Contains spoilers for Lost, if that's something you care about in 2022.
Lost and Race
In Season 1, one of the most striking things about the show is how fresh 9/11 was in the minds of the largely American audience, and the writers. The character James "Sawyer" Ford begins as a selfish, rude character who pushes people away because he believes he doesn't deserve kindness. Part of how he does this is through making racist remarks, especially towards Sayid Jarrah- a character from Iraq, and a former member of the Special Republican Guard. One of the roughest moments to see is when Sawyer accuses him of crashing the plane and insists he must be a terrorist.
My fond memories of Sawyer from the show's first airing (and my 2 rewatches) felt jarring with this Season 1 experience. I was left wondering: Did I really not notice how fucked up that is? Did I just forgive him? Did I just excuse that?
Through subsequent seasons, Sawyer comes to know Sayid and other characters of color for who they are. He stops judging them based on his racist preconceived notions and develops as a character. He goes so far as to be willing to die for some of these friends. As I watched, I realized why my memories had remained so fond of this contentious character. The impression left on me was always from the last few seasons, where Sawyer is charming, loyal, and changed for the better.
On one hand, Lost is so steeped in the white perspective that I truly believe the showrunners think someone can (mostly) unlearn racism by making a few non-white friends. It gave me the sense at first that they almost believed racism was just something "people do to be mean" sometimes rather than a deeply held belief.
On the contrary, I think it was a good conclusion to Sawyer's friendship arc to have him become close friends with Jin-Soo Kwon and Michael Dawson. (Both of whom are some of the only main characters of color on the show.) When characters have to grow as people over a short time for TV drama, I think it sort of works to have Sawyer go through life-altering events with Jin and Michael, and then emerge a better person, with a new perspective on the people he used to other.
However, the treatment still feels flippant. This is still a show where I could imagine someone feeling dissatisfied with this arc, and choosing to walk away from the show as a result. Among a myriad of issues, Lost contains numerous racist character archetypes. Many of them aged poorly. This section is not exhaustive of all of those issues. I am not the best expert to speak about this, but I wanted to share my feelings. Their existence was glaring, and I didn't believe it was appropriate to skip over talking about them in this retrospective.
I'll close this section with a quote from Harold Perrineau, speaking on the treatment of his character, Michael Dawson, along with Michael's son, Walt Lloyd.
"Listen, if I'm being really candid, there are all these questions about how they respond to black people on the show. Sayid gets to meet Nadia again, and Desmond and Penny hook up again, but a little black boy and his father hooking up, that wasn't interesting? Instead, Walt just winds up being another fatherless child. It plays into a really big, weird stereotype and, being a black person myself, that wasn't so interesting."- Harold Perrineau (TV Guide interview, 2008)
Lost and Women
The showrunners were huge fans of killing off women for the sake of giving the men angst. However, I'm not going to list every female character here that died to fuel future male character growth. That would be pointless. It just feels like a staple of media during the time Lost came out, which is unfortunate.
The show also seemed to use the "desire for motherhood" as a common plot device for most of the women in the main cast. It felt natural in some areas, like with Claire Littleton. Her main plot began with an accidental pregnancy, and her struggles revolved around the conflict of both keeping and raising her son Aaron. However, with Kate Austen and Sun-Hwa Kwon, the wanting children felt like an afterthought.
Sun's eventual death revolves around her and Jin agreeing to never part again. Before their deaths (together, while holding hands), Sun had their child while off the island. While Kate is dead set on bringing Claire off the island so she can raise Aaron, Sun doesn't insist that Jin escape the submarine without her so that he can raise their daughter. I get where she's coming from, and her daughter will be fine, but it felt odd. Like, why give her the pregnancy plot at all? For drama, yes. To increase the stakes of her getting stuck on the island, sure. But her conclusion with Jin versus her early arcs felt like a sign to me that the showrunners didn't know how her and Jin's plots would conclude.
Overall, I believe that many of the women on Lost are well-written, dimensional, and varied. I think this show just has unfortunate Early-2000s-Pop-Culture syndrome. It's misogynistic sometimes, but not so much so that women aren't people on the show. (Most of the time.)
Lost and Religion
Lost appears to engage with western Christianity in complete earnest for many moments in the show. Many characters who represent faith, such as Mr. Eko, are explicitly religious. The show even goes so far as to name one of the guardian-type figures near the end of the show (the ghost of Jack's Dad) Christian Shephard. It's laden with religious symbology. If Lost weren't a mystery thriller that eventually extended beyond the themes of faith and science, I could almost mistake some moments for being part of a Christian Lifetime movie.
Jack Shephard's main arc of moving away from science alone, and taking a leap of faith, is shrouded in Christian symbolism. To grow as a character, he has to believe in something greater than himself that he doesn't understand. In this case, he has to accept that he and the other plane crash survivors were candidates, to be vetted for a great purpose by Jacob.
Part of why Lost doesn't just become a Christian Lifetime film is because characters like Jacob are flawed. For all of his immense power, he's killed by a mortal man. He and his brother, the Man in Black (MiB), argue and fight. There's a Greek god-like drama between them that mortals are caught in the middle of. The narrative makes it clear that Jacob didn't run things right, and that even though characters needed to have faith in the fact that there was something special about the island, they still had to realize that Jacob is still just a person.
Even though John Locke is set up as an apostle-like figure at the beginning of the show, he eventually becomes someone whose beliefs destroy him. In a flashback, his Mother even claims he was born from immaculate conception as part of a grift. He then learns that isn't true. Claire Littleton sees him with black sclera in a flashback, hinting at his future. When he appears to return to the island, the followers of Jacob believe that he was resurrected. Even though they follow him at first, it's later revealed that he's the MiB in disguise. I believe this imagery can easily be read as a metaphor for a satanic figure that disguises himself as someone holy. But, I believe it holds more weight in the story as being part of a drama of humans and demi-gods.
Contrary to that, the ending of Lost has every character standing in a church, being bathed in white light. There are symbols from other religions on the stained glass windows, but it feels like a strange concession to their existence, rather than a celebration. While the showrunners clearly wanted to be progressive, I think that they were still limited by their own experiences.
While Lost has a complicated relationship with Christianity, other religions, and the symbols it chooses to use. While it's rich with metaphors and symbols across the narrative, it's still firmly lodged within western Christian beliefs and storytelling sensibilities.
Character Breakdowns
I'm going to do a rundown of every character in Lost that I have any thoughts on, starting from the most minor to the most important. Feel free to skip the minor characters (and/or main characters) in this section if you're not interested in them- it's a long list. I used the wiki as a basis for ordering them, so it's not my fault that somehow Rousseau and Jacob are listed as minor characters (???).
Minor Characters
Randy Nations - This guy is hilarious, and I think it's very funny that Lost kept returning to him in flashbacks to mock him.
Liam Pace - I thought his relationship with Charlie was interesting. Seeing that he was the wilder one when they were in the band was fascinating contrary to my initial assumptions about Charlie.
Woo-Jung Paik - I wish that I could've seen more about him and his relationship with Sun as her Father.
Carmen Reyes - Lillian Hurst was an absolute delight every time she was onscreen.
David Reyes - I hadn't remembered that he was played by Cheech Marin, so that was an awesome surprise on this rewatch. David is a fun character, and he says one of my favorite lines in the show - "You make your own luck."
David Shephard - I think it was honestly kind of funny that the show wanted to give Jack a son in the flash sideways. This kid never existed, so he's purely some sort of phantom of the sideways limbo. What does this mean? Is he conscious? Much to think about.
Yemi - I really enjoyed Adetokumboh M'Cormack's acting.
Kevin Callis - And Nathan Fillion is here! And he's gone.
Geronimo Jackson - He's a lovely bit of lore in the Lost universe. I appreciate that the showrunners were this dedicated to fleshing out fake musicians within the world.
Sarah Shephard - The wiki article states that she's "miraculously healed" after Jack performs surgery on her, but I feel like it's more accurate to say that he did a great job, and it doesn't hurt to have some hope.
Danielle Rousseau - I adore her story in Lost. She goes through incredible pain and loss throughout her story, and I admire the way she survived on the island for so long. I appreciate that she was finally reunited with Alex, but I was so sad to see her die. I like that the flash sideways left her possible reconciliation with Ben ambiguous. (I assume it will be tumultuous.)
Cassidy Phillips - Since she's the Mother of Sawyer's daughter, Clementine, does that mean that Sawyer and Kate will return, join up with Cass, and then all become a happy family? I hope that's what happened.
Jae Lee - His story is super sad. I honestly was hoping that Sun would run away with him, despite already knowing his ending.
Nadia Jazeem - I was really taken by her and Sayid's story, and I'm so sad that she died to further his negative character growth. I feel like his character development could've been more compelling if he rejected love despite having someone off the island to return to. There's the concept of having a constant to guide you for many characters (Desmond and Penny, for example), and seeing someone reject love outright due to self-hatred could have been more interesting than just hitting her with a car.
Dianne Janssen - Kate's Mother is a complicated figure. I wish that the showrunners would've dived a little deeper into what made her defend Kate's stepfather, and turn Kate in.
Christian Shephard - I think it's fascinating that he went from an irresponsible, tortured man to being a spiritual guide towards the end of the show in the flash sideways. He's an angel guide in the flash sideways, and a devil trickster as the MiB on the island. No matter who he is, he's still just a man, even when he's actually a demi-god-disguise-hallucination.
Caesar - You get pickpocketed by Ben? Of all people?
Bram - The actor Brad William Henke is pretty cool. This character didn't do a lot.
Anthony Cooper - I hate this character the most. He's interesting, but maybe one of the most reprehensible and unlikable people on the show. I think one of the funniest things about him is that he can't be bothered to just stay in contact with John or still go shooting with him after he takes his kidney. Like, why not just still be John's buddy? Why abandon him outright? I also enjoy that he's part of one of the coolest early twists- Ben just opening a door, showing John that his Dad is on the island.
Aaron Littleton - The Most Important Baby Ever
George Minkowski - I primarily know this actor as Hugo on Succession.
Zoe - I read that fans didn't like that she got so much screen time, but I enjoyed her brief presence.
Martin Keamy - Keamy is a fun secondary antagonist. He's absolutely evil, but in a way that's more exciting than Anthony Cooper. He also has the privilege of being part of one of the most heartbreaking moments on the show: the death of Alex. I really liked his plot with the dead man's switch as well.
Naomi Dorrit - Poor Naomi didn't have to die. I know she was working for Widmore, but I miss her.
Matthew Abaddon - Abaddon gets a lot of great flashback moments, and I wish I could've seen more of him.
Penny Widmore - I adore Penny's place in the narrative. I really enjoy that she spent time searching for Desmond, and I loved that she was able to find him because him causing the Swan station to explore at the end of season 2. All of Desmond's plots with her were heartfelt, sincere, and tear-jerking.
Charles Widmore - I like how half of these wiki summaries end with "and then Ben shoots him dead". Widmore is no exception. I think he was an okay villain, and I liked the game he seemed to play with Ben. It felt like the writers didn't quite know where they were going with him at first, so I loved when his antagonism kicked into high gear during season 6.
Roger Linus - I love that our first intro to him is as a skeleton in the van. This dude sucks.
Kelvin Joe Inman - Clancy Brown is always a delight
Pierre Chang - The arc of his character is masterful. I enjoy seeing him first in the orientation films, and then later as a real live person. I enjoy that at first he seems cold, but later listens to Daniel Faraday and Miles Straume. It's very sweet how Miles got to know his Dad better and realized that he had sent him and his Mom away to protect them. This adds a lot more texture to a side character that could have otherwise been left one-dimensional.
Tom Friendly - Among a cast of many, I'll always remember Tom as the one gay character they thought to include in the show. I think it's delightful that he's primarily a weird fake-beard-wearing antagonist, and then just goes "oh, you're not my type" to Kate when she's captured. His actor had this to say about his sexuality, which made me chuckle.
"anytime you've got a group of people, somebody's got to be marching to a different drummer- that would be Tom Friendly."- M.C. Gainey
Goodwin Stanhope - His soap opera drama with Juliet and the Others is fantastic. I like how we first meet him though as a duplicitous kidnapper.
Ethan Rom - I didn't realize this actor was related to Tom Cruise, which one of my friends pointed out when they saw the show for the first time. Ethan is a chilling villain and a lot of fun in the flashbacks. I enjoy it when you see him dead-eyed and covered in dirt in the jungle, and then later as a friendly doctor in the flash sideways where he says "Oh, I wouldn't want to stick you with needles!" to Claire.
Eloise Hawking - I enjoy how mysterious she is throughout the show. The slow unveiling of her story is great to watch, and I only wish that Fionnula Flanagan had more screen time. Her circular destiny with her son Daniel is heart-wrenching.
Dogen - I think that he's one of the side characters who might have gotten his own flashback, had there been more time. I wanted to know more about him.
Karl Martin - I barely remember him each rewatch, but I smile every time he shows up. It's so aggressively stupid-funny that Ben imprisons Alex's boyfriend in an attempt to enforce abstinence. It's SO funny. (I know getting pregnant is dangerous on the island but...Ben. Seriously.
Mikhail Bakunin - Another awesome villain. The moment where he blows up part of the Looking Glass Station is part of one of the coolest moments in the show.
Alex Rousseau/Linus - I'm always delighted every time Alex is onscreen. I love her parts with being a rebel with a slingshot among the Others, and I enjoy seeing her stand up to Ben. I love the dynamic of a tenacious daughter and an evil Dad. Her death scene never ceases to make me cry.
Jacob - I enjoy Jacob as this mysterious figure that stands behind the Man Behind the Curtain. In his own way, he's just another man behind another curtain. While he's powerful, he's still flawed. He doesn't communicate openly, he talks to either one or a few people at a time, and he allows his followers to be misled and fight among themselves. He's a bad boss. He's hapless, dramatic, organized, and strange. His name itself evokes mystery and wonder. His mistakes were his own downfall.
Man in Black/Smoke Monster - His trickery throughout the show was riveting. I like that because he can't kill Jacob's candidates directly, he tries to do things like lead them off cliffs. He has this fae quality about him in that sense. His smoke monster form is iconic, terrifying, and well-designed.
His motivations feel muddled, though. I have to wonder why he wants to leave the island so badly if everyone on Earth will die if that happens. (I assume they'll die from the primordial evil force that's corked within the island.) Does he just want to die, and take everything else with him? He carries the qualities of a human character who should have deeper motivations, but the gravitas of a god-like figure who has motivations that can't be known.
I don't really have an argument with that part of how he's written though, since he works as a force of nature for the protagonists to stand up against. He doesn't feel like he has to be a character in his own right so much as a thunderstorm they weather.
Neil "Frogurt" - I'm scrolling up the list of Lost characters on Wikipedia, and it's hilarious that Frogurt is listed above Jacob. These are divided by factions, so it makes some sense. But it's hilarious nonetheless.
Vincent - I like the memes where the entire show was just a dream Vincent was having. Vincent is a good boy, and a great plot device. His laying down next to Jack at the end always makes me tearful.
Seth Norris - This poor pilot.
Edward Mars - I didn't realize his name was so on the nose. (Mars, god of War.) This guy is almost cartoonishly evil.
Scott & Steve - Fantastic running gag.
Rose Nadler - Rose is a wonderful anchor of logic and calmness throughout the show. She's always a voice of reason, and always concerned with the present reality of situations. L. Scott Caldwell is a talented actress. I appreciate that every time the survivors came back and saw her and Bernard, she wanted them to go away as fast as possible so that they wouldn't bring their plot trouble with them. I also really loved the early reveal that she wasn't just in denial of Bernard's death- he was actually alive! It was such a fantastic moment of triumph in the show.
Bernard Nadler - I really enjoy that Rose and Bernard ended up staying on the island through the end of the series. He's a more emotional, impulsive component to the relationship, and provides a nice foil to Rose.
Emma and Zach - These kids just sort of joined the Others with Cindy and we never saw them again. Huh.
Cindy Chandler - Every time I saw her, I would yell and point because she only seemed to show up at inopportune times, and on the opposite faction of the survivors. It's very funny to me that she aligned with the MiB at the end to survive, survived Widmore, and now is just sort of around. I'm sure Hurley will forgive her.
Leslie Arzt - Arzt is one of many stand-out side characters in Lost. I love that he's one of the characters who accuses the main cast of running off alone, being a clique, and never telling anyone anything. It's true, and it's hilarious!
Nikki and Paulo - I thought they were really funny, in the same vein that Arzt is. They were right about the main cast always running off, and I thought their centric episode was super clever. It's amazing that the showrunners were able to include this dark comedy episode in the middle of all the mystery-thriller content. I like how we got to see iconic events in the show from their perspective, and then get to see this mini-mystery unravel in the middle of it. Their live burial at the end was TERRIFYING. No matter how much fans hate them, Nikki and Paulo are ICONIC parts of Lost.
Major Characters
Ilana Verdansky - I enjoyed her screentime, but I thought it was sad that she died from a dynamite accident. She was pretty cool.
Miles Straume - I remember having fond memories of Miles from when the show first aired, and I'm always thrilled to see him when he shows up in season 4. I enjoy his flashback episodes a lot, Ken Leung is always an awesome actor.
Libby Smith - I'm always so heartbroken when Libby dies. Her plot with Hurley was amazing, and it sucks that her story had to end so soon. I found it interesting that fans had pointed out her being in the mental institution as a "plot hole" when it really just seemed like a narrative device to connect why she and Hurley found each other familiar.
Jack Shephard - My feelings about Jack have changed a lot since the show first aired. The first time I saw the show, I dislike him. He's the most main a main character can be, and I found his story unrelatable and uninteresting. As a kid, he always seemed upset to me for no reason and made choices that I thought were illogical.
Into adulthood, I slowly came to understand him through my watch-throughs as Lost. I ended up getting the aspect of his character where he won't allow himself to ask others for help. I know how he feels when he has a ton of pressure on him, and he feels like he has to do everything alone. In my personal life, I've had to come to terms with knowing that I can't do everything alone. I've had to learn to lean on people and take leaps of faith, even when I can't know all of the information.
Jack's social awkwardness and awful bedside manner ended up endearing as well. Instead of me seeing him as just "dumb" or mean, I know get how difficult it can be to talk to others. I have trouble communicating sometimes too, and often make myself extra clear, just so I can be understood. (Ironically, this has made me a fantastic communicator.) Granted, I'm on the autistic spectrum. Jack isn't confirmed to be, but sometimes it's nice to imagine he is.
I enjoy that Jack's arc closed with him choosing Hurley as the successor, and staying on the island so that the others can escape. I love a narrative that begins and ends in the same place. Jack's beginning and Jack's ending are two of the greatest shots in television history.
He's also got some of the most iconic lines. I don't say "We have to live together, or we're going to die alone" a lot, but I do exclaim "We have to go back to the island!" at every opportunity.
Shannon Rutherford - I had neutral feelings about her during my first couple of watch-throughs, but I really fell in love with her this time around. I'm a sucker for the mean girl archetype, and I really love how the writers and Maggie Grace expanded upon this trope. I love so much that her driving desire was to be taken seriously and to be trusted with something for once. The way Boone treated her was awful, and it's no wonder she believed for such a long time that she wasn't capable of doing anything.
Her relationship with Sayid in the show was so tender. I appreciate that the writers went out of their way to write this more unlikely love story. It worked- I love it.
Hugo "Hurley" Reyes - Hurley is a brilliant character. His episodes are some of the best ones in the series. His optimism and humor are contagious and love that he struggles to stay positive. I love his arc of how he goes from thinking he's unlucky, and can never do anything right, to realizing that he can take care of people. His moral compass is always pointed in the right direction, and Jack recognized that when he named him the protector of the island. From the beginning, the right candidate choice wasn't someone who couldn't accept help, who was self-sacrificing, or who would let their zealotry destroy them- it was just someone who knew what was right, and who wanted to help, no matter what. He's flawed, lovable, and admirable. I can't gush enough about how much I love Hurley.
Charlie Pace - The ups and downs of Charlie's arcs were always exciting to watch. He's an amazing character in the early narrative of the show, and I feel like his arc was placed just right within the context of the series. He had a magnificent redemption and one of the most iconic scenes in the entire show. He's funny, lovable, sometimes hatable, and always a joy onscreen.
John Locke - I was obsessed with John as a child for some reason. I was asking one of my friends why, and they said it was because he had "funny grandpa" energy, which is true. It's probably the same reason why Walt liked him. He throws knives. He has a sick scar. He's cool. I felt this earnest love for him as a kid, and then as I watched the show, again and again, I realized that he was pathetic, desperate, and just barely clinging to scraps of faith. That made his character all that richer for me.
I adore his plot with Ben, where he's being manipulated and led around. I love that he's pitted against Jack as the faith versus the science. I also really enjoy that he's constantly railing against an inevitable destiny. Boone is killed because of his desperation and hubris. He believes so strongly that he falls apart every time his faith isn't met halfway. Terry O'Quinn is masterful in his acting. He's compelling, brilliant, and magnetic onscreen.
One of my favorite scenes in all of television is when Ben talks Locke down from the ledge, only to strangle him afterward. Locke is vulnerable, afraid, and willing to lean on the person he should trust the least, all because he has the littlest sliver of hope for him. I adore Locke.
Walt Lloyd - My main wish for Walt is that he had more screen time in future seasons. I loved his presence on the island and his conflict with Michael, and it was great to see his moments reading comics, playing with Vincent, and spending time with Locke. I don't normally go for "Chosen One" type narratives, but I found Walt's compelling. The showrunners seem to drop him out of the story in later seasons, but I feel like his loose end is properly rectified in the short "The New Man in Charge."
Claire Littleton - I found Claire's story to be really sweet. Her relationship with Charlie was nice, and I like that she slowly found her self-confidence as the show went on. I'm not sure that I understand why the showrunners had her choose to follow the MiB (in the form of Christian Shephard) towards the end of the show. I don't get why she was swayed so easily, or why she thought that Kate had "stolen" Aaron from her. I think that this was done so that she could be the spiritual successor to Rousseau, but I don't know if it worked for me personally.
Ben Linus - I can't praise Michael Emerson enough for the performance that changed my life. Ben is one of my favorite television characters of all time. He's conniving, brilliant, funny, and strange. The nuances that Emerson brings to his performance are wonderful. His rollercoaster arcs of lying, redemption, lying again, and trying to claw his way back into control are masterpieces of TV. I can't get enough of this dude. Also, I totally had a crush on him as a kid.
The contentious relationships he forges with other characters are fascinating. I love his conversations with Locke, Sayid, and Juliet especially. He always tries to hold this power over others but is often left in a worse position as a result of his hunger for control. He comes up with these great plans and sometimes succeeds. But, he ends up being thwarted by weaknesses out of his control, that are innate to human nature. He has so many amazing turning points throughout the series. Shooting Locke, seeing Alex die, pretending to be Henry Gale, moving the island, strangling Locke, killing Jacob, the list goes on.
All of these acts of jealousy, rage, frustration, and control culminate in him breaking down, and asking why Jacob wouldn't talk to him. It's heartbreaking. I love a twisted villain who finds redemption and is given texture and dimensions. His flashbacks are always a joy, and his ultimate ending is one of the most satisfying conclusions to any character arc I've ever seen. Rarely in media do we get to see awful villains grow as people, and live beyond the end of their redemption arc. Death isn't required to become "good" in the world of Lost, which is something I appreciate.
Charlotte Lewis - I enjoy that her arc was wrapped up in the same circular plot as Daniel Faraday's. I believe that characters in Lost can thwart destiny, and the fact that they constantly are the architects of their own doom is interesting. It pushes a character-driven narrative, where even destiny is something that you build yourself.
Frank Lapidus - I enjoy the fact that the showrunners needed to throw in another average everyman to highlight how strange the main characters were behaving. He's an easygoing character that fit in well in the last few seasons. I love the moment where he's on Ajira 316, and realizes that the Oceanic Six are on his flight. Poor Frank.
Sun-Hwa Kwon - Sun's character arc is satisfying. She goes from being meek to expressing her feelings, and standing up for what she knows is important. I like that she always had these useful talents within her (medicinal plants, gardening), and was one of the main pillars of support for a lot of the characters. Her conversations with Michael are some of my favorite scenes in the show.
Her relationship with Jin was something that I don't if I'll ever fully understand, though. While they're clearly in love, and I cry every time they reunite, my mind constantly returns to their flashbacks. Jin's shouting, controlling behavior, and general treatment of her has rubbed me the wrong way enough on my watch throughs that I can never fully buy into the epic love story the showrunners present. I know that he changes throughout the story and that Sun chooses to be with him. I'll just always have a complicated relationship with the narrative of Sun and Jin.
Jin-Soo Kwon - Having already covered how I feel about Sun and Jin as a couple, I want to focus on Jin's personal arc. I really feel his angst when it comes to not feeling like he's good enough for Sun, and having to prove himself to her Father to be with her. He's willing to go so far to stay with Sun, and it's admirable.
I also enjoy seeing the scenes with him and Michael. Their relationship going from hatred to love is one of the most rewarding narratives in the show. I think that overall, Jin has grown on me across my watch throughs. Daniel Dae Kim is forever charming.
Sayid Jarrah - Sayid is another one of my favorites. I adore the archetype of an anti-hero being told that they can only be a killer and a torturer. That they can only hurt people. And then dealing with the consequences of internalizing that they're only capable of death and pain, and can't be useful in any other way. Sayid's centering of his self-worth on his usefulness as a "weapon" to be used, rather than a complete human with multitudes is painful to watch. Seeing him then find love, create friendships, and understand that he's capable of tenderness is wonderful.
He has a quiet intellect, and a direct way of speaking that's endearing. Naveen Andrews did a fantastic job. Even though when the show first aired, I was just upset at his ending, the way his arc went has grown on me. My heart broke all over again when he asked Ben who else he could kill off the island, and Ben told him "There is no one else here who can hurt your friends. You're free." Sayid looked like he didn't know what else to do. He had wanted to fiercely protect his friends, and when there was no one left to hurt, he was left alone, and without purpose.
When he was resurrected in season 6, I don't know that I still fully understand what the infection was that Dogen was talking about. I wish they had expanded upon it more. I'm glad though that even though his "humanity" was waning, he still did one last heroic act, to save his friends.
Desmond Hume - Desmond is frantic, funny, and harrowed through his time on Lost. Some of his episodes are the best (The Constant), and he seems to roll with the punches as they come. I love that his tendency to want to run away from things continually locked him into a specific destiny, to a point where he's always falling out of the frying pan, and into the fire. His stories revolving around Penny are always a joy, and he's one of my favorite characters to see onscreen.
James "Sawyer" Ford - As I noted in the first section of this essay, I have complicated feelings about Sawyer as a character. Stepping away from those thoughts, Josh Holloway brings an immense charm to this character that no one else ever could. He gives life to Sawyer's development from a curmudgeonly asshole to a friend who would readily die to protect someone else. All of Sawyer's idiosyncrasies, like his nicknames, his bookishness, and his incredible triumph at solving a puzzle designed for animals bring levity to the show. He matures as the seasons go on, becoming especially level-headed when he's LaFleur with the Dharma Initiative.
I say this with love: His story almost feels like a coming of age story, but for a man-child, rather than a child-child. Like the classic literature that surrounds him, he goes from a conman to a partner, and then a hero in his own right. It takes a long time for him to accept the invitation to adventure on the hero's journey, but his hesitance to begin is what makes his arc so delightful.
Daniel Faraday - Daniel's tangled narrative is so interesting to witness. I liked seeing the connections to him and Eloise Hawking eventually emerge, and then later the culmination of his circular narrative in her killing him. Daniel and Charlotte's stories following one after another were poetic. I think it's sort of funny too how after it's established that Penny being Desmond's constant is an expression of love, Daniel immediately scribbles down "Desmond is YOUR constant!!!" I wish it was gay, but it's not.
Mr. Eko - Mr. Eko's positioning in the narrative lends to a few unfortunate stereotypes, which I won't expand upon here.
The actor himself spoke on in better than I could. Beyond that, I found Mr. Eko to be one of the most compelling mid-show characters. I loved his presence with the Tailies, and I adored his obsession with the button and faith. He provided a great foil to Locke when needed. His encounters with the smoke monster were brilliant and beautiful. He's one of the characters who while I wish he'd stuck around more, I understand why Adewale Akinnuoye-Agnaje chose to leave the show.
Michael Dawson - Michael is an unforgettable part of Lost. His beginning interactions with Sun and Jin add so much to the show. I love how much Harold Perrineau contributed to the character. His portrayal of staunch, passionate, and rocky fatherhood felt like a key part of the heart of the first two seasons. When he returned in season 4, I was reminded of how sad I was when I realized he didn't come back as a regular. I wanted to continue to see his character grow and change, but I feel like the narrative robbed Perrineau of the opportunity to keep expanding upon Michael.
I also think it was too harsh of a fate to have him be trapped in "Whisper hell" (trapped on the island as one of those whispering spirits) as fellow fans like to call it. I know that with The Man in Charge short, Walt will eventually find him, reconcile, and help him move on. But it felt so strange to see so much of the seasons 1 and 2 casts, with Michael and Walt completely absent.
I can sort of understand why Walt wasn't there. Three possible reasons: He's still alive, and the flash sideways only encompassed the Losties who needed to find each other in the afterlife. Or, he's dead, but the most important people in his life didn't end up being any of the Losties. Maybe even more likely: the showrunners knew fans would be confused by seeing an adult Walt rather than a child. Since the actor grew up.
Ana Lucia Cortez - I had a crush on her as a kid, and less so as an adult. When the show aired, I was in the zone of automatically deciding every Michelle Rodriguez character was extremely cool. Into adulthood, much of her plot was challenging to watch. She was a disgraced police officer who then went on to kill multiple unarmed people. This arc always seemed to have its difficulties, but in 2022, it's an especially hard watch.
On the flip side, I appreciated seeing her struggles. I liked her angst, and her fearsome desire to protect the Tailies. Ana Lucia is a complicated character, and I think that overall, the inclusion of her storyline is interesting.
Boone Carlyle - I didn't adequately appreciate Boone on my first few watch throughs. But now, I enjoy him a lot. I love how painfully stupid, helpful, and puppy-like he is. The first few scenes he's in where he's trying to find all the pens for Jack to perform "that throat tube thing" are so endearing. I don't really have any comment on him being in love with his step-sister. It's super weird.
Juliet Burke - I was ambivalent towards her during my first watch-through. However, I later on came to love her. I love her deadpan responses to things, her evolution across the traumas she endures, and her relationship with Sawyer. It feels like she struggled for so long, and then eventually found some happiness, even if it only lasted for a short time. It was heartbreaking to see her recognize Kate coming back into the picture, and then give up her life almost as a result of that.
Kate Austen - Kate is a character that's forever lodged in the time she was created. The archetype of the "woman who's not afraid to be one of the boys!" was prevalent during this time. Though her character grew far beyond just that archetype, I wish that the writers had spent more time giving her depth that didn't have to do with the love triangle she was involved in. I wanted to see more focus on her relationships with other women, primarily, her Mother and Claire. Beyond these thoughts, I liked seeing her onscreen, and I enjoy how she plays off of other characters. I know that a lot of my thoughts on Kate have been altered by Evangeline Lilly's outspoken support of the Canadian trucker rally. (Despite wanting to separate the art from the artist for the sake of this post, I...just don't like Kate as much because of this.)
Richard Alpert - I really love how many people were asking Nestor Carbonell whether or not he had on eyeliner because of this role. Those jokes were super fun. Besides that, I like Richard a lot. His calm attitude, his backstory, and his loyalty all make him fascinating. I also like that part of the slow reveal of Lost's mystery was finding out that he was immortal. I was shocked to realize that one of the cut scenes for streaming (it's available in the "full cut" version on Hulu) was when Miles points out in the finale that he sees a gray hair. Richard is of course, surprised and delighted.
Lost's Overarching Narrative
I'm not going to do a complete plot synopsis, but I will cover my basic thoughts on how well the grand narrative worked. From beginning to end, Lost is a character study. It's a show that demonstrates what people will do for another, to another, and with one another to achieve their goals. It presents a variety of ways to exist as a person and allows unlikely companions to find common ground, antagonize each other, and survive on the island. It excels with its ensemble cast. It touches on numerous themes, ideas, and plots, all of which needed multiple seasons and multiple characters to be adequately explored. Even then, the sprawling plot still loses its way sometimes because of how many things the showrunners wanted to say. Despite these ups and downs, the writers always circled back around to what mattered: the characters. In this way, I don't believe they ever went wrong with the ending. No matter how many technical loose ends might have been left, they still honed in on what happened to everyone and their loved ones during the finale.
After my most recent watch-through, even though I was happy with the ending, I did entertain the idea of looking up what fans considered "unanswered questions" and "loose ends." A lot of these questions I saw being asked fell into four categories:
- "I didn't actually understand what the show told me"
- "I didn't like what the show told me"
- "I need to know about the molecular scientific explanation for all magic and dragons and wizards and fairytales in all media I watch or else it's stupid"
- "I found a real plot hole and I want an answer."
The first category was very forgivable. Lots of fans are happy to explain to people things that occurred in the show Lost. It's a long show, and watching it week-to-week with breaks between seasons with that many plots was tough for a lot of folks. It's much easier when binge-watched. The second category is mildly annoying because it's clear people interpret "plot holes" as "stuff I didn't like" a lot. One of the "plot holes" I saw listed on occasion was "We didn't get to see more of [character]". "I wish Charlie didn't die" also fell into this category.
The third category is grating. I think the podcast that the showrunners ran where they discussed show theories didn't help. A lot of the content surrounding Lost implied it was a sci-fi show, which ran contrary to a lot of the actual content. One of the big conflicts in the show was science versus faith. Often, characters who followed their faith in the first half of the show were able to accomplish their goals, while characters who followed science were frequently incorrect. In the latter half of the show, it turns out that blind faith isn't the key as much as faith in your fellow man is. This further fleshes out the themes of the show by rewarding characters for loyalty, kindness, love, and sacrifice, rather than blindly following a (flawed) leader (Jacob). Genre-wise, the show always felt more like an adventure-action show with mystery and fantasy elements. It's worth noting that it took notes from the game Myst. I think people believing that the show has plot holes because it didn't explain every single element of ritual, magic, and rules is a refusal to engage with Lost on its own playing field. The meat of debating plots in Lost arises from the rules the Others follow, the abilities Jacob and the Man in Black have, how the power of the island is harnessed and accessed, the abilities of the island, and how the candidates can function within these parameters.
When someone stops asking things like "What would Jacob have done if Desmond hadn't failed to enter the code, therefore crashing the plane?" and starts asking "What is the scientific origin of the energy contained within the island?", they're refusing to engage with the premise of the show. Three different people within the show state three different theories about the Heart of the Island/the energy within it. Those boil down to "it's the source of life and death", "it's evil and darkness", and "it's an unknown/undiscovered matter that warps space and time". It's not a bad thing to theorize deeper about world-building, but it's annoying that people label the lack of an explanation as a plot hole. If you read The Hobbit, do you say "I can't believe they didn't explain how Smaug came to exist! Or how he breathes fire! Geez!" No, of course not. Dragons are as endemic to the world of high fantasy as sources of strange energy/light/power are to works of mystery-fantasy-adventure.
For the fourth category: Lost absolutely did leave real plot holes. Just, not as many as fans actually say there are. One of the most glaring ones is Michael and Walt not being the flash sideways (which I already covered earlier in this post). I'm not going to dive deep into more plot holes- there's plenty of that available on numerous online forums.
The End
To this day, I'm left with fond memories of the show Lost. I shared it with my parents as a child, then my partner, and now my best friend. It's a rich, exciting, heartfelt show that deserves the accolades it received. It's dramatic, sometimes silly, and extremely sincere. I look forward to hearing more about what people continue to say about the show in the future and I like hearing from both new and old fans. If you've got anything you'd like to share about when you watched Lost, your thoughts, or comments on this post, feel free to send them in my chatbox! I'd love to talk. :)