Lost - The Perfect Pilot Episode?

Co-created, directed, written, and produced by J.J. Abrams, Lost was one of the biggest television shows of the 2000s, full stop. Set on a mysterious tropical island, this dramatic and thrilling series follows a group of roughly 50 survivors of a horrendous plane crash, left stranded to fend for themselves in a hostile environment with more than its fair share of mysteries. A massive hit for the ABC network, the show garnered tens of millions of viewers during its six-season-long run, with fans feverishly sharing theories about potential plot twists in the same way Game of Thrones would grip audiences years later. This all started with a two-part pilot episode that does a remarkable job of setting the stage to come, instilling tension, and keeping the viewer glued to their seat. As Lost celebrates its 20th anniversary, let's take a look back at that stellar episode that started it all.

^{Review by Matt Owen}

With dozens of characters, intertwining sub-plots, and a boatload of mysteries to remember, Lost is a show that's overflowing with information that the audience needs to retain and recall at any given moment. It's a wonder then, that in just over 15 minutes, the first episode manages to grab the viewer's attention and keep them engaged while simultaneously setting the groundwork for plot points to come. The show opens on Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox), a doctor who awakens in the middle of a jungle with no recollection of how he got there. A perfect vessel for the audience, he's just as ignorant to the situation as we are, amping up the suspense tenfold, as it becomes clear that something is woefully wrong. As Jack bumbles his way to a nearby beach and discovers a crashed commercial airliner, complete with dozens of wounded and traumatized passengers, he thrusts himself into a leadership position and begins to put his medical skills to use.

As utter chaos erupts around him, Jack (and by proxy, the audience) are briefly introduced to a colourful cast of characters that will serve as his family for the foreseeable future. An oddly distant but charming man named Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) stumbles by while the visibly pregnant Claire (Emilie de Ravin) experiences contractions. Meanwhile, a mysterious man named John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) seems oddly at peace despite the devastation. It's not long before Jack meets his match in Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly), a stunning and seemingly timid woman who helps patch him up, though she harbours secrets of her own. As hours pass and hope of rescue dwindles, everyone deals with the dire situation in different ways. While a prissy rich girl, Shannon (Maggie Grace), refuses to accept reality and spends her time sunbathing, tensions boil over as men fight for power, particularly a pair of gents named Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and Sayid (Naveen Andrews). Lost establishes these characters and their core personality traits not in lengthy dialogue and exposition, but instead through brief encounters that feel raw and real. Thanks to excellent acting across the board, everything feels believable and grounded, despite some of the more far-fetched elements of the unfolding plot.

From there, the mysteries continue to pile on, as an already bad plane crash turns into a waking nightmare for all involved. As night falls, inexplicable booming sounds emit from the jungle followed by large-scale destruction in the distance, indicating that something large and remarkably dangerous is lurking past the treeline. When Jack, Kate, and Charlie eventually go on a scouting mission and discover the dislodged nose of the plane deep in the jungle, the wounded co-pilot is ravaged by the unseen creature and thrown miles away, further cementing the fear that something supernatural is afoot. Compounding the confusion, abrupt and severe changes of weather plague the island, a polar bear is shot and killed by Sawyer, and a United States Marshal lies in critical condition with an escaped prisoner nowhere to be found. With every new scene, additional pieces of the sprawling narrative puzzle are thrown into the fray, practically begging the viewer to get out their whiteboards and start drawing conclusions. Even with this onslaught of information, the show stays intriguing, as small mysteries are often answered in due time, leading to grander plots for episodes beyond.

The pilot episode of Lost is a masterclass in screenwriting and the general dissemination of plot points in a mystery, but those narrative boons wouldn't be enough to warrant excessive praise on their own. Thankfully, it's an episode that's just as thrilling to watch as it is to ponder on. Across its two parts, the pilot effortlessly switches between action, horror, melancholy, and suspense, balancing these tones with equal care and consideration. It's also incredibly well-produced and cinematic as can be, especially for a television show that debuted in 2004. Though a distinct use of “shaky-cam” and some dodgy green screen effects show the age of the Lost pilot, it's still as effective today as it was 20 years ago.

Although Lost eventually got a bit overcomplicated and ended on an awkward note, its influence and lasting impression on pop culture simply cannot be overlooked. The show was just as big of a hit with critics as it was with viewers, amassing a total of 10 Emmy Awards and hundreds of other nominations. Alongside other fantastic shows like The Wire, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead, Lost helped usher in the most recent Golden Age of Television and left its mark on the industry for good. Bridging the gap between premium channels like HBO and your standard cable package, it was a show that brought audiences together with their crazy theories and speculation, with new episodes feeling eventful even in an age of “prestige” television. In short, Lost has earned a spot in television history as a special show that enthralled audiences for years on end, and it's due in no small part to an epic two-part pilot episode that hit all the right notes and had viewers begging for more.