A disturbing trend has arisen among the slobbering fanboys desperate to defend their particular show of interest. Specifically, a growing number of people believe that while Lost has no real plan and is a bunch of accumulated randomness and plot twists — or among the less rabid, that it has only a general direction with no planned end game — Heroes has a distinct five-season plan for the show upon which the show will end. Ironically the opposite is the claims of each show. Lost’s creators makes the claim that they have a definite vision for the beginning, middle and end of their show; whether this is accurate or not is something that must be determined at a later date, but I see no reason for them to lie about it and accept their claim. On the other hand, Tim Kring has been quoted in an interview stating that Heroes has a general direction and clear plan for the first season but no definite plan or even end in sight; he has no qualms running the show for years to come.

So what the hell is happening here? Well let’s briefly discuss Gestalt Psychology shall we? You see, Gestalt Psychology has some very useful heuristics designed to help make sense of the world around us. One of the heuristic principles involves continuity; if, for example, a branch of a tree goes behind a trunk, we don’t assume that when we see the branch exit from behind the trunk on the other side that it is another branch. That kind of reasoning would be foolish in our world. This heuristic, among the others of Gestalt Psychology, is helpful in guiding us through an erratic world of occlusion. Serialized television works in this same realm; hiding the whole story from the viewer, slowly releasing the information over the course of the series, intertwining the multifarious events in countless ways. It’s natural to make continuity connections and these connections lead people to believe that there is an ultimate structure beyond the few branches they currently see. This is why when Lost first came out, this was the common thought of the viewers. However, over time this heuristic’s likelihood waned in the face of common sense. If you see a tree branch spreading outward for miles in erratic directions with tree trunks blocking large aspects of it, we begin to believe that maybe it really is just a bunch of coincidentally positioned independent branches. No greater vision, no ultimate purpose. This does not diminish the intent of the creator — that will remain unknown for quite some time — but rather adjusts your perspective of the end result.

According to their creators, Lost and Heroes are very different shows. To continue the metaphor, Lost is a massively sprawling tree whose final form will remain unclear until the very end but whose shape was known to its creators at its inception. On the other hand, Heroes could be likened to a garden of smaller yet still intricate trees, whose roots grow together as the trees diverge. Because of this, Heroes will likely not suffer as many slings and arrows because there is little ongoing mythology to unfold, no ultimate mystery. Lost must continue its ongoing mystery until finally resolved in what could be the finest denouement television has ever seen, or a huge disappointment for all the hopeful viewers looking for answers. Each technique has its strengthes and weaknesses. In any event, enjoy the stories as they continue: if you don’t believe Lost has a real end-point, then don’t watch it, but don’t confuse personal belief with creator intent.