Opening the Hatch
Let’s be honest: the first three seasons of LOST are still peak television. No other show has managed to juggle such a huge, diverse cast of main characters and make you care about each and every one of them. They all have their own stories to tell - stories of heartbreak, betrayal, hope, and redemption. They’re all flawed, all desperate to be better, and the island gives them that chance in ways that are just weird enough to keep you guessing. Do those supernatural redemption arcs always make sense? Nope. But it doesn’t matter. The characters are so well crafted that you’re willing to go along for the ride, even when the rules of the world itself start to bend.
Of course, even I - someone who will defend LOST to the end - have to admit the final three seasons are nowhere near as perfect as the first three. You can practically feel the impact of the 2007-08 writers’ strike echoing through every scene. But here’s the thing: even when LOST ‘lost its footing’, it still managed to be compelling. The island was still there, still full of secrets, still pushing these characters to their limits. And for all the messy plotlines and head-scratching choices, the show kept things fresh all the way to the end.
Completely Misunderstood
And about that ending - no, they were not dead the whole time. That’s just a meme at this point. If you actually watched the finale (or paid attention to what it was trying to say), you’d know that the final season wasn’t some “it was all a dream” cop-out. The ending was well written and made a ton of sense and was pretty much perfect in every way and I will die on that hill: it was a good ending, even if it didn’t answer every question.
What’s been fascinating to me is seeing an entire new generation discovering LOST. You can find endless videos of Gen Z fans reacting to the show on YouTube - eyes wide as they’re sucked into the world of Oceanic Flight 815, gasping at the cliffhangers, getting attached to Sawyer’s charm and Kate’s stubborn streak. It’s so refreshing to see people experiencing this story for the first time, unburdened by all the debates and Reddit threads that swirled around it the first time it aired.
It's a wild ride
So if you’re one of those people who dismissed LOST because of what the internet told you, or because you heard “they’re dead the whole time, what’s the point?”, I’m here to say: you’re missing out. And I’m not asking you to binge six seasons and pour over every detail. All I’m asking is this: just watch the pilot.
Seriously. Just that one episode, called “The Pilot” (get it? because… plane crash? clever). It’s still, in my eyes, the single best episode of television ever made. In 40-some minutes, it introduces you to this vast ensemble cast, sets up enough mystery to keep you guessing for years, and does it all with breathtaking cinematography and one of the most instantly iconic opening scenes in TV history. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. But if you do - oh man, you’re in for one of the wildest rides you’ll ever have on the small screen.
And look, I’m not here to pretend the show is perfect. It’s messy, it’s convoluted, it’s full of contradictions. But it’s also beautiful. It’s human. It’s about the ways we’re all a little lost sometimes, and how maybe, just maybe, we can help each other find our way.
So yeah - I still love LOST. And maybe it’s time you gave it another chance.
“See you in another life, Brother”.
