Ten best "Lost" scenes ... ever

By Chris Oliver and Ken Sury

Coming up with the 10 best “Lost” scenes is a balance between those with widespread popularity and those that move you on a personal level. When devising this list, usually the personal favorites won out. So in no way is this intended to be a definitive list, but rather an opportunity to spur conversation as one of the best shows we’ve ever seen comes to a close. The hardest part was trying to find a representative from season six. We almost left it out, but settled on one, and that’s where we’ll start.
 
10. Watery grave for Sayid and the Kwons – “The Candidate” Season Six

What happened: Sayid sacrifices himself by taking the bomb and running to the back of the submarine. As the others try to escape, Sun is tangled in the wreckage. Jin can’t get her out, so stays with her as they drown together.

Chris comments: Not many shows kill three popular characters in one fell swoop. Sayid’s death wasn’t a surprise, because he has already been corrupted. But watching the Kwons go down was emotionally devastating. At least they are alive in the flash-sideways.

Ken comments: That was about the only thing that comforted me after their deaths and leaving poor Ji Yeon as an orphan. At least they're alive somewhere. The scene on the beach that followed with Hurley and Jack crying was also tough to take and gave it more emotional wallop.

9. Ben saves Locke, then strangles him  – “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham” Season Five

What happened: Locke wants to commit suicide after failing to get Jack and co. to return to the island. Ben stops him, but once he gets Eloise Hawking's name, he takes Locke out.

Chris comments: We could fill this whole list with Ben and Locke moments. This scene probably best illustrates their relationship. Ben appears to be working for Locke’s best interest, but when he gets a chance, he stabs him in the back. Or chokes him to death.

Ken comments: In all of their interactions, that scene was a stunner especially after talking Locke out of hanging himself. Then Locke mentions Eloise Hawking and it's "well, let's not let that cord go unused. Unsettling stuff to say the least.
 
8. Not Penny’s boat – “Through the Looking Glass” Season Three

What happened: In the underwater station, Charlie gets a message from Penny Widmore. Then he looks out the window and sees Patchy with a grenade. The grenade goes off, flooding the room. Charlie slams the door to save Desmond, and drowns.

Chris comments: OK, more death. A lot of people thought Charlie could have saved himself, but his actions show an acceptance of his fate. He could no longer avoid the death warrant Desmond predicted. His last act was a warning, and “not Penny’s boat” entered the “Lost” lexicon.

Ken comments: Charlie's hand up against the glass with those words written on it made my heart sink. And then it was big again in rejiggering Desmond's island memories in flash-sideways land.

7. Desmond’s Christmas call – “The Constant” Season Four

What happened: Thanks to Sayid’s jury-rigged phone, Desmond is able to call Penny, his constant, and stop his mind from jumping around in time.

Chris comments: Finally, a happier one. With Desmond’s brain a ticking time bomb, only a conversation with his “bloody constant” can save him. Even the most cynical soul couldn’t help shedding a tear as Penny finally heard from Des after three years apart.

Ken comments: Yeah, pass the Kleenex with that scene. That scene more than any may have best illustrated the emotional heart that "Lost" has. It really packed a whallop.

6. Introducing the Man in Black – “The Incident” Season Five

What happened: Two guys sit on the beach near the giant statue. We come to find out they are the long-discussed Jacob and his unnamed archrival, who just happens to be the smoke monster.

Chris comments: This opening scene to the season five finale set up the drama at the heart of season six, and the whole series for that matter. One wonders if this is how their mornings always began, with MiB politely explaining to Jacob he wants him dead. No wonder Jacob wants someone to take his place.

Ken comments: No morning paper, just a "Did I happen to mention how much I want to kill you?" Boy, that's the way I want to start my days. How amazing now to learn that the Man in Black was just Smokey in the guise of Jacob's brother.
 
5. Visiting the cabin – “The Man Behind the Curtain” Season Three

What happened: Ben takes Locke to visit Not-Jacob’s cabin. Ben talks to an empty chair, pretending it’s Jacob. This infuriates Locke, who shines his flashlight on Ben. This infuriates the cabin’s inhabitant, and the rickety walls starts to shake.

Chris comments: So we thought it was Jacob’s cabin, but it turns out the Man in Black lived there. At least I think that’s right. The ashes kept him in, yet he was still able to move around. I can’t figure it out; all I know is this was a great scene.

Ken comments: That freaky eye staring out the knothole still gives me the creeps. So much speculation came afterward about whose eye it was that we saw. We think it was the Man in Black, but do we know for sure?
 
4. The first Dharma film – “Orientation” Season Two

What happened: Jack and Locke sit down to watch a little filmstrip while Desmond tries to fix the computer. This film provides their first look at the Dharma Initiative.

Chris comments: The marriage between the Internet and “Lost” probably began with this film. Oh sure, there were forums and some blogs before this. But once Mr. Candle’s lecture hit the web, the floodgates opened. I watched this thing like 50 times on the initial Hanso Foundation website. It was a Dharma strip tease, and we wanted more.

Ken comments: I don't want to call it a strip tease, but it definitely had me scrambling to learn more. It was so intriguing. I still wish we knew more about the Dharma Initiative.
 
3. Locke can walk – “Walkabout” Season One

What happened: Locke is told he can’t go on the walkabout. As he struggles in his wheelchair shouting “Don’t tell me what I can’t do,” cut to the plane crash, where Locke discovers his legs work.

Chris comments: Before this episode, Locke was just a shady character. But after this scene, we knew Locke was special. It was heartbreaking to see him rejected from the walkabout, but uplifting to see the island grant him a miracle. Unfortunately, Locke’s future leaned more toward heartbreaking.

Ken comments: I think my jaw dropped a bit when we saw Locke wiggle his toes on the beach. You're right in that this is where Locke the man of faith began to shine.
 
2. Make Your Own Kind of Music – “Man of Science, Man of Faith” Season Two

What happened: It what appears to be a flashback, a mysterious guy wakes up, enters something into a computer and performs some domestic chores. Then we hear an explosion, and it turns out all this is happening inside the hatch.

Chris comments: If we had been told that a guy pushing a button and eating Cheerios (or Dharma-os) was in the hatch, we would have thought the producers had lost their minds. But it’s all in the execution. Once the camera moves up the shaft to reveal Locke and Jack looking down, we knew the hatch revelation was worth the wait.

Ken comments: I had totally bought into the idea that it was a flashback when Cass Elliott's song began playing on the old-style record player (what, no CD?). It was an amazing introduction to Desmond and what when on inside that hatch: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. Enter. Wow.
 
1. The plane crash – “Pilot” Season One

What happened: You know what happened.

Chris comments: OK, so everything else on this list is subjective. You can argue it’s completely wrong, and you may have valid points. But you can’t argue with this at No. 1. This scene is the reason you came on this long, crazy journey in the first place. Opening on that iconic shot of Jack’s eye mixed with the “Lost” audio stinger (the one that sounds like a slicing blade dissolving into smoke), the scene builds to a crescendo of screams, carnage and chaos. It was like nothing we had seen in a TV show. I mean, a dude got sucked into an engine. It’s the best scene from the best pilot episode ever filmed. Let’s hope the last scene of the finale can top it.

Ken comments: If you didn't feel some sort of adrenaline rush watching the chaos unfold in that scene, then you're as dead as some of those 815ers were on the beach. How could you not be hooked after that opening? It was as good as television gets. I'm with you in hoping that the final scene can be as jaw-dropping.
 
Sentimental favorite: Starting the Dharma van in “Tricia Tanaka is Dead” Season Three.

The season got off to such a humdrum start, it was nice to see an episode that got back to the basics. I loved the moment when Hurley and Charlie try to beat death with a little victory of starting a rusty old VW van. It was a rare moment of joy, made even more poignant after Charlie’s demise.
 
Worst scene: Thanks for the input, Nikki “The Cost of Living” Season Three

So there we are, in the Pearl hatch. Sayid and Locke try to get the TVs working, when Nikki chirps in “Guys, like, maybe these TVs are connected to the other stations.” Terry O’Quinn and Naveen Andrews have looks on their faces that say “Why the hell did the script have this moron come up with that instead of Locke and Sayid?” Then Paolo delivered some bathroom humor. Then Mr. Eko died. Those were rough times.

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