OfLost’s121 total episodes, these 10 represent the ones that audiences are most likely never going to forget. There has been plenty of debate over the last 15 years, since the show concluded, regarding which episodes were best or worst.
However, this ranking isn’t necessarily about which episodes were the best overall; instead,these 10Lostepisodes are the ones, for better or worse, viewers aren’t ever going to forget, be it because of their incredible storylines, their devastating moments, or their importance to the show.
10Across The Sea
Lostseason 6, episode 15, “Across the Sea,” may be among the episodes that aren’t remembered in an entirely positive light, but it nevertheless had an impact. After the mysteries surrounding Jacob andthe Man in Blackkept mounting, finally, audiences got to see their backstory in “Across the Sea.”
As perhaps should be expected just givenLost’stone overall, their story ended up being incredibly dark, with their birth mother getting murdered by the woman who ultimately raised them just after they were born. From there, the story only became more convoluted—which is where many complaints stem from.
Ultimately, this episode provides both insights into the island that are necessary to understand why one member of the Oceanic 815 group must stay to be its guardian and some fascinating details about Jacob and the Man in Black, both of which make it among the most memorable.
9All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues
Jack was the notable protagonist from the very beginning, even withLost’sensemble cast approach, and that’s what madeLostseason 1, episode 11, “All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues,” especially exciting. In this episode, which features flashbacks to Jack’s falling out with his father, we begin to understand his character.
Specifically, this episode reveals that Jack reported his own father, another surgeon, for drinking while operating, making a mistake, and killing a pregnant patient. This was so informative in terms of who Jack really was, as he clearly had a value system that outweighed even his love for his dad.
This episode also saw Charlie nearly killed off by Ethan, who had dragged both Charlie and Claire into the woods. This scene is especially one that viewers won’t forget, as Jack desperately trying to restart Charlie’s heart in the middle of the jungle was haunting.
8Confidence Man
Lostseason 1, episode 8, “Confidence Man,” is essentially Sawyer’s version of “All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues,” as this is perhaps the single most important background episode for understanding Sawyer.
In it, we learn about Sawyer’s tragic and traumatic childhood, wherein his father was scammed by the man his wife was having an affair with, resulting in him sadly deciding to kill her and end his own life, all while Sawyer hid under a bed.
If that wasn’t sad enough, this episode also contains the scenes in which Jack and Sayid both torture Sawyer in an effort to get him to confess where Shannon’s inhaler is, which is a sequence burned into all viewers’ minds.
7The Candidate
There are many devastating deaths inLost, but not all the deaths were equally heartbreaking.One of the most crushing in the entire show was the death of both Sun and Jin togetherinLostseason 6, episode 14, “The Candidate.”
In a truly horrifying scene, Jin attempts to free Sun from the debris that is pinning her to the wall of a submarine that is rapidly sinking, but he is unable to. Rather than leave her, he decides to die with her, and the show signals their death via a shot of their hands drifting apart underwater.
Though many viewers would probably opt to forget this death scene if they could because of how brutal it is, it’s unlikely audiences will forget this painfulLostepisode, even many years after it aired.
6Do No Harm
On a slightly more positive note,Lostseason 1, episode 20, “Do No Harm,” is primarily remembered for being the episode in which Claire’s baby, Aaron, is born. Because it’sLost, however, there is still a sad story in this episode, with Boone Carlyle dying after an incident with John Locke.
Both events likely stand out in viewers’ minds for very different reasons. In the case of Aaron’s birth, this felt like a symbol of hope on the island, and it was also a long-awaited event because Claire was already very far along when they first crashed.
WithBoone’s death, it was significant in another and obviously much sadder way. Although there had been many deaths at that point, Boone dying felt like the first time a true main character had died, and that was unfortunately the first of many.
5Ji Yeon
“The Candidate” may stick out in many viewers' minds because it included the gruesome death of Sun and Jin, but season 4, episode 7, “Ji Yeon,” is yet another standout episode ofLostthat focuses on the couple and is difficult to forget.
This episode actually included perhaps the meanest trickLostever pulled in terms of flashbacks, as it suggested at first that the scenes in which Jin is rushing to the hospital for the birth of a baby could mean he got off the island and was rushing to Sun.
The episode later cuts to Sun and Hurley at Jin’s grave. Jin wasn’t truly dead at the time; he remained on the island, whichthe Oceanic Sixdid not know. Yet, in terms of meeting his daughter, Ji Yeon, for whom the episode is named, the outcome isn’t much better. Jin dies on the island before ever meeting her.
4The End
Love it or hate it (and many continue to voice that they hate it),the controversialLostseries finale is an episode that is not going to be forgotten anytime soon. This episode brought this action-packed, mind-bending show to a close, and many were disappointed with how it did so.
In part, the backlash stemmed from a widespread misunderstanding that the finale meant the characters had been dead the whole time (which is not the case), but some disliked the ending even with that understanding.
Ultimately,Lostchose a fully religious conclusion, which saw the group led into the afterlife by someone named Christian Shepherd. For some, that was a major disappointment, whereas others loved to see them all together again. In either case, this episode is undoubtedly one of the most memorable ofLost.
3Pilot
Like the finale, the two-partLostpilot can be polarizing, and there are certainly other episodes that are considered much better, but in terms of episodes that are unlikely to ever be forgotten, the pilot episodes rank highly.
The first time viewers witness the characters rushing around screaming, trying to make sense of a polar bear being on a tropical island, and hearing the Smoke Monster noise is a very difficult thing to forget, even after several seasons and even more years.
The pilot is also one ofthe bestLostepisodes to rewatch, because going back to see these characters at the very beginning and realizing how much they have grown is a shocking experience.
2Through The Looking Glass: Part 2
Perhaps the saddest death in the entire show is Charlie’s in season 3, episode 23, “Through the Looking Glass: Part 2.”Other examples, such as Sun and Jin’s aforementioned demise as well as other tragic deaths like Alex’s, are, of course, also devastating.
Yet, there’s something especially gutting about the way Charlie dies, and it is actually a combination of what happens in that episode and what leads up to it. Not only does Charlie know he’s going to die in advance, but also,Lostgoes into it with the bittersweet exploration of his “Greatest Hits” before he died.
The role Charlie played also made his death and this episode so memorable, as he was an absolutely beloved character and seemed so young and full of promise at that point, only for him to die delivering the now-famous news: “Not Penny’s boat.”
1The Constant
The single most memorableLostepisode is season 4, episode 5, “The Constant,” which many consider to beLost’sbest episode. In the episode, we finally begin to understand Desmond as a character and experience a series of jumps through time, wherein he is simply trying to get his footing and make it stop.
Touchingly, the title of the episode refers to Penny, his ex, who is the one person who can keep him grounded and stop his rapid cycling through different periods of his life. The episode is largely considered the best because of the performances as well as the storytelling.
These same factors contribute to “The Constant” being the most memorable episode ofLostoverall and explain why, even all these years later, the episode continues to stand out in viewers' minds.
