15. "The Long Con" (Season 2, Episode 13-Sawyer)
I'm not sure if I can think of a more nicely paralleled island story/backstory episode. Few things that season made me smile as much as hearing that there's a new sheriff in town.
14. "Numbers" (Season 1, Episode 18-Hurley)
I remember watching the first season and reaching a point where basically everyone had gotten a flashback except Hurley. And I wondered if maybe he wasn't going to get one-maybe the fat funny guy was really nothing more than comic relief. Well, no, he's not. Hurley's got some real problems, biggest among them guilt and paranoid fear. And yes, 4-8-15-16-23-42.
13. "There's No Place Like Home" (Season 4, Episodes 12-14-Oceanic 6)
No, I'm not cheating by listing 3 episodes as one. Finales are meant to be a unit! And this one blew me away (no, that wasn't a freighter pun). I was just rewatching this today on the T, and there are 3 things that truly stand out, all from the last hour: Sun losing Jin (and Yunjin Kim's perfect performance), Ben pushing the frozen donkey wheel (I love typing that), and Desmond and Penny's reunion (nothing on television has ever made me happier).
12. "Flashes Before Your Eyes" (Season 3, Episode 8-Desmond)
Also known as the episode spent largely in a continuous flashback. Despite containing a song that came out in 1998 (Sarah McLaughlin's "Building a Mystery" can be faintly heard when Penny makes Desmond tea) when it's supposed to be 1996, we get a lot of great information here, as well as the introduction of Mrs. Hawking/Momma Faraday/Ellie. And poor Desmond not wanting to leave 1996 :(. Also, it should be said that while I'm pretty much violently opposed to marriage, that engagement ring was gorgeous.
11. "The Economist" (Season 4, Episode 3-Sayid)
You know, torturer Sayid is alright, but assassin Sayid is (as I've previously noted) such a baller. This is an episode full of fun spy crap, ending with the perfect Ben-as-evil-veterinarian reveal. Love, love, love.
10. "La Fleur" (Season 5, Episode 8-Sawyer)
I really love Lost's nerdy, extra sci-fi episodes. I frakking live for them. But sometimes, I just want to see someone be awesome. And here, Sawyer is as awesome as we've ever seen him, a natural leader, great boyfriend, supportive friend, etc etc. The only thing that sucks is that he'll probably break Juliet's heart, and while I'm actually a Skater, I don't approve of hurting Juliet.
9. "I Do" (Season 3, Episode 6-Kate)
I think I'm the only person left who still likes Kate. While hot bear cage sex is a source of humor for many Lost fans, I prefer to take that as simply primetime porn and move on to the fascinating flashbacks. Many people I know who have given up on Kate have done so because they think she's become too domesticated and safe, and that we've forgotten her violent patricide and ease with a gun. Here, we see a Kate who tries the Stepford thing and solidly rejects it. I really don't think she left Kevin because she was worried about getting in trouble or getting him in trouble; I think she left because she knew it wasn't the right place for her. This is a woman who doesn't do taco night. And ok, Nathan Fillion never hurts.
8. "Ji Yeon" (Season 4, Episode 7-Sun and Jin)
Dear Academy of Television Arts and Sciences,
You owe Yunjin Kim an Emmy.
Love,
Amy
7. "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" (Season 5, Episode 7)
Now, despite Matthew Fox and his silly crying faces, Lost has one of the strongest casts I've ever seen. No offense to the rest of the ensemble, but Terry O'Quinn kicks all their asses (Michael Emerson's only marginally, though). Even more heartbreaking than watching John Locke lose his legs was watching him lose his faith.
6. "Not in Portland" (Season 3, Episode 7-Juliet)
Remember "A Tale of Two Cities", when we met Juliet and she seemed kind of like a robot bitch? Lots of Lost moments truly resonate with me, but few so much as hearing Elizabeth Mitchell's heartbreaking delivery of "I'm not a leader, Mr. Alpert. I'm a mess".
5. "Raised By Another" (Season 1, Episode 10-Claire)
For the first handful of episodes I ever watched, I pretty much enjoyed the show without being remarkably attached to it. Yeah, it was great, but I guess I didn't know who I was rooting for. Then the themes of fate and destiny were tied to the innocent pregnant girl, and I suddenly cared so, so much about this show. Although it has a chronological predecessor that I think is technically better, this is where I really fell in love with Lost.
4. "Greatest Hits" (Season 3, Episode 21-Charlie)
Once upon a time, a feud began between myself and the fantastic OCHS AP Gov teacher, Kevin Smith. He insisted that Charlie must die, and I fiercely disagreed. Then Desmond told Charlie he was going to die, and like a relative of someone terminally ill, I was in some serious denial. After all, he kept getting rescued! Then this episode began, and by the second flashback I was in tears and didn't stop until the very end. And like any good hopeless romantic, I knew his #1 moment would be meeting Claire.
3. "The 23rd Psalm" (Season 2, Episode 10-Eko)
The idea that the island is a place to redeem oneself is easily one of the most prominent themes in Lost, and it's strongest in our Nigerian drug lord turned priest. So much intense backstory, and even just on the island, seeing Eko and Charlie pray together was fantastic.
2. "Walkabout" (Season 1, Episode 4-Locke)
This is actually the first full episode of Lost I ever saw, and I was mesmerized by Terry O'Quinn (who up until then had been just "Kendall from Alias" to me), the badassery and intense faith of John Locke, and the stunning reveal that prior to the crash he was paraplegic. I still get emotional watching Locke moments after the crash wiggle his toes and stand up.
1. "The Constant" (Season 4, Episode 5-Desmond)
I've watched this an unreasonable amount of times, and am quite convinced that it's a perfect episode of television. See my full rant here: http://www.facebook.com/no
Also, I feel the need for a rapid fire list of the worst episodes:
4. "What Kate Did" (Season 2, Episode 9-Kate)
Black horse + Sawyer channelling Wayne = lame.
3. "Fire + Water" (Season 2, Episode 12-Charlie)
Lost at its most trippy, plus there is nothing good about Locke punching Charlie. Or baby stealing or pianos in the ocean, for that matter.
2. "Something Nice Back Home" (Season 4, Episode 10-Jack)
Ok, so I do have my shipper bias, but come on-nothing good happens when Jack and Kate are together. She's too good for him. And even worse, we have the even more too good for him Juliet moping about him on the island.
1. "Stranger in a Strange Land" (Season 3, Episode 9-Jack)
I CANNOT TATTOO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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