Reception
The finale has been well received by audiences and critics alike. In a review for IGN, Chris Carabot praised the finale, calling it "heart-wrenching", and praised the performances, especially Michael Emerson and newcomer Mark Pellegrino, calling him "yet another example of some of the brilliant casting choices we've seen on this show." He went on to give the episode an overall score of 9.8, saying that he was "excited to see how this cliffhanger plays out in the final chapter of the series." Alan Sepinwall of the Star-Ledger reviewed the episode positively, but complained about the episode being "another explosive chapter" of the love triangle. Sepinwall also called it "so exciting, so mythology-intensive, so loaded with great performances and great character notes, so all-around kick-ass, that I feel more than satisfied." Jeff Jensen of PopWatch said that the opening scene with Jacob and his nemesis was enough to make the episode legendary.
Jay Glatfelter of the Huffington Post felt that the season finale was more of the first act of the show's final act, and thought that many of the themes were left unresolved.
Variety's Cynthia Littleton was pleased when Rose and Bernard returned in the episode, having been absent for most of the season. She speculated that they are the Adam and Eve skeletons found by the survivors early in season one, which Jeff Jensen from Entertainment Weekly also suspected. (This was not correct). James Poniewozik of Time also liked their appearance in "The Incident". Chris Carabott of IGN "love" this scene as the characters were no longer watching the island mysteries, but had become part of them. He said "Their outlook is refreshing" and hoped they would feature more often in season six. Alan Sepinwall from The Star-Ledger called it "one of the best, most moving scenes of the finale". Noel Murray from The AV Club thought the scene was useful in both practical and thematic senses, as it allowed the characters to leave the show, but also it caused him to question whether opting out was "the voice of reason, or the voice of evil". The Huffington Post's Jay Glatfelter incorrectly thought their decision not to participate "all but solidified them as the 'Adam and Eve' from the caves". "Words describe" how pleased Maureen Ryan from the Chicago Tribune was with Rose and Bernard's scene, and she agreed with Rose's sentiment "It's always something with you people".
At the 2011 Young Artist Awards, Savannah Lathem received a nomination for Best Performance in a TV Series under the category "Guest Starring Young Actress".
Read more about this topic: The Incident (Lost)
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