And as for other people's - both DRs and non-DRs - musings concerning the whole "Lost Phenomenon", well... We all invest our time - and emotions(?) - in different things. For some people it's a TV show. For others it's a book. A favorite movie or series of movies. Doesn't really make one form better than the other. Just different.
And here's my 2 cents: for a novel, a film, a play to work for me, whether it's a fantasy or a kitchen sink drama or something in between, there's a logic and sense, perhaps, that everything's heading to its logical conclusion that, if not inevitable, at least is satisfying. I don't always think the continual red herring approach to your story necessarily leads to anything beyond a lot of sloppiness - David Lynch's work is is an example, especially in the ridiculously overrated TWIN PEAKS (I am abig fan of BLUE VELVET and ERASERHEAD) - and in the case of LOST, when you throw into the mix a tv series that can be canceled on the whim of its network, a writers' strike, a change in producer, network executive requests, or a bored cast member wanting out, a lot of good intentions get brushed aside to create a number of episodes to fill a season. Then, along, comes the finale, and someone has to reconcile this stew. Good luck covering all of the territory, the red herrings, the moments of "symbolism" or whatever.