Remember back when everybody loved L O S T? Man, that was a great show. Incredible stories, acting, and production values, LOST was one of the first major pop culture phenomenons of the internet era. It remains one of my favorite series of the past decade, and contrary to what disgruntled
End-ing haters would like you to believe, it actually
does still totally hold up on repeat viewings. Does every little secret get answered? Of course not. But most of the important stuff did, and if you find a way to watch this non-linear show chronologically, you might be surprised at how well the writers were able to make it all fit. It's not perfect, but at the end of the day, after re-watching the series, the creators were right; LOST was
always about the characters first, and it shows.
I’ve been watching the show all week, celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Through a collection of lists, I'd like to take a look back at some of the best of LOST, through no other format than the infamous winning lotto numbers that plagued our castaways with bad luck throughout its 6-year run.
*SPOILERS FOR L O S T AHEAD*
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LOST is no stranger to death. In fact, out of a cast of over 30 principle characters, over six seasons, all but eight died on or near the island. While some of these may not be as important as Boone or Ana Lucia,
these are my
4 favorite deaths from the show.
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Mr. Eko first on-screen Smoke Monster kill
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Charlotte time-travel [frick]ed her brain
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Nikki and Paulo paralyzed by a spider and buried alive
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Charlie sacrifice by drowning
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People have written thesis papers about
LOST. The science, the religion, the mysticism. For those that really enjoyed delving into allegories and metaphors,
LOST might be the richest show possible to do that with. Here are
8 strong literary themes for those brushed up on their reading.
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
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The works of Stephen King
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The Holy Bible
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Lord of the Flies
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The Moon Pool
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Ulysses
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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
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A Wrinkle in Time
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There’s nothing like a good scrap up, and with all the personalities clashing,
LOST had its fair share of fights. On a show like this, conflict drives the day, and I love when characters work it out with their fists.
Here are
15 throwdowns that put me on the edge of my seat!
http://youtu.be/lQvZE4N9YDE
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Sawyer vs. Sayid
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Michael vs. Jin
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Jack vs. Ethan
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Locke vs. Charlie
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Ana Lucia vs. Goodwin
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Eko vs. Sayid
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Sawyer vs. Hurley
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Sayid vs. Mikhail
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Kate vs. Juliet
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Jin vs. Mikhail
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Juliet vs. Charlotte
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Sayid vs. Keamy
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Jack vs. Sawyer
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Sayid vs. Dogen
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Jack vs. “Locke”
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When you have a show as popular as
LOST, there are bound to be copycats. Every network wanted a
LOST of their own, and for the next several years, genre television came out of the woodwork. Sure the locations may change (
Once Upon a Time), or some may have been based off books (
Under the Dome) or old TV remakes (
V), and some may be legit successes on their own (
Fringe). But they all still owe their green-lights to
LOST in some way or another.
Here are
16 LOST wannabes
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Six Degrees (2006) cancelled
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Heroes (2006) 4 seasons
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The Nine (2006) cancelled
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Life on Mars (2008) cancelled
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Fringe (2008) 5 seasons
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FlashForward (2009) cancelled
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V (2009) cancelled in 2
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The Event (2010) cancelled
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Terra Nova (2011) cancelled
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Alcatraz (2012) cancelled
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Last Resort (2012) cancelled
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Revolution (2012) cancelled in 2
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Under the Dome (2013) current
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Lucky 7 (2013) cancelled
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The 100 (2014) debuted this year
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The Leftovers (2014) debuted this year
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Now for the main event- A ranking of episodes! One of the most fun debates among Losties involves discussing which eps were the best. It’s also an impossibly hard task sorting them, because they have had
so many great hours of television. The mysteries, the performances…Some entries I’ve picked for the action, others for the drama. But here are my
23 favorite episodes of
LOST:
23. The Economist (4x03)
Sayid is my favorite character. A technical mind, and kick-ass to boot, Season 4’s Flash-forward saw the Iraqi torturer at his badass best, working as an assassin for none other than Ben Linus.
22. The Hunting Party (2x11)
“Light em up!” Michael has deserted the camp in search of his kidnapped son. When Jack, Sawyer and Locke go after him, they have their unforgettable first major confrontation with The Others, who order them to back down.
21. The Long Con (2x13)
The con man at his trickster best, Sawyer uses the animosity between Jack and Locke to gain control over the only thing that holds power around here anymore: the guns
20. Exodus (1x23-1x24)
The first in a tradition of amazing cliffhangers, LOST’s Season 1 finale saw some of the castaways set sail in search of rescue, while the rest tried to find a way to blow open the mysterious hatch. The Others make their presence known with a surprising move.
19. Lockdown (2x17)
We finally get a taste of what
could happen if the button is not pushed. Immobilized, Locke has to rely on the one person he shouldn’t trust- his prisoner. And a hidden map revealing even more secrets is revealed.
18. Greatest Hits (3x21)
Dominic Monaghan’s finest hour sees Charlie list the best moments of his rather pathetic life, as he prepares to do one last thing that finally matters. His #1 moment? Meeting Claire.
17. The Man from Tallahassee (3x13)
Locke and Ben Linus loaded discussion about being special on the island- right before John blows up their submarine! More importantly, the truth of how he ended up in a wheelchair is finally revealed.
16. Confidence Man (1x08)
Sawyer gets his first backstory, and it’s a tragic one that paints the roughneck in an entirely new light. On island, Sayid tortures him for information, in the most amazing way I’ve ever seen.
15. Dr. Linus (6x07)
The show explores the kind of good man Benjamin Linus might have been under different circumstances. On-island, facing death, he has a heartbreaking confession about killing Jacob.
14. The Other 48 Days (2x07)
In a cool change of perspectives, we follow the presumed dead tail section survivors on the other side of the island. And we find that they actually had things
much worse than our castaways did.
13. All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues (1x11)
The creepy discovery that somebody among them isn't who he seems, drives the conflict in this episoed which kicked it up a notch with Ethan, the first truely tangible island threat the castaways encounter.
12. The End (6x17)
Series finales are a tricky thing. It’s hard to please everyone, but I commend
LOST for wrapping up the island saga in an exciting way, giving closure to the characters with a final curtain call for the cast.
11. The Man Behind the Curtain (3x20)
Think of this as the villain origin story. We discover Ben never was born on the island, but when he got there, he played a key role in the war between the Dharma Initiative and the Natives. It was called The Purge
10. The Constant (4x05)
An insanely popular episode among fans and the creators alike,
The Constant is a time-jumping mind[frick] that could destroy Desmond unless he re-connects with the love of his life, on Christmas Eve!
9. The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham (5x07)
Locke’s story is probably the saddest of all the characters. Unable to convince the Oceanic 6 to back to the island, John sees no other solution. There is a lot of tragic irony at play in this tear-jerking hour.
8. The Incident (5x16, 5x17)
What if you could change your fate? Take it all back? The season 5 finale poses these very questions, in its great push towards the last season. It also finally reveals the identity of Jacob- right before killing him!
7. LA X (6x01, 6x02)
The direct follow up to
The Incident shows Flight 815 never crashed! The bomb worked! But something about this reality seems…off. And yet on the Island, the bomb didn’t work. And the castaways have to deal with the fallout. A brilliant new construct, The flash-sideways, is born.
6. There's No Place Like Home (4x12-4x14)
All through season 4, the big question was how the Oceanic 6 escaped the island. It’s all explained in this 2-episode, 3-hour opus, in which Ben desperately moves the island, right before Whidmore can get his hands on it.
5. Ab Aeterno (6x09)
“Imagine this island as a cork…”
Without a doubt the best standalone episode
LOST ever produced, the first act plays like a genuine period film. Then, Richard Alpert gets shipwrecked on the island, and meets the demi-gods who grant him immortality.
4. Walkabout (1x04)
“Don’t tell me what I can’t do!”
For most new shows, it takes about 3 or 4 episodes for viewers to decide if they are in for the long haul or not. For this series,
Walkabout is definitely the hook. John Locke, Mr. Survival, gets his backstory reveal here, and it’s the biggest swerve imaginable: Turns out he was in a wheelchair?! This was the first ending that really blew everyone away, and got the theories churning.
3. The Shape of Things to Come (4x09)
“He changed the rules”
Benjamin Linus finally faced a situation he couldn’t outsmart. And it cost him dearly. This episode in an absolute favorite for having the greatest smoke monster attack, and for watching Ben be a mastermind in the modern world. His chilling promise in Whidmore’s bedroom sets the stakes for their war.
2. Through the Looking Glass (3x22, 3x23)
“We have to back!”
I would call this arguably the most important episode of the entire series. The Season 3 finale reinvigorated LOST with Charlie’s great sacrifice to save the others, and Jack’s tearful plea; introducing us all to the game-changing Flash-Forward.
1. Pilot (1x01, 1x02)
“Guys. Where are we?”
An eye opens...The wreckage and chaos...It doesn’t get much better than the one that started it all. The incredibly addictive, incredibly watchable debut episode of
LOST plays like a movie unto itself. It says something that it raised the bar as one of the most expensive pilots ever made, and with a combination of real characters, smart writing, and an ominous creature in the jungle, a phenomenon was born.
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So much to discuss, so little time! Finally, I'll close off with a trip down memory lane. A bunch of the other people, places, and things that made this show great. These are a randomized collection of
42 other great moments to celebrate about LOST
So that will do it. I’d like to think LOST has left an indelible mark on the television landscape since its debut in 2004. They helped sci-fi gain mainstream status in primetime again, popularized serialized television (with the help of
24), and reignited water-cooler buzz. They may not have invented the wheel, but they sure perfected it. And that's not to mention how they raised the bar for television production values, and of course, the flashback device, which is now used everywhere. The emphasis on large ensemble casts, the radical push for shorter seasons (on cable sure, but network tv? Bollucks!) They were a bold series doing a lot of things other shows weren’t, and some even credit it for ushering in the new golden era of television we’re in right now.
Here’s to L O S T. Thanks for everything
http://youtu.be/NJp37Rm2O-U