So, The ending was OK, but I'll take a stab at expressing my dissatisfaction.
I keep trying to analyze why I see things this way, but have only come up with a couple so far.
a) There were so many science-fictional aspects, that I expected some sort of science-fiction ending. Maybe the island was a self-aware crashed alien spaceship which had some powers, but needed humans to protect or aid it and all of the events were caused by it, or maybe it was an artifact of time-travelers or so on. You get the kind of thing I was expecting. The parallel universe aspect threw me off, but it too seemed to fit an SF type of thing. I was expecting it to be a real universe with the people in it being able to contact the lives of their counterparts in the other universe and thus being able to take advantage of those experiences to enhance their own lives.

b) Basically, the ending was far, far too simplistic to fit with the extremely complicated plot with all of its characters and their back stories and so. Much of the material would not have been known to the main characters who, according to the ending, had all died, either on the plane, or maybe lived and died and came together when they died because of the bonds that they created (on the island?). (This was suggested on a blog I came across.)

Basically, it appeared to me to be the same old 'it was all a dream' type ending similar to Dallas and The Bob Newhart Show, enhanced by throwing in some sort of after-life*. (One of the alternate?? endings on the Jimmy Kimmel showed that being tied to that show having Kate wake up in bed with Bob)**.

Your thoughts?

David

* This was presaged by having both Hugo and Miles able to make contact with the dead, also apparently hanging around before they went of their heaven or hell.

**I have to admit that both the original BN ending and this alternate ending were both funny

Not that I give a rat's patootie, because I've never watched the series and never will, but you should probably include **SPOILER** in the title of this thread.

I seriously doubt that anyone who would be bothered by a spoiler hasn't already seen it.

David

Fixed anyway.

I have not been spoiled here, but by numerous Facebook posts that rendered the ending to me before I could stop my eye.

I have not watched this last season, prefering to wait for the DVD to watch them consecutively.

But there were clues about this in the fifth season.

On the other hand., most "puzzle" series end up disappointing. The expectations grow too high for the payoff to match.

"The Prisoner" and any of M. Night's recent films disappointed too.

Generally, surprise endings only work when you're not expecting that kind of payoff -- "The Sting", "Sixth Sense", and "Diggstown" come to mind as amazing examples of superb payoffs.

But when you declare mysteries, and then drag them out and drag them out, you just better find yourself smarter and more inventive than most people are. Strikes me as what must have happened to people on their wedding nights a century ago....disappointment must have been a common reaction.