SPOILER ALERT!!! Yes, you better believe that an article that ranks the best moments from Lost is 100% filled with spoilers. Please skip this article if you absolutely don't want the story of Lost to be spoiled for you in any way. You've been warned.
Tonight marks exactly one year since the great television series Lost came to an end. Lost was a once-in--generation show that somehow combined everything great about a good science fiction TV show (or any kind of show for that matter). It had plenty of elements of action, adventure, romance, incredible characters, tons of mystery, and, most of all, one of the most head-spinningly complex plots ever told, one that spanned centuries and frequently jumped back and forth through time.
News this week that several Lost-wannabe shows like V and The Event were cancelled just puts even more emphasis on how special this show was and how unlikely that something on this scale will ever be reproduced for a long time.
Ever since the show concluded, I've been tempted to compile a list of my favorite moments from the show, and after taking a while compiling a list that expanded to well over 100 scenes, I was able to reduce it to 60 scenes.
So, why 60? Why not 10? Lost is far too expansive to be limited to just ten or twenty greatest scenes. Why not 42 or 50? 42 would have been clever, but I had too difficult of a time doing less than sixty, so that seemed like a good number to be. Some of these moments ranked 51 - 60 are far too important to leave off this list. Without further ado, here are my top 60 greatest Lost moments:
60. The clever simultaneous flashback/flashforward trick in which Jin is revealed to be deceased (Season 4, Episode 7: Ji Yeon)
Lost's concept of "flashforwards" was running full steam ahead seven episodes into the fourth season, and everything seemed normal throughout this particular episode. Half of the story followed a pregnant Sun in Korea presumably after being rescued from the Island; the other half followed Jin scrambling to find a gift for a newborn child. But then, at the end of the episode, it's revealed that Jin's story actually takes place pre-Island and Sun is gives birth to their daughter post-Island before visiting Jin's grave, meaning that he likely didn't survive the explosion of the freighter Kahana. M. Night wishes he still could come up with twist endings like this.
59. Danielle and Karl are killed right in front of Alex (Season 4, Episode 8: Meet Kevin Johnson)
It was a rough episode for Alex Rousseau... well, just a rough few seconds. Days can't really get worse than the day your mother and boyfriend are executed right in front of you by a mercenary team coming to get your adoptive father. It was most shocking how short the mother-daughter reunion between Alex and Danielle turned out to be. No happy ending there.
58. Danielle and Alex reunite, immediately tie up Ben (Season 3, Episiodes 22-23: Through the Looking Glass)
This was a reunion a couple seasons in the making, or about sixteen years, depending on who you ask. Danielle Rousseau is reunited with the daughter who was taken away from her shortly after birth, and the first mother-daughter activity? Tying up a subdued Ben, who, after just been beaten to a bloody pulp by Jack, introduced the two with "Alex, this is your mother."
57. Daniel Faraday tells young Charlotte to leave the Island and never come back (Season 5, Episode 14: The Variable)
After transporting back in time to the 1970's to live with he Dharma Initiative, Daniel finds Charlotte, the love of his life who died on the Island a few decades in the future, as a child and warns her to leave the Island with her mother and never come back. Daniel is mostly certain that he can't change what will inevitably happen, but says he hopes "maybe" that he can. This was one of the better "mindfucks" that came with time travel: being able to see a loved one when they were a child (Miles would also see himself as a baby at one point).
56. Richard begins aging (Season 6, Episode 17: The End)
Jacob had recently passed on his role as protector of the Island to Jack, meaning that Richard Alpert was no longer indentured to him or the Island. During a conversation between Richard and Miles, Miles notices a gray hair on the former, which stuns Richard since he hasn't aged in hundreds of years. This comes as a relief to Richard, as he can finally live a normal life and one day pass away like a normal human being so he can be reunited with his long-deceased wife.
55. Locke sees the Blast Door Map (Season 2, Episode 17: Lockdown)
This was one of the first moments where the audience got a good glimpse about how complex the Island is with all its various Dharma stations. And it was also one of the first Lost moments that brought together an interactive community online. Right after this episode aired, I remember scouring websites looking for a high resolution image of the mysterious map Locke sees on a blast door in the Swan Station and subsequently theorizing about what all the writings on the wall actually meant.
54. Charlie complies his "greatest hits" list and says goodbye to Hurley (Season 3, Episode 21: Greatest Hits)
Charlie, assured by Desmond and his psychic powers that he will soon die, complies a list of the five greatest moments of his life, ranging from his band's success, his father teaching him how to swim, to his brother passing him a family heirloom, saving Nadia (unbeknownst to him, the love of Sayid's life) from a mugger, and topping off with the night he first met Claire. "Greatest Hits" was one of the best structured episodes of Lost, and didn't end before Charlie saying goodbye to his best bud Hurley, knowing that he won't likely ever see him again.
53. Locke's breakdown in his car after having his Kidney stolen from his father (Season 1, Episode 19: Deux Ex Machina)
Locke's estranged father, after pretending to bond with his son, is revealed to be a bit of a jerk when it's revealed that he conned his son out of a kidney. Locke's reaction is to drive to his father's house where he is denied entry, and Locke understandably has a meltdown inside his car. An outstanding performance by Terry O'Quinn.
52. Ben spares Penny's life when he sees that she has a son (Season 5, Episode 12: Dead Is Dead)
Ben, fueled by the fire that was Charles Widmore's ordered execution of his 'daughter' Alex, is hellbent on returning the favor by murdering Widmore's daughter, Penny. Ben shows up at Desmond and Penny's boat, shoots Desmond without any emption, and announces to Penny that she's next. That's when Desmond and Penny's son Charlie pops out from the boat. Ben, whose life was shattered forever growing up without a mother of his own, somehow finds mercy in his heart and lowers his gun, a profound moment from a very wicked man. He's then beaten to a pulp (as usual) by an understandably angered Desmond.
51. Richard and his wife communicate through Hurley (Season 6, Episode 9: Ab Aeterno)
At the climax of one of the series' finest episodes, Richard, who had given up faith in himself, the Island, and Jacob, is reunited with his centuries-dead wife in a metaphysical manner: communicating through Hurley. Richard breaks down as Hurley tells him that his wife believes he should not cause himself to suffer any longer as he blame himself for her death. This was a wonderful climax in the character arc of one of the show's best and most mysterious characters.
50. The Oceanic Six (and more) return to the Island and are met by Jin (Season 5, Episode 6: 316)
"We're not going to Guam, are we?" says pilot Frank Lapidus to Jack on board Ajira Flight 316 moments before the flight that would take the gang back to the Island takes off. Later on, Jack reads Locke's suicide note ("Jack, I wish you had believed me. JL") and the plane is taken in a flash of light. When everyone wakes up, they are spread across distance and time, with Jack, Kate, Hurley, and company greeted on the Island in the 1970's by a shocked Jin.
49. The Others kidnap Jack, Sawyer, Kate, and Hurley as Michael and Walt leave the Island (Season 2, Episodes 23-24: Live Together, Die Alone)
Michael completes his betrayal of his friends as he hands over Jack, Sawyer, Kate, and Hurley to the Others as instructed and, presumably, the greatest feeling of guilt of all is felt by him as he and his son get away from the Island on a tugboat.
48. Charlie kills Ethan (Season 1, Episode 15: Homecoming)
In a moment that exemplified Charlie's extreme devotion to Claire, he puts multiple bullets into the chest of terrifying Ethan after Ethan had been subdued. The Losties could have used any information obtained from Ethan, but Charlie coldly states that he would never have wanted to see him near Claire ever again.
47. Ben kills Charles Widmore (Season 6, Episode 16: What They Died For)
The cumulation of a blood feud that spanned decades and cost many lives, Ben kills his mortal enemy Charles Widmore in cold blood after Fake Locke promises Widmore he won't kill Penny in exchange for information. Ben's justification? "He doesn't get to save his daughter."
46. Locke is revealed to have been paraplegic (Season 1, Episode 4: Walkabout)
It was hinted to strongly earlier in the episode, but it was still a great reveal when Locke pulls his wheelchair from outside a desk after being told he couldn't go on a walkabout becase of his condition. The fact that Locke was up and running on the Island emphasized the possible healing powers of the island.
45. Charlie utters the line, "Guys... where are we?" (Season 1, Episode 2: Pilot, Part 2)
This was the classic line that would sum up the entire show. That is, until around season 5, as the question changed to "When are we?"
44. Ana Lucia shoots Shannon (Season 2, Episode 6: Abandoned)
As if things on the Island weren't already tense enough, the tail section survivors meet the front section survivors in a pretty peculiar way: with Ana Lucia accidently shooting and killing Shannon. This was set into action by Walt creepily appearing to Shannon and Sayid, causing a panic, causing Ana Lucia to shoot Shannon, causing Shannon to die in Sayid's arms.
43. Desmond learns the nature of the two realities, decides to tell everyone (Season 6, Episode 11: Happily Ever After)
Desmond becomes the first character to "wake up" to the truth about the parallel realties happening in Lost's final season. He "has a moment" when he touches Penny in the sideways universe, and reveling in the beauty of this moment, tell limo driver Minkowski he needs to round up Oceanic 815 passengers because "he has to show them something."
42. Oceanic Flight 815 never crashes, but things are slightly off (Season 6, Episode 1: LA X, Part 1)
Season 6 opens with the Losties on Oceanic 815 flying over the Pacific Ocean, like we've seen before in the series. Only this time, after that fatal bit of turbulence, the plane never crashes onto the Island. That meant Jack's plan on the Island the season before worked, right? Not so fast. Things seem to be different this time around (little things like Cindy handing Jack only one bottle of alcohol, and big things like Jack having a son) and, oh yeah, there seems to be two realties going on at the same time.
41. Sayid shoots young Ben (Season 5, Episode 10: He's Our You)
Sayid attempts to change the past by shooting the child Ben. This was the ultimate example of seeing if you can save countless lives by going back in time killing a killer. It didn't quite work out that way, though...
40. Sawyer kills a polar bear on the Island (Season 1, Episode 2: Pilot, Part 2)
This moment came a little bit before Charlie asks, "Where are we?" but that line could easily have been said here. What kind of tropical island has polar bears on it and how are they even alive? This scene really got people talking about the nature of the island quickly.
39. Jacob throws his brother into the light cave and the Smoke Monster exits (Season 6, Episode 15: Across the Sea)
After The Man in Black murders his mother, an enraged Jacob beats his twin brother and sends him to the cave of light, possibly causing the genesis of The Smoke Monster.
38. Daniel is killed by his mother... decades before he is born (Season 5, Episode 14: The Variable)
In 1977, Daniel is roughly the same age as his mother, who unknowingly shoots and kills him. The worst part is that decades later his mother would cause him to go back in time, even though she knew she would kill him in the past. Does that still make your head hurt?
37. Desmond and Penny finally reunite (Season 4, Episode 14: There's No Place Like Home, Part 3)
Desmond's epic journey of proving his bravery and fighting to get back to his lost love is completed when he is finally reunited with Penny on a boat after leaving the now-vanished Island.
36. Ben shoots Locke at the mass grave (Season 3, Episode 20: The Man Behind the Curtain)
Ben grows increasingly jealous of Locke's status amongst his own people as well as Locke apparently hearing Jacob's voice in the cabin. He takes Locke to the mass grave filled with members of the Dharma Initiative and shoots him at close range before asking Locke what Jacob told him. Locke responds that Jacob asked for Locke's help and Ben walks away saying that he hopes Jacob comes to Locke's rescue.
35. "Sawyer" kills "Sawyer" (Season 3, Episode 19: The Brig)
Locke, unable to kill his own father, the man who ruined his life, recruits Sawyer to do the deed after learning that his father is the same man who Sawyer has spent his life hunting down. Locke locks a confused Sawyer in the brig of the Black Rock with Anthony Cooper until Sawyer realizes the truth, who then strangles the original "Sawyer" to death with some chains.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emMq_r1BrGE
34. The Monster kills Oceanic 815's pilot (Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot, Part 1)
The Losties heard the Monster by this point, but this was the first time everyone got to the damage the Monster can do. The Monster terrifying mechanical sounds and roars surround the cockpit as the pilot is plucked from his seat and later found as a bloodied mess up in a tree.
33. The Others' life in the Barracks is revealed (Season 3, Episode 1: A Tale of Two Cities)
In the brilliant opening moments of the third season of Lost, The Others' quaint small-town life on the Island is revealed. An emotionally tortured woman named Juliet takes part in a book club, attempted murderer Ethan is the town plumber, and a peaceful day is shattered when Oceanic Flight 815 falls from the sky overhead.
32. Christian is revealed to be Claire's father (Season 3, Episode 12: Par Avion)
This was heavily hinted at throughout the series but nevertheless still a big moment when finally revealed. It turns out that Christian was responsible for keeping Claire's mother on life support because he is Claire's father. This, of course, means that Claire and Jack are half-siblings, unbeknownst to them on the Island.
31. Keamy executes Alex in front of Ben; the Monster then cleans house (Season 4, Episode 9: The Shape of Things to Come)
Keamy, who has taken Ben's adopted daughter Alex hostage, holds a gun to her heads and promises to kill her if Ben doesn't surrender to him and Charles Widmore. Ben, believing that "rules" are still in place between he and Widmore stating that their children cannot be harmed in their feud, completely bluffs (and even tells Keamy that his daughter is nothing but a pawn, stolen from a crazed woman, and means nothing to him -- the final words Alex ever hears) and is then stunned when Keamy pulls the trigger. Ben then summons the Monster, who arrives and destroys Keamy's team.
View Video HERE.
30. "The Purge" (Season 3, Episode 20: The Man Behind the Curtain)
Ben completely embraces his dark side when he executes "The Purge" by releasing a poison gas cylinder in a car with his alcoholic father inside. Now with a gas mask on, Ben enter the Dharma village along with the rest of The Others, observing the entire town killed by poisonous gas. In one of my favorite moments of the show, Ben shows respect for Dharma leader Horace by closing the deceased leader's eyes as he lays hunched over on a park bench.
29. Anthony Cooper pushes Locke out of an eighth floor window (Season 3, Episode 13: The Man from Tallahassee)
The reason how Locke became paralyzed in finally revealed, and it's brutal: Locke confronts his father about him conning an innocent family and Cooper responds by thrusting Locke out a window eight floors high.
28. Daniel Faraday is revealed to be in the 1970's with the Dharma Initiative (Season 5, Episode 1: Because You Left)
The Island vanished at the end of Season 4, and the opening scene of Season 5 doesn't reveal where the Island has relocated, but when. Daniel is shown to be working with the Dharma Initiative, alive and well, sometime in the 70's. The only question: how?
27. The Monster kills Eko (Season 3, Episode 5: The Cost of Living)
In a powerful scene, the Monster, in the form of Eko's brother Yemi, confronts Eko and demands that he confess for his sins. A defiant Eko proudly claims that he is not orry for his sins and that he did what he felt was best for himself and his brother. Yemi's tone changes as he says, "You speak to me as if I were your brother." Yemi/The Monster retreats to the jungle before returning as the pillar of black smoke, grabbing Eko, and smashing him against tress and the ground, fatally wounding him. Lost's great editing team takes over and blends shots of a dying Eko and child Eko and Yemi playing together to create one of the best death scenes of the entire show.
26. The first glimpse into Desmond's life inside the Hatch (Season 2, Episode 1: Man of Science, Man of Faith)
The ending of Season 1 was a bit of a tease, as it shows Locke and Jack peering in to the freshly blown open hatch but not exactly seeing what is inside of it. The classic opening scene of season 2 quickly reveals what's down there with scenes of Desmond's lonely every day life living in a bunker. He wakes up, enters some numbers into an old computer, exercises, eats, and listens to Mama Cass. It was a great, bizarre look at what was to come in Season 2.
25. Hurley becomes the Island's new Protector (Season 6, Episode 17: The End)
Jack's epic reign of being Protector was quickly coming to an end, and he assigned a reluctant Hurley to take over. This moment completed Hurley's journey of going from a comic relief stock character to arguably the most important character of the entire show.
24. Jack rescues Charlie from hanging (Season 1, Episode 11: All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues)
You kind of felt like it was maybe time for a main character to be killed off on the show, and for a few moments during this incredibly tense scene, it seemed as if Charlie would be the first to go. But don't tell that to "fix"-crazed Jack, who desperately tries to revive Charlie, finally succeeding, and rewarding the audience with one of the first truly feel-good moments of the show.
23. Ethan kidnaps Claire (Season 1, Episode 10: Raised by Another)
In one of the great first twists of Lost, it's revealed that supposed plane crash survivor Ethan isn't who he says he is when he puts on the creepiest facial expression one could ever have as he confronts Charlie and Claire in the jungle. This was a groundbreaking moment for the show since it was the first conformation that the survivors of the crash definitely weren't the only inhabitants on the Island.
22. The Man in Black is kicked off a cliff by Jack, who then kisses Kate goodbye (Season 6, Episode 17: The End)
The man posing as Locke and Jack have their final epic battle in the pouring rain overlooking the sea. Fake Locke seems to gain the upper hand by stabbing Jack in his side, but before any more damage could be done, he's shot by Kate. Jack then kicks Fake Locke off the cliff to his death. But that would be the final interaction between Jack and Kate and he kisses her goodbye before he goes off to "fix" the Island for good.
21. Ben kills Locke (Season 5, Episode 7: The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham)
Ben, the master manipulator, hunts down a Locke, who had given up on life after failing to bring the Oceanic Six back to the Island, in Los Angeles and extracts from him the information he needed and immediately strangles Locke to death after feigning sympathy, bringing their head-games and manipulation of each other to a sudden halt. This was the climax of many scenes carried out by two of the best actors on the show, Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson.
20. The Island vanishes (Season 4, Episode 14: There's No Place Like Home, Part 3)
Ben gives up everything he's worked so hard to keep by spinning the 'frozen donkey wheel' and causing the Island to vanish, believing that he's doing this in order to protect the Island.
19. Jacob and The Man in Black have a chat (Season 5, Episode 16: The Incident, Part 1)
The season finale of Lost's fifth season opens with a scene taking place hundreds of hears before the events of the show with two unknown characters having an intense debate about the 'good or evil' nature of man. One man, nameless and dressed in black, reminds the other how much he desires to kill him. As their conversation finishes, one of the men is revealed to be Jacob, the protector of the Island.
18. Sayid sacrifices himself; Jin and Sun die together (Season 6, Episode 14: The Candidate)
Just as it seems the Losties are finally escaping the Island together for good (this time in a submarine), things go horribly wrong again: a bomb is revealed to be on the sub. As time runs out, Sayid grabs the bomb and runs to the other end of the sub, killing himself, saving his friends in the process, and dying for the second time in the same season. As the sub sinks and fills with water, Sun is trapped against a wall unable to free herself. Jin decides she cannot doe along and they drown together holding hands. Just like that, three main characters who have been there since day one are killed within a few minutes of each other.
17. Ben murders Jacob; "Locke" isn't who he says he is (Season 5, Episode 17: The Incident, Part 2)
After being hinted at for most of the series, Jacob is finally revealed for the first time at the beginning of season five's finale. At the end of the episode, an angry and confused Ben stabs him to death in the precence of "John Locke". Outside of the room this takes place in, Ilana reveals the contents of her mysterious crate: the body of the real John Locke. So... who's the guy who looks exactly like Locke who just witnessed Jacob's murder?
16. Hurley to the rescue (Season 3, Episode 22: Through the Looking Glass)
The audience is meant to believe that the Others have just executed Sayid, Bernard, and Jin when Hurley comes rolling in with his Dharma Volkswagen bus, runs over one of the Others and saves the day. Sawyer and Juliet back him up and the Losties retake the situation. This was easily one of the best feeling moments of the show and quite possibly the best Hurley moment as well (though the golf course was pretty great too).
15. Jeremy Bentham = Locke = Dead (Season 4, Episode 14: There's No Place Like Home, Part 3)
Back in Los Angeles, Jack was incredibly upset to learn that someone named Jeremy Bentham was dead. The mystery of who he is lingered throughout season four until its final moments when it was revealed that Bentham was John Locke and John Locke was off the Island and very dead.
14. Penny wakes up to hear "I think we found it!" (Season 2, Episode 24: Live Together, Die Alone, Part 2)
Somewhere on a small island in the Pacific, Desmond Hume had just apparently sacrificed himself by setting off something cataclysmic. Luckily, his long lost love Penny had two men trying to find him, and they successfully do. These men call up Penny one morning and inform her that they've "found it", meaning that people from the outside world would soon be heading to the Island. This was a huge moment as it was the first time during the Island timeline that a scene took place somewhere far away from the Island.
13. Desmond calls Penny just as he promised (Season 4, Episode 5: The Constant)
At the climax of arguably the best single episode of the entire series, Desmond gives Penny a phone call. That doesn't sound like much, but you'd have to know that he had been stuck on an Island for many years without any contact with her, and that during a bout of his consciousness traveling through time, he had promised her eight years earlier that he would be calling at that exact time. This was sci-fi time travel romance at its absolute finest. Click Here to view video!
12. The first full appearance of Smokey the Monster (Season 1, Episode 24: Exodus, Part 2)
While Jack, Kate, and Locke are carrying dynamite across the Island, the Monster finally decides its time for his close-up. Jack and Kate first get a quick glimpse of a pillar of black smoke dancing through some trees, and minutes later it starts roaring, pulling trees out of the ground, and dragging Locke away. The first full revelation that the Monster was a pillar of black smoke was something nobody was expected and perfectly bizarre at that point of the show's development.
11. The passengers board Oceanic Flight 815 (Season 1, Episode 24: Exodus, Part 2)
At the conclusion of the show's perfect first season, we get a nice glimpse of the passengers we came to know and love first boarding the Oceanic jet. They are all at major crossroads in their lives and most look particularly miserable, and, well, 'lost.' Some of them greet and nod each other. Little do they know what they're about to get into.
10. Ben pours his heart out to Ilana (Season 6, Episode 7: Dr. Linus)
A lifetime of murder, lies, and deception finally caught up to Ben when he is forced to dig his own grave at the hands of Jacob's ally Ilana. The Man in Black helps Ben gain the upper hand on Ilana and Ben eventually holds her at gunpoint. But instead of killing her, Ben profusely apologizes for killing Jacob and explains he knows how she feels as he witnessed (and was responsible for) the execution of his own daughter at the hands of Keamy. Ben says that he was too worried about losing the only thing he had left -- his power -- when he killed Jacob, but that the only thing that really mattered -- his daughter -- was long gone. Ben asks for forgiveness and says he will likely follow The Man in Black as he is the only one who will have him. Ilana surprises Ben by stating she'd have him, and Ben decides to follow her instead. This was an absolutely devastating scene for Ben and the beginning of his eventual redemption.
9. Michael murders Ana Lucia and Libby (Season 2, Episode 20: Two for the Road)
Michael, manipulated by The Others and completely hellbent on getting his son back, kills Ana Lucia in cold blood before being startled by and shooting Libby to death as well. The killing of Ana Lucia was very shocking but not exactly extraordinary in the realm of Lost. But when Libby strolled into the crime scene and took two bullets seconds later, it was clear that the show had just gone to a dark place it had not gone before.
8. Boone dies as Aaron is born (Season 1, Episode 20: Do No Harm)
A fatally wounded Boone lets Jack know it's okay to "let me go," and that he knows Jack made a promise but he's being let off the hook. He mumbles something about Shannon as he passes away. At the exact same time elsewhere on the Island, Claire gives birth to Aaron with Charlie nearby. The parallels and segway between these two monumental scenes is still one of the best things the show ever did.
7. The Others kidnap Walt (Season 1, Episode 24: Exodus, Part 2)
What a rollercoaster of emotion this was: it seemed as if Michael, Walt, Jin, and Sawyer were rescued from their raft out on the sea. Elated feelings quickly turn to horror when the people on the boat who confront the Losties' raft demand to "take the boy." In a horrifying sequence of events, the newly revealed "Others" blow up the raft, shoot Sawyer, and kidnap Walt, much to Michael's horror. This was the one scene that got everyone to tune into season two and beyond.
6. Jack dies exactly where it all began as he watches his friends escape the Island (Season 6, Episode 17: The End)
The opening moment of Lost: Jack wakes up in the bamboo grove in the jungle. The closing moment of Lost: Jack dies in the bamboo grove in the jungle. Pure poetry. Jack fulfills his destiny as tragic hero as he peacefully dies in the bamboo grove with Vincent by his side, his father's white shoe hanging nearby, while he watches an airplane take his friends away from the Island for good. It's just too bad that this was only 50% of the ending.
5. Jack: "We have to go back!" (Season 3, Episode 22: Through the Looking Glass)
The moment that changed the entire show for good. The "snake in the mailbox." The closing seconds of season three signaled the (temporary) end of "flashbacks" and introduced "flashforwards." There was so much to take in at this moment. What was more shocking? That certain characters had successfully escaped the Island and were living domestic lives again? Or that Jack had a reason to desperately want to go back?
4. The Opening Scene (Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot, Part 1)
Lost couldn't have had a better opening ten or fifteen minutes. Jack Shepherd awakens in a jungle, stumbles around for a bit, heads to the beach, and runs through a stunning set of a plane crash. People are screaming and dying, airplane parts are exploding, there is total chaos. From Jack's perspective, we are quickly introduced to a number of characters and we are also introduced to the fact that Jack's heroic flaw is that he's addicted to "fixing" people despite all odds.
3. "Not Penny's Boat" (Season 3, Episode 22: Through the Looking Glass)
The fate of Lost's other tragic hero. Charlie's death was special in that you knew it was coming because Desmond foresaw it over and over again. But even when it finally came, it still tore you apart. As fan favorite Charlie receives the incredibly important message from Penny, the seemingly immortal Mikhail pops up again, detonating a grenade. Charlie sacrifices himself to save Desmond and ultimately the rest of his friends. Charlie accepts his fate and his life comes to an end as he makes the Sign of the Cross.
2. Desmond turns the key (Season 2, Episode 24: Live Together, Die Alone, Part 2)
Moments after Desmond realizes that it was he who inadvertently crashed Oceanic Flight 815, he accepts that the repercussions of letting the Swan Station's computer countdown reach zero are potentially apocalyptic. As the Swan Station comes imploding down around him, Desmond heads underneath the station to the fail-safe. For all he knows, he is sacrificing his life for a cause he doesn't quite understand and to save people he doesn't really know. A letter written to him by his long lost love Penny runs through his mind as he turns the fail-safe key while uttering "I love you, Penny", causing a purple glow to consume him and the Island.
1. The Hatch light comes on for Locke (Season 1, Episode 19: Deux Ex Machina)
Locke, desperately anguished in the newfound turmoil that he probably just caused the death of Boone, returns to the hatch and, hunched over it, demanding the Island to tell him what he must do next. That's when a glowing lights turns on from within the hatch, filling Locke with genuine amazement. This was the greatest single moment of the entire series because it was the first time "the Island" truly took on a life of its own and communicated with a character. We didn't learn the exact truth of how this light came on until a season later, but this moment let the audience know that The Island isn't exactly an island, but rather a sort of knowing consciousness in itself, a character, and a force that wants its secrets to be revealed. And from this moment on, the Island had the audience completely hooked.
