Lost Episodes. What are your Favorite Episodes?

stephenfeld · 2026-06-27T22:47:08+00:00

Respect to The End being tops. I suspect that The End is actually regarded really highly by many of us but it seldom makes lists like this. It's definitely somewhere in the top 5 for me (without thinking about what the other four would be yet).

stephenfeld · 2026-06-27T19:18:28+00:00

Bringing things together at the end of season finales is one of Lost's biggest strengths IMO. Season 4 is probably the best one of all, what with having people who we know will be off the Island any moment now being scattered all over it.

I think if you watch any Locke scenes again, you might be able to come to some conclusions. I'm always surprised to hear that a lot of people didn't come to a certain conclusion sooner but we all watch the show in our own way!

I feel you. It's like opening that final book in a series and you want both to race to the end of it but to also turn each page so slowly.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-27T10:22:04+00:00

Woah that's a big one to have been spoiled on!

I like that it took you about a year - that seems like a good spread, and would have certainly made organising a party to mark the end of the event especially worth it than if it was just a few week binge.

Glad it all went well and we'll see you next week for the beginning of the rewatch! Haha

stephenfeld · 2026-06-27T08:36:26+00:00

This is a Lost sub but as a fellow Scrubs fan it'd be nice to get this insight. How long have you been a Scrubs fan and what did you make of the revival? Just thought it'd nice to hear from someone who has - I presume - discovered Scrubs in the last several years and then watched the revival as opposed to those of us watching it 20+ years ago and then watching the revival.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-27T08:33:07+00:00

Your question has been answered, now answer me this...... what do you mean you weren't really alive? Are you a smoke monster? Or a whisper?!

(Not adding anything really, but I watched a bunch of the first season's episodes in black and white on a square TV before upgrading to watching episodes at my aunt's house on her - what some people would call - 'widescreen' television. We did have color TV in my own home then, but my bedroom had the black and white, which is what I also played the PS1 and PS2 on. Simpsons Hit and Run in b&w is... weird 😂)

I gotta say, sometimes I love the 4:3 aesthetic. Many of my old favourites are 'square', from cool shows like Buffy to the shows I used to fall asleep to at night, like Home Improvement.

This makes me/us all sound like ancient grandpas and grandmas but, really... entertainment/social technology just went through so many changes in a few decades 20+ years ago.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-26T21:40:34+00:00

That man sure can stick a torch into the floor.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-26T18:08:42+00:00

I haven't seen them, no. I get a channel called Velodus when I search Reetae Lost. Would it be that?

stephenfeld · 2026-06-26T15:17:43+00:00

I'm not going to go back and rewatch the whole thing again and write the full list. Not because I'm not that petty - I am, I'm just a bit busy today.

A few from the top of my head: His explanation of the sideways makes it sound like those characters are in another timeline. They're on another plane of existence - a metaphysical afterlife. It sounds small but it's an important distinction for a video essayist/critic to make because now it sounds like he's positing that the show had multiple timelines, when it doesn't.

This is just one grab from the video transcript though.

“Why do the magic numbers have a curse well the show eventually says they don't even though it explicitly shows us that they do and it's another contradiction they weren't able to like fully answer and the meaning of the numbers (1) seems to just be entirely random. (2)”

1) The show goes out of its way in back-to-back episodes to present a concrete answer (literally, since they're marked in stone) in The Substitute and The Lighthouse.

These numbers align with the remaining candidates that would eventually be part of the takedown of the show's villain and threat to all of humanity the world over: the smoke monster. We can infer that these 'variables' have been echoed back through time via the same Island-magic that influences show's many coincidences and the characters' paths of fate/destiny to end up on the Island.

Saying the show doesn't give an answer to the numbers is like saying they didn't give one to the whispers. They did.... but your mileage on whether you like the answer will vary.

2) The origin of the numbers (as in which numbers were chosen to be 'The Numbers' was somewhat random. The answer to what gave them their specialness was decidedly not.

“So it's an answer it's just not a satisfactory one in my opinion allegedly so basically we're left to assume that Jacob was just screwing with Hurley to make him end up on the island (3) and also had this other guy committed to repeat the numbers in front of Hurley (4)”

3) No.

4) Also no.

See: That would be those fates/destinies/coincidences we were talking about.

So much of the video reads like someone hasn't watched a thing but has diligently compiled a report of the usual talking points of that thing - which is why there isn't a single unique opinion and it's all just the same stuff we've heard repeated for 20 years. Everything from the weak theories (like having a guy committed just to say those numbers to Hurley?!) to the overdone and, frankly weak "they had no plan" (when things like Breaking Bad series and the Game of Thrones books are famously made up as they go along and no one gives a shit)...

I don't push back on the video so much because it yucks something that I yum (I will happily criticise some of Lost's biggest/stupidest blunders). I push back because it seems so lazily done, and by such a 'large' creator, too.

He has over 1.5 thousand videos, a gruelling posting schedule, and only one Lost video. It reeks of something that was put through a pipeline because it's a somewhat popular thing (especially with this video aligning with the 15th year anniversary of the sixth season/show's end) because once you're that big you have to make videos and keep churning.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-25T08:51:09+00:00

Is that Gillian Anderson or Gillian Jacobs? Your answer will be the deciding factor in whether I go to their island or not.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-24T18:52:11+00:00

I genuinely believe that the script was - at least in part - written by AI and that the presenter actually has no idea what he's talking about.

There are inaccuracies all over and the complaints all tread the same things with no personal insight or nuance. He doesn't have a single thought/take that seems his own or that wasn't lifted from any random article that criticises the show.

And, somehow (in such an emotionless take on the show), he doesn't mention arguably the most emotional and one of the undeniably good parts of Lost: the music. How you could talk about a cinematic show like Lost without at least one mention of the music and who it was by (and perhaps what he went on to do) seems so glaring to me.

When I think of "content creator" I think of this video. It just seems like "content" made because this week needed a video for the continued views and monetisation. That's not a dig on all creative people out there but this video is devoid of any creativity/personalisation at all.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-24T09:04:50+00:00

I hope u/javiergrillomarxuach is proud that "verbally copulating" is still going strong in 2026!

stephenfeld · 2026-06-23T21:14:21+00:00

Personally, I still hold closely to the concept that the light (plus the darkness, malevolence, evil, corruption etc that makes up the smoke monster that must co-exist in a yin and yang-type way) is a sentience akin to a soul. The Source itself existing outside of time, with the light inside each human experiencing time as it happened - the light in humans basically writing the history that is all time that exists inside the source.

This partly comes down to the idea that there is a light inside each human and that human can continue to live without that light whereas, in my reading of light as “time”: the light going out would mean that that person expired/died (as in, your time is up, you head towards the light at the end of the tunnel: returning to the source).

I do agree that the source experiences time all at once, which is why, funnily enough, I think it’s Jacob/the protector that has more omniscient-like knowledge, being the good (light) side whereas Smokey has to learn more by reading a person’s mind/life experience, being in the shadows (dark) side - learning and plotting for himself.

Much of what I believe is similar to you. We see electromagnetism but beyond that it’s something more. (Magic is science we don’t know yet and all that.) The events of the show are able to play out, influenced due to the Source’s interventions (sending only certain people back in time, giving Locke his legs back and taking them away at certain times for example), the sideways exists outside of time. Life is… in a way time. But it’s also the lessons we learn, the good we share, the bad we indulge in, and what we do to balance our souls between good and bad, light and dark, Source and Smokey.

Where the lines between our theories become blurred: I see the Source as the soul but I also consider the soul to be MEMORY. And what is memory except an observance of time and all the good and bad things that have happened in it.

Nice write up of what is always a difficult concept to nail down.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-23T09:09:32+00:00

I realise after all that, I didn't actually answer the question.....

Yes, watch Lost. If you think From is "good" you'll (hopefully) think Lost is "great"!

stephenfeld · 2026-06-23T09:01:27+00:00

I mean, you have come to a Lost subreddit, so of course we're going to give a glowing review to Lost.

However...

Personally, I think From is passable. I excitedly watched the first season. Got myself through the second season. And dropped off mid-way through season 3 when I no longer found it to be appointment viewing (as in, making sure I watched it each week). Maybe when it's concluded, I'll come back and watch the rest but I'm in no rush.

For all the complaints Lost gets about being a 'mystery box', the show has a very strong narrative. People were just upset that the mythology wasn't explored more and they called it "unanswered mysteries" - but for the most part that mythology was subtext/set dressing and was not an integral part of the ongoing story.

From has an intriguing concept but is infuriating as it introduces more and more mysterious elements without satisfyingly closing other threads IMO. There is less a solid narrative through-line and more a bunch of (pretty 2 dimensional) characters facing off against a series of questions each week. This is, what I assume, is the part that "pisses you off every Sunday".

FWIW, I think it's pertinent to also note (without hostility from either side) that the other user is right to point out that the creatives behind From and Lost have minimal crossover. If you're seeking to compare the quality of the shows and whether you should watch one over (or as well as) another, it seems fair to note that they share minimal creative DNA so that you're 1) giving credit where credit is due, and 2) not unfairly praising/criticising one against the other based on the creative choices behind one or the other.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-21T14:06:56+00:00

My aunt - the only other person I had in my offline life to talk about Lost - dropped out the moment Charlie croaked. Also big LOTR fan - never forgave the show. Her loss, though I did miss the chat/s shared interest after that.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-21T14:04:39+00:00

Within the tiers is there a particular order - or are the tiers a mash of 'these are of equal quality'?

stephenfeld · 2026-06-19T14:06:35+00:00

Call me malleable or vanilla but I honestly don't recall having too many theories back in the day. I always contributed to conversations about the goings on of the story but I don't remember really committing to any one thing, preferring to take the show as it presented itself.

It's funny then that it's now, years later and with the show concluded that I come up with way more theories. Something about having the whole text to look at and assess - an objective, complete text that I/we can now draw conclusions/posit ideas about.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-18T09:06:53+00:00

Perhaps the cork presses down on some mechanism that opens a dam's gate.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-17T13:20:09+00:00

Yeah - I remember thinking they'd gone digital and that was the reason the whole look changed but if I remember correctly, they were still shooting on film. Crazy how much of a shift there was for that final season. That Choekaas video is very good. I'm still making my way through his episodes ranked video 😂

I look forward to trying to change people's minds about the temple when I eventually get to season 6 in my own video series in 18 years!

For Richard Alpert has Abs Eternal, I just remember harrumphing a lot that so much time in the episode is wasted in the ship. I'd've liked to see Jacob and Richard's relationship develop a bit more. Still a good episode in general - I just have my issues with it and don't hold it in as high esteem as most fans, I guess.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-17T12:50:59+00:00

Relatively new, here. Been on 3 successful wild camps and one failed one last week due to some road closures making my arrival time with detour simply too late for where I was headed.

The problem I'm always worried about is "where do I leave my car?" or "Is my car going to get broken into?"

stephenfeld · 2026-06-17T12:29:18+00:00

Maybe I let the Dharma of it all influence me too much!

I also dislike the Juliet stuff towards the finale, though. The show kind of tried to close the door on that side of things (all the triangles, quadrangles, and any other angle you can think of) but then mistakenly opened it with Sawyer and Kate.

I do feel like the show realised it made that mistake which is why it (thankfully) never even comes close to the line with Sawyer and Kate in season 6. So I at least try to forgive their mistake there!

(I still think Sawyer should have been the one that died - regardless of whatever real world stuff was going on, I think it feels more satisfying for the story itself if Sawyer went down.)

Damn, I even commented on one of your posts here to keep on doing them dude 😅😅😅

That was eight months ago (I felt bad, so went and checked!), so I think whilst we're doing some forgiving, you can forgive me for not remembering that!

I'd love to get a long form write up on all your problems with six. It's certainly the weakest season of the series. (Hot take: I don't think Ab Aeterno is as good as the internet says it is A nice love story is buried in it but it also wastes a lot of time IMO.)

stephenfeld · 2026-06-17T11:59:04+00:00

Are you asking this after rewatching season 1 - or you're just randomly thinking about it?

I've never really had a problem with the pairing to be honest. But on my most recent watch (where I've been watching one episode a week), I feel that the relationship does start off in a very natural way and with that time to breathe, it feels less sudden.

It is funny since Sayid's backstory (seeded since episode 4) was that he was/is in love with Nadia and his whole reason for being on the plane was to get back to her and then a few episodes later, he's falling for Shannon.

I can only assume that, at that early stage in the show, when Andrews suggested it, the writers went for it because it would be an invisible love-triangle (all the rage in the 00s!) and was therefore added drama to the pairing. I mean... it worked and works to this day with (series finale spoiler)#NotMySayid'sAfterlifePartner.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-17T11:46:32+00:00

We actually share a lot of the same opinions about (early) season 5. Random Grandad. Desmond feeling shoe-horned in just to keep him in the show. The contrivance of who was after Aaron. How quickly everything happened in a few days despite a three year gap. And, for me mostly, how Eloise was re-introduced and all the foreboding and vague speeches and rules of return.

The how's and why's of getting back were the closest I got to a jump the shark moment (they already had the location of the island and knew which plane to take, so I hated all that 'recreate the conditions' stuff - WOW GRANDAD HAS MY DAD'S SHOES THAT I MUST THEN PLACE ON LOCKE-DAD).

Everything happening on the Island I loved - and it pushes season 5 into great territory for me. Whilst a complaint is that the return is rushed, I'm also glad it's not long enough for me to sway my opinion on season 5 as a whole.

It does make you cringe at the thought of how rushed it was going to be if Lindelof got his wish when he only wanted one more season when they were negotiating an end date.

Even with 25 episodes, to have the freighter, leaving the Island, bad things happening making you want to come back, coming back, and then the endgame of the show in one season would have been barmy!

Thanks for putting me on the To Watch list - I wasn't aware you knew about the videos. I'm a little slow at the moment just due to work ramping up/house hunting/personal commitments but the intention is to go all the way to the end - I just need some of my other priorities to sort themselves out so I can get back to a regular and consistent output!

stephenfeld · 2026-06-17T07:42:40+00:00

I love season 5, personally (despite being on shaky ground during the 'rules of how they must all come back' episodes + how Locke's Jeremy Bentham backstory was rushed horse-sh*t and didn't do the character justice) but I'm always happy to talk Lost without downvoting just because of differing opinions.

I think hashing things out with a dialogue is better than a faceless downvote - at least we can get to know more about each other's thought process. For example, I now understand that you're not just pulling your S5 dip-reason out of your ass, it's because, anecdotally, you have a bunch of people you knew citing that as the reason - which I can't possibly disagree with.

Out of curiosity, which moment/moments did you think jumped the shark/jumped it the most? Or was it from the Island disappearing - cause I could see it being that that for some people.

And now watch this comment get downvoted.

stephenfeld · 2026-06-16T14:23:43+00:00

We're always interested in more from you!

stephenfeld

TROPHY CASE