The Blog is Dead. Long live the Blog

Hello,

I am no longer using this blog.

You can find my new blog at www.benkeightley.com

All of my archived blogs from this site can be found on my new blog as well.

Thanks... and keep watching the skis.

The Lost Blog - The Top Ten Twists

LOST built its reputation on raising questions without ever seeming to answer them. As a result it infuriated as much as it elated. But what made LOST one of the most unbelievable and addictive shows over its entire run were the twists which redefined our idea of the island, the characters and in the end the entire show. Below are my ten favourite twists in the history of LOST.

10. The Smoke Monster

The creators of LOST promised The Smoke Monster would be explained toward the end of the show and they did not disappoint. Firstly he takes on the form of Locke, then we discover all those dead people haunting the survivors including Christian Shepherd were the smoke monster all along. Finally in "Across The Sea" we go back to discover that the Smoke Monster was a fate worse than death and his creation or release (depending on how you look at it) was the mistake which led Jacob to bring people the island to replace him. It's amazing when you think back at all the imagery and description (Cerberus protector of Hades) that the final twist was far more interesting and human than anything we could have expected.

9. Locke's Dead

This could well be in here three times. At the end of Season Four we learn the casket Jack visits contains the remains of one Jeremy Bentham aka John Locke. In Season 5 episode The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham we learn how he died, why and who killed him. This is a particularly tragic death as the entire episode epitomised Locke's great weakness - he spends the entire episode trying to get everyone back to the island but fails miserably. Then, in a final moment of desperation he decides to take his own life only to be saved by Ben of all people. Then after Ben has given Locke a reason to live and found out why he is here he kills Locke by strangling him. The third and final twist surrounding Locke's death comes back on the island when he is seemingly resurrected. At this stage, with everything we have seen and learnt, the idea that Locke is back from the dead isn't too surprising, that is until we learn that he is still dead and Locke is no longer Locke.

8. Dharmacide.

We always new there was something evil about Benjamin Linus. But in "Behind The Curtain" in Season 3 we finally get to know the real Ben, and guess what, he is evil, incredibly so. Taken to the island as a boy, he was put upon and blamed for his mother's death by his father. Not exactly a psychologically stable environment to grow up in. One can almost sympathise with Ben for wanting to leave. That he then returned and murdered his own father in cold blood and orchestrated the death of everyone (including women and children) in the Dharma Initiative dispelled any doubts we had about Ben's evil intentions and the lengths he would go to to protect the island. That the episode ends with him seemingly murdering Locke shouldn't have been much of a surprise after this, but actually, it was.

7. How Locke Lost His Legs

Locke, like many of the shows characters, had serious Daddy issues. But his were probably the most severe. After finding his father after 40 years or so of life, Locke seems happy for once, but it isn't long before we realise that Anthony Cooper is less a father figure and more a master conman, stealing from Locke his own kidney. Too make matters worse, we then discover the reason Locke has been wheelchair bound for so long. Being pushed out of a multistorey building by your own father must leave some pretty deep emotional and physical scares and that Locke could never get over it made his existence even more tragic.

6. They're All Dead

How you read the final act of the last ever episode of LOST depends greatly on whether you find it an amazing twist or an annoying cop out. For one thing, it could on one level mean that the events of the island never took place, that it was purgatory all along or that the show had turned into a non too subtle religious metaphor. For me though, after much musing the end of LOST does exactly what Lost has always done. Remind us that no matter how many times we think we've worked it out, we haven't and the creators can surprise us whenever they want. Learning at the end that the flash sideways were not really sideways but more flash afterlife and that everybody was dead was bold, daring, controversial and potentially self destructive, and on first viewing it did feel like a cop out, but watching it again it becomes clear that emotionally it is deeply satisfying, but also extremely poignant as each character realises the true importance of their experience on the island and the sacrifice they made there. A truly wonderous final twist to end the show on.


5. "Do't Tell Me What I Can't Do"

It didn't take long for LOST the utterly confuse and amaze us. The pilot episode was a breath of fresh air and a whirlwind at the same time, so when in episode 4 when we learn the reason Locke has all those knives is that he was in Australia to go Walkabout, but he couldn't because he is in a wheelchair, we were flabbergasted to understand how he'd gone from being in a wheelchair to be able to walk just by crashing on the Island. Suddenly this place took on a whole new level of mystery.

4. "I have to move the island"

When Locke told Ben after his meeting with Christian that he had the move the island i'm fairly sure no one really understood what he meant, but give Ben credit, when he finally went beneath The Orchird Dharma station and revealed the frozen donkey wheel the Island took on an entirely new level of "huh". That the island then just disappeared was even more shocking. Where had it gone? Or more accurately When had it gone, as we later learned. Time Travel very much became a stable of LOST after this moment, and even now it seems surprising that it made so much sense.

3. "We're the good guys"

So, after pretending to be a black man who crashed in his balloon on the island Henry Gale's true identity is finally revealed in the Season Two finale. After leading Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley across the island in a bid to rescue his son Walt, Michael asks the now revealed Benjamin Linus who they are. Ben's reply pulled the proverbial rug from under our feet as he asserts that they (the Others) are the good guys. The blurring between good and evil on the island was rarely so shockingly exposed, but gradually become more and more of a running theme throughout. 

2. "You're Gonna Die Charlie"

The episode "Flashes Before Your Eyes" was really the first epsiode of LOST to introduce the idea of time travel, even if it didn't really feel like time travel. By the episodes end, when we realise everything Desmond has been doing was to try and save Charlie and that as Eloise states the "universe has a way of course correcting" hit home when Desmond revealed to Charlie that he kept seeing Charlie's death. This became one of the biggest hooks of Season Three and its development right up to the season finale make this not only one of the most intriguing, interesting and shocking twists but also the most emotional.

1. "We Have To Go Back"
Whether you guessed this before the reveal or not, the twist at the end of Season Three worked either way. If you guessed that this was not a flashback but a flashforward then Kate getting out of the car might have seemed a little predictable and underwhelming. If you didn't guess it it was possibly the moment you realised you would have to stick with LOST until the end. The big reveal isn't that we are now seeing a post island life but more importantly those famous words "we have to go back". Not only did this make jaws hit the floor but it also baffled that the one character who above everyone else wanted to leave the island was now the guy doing everything in his power to get back. From this point on Lost became a different show and suddenly the prospect of answers beckoned. The end of Season Three was the biggest turning point in LOST until, possibly the end.

The Lost Blog - The Top Ten Moments

I know what you're thinking. Just ten. And you'd be right. This could be a list of the top 100 moments in LOST's history and it still wouldn't be difficult to fill. But this is a list of the ten moments which meant to most to me and to my mind defines the reason LOST has been such a unique experience. So read on but prepare to probably be disappointed, surprised, infuriated and possibly even elated - kind of like watching an episode of LOST then.

10. Daniel Faraday's Death - Season 5 - The Variable

Faraday is one of the most intriguing characters on LOST. From the second he arrived on the island he seemed to have a hidden goal, knew more than anyone about the island and was either a bad guy trying to gain trust or the one person who might be able to save everyone. In "The Variable", we realised just how important he was and also, in true LOST fashion, how tragic. If ever there was a greater example of LOST being a modern day mythology it is Daniel Faraday. Raised by his mother to pursue scientific pursuits only; forced down a path and into a life he didn't necessarily want Faraday believes he has found away to undo everything and disprove the theory that whatever happened, happened. Returning to the island in 1977, Faraday devises a plan to blow up a hydrogen bomb negating the energy which led to the Hatch, which in turn resulted in flight 815s crash. In the process he enters The Others camp in search of Richard only to be shot by his own mother, realising with his dying words that his own mother new his entire existence that his life would end at this point.Devastating.

9. The Four Toed Statue. - Season 2 - Live Together, Die Alone Part I

Season Two set up a number of mysteries which never really felt fully explained even in the final season, but none where quite as baffling or unexpected as The Four Toed Statue. To begin with we were like Sayid, unsure what to be most shocked by, that only the leg remained or that it only had four toes. Either way it hinted that the island was much older and more important than we ever thought it was. That it turned out the be the Statue of Tawaret, an ancient Egyptian God was mouthwatering. That we never found out who built it and why was infuriating.


8. Jacob in the Cabin - Season Three - The Man Behind The Curtain
The truth is Locke was nothing but a thorn in the side of Ben. After passing Ben's test to become an Other, albeit with Sawyer's help, Locke demands to see Jacob. Relenting, Ben takes Locke to a small cabin in the wood. Surrounded by a grey powder which Ben tentatively steps over, Locke enters only to find the room empty. Ben then proceeds to speak to an empty chair. Locke doesn't buy it, naturally, until the cabin begins to shake, Ben is hurled across the room and Locke sees a glimmer, just a glimmer, of someone in the chair. Was it Jacob? Was it MIB playing games? Who knows, but at the time is was exhilarating and heart pounding.


7. Jack Saves Charlie's Life - Season One - All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues

As Jack and Kate race through the jungle after Charlie and Claire they find Charlie strung up with some vines, seemingly dead. Jack proceeds to give him CPR but all seems lost as the minutes pass and he's still lifeless. The whole thing gets to much for Kate as Jack's driving desire to fix everyone and save Charlie seems to turn into a futile obession. Kate finally pulls Jack off, but unwilling to accept defeat and another death of one of the survivors Jack continues pounding his fist down on Charlie's chest. Kate can't look, as not even the driving heavy rain can hide her tears. Then it happens. Charlie coughs and splutters and comes back to life. The first time I watched this I punched the sky, and even now I'm still not sure if he will come round.


6. Sawyer's Jumps off the Helicopter - Season Four - There's No Place Like Home Part III

This was the great selfless act of the selfish man. All his life James "Sawyer" Ford has looked after number one and no one else. Always looking out for himself, often at the expense of other people, he is also not averse to conning people for sole purpose of getting a little bit of revenge. So when the survivors are finally escaping the island on the Freighters helicopter it becomes a massive act of self sacrifice that in order to ensure everyone makes it to freighter Sawyer jumps off. That he first asks Kate to find the mother of his child and deliver a message hints a greater depths of character than perhaps we were previously certain of. Sawyer has always been a good guy at heart, but this was the moment he became a true hero.

5. Charlie's Sacrifice - Season Three - Through The Looking Glass Part II

It had been foreshadowed for most of Season Three but when it finally came Charlie Pace's death was possibly the most emotional moment in the history of LOST. It helped raise the season finale to a level never equalled on the show, and also allowed one of the most beloved characters to go out in a heroic sacrificial way. That his last act is to warn Desmond that its "Not Penny's Boat" just cements his character. He may be troubled, weak, insecure but at his heart Charlie is a great guy who always just wanted to do what was best.

4. Meeting The Others - Season Three - A Tale of Two Cities

I remember discussing with a fellow fan that I thought Season Three would begin with another plane crash. Oh how right and wrong I was. An understated book club scene opens the third season before an alarm is raised and we realise this normal, domesticated people are actually the shows evil enemies. As Ben watches flgiht 815 break up and crash on the island he jumps straight into action sending Goodwin and Ethan off to check for survivors. Audacious, bold and utterly jaw dropping - Classic LOST.


3.Michael Confesses to Killing Ana Lucia - Season Two - Live Together, Die Alone Part I

Wow, this wasn't easy to watch. A Michael leads Jack, Sawyer, Kate and Hurley across the island to rescue Walt, the truth finally comes out as Michael confesses he needs them to come with him to get Walt back, and that he is leading them into a trap. Slowly it dawns on everyone that he broke Henry Gale free, that it was he who shot and killed Ana Lucia and Libby. What makes this work is that there are three revelations in one scene. Firstly everyone blows up about Michael handing them over to the others, then the penny drops about Ana Lucia and finally, in the most heart breaking moment Hurley realises he must have killed Libby. It painful, tear jerking TV at its best, and the performances from the cast are note perfect.

2. Desmond Finally Speaks to Penny - Season Four - The Constant

It can't be easy being Desmond. Marooned on a strange desert island pushing a button to save the world and all you want to do is be reunited with your true love. So when it finally comes it is both poignant but also brilliantly concieved. On his way to the Freighter Desmond experiences Temporal Displacment - his consciousness switching between the present and the past. Told the only way he can survive is to find a constant Desmond chooses Penny and pleads with his heartbroken love to answer the phone on Christmas Eve in 2004. With Desmond close to death and the phone having rung for what seems like an age, Penny finally answers the phone in one of the most rousing, beautiful and reaffirming moments in the history of TV.


1. Sawyer tells Jack about his Dad - Season One - Exodus Part I

I know what you're thinking. Really, after six years of action packed, emotionally charged, mysteriously addictive TV this is the best scene in the shows history. Perhaps not, but what this scene personifies is the heart of LOST. For most of Season One Jack and Sawyer butted heads, argued and threatened to beat each other up (we had to wait five seasons for that). But in one moment, one small scene as Sawyer cuts bamboo trees to ensure his place on the raft and Jack prepares to depart for the Black Rock, Sawyer gives Jack the resolution to his arc for the season in a deeply moving, beautifully acted and wonderfully ingenious decision. We already new, thanks to a flashback that Sawyer met Christian on his last night alive. But when Sawyer tells Jack what Christian never could you feel the emotional catharsis this represents for Jack, and to hear it from Sawyer of all people makes it even more difficult to take. Matthew Fox and Josh Holloway are also wonderful in the scene.

The Lost Blog - Season Reviews

So in the end it ran for six seasons totalling 121 episodes. It was the only TV show I know of that agreed a defined end time and was granted time to run its course. So, which is the best season, which season turned audiences away in droves. Which season took the show to new heights, and did the final season deliver as successfully as its first. Below is a list and brief review of all six seasons with shiny star ratings.

Season Two
The One with the Hatch

As Season One ended with the most audaciously annoying yet brilliantly cliff-hanging ending of possibly any show ever, Season Two had one major difference from Season One. The hatch was open and we would almost definitely find out what or who was inside. In addition to that we found out what happened to the tail end of the plane, and how their experience was much worse. We also finally got to put a face to The Others and began to get hints of their plan for the survivors. Ultimately though Season Two will always be remembered as the season everyone proclaimed "They're are making it up as they go along". And to be honest for the most part the season felt a little like that. Having said that some interesting characters came into the show, most of which were despatched with ruthless efficiency. There was also highlights, most notably "Lockdown" which found an incredibly interesting way to tantalise us with bigger and more interesting mysteries, "The Other 48 Days" which showed us the Tailies story and the Season Finale "Live Together, Die Alone" which turned the sky purple and saw three of the major characters captured by the dastardly Others.



Season Six
The End is Nigh

The final season was always going to have an impossible task. Especially as after the finale to Season 5, there was little actual story left to tell and as a result there was too much waiting around by almost all of the characters . The inclusion of the flash sideways felt interesting, then distracting and finally revelatory, but too often didn't feel like it moved the story forward or told us anything new about these characters. Of the 18 episodes (taking The End as two) nearly half felt let set up episodes for the following week, some even failed to offer self contained stories. And yet, with it being the final season LOST inevitably pulled out the stops for episodes such as "Sundown", "Happily Ever After", "The Candidate" and "What They Died For". Add to this that two major flashback episodes "Ab Aeterno" and "Across The Sea" gave us much needed and craved backstories to some of the most intriguing elements of the show. That so many mysteries where never addressed or interwoven in the main thrust of the story reveals an inability or unwillingness on the part of Cuse and Lindelof to address these issues, but by the finale Season 6 felt like a fitting if slightly lacklustre ending for one of the great TV shows of all time.



Season Five
The One with All the Time Travel

Following Ben moving the island all bets were off as to what might happen in Season 5. No one could have guessed that time travel would be brought in in such an inventive and original way. By doing so those left on the island were in constant peril, it allowed the writers to address and answer a number of big questions which seemed impossible until this point. Also, we had most of the main cast no longer on the island, and instead had some incredible episodes such as "Jughead" which posited an atomic bomb on the island while having Desmond trying to find Faraday's mother. The best decision this season though was to not drag out the time travel and get everyone back onto the island (only in 1977 - never saw that coming). Following "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" all the major action returns to the island as the Losties try to take advantage of being in the past by changing the future. The big theme of the season being whatever happened, happened. By the season finale (another season high) everything was set up for the climactic final season as Jacob is murdered, Locke is dead but isn't, Juliet sets off the atomic bomb and everything fades to white.








Season Four
It's all about the Flash Forwards

As the shortest season of Lost, at just 14 episodes (three of which are the season finale) Season 4 benefits from the forward momentum generated by a influx of new characters, new mysteries and new conflicts. The big thing was the flash forwards, especially as we had to wait until the finale to find out how and who definitely got off the island, and also what might have happpened to those left behind. By being so short and throwing so much at the story Season 4 threw up such classic episodes as "The Constant", "The Economist", "Meet Kevin Johnson", "The Shape of Things to Come" and the finale.As the season starts Locke and Jack, forever on different paths, separate and take a selection of survivors each, and as the series develops we begin to understand more about the island, its deeper mysteries as well as its strange electromagnetic effects and temporal displacement. This works well in laying the foundation for Season 5's time travel. Also through Charlotte, Miles and Faraday we are able to explore more of the Dharma initiative and learn exactly how Ben managed to murder them all.




Season One
Where it all began.

The first 20 minutes of Lost are arguably the greatest opening to a TV series ever. It all began with a close up on a eye. Then our hero, Jack, races through the bamboo trees and as the camera pulls back we see the full extent of the crash. Even now I still remember exactly where I was and that I didn't take a breath until the first ad break. Season One introduced us to the survivors of Oceanic 815 and in the words of the great Charlie Pace had audiences all over the world asking "where are we". The great mysteries of Lost were sown in this season, and in such wonderful ways. Locke being in a wheelchair pre-island, Jack following his dead father to water, the revelation that they are not alone on the island, the Black Rock, polar bears and the love triangle between Sawyer, Jack and Kate. Looking back now, you begin to realise just how far both the audience and the characters have come since that opening fateful crash. Lost Season 1 is one of the finest debut seasons in Television history.




Season Three
The one where the answers began to unfold.

From Jack, Sawyer and Kate being held captive by the Others to finally making contact with the Freighter. From Locke surviving the implosion of the Hatch to stabbing Naomi via a bizarre meeting with "Jacob", Season Three expanded, developed and explored LOST more than any other season. By the end of Season Two no one could have foreseen just how much we would have learnt and how far we would have gone, discovering how The Others reacted to the crash of 815 was a superb way to open the series and it offered the same jaw dropping brilliance as season one Pilot. The mid season break gave the opening episodes a sort of self contained mini-series feel and allowed the writers to really spend time with The Others. As the show progressed the further exploration of Dharma, Locke's attempts to join up with The Others, the arrival of Naomi and the possibility that the season may end with rescue kept us coming back each week. Season 3 also introduced time travel, or temporal displacement and saw Desmond become a season regular. Even episodes like "Expose", which at the time seemed infuriarting slight and pointless, in light of the charging plot, can now, in hindsight be viewed as a momentary pause before the final onslaught of the final act. The episode itself is also brilliantly macabre and encapsulates some of the major themes of the series. By the end with the Flash Forward, the explosive season finally and even a return for Walt, Season 3 emerged as the series when LOST hit its stride, and it has rarely faultered since.

The Lost Blog - Six Reasons Lost is the Greatest TV Show of All Time

Like many of recent TV shows LOST as raised the bar in what can be done and what is expected from American Television shows. LOST is a unique show unlike any other. At times infuriating, at time compulsive, it took the phrase "addictive TV" to new heights. Below are 6 possible reasons why LOST could be called the greatest TV show of all time. Whether it is or not is up to those loyal fans who have stuck with the mystery, the love stories, the back stories, the leaps of faith. So in honour of the Oceanic 6 and those dastardly Numbers, here are six reasons why LOST should be watched by everybody.

6. (4)
The Music.

Michael Giacchino's rousing, heart wrenching, evocative, pulsating score has elevated LOST to level of high charged emotional brilliance. At lIst of the great scenes in Lost's history are ones accompanied by Giacchino's score. His character themes are all perfect, a mixture of love, mystery, intrigue, danger and humour all feeling right for the island setting. Lost has brought a tear to my eye on more than one occasion and for all of them, Giacchino's beautiful music was there to tip me over the edge.


5. (8)
The Time You're Not Watching LOST

No TV show in history has taken over a fans life in the way LOST does. Yeah previous shows have developed deep, mystery mythologies, but nothing quite on the level of LOST. From books written by characters in the show, yet published in the real world, to the LOST Experience - a huge web of online secrets which can be investigated to add and enhance your enjoyment of the show. LOST's creates understood the importance of viral campaigns to pique interest in the show, and with Lostpedia, people had a resource where they could read up on the vast number of mysteries from the show as well as read theories and ideas on what its all about. I spent much more time thinking about LOST than I ever spent watching it, and even though its over, there is still so much which is left unknown. I feel I will for a long time be looking into the mysteries and questions the show raised in search of answers - and no TV show has ever embraced this more than LOST.

4. (15)
The Twists and Reveals

A TV show built on a mystery of an enigma is going to have a number of big twists and reveals but LOST took the idea to such an extreme that even if the ending didn't satisfy even if it did at the very least work as the biggest twist and reveal in the shows history and so feels right in the sense. From the polar bears to the monster to the Dharma Initative to the Others to the island. There have been too many twists and reveals to name, but watching Ben move the Island, discovering the true identity of the smoke monster, discovering who caused the plane to crash and why, as well how each of the characters connected before they came to the Island is half the fun of watching the show. The biggest and best twists come right at the end of each series such as finding out that if Locke didn't come back from the dead, then who is that going to meet Jacob. A jaw dropping moment, which once again changed the face of LOST forever.

3. (16)
The Characters.

LOST had such a vast array of characters throughout the show its surprising how well so many of them stuck with us. And what fascinating people they were. Firstly we had a cripple who was pushed out of a window by his kidney stealing con man father, a criminal whose witnessed the murder of his mother at the hands of his father and then took upon himself the identity of the con man who led to their deaths. A guy who won over a hundred million dollars on the lottery, owns companies other characters work for, spent time in a mental institute and thinks winning all that money was the worst thing that ever happened to him, only to discover the numbers are integral to events on the Island. Or how about a boy whose mother dies in childbirth who is then taken to the island, where his dead mother convinces him to join the natives and then years later, kill his father and everyone one of his former people; kidnaps a child and raises as his own and orchestrates the deaths of countless people only to seek redemption. These are just some of the wonderful array of diverse characters on LOST, and with actors of the calibre of Terry O'Quinn, Michael Emerson, Nestor Carbonell and Jorge Garcia every episode was joyous to watch just to spend time with these characters. 

2. (23)
The Mystery.

From episode 1 LOST set itself up as the great mystery of modern television. Within the first episode we discovered polar bears, a giant man eating force rampaging through the trees and a French distress signal. As the show has unfolded bigger, weirder and less plausible storylines have come to light all answering questions whilst raising more. The mystery of LOST is its life blood. Its what had thousands of fans rushing to the internet after every episode to chase down potential leads which might, possibly, shed light on the show. That it ended with more mystery and less answers will no doubt infuriate many, but LOST always stuck to its guns and left us all with plenty to think and talk about. And even now the show has gone I still find myself pondering on the mysteries of the great mythology of our time. 

1. (42)
The Island.

In long running TV shows, two things must remain constant throughout. The Characters and the World. And the creators of LOST created perhaps the greatest "world" in the history of television. The Island is perhaps the biggest and most interesting character on the show. Reluctant to reveal it's secrets, its purpose or even why it exists, the island is a menagerie of bizarre, engaging and utterly baffling things. From the Dharma stations to the polar bears, from plane crashes a plenty, the inland shipwrecks, from smoke monsters to caves, underground passageways and bright white lights. Add into that the weather, the scenery and the history and you have something truly spectacular. We never found out just how old the island was, who its first inhabitants are and what might happen if its power was negated or released. And yet, the biggest pull back to LOST will always be the island. Characters and societies in the LOSTverse will come and go, but the Island endures. For it is the great mystery of LOST.

The Lost Blog - Top Ten Greatest Episodes

Making a list of the ten best epsiodes of LOST isn't an easy task. Hell its difficult to make a top ten for just a single season. Then you have the season finale's. One thing LOST most definitely got right was its season climaxes. Every season ended with such a bang, you were always left wondering how they might possibly top it. And when they did, you were in awe of not only their ambitious and courage, but also with the reality that it was never anything like you predicted; take the last ever episode of proof of this. So here are the ten best episodes of LOST. I have included two and three parters as one, otherwise this list might just be occupied with all those finales. So for those of you who think LOST was never incredible, here is all you need to know about just how high LOST managed to get in terms of jaw droppingly, mind bendingly, breath takingly brilliant TV. Enjoy!

10. Ab Aeterno
Season Six
There are a number of reasons "Ab Aeterno" can be considered one of the highlights of LOST. Not only does it clear up a number of small mysteries such as when and how did the Black Rock end up inland on the Island? How did the four toed statue end up as a four toed statue? And perhaps most importantly, how old is Richard Alpert? Turns out nearly 200 years old. Set in the late 1860s, we learn that Richard was a slave upon the Black Rock, sold into slavery after accidentally killing a doctor on his homeland of Tenerife. We also learn how he came to be Jacob's intermidiary. But what really makes this episode stand out is Nestor Carbonell's performance, which may well be the finest single episode character performance of the entire show. By the shows climax, Richard has been transformed into a mystical, curious and intriguing character to a tortured, heartbroken tragic hero. Add to this the LOST creators desire to tell a strong story rather than just reveal a bunch of backstory makes this episode indispensible. Oh and we also get perhaps the most abstract definition of the island up to this point; basically its a cork (who knew).

9. The Man Behind The Curtain
Season Three

From the moment we learnt who Benjamin Linus was we all craved that backstory. Who was this man and how did he become the evil monster he is? It turns out Ben was a bigger liar and more evil monster than anyone ever thought. He wasn't born on the island, he came there when just a boy as one of the Dharma Initiative. Then, after a visitation from his dead mother he meets Richard (who doesn't look any younger - the first time his agelessness becomes apparent). We learn about his desire to control, the lack of love he felt from his father, and that he was instrumental, maybe even planning it himself, in the "purge". As he sits with his father in that VW Van and puts on the gasmask, it is one of the most shocking moments in the shows history. Oh, and on the island, Ben takes Locke to see "Jacob" and then shoots him, leaving him in the pit with Dharma bodies. Truly epic, mouth watering TV at its best.

8. Exodus
Season One

The Season One finale was a three part extravaganza which saw Michael, Jin and Sawyer set sail on the raft, Jack and Co venture into the island in search of the Black Rock, the first sighting of the black smoke, the opening of the hatch, Rousseau stealing Claire's baby and Sayid and Charlie heading off to get them and the first dramatic, on island appearances of the numbers. Like the show's finale, this was essentially a massive LOST film which offered action, emotion, drama, tension - basically everything you could possibly want from the finale. By the season's climax we had seen Sawyer shot and left in the ocean, with Michael screaming after Walt as "The Others" sail away and Jin is missing, presumed dead. Locke and Jack are left staring down a deep hole in the ground creating what is probably the most infuriatingly audacious season cliffhanger in TV history. Exodus was also the benchmark of LOST and a sign for how dramatic and addictive the show would become.

7. There's No Place Like Home
Season Four

As Season Four shot along to its finale there was a genuine sense that the show was moving into its final act. The freighter people had arrived. The survivors had been culled to just the core major characters, we had flash forwards to give us a hint of what their lives would be like off the island, and for the most part things were better on the island. But we also got a sense that the show new where it was going. The introduction of a handful of new, intriguing characters that would allow us to further explore the island made for interesting viewing, and the introduction of the science of the island through characters such as Faraday started to make everything fall into place. Then came the finale; a three part thriller which begins with the Oceanic Six arriving on the mainland. As the possibility for rescue to the Freighter begins to become a reality, Ben, Hurley and Locke head to the Orchid station to "move the island". Jack and Sawyer also head to the Orchid to rescue Hurley, whilst on the Freighter, Michael, Jin and Desmond attempt to disarm or at the very least prolong the inevtiable explosion of the massive C4 device set up by Keamy. Its a fraught, nail biting climax as Keamy and his men are out manouevered and destroyed by the Others with the help of Kate and Sayid; Sayid toe to toe punch up with Keamy was the shows finest until Season six when Sayid again had a dust up with Dogen. The finale also holds some of the great moments and shocks; Sawyer becoming a hero by jumping off the helicopter to save everyone; Sun's clambering to save Jin as the Freighter explodes; Michael's redemption as he stays with the bomb and of course Ben moving the island. We also see Desmond finally reuniting with Penny and Jack discovers Claire (who he has to pretend he never met) was his half sister. All in all "There's No Place Like Home" comes very close to being the best Season Finale of LOST and completely changes the entire show as the island disappears. 



6. Flashes Before Your Eyes
Season Three

Desmond episodes usually rank quite highly. The season 2 finale Live Together, Die Alone nearly made the list in part for the excellent flashback to Desmond's time in the hatch. A wonderful way to end the season. But with "Flashes Before Your Eyes", we see what happened to Desmond as a result of turning the fail-safe (who would have known how important his survival would be). For a lot of the early part of Season 3, Desmond secretly goes round seemingly protecting Claire and saving her from drowning. As Charlie and Hurley grow more and more suspicious of the effects of the hatch implosion on Desmond they decide to get his pissed on McCutcheon whisky to try and extract the truth. What follows is fascinating, edge of your seat TV as we learn Desmond temporally displaced his consciousness back to the time when he was about to propose to Penny. This works wonderfully as a flashback to give us a clear indication of the love Desmond feels for Penny, he sense of unworthiness and how it all ended. What makes this even more interesting is the appearance of Eloise Hawking, a sort of Timecop who warns Desmond about making the "wrong" choice. That she knows so much is a wonderfully intriguing addition to the episode and her argument that the universe has a way of course-correcting comes into play much more prominently later in the show.

5. The Shape of Things To Come
Season Four

This was a big episode full of jaw dropping action, huge emotional beats and moved at such a pace, you barely had time to catch breath before the next massive scene slapped you across the face. Following the untimely death of Rousseau we all knew and expected something big, but not as big as this. The whole thing kicks off with Hurley, Sawyer and Locke playing Risk when a phone call reveals an automated message saying Code 14-J. Everything seems fine until Locke asks Ben what it means and springs into action pulling a shotgun out of the piano chair. As Keamy and his men descend on the Barracks all hell breaks loose as most of the "redshirts" are killed off, Claire's house explodes under missile file and finally Keamy brings out Alex. Ben refuses to leave choosing the island over his daughter and Bang! there goes another cast member. The big shock though is when Ben disappears to "call" the smoke monster and Keamy and his men seem less threatening. As they leave, a showdown between Locke and Sawyer over Hurley keeps the heart racing before they head off for Jacob's Cabin. All that and we haven't even mentioned the flash forward which sees an off island Ben (waking up in the middle of the desert) recruit Sayid, after he coolly dispatched a few Arabs, to help him kill Widmore's men. The episode ends with one of the most tense dialogue exchanges in the shows history as Ben tells Charles he will kill Penny and never let him get back to the island. Instant Classic. 

4. The End
Season Six

For a more indepth analysis of LOST's final episode see my blog of the final show. When I first watched this episode for almost 2 hours it was one of, if not, the best two hours of LOST ever. It really did threaten to take top spot in this list, and even now, when I have come to terms with the ending and find it deeply satisfying and incredibly rewarding, it just misses mainly because, well I always expect more from LOST and although this delivers in spades, there is a sense that there wasn't enough story to tell for a finale episode (for example they reach the Source almost instantly, the story is quite linear, and not enough mysteries are revealed). But still, as far as LOST two strengths goes (pulling on heart strings and incredible twists) "The End" has it is spades. Every scene is short, snappy and keeps the pace flowing. With it being the end you never know exactly how it will all end or who will survive. It's also possibly the only season finale where the off island story is as compelling as the on island story. As Desmond and Hurley work together to bring everyone to the concert and trigger the memory of exactly what this place is, every scene is tinged with a feeling of closure. That everything is coming to, well, an end. When the final scenes play out there won't be a dry eye and that they managed to give every single major character in the shows history (well almost) a wonderfully emotional and cathartic ending is genuinely miraculous. 

3. Pilot
Season One

For me, as soon as the first add break arrived on Channel 4 all those years ago when LOST premiered on Channel 4, I knew I would stick with this show until it ended. I don't actually remember taking a breath as Jack wakes up in the bamboo, staggers in the direction of screaming and comes upon one of the most dramatic and visceral starts to a TV show ever. The pace, the excitement, the characters, the intrigue, everything which would become synonymous with LOST and reshape TV forever was here in this opening pilot. From the "dinosaur roars" in the jungle, to the French message on a loop, to polar bears in the jungle, to the pilot being ripped out of the cockpit. From the glorious opening, to the superb ending, the characters, the locations, the inherent drama, even the flashbacks were gripping. LOST instantly presented itself as must see TV. Every character seemed drawn from cliche, yet was utterly compelling. There was humour, drama, excitement, pathos, confusion, mystery. You can see why ABC picked up the pilot, and why JJ Abrams was intent on directing. In the words of the late Charlie Pace "Where are we". For Lostites everywhere, that was a question we definitely wanted exploring. 

2. Through The Looking Glass
Season Three 

As LOST built its reputation for stunning, incredible, show changing season finales, nothing comes close to its Season Three finale "Through The Looking Glass". As Season Three, the shows strongest built to its ending there was never any doubt about its potential to blow your socks off, and it did it constantly for double bill. As the episode begins, Locke is seemingly dead, Juliet as been revealed as a double agent, only to turn into a triple agent. The Others are coming to take the women, Naomi is well and hoping to contact her freighter to offer rescue and Charlie is about to embrace his destiny and make the ulitmate sacrifice. And we have the return of Walt, who tells a suicidal Locke his work isn't done. What makes this episode work so well is that there are three on island plotlines running simultaneously both enhancing and driving the main story forward. While Jack leads everyone to the radio tower to disable Rousseau's message, Jin, Sayid and Bernard wait behind to ambush the Others as Desmond and Charlie head to the Looking Glass to deactive the signal blocking radio transmissions to and from the island. Firstly, the ambush goes awry with only two explosions, Sayid, Bernard and Jin are captured. Sawyer and Juliet, unarmed, return to find out what has gone wrong. Ben moves to intercept Jack and the survivors resulting in one of the greatest scenes in LOST's history as Jack finally plays the hero and beats the crap out of Ben. Hurley, spurned by Charlie on his mission follows, Sawyer and Juliet and saves the Jin, Sayid and Bernard with help of the VW van in another of the shows highlights sequences. Charlie takes on the mantel of preordained hero when captured in the Looking Glass and fulfils Desmond's vision by deactivating the signal, in the shows most tear inducing deaths ever, and Jack finally makes contact with the freighter, despite Locke's re-emergence and attempted murder of Naomi. All of that and we have the shows first ever Flash forward and those famous lines, "We have to go back". Through The Looking Glass in not only the best season finale to LOST ever, but it is probably the greatest season finale to a TV show ever.

1. The Constant
Season Four

And so to number 1. "The Constant" is quite simply the finest hour of TV LOST ever produced. Another Desmond centric episode (I told you his episodes rank highly). What makes The Constant such an excellent episode is that it is 40mins of what LOST does best. Great mystery, intriguing drama, and tear inducing emotional intensity. It also offers one of the finest acting performances from anyone in the show from Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond. The basic story runs as follows; Desmond and Sayid decide to hop on the helicopter with Lapidis. Warned by Faraday to stick to a particular course to avoid any "problems", Lapidis flies into a storm and in the process something happens to Desmond which sees his conscious displace to a time in the past (sometime in the 90s) when he was in the army. Desmond flips when he doesn't recognise anyone on the Freighter (or Sayid) and we soon learn that another crew member (Radzinsky) has been suffering the same thing. When he dies because he lacks a constant, Desmond must try and find one for himself, and with the help of Faraday, both on the island and back in the 90s Desmond chooses Penny and sets up the most emotionally satisfying end to a TV episode ever as for the first time is years Desmond and Penny make contact. I'm not going to lie to you, when I first saw this I was jumping up and down with joy as tears streamed down my face. One of the best moments of TV ever.

A quick note on a few other notable episodes which should never be overlooked across the seasons

Season 1
Walkabout (1x04) - Locke centric episode where we first learn he was in a wheelchair before the crash
Solitary (1x09) - Sayid centric episode, first appearance of Rousseau and Hurley's golf course.

Special (1x14) - We first discover that Walt may be special as Michael and Walt get a flashback
Homecoming (1x15) - Charlie get's his revenge on Ethan.
Deus Ex Machina (1x19) - Boone dies and Locke meets his real father.

Season 2
Man of Science, Man of Faith (2x01) - Locke, Jack and Kate finally make it into the Hatch
The Other 48 Days (2x07) The tailies get their own flashback as we learn just how hard survival has been.
The Long Con (2x13) Sawyer cons everyone (with a little help from Charlie) and steals all the guns.
Lockdown (2x17) Locke gets trapped in the hatch as the timer runs out and he sees the map of stations
Two For The Road (2x20) Ana Lucia and Libby gunned down as "Henry Gale" escapes

Season 3
The Cost of Living (3x05) - Eko stands up to the smoke monster and comes off worse.
The Man From Tallahassee (3x13) - We finally find out how Locke ended up in that wheelchair
Expose (3x14) - Pablo and Nikki special episode. At the time annoying, now scary, exciting and brilliant
The Brig (3x19) Locke offers Sawyer a chance to meet the man who killed his parents
Greatest Hits (3x21) - Charlie makes a list of his greatest moments; both moving and poignant

Season 4
Confirmed Dead (4x02) - Reactions to the crash and death of everyone from Oceanic 815. Huh
The Economist (4x03) - Sayid flash forward, doing what he does best. Seducing women and killing people.
Meet Kevin Johnson (4x08) Michael is back, the island is not done with him yet.
Cabin Fever (4x11) Locke goes in search of the cabin.

Season 5
Jughead (5x03) Still flashing, Faraday helps the Others deal with a hydrogen bomb
This Place is Death (5x05) The flashes start taking their toll, nad Jin and Sun get a flashback/forward.
The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham (5x07) Locke gets off the island and tries to get the 6 to go back
The Variable (5x14) Faraday returns and has a plan to prevent the future.

Season 6
Sundown (6x06) The Smoke Monster goes medieval on the Temple.
Happily Ever After (6x11) Desmond uses his unique talent to cross between timelines.
Across The Sea (5x15) Jacob and Smokey get their own flashback.
What They Died For (5x16) The candidates finally meet Jacob as the pieces move for the final battle.

So, there we have it. The Top Ten episodes of Lost ever, along with the highlights of each season. If these were the only good episodes of the show that would be enough to make LOST one of the best shows of recent years. That there are still some wonderfully brilliant pieces of television and possible only 2 bad episodes across the entire show is a testament to the consistent quality and heights achieved.

2001: A Space Odyssey @ Royal Festival Hall with Live Orchestra

For a film so famous for its magnificent use of classical music, it came as a surprise when it was announced Friday's screening of 2001 A Space Odyssey with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Voices that it had never been shown with a live orchestral accompaniment. Opening the Royal Society's anniversary Summer Science Exhibition the film brings together some of the Southbank's finest elements. When deciding upon the opening event organisers consulted the BFI who suggested 2001 for its importance within the science fiction genre, but also for its unique credibility and basis in real science. The film also, quite obviously, brings to the fore the great tradition of live musical performance from the Royal Festival Hall, and one of the joys of the night was the lush, acoustically excellent surroundings of the Hall.
Add to that a fresh, digitally restored print courtesy of Warner, who had stripped the musical soundtrack and left only the dialogue and sound effects tracks and the film may have never look so crisp and defined.
The experience itself was wonderful. The musicians giving everything to capture the genius of the music and have it live helped draw you into the hynoptic, emotional brilliance of the images. 2001 is arguably the finest collision of sound and image in cinema history and here it works even better as each string, each drum beat reverberates around the theatre. And the print was exceptionally detailed making each image just as glorious as it has always been.

The film was introduced by Christiane Kubrick who talked about Kubrick's love of film and how flattered he would have been to have the film shown with a live orchestra and from my point of view, the orchestra can feel a sense of pride for making the experience one of those once in a lifetime situations. It took over 40 years for 2001 A Space Odyssey to be screened with a live orchestra, now lets hope it happens much more frequently as everyone with the slightest interest or love of cinema will be overwhelmed by its beauty and majesty.