Revamping the role of women in ensemble dramas, Kate Austen was a beautiful woman who wasnt only the object of mens affections; she was an individual character who rivalled the others. Her troubled back story gave her an odd platform to begin with; we were expertly shown Kate Austen the person, and Kate Austen the criminal and were asked to connect with her in a way that transcended the crimes she had committed. Her relentless need to run and her incapability of trusting was something that kept her narrative going until the stage it bordered on boring; only then it would be resolved by her transformation in to a mother. Her connection with Jack was the shows main romantic driving force and she was someone who never dulled, always had a goal and was all the more interesting because of it.
19. S6E11: Happily Ever After
Desmond traverses universes in this eye opening episode widely regarded as one of the best in the shows history. Important in the sense that it gives a clearer direction as to what the alternate universe could possibly be; and that it actually has a purpose which so far it had struggled to show. Meeting Charlie again is a pleasure; as is the subtle suggestions that these characters have an awareness of their lives on the Island and the way Desmond behaves after this episode is a strong indication as to what the alternate universe is; and why his knowing of it makes him so happy.
18. It Never Tried Too Hard
Say what you want about the stuff that happened in Lost; but it never stretched believability for the Lost universe it created. Does anyone say the characters in the Marvel Universe are ridiculous? No, because in their realm of possibility it seems plausible. As does a lot of what Lost did, the science is plausible, the odd things that happen are all plausible in this Lost universe which started its bizarre take the first time we heard the monster in the wilderness of the jungle. On top of this it never tried too hard to justify itself; the science was given an explanation, not an in depth one because that would have hampered the flow and pace of the show. Faith was just faith and all you had to do was believe the characters believed it and that went along nicely. It never tried to justify itself, merely put what it wanted out there and let the audience do the rest.
17. Desmond and Penny
Considering you only rarely see them together in our timeline; Desmond and Penny never failed to bring the fan love as possibly the shows most adored onscreen couple. The majority of their intrigue came through Desmond who was one of the central characters; and through him we managed to see the level of love and desire these two had for one another. This desperate desire to be with one another, paralleled with the fact they very rarely were, made them the most cheered on relationship in the show...That phone call. Wow.
16. Jack Remembers
Jacks remembrance after, quite typically, he had problems letting go is one of the more low key of the moments in the final episode; but just as important as Jack was, throughout, the main character who everyone got behind and, even more-so, everyone wanted to remember. As he deserved the happiness of remembering just as much as anybody else.
15. S1E23-25: Exodus
The first series finale of Lost was a brilliantly crafted, island traversing journey tying together three storylines. Sayid and Charlie hunting down Rousseau; the journey to the Black Rock for the dynamite to blow up the hatch and the rafts continued journey away from the Island; all told with the beautifully crafted flashbacks on how they got on to the plane. On top of this you have the reveal of the monster and the first glimpse of the others, who broke hearts around the world by separating Michael and Walt. From the flashbacks, the whole way through to the episodes enigmatic final image this episode is a wonderful display of everything Lost offers. Emotion; mystery and threat driven stories, this is one of the shows stand-out episodes.
14. Charlie Pace
Loved beyond all measure; Charlies journey was one that engrossed the majority of the audience. His desire to be respectable, to let go of his drug habit and finally be able to take care of someone drove him to Claire and in those two we got one of the Islands cutest love stories. Charlies story was so strong that, after his death, Claire became dull and annoying because they couldnt replace his influence. His death was one of the most mourned of all the characters on the show; most people didnt want it to happen but from his death came his character resolution, which made it all the more poignant and moving.
13. Faith
No show has quite embraced they ideas of faith, destiny and purpose as much as Lost did. Quite banally labelled a tool to cop out of scientific explanation; this running theme and motif gave the show greater meaning, greater depth and through the characters embracement of these ideas helped elevate the tension as they believed nothing would happen. When poorly done this theme can be laughed off, however with the subtle juxtaposition of men of science, men of faith and the heavy hand of scepticism doled out by Jack Shephard before he became a believer himself, the theme of faith and belief in this show represented a core narrative ploy and helped no-end with the explanation of certain things. Why did this happen? Because it was supposed to.
12. Benjamin Linus
One of the most captivating characters of the modern television era: his transition from supposed leader, to nobody, to absolutely nobody to Hurleys right hand man was a captivating one. From early on in his run you could tell there was something else; bubbling below all his male bravado and leadership was a deep lying resentment towards John Locke and desperation to be deemed special by this Island. From his clawing attempts at power, to the loss of his daughter and through to his coming to terms with himself. You never knew quite whether to love or loathe Benjamin, yet his character was always interesting, wise, sometimes amusing and kept the narrative going along.
11. Jack and Kate
A journey that began in the first episode and ended in the last, Jack and Kates love story was one the was handled perfectly. Built on subtly and progressively when required, then pushed to the side when main stories needed telling. This engaged us throughout without boring us with any over the top sentimentality; everyone knew they would end up together yet no-one could honestly say it with certainty. As the story progressed we felt their highs and lows right up until their final on island good bye and their alternate reality reconnection. Everyone cared about Jack and Kate, what they did for each other was just as important as what they did for the show and keeping us emotionally invested.