In 2007,The Sopranosended its six-season run by abruptly cutting to black.

In 2010, theLostseries finale killed, well, everyone.

Fast-forward to 2017, when canceled might as well mean “to be continued.”

ILLUSTRATION by ALEX FINE for EW

Credit: ILLUSTRATION by ALEX FINE for EW

“They [have] a place in the culture.

You want a story to feel like it finishes.”

“You might not see creatives making daring decisions like that.

“There are quotation marks around the word ending now,” Lindelof says.

“I think seeing Uncle Jesse at age 79 would be awesome.”