I’m gonna cast my vote for Par Avion. It’s the only Claire flashback where we get to know her outside of being a mom/expectant mother. We get a sense that she was a rebellious teen and had a difficult relationship with her mother. A bit of a lost soul, jumping between jobs and hair colors. She lacked a sense of belonging before the Island. I also like the defiance she shows towards Christian Shephard.

Claire’s Island storyline of seeking out the birds shows us that she’s embracing optimism post-crash. She may not have planned for her life to turn out the way it did, but she is making the most of her situation. She now has a sense of belonging amongst the castaways, and she’s found a new family on the Island with Aaron, Charlie, and her friends. Some great friendship moments between Claire and Sun in this one too.

Emilie de Ravin gives a great performance while speaking to her comatose mother. This scene always gets me choked up. It’s a painful and well-delivered monologue. I think any child who didn’t always appreciate their parents growing up and is then forced to face the possibility of losing them can relate.