BUT I'M NOT THERE, I'M GONE

So, there was no new episode of Lost this week (and I missed 24, sorry); I did watch the recap but, other than the confirmation that it was Widmore who planted the fake 815 wreckage, it gave nothing to those of us who have been following the series every week. Thus, with this lack of a new episode to report on, I've decided to do a countdown of my 10 favourite episodes from the first four seasons (not talking about this year because I like to see how he parts fit into the larger whole before I judge them, and, thus, I'll probably revise this at the end of the series). Here we go with 10 -6, 5-1 later:


# 10: "All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues" (Season 1, Episode 11)

If I were going strictly on the basis of episode titles this one would win it in a cake walk but, unfortunately for good 'ol Jack, this is the only episode of his (well, kinda) that makes my list. That said, this isn't a courtesy placement as this is, without a doubt, the most interesting of Jack's flashbacks and the only one that brings his simmering father issues to a boil. Some episodes of Lost survive on the basis of the on-island action and some survive on the flashbacks (or flash-forwards)and this is a case of the later. Not to say that the on-island stuff here bores (this is, after all, the episode where Boone and Locke find the infamous hatch) but, really, it's all about Jack's battle with his drunkard dad and his fight to stand up for what's right in the hospital. I've often criticized Jack as being too square-jawed of a hero for my liking but I actually find him believable here because there's a lot of conflict and tension that goes into his decision and his reasoning at the end is both sound and true to character. Yeah, it is a bit literal in animating one of Lost's biggest thematic issues, father vs. child conflict, right down to that excellent title, but it proves that, as well-worn a device as that can be, if it's done right and given strong acting chops, it can still be powerful.



#9: "The 23rd Psalm" (Season 2, Episode 10)

This is one of the rare episodes where the on-island and flashback stuff are equally great: On-island, we get classic moments like Mr. Eko's meeting with the Smoke Monster and Michael's chat session with the captured Walt; in the flashback, we see a strong rendering of Eko's history as a Nigerian warlord. The only element here that doesn't really gel for me is the conflict between Charlie and Claire when she finds out he was a heroin addict, it fells a little too artificial in its creation of drama. That said, this was the first episode that proved to me that the Tailies (and, by extension, other characters beyond the initial cast) could have just as captivating backstories (as I didn't really dig "Collision", the Ana Lucia episode) and be just as important as our core group of castaways.



#8: "Solitary" (Season 1, Episode 9)

I really like it when Lost gives itself a bit of humour to balance things out and "Solitary" manages this task quite nicely through a funny little subplot about Hurley building a golf course on the island to help the survivors relieve some stress. It's a bit slight, but it's well-performed and provides much-needed levity. That said, the biggest thing about "Solitary" is its flashback to Sayid's time in the Reublican Guard and his love-vs.-duty conflict when he is forced to torture his beloved Nadia. In lesser hands, that kind of subject matter could play out really cornball but it's given an appropriate level of grit to take out the sentimental gloss and the end sequence where Sayid is given the photograph is both thrilling and heart-warming, in an odd way. Sayid's past as a torturer does line up with his capture by Rousseau, in a way that's sort of baseline ironic but still sort of cool (and this is our first meeting of said French exploress) but, again, it's all about that past which manages to balance violence and romance in a surprisingly nuanced manner.

#7: "Live Together, Die Alone" (Season 2, Episode 23)

Desmond's been a fan-favourite pretty much since he stepped onto the scene at the beginning of season 2 and this, the first episode centered around him, is certainly proof of why. The story of his life on and off the island before he met the castaways is enlightening and provides much needed answers to some questions about the history of his station, and I love the way in which it plays out events that have already been seen on the show (such as Locke's banging on the hatch roof) from Desmond's perspective. There's also a great amount of movement here; Lost is often, and sometimes rightly, critiqued as moving too slowly but a great deal happens within this episode: The infamous four-toed statue is spotted, Jack, Sawyer and Kate get captured, Michael and Walt leave the island, Desmond returns from sailboating, the Swan explodes and, lest we forget, the great final scene where the island is spotted by an outside research team who contact Penny. Speaking of her, she's another element that makes this episode as good as it is. The love story between her and Desmond truly begins here, through that final scene and her letter in the book and it's a great beginning to what would become one of the show's grandest and most warmly-received sub-plots. Top that off with Desmond's rather hilarious drunk sailing sequence and you've got a winner of a season finale.

#6: "The Economist" (Season 4, Episode 3)

I like to refer to this episode as "Sayid Jarrah: 007" for reasons that should be infinitely clear. One of the best episodes of pure action-oriented "cool" in Lost's history, this really feels like a Bourne or Bond movie through-and-through with Sayid's globe-trotting assassination missions for, of all people, Ben, providing the flash-forwards for this one. Naveen Andrews handles his role here with an effortless grace (but also a certain below-surface tension) that I would like to see him do a role such as this in a more permanent capacity (maybe a new show after Lost?). We also see Sayid's "masterful" negotiation skills and the beginning of Faraday and Charlotte's relationship while we're on the Island. But, really, here's the deal: Sayid shoots a dude in broad daylight in the middle of a golf course in this episode. If that doesn't sell you on this, then I don't know what to say.