My LOST Moment

Nick, 25 – Cleveland, Ohio (USA) :

Kate came back for Claire, Sayid was brought back in handcuffs, Hurley was told to by Jacob, and Sun came back for Jin.  But Jack came back because it was his only hope to kill the despair and heartbreak he had of leaving the Island and losing the person he was meant to be with.  Yet stepping foot on that island didn’t solve a single problem, so he tried to blow his problems away.  That just caused more problems to emerge.  It wasn’t until he let go, that he truly became the person he was meant to be.  This episode made him realize how important he was and gave him the definition he had been searching for throughout the series.  My life has mirrored Jack Shepherd’s and I’m just searching for my lighthouse.

Matthew – Orange County, California (USA) :

The beginning of season two is probably my most favorite time in Lost.  The twist in the Season Opener was a moment of confusion and wonder that was shared by both the characters and the audience.  And as this confusion became frustration, the audience found its voice in Jack in episode 3, “Orientation”.  As Jack pointed the loaded gun at Desmond we saw a man who was desperately trying to find a shred of reason in an otherwise chaotic series of events.  Yell, scream, threaten if you have to, just make it make sense!  We saw a remarkably relatable Jack in this episode, just a man yearning for answers and irate at their inability to surface.  Something the audience would get used to…

Ken – Seattle (Washington, USA) :

There were many moments that I enjoyed in the show, but I’d have to say my Lost moment was in “LA X” when Boone has the conversation with John Locke and he mentions the phrase, “If this thing goes down, I’m sticking with you.” Nothing too exciting about that moment if taken out of context.  It’s just two strangers on a plane chatting. However, for me it was quite a funny revelation.

In January of this year I was on a plane and we hit some minor turbulence. The guy sitting next to me, who I hadn’t spoken to the entire flight, leans over and says, “I hope we don’t crash on the island of Lost.” I immediately burst out in laughter, as did the people in the seats in front and behind us. We then spent the rest of the flight exchanging Lost theories for season 6, which hadn’t started yet as this was still in the hiatus between seasons 5 and 6.

The fact that an off-hand Lost reference was the ice breaker for two strangers to strike up a conversation on a plane, and then a similar event would be portrayed a few weeks later in the season opener was quite funny and quite a bizarre twist of “fate” for me. I had a good laugh over the conversation Boone and Locke had as I thought of how much I enjoyed this show and how art was strangely imitating life and vice versa.

Justin, 28 – Hampstead, New Hampshire (USA) :

In trying to think of one Lost moment, one that many others might not reference, I was reminded of Kate’s story in “Whatever Happened, Happened”. Say what you want about the character of Kate (and I have chimed in on occasion), there have been moments of redemption, individuality, and strength – when she wasn’t used as a pawn for the feelings of Jack or Sawyer.

In particular, her taking on the responsibility of raising Aaron, and Cassidy’s conclusion that she needed Aaron as a sort of replacement for Sawyer, made me step back and think. I imagine in that moment, revealing to Claire’s mother that she had been taking care of Aaron, and she was going back to find Claire, wasn’t easy for Kate. In fact, I imagine it was one of the most difficult things she’d ever had to do. She loved that little boy, even though she knew she was never meant to raise him. She had to be unselfish, and motivated by something other than fear. She says “Bye, bye, baby” to Aaron, and we know she truly is losing something.

This episode marked for me, a turning point in Kate’s character. When she came back to the island, although there were residual feelings between Kate and Sawyer, she was not there to ignite them once again. She stuck to her purpose, and in the end became essential to the entire piece of the Lost saga.

To me, Lost has always been about the characters, and this moment solidified just how much we had come to care about them, even if at times we were unhappy about the road they’d been on.

Jaclyn, 17 – Morristown, New Jersey (USA) :

I was 11 years old, getting out of the shower on a random night in September. My dad called me into his office to check out the special effects of a plane crash on a new show called Lost. I walked into his office in my towel, not even pausing to dry off and I was in amazement over the plane crash from the pilot. I never missed an episode after that and my curiosity and love for the show kept growing. From then on, everything revolved around this show and even though my friends used to say it was pathetic, it really changed my life, living through the characters and feeling their emotions as though they were real. This might not be a legit moment from an episode in Lost, but I wanted to shout out to everyone who feels the same way, and say thank you to J.J., Damon, and Carlton for providing me with the best six years of television I will ever experience in my life.

Kelley, 54 – Mason, Ohio (USA) :

Half-way through season 2 I was struck with a spinal stroke that left me paralyzed from the lower part of my chest on down. Like John Locke, I probably spent too much time trying to be or feel normal in a world that is not designed for wheelchairs. Despite my best efforts, and those of John Locke, reality often meets us in the most unfriendly of ways. Sometimes it’s a set of steps and others it is being denied the “Outback Walkabout” you’ve desired so long. I’ve spent five years wishing I could find an island like John Locke, where I could wiggle my toes, stand up and resume the life I once knew.
All that said however, redemption comes less in the getting up and walking and more in the acceptance of what cannot be changed and learning to live, love, thrive and give of yourself to those in need and in worse condition than you. Perhaps most importantly, one must learn to accept the dependence they now require from loved ones. I felt like John was catching that in his sideways world with Helen. His growth there moved me. When John could chuckle after landing face first in the grass to be greeted only by a water sprinkler was a gift of grace, one that I think he was learning how to share, and an inspiration for my daily life.

Omarey, 25 – Pittsgrove, New Jersey (USA) :

I have never been in love. Not for real. I love and admire the story of Desmond and Penny, it seems to me to be what real love is really like. One example of their enduring love is Penny’s letter. Penny knows her true love so well that she knows where to put a letter for him to find at the exact time he would need it. The letter also had the words that Desmond would need to hear in his time of need. This is the result of someone who truly knows their significant other. This is the perfect illustration of a kind of love that is hard to describe with words. One simple line expresses the love that she has for him and the kind of love that I will one day hopefully find. “Because all we really need to survive is one person who truly loves us. And you have her. I will wait for you. Always. I love you, Pen.”

Mikel, 22 – Gilmer, Texas (USA) :

Jacob and Richard on the beach, Jacob revealing why he brings people to the island:

“That man that sent you to kill me believes that everyone is corruptible because it’s in their very nature to sin. I bring people here to prove him wrong. And when they get here, their past doesn’t matter.”
Richard asks, “Before you brought my ship, there were others?”
“Yes, many,” Jacob replies.
“What happened to them–”
“They’re all dead.”
“Well if you brought them here, why didn’t you help them?”
“Because I wanted them to help themselves: to know the difference between right and wrong without me having to tell them. It’s all MEANINGLESS if I have to force them to do anything. Why should I have to step in?”

For me, this exchange had major spiritual and moral significance. As a non-religious humanist, I philosophically strive to argue humanity has the capacity to good for the sake of good. At the time, Jacob was seen as an archetypal analogy for God, the benevolent force for good. For us, the people, Jacob has no roadmap or greater plan for divine intervention. If we are to become capable of making the right choices, it must be of our own accord, not because we coerced or threatened with eternal damnation by the Bible or other ancient tomes. Jacob says here that what we do is all about choice, not blind institutionalized faith.

This statement has reaffirmed my belief that if any unseen benevolent force exists out there, in the best interest of human-kind, it would be more like Jacob and less like every other man-made religious constructs.

This statement has literally changed the way I look at the world today, and for me, that makes Lost legitimate literature.