Introduction: Setting the Stage
When I first started LOST, I thought it was going to be about survivors of a plane crash trying to escape a mysterious island. But as I got deeper into the series, I realized it wasn’t really about that at all. Instead, the story shifted to focus on the island, its strange mythology, and the chosen people drawn to it.
At its peak, LOST had incredible storytelling, deep characters, and some of the best mysteries I’ve ever seen in a TV show. But by the time I reached the final season, I felt like the show had completely lost its way. Too many questions were left unanswered, plotlines were abandoned, and worst of all, the finale focused on something that had nothing to do with what made the show compelling in the first place.
I don’t hate LOST. In fact, I wanted to love it. I spent hours watching, fully invested in these characters, clinging to the hope that it would all come together in a satisfying way. But after finishing the series, I felt frustrated and disappointed by the wasted potential. The show pulled me into a wild journey, only to leave me standing at the end, wondering what it all meant. This review is my deep dive into what worked, what went wrong, and why I believe the show ultimately failed to deliver on its own promise.
What LOST Did Right
To be fair, LOST had a lot of strengths, especially in the early seasons.
✔ The mystery of the island – The show kept viewers hooked with the Dharma Initiative, the Smoke Monster, and the idea that the island was more than just a remote location.
✔ Strong character development – Characters like Sawyer, Jack, Hurley, and Desmond had incredible arcs that made them feel real.
✔ Emotional moments that hit hard – Charlie’s sacrifice, Desmond and Penny’s love story, and Locke’s tragic downfall were some of the best-written emotional beats in television.
✔ Mind-blowing twists (at first) – The Hatch, the Others, and the reveal that they were still on the island while thinking they escaped—these moments were brilliant.
I stayed hooked for a long time. I stayed up late watching, eager for the next twist, the next revelation. But LOST started to go off the rails once the story became too convoluted for its own good.
Where LOST Started to Go Wrong
The turning point for me was when the show started answering questions with more questions instead of actually resolving anything.
❌ Overcomplicating the story with time travel – The time jumps in Season 5 were so excessive that it became hard to stay emotionally connected to the characters. I kept pausing, rewinding, trying to piece things together, only to realize that even the writers didn’t seem to have a clear plan.
❌ The “Chosen Ones” aspect got messy – At first, it seemed like Jacob had a clear plan for everyone on the island, but by the end, it felt random and unfinished. Why were these people special? Why did the island need a protector? These weren’t just minor details—they were the heart of the story, and we never really got answers.
❌ Too many dropped plot threads – The writers set up so many mysteries that they just abandoned when they couldn’t figure out how to resolve them. As a viewer, that felt like a betrayal of the investment I had made in the story.
Unanswered Questions That Still Make No Sense to Me
This is where my biggest frustration lies. There were so many mysteries that LOST either ignored, abandoned, or rushed through, leaving the audience feeling like the writers never had answers to begin with. Here are some of the biggest ones:
1️⃣ Why Was Baby Aaron in the Church at the End?
If the Waiting Room reflected how people remembered themselves, then Aaron should have appeared as an adult, not a baby. This made no sense.
2️⃣ How Did Hurley Die If He Was Supposed to Be Like Jacob?
Jacob was only able to die because his brother killed him. So who was Hurley’s enemy? Who replaced him? Why did they never explain this?
3️⃣ Why Wasn’t Michael in the Waiting Room?
The show claimed Michael was trapped as a whispering ghost because of his past sins. But if Ben, Sayid, and even the Man in Black found redemption, why did Michael get left out?
4️⃣ Where Was Adult Walt?
Walt was one of the most important characters in the early seasons, and then he just… disappeared. He wasn’t in the Waiting Room at the end, and we never got a proper resolution for him.
5️⃣ What Exactly Was the Island’s “Light” and Why Was It Important?
The island’s mystical Light Source supposedly made it special, but the show never fully explained its purpose. Why did removing the light nearly destroy the island? What was its connection to the Smoke Monster? If the light was essential to life and the island, why was its mythology so vague? This was one of the most crucial elements of the final season, yet it felt rushed and underdeveloped.
The LOST Finale: What Even Was That?
The final episode of LOST completely derailed the entire story. Instead of explaining the island, the mythology, or what happened to the remaining survivors, it gave us an afterlife “Waiting Room” scenario that felt completely disconnected from the rest of the show.
I remember watching the finale, waiting for that one big revelation that would tie everything together. Instead, I just sat there, confused and unsatisfied. The island—the true mystery all along—was pushed aside for a vague, emotional farewell that didn’t even make sense within its own logic.
The biggest problem with the finale? It felt like an emotional payoff instead of an actual resolution to the story.
Final Verdict: A Show That Was Great, But Could Have Been Better
I wanted LOST to be something truly special. And in many ways, it was. But the deeper I got, the more I realized it was never going to give me the answers I was waiting for.
✅ Seasons 1-3: Fantastic storytelling, deep characters, and great mysteries.
✅ Seasons 4-5: Overcomplicated but still engaging.
❌ Season 6 & The Finale: A complete misstep that failed to explain anything meaningful.
I don’t regret watching LOST, but I do feel like it could have been so much better. If there’s ever a sequel, it should fix these mistakes and finally give the fans the answers they deserve.
Would You Watch a LOST Sequel?
Should they continue the story with the surviving characters, rather than a full reboot? Would you watch a sequel that explores the island’s true purpose? Let’s discuss! 👇
Check out Lost on Netflix, if you have not seen it yet, or just want to binge the show again.
Check out some of my other reviews listed on the main page.