A Matter of the Utmost Importance: LOST and Found

Seeing as how this is the last week that LOST will grace our airwaves, I think it only right since so many of the panelists watch the show that we recount our favorite moments or episodes from the show, try to limit it to two or three. And welcome a special guest panelist: Special Scout blogger Amal Aboulhosn. LOST has been more than a TV show for 6 seasons. More than TV show?! Yeah, it has redefined what a TV show can be expanding what fans expect out of their viewing experience and bringing some to the point of obsession. I mean heck, I’ve read a couple books referenced in it myself. And reading is hard. I think that’s why we should really give a little retrospective on some of LOST‘s best moments as seen by the Matter crew.

Seth:

Faith Reborn

With just a flick of the switch, Locke literally and figuratively sees the light. This is an undeniably spine-tingling moment in LOST lore. What we thought was changed in that exact moment just through that sliver of light. Incredible.

What a lovely sandal!

“I don’t know what is more disquieting; the fact that the rest of the statue is missing, or that it has four toes.” - Sayid
That about covers it. I was blown away by the statue when it first appeared and it remained my #1 mystery up until it was finally solved. Just all kinds of WTF.

Favorite Episode: It’s still “The Constant.” Never has such a trippy, time-bending, mind-bending piece of science fiction held such emotional weight and pure romantic bliss as this episode. Even the title of the episode is brilliant and works for both the science and the romantic side.  At times, Sun and Jin have played the role of the emotional love story of LOST but I don’t think they’ve ever really matched the almost-over-the-top way that Penny and Des portray their love story. This is definitely a singular achievement in 42 minutes. And also I know I just stole a LOT of people’s answers, but that’s what you get for being the chief.

Patrick: Mine were:

“Through the Looking Glass:” Charlie’s revelation that the boat sent to the island was not Penny’s; that entire episode was a treatise on whether fate or free will reigns supreme and it really did a great job of not completely answering the question.  It is still hands-down my favorite season finale of the series.

Never See Sharpies the same way again.

“The Other Woman:” Juliet, Charlotte and Daniel fight in the Tempest station; this episode was a pinnacle moment for Juliet and getting to see Ben’s horrifying effect on her life and the other side of the beginning of the story was phenomenal.

With the Gun, For the Win

Amal: My favorite episode is also “The Constant.”  Hm.

I also love the opening of ”Tale of Two Cities.”  Seeing the Dharma life and placing time/space by seeing 815 plane split overhead was completely enlightening.  I might’ve punched the sky in my living room on that one.  I also love that Juliet and Ben have book club beef.  Let’s not forget, too, that Juliet is crying to Petula Clark’s “Downtown,” and the whole moment is perfect.

Absolute favorite  moment on the show:  when Hurley and Charlie jumpstart the Dharma van and Three Dog Night’s “Shambala” is playing on the tape.  It ranks pretty high on the list for amazing use of a pop song in a television series.

Also love:  When Sayid snaps the chicken head.  It’s just so f’ing awesome, and probably how manhood should be defined for all.

Seth: Setting the manhood bar with the Republican Guard’s certifiable badass seems, I don’t know, a little unfair.

Josh: Patrick made a good call about “Through the Looking Glass”, but it’s one of my favorites b/c it was the first time they used aflash forward. I definitely didn’t see that coming. This finale gave us a look into how the following seasons would go (ie people get off the island, not all is well once they leave, they have to go back.)

One of my favorite, but less talked about episodes is “I Do”. This episode is in Season 3 while Jack, Kate, and Sawyer are being held by the Others on Hydra Island. “I Do” is the episode where Kate tries to save Sawyer from being killed by adisgruntled Other and ends up climbing in his cage for a little rumble in the jungle if you know what I mean. This is one of my favorite scenes:

Kevin: I must say that I agree with many folks that “Through the Looking Glass”  is the best. While Charlie drowning with the ”Not Penny’s Boat” note is by far the most emotional moment for me in the show, and it seems everyone else’s-this episode really made me think that these writers were brilliant. The whole episode you get what you think are flashbacks to Jack, addicted to codeine and drinking, trying to commit suicide and upset at a coffin you don’t see the contents of-all capped off with a late night meeting with Kate. In that moment when she get’s out of the car and you realize your seeing the future and that they do one day get off and that the next season will tell that story pretty much made my brain explode. no actually it did, I’ve never been the same.

Brad: I think the best moments (and the only ones that have kept me with this show at this point) on the show have all been Locke related. Realizing it was his wheel chair after the crash, seeing him played by his dad, left by Katey Seagal, pushed out the window, left behind on the walkabout, hit by Desmond, strangled by Ben, etc.. He’s really been the only character that I’ve felt empathetic towards–he always gets so close to having his shit together but fate/Lost writers refuse to leave him be! And what does he get for his overly trusting naivete? He becomes the embodiment of EVIL!?!? How cruel, Lost. How deliciously cruel.

Steve: I love all of the choices so far, but I’m going to go way back to season 1 with “The Moth”. Just a great Charlie episode with fighting theheroine addiction, the cave in at the caves, and rescuing Jack. Overall transformation moment for Charlie.
Summer: Wow Josh, you and I are Lost-mates. Those are my two favorite moments and my favorite character as well! “Through the Looking Glass” is hands down the BEST episode of Lost, if not of television.

“Not Penny’s Boat” is my favorite scene because of the emotion. Just when you think Charlie has reversed fate and will make it, he dies. In the process, he was sacrificing this life to save his friends. And at the same time, you are left with this huge question mark ofwho’s boat did these people come on and why are they here. I’m also a fan of the scene where Hurley drives the van onto the beach. Hurley saves the day and Sayid kills someone with his legs. That one got my jumping up in down in my seat.

The cage sex scene in “I Do” carries a lot of steam obviously but also has heart. Kate has the opportunity to run (let’s face it, she could find a way to get to the other island), which she has spent her life doing yet stays for Sawyer (and/or Jack?). The desperation in this scene is just spot-on.

I know I am going over the limit, but I have to include the CPR scene in “All the Best Cowboys have Daddy Issues.” It shows a positive side of Jack’s refusal to let go and frustration with himself. And Charlie comes back to life so it’s a happy ending. It’s just such powerful stuff. You think Charlie’s gone, you feel with Jack and his anger, and then you get to be happy when Charlie comes back. So many emotions in just one scene.

Narrowing down just a few was hard. There’s so many moments that represent different parts of what I love about Lost. The high-action kick-ass parts, the emotional heart-wrenching parts, the relationship lovey-dovey parts, the parts that renewed my faith in the show, the parts that worked together to get me hooked in the beginning, the parts that uncovered vital information, and the parts that have all of that in just one scene.

I know I only speak for myself, but I feel I speak for many of those who contributed here saying that we are going to be well sad when LOST closes its final chapter, whatever the end may bring. Frankly, I’ve given up any thought that they would solve EVERY MYSTERY on the show. I mean COME ON.  Six seasons of answering questions only to find more buried directly beneath, you can’t expect them to answer them all. I’ve been happy enough to have some of the great mysteries of my own solved and I’m happy for that.

A friend of mine mentioned that he was afraid that all of this could be one big red herring-fest. Which at first really put me in a sour mood, but since that time, I’ve begun to wonder if it matters at all. What possible ending to LOST would you be happy with at this point? I have begun to look at it this way, I’ve watched a show which I have voluntarily invested a lot of time in. More than many of its other fans in some regards (summer reading, alternate reality games, countless hours spent with my fellow LOST detective sister on forums and Wikipedia). But I’m happy I’ve been able to witness something like this and the story that is being told isn’t my story to finish. It’s the LOST team’s. I’m just happy to have been along for the ride. I don’t think LOST is the best TV show of all time, but I do believe it to be a singular television achievement. A show which captivates, entertains, and educates like few ever have of ever will is not to be scoffed at as simply a red herring fest. In fact maybe the meaning of LOST is going to be left to its viewers to decide. There have been myriad themes presented, dissected, and pontificated upon since the show’s inception and weaving all of those together to tell a story is hard enough, divining a meaning from it may be too much to ask. DO NOT take this as my way of saying I don’t care what the meaning is. I do. But I have come to believe that maybe the meaning is something that will be defined by each LOSTie for themselves. I know one thing is for sure, it has been one hell of a mysterious ride. So thanks Team LOST for giving your faithful fans something to chomp at the bit for and for making something epic and grand (albeit with shoddy computer graphics from time to time) and for being unafraid to go absolutely off the wagon with science fiction and taking all of those uninitiated sci-fi phobics with you. And thanks for being original within the shell of your story, so many comparisons have been made to LOST but none of them stick. I think that’s because we have a true original vision (DO NOT PROVE ME WRONG ON SUNDAY!) and that is something that is increasingly rare in our world. No matter how things end, whatever happens, happens. Namaste.