It’s Sept. 22, 2004. Eyes open on the television screen. The camera zooms out to see a man in a suit, visibly shaken. There’s a cut on his forehead, and he’s lying down in the middle of a jungle. The next few seconds are spent in suspense; he’s running, towards what or from what, we don’t know. There’s a shoe hanging on a bamboo branch. The camera is shaky. Finally, the man exits the jungle to a serene beach. All seems well until he turns his head. There’s a massive plane crash on the beach– the epitome of a disaster. People are screaming, bloody or possibly dead. The man, instead of running away, moves towards the chaos to help.
These are the first few beats of the pilot of “Lost,” the suspenseful, sci-fi, dramatic television epic that premiered on ABC 20 years ago today. “Lost” follows the survivors of the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, their backstories and the mystery of the island they’ve happened upon. The two-part, two-hour pilot of this ambitious plot turned the world of television on its head. Costing $13 million dollars to make, it was the most expensive pilot to date at its premiere. Shot on location in Hawaii, using a real decommissioned plane for the wreckage and a massive ensemble cast, the idea itself of “Lost” was a gamble. A gamble that paid off.
To this day, the pilot of “Lost” is regarded as one of the best of all time, among the likes of “Breaking Bad” and “Game of Thrones.” It introduces you to the massive ensemble cast of characters the show will focus on without it feeling overwhelming or bloated. The show brings about mystery after mystery, and ends with one simple question: “Guys, where are we?” A question the show tries to answer during the entirety of its six-season run. While the legacy of “Lost” may be muddled by a production clouded in toxicity, because of its diverse ending, it remains one of the most influential and best television shows of all time.
“Lost” is a show categorized through its many twists and turns in all avenues. First, through its use of flashbacks as a main storytelling device. From the pilot, about half of the show’s plot is told pre-crash, pre-island. Some of the episodes have flashbacks for only one character, some have flashbacks for multiple characters. It’s a technique that I hadn’t seen before “Lost,” but is now one I see frequently after, like in the drama “This Is Us.” I believe “Lost” paved the way for non-linear storytelling in 21st century television.
Another staple of “Lost” is its plot, specifically its plot twists. “Lost” is a show that thrives on mystery, keeping the viewer in suspense and returning each week. Just in the first season alone, it feels like there is a massive shift every episode. New information is uncovered only leaving more questions. Just in the pilot alone, a discarded pair of handcuffs are revealed, leaving the group to realize one among them is a criminal. A polar bear is found deep in the jungle, with no explanation of how it got there. There is a harrowing, mechanical whirring – one that kills. Each episode in the first season delivers shock after shock, gag after gag. Don’t even get me started on the hatch, which appears in the middle of season one, or the ominous ‘others’. I have yet to see a show that has matched “Lost” in its shock value, its ability to surprise the viewer, episode after episode.
Some shows lose this momentum through the seasons, but “Lost” keeps it up. In my opinion, the entirety of “Lost” is good, but the wide consensus is that the first three seasons are gold. With 25+ episode seasons, each episode running 45+ minutes long and a new season every year, a run like “Lost” is unheard of now. In the new streaming era of television shows are lucky to get eight episode seasons, maybe a new season every three years. The quality is down, the budget is up. With shows like “Lost” existing, how can one not be frustrated at the state of television today?
“Lost” holds a very special place in my heart. While I was only one at its premiere, I grew up in a household of “Lost” Sundays. My household would fall hush at 8 p.m. like clockwork, eager to see what other events would unfold on the island. Watching the show by myself years later, I felt the same mystical pull towards the television, episode after episode. The pilot of “Lost” was the first episode of television I felt blew my mind. The mystery, the intrigue and the characters with heart. “Lost” got me into television.
One of my favorite quotes from “Lost” comes from the fifth episode. Everyone on the island is fighting, people are accusing each other of crimes left and right. One of the main characters, Jack, gives a big speech which ends with the words: “if we can’t live together, we’re going to die alone.” In an age of political divisiveness, this quote resonates- perhaps now, more than ever. Twenty years later, “Lost” is still as good, still as relevant as it was back then. Sure, it’s not perfect. But what show ever is? “Lost” is fun. “Lost” is mysterious. And “Lost” is just good.
“Lost” is now streaming on Netflix.
Shannon Moore can be reached at [email protected]
