Top 10 Lost Episodes (Times Chosen)
The Pilot
Season 1, Episodes 1 and 2; Sept. 22 and Sept. 29, 2004
This is where we first meet Jack, Kate, Charlie and the other survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, who end up on a mysterious South Pacific island after their plane breaks apart in midair. Though the series evolved to become something much different, when I went back and rewatched it, I was impressed again by how much the pilot set up and how well and economically it did so.
Walkabout
Season 1, Episode 4; Oct. 13, 2004
Through a series of flashbacks, we learn that John Locke, who emerges as a hunter for the group, was a paraplegic before the plane crash but woke up on the island with the ability to walk. It's also the episode in which Lost reveals that there's much more to it than first meets the eye.
Man of Science, Man of Faith
Season 2, Episode 1; Sept. 21, 2005
The Season 2 return delivers on the teaser of the mysterious hatch, making the situation even more complicated with Kate disappearing once she climbs down into it. What happens here opens up the playing field for the rest of the series.
Orientation
Season 2, Episode 3; Oct. 5, 2005
Jack, Locke and Kate learn more about the mysterious hatch, while on the opposite side of the island, Michael, Sawyer and Jin are held captive by people they believe to be the Others. During a flashback, we're introduced to Helen - who makes things even more complicated. "We're going to need to watch that again": that might as well be the official motto of Lost fans.
The Man Behind the Curtain
Season 3, Episode 20; May 9, 2007
In this episode, we learn about the twisted backstory of Ben Linus and his evolution from a boy on the island to former leader of the Others, taking him from plot device in a parachute to Lost's most mesmerizing character.
Through the Looking Glass
Season 3, Episode 23; May 23, 2007
It's revealed through flash-forwards that Jack and Kate escaped the island, but Jack has regrets about leaving and prompts Kate to return with him. Best season finale of any series ever?
The Constant
Season 4, Episode 5; Feb. 28, 2008
Desmond loses his memory of his life after the events of 1996 - when he was serving in the British army. His mind jumps from 1996 to 2004 until he is finally reconciled with his once lover Penny. Widely, and rightly, considered the best episode of Lost ever.
The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham
Season 5, Episode 7; Feb. 25, 2009
An episode that as much as anything set in place Lost's endgame, while bringing a heartbreaking end - of sorts - to the tragic character of John Locke. Most of the events take place off of the island and focus on Locke's attempt to reunite the Oceanic Six and return to the island. It is Ben, however, who interrupts and kills Locke, making it look like a suicide.
Ab Aeterno
Season 6, Episode 9; March 23, 2010
This trippy, gothically romantic episode took a big leap backward into the history of the Island. We finally learn why Richard Alpert - who arrived as a shipwrecked slave in 1867 - came to be immortal (by striking a deal with Island guardian Jacob to serve as his envoy). And we get a fascinating glimpse at the centuries-long rivalry between Jacob and his brother, The Man in Black. All of this in the context of an alternately terrifying and moving story of redemption and damnation, love and death.
Happily Ever After
Season 6, Episode 11; April 6, 2010
Desmond Hume, we have been told, is special. And in this mind-blowing, universe-bridging companion piece to the season-four classic "The Constant," we see how special: he's the missing link between season six's perplexing parallel-universe storylines, as his consciousness travels between the two and he seeks to resolve them. Another Lost classic that makes our heads hurt, in the best way.
What's your top 10?