LOST - One of the Greatest Shows on TV

The show with one of the worst TV endings in history best summarises the average opinion of ABC’s ‘LOST’.

My vague understanding of its conclusion came from word of mouth and what I had seen online. This widespread negative reaction prevented me from ever giving it a chance. Why waste my time if I know it ends badly? Why waste my time if I KNEW how it ended? Eventually, I tried it anyway. Only to realise that what I knew about the ending was wrong. A misinterpretation. And that to this day, LOST remains one of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen.

I will never stop recommending it. 

Airing from 2004 to 2010, LOST ran for a total of six seasons. It followed a group of plane-crash surveyors after they landed on an island possessed of secrets and mysteries. The show’s strengths are vast. For its time, the cast was significantly diverse. It featured black and Asian characters as well as several well-written women. Each had a solid place within the overall story. 

Moreover, the characters and the found family trope are components that keep you watching. Their relationships and their individual stories are quite polished. They explore grief, dysfunctional families, addiction, reason versus faith, disability and a myriad of other themes. Similarly, the show can’t be defined by one genre. The show’s biology is made up of elements of adventure, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy and drama. This range of genres means it can appeal to anyone. It is also interesting to see how a show that begins as an adventure mystery descends into time travel and jumping timelines. 

However, as much as I praise and love this show, it is not without its criticisms. In terms of its inclusivity, the show was a product of its time. This can be seen in character storylines, such as Michael’s and the treatment of Sun and Jin. There was also a recurring issue with women dying as a device to further a man’s plot. The dialogue and story progression are saturated in 2000s thinking and harmful stereotypes. If it aired today, it would likely not air past the first season. And as it shouldn’t. 

Additionally, I do believe you need an open mind when it comes to the story’s writing. Its genre switching and time-travelling aspects may be too unserious for some people. Personally, I enjoyed the show’s ridiculousness from start to finish. I was ready for anything they threw at me. But objectively, it might not sit well with others.

As for the ending? I thought it made sense and felt like one of the only logical ways the story could be concluded. I will not spoil it here, but you can trust my word that it was widely misunderstood, and it is a worthwhile show. There is truly nothing else like it. 

Written by, Gia Dove