*This post contains SPOILERS from last night’s series finale of Lost. Read at your own risk!*

Six seasons, 121 episodes, 26 castaways, and 1 smoke monster deep, Lost finally and gracefully bowed out last night after a stunning, yet heartbreaking series finale. Many mysteries remained after the two-and-a-half hour final episode, but the series did circle back around to what was always most important: its characters.

It’s no secret that I’ve been a tough critic of the show. I stand by the fact that Lost should have been 1-2 seasons shorter. I also don’t believe the producers’ notion that everything was completely planned from the beginning (what’s their excuse for Season 3 then?). However, when Lost succeeds, there is no denying the accolades it deserves. Last night’s series ender “The End” is one of its success stories.

For the past 2-3 seasons, I’ve been wishing, hoping and begging for the writers to return to its character development and serve the individual stories appropriately. “The End” could not have answered my prayers any more. When all was said and done, each character found meaning in his or her life that he or she didn’t have before crashing on the island. Even though the story focused on Jack Shephard (as it should), every character (except for Benjamin Linus) had some form of happy ending. As Jack was ushered into the church to meet his fellow losties, it was both uplifting and saddening. The viewers were able to see the end-game of each and every character via the Flash-Sideways-Purgatory, and that was indeed both extremely fulfilling and worth the wait.

But what about those unanswered mysteries? Were you able to rip yourself away from them? Why were the numbers such a curse for Hurley? What was the deal with The Light? Why did the Man-In-Black become the evil Smoke Monster from The Light, while Desmond and Jack did not? And what about the Dharma Initiative’s fertility studies or Charles Widmore’s actual involvement? So many plot points (plot holes?) were simply left on the table for viewers to suck on. Was it a slap in the face, or does the big picture alleviate the anxieties of the unknown?

Personally, I’m glad Lost has run its course. Had the show been shorter, the narrative would’ve also been tighter – but hey – it wasn’t my show to run. Although I do wish a few more of the mysteries had been resolved, I’m just glad our characters have finally found peace through each other. I’m glad that I don’t have to keep thinking about this anymore, and I’m glad that I never have to watch Lost ever again until I’m absolutely ready to revisit it.

It’s understandable that some might feel completely ripped off with so many loose ends, but the mysteries aren’t the central focal point of the show. Life’s a journey, not a destination – and we got to witness those journeys through life-changing events in these characters’ lives. We got to see how they evolved, and how they found meaning amongst their challenges and pain. Beyond the relationships formed and the effects of those relationships, nothing else really matters.