When “Lost” debuted on Sept. 22, 2004, one of my first thoughts was it looked boring and would probably run out of story ideas quickly. I had no interest in watching what appeared to be a scripted version of “Survivor.”

Flash-forward to January 2009, as I was eagerly anticipating the premiere of the fifth season; I had spent the following month watching the past seasons and theorizing about what the smoke monster was or why they crashed on the island in the first place, like all the other devotees. It turned out I had been wrong in most estimates about the show. For wondering how “Lost” would be able to keep the storylines interesting, I was now concerned they wouldn’t have enough time to wrap up everything they’d introduced successfully. Looking back, I’m grateful that I didn’t get into “Lost” until its penultimate season. The wait between seasons would have been tortuous, as it was between seasons five and six.

By its final season, and even well before, “Lost” had a fan base that surmounted nearly every show that had ever been on television. Near the end of its run, two late-night talk show hosts were simultaneously referencing “Lost.” Nods to the show have also shown up in comic strips, video games and Target commercials that aired during the series finale.

For a network television program that balanced characters and mythology well, there were still some problems with the narrative of “Lost.” There were legitimate grumbles on seemingly significant plot lines that were left abandoned. For those who wanted every mystery wrapped up in a nice bow the blatant omission of answers to these questions were irritating to say the least.

For those people, it needs to be remembered that “Lost” was not strictly about the mythology it presented. It had started out as a show based solely on the characters that viewers have come to know and love over the years. On May 23, it ended as it started, both literally and figuratively. The only answer the creators owed was answered in a way that was both conclusive and also left a little room for theories about the future lives of the characters of the show.

The large legacy that “Lost” leaves in its wake is one that might not be equaled or surpassed any time soon. In today’s television world, the more accessible a program is to an average viewer the more likely it is to survive. If prior knowledge is required, viewers may have a tendency to shy away. But “Lost” flourished with its serialized structure. Although it never got back the number of viewers it received during its first season, “Lost” was able to gather a strong and fiercely loyal fan base. It is this fan base that has kept it alive throughout the years.

“Lost” decided to choose its own end date, instead of giving us filler episodes indefinitely. This was the best thing that ever happened to the show. With a third season that was floundering, the creators decided that they had three years left of stories to tell and that would be it.

I can’t say that I wish “Lost” had continued further. I was ready for answers and I wanted to see how the show would ultimately end up. Where it did end was beautiful in its cyclical nature, heartbreaking in its revelations and satisfying on both a character and mythological level. Although we may never see these characters in new situations again, we can always look back and revisit them.