The Lost Rewatch: Season 1 Review

Well we have concluded Season 1 in the LOST Rewatch. Season 1 is unique, original, enigmatic, and the reason that us Lost fans were drawn to this show in the first place. The plot in season one is primarily character-driven, and the mythology is slowly and gradually evolving. I will go through all twenty-four episodes of season one -- rehashing, recaping, reviewing, and analyzing the large variety of episodes consisting of amazing character development, literary techniques, themes, memorable quotes, easter eggs, and mythology from the original season of LOST. I figured it would be good to do an all-encompassing review of the season so that we can look at it as one seamless story. We have a lot to go through, so let's get started.


Episode 1 --- "Pilot, Part 1"

I have rewatched this episode countless times, and every time it astounds me. This episode of LOST is iconic and is the foundation of the entire series. We are introduced to the plethora of characters the comprise this season; Jack, Kate, Charlie, Sun, Jin, Claire, Michael, Walt, Shannon, Boone, and Locke. The opening sequences with Jack running through the wreckage is one of Lost's most classic moments ever. When I watch this from the perspective of having watched the entire series, the most interesting aspect of this episode is hearing Jack retell his heart-wrenching story of saving a patient as a doctor. He recalls the fear of being "so real"; in order to counter this fear, he counts to five. After finally seeing this scene in "The Incident, Part 2," I find it interesting that Jack doesn't mention that it was his father, Christian Shephard, that told him to count to five. Well, I guess we know that all the best cowboys have daddy issues...

FAVORITE QUOTE:

JACK: It's normal.
ROSE: Oh, I know. I've just never been a very good flier. My husband keeps reminding me that planes want to be in the air.
JACK: Well, he sounds like a very smart man.
ROSE: Be sure and tell him that when he gets back from the bathroom.
JACK: Well, I'll keep you company until he does. Don't worry it's going to be over …


Episode 2 --- "Pilot, Part 2"

The pilot episode of LOST continues, and this episode once again skims the surface of Lost's complex and intricate mythology. A polar bear (which we later discover was from the DHARMA Initiative's Hydra Station) attempts to attack the survivors. Also, we get to hear the distress call from Danielle Rousseau (which replaced the endless broadcast of the Numbers, 4 8 15 16 23 42, heard in the static by Leonard from the Mental Institute). The distress call says that something killed Danielle's entire team (later seen five seasons later, in the episode "This Place Is Death").

FAVORITE QUOTE:

SAYID: The iterations. It's a distress call. A plea for help. A mayday. If the count is right … It's been playing over … and over … for sixteen years.
BOONE: Someone else? Was stranded here?
KATE: Maybe they came for them.
SAWYER: If someone came, why is it still playing?
CHARLIE: Guys. Where are we?


Episode 3 --- "Tabula Rasa"

In Season 1, Kate started off as a character shrouded in mystery for the most part. With the revelation that she had been a fugitive (being escorted by Edward Mars), her backstory became even more ambiguous. This is one of my favorite episodes of the season, and is a classic example of a fabulous Lost episode. Let's start off by analyzing the title: Tabula rasa (Latin: blank slate) refers to the belief that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that their knowledge comes from experience and perception. This is part of the philosophy of John Locke (which, of course, is a reference to John Locke from Lost). We find out that Jack doesn't want to know what Kate did, claiming that now they're on the Island, everyone has a blank slate (this sounds a lot like Locke's words to Shannon later on this season: "we all have a new life on this island... maybe it's time you start yours"). This episode concludes with a fantastic montage accompanied by the song "Wash Away," and ends with a very ominous stare of John Locke (foreshadowing the next Locke centric episode).

FAVORITE QUOTE:

JACK: I don't want to know. It doesn't matter, Kate, who we were - what we did before this, before the crash. It doesn't really—3 days ago we all died. We should all be able to start over.


Episode 4 --- "Walkabout"

Locke is one of my favorite character on Lost. He is full of mystery and enigma, and in this episode we finally learn that this island has healed him. We will later find out that the Island has not only healed Locke, but it has healed many others as well (Rose and her cancer, Young Ben and his bullet wound, etc). Aside from this, we also know that the Island has also chosen to not heal, such as Ben and his spinal tumor. My favorite part of this episode is seeing Locke's past (which is completely the opposite of anything I would've guessed). Like Boone stated in "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues," Locke's either a hitman or a taxidermist. We discover, though, that he is neither -- he was a regional collections supervisor for a box company. On top of that, he also has an annoying jerk for a boss, Randy Nations (who, through either coincidence or fate, was Hurley's boss in "Everybody Hates Hugo," and later worked for Hurley in "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead"). Seeing Locke's obsession with Helen, someone he's been conversing with via telephone, was also heart-wrenching (since we now know that Helen left Locke after his relentless obsession to make amends with Anthony Cooper).

FAVORITE QUOTE:

LOCKE: Hey, hey, don't you walk away from me. You don't know who you're dealing with. Don't ever tell me what I can't do, ever. This is destiny. This is destiny. This is my destiny. (yelling) I'm supposed to do this, dammit. Don't tell me what I can't do.


Episode 5 --- "White Rabbit"

This episode opens with one of my favorite scenes of the entire show. Jack saves Boone (who was trying to save another woman), but he fails to save Joanna. This scene shows that Jack had a choice to make; leave Boone and save Joanna, or save Boone and attempt to save Joanna. Throughout this season, Jack has proven that he is a leader - he makes decisions for the camp, and is at the head of every rescue mission and trek across the island. As we saw in the previous episode "Walkabout," Jack is seeing visions of his dad, Christian Shephard, throughout various places on the island. Jack almost falls off of a cliff, but is saved by John Locke (who happened to show up at precisely the right time). This episode really sprouts the beginning of Jack Shephard and John Locke's complex, intricate, and troubled relationship.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

LOCKE: I'm an ordinary man, Jack, meat and potatoes, I live in the real world. I'm not a big believer in magic. But this place is different. It's special. The others don't want to talk about it because it scares them. But we all know it. We all feel it. Is your white rabbit a hallucination? Probably. But what if everything that happened here, happened for a reason? What if this person that you're chasing is really here?
JACK: That's impossible.
LOCKE: Even if it is, let's say it's not.
JACK: Then what happens when I catch him?
LOCKE: I don't know. But I've looked into the eye of this island. And what I saw was beautiful.


Episode 6 --- "House of the Rising Sun"

Sun and Jin are completely different characters in season one than where they are now. We see Jin violently attack Michael over a watch, and for the first time, Sun reveals to Michael that she speaks English. Not only does she speak it, but her husband Jin has no idea. In flashbacks, we see that Sun and Jin's relationship is completely different in the past than their relationship on the island -- Jin and Sun actually respected each other. On the island, Jin has proven to be a controlling husband, who commands Sun to do everything. Another one of my favorite parts of this season is seeing the full batch of redshirts again. Since Season 5, the redshirts have gradually been killed off, but in Season 1 we get to see them all once again. I love seeing SBSSG walk in the background, or see Doug and know that he will one day be shot in "The Shape of Things to Come."

FAVORITE QUOTE:

JACK: These caves make too good a shelter just to be used for burial. Adam and Eve, they must have lived here. Their plane crashed, or maybe they were ship-wrecked. They probably found this place and knew they could survive here. Unlimited supply of fresh water, tree canopy keeps the temperature down, shields out the sun, [Kate is looking down, unconvinced], the openings are narrow, easier for protection against predators. We don't need to bring the water to the people. We need to bring the people to the water. I think we could live here.


Episode 7 --- "The Moth"

Charlie Pace (also known as 'Has-Been Popstar', 'Babynapper', and 'Munchkin' by Sawyer) has been struggling in his battle with heroin. In flashbacks, we see more origins of his drug addiction, and how his brother Liam was a catalyst in his heroin addiction. We also see that Charlie was religious for a period of time, and confessed to his priest that he needed to quit Driveshaft to get away from the evil it made him do. After yelling at Jack for thinking that he's "useless," Charlie exclaims that he's a "bloody ROCK god," which ironically causes a cave in. Charlie escapes, but Jack is left inside. After a heroic rescue from Charlie, they escape from the caves with help from a moth. My absolute favorite scene in this episode is the amazing conversation between Locke and Charlie -- Locke explains that he could help the moth escape from its cocoon. but it would be too weak to survive. Struggle is nature's way of strengthening. This quote holds enormous importance in Lost; all of the characters have undergone struggle in their lives -- perhaps it's the island's way of strengthening them.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

LOCKE: You see this little hole? This moth's just about to emerge. It's in there right now, struggling. It's digging its way through the thick hide of the cocoon. Now, I could help it, take my knife, gently widen the opening, and the moth would be free. But it would be too weak to survive. The struggle is nature's way of strengthening it. Now this is the second time you've asked me for your drugs back . Ask me again and it's yours.


Episode 8 --- "Confidence Man"

Sawyer has shown to be quite the con man in his past, and he continues to live in the wild on the island. From every angle that we look at Sawyer and his motives, he seems to be completely and innertly selfish. But we see that he has an emotional edge by the way that he ominously stares at the letter he wrote as a kid (with Jacob's pen...). He knows that Mr. Sawyer was the one who killed his parents, and little does Sawyer know that he will later meet Anthony Cooper (the real Sawyer) on the island. I thought it was interesting to see Jack slowly make the transition from civilization to the wild. He didn't want Sawyer to be tortured, but he knew that they didn't have much a choice. Of course, when Sawyer is wounded badly, it gives Jack the opportunity to show off his heroic efforts (like Sawyer said).

FAVORITE QUOTE:

SAWYER: Baby, I am tied to a tree in a jungle of mystery. I just got tortured by a damn spinal surgeon and a gen-u-ine I-raqi. Of course, I'm serious. You're just not seeing the big picture here, Freckles. You really going to let that girl suffocate because you can't bring yourself to give me one little kiss? Hell, it's only first base. Lucky for you I ain't greedy.


Episode 9 --- "Solitary"

This is one of my favorite episodes of the season. We begin to learn more about the French woman, Danielle Rousseau, who tells her horrowing tale of survival on the island alone for sixteen years. She explains that her crew was infected, and she killed them all. It is interesting to compare this episode to "This Place Is Death." I'm quite certain that Danielle has gone crazy over the years, since she told Sayid that she has never seen the Others, but she hears them whisper. We know very well that she saw Ben Linus when they stole Alex from her. Overall, I absolutely love the juxtapostion that occurs in this episode -- on one side of the island we see the light-hearted game of golf happening, but on the other side of the island Sayid is being tortured by Danielle, and we hear her dark tale of survival. In flashbacks we learn the story behind Nadia, Sayid's long lost love, and know that they won't reunite until "There's No Place Like Home, Part 1" and that their story will end tragically when she is hit by a car. In this episode, there is also a lot of irony when Danielle mentions the mysterious Others that she has never seen, and little do we know that Ethan Rom (posing as a survivor) is one of these Others.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

HURLEY: Look, all I'm saying is, if we're stuck here, then just surviving's not going to cut it. We need some kind of relief, you know. We need some way that we can, you know, have fun. That's right, fun. Or else we're just going to go crazy waiting for the next bad thing to happen.


Episode 10 --- "Raised by Another"

One of the most interesting parts of this episode is Claire's dream at the beginning. We see Locke with one dark eye and one light eye; I think that this dream is very significant towards Lost. In flashbacks, we see Richard Malkin, a psychic who apparently "knew" the fate of Flight 815. He wanted Claire to raise the baby; great danger surrounds the baby and only Claire can raise it. I hope that this storyline is revisited in season six, since we know that Kate Austen raised Aaron for a while until giving him to his grandmother, Carole Littleton. Will this have a significant affect on Aaron? Every time I see the title of this episode I always do a play on words: what if it was "Raised by an Other"? It seems like the writers of this episode may have been thinking the same thing.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

CLAIRE: Jack tried to dope me. He thinks I'm making all this up, that none of it really happened.
CHARLIE: Right. So, to prove your sanity you go tromping through the jungle alone. Well done.
CLAIRE: I'm not crazy, Charlie.


Episode 11 --- "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues"

Jack and his dad Christian definitely have a lot of issues, and the origin of these issues is first seen in this episode. We learn that Christian was performing surgury under the influence, and Jack knew this. Christian thinks he has gained his son's trust when he signs a consent form stating the "truth"; but this is very troubling for Jack. Maybe it's his morals, conscience, or something else -- whatever it is, Jack decides to revise his statment, and tells the administration that Christian was under the influence during surgery. This is the climactic pinnacle of their troubled relationship. Christian goes to Australia, where we will later see him meet Sawyer in "Outlaws." On the island, Jack and Kate find Charlie tied to a tree; while trying to resusitate him, Kate tells Jack to stop, knowing that there is no hope. This is very reminiscent of Christian telling Jack to "call it" when when of his patients succombed to their injuries. This is an extremely well crafted episode; the Jack and Christian relationship is one of the best storylines of the entire series. In a suspenseful, fateful, and unforgettable final scene, Locke throws Boone a flashlight, which he drops onto the Hatch. This Hatch will play a very pivotal role in the series as a whole.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

CHRISTIAN: I know I have been hard on you, but that is how you make a soft metal into steel. That is why you are the most gifted young surgeon in this city. And this, this is a career that is all about the greater good. I've had to sacrifice certain aspects of my relationship with you so that hundreds and thousands of patients will live because of your extraordinary skills. I know it's a long, a long time coming. What happened yesterday, I promise you, will never happen again. And after all what I've given -- this is not just about my career, Jack. It's my life.


Episode 12 --- "Whatever the Case May Be"

This is my favorite Kate centric episode of all time. In the past, we see some of Kate's criminal activity, which includes persuading a guy to rob a bank. Kate doesn't want money; she only wants a toy plane (which we now know belongs to Tom Brennan, the man that Kate "killed" from "Born to Run". On the island, the episode begins with an amazing scene at a lagoon on the island; Sawyer and Kate explore the lagoon only to find dead bodies and wreckage from the plane, and also a case. Kate's strong interest in the case is what leads to Sawyer's curiosity of what's inside. What is inside? Guns. Kate knows that guns could be of great value on an island full of hostile natives, especially with what just happened to Claire and Charlie. But that isn't the real reason she wants to get in the case; Kate wants the toy plane that belonged to Tom Brennan. One of my favorite scenes in this episode is when Charlie asks Rose to help him; Rose says that she isn't the one that can help him, and they pray together.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

ROSE: I just do. It's a fine line between denial and faith. It's much better on my side.
CHARLIE: Help me.
ROSE: Baby, I'm not the one that can help you... Heavenly Father, we thank you. We thank you for bringing us together tonight, and we ask that you show Charlie the path...


Episode 13 --- "Hearts and Minds"

Boone's attraction to Shannon is something that he has been unable to let go of, and John Locke knows it. While in the jungle, Locke drugs Boone (which leads to him having a very vivid dream). In this dream, Boone attempts to save Shannon from the Monster, but fails. When Shannon is killed, Boone says that he felt relieved. Overall, this would have to be one of my least favorite episodes of the series. in flashbacks we see that Boone continuously saves Shannon from guys that want to take advantage over her, but Shannon doesn't seem to care and tries to con Boone out of the money. After all of this, Shannon tells Boone that she knows he's in love with her. On the Island, Locke helps Boone get over his love for his sister, and leads him to focus more on the Hatch.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

LOCKE: Ludovico Buonarrati, Michelangelo's father. He was a wealthy man. He had no understanding of the divinity in his son, so he beat him. No child of his was going to use his hands for a living. So, Michelangelo learned not to use his hands. Years later a visiting prince came into Michelangelo's studio and found the master staring at a single 18 foot block of marble. Then he knew that the rumors were true -- that Michelangelo had come in everyday for the last four months, stared at the marble, and gone home for his supper. So the prince asked the obvious -- what are you doing? And Michelangelo turned around and looked at him, and whispered, sto lavorando, I'm working. Three years later that block of marble was the statue of David.


Episode 14 --- "Special"

Michael's issues with Locke come to a head in this episode. Since the beginning of the season, Michael has been relentlessly wary about Locke being around Walt. Walt seems to really like Locke, and this leads to Michael being jealous. Flashbacks reveal that Walt really is special; while reading a book about birds in Australia, a bird flies into the window and dies. We will later discover the exact same thing happen on Hydra Island, seen in "Room 23". Walt tries to leave camp but encounters a polar bear. In an heroic effort, Locke and Michael save Walt, which leads them to make amends.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

CHARLIE: Yeah, I know, I'm bloody scum. Just listen to this. "I had that weird dream again, the one with the black rock I can't get away from. I try to leave it but it won't let me."


Episode 15 --- "Homecoming"

Claire has finally returned to camp after nearly a week of absence (what happened to her will be revealed in Season Two's "Maternity Leave"). The A-Team devises a plan to capture Ethan Rom (who has threatened to kill one survivor each day they don't bring Claire back to him). The plan uses Claire as bait. The flashbacks in this episode are less than stellar; Charlie's girlfriend Lucy is very forgettable, and his job selling printers has almost zero merit to his overall story arc. The on-island story in this episode is a pinnacle part of this season; in many ways it is the climax of Season 1. Ethan Rom (or as Charlie called him, the "bad guy") is one of the Others who is trying to kidnap Claire once again; the survivors stop that from happening, and are able to detain Ethan at gunpoint. Charlie decides to be proactive, and shoots Ethan, killing him. For awhile I was very angry at Charlie -- why would you kill someone that could have given valuable information about his motives, whereabouts, and origins? But I suppose his actions are justified; after all, we know that the Others are extremely secretive about their whereabouts (seen later on with Bea Klugh and Mikhail, who would have rather died than taken the survivors to the Barracks). Overall, this is a tremendous episode that comprises some of the best moments of the season.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

LOCKE: Jack, I'm not a cold man. I feel for the loss of one of our own, but nothing fundamental is changed. Wherever he is, wherever he comes from, we're on Ethan's turf. He has the advantage. To him we're nothing more than a bunch of scared idiots with sharp sticks.


Episode 16 --- "Outlaws"

The on island story of this episode starts off very interesting; a boar runs off with Sawyer's tent, and when Sawyer chases him into the jungle, he hears whispers. Some of the words in these whispers are audible, and we hear someone say "it'll come back around". These words will be used by Frank Duckett, who James Ford killed (because Hibbs conned him into doing it). My favorite scene in this episode (and one of my favorites from this season) is when Sawyer meets Christian Shephard in a bar in Australia. According to Christian, they call Australia 'down under' because it's as close as you cn get to hell without burning. Christian knows that Sawyer is suffering. He prompts Sawyer into doing whatever it is he has to in order to escape the suffering (which, in this case is killing the "Sawyer" that caused the death of his parents). Christian states that he can escape his suffering if he picked up the phone and called his son. All he had to do was call Jack, tell him what he really feels. But he can't, because he is weak. This is a very significant, emotional, and amazing scene that redefines the troubled relationship between Jack and his father. Later on in "Exodus" Sawyer tells Jack about this conversation they had. In the jungle, Kate and Sawyer discover some secrets about each other while playing 'I Never' that redefine their relationship. It's revealed that Kate was married for awhile (later seen in "I Do"). They also discover that they are both "outlaws." This episode is extremely underrated, and is considered by many fans to be one of the worst episodes of the season. I disagree with this, and think it is a great episode that further propels James' relentless pursuit for "Sawyer".

FAVORITE QUOTE:

CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD: Don't let the air conditioning fool you, son. You are here, too. You are suffering. But, don't beat yourself up about it. It's fate. Some people are just supposed to suffer. That's why the Red Sox will never win the damn series. I have a son who's about your age. He's not like me, he does what's in his heart. He's a good man, maybe a great one. And right now, he thinks that I hate him. He thinks I feel betrayed by him. But what I really feel is gratitude, and pride because of what he did to me. What he did for me. It took more courage than I have. There's a pay phone over here. I could pick it up and I could call my son. I could tell him about all this. I could tell him that I love him. One simple phone call and I could fix everything.
SAWYER: Why don't you?
CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD: Because I am weak.


Episode 17 --- "...In Translation"

Jin-Soo Kwon has had a very hard life on the island thus far in the season. He is the only survivor that speaks no English, and is constantly 'lost in translation'. When the raft is burned by a mysterious arsonist, everyone suspects Jin (who has had a bitter vendetta against Michael since the watch incident). Jin also has burns, which doesn't help his cause. In a climactic confrontation on the beach, Michael publicly beats Jin in front of the entire camp. It is here when Sun reveals that she speaks English (to everyone, including Jin). This leaves her alienated, and her husband refuses to speak to her. In a way, this act has given Sun freedom, and she no longer feels repressed by Jin. In a great final scene, Sun walks on the beach in her bathing suit (something Jin would never have allowed). My favorite scene in this episode is Locke's speech to the camp; it can be seen as a harbinger of what's to come. Like Boone said in "Hearts and Minds," Locke's the only one who has a clue as to what's going on around here.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

LOCKE: Okay, it's personal, but why take it out on our best chance of getting off the island? Why would any one of us block an attempt to get home? We're so intent on pointing the finger at one another that we're ignoring the simple undeniable truth that the problem isn't here, it's there. They've attacked us, sabotaged us, abducted us, murdered us. Maybe it's time we stop blaming us and start worrying about them. We're not the only people on this island and we all know it.


Episode 18 --- "Numbers"

This is an iconic episode of Lost; we get to see the Numbers for the first time. The Numbers have been, and always will be, one of the most prominent aspects of the entire show. I absolutely love hearing the ominous and mysterious story behind the Numbers. The Numbers drove Leonard insane after he heard them repeating over and over through radio static. After winning the lottery, Hurley is convinced he's under a curse. This isn't a normal curse though; bad things to happen to Hurley, but rather the people around him. His grandpa Tito died, his new house for his mother caught on fire, a man jumped off a building he was in, a fire killed eight people in a factory he owned in Canada, a meteorite destroyed his kitchen shack, and he crashed on Oceanic Flight 815. I absolutely love the flashbacks in this episode that shed more light on Hurley's very ominous past, and the on island story involving Hurley with Danielle is amazing too.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

HURLEY: What? You don't know? Okay, that thing in the woods, maybe it's a monster, maybe it's a pissed off giraffe, I don't know. The fact that no one is even looking for us, yeah, that's weird, but I just go along with it because I'm along for the ride, good old fun time Hurley. Well guess what? Now, I want some friggin' answers.


Episode 19 --- "Deus Ex Machina"

One of my favorite episodes of all-time ... "Deus Ex Machina" is an absolute masterpiece, and one of the series' best. This is my favorite Locke centric episode ever; the flashbacks in this episode are very emotional. John finally meets his father, Anthony Cooper, only to be ruthelessly conned by him. Cooper pretended to love John, only long enough to steal his kidney. Locke's mother, Emily, helped Anthony with the con. This heartless act makes Locke feel completely lost, and it affects the rest of his life. On the island, Boone and Locke fail to get into the hatch using a trebuchet. In a dream, Locke sees a Beechcraft crash, and also sees a bloody Boone (foreshadowing his impending death). At the beach camp, we see a more light-hearted storyline -- Sawyer has hyperopia, and is in need of glasses. My favorite part of this episode is the ending. Locke feels helpless in both his flashbacks (where Cooper steals his kidney) and on the island (where he is pounding on the hatch, pleading to the island for help). An ominous light turns on, giving both Locke and Desmond Hume hope.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
LOCKE: I've done everything you wanted me to do, so why did you do this to me?


Episode 20 --- "Do No Harm"

After Locke brings Boone back to camp, Jack and the other survivors work vigorously to try to save his life. After many failed attempts to transfuse blood and perform other medical procedures, Boone is slowly succombing to his injuries. At the same time of Boone's death we witness new life, Aaron, being born. Claire finally has her baby, even though she didn't want to be in that situation. In flashbacks, we witness Jack and Sarah's wedding; after watching through Season 5, we know that their relationship will end in tragedy when Sarah leaves Jack for another man. We do witness something rather rare in this episode: Jack and Christian actually have a decent relationship with each other. Usually they're fighting, bickering, and screaming at one another, but in this episode we get to see their relationship probably at its finest.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

KATE: Want to talk about it?
JACK: Talk about what?
KATE: Boone died, Jack.
JACK: He didn't die. He was murdered.
KATE: What? Jack, where are you going?
JACK: To find John Locke.


Episode 21 --- "The Greater Good"

The beach camp is filled with mixed emotions: there is happiness surrounding the birth of baby Aaron, and there is sadness due to Boone's death. Locke shows up to Boone's funeral and gives an explanation for Boone's death; this doesn't appease Jack, however, and he violently attacks Locke. Later on, Locke approaches Shannon, asking for her forgiveness. Rather than be forgiving, Shannon decides it would be better to kill Locke. When Sayid refuses to do this, Shannon takes matters into her own hands. I really don't understand Shannon's actions here; she didn't seem extremely upset over Boone's death (considering she refused to speak at her own brother's funeral). I think she went after Locke simply because she is stubborn and needed to prove that she is capable of doing what she wants to. In flashbacks, we see Sayid infiltrate a group of terrorists, one of which is his long time friend. Sayid agrees to convince Essam to "blow himself up" because it is his only chance to reunite with Nadia. At first glance, his actions may seem selfish; he used his friend to get to his long-lost love. But Sayid never intended for Essam to actually blow himself up. Sayid gave him a chance to run away and escape, but he chose not to.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

LOCKE: Storm coming. I should have said no -- the first time he offered to hunt with me I should have said no.
SHANNON: He would have gone anyway.
LOCKE: Yeah, I suppose he would have. I know how confused and angry you must be right now. I can't say I understand what you're going through, but I know what it feels like when you lose family. I hope you can forgive me. I'm sorry.


Episode 22 --- "Born to Run"

The penultimate episode before the epic first season finale is a Kate centric; in flashbacks, we witness the origins of Kate's toy plane, and the tragic story that surrounds it. The toy plane was in a time capsule that Kate and her childhood friend, Tom Brennan, unburried in this episode. Later on, we find that Kate is the one who inadvertantly caused the death of Tom by stealing his car while attempting to escape from the police. This guilt has caused a lot of grief for Kate. As seen in "Whatever the Case May Be", Kate robbed a bank just to retrieve that toy plane. After someone poisons Michael, suspicions arise about who it might be. Hurley spills the beans to Locke that Kate is a fugitive (one of Jack's many secrets he kept from the other survivors). Sawyer and Kate are competing to get their spot on the raft. Kate plans to run off with a new identity as Joanna Miller (a woman who drowned in "White Rabbit"). Sawyer knows this, and tells the rest of the survivors. It still baffles me as to why Sawyer wanted his spot on the raft so badly... like Michael says in "Exodus," either he's a hero, or he wants to die. Sawyer admits that he isn't a hero, but I think that Sawyer was trying to become a hero by being on the raft. He has spent the majority of the first season as the "bad guy" of the survivors, and this is a way he sees as redemption.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

SAWYER: The only chance of running is getting on that raft, ain't it? We get picked up by a ship and they come back to rescue the rest of you all -- there's going to be a nice big asterisk next to your name. Don't worry puddin', your secret's safe with me. But just so you know -- no way in hell you're getting my spot on that raft.


Episode 23 --- "Exodus, Part 1"

This episode is truly spectacular, and a fabulous part one to a mind-blowingly awesome first season finale. At the start of the episode, we see Danielle Rousseau venture into the beach camp for the first time. The survivors gather around her, and she explains what happened to her when the Others took her baby. She claims that she saw black smoke, a few kilometers inland the night when Ben kidnapped Alex. The survivors continue to work on the launching of the raft; the survivors then see the ominous black smoke coming from inland, which signals the coming of the Others. According to Danielle, the survivors have three choices: Run, Hide, or Die. We know that Danielle heard whispers in the jungle, saying that the Others were coming for the boy. Rousseau assumes they mean Aaron, but she is mistaken (as we will soon see, it is Walt that the Others are after). In flashbacks, we see veteran tailie Ana Lucia meet Jack Shephard in a bar prior to the takeoff of Flight 815. This was a way for the writers to introduce Ana, who will become a main character in Season 2. Ana half-jokingly wonders if Jack will switch seats with her in 42F... this always makes me wonder: what if they had actually changed seats? I couldn't imagine that role reversal; Jack at the head of the Tailies, and Ana in charge of the mid-section survivors. Anyways, back to the episode. The survivors show Rousseau the hatch, and she claims that she's never seen anything like it. It always amazes me that after sixteen years on the Island, Danielle has managed to map some major geographical features on her maps and notes (such as the extremely dangerous rivers, Hydra Island, the crater, etc.), but hasn't see any DHARMA Initiative stations? The raft launching scene is one of the best scenes of the entire series; the survivors finally launch the raft with Michael, Walt, Jin and Sawyer on board in hopes that they will find rescue... Little do they know about the catastrophe that will occur out at sea.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

DANIELLE: Our ship went aground on this island 16 years ago. There were 6 of us -- my team, 6. At that time I was already 7 months pregnant. I delivered the infant myself. The baby and I were together for only 1 week when I saw black smoke -- a pillar of black smoke 5 kilometers inland. That night they came, they came and took her -- Alex. They took my baby. And now, they're coming again. They're coming for all of you.
JACK: Who's coming?
DANIELLE: The Others. You have only 3 choices: run, hide, or die.


Episode 24 --- "Exodus, Part 2"

The season one finale is nothing short of incredible. I'll start by discussing one of my favorite scenes of all-time: Hurley's chase through the airport. Bad luck seems to meet Hurley at every corner, and he thinks this is due to the curse from the Numbers. Hurley oversleeps, and hastily rushes to the airport in a hurried attempt to catch Flight 815 before it takes off. This scene always makes me laugh; it's also full of easter eggs: Hurley runs past a team of soccer players with the Numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42 on the back of their jerseys, the number of the gate they enter to get on the plane is 23, and the man that Hurley takes the scooter from in the airport is wearing a "Crazy Eight's" hat. At the Black Rock, Arzt attempts to takeover the situation with the dynamite. This, of course, ends with him explosing in front of them all. Hurley blames this on himself and the Numbers. On the journey back to camp in the Dark Territory, the survivors encounter the Monster again. This is our first real glimpse at the Monster and what it is: a column of black smoke. Locke is almost pulled into a Cerberus Vent, but he is saved by Jack. Locke wanted Jack to let go, thinking that the Island was testing him. I'm guessing, though, that if Jack did let him go, he would have become "infected," just like Danielle's science expedition. Back at the beach camp, Danielle encounters Aaron and Claire. Rousseau heard whispers in the jungle, and the whispers were saying that they were coming for the child. Danielle suspects that the Others are coming for Aaron, so she kidnaps Aaron in hope of making a trade: Aaron for Alex. Danielle heads off toward the pillar of smoke, where she intends to find the Others. Charlie and Sayid aren't far behind her.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

LOCKE: That's why you and I don't see eye-to-eye sometimes, Jack -- because you're a man of science.
JACK: Yeah, and what does that make you?
LOCKE: Me, well, I'm a man of faith. Do you really think all this is an accident -- that we, a group of strangers survived, many of us with just superficial injuries? Do you think we crashed on this place by coincidence -- especially, this place? We were brought here for a purpose, for a reason, all of us. Each one of us was brought here for a reason.
JACK: Brought here? And who brought us here, John?
LOCKE: The Island. The Island brought us here. This is no ordinary place, you've seen that, I know you have. But the Island chose you, too, Jack. It's destiny.


I hope you all enjoyed this all-encompassing review and analysis of Lost's incredible first season. This season is full of some amazing themes, incredible scenes, awesome quotes, interesting mythology, and suspenseful cliffhangers. It's always fun to go back and rewatch these episodes. I'd love to here your thoughts on the first season too!