Before we begin with ranking Lost episodes, I'll be very, very real-I love Lost unabashedly, to the point where I can't be properly be critically-objective of it. There are so many memories of not just my life when I first watched it, but it's been a part of my life for so long there's a lot of identity I've put into each episode. And even objectively (what I can muster), it's a superb show. I do think, truly, it's the best show ever made-it has the sort of intellectual, in-depth writing that other shows aspire toward but rarely approach, great acting & scoring & set design...there's so much detail in it that when people are like "I didn't like the finale" I just feel bad for them because they clearly missed the point.
As a result, the rankings below are pitting the cream against the cream-I love every season of Lost pretty much more than every other season of every other show. There are no episodes I hate, and certainly there are no seasons I dislike. It's also pretty personal, so my rankings are going to reflect not just the quality of the show, but also characters I like, what I know is going to come in the future, and how each season makes me feel. This is a lot of hemming-and-hawing, but the point you should not make here is that I'm insulting, say, my last place here, but instead that lists have to have a structure, and someone has to come last. With that said, let's take a look at the ranked list of Lost seasons.
(Spoilers Ahead, Obviously)
My Rationale: Okay, so there's a lot to like in Season 5. Occasionally it's quite fun (the Juliet/Sawyer romance, Miles) and the mysteries are decent (particularly the ones involving the Oceanic 6 and their time off-island), but Season 5 definitely is the season that loses its way a bit. The introduction of time travel was a risky endeavor, and though it works (for the most part), it does open up enough logical inconsistencies that Lost should've seen if they could avoid it (specifically, why did Sun not travel back in time while Kate, Hurley, Jack, & Sayid did). It's also not as funny or as emotionally-resonant as past seasons, and I enjoy my Lost with a bit more heart than we got this season. Overall, it's obviously worth the time, but there's nothing in Season 5 that really comes-to-mind when I think of the "greatest" moments of Lost, and so as a result I put it at the bottom.
Top 3 Episodes: 1) The Incident 2) The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham 3) Dead is Dead
Worst Episode: The Little Prince
Best Moments: Okay, this is hard to do, but my favorite moment overall from this season was the total mind-bend of Jacob & and the Man-in-Black in the shadow of the statue, likely right before Richard arrives. Other things I loved were Juliet detonating the bomb, Ben's showdown with Jacob, and the death of Jeremy Bentham.
If I Could Add One Episode: What is Lost without fan fiction, right? I don't want a reboot or sequel (Lost stands up on its own), but if I had a magic wand to add one episode to each season, I'd add in one about Dan in Ann Arbor. I think we understand largely what he's doing there (studying time travel), but I think this is a missed opportunity not putting more about Daniel Faraday into this season, maybe right toward the end of the run.
Overall Season MVP: I have written recaps of every episode of this series (seriously, we write about this series a lot on this blog, click the "Lost" tag below & prepare to be, well, lost for hours). In Season 5, only two characters (Hurley & Sawyer) get an MVP mention more-than-once, which is a bit of a sign that they weren't as focused on growing the characters like they have in past seasons. Overall, if I had to give it to one person from this list, it'd be Sawyer, who really grows this season & becomes the character that Lost fanboys know-and-love.
My Rationale: Season 2 of the show gets a bad rap from fans (in the same way that Season 6 does), and part of that might be earned. S2 definitely had a shift in the way it tackles some of the series mythology. While the first season clearly includes references & links to the mysteries of the final episode (Adam & Eve, anyone?), Season 2 is definitely adding the Dharma Initiative, the Others, and most of the series-defining mysteries that we'd get to know. I like this tonal shift, but I understand if people feel it isn't a totally organic fit with the first season. My problems with this season mostly are attributed to Michael (who is my least-favorite character), and what he goes through trying to save Walt, and to a lesser degree there's not quite enough character growth from Jack & Sawyer as there should be. That being said, there's a lot of good here-the Tailies and Others both being introduced exceptionally, there's fun in how they handle the Hatch not just as a source of intrigue, but literally a place to get a shower, and we get most of my favorite series mysteries.
Top 3 Episodes: 1) The Other 48 Days 2) Live Together, Die Alone 3) The 23rd Psalm
Worst Episode: Three Minutes
Best Moment: Desmond reading the note from Penny, for sure. Such a good moment, and it always makes me cry (Desmond/Penny is my favorite Lost love story). I also adore the opening scene of the Other 48 Days (I just watched it before writing this-it was actually the inspiration to finally write this article, and it still gives me goosebumps), and Desmond turning the key at the end of the season. Special points go to Sawyer's line reading of "there's a new sheriff in town boys" as well.
If I Could Add One Episode: This one's easy-Libby deserved an episode. I know that there were issues with Cynthia Watros's negotiations at the time, so I get the real world explanations of this, but Libby clearly had more story behind her with her links to Hurley, Desmond, & Charles Widmore, and we deserved a standalone explanation of what that entailed.
Overall Season MVP: Five characters got two MVP statuses this season: Ana Lucia (I'm not a hater), Ben, Eko, Hurley, and Locke. These would not be the Top 5 from this season (I'd probably cut Ana Lucia for maybe Sawyer), but using the MVP rules they're the only ones I'll consider. Of the five, I think the overall Season 2 winner has to be Ben, though there's a part of me that wants to give it to Eko since I think Ben will get MVP in a later season, but Ben is the best part of Season 2.
My Rationale: I have talked about this many times on this blog, but I am in the minority in genuinely adoring the finale of Lost, and I have zilch problem with it. I think that (with one exception I'll get into below) most of the big questions of the series were resolved this season, and the questions that couldn't be solved are "what is the meaning of life stuff?" that you just shouldn't expect from a television show as philosophers have wrestled with this for centuries. Season 6's problems are more reliant upon it being a final season, and final seasons struggle in general because there's more urgency & therefore less room to breathe with smaller, character-driving moments, and also because in a show as large as Lost, it's hard to give resolution to dozens of characters. I also think the Dogen & Ilana characters get slightly short-changed, but overall I'm behind this season, and 100% behind the finale.
Top 3 Episodes: 1) The End (I don't care-I liked it, and it holds up when you watch it as a full series), 2) The Candidate 3) Sundown
Worst Episode: What Kate Does (I actually do like Kate, so I feel bad that she's getting another "worst episode" citation, but it is the least of the season.
Best Moment: Okay, I loved every flashback moment of the finale episode, though the final eye close is my favorite moment of the season because of the beautiful symmetry to the rest of the series. Sun & Jin in "The Candidate" (I still can't), and the saunter out of the temple in "Sundown" are also top drawer if we aren't just going for the sentiment of the finale.
If I Could Add One Episode: I think one of the main reasons that people criticize the final season as there's a few different ways you could approach this season to give it more episodes that might help it along. Ilana or Dogen getting standalones would help, as would giving a look at what it was like for Claire on the island (and how she interacted with the MiB). But if I've only got one, I want a full Charles Widmore episode, one that gets behind what it's like being the leader of the Others & get more insight into the "rules." I think honestly that would have helped measure some of the criticism a lot by putting more mystery-solving into him.
Overall Season MVP: I gave six people "MVP" status in Season 6 twice: Ben, Hurley, Locke, Sun, Sayid, & Sawyer. Obviously Locke is more "Fake Locke" here, but Terry O'Quinn gets my MVP status from this season-he's mesmerizing & totally deserved an Emmy.
My Rationale: Season 3 is a weird season to put here, as arguably my favorite moments in Lost might happen this season. The growth of Desmond as a character is integral, we get to see a new chapter in the mystery with the "Not Penny's Boat" moment and the realization of where the other episodes are headed. And I honestly enjoy lighthearted Lost, so some of the detours in the middle-of-the-season with "Tricia Tanaka is Dead" are marvelous & some of my most cherished Lost moments. That being said, the scenes in the first half of the season don't hold up as well upon repeat to what later happens, particularly the Jack/Kate/Sawyer love triangle in the cages that went on for too long, and arguably the series' worst episode "Stranger in a Strange Land" feels like a punt kick on adding one too many mysteries/characters. Overall, though, I like this one better than even ardent fans do, but will concede that the character growth & look into the past just wasn't as valuable as the first two seasons.
Top 3 Episodes: 1) Through the Looking Glass 2) Greatest Hits 3) Flashes Before Your Eyes
Worst Episode: Stranger in a Strange Land
Best Moment: "Not Penny's Boat"...so damn good & still such a jaw-dropper. Desmond not being able to buy the ring is a great primer to the cerebral places future seasons would head, and Jack & Kate at the end of "Through the Looking Glass" are close behind, but "Not Penny's Boat"...perfection. Also, I have such a soft spot for the "Shambala" scene, and I will admit that I've been on that hill before & jammed to that song while I was there in Hawaii.
If I Could Add One Episode: All right, if I could have one more episode to this season, I want more of an explanation of Naomi Dorrit. If I have one specific axe to grind when it comes to the "Lost didn't solve the mysteries" thing is that there was clearly more to Charles Widmore than we were getting, and I think an explanation about Naomi in connection to Charles would be crucial. I think you structure this a bit & then have a flashback to Naomi a few seasons later with a Charles episode in Season 6, and you've got a boffo pair of episodes.
Overall Season MVP: Ben, Juliet, & Sawyer are the three characters who get three MVP statuses this season, and I'm going to go with Juliet, whom I hated initially in this season, but in retrospect that was mostly because I didn't entirely understand her motives.
My Rationale: Season 4 is proof that less can be more. As Lost moved into the backhalf of the series, it's worth noting that the seasons became shorter, partially due to the writer's strike (more in a second) and partially due to contract negotiations. This left the series with a much sharper ticking clock, and meant every episode counted. In some ways that was a bit of a bummer (no more "Tricia Tanaka is Dead" distractions), but it mean that every episode was adding up to a three-season long endgame, and we got a truly compelling mystery in the form of the Kahana crew. Add in the return of Michael, Desmond getting his Penny phone call in, and that amazing season finale, and you've got a strong halfway point (random aside-fourth seasons of shows are almost always their best after the pilot season in my opinion).
Top 3 Episodes: 1) The Constant 2) There's No Place Like Home (Parts 2 & 3), 3) The Shape of Things to Come
Worst Episode: Eggtown (sorry Kate!)
Best Moment: I mean, how do you beat Des & Penny on the phone? I can literally watch just him saying "I won't call for eight years" and be a puddle just from that primer (I'm choking up literally just thinking about it). No other moment in Lost lore quite gets to me that way, even if some of the mystery moments are more fun. I'd also include the Island disappearing, Bentham's reveal, & Sun at the gravestone, but Des & Penny...it's on a pedestal for a reason.
If I Could Add One Episode: This was the season that actually should've gotten another couple of episodes but the writers' strike cut it short. As a result, it's also the season that feels most like it needs it (though the brevity works to its advantage). Miles & Daniel would get their own episodes at some point, and Frank was only ever comic relief. As a result, it's Charlotte Lewis, the enigmatic redhead who was clearly the most street-savvy of the quartet from the Kahana who I want to see get her own episode here.
Overall Season MVP: Sun is the only character to get three MVP statuses, and I'm fine with that-Yunjin Kim is great this season & this would have been an awesome Emmy nomination moment if they were going to give her one.
My Rationale: Is it cliche to put the first season as the best season, or is it just inevitable because it's the best? Lost started out its mysteries so confidently, like a show that knew it was going to get a full six season run, and that shows in the writing. Every character has a direction, every person a purpose. The first season is not shy about giving us character growth, oftentimes complicated character growth (think John or Sawyer), but also it does a bang-up job of introducing the mysteries. We wouldn't care about, say, the Hatch or the French distress signal or the whispers six seasons later were they not so perfectly put before us. Lost Season 1 is a magnum opus, the kind of season that might've stood up by itself if it'd only been one season...thankfully for all of us they didn't stop there.
Top 3 Episodes: 1) Exodus Part 2 2) Deus Ex Machina 3) Exodus Part 1
Worst Episode: The Greater Good
Best Moment: "Guys, where are we?" Easily a home run moment in a picture-perfect pilot. Other contenders include Locke seeing the Hatch light, "we're gonna have to take the boy" (horrifying & still unnerving), and the launching of the boat, but that initial teaser to the rest of the series...so damn good.
If I Could Add One Episode: Here's maybe the best reason why Season 1 should sit at the top of this list-it doesn't need another episode. There's no moment in Season 1 where I think we'd have gained more from the series with some padding. The only character that feels like they need more information is Cindy, but that would spoil a lot of what we find in Season 2 about her (in general, I want a Cindy episode). I also think that Boone was underwritten, so maybe adding in something additional about him might have helped in future seasons, but overall there's nothing more I want from Season 1-it feels like the one season that doesn't have anything that clearly needed to grow.
Overall Season MVP: I assumed this would be Locke, who would definitely be my favorite overall, but it's actually Sawyer who gets four MVP trophies (Locke gets three), and so I have to defer to him, making him the only character in the series I'd give "MVP status" to in two separate seasons.
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