On September 22nd, 2004, audiences were stunned as they witnessed the beginning of one of the most revolutionary and influential television series in history. Twenty years later, that show, LOST, remains one of the most iconic shows with its numerous mysteries, eclectic cast of characters, and beautiful Michael Giacchino tunes.
Over six seasons, LOST boasted mysteries and questions that ranged from interesting ones like “Why are there polar bears on the island” to bland ones like “Where did Jack Shephard get his tattoos? However, through it all, audiences remained enthralled with LOST’s characters, their relationships, and the mysteries that surrounded them.
The water cooler was always rife with activity at work of people discussing the most recent episode. The online message boards were crafting enough theories about the show to fill a library. The showrunners, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, were getting both adoration and admonishment from the die-hard fans with every mystery solved and every further question asked. At the end of the day, LOST connected with a great many people, many of whom admired it, many of whom were frustrated by it, but all of whom watched it.
In 2004, the show began as a simple survival story, albeit one with hints lying underneath. We’re introduced to our main character Dr. Jack Shephard as he opens his eyes and discovers he’s the survivor of the crash of Oceanic Flight 815 on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific. Jack, a doctor with a compulsive need to fix everything, quickly takes charge of the group and meets the large ensemble of survivors.
These survivors include Kate Austen, a misunderstood criminal who tries to do the right thing; Sawyer, a con man whose past has shaped him into a man he seeks to change; John Locke, a survivalist who is more than meets the eye; Sayid Jarrah, a former military officer who quickly becomes a respected member of the group for his wisdom and skills; Hugo “Hurley” Reyes, a kind survivor with riches in both heart and bank; Michael Dawson, a father who is trying to connect with his 10-year-old son, Walt, and many more. As the show evolved, audiences quickly attached themselves to these characters and endeared themselves to watching the relationships between the survivors grow. Despite the tragedy of the plane crash that starts our narrative, these characters find a family within one another.
Whilst LOST’s initial hook was the mysteries, the real draw of the show was the characters and their growth. It quickly became clear that the Island and destiny had drawn these characters together, and they needed each other to move on from all of their haunted pasts. The idea of moving on and letting go is an important theme throughout LOST, an unfortunate, but humorous irony as we reflect on this show 20 years after its premiere, and 14 years after its end.
The show’s core focus was showing our characters moving on from the past and letting go to pursue relationships, better futures, and redemptions. The show was unique in its format by giving a central character to each episode where half the episode would be split with action on the Island after the crash whereas the other half would show events before the crash that informed the audience of a character’s past. Through this flashback format, LOST showed us our characters’ secrets, insecurities, and mistakes of the past, all of which they were able to work through whilst on the Island. Audiences were better able to connect with the characters in this and it allowed Lindelof and Cuse to keep the storylines fresh and focused on the building of our characters.
The characters were generally written well and worked well in their relationships, but it’s important to note that LOST would not be what it was without the talents of so many amazing actors bringing these characters to life. Matthew Fox plays Dr. Jack Shephard, a role that led to an Emmy nomination, in a superb fashion. If I were to insert my own personal observations, main characters can often be bland because they have to serve as the pure pillar of good and light, but Matthew Fox and the writing gave Dr. Jack Shephard flaws that made him feel endearing and human, and he’s a great example of a character that got so much better as the show went on.
Playing opposite Matthew Fox is the great Terry O’Quinn who plays John Locke, a character that serves as Dr. Jack Shephard’s philosophical opposite on the Island. Terry O’Quinn made all of the audience feel every up and down in Locke’s journey, and he was later nominated for several Emmys, including one win. There are too many actors to praise on this show, and if there’s one thing I could change about the Emmys of the past, it would be to ensure more of the actors of this show received awards recognition.
The show remained a very tricky show in its balance of the characters and its mysteries. Many audience members stayed for the characters and the development whereas others only cared about the answers to the mysteries, some of which were built up to the point that no answer may have been satisfactory. When the finale aired, there was a divide among viewers – those who were satisfied by the wrapping up of our characters’ storylines and themes, and those who were unsatisfied by the vaguely faith-based explanations for some of our most important questions. Then there were some who misunderstood the ending and thought the popular theory that the survivors were dead the entire time was the truth, and the one major spoiler I will give is that NO, they were not dead the entire time. The ending to LOST is so much more, and one of the best television finales ever in my humble opinion.
Despite all the backlash and criticism, the show still remains popular today. It is a unique show in that its mystery-mongering creates a very special experience of week-to-week discussion, but it may be a bit more satisfying in the long term for the viewer who can experience it through the binge-watching of today. It may be easier to stomach the answers to some questions if you’ve only had to wait a couple of days to get them as opposed to four or five years.
Nevertheless, with 20 years to reflect from the beginning of this show, it’s clear that LOST has remained influential. The flashback format was re-used by LOST producers on Once Upon a Time, a show with many LOST alumni in it. The show Manifest was reminiscent of the mysteries of LOST, and many projects have continued to evoke the character building that LOST did so well. Even if everyone hasn’t seen the series, it feels hard to find someone who has never heard of it nor experienced the effects that it had on television.
Truth be told, if I wanted to get into spoilers, I could analyze everything about this wonderful show over a 500+ page treatise. It’s hard to summarize all of the emotions, the mysteries, and the characters in a single article. I hope our readers who have not seen this show have an interest in watching and I hope our readers who have seen the show have an interest in giving it another watch. For any readers who have never watched LOST, this is a show that you should go in as blind as you can be, and just allow yourself to feel the magic of LOST that has permeated for the past 20 years.
Retrospective Courtesy of Tate Fowler
Feature Image Credit to ABD via Prolific Living