Lost, the hit TV show, had one of the most controversial and divisive series finales. While the show initially received critical acclaim for its mythos build-up, the final season left fans with even more questions. The last episodes of Lost focused on the characters rather than the mythology and revealed the true meaning of the flash-sideways.

 In an Entertainment Weekly interview, creators Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse revealed their original plan for the series finale. They wanted to reignite the idea of a volcano, which was hinted at as early as Season 1. The inspiration for the volcano came from Cuse's family trip to Hawaii, where he toured volcanoes. The idea was subtly planted throughout the series, with references to a crater on the island's map and even a volcano experiment in the Dharma Initiative's background.

However, due to budget constraints, the volcano setting was scrapped, and instead, the battle between good and evil took place on the cliffs of Oahu. Ultimately, the focus of Lost was on the characters and their relationships, so the volcano became a non-essential element in the series finale. The flash-sideways reality and the reunion of the characters took center stage in the final moments of the show.