In Defense of Shannon and Sayid

If you're not a Lost fan, then you might want to skip this one.  If you are a Lost fan, odds are good you'll never see this post, but I still feel compelled to voice my opinion.

I've read a few blog posts about last night's finale.  Most of the frequent writers appear to have really enjoyed it.  The comments show a mixed bag of reactions.

There's no mixed bag here.  I loved it.  I found it to be very satisfying ending to a series I've really enjoyed over the years. While I've enjoyed the various stories, I'll admit that it's more about the characters for me.  These are characters I've come to love in all their human frailties. 

The one thing that everything I've read that everyone seems to agree on is the Sideways world ending for Shannon and Sayid.  They hate it.  Oh, where's poor Nadia?  Poor Nadia is where she's supposed to be as far as I'm concerned.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Nadia. I just don't feel that she was Sayid's one true love. Nadia was Sayid's childhood friend, his victim, and his wife. He idealized her, and he felt guilty about what he'd done to her when he worked as a torturer for the Iraqi Republican Guard.  He had Nadia on a huge pedestal built of childhood dreams and guilt.  As fun as it might be to pine for her, it's not real love.

Shannon's short tenure on the show showed a spoiled rich girl who expected everyone to wait on her and cater to every whim. To call her unlikeable is to be kind.  Then something unexpected happened, Shannon started growing up.  It was brief, too brief, but we saw Sayid and Shannon connect.  Each knew the worst of the other, yet love started to grow.  I hated Shannon at the beginning, but loved seeing this turnaround.  She was becoming a mature human being capable of putting another first, and then she was shot.

Sayid's true love was referenced often, and everyone assumed it was Nadia.  Seeing him married to her during his time back in the "real" world cemented that belief for many.  We didn't really see too much of their relationship with each other until sideways world.  Once again, Nadia was the dream, not his reality.  Would Nadia have married his brother if they were soulmates?  Would Nadia's first reactions be to send Sayid into harm's way to protect her way of life, if they were soulmates?  Would Nadia's first reactions be to question what Sayid had done after she sent him to fix things, if they were soulmates?  Wouldn't she believe in him? Trust him?  Wouldn't she know that he would only act in defense?  She would, if they were soulmates.

When FLocke aka Smokey offered Sayid the chance to have his wish come true, to be reunited with his love, everyone assumed Nadia.  I hoped for Shannon.

Sayid deserved a flawed love who knew, accepted, and loved him.  He did not deserve to be constantly tested and found wanting by his love on a pedestal.

The reunion that got to me the most was actually Sawyer and Juliet, but Sayid and Shannon was my close second.