Here, he shares how it brought them even closer.
Ive never doubted that my oldest son, Ben, is my child.
But he proved it for good last spring with the following declaration: Dad, Im totally intoLostnow.
Credit: Illustration by Kagan McLeod for EW
It was like he found religion.
I knew the feeling.
I was certifiably obsessed with the famously mysterious and confounding award-winning serial about castaways on a mystical island.
Ben, who was 3 when the show premiered in 2004, was familiar with my fandom.
He remembers my up-all-night recapping, too, and how it wasted me for parenting the next day.
(Sorry, kids.)
My romantic ambitions werent easily realized.
Ben became converted toLostafter seeing the crackerjack J.J. Abrams-directed pilot at a friends house.
He didnt want to wait on me to watch more; he wanted to binge it right…now.
On his computer while doing homework.
On the family-room TV after homework.
On his phone in bed.
The truth is, TV watching is a very individualistic activity in my household were wired to our devices.
It hasnt been collective family viewing.
Ive resolved to change that after this experience.
I managed to watch 70 percent of the series with Ben.
I enjoyed his reactions to the twists and turns as much as revisiting those beats myself.
Oh, thats cold!
He was intrigued by the mysteries, although the long wait for answers bugged.
Just tell me: What is the Smoke Monster?
he asked after we watched Smokey smite Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje).
I found his anxious fascination delicious and oh-so-familiar.
You have to take the journey, I said.
The first and only time Ben felt confused was during the time-skipping season 5.
I was disappointed with his impatience.
I was supposed to be his splainer of sacredLosttruths not some vulgar internet twit!
I decided to summarizeLostas I understood it.
About 10 minutes into my dissertation, he stopped me.
Besides the father-son bonding time, what I enjoyed most was watchingLostliberated from the itch to figure it out.
What surprised me most about Bens experience was how much he enjoyed the parts ofLostthat frustrated many others.
He was engrossed by the melodrama and machinations of the Hydra-station arc.
He was captivated by the alt-reality explorations of the characters in season 6.
His contrarianism strikes me as adolescent and fanboy protective and very much his mother.
Watching the series finale The End was surely the highlight of our shared communion.
It was bittersweet for me.
Afterward, he made me beam with a question.
So, can I read your recaps?
The Jensens Rank Their Top Episodes
Ben Jensens Picks
1.
Tricia Tanaka Is Dead
Season 3, Episode 10
This is my favorite Hurley episode.
Shambala is now one of my favorite songs.
And the whole idea of Ben as a teacher was funny.
I loved learning Hurley protected the Island well and that Ben didnt betray him.
Jeff Jensens Picks
1.
This is where I fell hard forLosts themes and storytelling.
Orientation
Season 2, Episode 3
Jack: Why do you find it so easy to believe?
Locke: Its never been easy!
This isLosts theology of faith, beautifully summarized.
I went mad for the orientation video, a puzzle I worked for years.
