Lost changed the landscape of television. Its cultural influences can still be felt today. It was the first show that felt like it belonged in a book. The twists and turns were spectacular but no other show has been able to replicate that because Lost wasn’t just about the shocks; it was about trying to get the audience to question. This is why it was the perfect show for science-fiction and fantasy. Both of these genres were woven into every episode. Just Geek Stuff has picked out the best Lost episode for science fiction and the best episode for fantasy.
The Constant - best scifi episode
Season four could be described as ‘the wtf season’. Interrupted by the writers’ strike, the season was nearly half the length of the three that had gone before which was quite a drastic shift, particularly when just so many new concepts were introduced. Season four was a rapid ride that could induce motion sickness in even the most enthusiastic fans, yet it was all worth it for this one glorious episode.
In truth, the concept made minimal sense and led from the heart, not the head – which actually is usually a guarantee for success when it comes to science -fiction. Not everything has to be explained. There just has to be a logical framework in place so the audience can follow the story, and then they can focus on its depth, the characters and what truly matters. The Constant got this balance perfectly right.
It had been an episode that was on the cards for a while. Desmond had smashed his way onto our screens and quickly established himself as a firm favourite. His flashes in time in season three alluded to what was to come, but The Constant managed to bring of the most heartening elements together.
Desmond gets caught in a storm, and because he’s been exposed to electromagnetism he actually thinks he’s stuck in the 90s and the only way to get back to present island Desmond is to find the one constant that will always remain in his life – his love, Penny. This show even cracked an aromantic with this episode because it is one of the greatest television episodes I have ever watched.
The writing is magnificent and the acting from every character is really stunning. You just believe in the love of these characters, and you feel it. They are not the perfect love story. Desmond was kind of shit and bailed because he wasn’t proud of who he was. He needed time to get happy with his life and he just wasn’t. There wasn’t a toxic break up. Penny just understood, told him she loved him and wished him well on his journey (albeit a bit pissed, confused and heartbroken).
Only his journey went to hell and Desmond needed her help. It was a theme repeated so often throughout the show. We always questioned what the island was; whether it was hell, purgatory or how the heck it was now managing to move through time but it didn’t really matter. The point was the characters and their love for one another. Science-fiction works when you can forget a story is scifi, when the gadgets and the cool little twists on life are just dressing to the story. They aren’t the core of the story, they’re just there to explore people and that’s exactly what The Constant gave us.
Ab Aeterno - best fantasy episode
Ab Aeterno was when Lost really started to go all out with its fantasy themes as it geared up toward the incredible finale. The science-fiction elements in this episode have largely been ignored. There's not the focus on needing to explain why Richard is being put through the hell he is or the explanation of the logical reason of a time travelling island being the reason he landed in what he thinks is hell. We're asked simply to believe, and so is Richard. Richard has lost everything and yet has found himself in a world - or, island - of gods. The Man in Black becomes the fallen angel that represents the devil, and Jacob is the innocence who believes in the beauty of the island and its miracles.
This episode too was a long time coming and goes back to themes introduced right in the very first episodes. When Locke taught Walt about backgammon, and how there were two pieces "one light, one dark" it showed that this would be a series that at every turn would make us question just who is right and if anyone actually is good.
Again, love is at the cornerstone of this show. Richard is devastated after the death of his wife and his desperately and ultimately futile attempts to save her help bring him to the island. His love for her endures through centuries. But he also loves himself. When Jacob says he can give Richard anything, Richard decides upon immortality. He loved his wife, but he also still loves himself and his life and all of its pain, until we flash back to the present to a man who is now utterly broken and without any faith.
Science fiction and fantasy work wonderfully together through the show. They give each other space, and sometimes we're given answers and other times we are asked simply to believe. There is a man (or person) of science and of faith in each of the characters. After so many years of getting answers which lead to more questions, this beautiful episode showed really it's just about the story and not how it came to be.
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