I often heard about how Lost was a must-see TV show. At the time of its release and a few years after, people loved talking about it. However, it premiered during a time when streaming services didn’t exist. Therefore, once I was three seasons behind, unless I bought a DVD box set, it was nearly impossible to catch up, especially if I didn’t want to spend my summer watching reruns. Eventually, Lost became another TV show that is infamous for not living up to the standards of its earlier seasons and having a controversial series finale. I am a passionate TV fan, so if I know a show that I could love will eventually become something i don’t love, I usually avoid it. This is what happened with Lost. I'd rather not know the show’s greatness just to see it fall apart.
Well, curiosity got the better of me: I finally watched the Lost pilot episodes. I understand why it was so popular when it aired. At the time of writing this, I have only seen the first two episodes of Lost — it was a two-part pilot. Therefore, I only vaguely know what happens with the characters and storylines. Yet, those two episodes were enough to get me hooked.
Warning Lost spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
I Often Felt Like I Was Watching A Movie During The Action Scenes
I have seen a lot of television. Probably way more than the average person, so I truly mean this when I say, I have never seen a show so action-packed in the first ten minutes. It felt like the pilot needed to be on the big screen in a theater to fully appreciate all the intricacies of the opening scenes. I am not a huge fan of action movies, but I can appreciate a really thrilling and exciting one. The Lost pilot offers the same type of adrenaline as some of the best action movies.
It gets you excited to watch the rest of the show and the pacing makes the first 42 minutes go by so fast. It delivers a masterclass on how to bring big-screen thrills to the small screen.
The Pilot Creates So Much Suspense
If I didn’t know what I know about Lost, I would initially assume it’s just a show about people trying to survive on a deserted island. The writers let you believe that…until some strange things begin to happen. It reminded me of one of the shows I used to love that also kind of lost its way, the original The 4400. Both series have a group of people put in or returned to a foreign situation, and we watch as things become stranger with each episode. I was immediately sucked into Lost’s world and wanted to know what happens next.
The Lost pilot episodes were the perfect example of giving viewers just enough to hook them, but not enough to tell them too much too soon.
The Score Really Captured My Attention
One of the best moments of Lost’s first episode is when the drum sounds completely stop and Jack (Matthew Fox) introduces himself. It makes you remember this moment. The series had already done a really good job of establishing Jack as the hero of this story. He had taken action and stood out. However, the drum-stopping moment further cements that Jack is the main character. It’s a small point with so much impact.
Great storytelling isn’t just the words or characters, but the full experience and that includes sound and music. Music has always been a major part of the television world. There are so many great TV music moments. This simple action really highlights how music and sound can elevate a scene. I think Lost benefits from how well the score creates suspense. It helps you take the journey with Jack as he’s discovering what happened to him and the others.
It’s also one of the premiere episodes where the score stands out so much. I don’t ever recall being this aware of the importance of the score in any other premiere episodes.
I Learned A Lot About The Lost Season 1 Characters Without Much Backstory
Lost introduces a lot of characters in the first two episodes. You don’t get enough time with them to fully know their lives before they ended up on the island. However, the show does a good job of establishing the personalities of many characters in a short time. You can easily guess some of their history from the few early interactions and flashbacks.
It also makes you want to know more about these people. A lot of shows are good at giving you the personality of a few characters quickly, but Lost has at least ten characters that you start to get to know in the first two episodes. You care enough to want to take that journey with them.
I Was Shocked And Surprised At Some Moments
Lost made me very interested to know who the prisoner was on the flight. I started to form my theories but was completely shocked when Kate (Evangeline Lilly) is revealed to be the one who was a prisoner. I then dropped my mouth down when Edward Mars (Fedric Lehne) is revealed to be the one Jack has been trying to save most of the second episode.
Those minor surprises let me know that there are plenty more shocks to come.
The Lost Pilot Intrigued And Stressed Me Out
I really enjoy shows and movies that will cause me anxiety (to a degree), so I was instantly stressed out but also very into the Lost beginning journey. I wanted to see how stressful things become for the islanders and what parts of their past presents some danger to their futures.
The best thing about deciding to watch Lost after it already aired is that I can just find out the answers without waiting. But Lost’s reputation comes with its own stress, because I believe people when they say the show’s quality greatly declines. That causes me stress because I know there is an expiration on its greatness.
I Immediately Wanted To Watch The Rest of The Season
It's already been a few days since I watched the Lost pilot episodes, but I now really want to watch at least the first season. Logically, I should just enjoy the brilliance of a really strong pilot because that’s a hard achievement. However, it was too entertaining and impressive. Now I want to throw caution to the wind and endure the joy and anger for whatever happens to the show that makes people so upset.
You know a pilot episode is impressive when it makes you want to chance disappointment. Curse you, Lost. I may just have to go ahead and watch the rest of the episodes.
