20 TV Show Pilots That Are Totally Flawless
3. Pilot - Lost
Lost's two-part pilot signalled the beginning of one of the most daring, enraging and intensely watchable TV shows ever made, by plunging audiences head-first into the wake of plane crash that's left its passengers stranded on a mysterious island with secrets to spare.
Directed by the great J. J. Abrams in his second appearance on this list, the episode portrays the dread, uncertainty and horror of the survivors' predicament with harsh, palpable intensity, and juggles the complexities and mysteries of its characters with both confident and relentless energy.
Certainly one of the most engaging and influential modern TV pilots you're likely to see, the rest of the show may have periodically failed to live up to what it promised, but that doesn't mean that Lost's first episode should be overlooked. As far as TV episodes go, it's a masterpiece.