse, and directed by executive producer Jack Bender. Unlike the previous season finales, which were two hours long with advertisements, the series finale was expanded by half an hour, running two and a half hours starting at 9 pm ET, with a retrospective of the past six seasons running for two hours, starting at 7 pm. "The End" was watched by 13.5 million Americans and received a polarized response from both fans and critics. Reviewers from the Chicago Tribune and IGN called it the best episode of the season and praised its emotion and character. Reviews from the Los Angeles Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer criticized the finale for answering so few of the series' questions. Web site Metacritic gave "The End" a score of 74 out of 100, suggesting "mostly positive reviews", while The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph reported mixed and "lukewarm" reviews. Retrospective reviews have been equally polarized. Plot