This Sunday, one of television's most powerful and inventive shows (and one of my all time personal favorites) is coming to an end. After six seasons, Lost is ending. While parts of me desperately wish the show would continue, because I can't imagine my television life without it, choosing an end date for the show three years ago was the best decision the producers made. They didn't have to drag their heels telling a story, they could map it out perfectly and reveal everything they wanted in the time they wanted. I'm dedicating this blog post to Lost, a piece of entertainment as important to me as many films.
Lost is a million different things. It's thought provoking, entertaining, heartbreaking, I don't have enough verbs. Above all, it's about characters. The survivors of Oceanic Flight 816 were broken and have been put back together only to be broken again throughout the series. But they were always compelling and they have soul but they are lost. While I like some more than others, and change my mind about some with second viewings or amazing character development, each has been vital to the island's fascinating story. These characters will live on in the minds and hearts of viewers. I've certainly shed a fair amount of tears for many of them. Below, my top five favorites.
5. Juliet Burke
A fertility specialist recruited to the Island and the Others. For a long time no one was sure whether she was good or evil, but she revealed herself to be on the side of light. She proved herself to be a strong female character and quickly became a favorite of mine. Her death was one of the hardest on me, especially after she developed a romance with Sawyer.
4. Sayid Jarrah
A former torturer with the Iraqi Republican Guard, Sayid has been one of the show's more tragic characters. A man who cannot escape violence but so desperately wanted to. A man constantly looking for ways to redeem himself. He's someone who I was always rooting for to have a happy ending and in a way he did. Though he died during the submarine explosion, he was able to save some of his friends.
3. (tie) James "Sawyer" Ford and Daniel Faraday
Sawyer, the show's resident hunk and one of the main comic reliefs. Lost would not be the same without him. A reliable source of entertainment, even in the most serious of moments. Though when he's upset, you bet us viewers are too. Sawyer can pack an emotional punch. He does have one of the most devastating back stories.
I'm not sure why I love Daniel Faraday so much. Maybe his brains, his breathy voice, his tragic death. No idea. But I love him dearly.
2. Ben Linus
One of Lost's most complex characters. Is he good, is he evil, just how evil, can he change, etc. Michael Emerson is just phenomenal. He has superb line delivery and rises above his shrimpy size reduce his presence. He is really one of the greatest TV characters, ever.
1. Desmond Hume (duh)
I've always loved Desmond, even after he'd appeared on one or two episodes and we had no idea who he was. He is noble, intelligent, and gets the job done. Every Desmond episode is a good episode.
*Honorable Mentions*
Hugo "Hurley" Reyes
The title of one of season six's episodes was "Everybody Loves Hugo." Enough said.
Mr. Eko
The Lost writers and producers really wanted to do more with this character, but the actor hated working on the show, so he was given a premature exit. I wish he could've been developed more. What a fascinating guy.
When the writing on Lost is good, it's amazing. There have been some strong plot lines and powerful episodes. Below are my favorites. However, it's really hard to choose, as there have been an abundance of great episodes. But these five really stuck out.
5. "Walkabout" Season 1
John Locke is in a wheelchair? How can this be, he walks on the island?! Great utilization of the show's flashback structure. Plus one of the show's most memorable lines came from this episode. "Don't tell me what I can't do."
4. (tie) "Greatest Hits" and "Through the Looking Glass" Season 3
These three episodes were part of Lost's quality turning point, when the show finally got good again. "Greatest Hits" was Charlie's farewell episode. He made the list of the top five moments of his life, number one meeting Claire. And then he leaves his Drive Shaft ring in Aaron's crib. So much crying.
"Through the Looking Glass" was the season 3 finale that came right after "Greatest Hits." Here we had one of Lost's saddest deaths (Charlie) and some fantastic cliff hangers, including "Not Penny's Boat," the introduction of the flash forward and viewers not knowing how to handle Bearded Jack's request that "We have to go back." This episode changed the game.
3. "The Constant" Season 4
This show was essential to Lost mythology, and really got the time travel storyline going. This episode established Desmond as one of the most important people in the series, but the best part was the Desmond/Penny love story. It seemed that these two would never find each other, until Desmond called Penny on Christmas Eve. Lots of heavy emotion, including love, and affirming Lost as a sci-fi show made "The Constant" one of the best.
2. (tie) "The Man Behind the Curtain" Season 3 and "Ab Aeterno" Season 6
Finally, Ben's back story! Getting insight into his character helped us understand why Ben Linus was Ben Linus. We learned what happened to the Dharma Initiative and what Ben was capable of. This episode helped him become one of the most mesmerizing characters on Lost. This episode cemented his role in the series.
I didn't like "Ab Aeterno" the first time I watched it, but after a second viewing, I realized just how important it was. Finally getting a back story on Richard and learning what exactly the island was was a major reveal.
1. "Pilot" Season 1
One of the best (and most expensive) pilots of any show, ever. Setting up a million different stories and introducing us to fascinating characters, the pilot made an unprecedented impact. There were comparisons to Lord of the Flies, a dog, some kind of monster, viewers were hooked and asked the exact same question as Charlie. "Guys, where are we?"
I don't know if I'm ready for Lost to end. I just hope the ending is satisfactory. I want closure. I've become so incredibly attached to these characters the last six years, I just don't want some BS, over-too-quickly ending. I love this show and I'll miss these characters like crazy.
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