10 Best Lost Plot Twists
1. "We Have To Go Back!"
Through the Looking Glass’ scenes set on the Island represented one of Jack Shephard’s finest hours, as he led a mass exodus from the beach, triumphed over Ben, and finally gave the castaways a chance of getting home by making contact with the freighter. In contrast, the “flashes” depicted Jack living with a substance use disorder and attempting suicide. Thanks to the flashback structure normally featured in Lost, viewers were encouraged to believe that Jack had moved on from this period of despair to become a heroic leader.
Throughout the flashes, Jack had been attempting to get in touch with someone, and arranged a meeting at the start of the final flash. Jack’s mystery contact arrived… and was revealed to be none other than Kate. Lost had brilliantly subverted its usual flashback formula and concealed the fact that the scenes set off-Island were in fact flashforwards, through means such as Jack discussing his father as if he were still alive.
The implications were immense. It showed that the castaways’ efforts to escape from the Island had succeeded, but that this hadn’t represented a happy ending by any means, and left huge questions concerning whether Jack, Kate, and whoever else had managed to leave would indeed “go back.” The realisation that Jack’s mental health had deteriorated to such an extent was devastating, and represented a crucial moment in his painful journey to find peace. This exceptional twist showcased Lost at its best, mixing magnificent plotting with complex, heartfelt character drama.