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Twenty years ago, Lost premiered on ABC and became an instant sensation thanks to its story of plane crash survivors stranded on a strange tropical island full of mysteries—like a polar bear they meet early on, and the creepy Others who have been living on the island for a long time. On top of these mysteries, Lost captivated us with its unique narrative structure. Nearly every episode featured a flashback to one of the main characters before they arrived on the island, in addition to all the shenanigans going on on the island in the present.
It was a great idea for a show, and the two-part pilot episode directed by JJ Abrams got Lost off to a great start. Unfortunately, that goodwill didn't last forever, and viewer sentiment took a drastic turn as Lost came to the end of its sixth and final season. Lost is not a show that has managed to make its mark.
But now that so much time has passed since Lost ended, the general mood around Lost has focused more on the parts of the show we enjoyed rather than the catastrophic horror of the final season. We have a more idealized view of Lost these days.
But Lost really doesn't deserve this treatment. I watched Lost from start to finish when it first aired, and many more times in the fifteen years since it ended. It's become a more unpleasant and frustrating viewing experience with each new airing. Part of that is the nature of the show: Lost was a network TV series in the 2000s, and it was probably nearly impossible to tell a long, coherent story like Lost's in that context.
Since Lost has been and continues to be a pop culture cornerstone for many of us, it's worth taking a closer look at just how poorly it's aged. You better strap in, because we're going to get right into it.
Warning: There will be spoilers here.