Lost (2004–2010) User Reviews

An experimental TV show that is tuned for the future TV viewers.

[sugareyes · 9/10 · 25 December 2010]

LOST is a cool experimental TV series. It has been wrongly labeled as a simple concoction of well known stories (e.g. Lord of the flies, The beach). Due to its complexity, you feel lost at times.

The unnumbered flashbacks, which were conceived as a novelty at first, have turned off many unprepared viewers. A few flashbacks didn't seem to contribute to the overall plots and only broke the flow of the story, especially when the viewers were eager to know more about what's happening on the island. Admittedly, they helped build the characters and explained their behaviors and the choices they made, but in a very short-lived manner.

I had an impression that the series was written and rewritten as it was filmed. There were very few plots that ran through the show. At times, the characters, instead of the stories, explained the rationales to 'patch up' the illogical parts.

The quirky, thus interesting, characters dominated the latter part of the show and initial two main characters seemed to fade into the background. A nice balance could have been better. There were a lot of character pruning throughout the show. Introducing new characters at the latter part of the show was a mistake. It only confused the viewers. This shows that the script probably wasn't complete before the shooting had started.

LOST played with the ideas of alternate realities, time travel, multi-worlds, life after death, and spiritual worlds. This complicated the plots but I commend the bravery and its nice execution.

For me, the most fascinating thing about LOST is the philosophical questions it imposed on us: Do you have somewhere or someone to go back to? How far are you willing to go to save yourself or your loved ones? Is having a faith, blind or not, better than having no faith at all? Can you really get away from your past? Do you really know the people you wholeheartedly trust?

If you like multi-plotted stories like LOST with twisted endings, you will love 'Somewhere carnal over 40 winks'.

Rewatching Lost during Corona lockdown

[deronkel · 9/10 · 6 May 2020]

It's awesome how good the series has aged. Seeing it all again also made some storylines make much more sense. I even think the ending makes much more sense now. That's something I was totally blind for the first time I've seen Lost.

It's an awesome series that paved the way for the beautiful landscape of high quality tv series we enjoy today.

Chilling, atmospheric and addictive – if the writers can weave all the clues and ideas together in the end, this will probably be stapled as the best show ever in television

[Flagrant-Baronessa · 9/10 · 21 August 2006]

While originally reluctant to jump on the bandwagon of watching "Lost", I accidentally caught one episode at the beginning of season 1—the one with the polar-bear—and it has had my undivided attention ever since. The show, that is. Not the polar bear. So bear (heh) with me while I throw out as much rambling, semi-coherent praise as I can muster.

"Lost" takes a simple idea of a passenger flight full of people crashing onto a desert island, and gradually adds extraordinary depth to its premise by exploring each character deeply and unflinchingly—what drives them, who are they? Where did they come from? It soon becomes clear that the island upon which they are stranded acts as a common denominator for many things in their lives, whether they're running away from something (Sawyer and Kate among others) or getting in touch with spirituality (Locke, Claire). But "Lost" also zooms in on the island itself and the mysterious horrors that it houses... and they all seem to be strangely connected.

While television actors are not exactly known for their subtlety or dazzling acting abilities, most of the cast of "Lost" are, in truth, spectacular actors for their respective parts, projecting heart and humour in their performances. There's also a multitude of eyecandy, but not generally of the plastic Hollywood kind as most TV shows. The characters all feel very real and they are extremely compelling to watch. Their interactions rarely fall prey to predictable sappiness, petty arguments or cheesy melodrama (although they are annoyingly secretive) – these people are first and foremost trying to survive and whatever relationship appears is treated secondary to action. The realism of these characters facilitate an already well-sculptured plot.

About this plot... Imagine a tree as the template plot, then the branches as subplots (in this case, one branch for every character) – well, Lost adds twigs to each branch and then tiny twigs to those twigs as other story lines. If you're a brother/sister to one of the main characters in the flashbacks, you will get your own storyline. If you're a DOG you will have your own storyline. Unless the writers manage to weave them all together into some glorious culmination in the end, they are setting themselves up. I am more than a little worried there will be some disappointing cop-out to this show, as I'm sure most people are.

But assuming the writers do pull this off, "Lost" is possibly the best show ever to hit television.

9/10

They dont make em like LOST anymore

[esadtresnjic-79388 · 10/10 · 26 April 2020]

Lost is one of those once in a lifetime show..i just started rewatching it again after a long time and its still holds up even to this day. 10/10 stars

One of the best shows ever created!

[Supermanfan-13 · 10/10 · 8 March 2021]

People say this about a ton of different shows but Lost really is one of the best tv shows ever created! It is one of the most original and thought provoking shows ever and even though a lot have tried, there has never been another show like it! It will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat throughout the entire series! I couldn't recommend this series enough, it's absolutely one of my favorite shows ever!

One of the best shows of all-time!

[Rob1331 · 10/10 · 29 September 2022]

People say this about a ton of different shows but Lost really is one of the best tv shows ever created! It is one of the most original and thought provoking shows ever and even though a lot have tried, there has never been another show like it. It has some of the best storytelling ever put on tv. You'll have to have patience as you watch becomes answers to come as quick as you'd like but they come. It has some of the most shocking mysteries and twists ever put on television. It will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat throughout the entire series. I couldn't recommend this series enough, it's absolutely one of my favorite shows ever!

Restored what little faith I have in TV

[Sisiutil · 8 December 2004]

With so many high-quality shows ending or getting cancelled recently (Friends, Frasier, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel), and with the decline in quality of many others (The West Wing, Smallville), not to mention the egregious rise of turgid and tasteless "reality" programming, I'd just about written off TV as an entertainment medium. I was seriously considering ditching my TV and cable subscription in favour of my computer screen and broadband Internet connection.

Then along comes "Lost". I missed the first few episodes, but was able to catch up thanks to BitTorrent. Now I'm hooked. There are several things to like about this show, but here's a quick list:

1) Outstanding, intelligent, layered writing. There are multiple mysteries here, and for every answer we get, more questions emerge.

2) Rich, complex characters. Just when you think you've got a character pegged, you find out something new about them that's often surprising or even shocking. I'm enjoying watching the various relationships emerge and develop.

3) Strong performances. This is a remarkable cast of mostly journeymen actors with a couple of newcomers, and they're all turning in star-making work. Even some of the cameos have featured recognizeable, talented actors (e.g. Mira Furlan, Victoria Hamel).

4) A mysterious and fascinating setting. Of the four main story elements you learned in school, plot, character, theme, and setting, the latter is often the poor, neglected cousin. Not here. The island is dangerous, beautiful, creepy, and undeniably intriguing. It's like a character unto itself. Part of the fun of this show will be unravelling the Island's secrets.

5) Thematic depth. This isn't just a soap opera on a desert island. There are rich metaphors and themes to be mined here, such as on the challenges of morality; on the nature of communities and civilization; on our relationship with nature/the environment; and on spirituality, even mysticism, as well.

I'm grateful to see this show is a hit. Too often lately I've committed to a quality show early on ("Wonderfalls" being the most recent and much-lamented example) only to have a jittery network cancel it prematurely. I'm hoping "Lost" will have a long, successful run--if its creators, cast, and crew keep up the level of quality they've shown so far, I'm sure it will.

Don't get turned off by the length, this is the perfect show.

[rmccabe-39695 · 10/10 · 7 March 2021]

Adventure? Check Survival? Check Sci-Fi? CHECK Jaw dropping twists and turns? Check Brilliant writing, acting, and directing? Check

Despite the above average number of episodes, this show always managed to stay fresh and feel original. That said, it also never strayed off topic or felt like it was losing its original point.

I could go forever and ever, but you get the point. This show is a must watch. At least watch the first 4 episodes, from that point you will decide whether this show is for you.

Still the BEST, 14 years later.

[davelutter · 10/10 · 27 June 2018]

LOST transcended TV Drama writing and encapsulated theme theroy when it burst onto the scene in 2004. That's 14 freakin years ago, and the show still holds up. Seriously. Jack, Kate, Saywer, Hugo, Locke, Sayid and yes, even Benjamin Linus' story lined were crafted in a manner few, in any have since. My then-16 year old Son said it was the best written show of its time, and now that he's 30, and a writer himself, maintains that commitment to this day: all the other show follow in the shadows of LOST

Forever legendary

[sufyaan · 10/10 · 16 October 2018]

There are a lot of great shows, like GoT that many regard as the best out there. However you can't argue about lost, it will forever be legendary and the show all shows look up to.

Several alternate-realities of squandered potential

[I_saw_it_happen · 6/10 · 24 May 2010]

This show could have been brilliant, if it hadn't spent so much time trying to convince us it was brilliant. The problem with Lost is that it does not come through on it's central premise--- to explain the unusual events on the island.

First of all, the show is basically a revved up version of the show Mysterious Island, based of the Jules Verne book of the same title, which I believe was a Canadian television show. But Lost did bring a lot to the table that was promising, if not wholly new. The acting was generally good, and every now and then there were outright fantastic performances. The drawn out emotional montages in the first few seasons actually worked quite well. And the mysterious elements of the Island were intriguing: Smoke monsters, 'Others' weird scientific anomalies, possible conspiracies, etc... but then, once it becomes apparent (around S4) that the writers can't explain anything they've set up within the established reality they've created... they start adding alternate realities. They even jump the shark and add Time travel. And this wouldn't even be problematic for many viewers --- these are good sci-fi staples, and Lost always had a sci-fi appeal --- but rather than explain anything with these clichés, the plot is simply muddled. By the last episode, it becomes apparent that neither the 'alternate realities' or the insertion of time travel into the story actually explain anything, but rather complicate an already complicated story into obscurification.

The final episodes of Lost, where 'all is to be revealed' leave plenty to be revealed. Even if you're willing to accept that there are god-like beings (or maybe gods, it's never clear) or simply 'magical' folk running things, this is not enough; you must accept that these gods act without any clear purpose, insisting on the legitimacy of 'rules' that they can't explain. And once you accept that, then you see that those 'rules' don't actually have any purpose, either. Anything an audience holds to in effort to make sense of the reason the island matters, or the reason these supernatural god-figures who can't leave the island (but do) should matter will be disregarded within a few episodes. In the end, Lost, which was so promising, doesn't really mean anything.

And worse, as it loses any attempt at making sense of itself, it revels in drawn out sentimentality. All the cut scenes become interchangeable dumb expressions of people refusing to explain themselves, or acting shocked when they're promised that they're about to be told something.

Why can't women on the island have babies (even though they do)? This is never explained. What 'sickness' on the island drives people crazy? Never explained. What is 'the light'? Never explained. What reality of the many glimpsed in this show is 'real'? Never explained.

There's sooooo much unexplained; and what does actually get explained is usually just explained poorly, and upon some examination falls apart. But all this aside--- is it a good story? Is the action worthwhile? Yes and no. The action scenes are good eye candy most of the time, although the actions of the main characters become more and more contrived. People begin initiating fights for no reason, and the characters seem to be acting very willfully against their own interest, as often pointed out by more reasonable characters; but it doesn't matter; these type-A characters are driven to act by fate itself, apparently. In fact, many of the 'main characters' (Jack, Kate, John, etc.) become irritating and unlikeable, despite their continual hero status. But action? Yes, as implausible as it all is, some of it is good action. There are good plot twists, but these are entangled with repetitive clichés; guards are always easily overcome; something will always give one second before the explosion; someone always got away from that explosion, even though you didn't see it. It eventually just gets boring.

In the end, is Lost is the best-made dumb show ever. It severely underestimates the intelligence of it's audience, and this is a mistake when you're selling what's supposed to be a 'smart' show.

The Best Show Ever?

[BabelAlexandria · 10/10 · 28 April 2020]

Possibly the greatest television fantasy/science-fiction show of all time, despite lots of loose ends that didn't get resolved in the shortened final season. And that's not just because of the late/exceptionally vague references to (Egyptian, Greek, and Roman) antiquity, or the Manichaean theme of Light/Darkness (which it shares with Game of Thrones). I will forever associate it with commuting, and our two summers in Australia.

Fed Up

[umair-64126 · 7/10 · 14 August 2015]

I am fed up of the same writing way of American serial writers. They always try to to extend the play by adding characters and stretching the story line unnecessarily. You will always have a jack(good guy) You will always have a Sawyer(bad boy) But both are working together in broad sense. Every new character is introduced strongly and it loses its worth as play moves on.(Ana Lucia, Juliet, Eko, Tom) Ben type characters continues to win because writers have to stretch the story with their win. Original story fade away. Many a things remain unexplained or a lame explanation is provided. When a serial becomes predictable because of these and many other reasons then they kill some main/good character to make it unpredictable.

Write something new man!

a review of "The End," an empty suit

[SN51431 · 4/10 · 26 May 2010]

The finale to "Lost" failed on many levels, and not just because it did not answer questions. It was poor writing that was an emotionally manipulative, contrived, and done-before piece. I got it. I saw the different alternatives integrated into the characters' memories. I saw the after-life reunion that would bind them all together in eternity. But, the finale served to diminish the integrity of the entire series because SO MANY small questions were left unresolved.

I think the writers created mysteries and twists as they went along with no clearly defined answers or resolutions in their own heads when they created those mysteries. That is just plain lazy and sloppy writing. The classic "Twilight Zone" always had convoluted turns and deep mystery, but each episode always ended with phenomenal and imaginative explanations. (Think of the Agnes Moorehead episode). The "Lost" writers ended the series with some absurd and puerile after-life reunion, rendering all the possibilities regarding what was "real" a total unexplained mess.

So... whether they all died in the plane crash, or whether the island experience really happened, or whether they all lived out their lives in an alternate universe where the plane never crashed, or whether all possibilities happened in some Quantum physics world and all the options were integrated into their memories.... nothing was explained in terms of the events WE WATCHED for years on the island.

The whole ending was a major cop out because the writers kept building mystery after mystery, twist after twist, cliffhanger after cliffhanger, and they never tied anything up with clear explanations in the finale. The ending was terrible. The worst. They went for the manipulative tearjerker, but when the eyes dry... you have a disappointing empty suit.

Man against Nature, Man against Self, Man against Man

[mnemosyne23 · 25 November 2004]

At first blush, "Lost" seems like an impossible concept: a bunch of people stranded on a mysterious island. How many story lines can you POSSIBLY take from that before the idea's been sapped completely dry?

It's a legitimate concern, but in the case of "Lost," totally unwarranted. "Lost," unlike many shows today where the plot drives the characters, is in fact the opposite: the characters drive the plot. This isn't "CSI" or "Law and Order," where each week is a variation on the same theme. On "Lost," you have a group of fascinatingly different, tragically flawed characters who must somehow learn to survive together, while at the same time trying to keep their secrets hidden. That's a method for disaster. After living together for a long time, the characters are going to find out it's impossible to keep their pasts a secret.

Yes, there's a monster on the island. Yes, there are mysterious happenings.

Yes, a sense of dread often hangs thick in the air. But to me, the exterior problems presented by the island itself are NOTHING compared to the INTERNAL problems the characters must face, both with themselves and with each other. That's where the REAL drama lies. And it's fascinating to watch.

What a great show!

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 24 August 2009]

I never realised I would like Lost, but I think it is just great. I thought it wouldn't be my thing, but from the first episode I was hooked from the word go. The acting is exceptional from all involved, nothing like the amateurish acting I have seen before. One of my favourite characters is Hurley, he is hilarious, there is one episode when he hurts his foot in the sea and he screams at Jin to "pee on it!" Matthew Fox is quite a hunk, and Evangeline Lilly has that star quality that draws you to her. Another favourite is Charlie, he is a great character, same with Locke. The characters are so well developed, and you learn a lot about them. From the excellent photography, the chilling theme tune, the clever plot lines and the well crafted scripts, Lost is a rarity of excellence in my book. 10/10 Bethany Cox

UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF THE BEST TV SERIES EVER MADE

[gangeshgnair · 10/10 · 24 September 2022]

What can i say about "LOST" ? It's undoubtedly one of the best series I have ever watched. It cannot be classified into one particular genre, it's a sci fi psychological mystery survival horror action thriller series and much more. The series is so influential and I believe something like this can not be repeated again (or it's not that easy). The best part about the series is it narration, it's non linear but at no point do we feel confused or uncomfortable, when the twist in the plot unravels slowly, it just gives us kicks after kicks really intriguing us to know what's next. The technical department, the music, cinematography, sound design everything is top notch. I loved the performance by every actor, we empathize towards each and every one of the main characters (the writing is so so beautiful)

The only issue I had with the series is the last episode, they could have flushed out the concept of after life or alternate reality a little more. That's the only point I felt a little confused and unclear

This is a must watch series 10/10.

Must See TV

[SnoopyStyle · 9/10 · 2 September 2013]

The show starts with a crashed jet on a deserted island. The survivors find the island is not so deserted and one of many mystery. On its surface, it is simply a scripted version of Survivor, the popular TV reality show. But as it develops, it shows itself to be much much more. The vast and varied cast is led by TV veteran Matthew Fox. They form a great family group of many individual skills. Their chemistry is truly compelling.

This is J.J. Abrams' best creation of all of his many projects. The pilot is terrific and I love the first season as we follow the various characters. I don't want to give any spoilers. This is must-see TV.

In my opinion the BEST SHOW OF ALL TIME!!

[sollybobrowsky · 10/10 · 10 July 2023]

While some shows have ups and downs, Lost has peaks and higher peaks. Lost is one of the most interesting pieces of fiction I have ever watched and is so meticulously thought out and well planned. Every detail in the show is cared for and supposed to be there and everything gets answered one way or another. The best part about it is all you have to do is sit back and relax as you uncover the mystery and story of Oceanic Flight 815. Some people don't like how the ending turned out but the story had a nice and full conclusion. What I (and most people too they just don't want to admit it) hated most about the ending is that it ended. The characters and actors are incredible and you become deeply attached and engaged in the show.

ICONIC

[orlaithmccoy · 10/10 · 25 February 2021]

Lost is one of those shows that if you haven't watched you've atleast heard of

i watched it for this reason and that my sister told me that it was as amazing as it seems

if you haven't watched it. watch it!!!!!!

it's so good and an amazing ending

Started out great and slowly became ridiculous

[A_Bona · 6/10 · 12 November 2011]

(this may contain spoilers so do not read on if you haven't seen it)

I remember the night of the Pilot episode and how amazed I was by this show. It had intense and emotional scenes, great character development and intriguing flashbacks that gave viewers a look into the characters past's and the events that put them on that plane. Unfortunately, however, the charm and mystery this show had only lasted through the first season. (SPOILER ALERT!)- I found the show got much less interesting the minute the hatch was opened and the 'Darma Initiative' came into play. The idea that the island was a home to researchers in the past destroyed a lot of the islands mystery that the first season so meticulously created. The only gripe I had with the first season was the very random and unexplained Polar Bear appearance (END SPOILER!). The second season did very little to bring back the magic of the previous season and the only reason I kept watching was because I was really intrigued by all the flashback scenes. With each season the story became more and more difficult to follow. It was painfully obvious that the writers had absolutely no idea where they wanted the show to go and were pretty much making it up as they went.

(SPOILER ALERT!) The last two seasons featured the worst of the story. I don't know if anyone else had this issue, but I had no idea what was going on when they were showing the 'flashsideways' scenes. I simply thought that they were showing what their lives would have been like had they not crashed on the island. That theory was completely shattered in the series finale when they poorly explained that they were essentially in Limbo trying to find each other to pass on to the after life. This seems like a touching ending but it was executed poorly and there was a ton of stuff left totally unexplained, and what they did explain was barely satisfying. (END SPOILER!)

Overall, I give this show a 5 out of 10. It started off as a truly amazing adventure and ended up as something completely ludicrous. So if you're going to give this a try, be prepared for some awful story telling in the later seasons which lasts from seasons 4 to the finale. Not an awful show, but very far from a great one. it had a lot of potential before the writers destroyed it.

Hopefully They Keep This One!

[gluba2000 · 10/10 · 30 September 2004]

I love this show! It's like watching a mini movie each week!!! The first episode was so gripping and terrifying...so was part 2 of the pilot... I'm definitely gonna keep tuning into this show! This is the real Survivor! I've looked at a few of the other comments and I can see that already after just one or two episodes the morons here are already crying wolf... Sorry if it's not another reality show, kiddies! There was once a time where there were...now brace yourself! Actual TV shows! And this one is actually good unlike most of the crappy sitcoms today or the ump-teenth carbon copy of a Law & Order or NYPD Blue or CSI series they're dishing out... Watch this yourself to form your own opinion, don't take one from the boneheads here!

The television equivalent of heroin

[Ruskington · 7/10 · 11 December 2020]

The first season of Lost was one of the most exciting and intriguing TV experiences I can remember. By the third season I was starting to realise that maybe I'd never get any answers and maybe I wasn't supposed to. Maybe they were just making it up as they went along? By then I was in too deep and needed to see it to it's conclusion. And that conclusion was more disappointing than I could have ever expected. Lost is like hard drugs- at first it gets you high and wanting more. With each episode the hit becomes less intense and the need for another increases. Eventually you are just broken and unwell.

The unkept promises of a lost island

[divert-1 · 4/10 · 2 January 2007]

When the pilot of this show was broadcasted, I was astonished. I still think it's one of the best ever. Intriguing, thrilling, extremely well shot. As the story started to develop throughout the first ten episodes, the show kept the pace. Some story lines seemed to have been left behind, but everything appeared to make sense.

It was only with the second season, that the whole thing showed up for what it was: a massive, insulting swindle.

Apparently, something must have happened with the cast or the production. Sometimes writers have to adjust the plot to real-life incidents: a pregnancy, an actor who dies or leaves, some characters whose relevance is downsized because the audience dislikes them, or vice versa... Sometimes you can twist the plot a little, sometimes you actually have a great idea and take benefit from the incident, sometimes you do your best but the outcome feels just awkward.

Well, this show seems to undergo these incidents (third kind) on a daily basis, or so I hope. Story lines abandoned and completely forgotten, useless characters that become pivotal and then disappear with no reason. Actually, everything seems to happen for no reason at all, and the audience is skillfully tricked into believing that there is something really interesting going on somewhere under the surface. Problem is, under the surface there is nothing at all.

LOST forces you to try and give a meaning to what you see. Except that the writers can't keep track of what they do. It tries to create loads of "extra tension". Except that splitting a very important scene in two or three parts, and placing them randomly across four episodes, isn't a very smart way to increase tension. It tries to give a progressive insight on the characters. Except that filling every episode with a bombardment of flask-backs isn't a very smart way to do that either.

I could go on this way for an hour, but I think I made my point. This show could have been great, interesting, amazing. But it's not. It's just an experiment on how much a viewer can be deceived before he realizes he's watching a massive bunch of crap.

Why aren't you watching?

[zigzagger22345 · 13 March 2005]

Unless you live under a rock, you've probably heard of the hit show LOST. You've seen the previews, read the 5-star reviews, and heard the conversations about it at the water-cooler. If you haven't started watching it yet, you might wonder if you should start watching. Well, let's put it this way.

If you like shows with action, you will like LOST.

If you like shows with complex characters and interactions, you will like LOST.

If you like shows with drama, mystery, and suspense, you will like LOST.

If you like shows with humor, you will like LOST.

If you like shows where you can watch an episode twice and view it in an entirely different way, you will like LOST.

If you like shows where each and every scene has a meaning... Get the picture?

Quite simply, if you have ever liked a TV show at all, you will be hooked.

LOST is a show about a plane crash on a mysterious island. 48 people survive, but the show centers around 14, all with secrets. At first, there is confusion. But as the show goes on, friendships develop, and we learn that there is more to the island than what it seems...

The characters are fantastic--don't pay any attention to those who say the cast is so diverse it is clichéd, those are probably the same people who would have criticized it if it was all white.

In short, watch. You will be hooked, unless you're one of those nitpicky people who have a hernia if every single detail in the very first episode isn't exactly correct. Otherwise, I must ask the question... Why aren't you watching?

10/10