‘Lost’ without you: ABC’s mind-bending series ends Sunday

It’s not the Superbowl, nor the Oscars.

It’s the “Lost” series finale.

After six seasons, ABC’s mind-bending drama comes to an end on Sunday with a 2 1/2-hour finale. Local “Lost” fanatics are celebrating the famous castaways with private and public viewing parties.

University of Colorado junior Taylor Shull said “Lost” is a phenomenon that television hasn’t seen in a while — and he is sad to see it go.

“Basking in the last glow of ‘Lost’ might give us all a tan that will last us until the next TV phenomenon,” Shull said.

Shull is celebrating with his “Lost” family — which has watched almost every episode together this season — at his home viewing party.

However, Shull’s buddy, CU senior Dave Springer, has a bit of a dilemma for Sunday’s finale.

He’s in Russia.

“Being outside of the United States definitely presents its share of challenges,” said Springer, who is participating in a study abroad program. “Russia won’t air the episodes until much later. Even then, they will be dubbed in Russian. Hulu doesn’t work here, and neither does ABC.com‘s streaming.

“As a huge ‘Lost’ fan, I am definitely not going to wait until a month later to view the finale, so I am therefore forced to pursue alternative methods of watching the show.”

Aside from “Lost,” Springer said he has given up on network programming, and Shull said no other program would be able to fill the hole the show creates.

“The experience of watching ‘Lost’ on TV is one of the last pure television connections left to the viewer,” Shull said.

As for answers in the finale, Shull said it would be too clichéd if every question is addressed.

“I hope the large questions are answered so we’re all happy, but leaving some strings loose would fit the nature of this show perfectly,” Shull said. “Knowing ‘Lost,’ there is going to be a major twist that nobody but (producers) Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse are going to see coming.”

And if he doesn’t like the finale?

“I’ll cry in the corner and become a nomadic hermit,” Shull joked. “No, I’ll be like everybody else and probably overanalyze it for the rest of the summer.”

Mike Torpie, Nederland resident and founder of NedFest, said “Lost” is simply the “best TV show ever.”

“Nothing else like it,” Torpie said. In fact, he loves the show so much, he had the show’s logo emblazoned on the NedFest staff T-shirts.

At the beginning of season five, Torpie began watching the show each week with a crew at Nederland’s Wild Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery.

“It is cool, because it is Nederland and we all pretty much know each other up here, so it is kind of like hanging out in someone’s living room,” Torpie said.

The crew will watch the finale at Whistler’s Café, where there are big screens and a sound system. There aren’t going to be any special themes, just beer and good television, Torpie said.

He said he’s pretty sure he’ll be pleased with the finale.

“I’m pretty open to whatever the producers want to do,” Torpie said. ” It has been a great ride all along, and the producers have said they knew where they were going from the beginning, so I’m sure it will be good.”