Andrew Grevas
Lost was a show that constantly surprised the audience. Long before shows like Game of Thrones had audiences guessing which character would be killed next or what revelation was around the corner, Lost had millions of fans speculating where the show was going week to week. In this article, I’ll be looking at my Top 5 favorite shocking moments from Lost and always, would love to hear what would make your list so be sure to comment with your thoughts!
Two For The Road: Michael Kills Ana Lucia & Libby
Ana Lucia was as controversial of a character as there ever was on Lost. Libby was just as mysterious as she was likable. Both were starting to become prominent members of the cast as the second season entered its final few episodes, after joining the show towards the beginning of the year. Michael had spent all of Season 2 trying to get his son Walt back from The Others. Although we didn’t know it at the time, Ben Linus, the leader of The Others, was being held captive by our characters in the Swan Hatch. A perfect storm had been created.
Ana Lucia’s story arc primarily consisted of her own guilt over accidentally killing Shannon and the castaways feelings towards her because of that. Her cold, tough demeanor was starting to thaw as we learned more about her past through flashbacks and Ana Lucia was on the path to redemption…which equals death in Lost. Michael had been told by The Others that if he freed Ben (then known as Henry Gale) they would give him his son back. Desperate to get his son back, Michael killed a tearful Ana Lucia, who was on the verge of a breakthrough of sorts so he could free Ben. Seconds after pulling the trigger, Libby entered, looking for a blanket to take on her date with Hurley and Michael panicked and killed her as well to cover his tracks. While Lost had multiple deaths before this episode, these two murders would be the most chilling to date and perhaps in the entire series.
Deus Ex Machina: A Beacon of Hope
John Locke was always the spiritual center of Lost, the fate half of the fate vs free will debate, dating back to the earliest hours of the show. Locke spent many episodes in Season 1 on a quest to open a hatch he had found with Boone in the jungle. As Boone’s interest began to fade in the project, Locke only became more obsessed with the idea that it was part of his destiny to open this mysterious hatch.
Locke’s faith would be tested, with the hatch being next to impossible to open, his leg giving out for the first time since regaining the ability to walk and then finally, Boone dying. Locke would take Boone back to the beach in an attempt to get him help but didn’t stick around to see if he would survive. Locke went back to the hatch and pounded on top of it. As the music swelled and Locke yelled out, wondering what he was doing wrong, why The Island was punishing him, a light turned on inside and the next chapter of the Lost saga officially began.
The Shape of Things to Come: Ben Watches Alex Die
Season 4 of Lost was impacted by the writer’s strike of that year. The first eight episodes aired and then a several month break ensued before new episodes resumed. When the show returned, “The Shape of Things to Come” more than made up for the wait with the story being pushed dramatically forward, combined with relentless action scenes. Most importantly though, the episode gave us one of the most shocking moments in the show’s history as one of Charles Widmore’s mercenaries, Martin Keamy, shot and killed Alex right in front of her “father”, Ben Linus.
This moment was unbelievably shocking for several reasons. One, Alex, a defenseless teenage girl, was sitting execution style and was murdered in a way that seemed far too tragic for TV. Alex was communicating with Ben, telling Ben that Keamy would release her in exchange for Ben surrendering. Ben, the ultimate manipulator, attempted to ply his craft all while reassuring Alex that he had this under control. In a last ditch effort, Ben told Keamy that Alex meant nothing to him and that he had stolen her as a baby from a crazy women. These would be the final words Alex would hear before Keamy executed her in a truly shocking and gutting moment of television.
LAX Part 1: The Island Has Sunk
“LAX Part 1” started Lost‘s sixth and final season off with numerous surprises, beginning with the castaways on Oceanic flight 815, pre crash. The sequence of events were almost identical to what we had seen of the original flight except with one exception: this time, they didn’t crash. As the turbulence stopped and Bernard actually made it out of the bathroom this time and sat next to Rose, we realized we were in uncharted territory. This point would be driven home by Jack looking out the plane’s window and the camera dropping straight down to the floor of the ocean, showing us many familiar Island sites, including Taweret’s foot, in a sequence of events nobody saw coming.
All bets were off in the final season of the show, including giving us two timelines to follow our characters in, in what would be a twist on the flashback/flashforward concept the show had employed for years. Having the Island be a non-factor in one timeline was the first of many bold moves in the final season and I don’t think any Lost fan will ever forget their reaction to seeing Taweret’s foot on the bottom of the sea for the first time, a “Holy Shit!” moment of television if there ever was one.
Through the Looking Glass: We Have to Go Back
Everyone knew that “Through the Looking Glass”, the season finale of Lost‘s third season was going to be a game changer. It was heavily teased that the episode would be just that and it was coming on the heels of the announcement that the show had agreed to an end date,with three shorter length seasons to come, an unprecedented move for a hit end television show. Surely, this season finale would be huge.
“Through the Looking Glass” didn’t disappoint in the slightest and is known as one of the best, if not the best episode of the entire series. The closing moments of the episode revealed that the normal flashback structure had been replaced by a flashforward, showing Jack and Kate in an undisclosed time period after they had left the Island. Not only had the show reinvented itself by moving the timeline forward and introducing a new storytelling technique, but they also gave us many cryptic clues setting up all new mysteries for fans eager to solve, in truly shocking fashion.
So that’s my list of the Top five most shocking moments in Lost but there are obviously so many more that warrant discussion. What would you bump from my list and add to yours? Be sure to let us in the comment section. Until next time, namaste and good luck!
