so I reject that.

I mean yeah, cause it's not consistent whatsoever, right?

That was my main issue with it iirc. That the major reveal at the end wasn't internally consistent with the 7 seasons we had had. Especially because at that point, it was quite a significant portion of my actually independent thinking (as in you're not a kid anymore just watching what's on but actually choosing and watching whatever you like) life, so like you say, it felt cheap and tacky.

I don't even remember those lines to be honest. I just remember the names of a few main characters like Locke and Sawyer, Jack and... the woman uhhh... I wanna say Kate? Spot on damn my memory isn't as bad as I thought.

You can't be internally inconsistent if there's never any established consistency.

No but like we were led to believers there would be some consistency, and we just don't know it yet. That was kinda the mystery that hooked people, no? Like pressing random numbers every now and then so... something doesn't happen? I don't even remember if that was ever properly explained.

It's so intriguing but then they just pull the mat out from under you by saying "lol it wasn't even a thing actually".

I guess Lost just suffered from getting founded after it should've been cut. Let's face it there's several shows that I would've rather have be finished than Lost. Although if they never finished lost, I might feel differently, as then I'd think there was still a possibility of them making dense somehow.