Lost Finale this Sunday

The 121^st and final episode of Lost airs this Sunday.

If you’ve been following ABC’s hit series Lost for the past 6 years, then the upcoming finale most likely triggers mixed feelings. The thought of it all coming to an end might provide some closure and relief—perhaps, finally all our questions will be answered and it will all come together.

Or maybe you’re disappointed because, well, what are we to do afterwards? No more Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hugo and the rest of the gang. No more surprises and twists and wondering what the hell is going on—or when the hell it’s going on.

The show that has never failed to blow your mind and leave you with the most suspenseful cliffhangers is about to end for good. So if you’re like me, who has always been obsessed with everything about the show—the characters, the questions, the themes, even the island—often getting too excited when a Lost commercial would air, and even covering my ears in conversations about Lost when I wasn’t “caught up to that episode yet”—then you’re more bummed than anything.

The writing is genius—it’s filled with plenty of allusions and recurring elements, and the way the characters’ lives intersect is really interesting. A lot of the show’s content pokes at your mind—the flashbacks, the flash forwards, their need to get off the island, then their sudden need to get back on the island, but where is the island and how do they find it? The DHARMA Initiative, the others, time travel, the numbers, the smoke monster—who thinks of this stuff? What’s even more genius is that the producers have “known the final image” of the show since the very first season, according to ABC News.

And unlike many shows, Lost has become a big part of popular culture, with references to its story in other television series (such as The Office, Family Guy, Will & Grace, Chuck), movies (I Love You Man), comics, magazines, video games, novels, and even song lyrics. Of course, the fan community is very enthusiastic, with several fan websites and forums. Additionally, Lost fans have gathered at San Diego’s Comic-Con and other such conventions organized by ABC. And I bet you didn’t know that San Diego was first to see the very first episode of Lost—the world premiere of the pilot episode played at San Diego’s Comic-Con on July 24, 2004, before its first television broadcast on September 22, 2004.

Producers were considering a Lost spinoff, but they decided against it, reported ABC News. It’s probably for the best, because we all know it wouldn’t be the same. But luckily, if you want to keep your imagination exercised after it’s over, check out this reading list that the writers have recommended.

And so this Sunday, Lost is coming to an end. After the closing credits appear on that last episode, what will we think? Will we feel satisfied, or unfulfilled and wanting more, or worse—will the writers cruelly leave us with yet another cliffhanger?