Lost is an expansive show, spanning six seasons and over 120 episodes. Keeping quality consistent through over 100 hours of entertainment is considerably difficult, but the showrunners and filmmakers behind Lost somehow managed to pull it off. Yes, the show has its flaws and may have failed to stick the landing, but its storylines were undeniably imaginative.
Storylines will inevitably vary in quality throughout six seasons. Some stories went nowhere, while others were fascinating and exciting, marrying both character growth and island lore. These are the stories that everyone remembers when they think of the magic that was Lost.
Desmond Reuniting With Penny
Lost is mainly remembered for its mysteries, and there are tons of mysterious shows to watch if you liked Lost. But what helps Lost stand out from the rest are its stellar characters and humane storylines.
Reddit user SageOfTheWise writes about their favorite: “Desmond’s journey to reunite with Penny. From the Season 2 finale to the season 4 finale. Just perfect.” Desmond and Penny’s relationship resulted in a lot of great human drama, and it resulted in what is widely considered the greatest episode of Lost – season four’s “The Constant.”
Ben’s Story
Ben did some terrible things on Lost, but he was a fan favorite, regardless. When asked what their favorite storyline was, Redditor FNaXQ answered, “Ben’s. What a fascinating and complex character he was/is.” Lost consistently earned acclaim for its character writing and acting, and Ben is a perfect example of their marriage.
Ben was performed to perfection by Michael Emerson, and the writers imbued him with a delightful complexity that helped keep viewers on their toes. Lost wouldn’t be Lost without the deceitful magic of Ben Linus.
Juliet & Sawyer
Redditor eob157 jokes, “Nikki and Paulo… No but really, Juliet and Sawyer in season 5.” They are referring to the LaFleur storyline, which sees Sawyer and Julia living a happy and mundane life in the 1970s.
Lost introduced time travel in the later seasons, and while it did wonders for the show’s lore, it was also utilized to help strengthen and develop the characters. Sawyer enjoyed the most development of all, entering into a relationship with Julia and falling into a delightful mundane acceptance working for DHARMA.
Mr. Eko
Redditor hank1775 writes, “Mr. Eko’s story arc was my favorite. I wish the actor wouldn’t have left. I would have really liked to have seen what they did with his ‘faith’ story.” Eko’s faith-based subplot really was turning into something special and was arguably one of the greatest aspects of the second season.
He was deeply entrenched with the island’s history and lore, and he even rivaled John Locke in regards to his complete devotion to the island’s many mysteries. It’s a shame he had to go so early.
The Raft
Reddit user 339970 writes, “I guess if I only had to choose one it would be the raft storyline, both building it in season one and the consequences in season two.” Season one saw Lost at its most grounded and realistic, placing a large emphasis on the survival of the castaways.
A major subplot concerned Michael building a raft to get him, Jin, and Sawyer off the island. It’s a great story filled with many dramatic subplots, including the wicked cliffhanger ending (one of the best in Lost) that saw Walt getting kidnapped by The Others.
Season 5’s Time Travel
Season 5 is quite divisive within the Lost community, with some disagreeing on the show’s increased reliance on gimmicks (like time travel and the season’s twisty, non-chronological storytelling). But not Redditor FunkyPastaTommy. They succinctly write, “Anything time travel related.”
Unfortunately, they fail to go into further detail. But there’s no denying that the time travel subplot is a thrilling bit of television, complete with an exploration of the island’s history, present characters in the past (like child Ben), and a unique time travel premise (what happened, happened).
Claire’s Kidnapping
This deleted Reddit user writes, “Claire’s kidnapping and the introduction to Ethan’s character was the first time I was totally freaked … out, the situation and character was [sic] just so creepy and was really the first time the passengers were in serious danger.”
Lost was great from the very beginning, but the overarching story really picked up steam in the middle of the first season. Claire’s kidnapping was horrifying, it was exciting, and it played on Lost’s signature love of mystery.
Locke
Locke has one of the best character arcs of Lost, and this helped make him a widespread fan favorite. It’s not surprising to hear Reddit user TManFreeman praise his storyline. As they write, “I love Locke’s story. It’s just a really great tragedy where a character’s fatal flaw (his blind faith/idealism) leads to his ruination and death.”
Locke is indeed the most tragic character on the show and watching his blind idealism lead to his downfall (not to mention his constant manipulation at the hands of Ben) made for spectacular television.
Getting Off The Island
Season four delightfully mixed things up by taking the action off the island. Reddit user Shade77 writes, “Season 4 storyline, and how the Oceanic 6 left the Island.” Some people thought that Lost would never leave the island (outside of flashbacks), as successful network shows generally run to tend forever – and getting off the island would mean not running forever.
Season four threw both its viewers and its characters for a loop. It offered up some tantalizing off-island drama, a unique storyline in the Oceanic 6, and interesting character development.
Jin & Sun
Minnesota_MiracleMan writes, “I loved Jin and Sun’s storyline. Basically how their marriage suffered because Jin was forced to do whatever Sun’s father asked him to do.” Lost always prioritized flashbacks, and they became just as important as the on-island drama.
Some stories – like Jin and Sun’s – even managed to merge them in exciting and dramatic ways. Their flashback story was one of the most interesting, and it made the on-island drama that much richer and more meaningful. They were fan-favorite characters for a reason.
